POST-ELECTION THOUGHTS

I won't pretend that I'm not discouraged by the results of the election. But I'm also discouraged by a lot of what I read on Facebook. At least some Trump supporters are suggesting that we treat Joe Biden with the same level of disrespect & venom with which his enemies have treated President Trump. I think God has blessed His people with an opportunity to take the high road. Proverbs 25:25 instructs us to heap burning coals on the heads of our enemies. I continue to pray that the Lord would bless us with the leaders we need & help us cope with the leaders we get. 

COVID-19

According to usafacts.org, in Madison County, Nebraska, where we live, there were 77 newly reported COVID-19 cases on 11/13/20. There have been 14 deaths in Madison County, including 2 newly reported deaths on 11/13/20.

Lois & I went to church on Saturday night & wore masks. There weren't a lot of people there, so social distancing was pretty easy. Most people were wearing masks. I went to Adult Bible Class yesterday morning. There were only 3 of us who were wearing masks. 

"Here comes Santa--with face masks & plexiglass."  Drudge Report

WHAT I'M READING

I started reading "Jubal Early, Robert E. Lee's 'Bad Old Man.' In case you haven't noticed, I really like reading books about the Civil War.

DEPT. OF SHAMELESS JOKE-STEALING *

* courtesy of Reader's Digest, JULY/AUG 2020

When the zoo's gorilla dies, the zookeeper hires a mime to dress up as the gorilla & get into the cage until he finds a replacement ape. The mime quickly discovers what a great gig he has. He can sleep, play, & make fun of people all day, & he's drawing bigger crowds than he ever has. Eventually, the crowd tires of him & starts paying more attention to the lion in the next cage.

Miffed, the mime climbs to the top of his cage, crawls across a partition, & dangles from the top of the lion's age, teasing the big cat. The crowd loves it, but the lion is furious. That is, until the mime slips & falls into his pen. The lion licks his chops & slowly walks toward him. Just as the lion is about to pounce, the terrified mime screams, "Help me!"

With that, that lion leaps on top of the mime, brings his snarling maw inches from his face & says, "Shut up! You want to get us both fired?"

BUCKET LIST

I just put a visit to New York & New England, plus a drive along the Gulf Coast on our bucket list. Now our list includes:

> New York & New England

> Drive along the Gulf Coast

> Yellowstone winter wolf tour

> Fishing trip to Northern MN with my son Nathan

> San Antonio [which we should knock off in JAN]

> Colorado, Utah & Nevada National Parks

> Grand Canyon National Park

> Everglades National Park

> Creation Museum & Noah' Ark

> Revisit Gettysburg

> Visit Vicksburg 

> Yosemite & King's Canyon National Parks

I think maybe there are more items on my bucket list than I have time to accomplish them.

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE . . . NEW ORLEANS

"Nudist bed & breakfast inn closes it doors for good in New Orleans

DISSATISFACTION & RESTLESSNESS

"It has become the job of the advertising industry to keep us in a state of permanent dissatisfaction and restlessness with who we are or what we have. The answer is always bigger, better, faster, or more like someone else. Words like "enough," "sufficient," and "wait" are derided in favor of having what you want now and immediately becoming who you really want to be. We are informed of our lack of something and then told it is ruining the quality of our lives. But the voices of the media then tell us salvation is at hand! The new product or service will liberate you. It will initiate you into a better world, a new life, an alternative salvation.

"Is it possible that we are trapped in a web of deception, and that we are being conditioned to blindly follow the pied pipers of fame and fashion as they determine who and what we are and how we should live?"  Stuart McAllister, Slice of Infinity