Writing . . . Truth

REFLECTIVE WRITING

For the past decade, doctors and psychologists have been taking notice of the health benefits of reflective writing. They note that wrestling with words to put your deepest thoughts into writing can lift your mind from depression, uncover wisdom within your experiences, provide insight and foster self-awareness. From autobiography to blogging to the increasingly popular genre of memoir, writers similarly laud the benefits of writing. Whether publicly, anonymously, or privately, confessional writing can free the writer “to explore the depths of the emotional junkyard,” as one describes. In my own experience, writing has no doubt been a helpful way to sift through the junkyard, though perhaps most effectively when exploring in good faith and not merely reveling in the messes.  Jill Caratini, Slice of Infinity

THE TRUTH ABOUT CHRISTIANITY 

The truth is Christianity is a social engineer's dream. A study in the UK, reported by The Telegraph, found religious people 'are healthier & take fewer sick days.' In addition, 'more religious a person is, the less likely they are to suffer from anxiety, depression or exhaustion.'"  Michael Shannon

Getting Personal + Ash Wednesday + Punching Sheep + Lots & Lots of Politics

GETTING PERSONAL

I have a history of clinical depression & anxiety, & I've suffered a relapse, so to speak. A number of factors could explain this, including a fallout from a huge list of medications. On Monday I'm entering the Bryan Health Adult Partial Program in Lincoln. I will be there for at least one week. The sessions run from 8:30-3:30 each day. There is group therapy, a number of different classes, such as stress management, time spent with the chaplain, & daily visits with a physician. I have some anxiety about entering this program, but I've come to the conclusion--with the help of Lois & others--that my condition has been deteriorating for some time, & that I've been in denial. So, we'll give this a try. Please pray for me.

ASH WEDNESDAY

It is indeed a strange part of the Christian story, the countercultural proclamation that the distinction matters deeply—that our humanity’s particular condition is as vital to who we are as God’s identity is to God. In fact the most momentous part of the Christian story—Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again—is often confessed liturgically beside the humble beginnings of creatureliness. The ashes of Ash Wednesday starkly remind us of the dust we came from and the dust to which we will return—as Christ’s own. Foreheads are marked with a bold and ashen cross of dust, recalling both our history and our future, invoking repentance, inciting stares. Marked with his cross, we are Christ’s: pilgrims on a journey that proclaims death and suffering, life and resurrection all at once. The journey through the light and darkness of Christ’s life is for those made in dust who will return to dust, those willing to trace the breath that began all of life to the place where Christ breathed his last. It is a journey that expends everything within us. To pick up the cross and follow him is to be reminded at every step that we are mere creatures, and he has come near our humanity to show us what that word originally meant.  Jill Carattini, Slice of Infinity

MORAL LANGUAGE

Moral language makes us uncomfortable, because we abandoned the notion of judgment when we abandoned responsible adulthood and began to insist that hierarchical social relations were necessarily unjust and oppressive — Who are you to tell me what’s right and what’s wrong? Who are you to judge? Moral language forces us to face our moral illiteracy, to admit that we have not engaged in the necessary moral education to cultivate ourselves and our children for some generations now. This surrender was very much abetted by the schools and the churches and other institutions, but the abandonment was, by and large, organic and self-organizing. What we rejected was authority.   Kevin Williamson, National Review Online, 2/26

CRIMINAL MINDS

• "Farmer fined for punching sheep"  Drudge Report, 2/26

WARNING! (AND APOLOGY)

I apologize in advance. I realize that today's post is top-heavy (& bottom-heavy) with politics. Let's just say that I am getting it out of my system; a purging, so to speak. I obsessed today. Kindly remember that I have OCD.

POLITICAL POTPOURRI

• "Democratic candidates clash over most effective plan to destroy economy"  Babylon Bee, 2/22
• Study:  More college students believing in communism, Santa Claus"  Ditto, 2/24
• SOCIALISM:  1 of every 3 Venezuelans facing hunger"  Drudge Report, 2/24

TRUMP VS SANDERS:  "In another viral clip, MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace compared President Donald Trump and Sanders, accused them of using “dark arts” on the media, and called supporters a “squeaky, angry minority.”  Justin Caruso, Drudge Report, 2/23

SANDERS PART I:  " . . . a lot of Americans think that Bernie Sanders has a personality problem, too. He comes across as an irritable, red-faced scold, waving his arms while he calls for revolution, sort of the crazy uncle of American politics. Trump may come across as the neighborhood bully, but that persona is probably more appealing for many voters as long as they think he will protect their interests.

" I am inclined to welcome a matchup between Sanders and Trump, not because I’m enamored of either of them but because the campaign would be fought over an important issue: Should America move rapidly toward socialism? That’s an important debate to have, and in between the name-calling, perhaps the country would render a useful and definitive answer."  John Fund, National Review Online, 2/24

SANDERS PART II:  " . . . a lot of Americans think that Bernie Sanders has a personality problem, too. He comes across as an irritable, red-faced scold, waving his arms while he calls for revolution, sort of the crazy uncle of American politics. Trump may come across as the neighborhood bully, but that persona is probably more appealing for many voters as long as they think he will protect their interests.

"I am inclined to welcome a matchup between Sanders and Trump, not because I’m enamored of either of them but because the campaign would be fought over an important issue: Should America move rapidly toward socialism? That’s an important debate to have, and in between the name-calling, perhaps the country would render a useful and definitive answer."  Jentezen Franklin, Townhall, 2/24

DEMOCRATIC DEBATE:  "Tonight’s debate would have been only marginally less incoherent, noisy, and grating to the ears if CBS had broadcast two hours of static."  Jim Geraghty, NRO 2/26

SANDERS PART III:  "The Democratic presidential field suffers from a problem similar to the one that crippled the GOP in 2016 and saddled us with Donald Trump. It’s in all the candidates’ interest to see Sanders destroyed, but it’s in no one’s individual interest to play the role of destroyer. So Elizabeth Warren spends her time attacking Michael Bloomberg, Pete Buttigieg focuses his rhetorical artillery on Amy Klobuchar, and Klobuchar returns fire. Even Bloomberg seems too scared to nuke Sanders from orbit."  Jonah Goldberg, Ditto

WARREN PART I:  "More than 200 Cherokees and other Native Americans sent a letter to Senator Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) urging her to issue a public apology after “vague and inadequate” past steps to apologize for her claims of Cherokee ancestry.

“Your history of false claims to American Indian identity and the defense of these claims with a highly publicized DNA test continue to dog your political career,” the letter reads. “For Native Americans, this moment is more than an annoyance; it represents the most public debate about our identity in a generation.”  Tobias Hoonhout, Ditto

SANDERS PART IV:  "Bernie Sanders is, to put it gently, either terminally obtuse, mentally unbalanced, or dangerously dishonest.

"That Sanders could’ve visited the Soviet Union during the Cold War and, with all of the evidence before him, come back extolling the country’s systems, programs, and infrastructure, reveals either stupidity on a galactic scale, certifiable delusion, or a willingness to perpetuate the greatest lie in modern history."  Peter Kirsanow, Ditto

WARREN PART II:  “Sen. Warren has convinced me that Bernie isn't that worrisome.  He'll never get anything done,” Coulter tweeted. “SHE'S the freak who will show up with 17 idiotic plans every day and keep everyone up until it gets done.”  Matt Vespa, Townhall, 2/26

SANDERS PART V:  "Sanders isn't a European social democrat, warm toward Denmark and Norway. He's a lifelong communist -- a man who declared himself fully on board with the nationalization of nearly every major American industry in the 1970s -- and an advocate for anti-Americanism abroad. The fact that it has taken until the verge of his nomination as the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee for members of the media and fellow Democrats to take note of this rather important truth demonstrates that the left's gatekeeping function has been irrevocably broken."  Ben Shapiro, Ditto

Thoughts for Today

"In a world that values image, holding up a mirror and taking a good, hard look at who we really are is a challenge most will not undertake. It is far easier to project blame onto everyone else who is judgmental, mean-spirited, or any of the myriad of complaints we hurl against others, than to recognize this darkness resides in our own souls. How difficult it is to acknowledge what the ancient prophets understood: The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Or to keep firmly in mind what Jesus asked those listening to him preach his first sermon: Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

"Carl Jung, a student, colleague, and later critic of Sigmund Freud noted that “everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”(3) Other people can be a mirror for us, showing us who we are if we are courageous enough to take a look. To do so holds a great reward. Seeing our real selves in the mirror of our irritations and critiques of others opens us up to a deeper compassion. As one author notes about facing our real selves, “This is the reason why in the spiritual life our enemies are our best friends. That is why Jesus’s command ‘Love your enemies’ is so important. When we keep the enemy outside the door, when we don’t allow the not-I to enter our world, we’ll never be able to look our sin…in the face. Men and women who get on my nerves, who threaten me and cause me anxiety, need not become my bosom friends, but they have an important message for me.”(4) As I gaze into the mirror of the other, I am invited to see myself and recognize the kinship between us."  Margaret Manning Shull, Slice of Infinity

" . . . smearing opponents is not only a left-wing value; it is the left's modus operandi. And the reason for that is: The left does not win through argument. It wins through smear. If you differ with the left, you are, by definition, sexist, racist, bigoted, intolerant, homophobic, Islamophobic, xenophobic, fascist and/or a hater. The proof? You cannot name a single opponent of the left who has not been so labeled."  Dennis Prager, Townhall, 2/25

"Meanwhile, the United States continues to reduce its carbon emissions into the atmosphere at a faster pace than virtually any other country in the world."  Stephen Moore, ditto

"Bloomberg appears to be using his considerable wealth in ways other than paying for those ubiquitous TV ads. If his record as mayor of New York City is any indication of how he would behave as president, he should not even be allowed in the tourist line at the White House, unless you are comfortable with government telling you how large a soft drink you can consume, whether salt should be available at restaurants and you are fine with your guns being taken away, along with other constitutionally protected liberties."  Cal Thomas, ditto

Dust...Road Trip...California...Florida...Mental Health...Whimsy

DUST

It is helpful, I think, to be reminded that we are dust. We are material. When we die, we remain material. It is a reminder to hold as we move through life—through successes, disappointments, questions, and answers. For the Christian, it is also a truth to help us approach the vast and terrible circumstances leading up to the crucifixion of the human son of God. Beginning with the ashes of Ash Wednesday, the journey through Lent into the light and darkness of Holy Week is for those made in dust who will return to dust, those willing to trace the breath that began all of life to the place where Christ breathed his last. It is a journey that expends everything within us . . . Our humanity is beckoned to face its humble beginnings on this coming Ash Wednesday. We are given 40 days to journey with this thought, to follow in the vicarious humanity of the Son where he leads us, until we are leveled by the bright sadness of Holy Week. From the invitation to consume his body and blood in the Last Supper to the desolation of that body on the Cross, we are undone by events that began before us and will continue to be remembered long after we are gone. The season of Lent is a stark reminder that we are, in the words of Isaiah or the sentiments of the psalmist, like grass that withers, flowers that blow away like dust. But so we are, in this great earth, a richer dust concealed. Walking in cemeteries we realize this; communing with Christ we encounter it. Preparing to walk through Lent as dust and ashes invites us to see our need for the Father's unchanging provision: We are offered the Cross, communion and forgiveness, the body of one broken, hope in one raised, and the life everlasting.  Jill Carattini, Slice of Infinity

ROAD TRIP #4

We were in St. Petersburg, FL, for ten days, staying with Lois' sister Kathy. (We flew back to Nebraska last Fri.) We also got to visit with Lois' little sister Anita, our brother-in-law Jerry, & niece Lia.

• Kathy was an outstanding hostess, cook, chauffeur, tourist guide. We might stay with her again some day!
• We made it to the beach five times. (Next month we travel to Minnesota; I don't think we'll make it to the beach.)
• We saw dolphins on our dolphin cruise.
• We visited the Gulfport Market, & I enjoyed a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich.
• We ate lunch at the Habana (Cuban) Cafe.
• We spent time lounging on Kathy's lanai. 
• We slept with the windows open two or three nights.
• We enjoyed fresh shrimp, salmon, & crab cakes.
• All of our flights were routine; departures & arrivals all on time.
• I confess--I paid $6 for two candy bars at the Dallas airport. (In my defense, I was unsuccessfully searching for ice cream or frozen yogurt.)

GAMBLING

I continue to serve on the Nebraska Gamblers Assistance Commission. We provide funds for therapists who work with problem gamblers. We have our quarterly mtg this FRI in Lincoln. (I serve as an at-large member on our Executive Committee.)

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE . . . FLORIDA

• "Miami neighborhood invaded by aggressive peacocks" Drudge Report, 2/22

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE . . . CALIFORNIA

• "40,000 bees attack police, firefighters in CA"  Drudge, 2/24

MENTAL HEALTH CHECK

I admit--I've been dealing with more depression & anxiety lately. Some of my anxiety on our flights back to Nebraska last FRI bordered on panic attacks. I can't explain it. Lois & I are seeing my psychiatric nurse provider later this morning. Hopefully I'll get some answers.

MONDAY WHIMSY

• "SURVEY:  People who nap more productive, happier"  Drudge, 2/22
• "36-year-old calls 911 after parents cut-off cellphone"  Ditto
• "School forces teacher to respect failing student's preferred grade of A"  Babylon Bee, 2/22
• "Man forced to apologize for whatever he did in wife's dream last night"  Ditto
• "TEBOW: I'd rather be known for saving babies than winning Super Bowls"  Drudge, 2/23

Sunday Meditation

FREE WILL

"Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having." C.S. Lewis, Men's Devotional Bible

GOD IS GRACIOUS

God is gracious in ways we may never anticipate, meeting one profoundly in his desire to give, another in her profound suffering, coming to all in the sending of the Son and the manifestations of his life, death, and resurrection. It would have been enough to sustain our praise in the Incarnation of the Christ child or in the ministry and miracles of Jesus—”The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor” (Luke 7:22). But God wanted to bring even more: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). And that Son was sent to the Cross, where he was crucified, died, and buried. This too would have been enough to elicit our gratitude—an innocent sufferer, God hanging with us on the gallows. But then Christ rose from the grave, defeating death, and inviting us to follow and do the same.  Jill Carattini, Slice of Infinity

Road Trips...Hallmark Channel...Assisted Suicide...Love Your Enemies...Reconciliation

ROAD TRIPS

You know that I love road trips. I think they have a positive impact on my mental health. You also know that one of my New Year's resolutions was to average one road trip per month. Last month Lois & I enjoyed three road trips to Wichita Falls, TX, Dallas, & Eagan, MN. Today we leave for Lincoln, where we will drop off Sammy at Craig & Sarah's before leaving for Florida tomorrow. We'll be in St. Petersburg from Feb 11-21. At the very end of this month we'll be back in Eagan.

TRENDING

• "Hallmark Channel debuts 47 new Columbus Day movies" --Babylon Bee
• "Local man takes advantage of 3-hour wait at DMV to pen blog post arguing for government-run health care" --Babylon Bee

ASSISTED SUICIDE

This debate about assisted suicide isn't simply about legislation. This is a question about love. Do we love each other enough to say all life has value, and that dignity is in respecting that until the very end? It's heart-wrenching, but amazing things can happen in those final months and days and hours. I've seen it, and I'm far from alone. Don't deprive the vulnerable of love. They need assistance of a different sort. --Kathryn Lopez, Townhall 2/8

It’s suffering and heart-wrenching, but amazing things can happen in those final months and days and hours. I’ve seen it, and I’m far from alone. Don’t deprive the vulnerable of love. There should be no off-ramp, but lots of roadside assistance. --Kathryn Lopez, National Review Online 2/10

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES 

Jesus taught it. Paul reaffirmed it. And neither of them said their teaching was optional for Christians. Instead, God Himself commands us, His children, to love our enemies and to bless those who curse us. No one said it would be easy. No one even said it would be possible, without divine help. But, without any question, the call to love our enemies is a divine command, not a human suggestion . . . Will we bless those who curse us, or will we curse them back? Will we love those who hate us, or will we hate them back? Will we overcome evil, or will we be overcome by evil? There are certainly times for making a spirited defense of one’s position, especially for the cause of righteousness. And there are certainly times when evil must be publicly and plainly rebuked. But you can rebuke someone while having great love for them at the same time . . . You can even want justice to be done while having great love for the criminal justly sentenced for his crime. In short, the command to love our enemies does not call on us to compromise our ethics. It calls on us to take our ethics to a higher level, hating evil to the point that we refuse to be corrupted by it. --Michael Brown, Townhall 2/8  This makes me rethink some of the snarky comments I make on Facebook.

RECONCILIATION

Here's the thing about reconciliation. It has a power that is the antithesis of political power, which in reality is no power at all. If the person who believes he, or she, has been wronged by another reaches out and offers forgiveness, it can have the effect of disarming the other person and lowering the political and personal temperature. --Cal Thomas, Townhall 2/8

Sunday Meditation

LIVING OUR FAITH

The Irish evangelist Gypsy Smith once said, “There are five Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the Christian, and some people will never read the first four.” In other words, the message is seen before it is heard. --Ravi Zacharias, Slice of Infinity

DISILLUSIONMENT

Invited to bury our illusions with the body of Christ, we bury them with none other than the one who unites us to himself in life and in death. We may stand in painful disillusionment, but we stand with the vicarious humanity of the Incarnate Son. Thus, for any losses we mourn or graves of dead dreams and visions over which we lament, so we may stand equally aware that we will be mercifully startled by what emerges from the tomb.  --Jill Carattini, Slice of Infinity

GOD & YOUR WORK

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, & let them rule over the fish of the sea & the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, & over all the creatures that move along the ground.'" (Gen. 1:26) "As a human created in God's image, you are inherently significant & when you work you are doing something that is very Godlike.It is not only God's work that is significant; human work is significant, too." --Doug Sherman & Wiliam Henricks, Men's Devotional Bible

Democrats + Math...Caffeine...Rush...More

FREE FOR ALL

• "GALLUP:  Record 90% Americans satisfied with life" --Drudge Report 2/6
• "Pelosi defends ripping up Trump's speech by saying it was just a 'clump of cells" . Babylon Bee 2/6
• "Study:  Burning money far more beneficial than donating to a politician" --ditto
• "Democrats in chaos after being forced to do math for first time" --ditto

CAFFEINE

"For most of us, to be caffeinated to one degree or another has simply become baseline human consciousness," Pollan writes, well, reads in "Caffeine." "Something like 90% of humans ingest caffeine regularly, making it the most widely used psychoactive drug in the world and the only one we routinely give to children, commonly in the form of soda. It's so pervasive that it's easy to overlook the fact that to be caffeinated is not baseline consciousness but, in fact, is an altered state." --Michael Pollan, Drudge Report 2/6  While I'm reading this article, I'm drinking my 2nd cup of coffee for the day. It's 9:00 a.m.

COMMUNISM (SOCIALISM?)

The Communists killed Christians in Russia, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Cuba, and every other place where they have ascended to power. In some cases (though not all) the Church of Christ has survived these attacks and is the stronger for the persecution . . . To whatever extent America has gone to the dark side, it is because we have driven God out of the public square. As a society, we are reaping the consequences of that. --Jerry Newcombe, Townhall 2/6

IMPEACHMENT

The companion question for Democrats as the impeachment curtain falls, is whether that process hurt them as well. It did not damage Trump’s poll numbers, it was never a seething topic of national conversation, and some Democrat candidates were sidelined by the process. In fact, national attention to the entire Democratic field was diluted by the whole exercise. --Mark Davis, Townhall 2/6

RUSH LIMBAUGH

The undeniable truth of Rush Limbaugh for me, the thing he does better than any other broadcaster I know is connect. That has always been the thing his haters understood, even if they couldn’t articulate it. He formed a bond and a trust that cannot be broken. It’s why he was once called “the most dangerous man in America.” Rush Limbaugh connects with good cheer, warmth, sincerity, a sense of humor and a sense of the everyman no one else fully possesses or can stylistically equal. --Chris Stigall, Townhall 2/6

Anxiety

Jesus instructs his followers to not be anxious for their lives. Instead, he lays out a different imagination—again, a deeper perspective that can hold our anxiety about security and want. Jesus uses two illustrations from the natural world to explore this deeper imagination. He asks his followers to consider the way of the birds and to contemplate the beauty of flowers as an antidote for worry and an invitation to reconsider our notion of security. Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns… Observe the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin . . . 

And Jesus asks us to consider their ways. We, who worry, are tempted to be driven by fear—a fear that drives the relentless accumulation of resources or a fear that tells us we are not enough. Jesus asks, are you not worth more than the birds? Will God not so array you as the flowers are arrayed? Jesus says, look to the ways of the birds and the flowers and see a different imagination, a way of being in the world that is motivated by trust. Such trust arises from faith and dependence upon the God who provides for the birds, and the flowers, and for all of the creation . . . 

In fact, Jesus suggests, surrender is the only viable option, for he reminds his listeners that we cannot add a single year to our lives by worrying. In fact, we likely lose years of our lives by worrying. And here is another invitation from the birds and the flowers: theirs is an existence completely centered in the present moment. And with a kingdom imagination, it is a present filled with opportunities and possibility. Seek first the kingdom, Jesus says, and all these things will be added to you.  Margaret Manning Shull, Slice of Infinity

Whatever Wednesday

Impeachment + Truth + Human Need + Jesus

IMPEACHMENT

This should be an election year filled with the proper drama of the ups and downs of the President’s fate, and those who seek to be his successor. The months ahead carry the promise of tracking those developments through the lens of real issues, as the artificial fog of impeachment finally clears. --Mark Davis, Townhall 2/3

In any "stupidest" or "most worthless" contest, America can confidently put its money on the President Donald Trump impeachment mess. What frivolity. What junk. What an irredeemable waste of valuable time.  Bill Murchison, Townhall 2/4

TRUTH

As a society, have we come to a place where truth cannot be tolerated in the face of the prevailing orthodoxy of “tolerance”? Must the most basic biological differences between men and women be denied or whispered in secret? --James Gottry, Townhall 2/3

THE GREATEST HUMAN NEED

After food, the greatest human need and human desire is meaning. Even more so than the ability to reason or even to speak, this is the great divide between human and animal. We share all other needs with the higher animal species and share many needs with some of the lower animal species. Like them, we need food, shelter and companionship. But, while human beings seek and need meaning more than anything except food (and companionship -- but for human beings, companionship usually provides some meaning, and sometimes enough), no animal needs or seeks meaning. As an aside, this is one of the reasons I believe in God, the Creator. There is no evolutionary explanation for the need for meaning. Meaning is not a biological need.  --Dennis Prager, Townhall 2/4

JESUS CAME TO US

In the oldest Christian creed, Christians profess to believe in God the Father and Jesus Christ his only Son “who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.” What humanity has longed for most has happened: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Reaching into time and touching real history, Jesus came to us; he came to the Cross. But it did not master him.  --Jill Carattini, Slice of Infinity

Road Trips + Resolutions Check +Thoughts for Today + Super Bowl

ROAD TRIP REDUX

Seeing your grandchild baptized & getting together with all your children & grandchildren a week ago Sunday was an incomparable experience. While we were in Minnesota [We just got back on Saturday.], we did lots of bonding with the grandkids. 

• We got to hold Clair Beverly, born on Jan. 13, many times.
• I got to watch Paw Patrol & PJ Masks with Calvin, also many times.
• I also got to share a bowl of cheese popcorn with Calvin every afternoon.
• We--& by "we" I mean "Lois"--got to cook for Nathan, Laura, & Calvin several times.
• We arrived on a Thursday, just as Laura was getting ready to take Calvin to the doctor. Lois jumped in their minivan just in time to keep an eye on Claire. Calvin had an ear infection & Influenza B. [None of us have come down with it.]
• Lois & I got to each lunch at Mall of America & watch 1917. I would enthusiastically recommend this movie, but it is very intense at times.

RESOLUTIONS CHECK

• Write a 365-day devotion book. I've finished the book. Now I'm going back to revise & edit. Then I need to decide what to do with the finished product.
• Average one road trip per month. We took 3 road trips in January & we're scheduled to go to Florida in February.
• Add to our National Park & bucket list. Our Alaska trip is planned for July, which will include visits to Denali & Glacier Bay National Parks.
• Lose at least 10 lbs. Only 14 lbs. to go.
• Work out at least 3 times/week. I'm not off to a good start.
• No politics in my Mental Health MON blog. It hasn't been easy, but so far, so good.
• Receive a DNA report from Ancestry.com. Not accomplished yet.
• Cut back on coffee. I've cut back to 2-3 cups of coffee per day & no coffee after noon. [I had been drinking 4-5 cups of coffee every day, & sometimes drinking coffee after noon.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY Part 1

“Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse.”(1) The heavens are yet declaring the glory of God; the skies are yet proclaiming the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display the love of one who invites us into the story of life itself. --Stuart McAllister, Slice of Infinity

SUPERBOWL

I was rooting for the Chiefs. I was not disappointed. I think our relatives in California are in mourning.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY Part 2

"Man busted using one of his wife's 72 shampoos." --Babylon Bee

Sunday Meditation

WHAT WE CHOOSE TO REMEMBER

What we choose to remember indeed affects who we are—individually, collectively, boldly. The great creeds of Christianity aim themselves at a similar principle. The Church confesses what we need to remember, what we long to remember. We confess the promises of God; we confess who God is; we confess who we are. The word “creed” comes from the Latin credo, meaning “I believe.” Confessed in unison, we follow the command of God to remember collectively: “These truths I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.”(2) --Jill Carattini, Slice of Infinity

GIFTS OF GRACE

 Some have extraordinary talents, while other gifts of grace are more ordinary. Although our world boasts over those who display exceptional skills, he who has received an extraordinary gift is no better than he who receives an ordinary gift. Whatever the spiritual gift may be, its purpose is to enable each of us to serve, love & encourage for the joy & edification of the church. With the ultimate gift of grace--the gift of Jesus' death on the cross for the salvation of the world--we who are endowed with spiritual gifts are empowered by God to build up the church in the unity of the one true faith. Jesus' gift of eternal life remains at the center of every gift given to & through His beloved children. --Tyler Arnold, The Lutheran Witness, January 2020