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SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: A Story of Love and Devotion

9/30/2017

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But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.  – Ruth 1:15-16 (NLT)

Mothers-in-law have been the brunt of comedian's jokes for ages, stories of disagreement and bossiness that have been used in routines which generated great laughter.  Most play on the idea that the younger in-laws see them as divisive and judgmental. Now it's certainly true that some don't get along with their mother-in-law, claiming that she tries to tell her child what to do and what is being done wrong, yet we seldom hear of the devotion between a mother-in-law and her new in-law that is often the real situation.  Maybe it's because they are assumed to be older and set in their ways or perhaps it's because they see their child as he or she was in youth, having difficulty giving up to the reality of the child now being an adult with a family of their own. But the story or Ruth from the Old Testament dispels many of the myths of the relationship between the in-laws as it portrays a young woman who is devoted to her mother-in-law at a time when they both needed each other.

Ruth's mother-in-law, Naomi, was married to Elimelech of Bethlehem at a time when Israel was in the midst of a great famine.  So, Naomi and her husband, plus their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, relocated to the nation of Moab which was not suffering in such a way.  They settled there for a generation and during that time the boys became men but lost their father to illness. One of the boys married Ruth, the other Orpah, both women Moabites, and lived happily as an extended family until the sons both died, leaving Naomi both bitter and lonely and the two young widows in despair.

Fortunes changed back in Israel and Naomi decided to return to her homeland and the two women both planned to accompany her.  But while on the road, Naomi told them they should not continue, that they were young and would likely marry again within their own people and Orpah reluctantly agreed, tearfully saying goodbye.  Ruth, however, insisted on accompanying Naomi and the short verses above contain part of her response.  She decided that her mother-in-law, who had been good to her, needed to be cared for and she would never shirk that duty.

Now in those days a widow was someone who needed a community of good people in order to survive and in the day of the Judges there were many unscrupulous souls who would take advantage of their weakness, particularly if they were still young and pretty like Ruth. So, when Ruth decided to try and work in the barley harvest which had just begun, Naomi told her of Boaz, her husband's cousin who had many large fields to harvest and was also rich.  She suggested that Ruth try and locate his fields, knowing that she would be much safer near this kind man.

As fate would have it, Ruth began following the harvesters in a field that was owned by Boaz, taking what was leftover after their harvest to use for their own food.  Sensing her plight, many of the workers were kind and one day Boaz noticed her, asking who the young woman was following the workforce. When he found out she was Elimelech's daughter-in-law, he introduced himself, telling her to take all she wanted and to feel free to drink of the well and even join in the afternoon meal he provided his workers.  She was overwhelmed at his kindness, but he told her the way she was caring for her mother-in-law was most admirable and he appreciated what she was doing.

We'll go further with the story next week, but I don't want anyone to think that Ruth's unselfish devotion to Naomi, who now called herself Mara which meant bitterness, was unnoticed by God. No, when we finish the story next week we will share the joy that would be Ruth's with what God had planned for her.  It's a wonderful story of how God does indeed work in mysterious ways and in this story the result has long lasting impact on the future of Israel.

Dear Lord,  We thank you for the wonderful stories in the Bible and the sound lessons they provide us about how we should live our lives.  Help us to use them to improve ourselves and better live in a manner that follows your way.  In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.





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REPUBLICAN POLITICS: Are Swamp Creatures an Endangered Species?

9/29/2017

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Donald Trump rode in to Washington with a flourish,  fresh from a surprising victory (at least to some) and set to clean the swamp and direct a new course for the American Experiment.  But, along the way, he came into contact with the entrenched and highly corrupt political Establishment of his party (don't worry, the corruption runs thick in both parties) and honestly attempted to cajole and persuade them to his cause.

As we've seen, that very Establishment has done all in its power to stop his agenda through stall and subterfuge, yet he still holds out hope today that he can bring them to support the agenda he was elected to carry forward.  I appreciate his  desire to unify the party, but it takes two to tango and Mitch and his minions have no desire to dance.  They figure that they will stall the President's agenda for an entire term if necessary and then return to business as usual.  After all, they don't care if the Republican Party holds the majority as long as they retain their personal perks and advantages thanks to the lobbyists and donors who are often as closely aligned with Democrats as Republicans.   The Washinton Swamp is deep and thought to be impenetrable, and when the President caved to convention and filled so many of his key White House staff positions with creatures who love the swamp, well, in such case he is left with really no one to blame but himself.  What started as a bang is now just a whimper and unless he weed out the Establishment players who backstab his agenda and replaces them with people true to his program,  Making America Great Again will just continue to be a catchy slogan but little else.

The off year election offers a great opportunity to take a step in the right direction.  As we learned in the special primary run-off in Alabama Tuesday night, Washington money doesn't stand a chance against the power of the people when they stand and are determined.  Those people supporting Judge Moore Tuesday night are the same people who propelled the President to victory in November in Alabama and so many other states.  Their power is already shown by the fact that neighboring Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, the Foreign Relations Committee chair, has already announced he won't run again in 2018, realizing that a serious challenge would be mounted by party conservatives against him after his disappointing failure to support Trump often. 

And other weak incumbents such as Jeff Flake in Arizona, Dean Heller in Nevada and Roger Wicker in Mississippi are susceptible to losing a primary.  Great candidates are already planning their campaigns, including Chris McDaniel in Mississippi, Kelli Ward in Arizona and Danny Tarkanian in Nevada. Each is a clear conservative, desirous of major change in Washington and offer a great head start on building a team to nullify the RINO influence in the Senate.  And despite Trump's issues, he has successfully put a positive push on the economy and jobs and if it continues should provide the cushion they need to maintain Republican majorities in both the House and Senate, only with a more conservative tilt.

Now despite some of my comments to the contrary, I still support President Trump.  I only hope he will reduce the influence of his son-in-law and daughter, both liberals, tamper the big mouth of Gary Cohn and the liberal bent of Steve Mnuchin, both Democrats, and never forget those who got him were he is today: Good Americans on a more traditional, religious and conservative view who want the America that they grew up and still love.  Is that too much to ask for from the President?  America is waiting and praying that you make the correct choice.


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The Trump Tax Proposal: A Big Deal or Just More of the Same

9/28/2017

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Yesterday to much fanfare and anticipation by the White House, the President released a draft proposal of what he wants to see in a tax bill that he wants enacted into law.  Stung by the inaction or inability of the Senate to get anything done on his other signature issues,  President Trump desperately seeks a big win to show that his agenda is on the move. 

Now I like Trump, but listening to his rosy description of what is being proposed, I am reminded of the first rule ever learned by a salesman:   "Under promise but over deliver".  Sadly, I think the proposal is likely to miss that mark if for no other reason than the Senate is sure to try and put a monkey wrench in the entire thing based upon direction of their masters, the lobbyists. But there is really another reason and it's that Trump is the eternal optimist, which is fine, but he's surrounded himself of late by yes men who are likely to sell him a bill of goods as was the case in his endorsement of Luther Strange, a man that most in Alabama and others who follow politics from outside the Beltway knew was going to lose.

But let's get back to the tax proposal which has some good things and some not so much.  Ending the inheritance tax and the elimination of the alternative minimum tax are two ideas that are long past due as is the reduction of the corporate tax rate, although I would have preferred the fifteen percent rate to the now proposed twenty-percent.    America's business tax rate, actually just a pass through to purchasers in reality, is currently the highest in the free world and it makes us very non-competitive on the international scene.  And the added simplicity for filers is also a positive feature, although I still prefer the much more aggressive fair tax approach which would do much to put our individual destiny in our own hands by eliminating the IRS.  The proposal is, however, positive from the standpoint of starting such a direction although it has lots of questions.

Speaking of the questions, it's impossible to evaluate the impact of reducing the seven brackets to three and how it impacts the lower and middle class taxpayer without knowing what the bracket dollar values are.  For example, the increase from ten percent to twelve percent despite the proposed doubling of the standard deduction could prove to be an issue. If the bracket kicker point is lower, with elimination of the personal exemption (that's in the bill) and the increased bracket percentage, taxes could in fact go up rather than go down, even in a lower bracket.  And there's one other important thing that should be addressed.

Personally, I have a big problem with double tax on any money that was earned by a citizen.  Once the tax is paid, those basic dollars should be left alone, so why do we keep the tax on social security benefits which was initiated by, of all people, President Reagan in 1986.  That is an abomination and it's particularly bothersome in times when Congress tries to continually reduce payments to elderly of fixed income means. If you haven't noticed the steady creep of inflation despite the government decreeing otherwise, you just aren't facing reality yet the rate to pensioners has hardly moved in years.  Don't you wish Congress used that same approach with regard to it's own compensation?

The point I'm trying to get across is that the bill has some good and some bad, so when you evaluate it, do your own research and don't limit yourself to what the nightly news or the headlines say.  If not, you'll be surely surprised by the ultimate outcome although, with the Congress we have today, by the time Congress finishes with it, it may look like Swiss cheese and be hardly recognizable.  I'll give the President and E for effort subject to the outcome.


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Watch Out, Mitch, 'Cause "Here Comes the Judge"

9/27/2017

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Poor Old Mitch McConnell.  The elderly Majority Leader of the United States Senate, a man who garbles when he speaks and hasn't had an original idea in his entire life, is giving his all to retain power.  As the leader of the majority party, he has great perks, has become a multi-millionaire due to his contacts, controls what will and won't be considered by the Senate, and lives in luxury.  And while it's clearly past time for him to retire, he will do anything to try and stay in his position as long as possible.

McConnell's control the Republican Senate Leadership Fund, a large basket of money which he uses to support the candidates who will support him, is strong and complete.  He uses it ruthlessly in advertising, portraying primary opponents of his favorites dishonestly and smothering the airwaves with negative ads which routinely have destroyed them.  No example is better than the primary election runoff in Mississippi in 2014 when McConnell's resources were used to end the promising run of Chris McDaniel for the Senate.  Despite young McDaniel clearly winning the election, he did not receive the magic 50% and a runoff was required.  That's when Mitch and the GOP RINO leadership team put the dirty tricks to work to allow the aging Thad Cochran, a man who likely might not have even understand what he was running for, to squeak by and return to do Mitch's bidding in Washington.

Now, of course, the media is gleefully seeing the outcome of yesterday's election as a rebuke of Trump by his Republican base since the President weakly endorsed Luther Strange against Moore.  But what they don't realize is that the endorsement was merely an attempt to curry favor with Mitch to get his agenda through the Senate which we have seen McConnell is either uncapable of doing or actually might oppose.  And during his visit to supposedly campaign for Strange, Trump even publicly admitted that he may have made a mistake with his endorsement.

The reality of the situation is that despite his firing, Steve Bannon still remains in touch with Trump and gives him advice from a populist perspective. So, don't expect Trump to be upset with a Senator Moore who will give clear support to Trump's attempt to throttle the Establishment.  That is the reason why Moore ran in the first place and the people of Alabama support it.  It's just too bad that Trump took the advice given to him by well-placed White House insiders instead of listening to Bannon in the first place.

Repercussions within the Establishment of fear have already surfaced, beginning with the announcement by Bob Corker, Senator from Tennessee and a clear Establishment favorite, to opt out of running for reelection in 2018.  Expect more heads to roll on Mitch's team as it finally sinks in that the movement Trump heralded is not going away but is a growing phenomenon in the Republican Party.  And the signal that the Bannon-inspired nuts and bolts operation sends to the President is that they will keep the President on track from the outside.  That's something not even the big lobbyist dollars can counter as the numbers grow.

Look for more of the staid out of touch Republican Senators who are up for election to opt not to run again.  And if they stay in the race, look for the energy level and quality of challengers to grow and prosper.  Americans knows what the Establishment of both parties has done to our country over the last half century and they are sick of it.  Their time is just about up.  Look for more pro-America change in 2018.



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MY NFL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Steeler Alejandro Villanueva

9/26/2017

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So, this past Sunday, the National Football League continued to operate with its eyes and ears closed as it supported a movement by a group of malcontents to kneel during the national anthem as a form of protest.  Some teams went even further, deciding to just not bring the players out on the field during the playing of the anthem, furthering the animosity that the fans who love their country are feeling toward these rich brats and what they do to show their derision for America.  A game that used to rival baseball as the American pastime is now finding itself losing market share as more and more fans tune the League out in disgust.  And the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell have no one to blame but themselves for their cowardice in not taking appropriate action.

But one player, Pittsburgh's Alejandro Villanueva, defied coach Mike Tomlin's request to remain in the locker room and walked out onto the field, put his helmet under his arm and his hand over his heart and sang along with the crowd as the anthem was played.   Wordd has it that Monday his jersey sales are through the roof while NFL merchandise,  ticket sales and television audience numbers are dropping off dramatically.  My hat is off to the young man and former Army Ranger who spent three tours of duty in Afghanistan as a Captain before leaving the service to fulfill his athletic dream.  Joining the team in 2014, he is now a starting offensive lineman and a leader along the line.  In the mind of Alejandro, the offensive line in football is not that far distant from the Army's long gray line.

It was also interesting to find that the morning after the game, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger expressed his regrets at going along with the team's decision to be missing.  It took a bit of intestinal fortitude for Big Ben to admit his mistake, but he stated he was clearly bothered by what he had agreed to the day before.  It's never too late to admit you were wrong, Ben, and you will be a better man for it.

Now admittedly the number of players who took the field before the anthem, representing the twenty-nine out of thirty-two teams that did so, only had about two hundred players among them  who kneeled in disrespect, but why allow it in the first place?  The argument that freedom of speech demanded it doesn't apply in the case of a business where players have agreed under contract to a certain code of conduct.   No, the problem isn't free speech, it's a problem of a gutless central management that has lost all soul and conscience in its attempt to cater to anyone it thinks can add to the bottom line.  But I truly wonder when Goodell, a shameless and arrogant man, will realize that the course he is taking is harming the bottom line, for each game fewer and fewer watch and merchandise sales keep dropping.   Personally, after what happened yesterday, I don't care if it recovers at all.  The prices are now ridiculous and the quality of the game has dropped dramatically.

But there is a silver lining out of this for someone.  The NFL's loss is likely to be college football's gain, unless the college game tries the same thing.  It was already done at Mizzou back in 2015 and neither the football team or the University of Missouri as a learning institution have never been the same.  America is waking and it doesn't like what has been going on.  Honor those who are represented by the playing of the national anthem at sports events as a matter of respect. They died for each of us and deserve no less.


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SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: A One Time Change to Monday

9/25/2017

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For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.  A time to search and a time to quit searching. A  time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.    – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NLT)

Change.  It's something that is inevitable and we can't stop it from taking place.  We can perhaps put some modifications on it, slow it down or even speed it up sometimes, but we can never really stop it.  And it can take many different approaches and cause many different impacts, but if we are smart, we will recognize it and try to put ourselves in the best possible position to face it.

Sometimes it's permanent, as in the case of light and darkness in a twenty-four hour day or earthly human death.  At other times, it might be temporary, like the changing seasons which repeat themselves endlessly albeit each slightly different from others in a cycle of earthly life, resembling the movie Groundhog Day.  The Fall is special to me for it offers a breath of fresh air here in hot, humid Florida, and it ushers in a six month period of cooler weather as a respite before the next hot spring and summer arrive.

Whether it's temporary or permanent, we can count on change impacting our lives as long as the sun rises and falls each day.  Whatever it is and whatever its result, we can count on it as a continuous fact of life and must use it as a learning point in guiding us through the mysteries of life itself.

I thought about change this weekend as I was resting, letting a nasty stomach flu bug work its way through my system and yesterday I just didn't feel up to writing my weekly Sunday Morning Coming Down, so I decided to change my publication to today and here it is.  While lying on a lounge chair and feeling rather miserable, I thought to myself about the what ifs, like what if I have something really serious or what if it was something that could change my life in I way that I thought would devastate me.  But, fortunately, I'm feeling better and will be back to one hundred percent very soon.  And the situation made me ashamed as I think of those who are downtrodden and deathly ill and they are expected to bear their burden with the change they face as well.

And that brings me to the point of all of this. God wants us to change. He wants us to know that He loves us, sometimes tests us, and gives us the greatest gift ever if only we listen to Him and believe in His Son, Jesus Christ as our Savior.  For the best of us must change since we are all sinners and the only way we can accept His gift of eterrnal life is through following through on what we claim is our belief and in do all we can to live in His image.  This means we must be spiritually reborn in Jesus Christ. That's change that not only we can believe in, but change that we can live with forever.

Dear Lord, We thank you for the most gracious blessings which you give us and we ask that you help us manage our way through the change that is part of life.  Help us use it for the best, for your wishes, and live with it in a way that honors you and shows our devotion to you through our belief in the Son.  In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.


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"To Wiretap or Not Wiretap", That is the Question

9/21/2017

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Remember back in the not-too-distant past when Donald Trump said Trump Tower was wiretapped?  And do you also remember how all of the mainstream pundits just "pooh, poohed" that claim, stating that Trump was just making it up?  Well, it's funny how as time goes by more and more of the things Trump suggested have turned out to be real, for now we've learned that the Trump Organization and the campaign were wiretapped.  If you believe that Paul Manafort, while serving as Trump campaign manager with an office in the Trump Tower, wasn't wiretapped, then I guess you'll just have to live on in the delusion that you hold.

Now that we know that Manafort was surveilled during his brief service as Trump campaign manager, even the notorious Clinton News Network (CNN) admits it, and it is  being reported that Robert Mueller is looking at the information gathered.  Furthermore, with the early morning, lock picking raid on Manafort's house recently it's clear that Mueller (and likely James Comey as well) are cooking up a way to squeeze Manafort into something they can use against Trump.  And seriously, my liberal friends, what would you be saying today if this action had happened to Queen Hillary's campaign manager?  You would be enraged beyond belief but, of course, Republicans to you are something different, creatures not worthy of the rule of law even though Hillary has been given a pass on things much more obvious and dangerous to the country.  And where exactly are all of those emails from her insecure server?

If the double standard of today keeps growing we will ultimately find ourselves in a Constitutional crisis beyond anything most could imagine.  But as times goes on, it is clearly looking like that is what the Left, and their dirty deeds groups like Antifa and Black Lives Matter want.  If it results in uncontrollable chaos, it's not much of a reach from that to open civil war.  If that happens, I'm sure the Deep State and their UN friends will offer to step in and establish order and there goes the greatest country on earth down the proverbial tube.

Be careful what you wish for.  In this climate of today, it very well could happen.


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President Trump "Slam Dunks" the United Nations with Truth

9/20/2017

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Yesterday in New York City, President Trump gave a forty minute speech before the United Nations designed to clarify America's position on world affairs and her concern with how the UN operates.  He left no illusions about his point of view and made it clear that the UN needed to change its operating philosophy if it expects to retain any semblance of respect from the United States. The problems have festered for years and it's time someone spoke in truthful terms about it.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it the most courageous and truthful statement before the UN in at least thirty years.  I concur with the Prime Minister's assessment.

Since it's beginning after the end of World War II as world leaders sought a forum to try and peacefully resolve issues which lead to war, the UN has morphed into a self-centered and corrupt body with a majority of it's General Assembly members being either rogue or misguided states who see America as their "Sugar Daddy" for questionable programs and actions.  It has wasted billions of dollars, has expected America to pick up the slack where it needs more and has largely relied on just a few members to shoulder the burden of conflict when it's legislative actions come up wanting.  Today, it finds itself in a position where the most activity taken involves blaming America for the problems of the world.  Past American leaders have ignored those growing trends until today, but now a different kind of leader like Donald Trump in the United States has decided enough is enough.

Particularly noteworthy was Trump calling out some of the most tyrannical nations on earth, from Russia, to Cuba, to Iran and yes, Venezuela.  He spoke for the American Spirit and the truth that is freedom versus tyranny. The current situation in Venezuela was correctly called out and he pointed out that the problem isn't that socialism wasn't properly implemented, it was that socialism was instituted in the first place.  There is no more potent means of improving life than the personal initiative and productivity that America provides to make life better for all.  I'd dare so those who have been under tyranny understand that and it is why most of them are such believers in the American way and so many want to come here.

So to you, President Trump, thank you for courageously taking truth to tyranny and telling it like it is. The UN is a politically correct institution that always looks for America to bail it out despite never supporting American values. Your speech was something that the many despots in the organization needed to hear from the leader of the free world.


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Hurricane Survival and Recovery: It's Primarily YOUR Responsibility

9/18/2017

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Now that Hurricane Irma is gone and many, but not all, of Florida's citizens have recovered with power and passable roads, it's time to look back and think about the lack of advance planning that many faced in their time of need.   It's not something that most want to think about because we have become so soft as a society that many think it's the government's responsibility to take care of our needs.  Hopefully, many have learned from the past week the folly of that way of thinking and are looking at what must be done.

Frankly, folks, the entities which traditionally provide the best assistance, outside of your neighbors, are volunteers with charitable organizations and the power companies, most of which are privately owned.  And it's as it should be since our tradition of big government solutions in a country over two hundred years old only began about one hundred years ago with the beginnings of Progressivism.  And even with regard to the power company, you can operate your own generator to make things easier until power is restored, but there are other ways as well for those who prepare.  And that's the key, preparation, for there is no excuse for anyone living in Florida without an emergency food and water supply to stay alive until help can be dispatched.


Ultimately, our survival during a storm and recovery thereafter rests with us, the individual citizens who need to use our talents, our resources and our teamwork with others like us to make life what we want it to be again.  In my little neck of the rural woods, neighbors looked out for neighbors and worked together to solve problems which some couldn't handle on their own and it brought great comfort to all of us.

So, now that the weather has cleared and the creature comforts are mostly up and running again, take the time to make up a list of what you need that you didn't have and get it now.  Designate a place to hold your emergency preparation kit, perhaps in a spare room or closet, with a listing kept in a separate place of exactly what it contains.  You might even label containers for separate items and store it that way.  But the important thing is that you take action and do it.  Two weeks from now you will forget what you went through and, if not careful,  will find yourself in the same pickle the next time Mother Nature singles you out.

And let me take this final moment to thank all who pitched in to provide assistance, and most particularly those brave power lineman who worked around the clock to restore service under difficult working conditions.  Working on high power lines is dangerous enough without having to do it in ninety degree weather and both blazing sun and thunderstorms, yet did it they did and they beat all odds in the timeliness of their efforts.  They clearly deserve to be recognized as another very special component of America's finest.

Have a great day and enjoy the comfort of air conditioning and running water which has once again been restored.  It's just all part of the experience that we call life.  Let's learn from it, shall we?




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SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: One Week Later, After the Storm

9/16/2017

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One week ago today I wrote my last blog.  It was a weekend Sunday Morning Coming Down commentary discussing our awaiting with concern the arrival of Hurricane Irma which was nearing South Florida.  The storm was expected to come up the east coast and devastate the beaches while only glancing us in the middle of the state since the east side of the circulation, the powerful side, would largely either just touch the coast or be out to sea.

But a funny thing happened on the way to landfall.  The storm, which had a mind of its own (something hurricanes frequently do), decided instead to wobble west, slamming the lower Keys, Key West included, with a major devastating onslaught before coming ashore on the west coast near Marco Island and moving just onshore all the way up to the Georgia line.  We watched in those last hours intently, knowing that here in Alachua County we would take a pretty good wallop.

As the storm neared Tampa Sunday evening, our power went off at about eight thirty, so we went to bed listening to the radio with the weather alert on.  Despite the increasing winds and the heavy rain, we were tired from making preparations and stress and dozed off.  About midnight I was awakened by the loud alarm on the radio, advising that our area was under flash flood alert until Monday afternoon.  Walking to the front door and peering down at the pasture, the flooding had begun.  At least four plus acres of pasture was under water and it was closer to the house than I had ever seen, but I had confidence that with the uphill incline and the floor three feet above the ground, we would be fine.

Unable to sleep, I got up, sat in my recliner and listened to the reports which indicated our worst weather would be just before daybreak.  I dozed off, only to be awakened by a loud cracking sound as a large pine in the woods behind the house crashed to the ground.  The wind howled and the rain poured but the house never shook or shuddered and at daybreak our home was intact.  The winds all night had been in excess of sixty with gusts up to eighty six  yet the house was unscathed.  We said a thank you prayer and, when the winds reduced to below fifty, ventured out to survey what we could of the property.

The first thing noticed was the creation, at least temporarily, of a five acre lake near the house.  Then we saw some large downed trees around the property, including one down on the fence, yet not collapsed.  We were glad we had moved the horses to higher ground on a pasture at a friend's farm that had few trees to endanger them.  Checking on them later in the day, we found them to be safe and sound.

Looking up our long entrance drive, we couldn't see the road as it was blocked by growth and that could only mean trees.  Later we found some large bushes grown to the size of trees adjacent to the right of way on a neighbor's property down across the access along with power lines and an old tree.  The only thing disheartening was that he never offered to assist removing the debris which was his responsibility since the fallen trees were on his property.  But with the help of some friends we were able to clear enough to get my Honda out but not my wife's truck and horse trailer. Thank goodness we had moved them to the same higher ground where the horses were standing or we would have had a major problem.

But the worst results came after the storm passed by late Monday afternoon with the onset of clearing skies and rising temperatures and no running water (we are on a well) or air conditioning.  Over the five days beginning late Sunday night until last night at nearly nine we sweltered, bathed in chlorinated water from a large cattle tub which we filled before the storm, and survived on bottled water and cold cuts, apples, grapes and yes, a little junk food.  And I've got to tell you, last night when the lights came on the air conditioning and a nice shower were better than any Christmas present either one of us has ever received.

So, how do I make this story into a Sunday Morning Coming Down commentary or devotional?  Well, it's quite easy.  You see, God expects us to be the best we can be and prepare for the tests we will face in this life.  A hurricane is just one of them, and we had plenty of food and water to survive despite the aggravation of lack of creature comforts. How did we do it?  We did it by preparing in advance for whatever nature had in store and it made it livable if not enjoyable.  And even then, the evenings sitting on the porch with no power required us to focus on our immediate surroundings in lieu of social media and electronics and it made for a meaningful experience.

And it's something to be remembered as it is just as God expects us to prepare for what He has in store for us.  Have faith, believe and prepare yourself spiritually for the Kingdom.  If you do, you can weather any storm you face in the hurricane of life and be ready for the joy and wonders that are available to those who accept His gift.

Dear Lord, We thank you for your grace and mercy in keeping us safe while also giving us the patience to weather the storm and its aftermath.  Help us to use the things we witness in nature to make our lives stronger and wiser, knowing that you are always there for us no matter how hard the winds blow or how strong the rain becomes. We ask in Jesus' name, Amen.


W


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    Hi, I'm James, a writer who studies nature,  animals and all things created by God. I also write from time to time about what I think God expects of us.  I would love to hear your thoughts on these subjects. I hope you enjoy my comments.

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