Archives March 2021

These visits never really address the problem, or maybe they do but not in a profitable manner.

Here it is the morning after. The morning after what, you may ask? The morning after yesterday.

Yesterday of course was March 17, also known as Saint Patrick’s Day, but it was also the day of my yearly doctor’s visit. A visit whereas they monitor my medicine.

I’m always impressed that these visits never really address the problem, or maybe they do but not in a profitable manner. “How are you feeling?”

 “I’m still horribly tired and I still have all of the same symptoms as last year.”

“I see. Nothing new?”

“No nothing new. Back in 2019 through 2020 (after the major reaction to a medication, when I almost died…) I lost (65 pounds) weight but now I’m gaining weight back…”

“How much? Oh, I see. Well, there are many reasons to gain weight. Eating habits exercise, you know.”

“Yes, I do know, but I’m still having issues with not being able to eat.”

So, the gist of the conversation is that no matter how many symptoms one has of something being off…well, it doesn’t matter because the base numbers are pretty good, and I look much better than last year when I almost died. And it could be funny but from this end, it isn’t funny at all.

There are people who address thyroid issues, but they don’t exist in this part of the universe. We do have world-renowned doctors in this part of the world, or I should say there are world-renowned doctors that pass through this part of the world. But they don’t stay.

And as the doctor said, it could be something entirely different causing the problems. Although it feels as if I’m the only one concerned about it. Isn’t that the way it is though? If someone isn’t stepping on your toe it doesn’t bother you? I’ve been reading about thyroid problems for quite some time, years actually but the problems are still the same.

But there is only a handful of doctors to whom this problem is personal and they aren’t anyone dealing in my world. I began reading Tom Brimeyer a practitioner who specializes in thyroid problems.

He has quite a bit of information he publishes, but for some reason, his books are not for free. Of course, that’s the way it is and it should be. Whenever I first go to a doctor the first thing they want to do is slap me on a diet, but diets stopped working for me when my body stopped responding to starvation mode.

So we’ll see if the new ‘what to eat and what not to eat’ helps or if I’m just too lazy to make it work. I do have an aversion to diets that tell me I must eat six meals a day. They are small meals usually but they take over your life and demand preparation time and time to be eaten, and whatnot.

But they say as long as there is life there is hope and we press forward hoping for a better outcome than the last. There are two basic problems with people that are eternal.

The first problem is our physical health as we get older gets older also. We do know people who do well into their ‘old age’. Most of us have off days or occasional bouts with illness, but some folks have less than others defying all odds. Some old codgers when asked their secret for longevity will say things such as, ‘I drink half a bottle of Scotch a day and smoke one cigar…’

That defies all logic and we wonder if they’re really telling the truth. The truth is however the last problem people face. In reference to the proposed reason for longevity, they don’t know for certain the secret or the why they have lived a long life. They don’t know why and neither does anyone else.

The second problem is no matter the long or short of a person’s life we will all one day find ourselves standing before the judgment seat because no one will live this life forever. And that is the real question to ask not how long were you here which has a mere mortal length. The real question is are you ready for the next life which will be much longer and have much greater consequences.

Act 2:

38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

39  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

40  And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

41  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Do you remember how that movie ends?

In listening to a question and answer on YouTube the question was can a conservative and a liberal have an enduring relationship? Well, it was kind of the question in that the young man was interested in a young woman with the idea of a lasting relationship. The short answer was no…unless what are your values—your shared values?

Recently my Adorable Cousin and I were having a supper conversation. It does seem that our conversations happen in the afternoon and our topics on occasion turn to the subject of ‘what are you having for supper?’

Until Saturday this last week, my answer for over a year has been, ‘I don’t know. Whatever Old Fuzzy fixes’.

This is of course because I’ve been worthless since suffering a reaction to a medication. However, as Adorable and I are talking she asks me if I’ve ever made chocolate pudding with eggs and which pudding I prefer the one with eggs or the one without. But my pudding recipe only has eggs and unless it’s a box pudding mix I can’t think of a pudding without eggs…long story short I’m thinking about pudding. Not just pudding, but I’m thinking about chocolate pudding and I tell Adorable, I think I can even make a chocolate pudding.

Well, rise and shine Clementine, I do go out to make that pudding, and she asks what I’m going to have with my pudding.

I don’t know if any of ya’ll have ever read Winnie the Pooh, but I have a wonderful habit of Tiger moments. Someone asks me these questions such as this and my mind goes into a wonderful world of the past.

In my past life, I used to cook and bake. I used to sew, crochet, knit and embroider, paint? I did it all and created many wonderful things. Now I just think I can do these things. So, with my chocolate pudding, we were going to have tacos. Oh, how wonderful, Adorable says and she decides to have tacos as well. And she says, Chuck will be so happy, he just won’t know what to think…

I told that story because Adorable has been married for at least fifty years. Old Fuzzy and I have been together forty-nine years heading to fifty. Both Adorable and Chuck, Old Fuzzy, and I, we’ve seen ups and downs ins and outs, like they say the good times and the not so good times.

There’s been sickness in both of our families, and we just keep on going. And we keep going together. Recently in a discussion amongst my boys, we were talking about marriage and today’s marriageable young women.

So many young women are like the princess syndrome and relationships are ‘all about me’. But I see it on both sides, men and women with the ‘it’s all about me’ attitude. Sadly, I wonder that this generation primarily has been raised as an all about me generation.

I can tell anyone who wants to hear it if that’s the way we had started out it wouldn’t have lasted one year. Values, what did we value? I don’t think we knew in the beginning, what we valued.

Values, well, we were both Christians and that meant we valued life, but we were both traditional, so we valued liberty, family, love, and honesty. Back in the day, we put our names down as unto death do us part and by the grace of God we are here together today.

At any time in the last fifty years we could have gone our separate ways but what we’ve learned and gained in going through this three-legged life race is irreplaceable. That’s partly why Adorable is thinking of how happy her having supper ready when Chuck gets home will make him, and I’m thinking of how happy Old Fuzzy will be that I’ve made a chocolate pudding for supper (even if I timed out before I got tacos made and we had to make do with a left-over stew).

Did you ever see that… well, there’s a movie and the old brothers sit on the porch a lot and scare away salesmen. It’s back in the thirties maybe forties. And a niece brings her son to the farm where the two old geezers live because she needs somewhere for her son—he’s about ten I think. And the son gets them to find out what the salesmen have to sell and there’s a sick old lion…Adorable asks me.

Do you remember how that movie ends? I ask. I haven’t watched the whole movie because there’s ‘language’ in it, but maybe I should watch it because what I’ve watched didn’t have language and I enjoyed those little bits…

Yes, she said I do remember. The two old brothers try to fly their plane (I think it’s a biplane) through the alleyway in the barn…

That’s it. Buddy (that’s Young Fuzzy) says that’s you and me Adorable—I tell her.

What?! She says. Why would he say such a…that’s funny, she says. Is that because I’m always dragging you into places like that house we looked at and…

Yeah, I said I think that’s why—

Ecclesiastes 4:

8  There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

9  Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

10  For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

Today’s guest post, by Chris…

I love living in the country. It is even better that there is a dirt road that runs near our
house. Sunday after lunch will often find me on that dirt road going for a walk.

I walked along in the recently cut hay to where I could see the draw that cuts across the
corner of “the forty”. Our family has always called it that. It was part of the original farm
that my grandpa bought about 80 years ago.
From where I stood I could see the cottonwood trees towering in the corner of the farm.
Tucked neatly in the ditch between the trees rests the remains of the ’57 Ford my sister
used to drive to school. There is a mulberry tree near where the hog building used to be
years ago. Oh, the memories that came to mind.

Looking at the draw I remember the windmill and pond that were there when I was a kid.
In those years there was a good market for fur. The early morning escapades in the cold
and dark to check the traps in the pond came to mind. Occasionally I would witness the
muskrat sliding in his tunnel in the ice. Then I remembered all of the clay tiles we carried
to the tiling machine when dad had the draw and the rest of the field tiled out. Certainly
has gotten easier since the advent of plastic tile.

This land has always been someplace to come home to. I have spent over half of the
years of my life living or working on this farm in one way or another.

Memories of loading hay, riding down the “big hill” on a load of bales as it pushed the tractor faster than it was intended to go, engine “popping” because of the rpm, pulling hay into the barn, then my time came to be the one in the barn stacking the hay. Oh, the heat!

Hours upon hours of taking out fence as farming changed and more acres were acquired. Putting in new fences between us and the neighbors. Tearing down buildings, cleaning up the debris. Hard work but enjoyable it was working with my hands, and my dad, making improvements.

Then there were the “gravy” jobs like riding the tractor and harvest time. I could go on and on with the memories that are a part of this place and me.

God has afforded me many opportunities to do different things. Working for other farmers, service businesses, retail, preaching full and part-time as well as farming has given me a wide background.

Mission trips have enabled me to see, teach and preach in faraway places such as Russia, Mexico, Jamaica, Haiti, and Canada as well as several states. In all of this, there was the farm. I could always come here to this familiar place whenever time, desire, opportunity, or need presented itself.

The old adage comes to mind “you can take the boy off the farm but you cannot take the
farm out of the boy”. In some ways, any old farm will do. But in others, it would not. So
much of my life is here, memories are here, the surroundings are familiar, and there is a
sense of security.

Whatever happens in the coming days and years I know it will be for the best (Romans
8:28) I just hope and pray that I can cope with it graciously. And while I plan to spend the
rest of my days or years on this farm I also look forward to those mansions above (John
14:1-4). How about you?

John14:

1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

You know what I’m talking about…

Those moments when as a child you found yourself unattended. Such as the time I was making music …probably seven or thereabouts at the time.

Sitting on the bed in the middle of my mother’s white chenille bedspread with a small number of items to drum on none of which I remember except her bottle of red nail polish. And I have no remembrance of what I was using as a drumstick.

I do, however, remember when in my music-making mode I broke the bottle of red nail polish and I thought oh, no what will I do now? Mom’s gonna be mad?

I also realized that if I suddenly went quiet, grownups automatically came to check up, you know to find out why the children are quiet…so I continued to sing, but to no avail. Eventually, I had to fess up.

I don’t know what happened after that. Obviously, Mom didn’t kill me, although I’m sure she wasn’t happy about it, but why oh why did I ever believe the truth wouldn’t come out? There are some things you cannot hide.

No matter what our age we know that God is our Heavenly Father, and we may not be like a foolish child sitting on her mother’s white chenille bedspread with a bottle of red nail polish, but we all have those moments.

We all mess up in some way or other and left alone to our own devices we can (and usually do) commit some really dumb things. I saw a video this week that explained God, salvation, and the sinner.

The young man was asked why a loving God would send anyone to hell. He responded this way:

“Because of our sins, we are already on our way to hell. It’s like being on a sinking ship and someone says, “Hey, there’s a lifeboat.” You can reject getting on the lifeboat, but if you do you automatically go down with the ship. Our sin was already taking us to hell and God gave us Jesus and said, “Here’s the lifeboat.” If you reject Jesus you will go down where you were already heading, God didn’t send you there.”

2 Peter 3:

9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

this was your grandmother

The caption under the picture of the three teenage girls in their hip hugger, bell-bottom jeans with their long, center-parted hair read to the effect—this was your grandmother. They say these women’s styles are coming back as well as the mullet hairstyle…I assume the mullets are for boys and men, but that being said old is becoming new as it usually does.

Going around is coming around. Like hamsters on a wheel, we don’t see the bigger picture. Even when we know something we don’t always know it. Life under the sun or life apart from God is—as in the words of the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, vanity. Yet, how we do run from God in order to spite ourselves.

When we are young we look at old people never wondering what and who those old people were back in their ‘day’? Life is a journey Life is about change. If something isn’t changing for the better it’s going downhill.

And sometimes it is doing both changing for the better and going downhill. There is a strong push nowadays for the younger generation to look at those who are on Social Security as leeches on society, outdated, and parasites.

Yes, this makes those of us who have made it to the top of that hill a wee bit angry. We realize that we paid into that Social Security fund all of our working lives. Most of my family began working at a young age at a much smaller wage, but I think the real problem began when…

There are so many whens I’m not sure where to begin. When I was small there were no ‘daycare’ centers. This wasn’t as big of a problem because percentage-wise most women married and there wasn’t a stigma with being a stay-at-home mom.

So mothers and grandmothers were most often the primary childcare for the children. However, it was when the government decided if it could provide ‘quality’ daycare more mothers would gladly trundle off to a job.

In that one act government cut ties with family throwing children into the care of strangers who weren’t always the quality they were supposed to be.

Still, many mothers didn’t stop and ask themselves ‘who will love my children more than me’? They simply followed the trend and it was easily available and with government funding it became affordable.

The funny thing is this; very seldom does anyone ever stop and ask how can the government afford to make this cheap or in a nutshell, who pays for the childcare?

Why do our taxes keep skyrocketing? I’ve heard the phrase everything is so expensive now it takes two paychecks to make ends meet, all of my adult life.

Another funny thing is if a husband and wife are both working one of them is working to pay taxes. By the time they get through with the expenses for them both to work one person is earning about one dollar an hour.

So, we’ve removed the personal mother/grandmother loving their children from the child’s life. The child grows up in impersonal childcare, then school care, and then they are graduating from the impersonal government school.

And now they are locked into a society that wants them to work and provide money for a government-run system. A system that robbed them of a family and a life; gave them parents who were too busy for them.

Then they get the bill because although the parents and grandparents worked and paid in money to the system, that system robbed the coffers and stole the money that was for the parents and grandparents and…

Now the kids are paying into a system that should be for themselves, but it isn’t because the government robbed the older generation’s money and are now robbing the younger generation’s money to pay the older people…and the younger people don’t understand this.

And they don’t think it’s fair they should support the older generation…the generation they never knew because the government stole everyone’s life. This sounds at best like rambling and at worst like an Orwellian 1984, but it goes back to the circle and cycle of life.

God didn’t create this mess and as long as common sense doesn’t grow in our gardens we will allow it to continue.

My Adorable Cousin has told me on several occasions, “Back when my kids were small the Elders in the Church said to us, You women need to go back home and get back to raising your children… I wish I had listened. Some women did listen and went back to raise their children, but I didn’t. I wish I’d listened.”

God is not the author of confusion. Ideally good homes include good fathers and mothers supported by good extended families. One of the problems is not just the lack of fathers in homes of black children but the lack of fathers and mothers across the board in all of the homes.

We need to get back to God’s plan.

Acts 10:

34  Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

35  But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

1 Corinthians 14:

33  For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.