Sunday Meditation

SUN 9/30:  About Time

"The Bible has a shocking plethora of things to say about time, & much of it is of the blessed Gospel! In fact, it lifts the pall on time & reveals Christ in Eternity.

• Jesus Christ is the One who rules time & eternity.
• God has ordered all time, & at just the right time, sent His Son for us.
• Eternity is near.
• Struggles with the world are part of living in time.
• Time without Jesus is wasted on passions that lead to hell.
• Time with Christ is time looking to a blessed eternity.
• The time we have on this earth is to be purposefully lived as Christians.
• God Himself, Creator of time, protects us in our earthly walk, preparing us for eternity.
• God promises to be with us through time.
• Christ bids us hold to Him in faith, believe His Word & go to church. It is possible to fall away.
• Paul's apostolic blessing covers our lives on this earth.
• Christians are to be wise about the time we have.
• We are to be sober about the world in which we live.
• We live in blessed hope & optimism, even in the face of death, because God has "a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all thing in Christ, things in heaven & things on earth." (Eph. 1:10)
• Now is the time for us to believe & to tell others of Jesus.
• While our flesh looks at time a morbidity, by the Spirit we behold life to come.

Source:  Rev. Matthew Harrison in The Lutheran Witness," Sept. 2018

Surreptitious Saturday

Bananas, Subs, Bats + Teen Depression + Nike + Building

There is no place like . . . Texas

Norfolk Daily News (9/25):  Authorities says bananas donated to a Texas prison turned out to have nearly $18 million worth of cocaine hidden inside the boxes.

. . . Maine

Ditto:  "This was a sub worth diving into. Eleven sandwich shops in Maine combined forces to create a 160-ft-long Italian sandwich. The ginormous sandwich disappeared as quickly as it was created THU, devoured by hungry passersby in Portland's Monument Square.

. . . Austria

Ditto:  Birds are a well-known hazard for airport operators, but Vienna airport officials have had to deal with different winged intruders:  a swarm of bats. Airport spokesman Peter Kleemann told the . Austria Press agency . . . that the dense swarm of bats descended on one runway for about 45 minutes . . . " COMMENT:  I had a "bat encounter" about 20 years ago, something for which my kids still enjoy reminding me. Ask them.

Mental Health MON - Special SAT Edition

NDN (9/26):  "Moodiness may be serious issue. It's no secret that teenagers can be moody, but research shows that ongoing moodiness often is far more serious. Dr. Janna Gewirtz O'Brien, a Mayo Clinic pediatrician, said teen depression 'affects teenagers of all walks of life, of all backgrounds, & ages. She said parents also should look for these 5 signs that their teen is depressed.

• Excessive irritability or generally depressed mood.
• Trouble sleeping or excessive sleeping.
• Sudden severe weight gain or weight loss.
• A sudden drop in grades in school.
• Sudden loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy.

"If an adolescent says: 'I'm worried. Or I'm thinking about harming myself,' that is something to be taken seriously,' O'Brien said.

Political Potpourri

Omaha World Herald (9/26):  Nike's marketing strikes a chord; business unhurt. Furor over ad featuring former NFL quarterback Kaepernick has calmed. Nike caused an uproar earlier this month with its ad featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick that debuted just as the FB season was about to begin. But the shoe maker's stock is up & sales have been steady. The furor seems to have largely died down & the company reported an earnings beat on TUE. Comment:  There is obviously a market for these products, which is a sad commentary on our culture.

Christians Like to Build

Source: The Lutheran Layman:  "We know that Christians like to build, too Together we build church buildings, schools, playgrounds, homeless shelters, food pantries, hospital, retirement homes, & university & seminary campuses. Some of these things we build to last, & some serve a purpose for a time & then go away. We tend to focus on these projects because we can see in brick & mortar what has been accomplished & gain satisfaction from a job well-done."

Dept.  of Shameless Joke-Stealing

Source:  Reader's Digest (July/Aug 2018):  "My friends asked me to go camping, so I made a list of the things I would need:  '#1. New friends.'"

Cornhusker Blog Lite

Kavanaugh

          As I suspected, yesterday's confirmation hearing turned into a circus. Both witnesses provided dramatic & compelling testimony. There was a lot of posturing & finger-pointing. Basically, it's a matter of "he said, she said."
          I believe that Ford may have been sexually assaulted. I do not believe it was by Kavanaugh. Let the committee take a vote today & see where the chips fall.
          Regardless, the whole affair is disenchanting & will confirm many viewers' cynicism about the political process. I predict that this affair will galvanize Trump's base.

Thought for Today

KNOWLEDGE OF THE MIND OF CHRIST

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding.” Ps. 32:8-9

“In brief, this is nothing else than the wisdom of the cross of Christ, which is folly to the Gentiles & a stumbling block to the Jews, namely, to understand that the Son of God was incarnate & crucified & put to death & raised for our salvation.”  Martin Luther Psalm by Psalm, Concordia Publishing House, 2017.

Constipation + Balanced Media + Thought for Today

Dept. of Shameless Joke-Stealing

Source:  Reader's Digest (July/Aug 2018):  "Hospital patients are understandably distracted, which might explain these odd statements heard by nurses:

• "Patient, when asked about her chief complaints: 'Well, my hair hurts.'
• "There was a little hard pellet inside my mouth, & I think maybe it was my ovary.
• "I didn't actually fall. It was a controlled landing.
• "Oh, I'm just so constipated! Please bring me some eye drops.
• "Patient with seizures: 'I had to come to the ER because I quit taking my peanut butterball' (He meant phenobarbital.)
• "My father had thyroids, & I think I do too."

Wit & Wisdom of Cal Thomas *

* One of my two most favorite partisan pundits

From column in Norfolk Daily News (9/4):  "Media bias has long been a complaint, especially among conservatives. Reporters & others in the media usually associate with like-minded members of their 'tribe' & so either deliberately separate themselves from the majority of the nation in 'fly-over country,' or oppose the values, faith & politics practiced by many. Generally they only read or watch each other's work. How do I know? A columnist for the Times once asked me if I am still writing this column.

          "While columnists enjoy greater freedom than reporters to express their opinions, some have crossed a line of decency that has apparently been erased for the Trump administration . . . 

          "Journalism is unlike any other profession, because it is the only one that doesn't seem to care what its readers & viewers think. It is like a parent forcing a child to take bad-tasting medicine because 'it is good for you.' This attitude has fueled declining TV ratings &, sadly, a drop in newspaper subscriptions, but apparently too many in the profession would rather criticize customers than change. That is sad for the profession & for the country, which needs strong journalism"

Thought for Today

TRUE, SIMPLE FAITH

“I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” Ps. 32:8

“In brief, God wants us to have a true, simple faith & firm trust, confidence, & hope. While faith, hope, humility, & patience are not mentioned by name in these words, yet the mode & the true nature of such virtue are expressed.”  Martin Luther Psalm by Psalm, Concordia Publishing House, 2017.

Whatever Wednesday

Temp Challenge + Texan vs Gator + Politics? Grrr + More

Leckband Temp Challenge

Competition was fierce this morning with only 3 degrees separating our top 3 finishers & only 5 degrees separating all competitors. Based on temps provided by wunderground.com at 6:53a (CDT):  #1, Eagan, MN, 41; #2, Norfolk, NE, 42; #3, Beatrice, NE, 43; #4, Tie, Lincoln, NE & Ventura, IA, 45; #6, Balmiest Leckbands, Garrison, IA, 46. 

Mental Health MON . . . Special WED Edition 

From Norfolk Daily News (9/24):  "Do you feel depressed thinking about your problems? Maybe you have 10 or more stressful situations all demanding attention now. While you can't usually resolve a lot of problems in one day, you can focus on living one day at a time to preserve your sanity. Here's how it works:

• Stop focusing on what went wrong yesterday. Thinking about a quarrel you had with someone last week will use up your strength. Instead, look for solutions.
• Don't worry about how to deal with tomorrow. Instead, make reasonable decisions you can implement today that will prepare you for tomorrow.
• Keep track of your decisions each day. This will steer your life in the right direction.

The idea of living one day at a time is all about tuning out static. None of us can function at our best if we're worrying. Comment:  This may be simplistic for anyone with clinical depression and/or a general anxiety disorder, but it still seems like good advice to me.

There Is No Place Like Texas

From Omaha World Herald (9/24):  "Texas mayor gets gator, avenging miniature horse. A Texas mayor & great-grandmother thinks she's finally gotten revenge on the massive alligator that ate her miniature horse a few years ago. It took just one shot for Judy Cochran to dispatch the 12-foot, 580-lb gator at her ranch Sunday in Goodrich . . . " Don't mess with Texas!

Political Potpourri

I shouldn't let it get to me, but this whole situation involving the Kavanaugh confirmation hearing has me distressed. * 

• The Democrats strategy to demonize the nominee will, in my humble opinion, (1) not be enough to deter his confirmation; & (2) will serve to galvanize Trump supporters when its time for midterm elections.
• Republicans & other conservatives decry these attempts to demonize Kavanaugh, but I've read & seen efforts to demonize his accusers.
• Let the accuser face Kavanaugh, have both testify, judge the credibility of both, stop letting the Democrats posture & drag out the hearing, & take a vote.

* Maybe it's time to tune out partisan punditry for awhile?!

"News from the World of Medicine"

Source:  Reader's Digest (July 2018):  "Teaching Mosquitoes to Leave You Alone. Forgot your insect repellent while out for a hike? Just wave your arms. A study published in Current Biology reports that mosquitoes dislike air vibrations such as those you create when you move. And when vibrations are combined with your unique odor, mosquitoes associate them with your odor & steer clear." Comment:  I have a unique odor?

Thought for Today

Source:  The Lutheran Layman:  "I can't promise you that acceptance of 'Christ crucified for you' will solve all your personality problems--or will solve any of them immediately. But this I say with complete confidence:  making the Cross of Christ your own, accepting the Crucified Christ as your personal Savior, will change your whole outlook on life. It will bring you into a relationship of friendship with God, the kind that God wants to have with you. It will give God His chance to make you more & more the kind of person He intended you to be."

Mental Health Monday

Coping + Breaking News + Laughing + Thinking

          Here are four coping strategies that help me with my clinical depression & anxiety disorder.

1. Quiet time with the Lord. The first thing I do in the morning--after making coffee--is spend about an hour with the Lord. This includes scripture, devotional readings, & prayer. [When I was working FT as a Lutheran educator, I didn't think I had time for this. I was wrong.]
2. Writing. I write devotions for Orphan Grain Train. I keep a blog, which--theoretically--you are reading now.
3. Looking for humor. I look for newspaper articles that strike me as humorous. I like reading the jokes & humorous anecdotes in Reader's Digest. I read "late laughs" in the SAT edition of the Norfolk Daily News. I like funny movies. [Sharknado!]
4. I plan road trips. Lois & I have begun planning a trip to Glacier National Park next September. [You can never start too early.]

Breaking News!

From Norfolk Daily News (9/20):  "Bert, Ernie not Gay. The producers of Sesame Street want you to know that Bert & Ernie are not, in fact, gay."

Dept. of Shameless Joke-Stealing

From Reader's Digest (July/Aug 2018): Name actual responses to prompts on Family Feud that are so ludicrous they no doubt started real family feuds. Answer:  These.

• "Name a type of foreign money. Answer:  Monopoly.
• "Name a farm animal that the farmer may grow so fond of, he might not want to eat it. Answer:  Dog.
• "Name a place where you might see another person take off all their clothes. Answer:  The mall.
• "Name something a duck & a chicken have in common. Answer:  They both quack.
• "Name a place where it's smart to know where the exits are. Answer:  Church.
• "If someone tells you a secret, how many people do you tell? Answer . Five.
• "Name something you eat too much of. Answer:  Food."

Thought for today:  FREE IN CHRIST

“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”  Ps. 32:1

“The meaning is this:  No human being knew that the wrath of God is upon all men & that all are in sin before God, but through His Gospel He has revealed from heaven both how we may be saved from that wrath & by what righteousness we may be set free, namely, through Christ.”  Martin Luther Psalm by Psalm, Concordia Publishing House, 2017.