BLACK HILLS ODYSSEY POST MORTEM

We got back safely from our trip on THU with our grand-children Brianna, Hadley, & Bentley, thankful that we were able to return them safe & sound to their parents. We're also thankful that the Lord has provided us with the means to take our grand-kids on a trip like this. Here are some highlights.

* A stop at Wall Drug, mostly so Bentley could witness the animatronic T-rex. [ASIDE:  When we drove from Keystone to the Badlands on THU, we counted 67 Wall Drug signs, which is an average of 1 per mile.]

* Powder House Lodge. Our cabin was a good value for the money, & we were mostly pleased with it, even though the wireless connection was spotty & referring to the kitchen area as an "area" would be a generous label. [It consisted of a shelf with a microwave, keurig coffeemaker, along with a micro-refrigerator.] We did have satellite tv, so the kids were able to watch cartoons, & I was able to watch some Westerns. Plus, there was plenty of shampoo & soap, so I was able to add to my collection.

* Powder House Restaurant. The food was delicious, albeit pricey, & the portions were ample. We enjoyed two meals there, & my favorite was a game kabob, which included elk, bison, & venison.

* Spending time in the restaurant basement on SUN, the day we arrived, as we rode out a tornado warning. No tornado, but torrential rain, lots of wind, & hail.

* For me, sipping coffee in the restaurant before the rest of our crew got up every morning. [And the coffee was "on the house" on THU.]

* The drive through the Black Hills National Forest, even though the kids &, sadly, my wife, constantly trash-talked me for my driving. [What's wrong with taking a few hairpin turns at high rates of speed?]

* The Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park, where we saw bison, pronghorns, deer, & burros. [The burros, who came up to our car windows to beg for food, kind of freaked Bentley out.]

* Sighting a plethora of wildlife throughout our odyssey, including bison, bison calves, pronghorn, prairie dogs, burros, bighorn sheep, white tail & mule deers, vultures(!), & wild turkeys. I paid the kids bounties for spotting these creatures, which cost me a fortune, but it was worth it.]

* The hayride & chuckwagon dinner in Custer State Park, especially the cowboy who entertained us with his songs & jokes. [We're pretty sure it was the same cowboy who entertained us 7 years ago.]

* A hike around Sylvan Lake, also in CSP, which allowed the kids to do some rock climbing. [Because of my history of falls, I was not allowed to participate in anything more than the hike.]

* A visit to Mt. Rushmore. [I think, with a lot of help from our entire troop, Bentley will remember the names of all four presidents engraved on the mountain, including "Tom" Jefferson.]

* A drive/hike to Hippie Hole, which I inadvertently referred to as Hippie Hollow in a previous post. Although our goal of seeing the falls was thwarted, the drive & hike were memorable.

* Souvenir hunting in downtown Keystone. [OK, this was not one of MY highlights.]

* Eating pizza at Cruizzers in downtown Keystone. [The personal pan vegetarian pizza, which Lois & I shared, was delicious.]

* Eating ice cream at Wall Drug & in downtown Keystone.

* The trip through Badlands NP.

* Rousing games of UNO each evening.

FYI:  Lois & I have visited 5 national parks so far this year, breaking our previous record of 4 NPs in one year; & we'll be visiting at least 4 more in October.

ROAD TRIPS

After a brief respite at home, we're off on another road trip. We're visiting our Iowanian family in Ventura, IA, followed by a visit to Nathan & Laura & Calvin & Claire in Eagan, MN. [One of my New Year's resolutions was to make at least 8 road trips this year. We've already met & will exceed this goal, having made road trips to Texas, San Antonio, Minnesota, Florida, Everglades, California, Bass Lake, CA, my Class of '71 50-year reunion in Concordia, MO, & Black Hills.

RESOLUTIONS REVIEW

How am I doing with my 2021 New Year's resolutions? To quote Charles Dickens, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

> Take at least 8 road trips. We've already taken 9 with many more to come.

> Give up French fries. I'd give myself an A-.

> Get a DNA report from Ancestry.com. Still pending.

> Do my PT exercises at least 3X per week. D-.

> Avoid useless FB arguments. A-

> Add to our national parks & bucket list We've already been to Everglades, King's Canyon, Sequoia, Yosemite, Badlands.

> Lose at least 10 lbs. F

QUOTES FOR TODAY *

* Compliments of Reader's Digest, March 2021

"Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors & miss." Robert Heinlein

"A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world." Louis Pasteur

UNO

As I've reported previously, we played endless rounds of UNO during our Black Hills Odyssey. Yesterday in Norfolk, my grandson Bentley beat me 7 straight times before I finally, mercifully, won one round. Bentley:  "Papa, how does it feel to get beat by a 7-year-old?" What a little trash talker! I blame his parents.

UFOs

"Warships 'swarmed by 100 UFOs' over month period." Drudge

THERE IS NO PLACE LIFE CALIFORNIA

"Tahoe rattled by multiple quakes; 'big one' coming?" Drudge

"Newsom announces sweepstakes where 5 lucky winners get to move out of CA." Babylon Bee

MILLENNIALS

"Suddenly wealthy from markets, millennials stress." Drudge  We've come to expect no less from millennials. [I'm sorry IF I've offended anyone.]

CRIMINAL MINDS

"Corvette driver arrested for going 150 on highway." Drudge I never cranked our '78 'vette up to that speed. [OK, technically, it was a CHEvette.]

STRANGERS

"The purpose of government is to make it safe for human beings to deal with strangers. We don’t need the state to regulate our interactions with people we know and trust, but the same cannot be said about our interactions with those outside our circle of acquaintance. Knowing my family and my friends as well as I do, I can be confident that they would not try to hurt me, steal from me, or do me any kind of harm. I can also be confident that if any among them wereto do me harm, my grievance would get a fair hearing among the others in my circle. But none of this obtains when I step out of my circle of acquaintances and into the broader world. Walking in the middle of a city or along a sidewalk, I have no idea whether the strangers I see are saints or sinners. I do not know if they harbor good or ill intentions toward me, or if they harbor any at all."  Cameron Hilditch, National Review Online

COVID

"If the virus was accidentally released from a laboratory, that means it was being researched in a laboratory. Which means someone, and probably several researchers, within the Wuhan Institute of Virology already knew some things about this particular virus when Wuhan residents started showing up at hospitals with strange new viral infections throughout December."  Jim Geraghty, NRO

CENSORSHIP

"Earlier in the pandemic, another group of experts and concerned citizens disputed the recommendations of public-health authorities such as the CDC. These dissenters — who included experts at top universities — questioned the benefits of population-wide restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19. They drew attention to the plight of those suffering mental-health effects from isolation. They drew attention to the fact that business owners, kids from low-income families, and people with substance-use disorders were struggling under the restrictions . . . Diverse perspectives and healthy, respectful debate are essential to furthering our knowledge. And no institution — whether a government agency or a large corporation — should act as the arbiter of truth." Sita Slavov, NRO

 TAKE CHARGE

"You are not trapped with your old experiences & genes. You do have the capacity for change! You can be different . . . You must take charge of your life! Your must stop saying, 'I'll never be different,' & begin saying, 'I can be different because of God's love working in me.'"  Jim Conway, Men's Devotional Bible

NOTHING CAN SEPARATE

"Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ. If you have fallen into sin, whether the sin of homosexuality, pornography, promiscuous, or [a] host of sins . . . know that God sent His Son to suffer & die for you. Repent of your sin & trust in the work of Christ who forgives you."  Roy Askins, The Lutheran Witness, Jan. 2021 

A HYMN FOR PENTECOST

O Day Full of Grace, LW #163, Sts. 1 & 4

O day full of grace that now we see Appearing on earth's horizon, Bring light from our God that we may be Replete in His joy this season. God, shine for us now in this dark place; Your name on our hearts emblazon.

God came to us then at Pentecost, His Spirit new life revealing, That we might no more from Him be lost, All darkness for us dispelling. His flame will the mark of sin efface And bring to us all His healing.

TRENDING

"TESLA in autopilot mode crashes into parked police car." Drudge Report, 5/18

"75% of Portland residents don't want decrease in law enforcement." Drudge, 5/18

UFOs

"Obama says UFO sightings appear real." Drudge, 5/18

"Navy fighters shoot down hostile UFO after it refuses to give its pronouns." Babylon Bee

"Much like the sudden shift on the conventional wisdom around the lab leak, the conventional wisdom about UFOs — not necessarily space aliens, but the existence of flying objects that authorities cannot identify — is shifting rapidly; it’s like you can feel the ground moving beneath your feet. 60 Minutes did a lengthy and credulous report, featuring declassified videos of objects that don’t look like any conventional aircraft, and interviews with former Pentagon officials and retired Navy pilots who seemed convinced. No less a figure than former president Barack Obama is weighing in, indicating that he, as president, was kept in the loop about what U.S. military pilots were seeing the skies and unable to identify." Jim Geraghty, National Review Online, 5/19

COVID

"Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine unveiled a lottery system WED to entice people to get COVID-19 shots, offering a weekly $1 million prize & full-ride college scholarships in a creative bid to overcome the vaccine hesitancy that remains a stubborn problem across the nation." Norfolk Daily News, 5/13

ROE V. WADE

"The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear Mississippi’s appeal in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to decide the fate of the state’s Gestational Age Act. That law, passed in 2018 and held in limbo ever since by the courts, bans abortions after 15 weeks except “in a medical emergency or in case of a severe fetal abnormality.” Nothing in the text or history of the Constitution bars such laws, and the Court should say so.

"Better still, it should put an end to the long charade of judge-invented abortion law. The Court should say that Roe v. Wade never had any legitimate basis in our Constitution, and return the issue to the people’s representatives. It should do so precisely because this issue is too important not to be decided by the people." The Editors, National Review Online 5/18

"Now Mississippi has said you cannot kill an unborn child after 15 weeks of gestation. Will Roberts and Kavanaugh say they have to stand by the wrongly decided Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey -- because they are precedents? Or will they stand on principle -- and the Constitution itself -- and let Mississippi and other states protect the right to life of the innocent unborn?" Terry Jeffrey, Townhall, 5/19

SCIENCE & DEMOCRATS

"Every time I hear Democrats sermonize about following "the science," I feel as though I'm listening to members of the Flat Earth Society. Science is what the left wants to believe to be true. It has become a way to shut off debate, not advance it. Remember: These were the fools who told us to shut down our schools for a year." Stephen Moore, Townhall 5/18

After attending early church at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, my home congregation, Lois & I hit the road. First, though, we picked up a sumptuous repast of breakfast sandwiches & gourmet  coffee from Casey's in Concordia, which is located on the corner where the infamous truck stop once stood, where I worked the graveyard shift the summer between my junior & senior years at SPCH. That's a story for another time. We left in a thunderstorm & drove through rain until north of KC. Sometimes the rain intense, making visibility a challenge. God was certainly with us. We made it home in time for our weekly Messenger mtg with Lois' siblings & our Facetime call with Nathan, Laura, Calvin, & Claire. [Claire was disappointed. She always wants to see our puppy, but Sammy was at the kennel. Lois will pick him up today.]

CLASS REUNION POST-MORTEM

What a great time! Here are some highlights of our trip.

> The guest reception at the Drury Inn in North KC on WED night. [Go ahead, call me shallow.]

> A tour of our old haunts in & around Concordia, Corder, & Higginsville.

> The food & fellowship we enjoyed with my classmates & their spouses, including much reminiscing.

> The Circuit Ascension worship at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Emma on THU night.

> The baccalaureate at St. Paul's Lutheran Church on FRI morning.

> The graduation service in Weis Gymnasium on FRI afternoon.

> The commencement address by our classmate Kirk Mueller.

> The tour & tasting at the 1832 Distillery in Concordia on FRI afternoon. [SEE previous comment about being shallow.]

> The Class of '71 banquet on FRI night.

> The tour of Kaepel on SAT morning.

> The opportunity to visit with former teachers.

> The keurig coffee makers on each floor in Biltz. [Shallow.]

> The wonderful job that Kent Kunkel & others did to make this a great experience.

Lois will be one of the coordinators of the Class of '72 reunion next year. She (& I) are already looking forward to it! [I think she's up for the challenge.]

PROGRESS REPORT

Last year one of my resolutions was to write a 365-day devotion book. I finished it, but didn't publish it. Earlier this year & entered into an agreement with Westbo Press to have it published. The challenge is that I wrote it as 365 separate Word files on my computer at the OGT office. First, I had to download all files onto a zip drive, then transfer them to my home laptop. Now I am in the process of copying & pasting each one into one long Word file, in order to submit it for publication. This has also involved more editing. I have made it through Aug. 10

WHAT I'M READING

I finished reading "In the Garden of the Beasts:  Love, Terror, & an American Family in Hitler's Berlin," by Erik Larson. If you want to read a first-hand account of Hitler's rise to power, you'll want to read this book. It's chilling.

Last night I started reading "The Splendid & the Vile:  A Saga of Churchill, Family, & Defiance During the Blitz," also by Erik Larson.

ROAD TRIPS

On Sunday we'll leave for the Black Hills with our grandkids, Brianna, Hadley, & Bentley. We've rented a cabin in Keystone & plan to do Wall Drug, the hayride & chuckwagon dinner in Custer State Park, more exploring in CSP, Mt. Rushmore, & Reptile Gardens. 

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

Lois & I are in Concordia, MO, for my St. Paul's College High Class of 1971 50-year reunion. On THU afternoon, we visited both the St. Paul's Lutheran cemetery in Concordia & Zion Lutheran cemetery in Corder. My dad & mom's graves are in the St. Paul cemetery. Lois has relatives buried in the St. Paul cemetery. In the Zion cemetery we visited the graves of her parents, paternal grandparents, paternal great-grandparents [born during the Civil War!], & sister Beverly, who died at age 10 from a tractor accident. We also visited the farm site outside Corder, where Lois grew up [The pond is still there, only bigger. Her house & other buildings are long gone.]; also the house in Higginsville, where her family moved to when Lois was 16. Also in Higginsville, we visited the site of Dog 'n Suds, now a Chinese restaurant, where I gave Lois her engagement ring. And we passed the swimming pool--the closest swimming pool to Concordia--where we often went swimming in the summer. I took swimming lessons there, too.

This afternoon we strolled down Main Street. Some of the buildings that were there when I grew up are gone. Some have been re-purposed. The grocery stores have been re-purposed into other businesses. So has the library where my mom worked. The Concordia Bank is still there. Legend has it that a member of Jesse James' gang robbed the bank, & a shot from his gun clipped the statue of an eagle inside the bank. You could still see that chip when I was growing up. Lois' Grandma Lohman lived in an apartment upstairs in one of the buildings downtown. Can't tell if it's still an apartment or not.

On the way back we walked down a side street, maybe Bismarck? We passed the old public grade school. When I was playing BB as an 8th grader at St. Paul's Lutheran School, I made a lay-up, ran into the wall behind the basket, & chipped a finger. After I saw that my finger was at a 45-degree angle, I probably shouldn't have pushed it back into place.

We passed Central Park. The bandshell is still there. When I was growing up, there were still band concerts there in the summer, performed by the town band. The 4th of July concert was a highlight. Occasionally they showed movies there in the summer, too. The annual Fall Festival is still held in Concordia, & there's a beer garden in the park. There's also a caboose, where our kids used to play when we visited my Dad & Mom in Concordia.

We walked by Dad & Mom's 2nd house. Our original house was on Main Street, next to the parsonage, which was next to the church. They tore down the house a few years back in order to add parking for the church & school. I forgot to mention in my post yesterday that my class met in the St. Paul school gym before proceeding to the baccalaureate service. I played a lot of basketball & had a lot of gym classes in that gym.

Being in the church for baccalaureate brought back some great memories, sad memories, & at least one scary memory. Our grade school program was held at church on Christmas Eve. The church was so packed that chairs had to be set up in the aisle. My dad & mom's funerals were both held there. And the scary moment was Questioning Sunday, always held during the church a week ahead of Palm Sunday, when we were confirmed. I say scary, because we were questioned by Pastor Wollenberg in front of the whole congregation. He went right down the row--there were 29 cofirmands in my class--& asked questions from Luther's Small Catechism, also the Bible verses from the catechism, that we had learned & presumably memorized for confirmation classes. Let's just say that I was kind of a slacker, so I spent the day before Questioning Sunday in the house, cramming for those questions. I only biffed on one answer. Of course, I was only asked on question.

After we got back to Biltz, Lois went for another walk. She found the house where her Grandma & Grandpa Lohman lived. Her Grandpa Lohman was a World War I vet. He was in very poor health, because he got gassed during the war, & died fairly young. I never knew him. She also walked down to Southside Park. We had a Lohman family reunion there one summer. We used to take our kids there to play on the playground equipment when we visited my Dad & Mom. The ball field there was where I played Little League for 2 years. I don't mean to brag [actually, that's a lie], but I was chosen as an all-star that second year. We also played our grade school softball games at that park.

For lunch I picked up some sandwiches at the world famous Creemy Freeze. I think Lois & I will go back there to get food for an early summer. In the summer we used to walk down there & get hot fudge sundaes. 

One more thing. Yesterday my classmates & I had a tour at the 1832 Concordia Distillery, which has only been open for 2 years, I think. If you know Concordia, it's located behind the Hardee's, which is no longer open. Yes, Mark & Carolyn, there's a distillery in Concordia.

I wasn't going to blog will I was on my Class Reunion Odyssey, but I ran across some content on the Internet that I just couldn't resist. I hope you'll bear with me. Later today I'll continue my FB posts about my Class reunion.

BEARDS

"Growing a beard can free up time. Experts tabulated that the average clean-shaven man spends the equivalent of about 140 days of his life shaving." Hints from Heloise, Omaha World Herald, 5/13. I'm able to use all that extra time blogging.

CRIMINAL MINDS

"JETBLUE passenger who blew nose into blanket faces $10,500 fine." Drudge Report, 5/13.

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE AUSTRALIA

"Mice 'raining' from sky as 'biblical plague' sweeps Australia." Drudge Report, 5/13

LIKE FLORIDA

"Florida woman, 28, allegedly dressed a student at Miami HS to promote Instagram account." Fox News, 5/13

LIKE OKLAHOMA

"Oklahoma Gov. Stitt hosts barbeque beside PETA billboard slamming him for declaring 'meat week.'" Fox News, 5/13

LIKE NEBRASKA

"Animal guts spilled on a stretch of Interstate 80 in Omaha creating dangerous driving conditions THU evening." Omaha World Herald, 5/14. This could be part of our governor's efforts to promote meat.

COVID

"Schools ditching student mask requirement." Drudge Report, 5/13

"You often hear the argument, “Biden wears a mask to set an example.” Okay, an example for whom? Which Americans are going to start acting recklessly if they see Biden in an Oval Office meeting without his mask? Who is the anti-masker out there who’s going to change his mind because Biden keeps wearing his mask, five months after getting his second shot?" Jim Geraghty, National Review Online, 5/13

"MSNBC reportedly sought paid attendees for 'Vaccinating America' town hall special featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci." Fox News, 5/13

POLITICAL POTPOURRI

"Biden proposes $2 trillion bill to study what's causing inflation rates to rise." Babylon Bee

"In hard-hitting press conference, press demands to know Biden's favorite Disney princess." Babylon Bee

"It is not a lie that countless votes were tallied in November 2020 that should not have been. It is not a lie that many norms were abandoned as laws were amended in haste, sacrificed on a flimsy altar of COVID urgency. It is not a lie that this gives rise to proper skepticism about the reliability of the result in several states. Judges in state courts were never going to find provable, demonstrable evidence of countable illegal votes that would flip states, but the U.S. Supreme Court punted the opportunity to examine the constitutional basis for finding fault with the totals." Mark Davis, Townhall, 5/13

LANGUAGE & THE LEFT

"One of the reasons I rejected the Left, long ago, was that they were always telling you how to talk. They were always saying what you could say and not say. They were language cops. The American rebel in me says: Get stuffed." Jay Nordlinger, NRO, 5/13

PIPELINES

"Speaking to reporters at the White House Tuesday afternoon, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm admitted that pipelines are the safest way to transport fuel. Her comments come as 17 states face a major gas shortage due to a cyber attack on the Colonial Pipeline system and four months after President Joe Biden stopped construction on the Keystone XL pipeline." Katie Pavlich, Townhall

COVID

"Experts say CDC exaggerating outdoor transmission rates." Drudge Report

POLITICAL POTPOURRI

"Biden worried gas shortages may hurt Carter's chances against Reagan." Babylon Bee

"White House reminds nation that permission slips to eat a hot dog on the 4th of July are due by Friday." Babylon Bee

NFL

"Tebow, Kaepernick to compete in epic kneeling contest spot for spot on NFL team." Babylon Bee

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE CHICAGO

"Report:  Many Chicagoans fleeing city for more peaceful places like the Middle East." Babylon Bee We lived in Chicago from 1975-1980. 

THE END OF AN ERA

Last evening we attended our grand-daughter's 5th grade graduation at Trinity Lutheran School in Lincoln. There were wonderful messages from Principal Kumm & Pastor Wing. Students received awards, their grade school portfolios, & a present from the PTL. Hadley received some nice awards. It's the end of an era. We've been attending programs, concerts, & events at Trinity since Brianna, our 17-year-old granddaughter, was a pre-schooler there. We are grateful that Craig & Sarah have provided a Christian education for Hadley. We are grateful for her teachers. We are grateful that she will be headed to Lincoln Lutheran for Middle School this next year. Trinity has been a blessing for our children & grandchildren.

ROAD TRIP

Tomorrow Lois & I are heading for Missouri. My St. Paul's College High 50th Reunion is this weekend. I'm looking forward to reconnecting with classmates, although I'll admit to being a little anxious. Five years ago, at our 45th reunion, I was in a fairly dark place. I was suffering from depression & anxiety, still reeling from having left my position at Lutheran High Northeast. I'm afraid I didn't make a good impression on my classmates.

WHAT I'M READING

I finished reading "The General vs. the President:  McArthur & Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War," by H.W. Brands. I'd rate it as above average.

I've started reading "In the Garden of the Beast:  Love, Terror, & an American Family in Hitler's Berlin," by Erik Larson. I've read & enjoyed some of his previous books. "The Devil in the White City:  A Sage of Magic & Murder at the Fair that Changed America" [It's about a serial murder & the World Exposition in Chicago, back in 1893.]; & "Dead Wake:  The Last Crossing of the Lusitania." [It's about the event that helped draw the U.S. into World War I. Both books were excellent reads.

AN EARLY MOTHER'S DAY TREAT

Lois & I had supper at Black Cow Fat Pig in Norfolk last FRI. We shared a spinach & artichoke appetizer, which was good. She had salmon, which she rated as very good. I had BBQ pork ribs, which I rated as excellent.

BIRTHING PARENTS DAY

"With Birthing Parents Day over, families prepare for Lawnmowing Persons Day."  Babylon Bee

CRIMINAL MINDS

"COPS:  Man attacked mom with taser on Mother's Day." Drudge Report, 5/11.

SMARTPHONES

"Smartphone now 'place where we live,' anthropologists say." Ditto

DEPT. OF SHAMELESS JOKE-STEALING *

* Courtesy of Reader's Digest, Feb. 2021

"My husband & I get along better since realizing how much our yelling upsets the dog."

THE LIVING BIBLE

I realize that the Living Bible is a paraphrase, but I still value it as a devotional resource. Dad & Mom gave one to us on 6/4/75. [We were married on 5/31/75.] Here's what they wrote on the inside cover. "Dear Lois & Paul, May the message of this book always lead you & guide you in a long, happy married life together in Christ Jesus. Mom & Dad.

I'm working my way through the Book of Job. A favorite passage is Job 19:25-27. "But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, & that He will stand upon the earth at last. And I know that after this body has decayed, this body shall see God! Then He will be on my side! Yes, I shall see Him, not as a stranger, but as a friend! What a glorious hope!"

CHARACTER

"In Christ, however, loneliness & abuse provided a backdrop for highlighting the difference between a character that justifies self-interest & one that delights to love:  'Today you will be with Me in paradise.' (Luke 23:43)" Larry Crabb, Men's Devotional Bible

TRUST IN CHRIST

"Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ. If you have fallen into sin, whether the sin of homosexuality, pornography, promiscuous living or the host of sins . . . know that God sent His Son to suffer & die for you. Repent of your sin & trust in the work of Christ who forgives you." Roy Akins, The Lutheran Witness, January 2021

MOTHER'S DAY

My parents raised my sister, brother, & I in "the nurture & admonition of the Lord." That means they led us in family devotions, took us to church, made sure we made it to Sunday School & Bible class, & provided for our Christian education at St. Paul's Lutheran Church & School in Concordia, MO. And so I am thankful for them. Today I am especially thankful for my mother. Among other things, she instilled in us a love for music. She did her best to teach me piano, & I'm sorry that I wasn't a more apt & cooperative pupil. She was one of my 8th grade teachers, along with my dad. Among other things, she taught English, & I attribute my understanding & correct usage of grammar to her. She directed our school choirs. (I remember that she told kids who couldn't sing that they should just mouth the words.) She was our church organist & choir director. I am glad that our own children knew her. I'm glad that our oldest granddaughter also knew her.

A PRAYER FOR MOTHER'S DAY

"Dear heavenly Father, You have said through Your prophet, 'As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you.' I thank You for Your infinite love which so exceeds human understanding that to make it more real to me You compared it with a mother's love for her child. On the strength of this assurance, I know that I shall have Your constant guidance, help, support, & protection.

"On this day, set aside to honor mothers, I thank You especially for the gift of Christian mothers. Bless them always. Give them grace to set a good example for their families. Make them constantly aware that their children are a sacred trust from heaven. Hold Your protecting hand over them, & give them strength for every job, courage for each trial, & trust in You that each day grows stronger.

"I thank You particularly for the gift of my mother & for her love, which has often comforted me. I ask You to help make me worthy of it. May I never do anything that would grieve her heart. May I always follow the path that she has charted--the path which leads to You. Guide our footsteps that we walk in the love of Jesus, who set an example by His love for His mother. This is our prayer in His name. Amen." SOURCE:  My Prayer Book

CRIMINAL MINDS

"Cops:  Movie theater manager sold cocaine hidden in popcorn bag." Drudge Report

ADHD

"STUDY:  Children who grew up around nature less likely to have ADHD." Drudge

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE MISSOURI

"The Missouri House of Representatives voted on Thursday to declare January 12 “Rush Limbaugh Day” in honor of the late talk radio host’s birthday. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the state senate must approve the measure before the end of the legislative session next Friday in order for it to advance." Brittany Bernstein, National Review Online

LIKE CALIFORNIA

"California first population decline in history!" Drudge

LIKE NEBRASKA

"Gov. Pete Ricketts ramped up his crusade for the meat industry on WED by endorsing a new 'beef passport' program to promote meat eating. Ricketts said meat is essential to Nebraska's economy & criticized 'radical environmentalists' & Bill Gates for promoting alternatives, such as synthetic, lab-grown meat, & for arguing that the current global meat production system isn't sustainable." Norfolk Daily News, 5/6  This is why our governor may be better than your governor.

DUE PROCESS

"With the media acting as relentless co-prosecutors & character executioners, the well of fair & impartial jurors who can weigh evidence without fear of retribution has been irreversibly poised. Like Minneapolis, Brooklyn Center, Portland, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Detroit, St. Louis, Ferguson & so many other cities before them, the 5th & 6th Amendment rights to an impartial jury, fair trial & due process have all gone up in choking flames. This is what the twilight of a once great & free country looks & smell like." Michelle Malkin, NDN, 5/5

THOMAS SOWELL

"If you have always believed that everyone should play by the same rules and be judged by the same standards, that would have gotten you labeled a radical 50 years ago, a liberal 25 years ago, and a racist today.” Thomas Sowell, who combines a Mark Twain-level gift for apothegms with the rigor of a data scientist, said that back in 1998, but like many of his sparkling one-liners, it’s more strikingly true now than ever." Kyle Smith, NRO

FYI

"Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors is a self-proclaimed "trained marxist." In 2010, she gushed over a young man comparing her activism and writing to communist murderer Mao Zedong. "He grabbed the book and he said, 'It's like Mao's red book.' And I was like, 'Man, that's what I was thinking.' And it was just really cool to hear him make that connection," Cullors said. "I think I have a really important role in speaking to youth." . . . Black Lives Matter, which is responsible for the most expensive riots in American history, has made billions in corporate donations." Katie Pavlich, Townhall

ABORTION & SLAVERY

"The slogans of the political left are now in bed with our children, and older Christians need to battle those snakes with compassion rather than contempt. Silence on abortion victimizes not only the unborn. We are consuming a poison similar to the poison of slavery . . . The equation of slavery and abortion is not far-fetched. It’s wrong to give a human being life-or-death authority over a slave or an unborn child: That’s treating a person as property. Sometimes we need to see photos of a slave’s back cross-hatched by whippings, or an unborn child torn apart . . . Now, those who decry abortion come under attack for “bringing morality into politics” or “politics into religion.” But silence on abortion victimizes not only the unborn. We are consuming a poison similar to the poison of slavery." Marvin Olasky, Townhall

PRAYER BREAKFAST

This morning Lois & I attending the 2021 Norfolk Mayor's Leadership Prayer Breakfast. There were several hundred people there. The event was cancelled last year because of COVID. We sat at a table with others from Orphan Grain Train. Mayor Josh Moenning, who happens to be a member of Grace Lutheran, our home congregation, had a wonderful message. There were several spiritual songs, & we joined with others in many prayers, including the Lord's Prayer. We said the Pledge of Allegiance. The speaker was Rod Handley, the founder & President of "Character That Counts," a ministry that was established in July 2000. He's published over 30 books, including "Character Counts--Who's Counting Yours?" His message was very inspiring. 

Although I seriously question whether we still live in a Christian nation, I am grateful that we live in a Christian community. Despite a 6:00a start, we were really glad we attended.

PRAYER

"As you read accounts of Jesus working with a great variety of people, courageously talk to Jesus as you would with any human being. Tell Him your needs & ask Him to bring about in you the same feelings of love & acceptance that you see taking place in the people of the New Testament." Jim Conway, Men's Devotional Bible

PRIDE

"Before we get to the place of asking forgiveness from someone, for many of us there's the all-too-familiar obstacle of pride to deal with (see Proverbs 16:18). This is the issue of having to be right, no matter what the cost. This is when to admit our error might make us look bad, might tarnish our sterling reputation. It's when our fear of yielding to another--even when we know they are right, & we are wrong--puts us at a disadvantage we're unwilling to accept. In all these things, it's where we get in our own way in respect to seeking forgiveness.

"While sinful pride twists everyone's thinking, all is not lost; it is still possible to seek forgiveness & reconciliation. Maybe the goal here is to keep it simple. 'Therefore, confess your sins to one another & pray for one another, that you may be healed' (James 5:16a). With a simple, genuine confession of one's sin, a bridge can be forged between two people. Walls of distrust can begin to come down.Psychological barricades & barbed wire that keep the offender at bay can start to get dismantled. And all this is possible with a few words:  'I'm sorry. Can we talk about it?'" The Lutheran Layman, Winter 2021

TODAY'S HYMN

Son of God, Eternal Savior, LW #394, Sts. 1 2, 3

Son of God, eternal Savior, Source of life & truth & grace, Word made flesh, whose birth among us Hallows all our human race, You, our head, who, throned in glory, For Your own will ever plead:  Fill us with Your love & pity, Heal our wrongs, & help our need.

As You, Lord, have lived for others, So may we for others live. Freely have Your gifts been granted; Freely may Your servants give. Yours the gold & Yours the silver, Yours the wealth of land & sea; We but stewards of Your bounty Held in solemn trust will be.

Son of God, eternal Savior, Source of life & truth & grace, Word made flesh, whose birth among us Hallows all our human face:  By Your praying, by Your willing That Your people should be one, Grant, oh grant our hope's fruition:  Here on earth Your will be done.

G.O.M.E.R. *

* Grumpy Old Men & Their Elucidating Rants

One of the CBS shows that Lois & I watch regularly is "FBI Most Wanted." We tend to like procedurals. We've noticed, however, that some of them this season, especially "FBI" & "Most Wanted," have become over-the-top woke. Last night's episode of "Most Wanted" focused on cops murdering people of color. Yes, I know that this happens, but there was no effort whatsoever to emphasis that the majority of police do NOT commit these acts. Some shootings are justified, as witnessed by the policeman who shot a young girl who was attempting to stab another girl. Not sure if I want to continue watching.

CRIMINAL MINDS

"GOP pop thief. The person who broke into the downtown Lincoln [NE] offices of the Nebraska Republican Party took two 2-liter bottles of pop out of the fridge but left a perfectly good chocolate cake untouched." Norfolk Daily News, 5/5

TOP STORIES FROM DRUDGE

Yes, I check-out the Drudge Report just about every day. Yes, it has a reputation for leaning conservative, but I encourage you to check out drudgereport.com for yourself, especially if any of their headlines make you want to read the entire stories, which I don't have room to reprint.

"Bizarre new trend of eating ROTTEN meat to get high." 5/6

"SURVEY:  Half of Americans think they're better than everyone they know." 5/7

"Bad vibrations:  Revolt against wind turbines from Vermont to Hawaii." 5/7

TOP STORIES FROM THE BABYLON BEE

Yes, I check out the Babylon Bee just about every day. Yes, I usually find it's content more believable than CNN. If any of the headlines intrigue you, check out babylonbee.com for the stories, which I don't have room to reprint.

"CIA breaks up ISIS plot to use incorrect pronouns."

"Internet inventor Al Gore fires Trump from internet." 

"White liberals watch in amazement as black man acquires ID." 

"Media immediately stops covering Ted Cruz story after he puts on Andrew Cuomo mask." 

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE CALIFORNIA

"Bay area houses selling $1M over asking price." Drudge, 5/6

"4.7 mag quake rattles Lake Tahoe." Drudge, 5/7

COVID

"Bald men twice as likely to suffer severe COVID." Drudge, 5/7

"What will having mRNA vaccines in us do to us in the future? We don’t know. They trigger our immune systems to be ready to destroy the coronavirus should it come in contact with it, which is great, but we don’t really know if that’s all it will do. Personally, I think it will be fine. But I see no problem in waiting a while. It hasn’t even been a year since it’s been injected into human beings. I don’t think it’s crazy or paranoid to take a little while to see how that works out. Again, I have faith in the science, I just have no sense of urgency to do it myself. I want more data. The data we do have is promising, with the efficacy rate of the vaccine being even higher than originally thought. It truly is a miracle. But I also see the data from infections themselves. The survival rate of COVID 19 is incredibly high for people under 75, and I am under 75." Derek Hunter, Townhall 5/6

HISTORY

"There is indeed a battle over the history of America. Much of the rioting in the streets of the last year has constituted a war on America as founded. Statues of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, and many others have been torn down by the mobs. Even Abraham Lincoln has not escaped the wrath of rioters . . . Initially, the 1619 Project promoted the false idea that America’s War for Independence was held for the purpose of protecting slavery. That is an astounding claim, in light of the Fairfax Resolves of 1774, whereby George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other Members of the Virginia House of Burgesses tried to abolish the slave trade into Virginia. King George III put the kibosh on their efforts. (This was before MP William Wilberforce’s successful crusade, motivated by his Christian faith, to abolish the slave trade and then slavery itself throughout the British Empire.) There is a battle over history, and it is a battle we must win if we are to continue as a free nation." Jerry Newcombe, Townhall 5/6

THE WIT & WISDOM OF CAL THOMAS

"Today's federal government has . . . grown ever larger & limited freedoms we once took for granted. This has caused serious consequences, including too many people believing that government is their primary source of all things. In return, government promises increasing benefits based on entitlements, which have the effect of addicting growing number of people to Washington. They, in turn, mostly vote for politicians (i.e., Democrats) who give them stuff." NDN, 5/1

HERE'S TO YOUR HEALTH

"STUDY:  Sleeping 6-7 hours best for heart." Drudge Report

"Butt implants up, botox & hair transplants down." Drudge

CRIMINAL MINDS

"Cops:  Woman, 77, hurled Whopper, social slurs at Burger King worker." Drudge

TRENDING

"Montana paying bonuses to people willing to work." Drudge

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

"CDC warns consumers that kale is still disgusting." Babylon Bee

POLITICAL POTPOURRI

"Joe Biden’s American Families Plan would plop the government’s thumb heavily on one side of the scale, using taxpayer money to massively subsidize child care for the working and middle classes. Stay-at-home parents, who watch their own kids so no one else has to, would no longer pocket the resulting savings for their families. This is far outside the proper role of government, contrary to the values of many American parents, and quite possibly harmful to kids." Robert Verbruggen, National Review Online

"Diversity training is a huge industry today, with many companies and speakers claiming that they can (for a hefty fee) root out all those nasty latent prejudices in people. After all, academics tell us that nearly all white people have racial biases. Companies and educational institutions now spend billions lest they be accused of not caring . . . There is no reliable evidence to show that any of this actually changes people for the better, but nobody dares to say that the emperor is wearing no clothes." George Leef, NRO

COVID

"Biden:  'With enough vaccinations, I'm prepared to authorize the use of sparklers on the 4th of July." Babylon Bee

"I have never been of the view that our responses to the pandemic were all unnecessary or illegitimate. Certainly, I never bought that it was a “hoax.” Yes, yes, COVID wasn’t the Second World War; but it also wasn’t just “the flu.” And so, to mitigate the risk to myself and others, I’ve played along with a good deal: I’ve been happy to wear a mask when asked to by businesses or the law; I have been happy to get vaccinated, having waited in line for my turn; and, unusually for me, I have happily supported at least some of the government’s spending, on the grounds that a state that is willing to deprive people of their liberty and livelihood should do at least something to mitigate the damage. All in all, I have agreed to eschew my usual absolutism in favor of the sort of balanced, scientific, and ultimately moderate approach that was adopted from the start here in Florida. Now, though, the time for such acquiescence has passed, and in its place we need something different: mockery, vehemence, resistance, dudgeon, exasperation, and, if it comes to it, a thorough raising of the middle finger. Enough!"  Charles Cooke, NRO

"CDC guidance on children’s summer camps has gone so far that even Anthony Fauci couldn’t keep a straight face when asked to defend it. On NBC’s Today Show, host Savannah Guthrie asked Fauci about the absurd CDC guidance on summer camps, which says that vaccinated adults and children have to wear mask outdoors unless eating, drinking, or swimming. This even though children are at low risk for severe COVID-19, and the risk of outdoor transmission is extremely low. 

"CDC guidance on children’s summer camps has gone so far that even Anthony Fauci couldn’t keep a straight face when asked to defend it. On NBC’s Today Show, host Savannah Guthrie asked Fauci about the absurd CDC guidance on summer camps, which says that vaccinated adults and children have to wear mask outdoors unless eating, drinking, or swimming. This even though children are at low risk for severe COVID-19, and the risk of outdoor transmission is extremely low.  Philip Klein, NRO

RECITAL

We had the pleasure of attending Joanna Leckband's violin recital on SUN. She's the oldest daughter of Jerome & Kristi. Jerome is my 1st cousin. Kristi taught 1st grade with Lois at Christ Lutheran a few(?) years back. Her little sister Maria played violin on one number. Her little brother Josiah planned cello on one number. They joined Joanna, Jerome (violin), & Kristi (cello?) for "Swamp Thang." Jerome is pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Foster, which is about 30 miles north & west of Norfolk. What a musically-talented family!

CHOCOLATE

"Dark chocolate (at least 75% cocoa; 85 % is best) can be heart-healthy . . . It is rich in healthful flavonoids, particularly flavodols that can help lower the risk of heart disease . . . What's more, the AHA states that chocolate or cocoa may lower the risk of insulin resistance & high blood pressure in adults." Reader's Digest, Feb. 2021Confession:  I as too lazy to look up who the AHA is.

2021 RESOLUTIONS UPDATE

 > At least 8 road trips. 7 down, 2 more planned this month, 6 more after that.

> Give up French fries. I slipped once last month.

> Get DNA report from Ancestry.com.  Not yet.

> Do my PT exercises at least 3X per week. Not yet.

> Avoid useless FB arguments. I think I'm doing pretty well.

> Add to our National Park & bucket lists. Visited 4 parks already this year. More planned in Oct.

> Lose at least 10 lbs. Terrible. I've gained 16 lbs this year.

Because of my PT exercises & weight-loss failures, I'd have to give myself a D+ at this point.

OPTIMISM

"Happy Days:  64% of Americans optimistic." Drudge Report, 5/3. I'm in the 64% of Americans who are optimistic about the COVID pandemic; in the 36% that are pessimistic, most likely because of our government.

COVID

"Covid vaccinations slowing as supply outstrips demand." Drudge, 5/3

PITY UPDATE

After my shingles vaccination last FRI, I experienced a lot of shoulder pain. It's pretty much gone now, & as my sister reminded me, a sore shoulder is better than shingles.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

We watched a new episode of Call the Midwife on Netflix SUN night. Love that show!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

"Food for future? EU nations put mealworms on menu." Drudge, 5/4. Tastes like chicken?

SHIRTS

"If we have really died to self & aren't just kidding ourselves, & if the compassion of Christ is discernible in our lives, then the number of shirts we give & keep is no longer so important, & the barriers created by our wealth largely disappear." Thomas Hale, Men's Devotional Bible

REDEMPTION

"And in raising Christ, God declared before heaven & earth & hell that Christ has in reality & truly redeemed us from all sins, from death, & from the power of the devil, with His holy, precious blood & with His innocent suffering & death." C.M. Zorn, Crumbs

THE SIMPLEST TEST

"The world is filled with spiritual teachers who peddle their latest insights. Some of them are interesting. They tickle our ears, telling us the things we want to hear. Scripture, however, exhorts us to 'test the spirits to see whether they are from God for many false prophets have gone out into the world.' We must test them. The simplest test is this:  'Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, & every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist.' (1 John 4:1-3)" Adam Francisco, The Lutheran Witness, March 2021

TODAY'S HYMN *

"Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain," LSB #487, Sts. 2 & 5

'Tis the spring of souls today; Christ has burst His prison And from three days' sleep in death As a sun has risen; All the winter of our sins, Long & dark, is flying From His light, to whom is giv'n Laud & praise undying.

Alleluia! Now we cry To our King immortal, Who, triumphant, burst the bars Of the tomb's dark portal. Come, you faithful, raise the strain Of triumphant gladness! God has brought His Israel Into joy from sadness!

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

While we were waiting for the next season of Heartland, Lois & I started watching Blacklist, starring Jame Spader. It's a little(?) dark, a little(?) graphic. Sorry, no spoilers.

LOOKING FOR CHEAP SYMPATHY

When I got my Pfizer COVID vaccinations, I experienced little or no side effects--maybe a mildly sore shoulder, but no worse than a flu vaccination--& I got a little cocky about it. Well, yesterday I got my 2nd shingles vaccination, & my shoulder is really, really sore. Plus I'm feeling really blah. It was my sisters-in-law that put me up to this, but I'm not blaming them. Well, maybe a little. Thought you'd like to know.

GIRL SCOUT COOKIES

"Missing out on Thin Mints in the pandemic? A Google affiliate is using drones to deliver Girl Scout cookies to people's doorsteps in a Virginia community." Norfolk Daily News, 4/29

IDENTITY

"Flintstones vitamins now available with puberty blockers." Babylon Bee

"When identity becomes pure aesthetics, society complete atomizes. No free society can be rooted in utter subjectivity--someone must enforce silence from the top, bar dissenters & punish those who insist on objective data. And that's precisely what we are seeing from an authoritarian left:  an authoritarian left that arrived with the promise of fulfillment & authenticity & has instead delivered emptiness & aesthetic pretension, enforced by institutional fiat." Ben Shapiro, NDN 4/28

POLITICAL POTPOURRI

"Why do presidents so shamelessly deplore the state of the country before they walk through the doors of the Oval Office and then hail it once they’ve spent only a little while inside it? Because their political followers believe them." Isaac Schorr, National Review Online

"Civil War soldiers glad they didn't live long enough to experience horrors of the Jan. 6th Capitol riot." Babylon Bee

CDC

"CDC now recommends wearing a seat belt even when you're outside the car." Babylon Bee

OUR MEDIA

"Biden picks dandelion for First Lady." Drudge Report, 4/30 It's refreshing to see the drive-by media paying attention to the most serious actions of our president.

CRIMINAL MINDS

"Man armed with bow & arrow chases Fed Ex driver down street." Drudge 4/30

TRENDING

"STUDY:  20% of electric car owners return to gas." Drudge 5/1

COVID

"President Biden is continuing his atrocious messaging on vaccines. In a Today Show interview, the fully vaccinated Biden claimed that he would continue to wear a mask near people — even outside in case somebody came up near him — because it’s his “patriotic responsibility.” Philip Klein, NRO

ABORTION

"While he considers himself personally pro-life, the second U.S. president to identify as Catholic publicly supports abortion – something that the Church considers a grave evil. That’s why pro-life and Catholic figures recently challenged the Washington Post after it called President Biden “very Catholic.” On April 28, the Post published a story by religion reporter Michelle Boorstein with the headline, “Biden’s abortion rights stance triggers coming debate among Catholic bishops on Communion.” The Post’s tweet sharing Boorstein’s story ended up capturing more attention than the story itself for describing Biden as “a very Catholic president who supports abortion rights.” That’s because the Catholic Church’s teaching on abortion is clear, as explained in its catechism . . . 

"The Church is steadfast in its position on abortion. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which summarizes official Church teaching, recognizes the inherent dignity and worth of the unborn. “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception,” the catechism reads. “From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person – among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.” Katie Yoder, Townhall No offense, but I don't understand why Catholics voted for Biden.