WHAT GOD'S WORD ACCOMPLISHES

Isaiah 55:10-12  "As the rain & snow come down from heaven & stay upon the ground to water the earth, & cause the grain to grow & produce seed for the farmer & bread for the hungry, so also is My Word. I send it out & it always produces fruit. It shall accomplish all I want it to, & prosper everywhere I send it. You will live in joy & peace.The mountains & hills, the trees of the filed--all the world around you--will rejoice." The Living Bible

TO BE A MAN

"To be a man--is to possess the strength to love another, not the need to dominate over others. To be a man--is to experience the courage to accept another, not the compulsion to be an aggressor. To be a man--is to keep faith with human values in relationships, not to value oneself by position or possessions. To be a man--is to be free to give love & to be free to accept love in return." David Augsburger, Men's Devotional Bible

LIFE THOUGHTS FOR THE CHURCH YEAR

Arguments for abortion or assisted suicide often appeal to emotion. Pity, pride, anxiety, anger, & embarrassment abound, but the logic is lacking. Discriminating against some human lives based on ages, appearance, or abilities just doesn't make sense. Engaging our brain instead of going with our gut (1 Cor. 14:15) finds that all qualify equally as the work of the Lord's hands (Ps. 138:8). God set our lips loose to say so (Is. 6:78)!" Grace Lutheran Church Bulletin, 2/6

WHEN CHRIST LOOKS AT YOU

"We all have scars & blemishes. Some we may wish to hide & pretend do not exist. These imperfections, dear one, tell the unique story of your life under the gracious discipline of our Lord & Savior,Jesus Christ. They show others what being a daughter, sister, wife & mother means to you. When Christ looks at you, it is only by way of scars that He sees the beauty of a redeemed child; by way of His own scars & wounds, you are healed & made perfect (1 Peter 2:24). He reaches out His scarred hand to pull you from the coffin of unworthiness to His perfect life.

"In Him, you are enough. You are worthy. You, my friend & sister, are a dearly loved Proverbs 31 woman for whom Christ rejoices. Christ died & rose again so that you, baptized child of God, would receive His everlasting, unfading beauty. A beauty promising to bloom fully over time & in eternity." Meridith Fisk, The Lutheran Witness, Nov. 2021

TODAY'S HYMN

Thy Strong Word, LSB 578, Sts. 1, 2, 4 *

Thy strong word did cleave the darkness; At Thy speaking it was done. For created light we thank Thee, While Thine ordered seasons run. Alleluia, alleluia! Praise to Thee who light dost send! Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia without end!

Lo on those who dwelt in darkness, Dark as night & deep as death, Broke the light of Thy salvation, Breathed Thine own life-breathing breath. Alleluia, alleluia! Praise to Thee who light dost send! Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia without end!

From the cross Thy wisdom shining Breaketh forth in conqu'ring might; From the cross forever beameth All Thy bright redeeming light. Alleluia, alleluia! Praise to Thee who light dost send! Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia without end!

* This hymn has a special meaning for me. It was first introduced to me while I was serving at Luther High School North in Chicago--my first call into the teaching ministry. It was used as a processional when our seniors marched in for our graduation service.

 FEB 6

SEEK THE LORD

Isaiah 55:6-9  "Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call upon Him now while He is near. Let men cast off their wicked deeds; let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the Lord that He may have mercy upon them, & to our God, for He will abundantly pardon! This plan of mine is not what you would work out, neither are My thoughts the same as yours! For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than yours, & My thoughts than yours." The Living Bible

MEETING HUMAN NEEDS

"Giving some portion of your income away is a discipline & a privilege taught by Scripture. I believe every Christian, no matter what his level of lifestyle, should use part of his money to meet the financial & material needs of others . . . God is deeply concerned to see us meet the poor's needs. His concern does not arise because the poor are inherently better but because they are needy. And from the beginning of creation, He has desired to meet human needs. He wants to meet some of them through you & me." Doug Sherman & William Hendricks, Men's Devotional Bible

RESPONDING TO FEAR

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine." (Is. 43:1) "Even when the whole world is filled with fear, you shall not fear. Why? Because the Lord has redeemed you! You belong to the Lord, not to fear. His perfect love for you drives out fear & gives you hope & assurance amid fearful things around you . . . You need not fear the events of this world--things that assail you--because you belong to Christ, & nothing can separate you from Him . .  So despite all the sin, calamity, & terror of life, fear not! You have been redeemed! Regardless of good times, bad times, sickness or health, you have been called by name & belong to Christ Jesus, your hope & assurance." Matthew Richard, Minute Messages

WASHED & MARKED

"On the day that you were brought to the waters of Holy Baptism, washed in the blood of the Lamb of God, & marked on your head & heart with the name of the Triune God, you became the ultimate Donna Reed, Martha Steward, Rachael Ray, Joanna Gaines & much more. At that extraordinary personal event, you became a member of the Bride of Christ, clothed in the fine linen of His purity & wrapped in the scarlet of His wounds." Meredith Fisk, The Lutheran Witness, Nov 2021

THIS MORNING'S ADVENTURE

I almost burned the house this morning. Almost, not quiet. I was enjoying yesterday's Norfolk Daily News, this morning Omaha World Herald & Fox News Online, setting the newspaper on the coffee table, next to a scented candle. Apparently I moved the newspaper too close to the candle, but suddenly the paper erupted in flames. I was barely able to get it into the bathtub. And I scorched the bathtub. Lois is not particularly happy with me.

ROAD TRIP PREVIEW

We've already gone on one road trip this year. Last month we spent a week with Nathan, Laura, & the grandkids in Eagan, MN. Very, very early this MON morning our flight leaves for Tampa. We're actually driving to Omaha tomorrow & spending the night at a Sleep Inn next to the airport. At least we'll get 4 or so hours of sleep instead of 2 or so, if we left from Norfolk.

We're visiting Lois' older sister Kathy in St. Petersburg, returning on MAR 1. We spent last FEB with her, too. She sold her house & moved into a 7th-floor condo, also in St. Pete's. Lois' sister Anita from Ft. Walton Beach will join us for a trip to Key West. From there we're taking a boat to Dry Tortugas National Park. 

For those of you who enjoy reading my travelogs, I plan to start posting them on Facebook, beginning MON night.

G.O.M.E.R. *

* Grumpy Old Men & Their Elucidating Rant

What do I think about the Olympics? Glad you asked. Given China's aggressive foreign policy, threats to Taiwan, reneging on its promises re:  Hong Kong, ruthless crackdown on dissent, persecution of Christians, & relentless genocide against minorities, I think we should have boycotted these Olympics. We won't be watching any of the events, although, to be fair, we don't get network t.v. anyway. I will be boycotting any YouTube highlights. So there.

TRENDING

"STUDY:  Humans feel more comfortable interacting with 'female' robots." Drudge Report

PANDEMIC NEWS

"World likely sicker than has been in 100 years." Drudge Report

"Once a hallowed political position, the case for masking in schools has now crumbled. Even so, as of last week, 15 states and the District of Columbia mandate face masks for students. Because of the prevalence of these mandates in population centers, over half of American students wear a mask every day. The CDC still encourages universal masking of all students over the age of two ... 

"There simply is little to no evidence that masking in school mitigates the spread of Covid. A study last year in Georgia found that masking children was not statistically significant. The few studies that do exist touting the efficacy of masks on children do not “isolate the impact of masks specifically.” In other words, other confounding variables — vaccination rates, social distancing, community spread, air ventilation, etc. — could just as easily explain the positive correlation.

"Lacking evidence for masks is a sufficient reason to justify their removal — compulsion should not continue without reason — but this paucity is only half of the question. Without the positive case for masks, there is still the issue of what negative consequences they bring. Quite simply, face masks perpetrate real educational and emotional harm on students. Faces are crucial to academic and social development. Wearing a mask is not just another piece of clothing. For children in particular, it’s not a minor inconvenience. There is a trade-off." Daniel Buck, National Review Online

"The use of lockdowns is a unique feature of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns have not been used to such a large extent during any of the pandemics of the past century. However, lockdowns during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic have had devastating effects. They have contributed to reducing economic activity, raising unemployment, reducing schooling, causing political unrest, contributing to domestic violence, and undermining liberal democracy. These costs to society must be compared to the benefits of lockdowns, which our meta-analysis has shown are marginal at best. Such a standard benefit-cost calculation leads to a strong conclusion: lockdowns should be rejected out of hand as a pandemic policy instrument." Mario Loyola, NRO

HERE'S TO YOUR HEALTH

"STUDY:  Heart attacks 'turbocharge' mental decline, dementia." Drudge Report

BALANCING WORK, LIFE, & HIGH JINKS *

* Compliments of Reader's Digest, Oct. 2021

"A guard at a Wisconsin Bath & Body Works was so bored one morning around 2 that he began fiddling with his handcuffs, eventually slipping them on his wrists. He soon discovered he'd left the keys to the cuffs at home. Suddenly, his dull night became very interesting. After calling the police who freed him, he hid the cuffs from himself so he wouldn't be tempted to pull the same trick again."

OLYMPICS, CONTINUED

Communist Olympic Events This Year *

* Compliments of Babylon Bee

> Uyghur Luge:  Competitors slide down the side of a mountain on live Uyghur prisoners.

> Competitive Virus Making:  A competitor from Wuhan is the current favorite.

> Women's Vanishing Tennis:  A variant on mixd couples. But you get shot.

> Men's Snowboard:  It's like waterboarding, but with snow.

> Bobsled Across Border to Freedom:  It's like the standard bobsled event. But you get shot.

> Kneeling Before President Xi (On Ice!):  Half figure skating, half oppression, all fun!

"Unfortunately, some of the most powerful people in the world are saying that the Games are about international peace and understanding, and that discussing human rights would unnecessarily politicize them. IOC president Thomas Bach repeated that refrain, with which he’s deflected criticism of his organization, during a press conference yesterday: “If we are taking a political standpoint, and we are getting in the middle of tensions and disputes and confrontations between political powers, then we are putting the Olympics at risk.”

"The IOC has hugged the Chinese Communist Party leadership, defended the decision to host the Games in Beijing, and failed to speak out about the ongoing atrocities. It partnered with a Chinese company under U.S. sanctions for complicity in the genocide and worked to deflect criticism of the party for its detention of tennis star Peng Shuai." Jimmy Quinn, National Review Online

THE LORD'S KINDNESS & PROMISE

Isaiah 54:10 "For the mountains may depart & the hills disappear, but My kindness shall not leave you. My promise of peace for you will never be broken," says the Lord who has mercy upon you. The Living Bible

OUR FATHER, OUR FRIEND

"He is our Father, our Friend, & can be our Companion on the path of life. Such an association becomes the most cherished relationship in the world." W. Phillip Keller, Men's Devotional Bible

DEALING WITH UNCERTAINTIES

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." (Is. 40:8)" You can trust the Word because the Word is none other than Jesus, & Jesus never withered or changed. He never changed in His course of the cross & did not wither in the grave. And so, when Isaiah says that the Word will stand forever, you know that the Word stands as a resurrected man. Jesus stands for you. He stands alive & proclaims to you that your sins are permanently forgiven. Yes, you are forgiven, truly forgiven! Matthew Richard, Minute Messages

A COMFORTING MESSAGE

"For what more comforting & delightful message can be heard than that our sins are not ours anymore, that they no more lie on us, but on the Lamb of God? How can sin condemn such an innocent Lamb? Sin must be vanquished & blotted out by Him, & likewise death & hell (the reward of sin) must also be vanquished. See what God our Father has given us in Christ!" A Year in the Gospels with martin Luther

DEATH

"Many of us know the stunned feeling that accompanies learning of the unexpected death of someone close. It is disorienting. It takes some time to regain our emotional & spiritual bearings. When we 'lose' someone close, the grief can be overwhelming. Even our Lord wept for the family of Lazarus as He shared their grief (John 11). Surely the bereaved must be comforted with the Gospel. But wisdom & experience teach us that even these most powerful of words can be drowned out in the chaotic cacophony of death's wails & cries.

"In those initial moments, our silent, compassionate presence offers comfort & encouragement. A wordless embrace & empathetic tears proclaim our love & shared suffering. We can most certainly remind them at that moment of the comforting promise of eternal life & the hope of the resurrection in which we trust. Bt for most people drowning in the shock of grief, these words seldom deliver the bereaved from the valley of the shadow." Rev. Robert Stroud, The Lutheran Witness, Nov. 2021

HILL TEMP CHALLENGE

I don't usually do Hill family temp checks, but I made an exception today. Here are the results, based on wunderground.com at 7:15a, CST.

#1, Norfolk, NE, (Lois), -3

#2, Wichita Falls, TX, (David), 17

#3, Kingsburg, CA, (Wanda), 35

#4, Fayetteville, NC, (John), 53

#5, TIE, St. Petersburg, FL, (Kathy) & Ft. Walton Beach, FL, (Anita), 64

NOTES:  I thought that David & Carmen had a good shot at #1 this morning, but #2 isn't too shabby. Kathy & Anita are the Balmiest Hills.

MENTAL HEALTH THU

"Men who tend to worry have increased risk factors for heart disease, stroke:  study." Fox News Online

"STUDY:  Body fat linked to cognitive decline." Drudge Report

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE . . . CALIFORNIA

"LA mayor took maskless photo with Magic Johnson. His defense: 'I'm holding my breath.'" Drudge Report

POLITICAL POTPOURRI

"Biden quietly withdraws Whoopi Goldberg SCOTUS nomination." Babylon Bee

SIGNS YOU'RE WATCHING TOO MUCH CNN *

* Compliments of Babylon Bee

> You think the pandemic is still going on.

> You still think one of these investigations is going to "get" Trump.

> You haven't left your house in 2 years.

> You haven't heard of any of Biden's foreign or domestic failures.

> You walk by a fiery riot & think to yourself, "Ah, what a peaceful protest. Mostly anyway."

> You drop to the floor & convulse any time you see a MAGA hat.

> You watch any CNN at all.

SIGNS YOU'RE WATCHING TOO MUCH FOX NEWS *

* Compliments of Babylon Bee

* You give your wife the "Tucker Carlson" look while she's talking.

* Sean Hannity is starting to look attractive.

* The other people in the old folks' home say, "Hey, Gilbert! Turn off the Fox News already!"

* You instinctively add the phrase "may he live forever" every time you say "Donald Trump."

* Your crazy uncle's rants at Thanksgiving are starting to make a lot of sense.

* You call everything you don't like "woke" or "cancel culture."

TRUE SIGNS THAT YOU'RE GETTING OLD *

* Compliments of msn.com, 1/14

> You realize you should exercise.

> You hate crowds--all crowds.

> You've been known to say, "When I was your age . . . "

> You embrace your looks.

> You talk to yourself.

> You're lost w/o your readers.

> You still own a VCR or DVD player.

> You forget at least one thing every day.

> You send greeting cards.

> You enjoy quiet time with family.

> You can't get over how quickly time passes.

THANKFUL FOR THIS LIFE

"Maybe you've heard people say, 'In my next life I want to be . . . ' Then they fill in the blank with something they think might be an improvement. I can't imagine having another life. My current life tends to be about as much as I can handle . . . [My grandmother's skillet], & her middle name, are the only possessions she left me. I treasure the skillet for the meals it has served my loved ones & for the memories it holds for me; & I treasure our name for reminding me that I will always be her daughter. Why should I want to be a cast iron skillet [in my next life]? Five reasons:

1. It's incredibly strong & it never ever breaks.

2. It's not fancy, but if you need it, it's nice to have around.

3. For some things, like bacon on a high flame or injustice to the innocent, it burns hotter than the hinges on the gates of hell. But when the bacon is done, or the injustice is righted, it always cools down.

4. It's a little on the heavy side, but nobody seems to mind.

5. It feeds a family, holds a wealth of memories & keeps on doing what it does best.

"Think about it: You could run for office with less character than a cast iron skillet & probably get elected. I'm thankful for this life. I don't plan on a 'next' one. But I'm hoping that skillet can teach me things it taught my mother & my grandmother & a lot of good cooks before them. I'd like to be as strong & good & purposeful as they were. At the least, I'd like to bake a decent cornbread. I'm not there yet, but I'm still learning. And learning is life."  Sharon Randall, column in Norfolk Daily News, 2/1

RESOLUTIONS 2022

* Lose at least 12 lbs. A After my record-breaking results in 2020, following by my 2021 debacle, I decided that 1 lb/month was doable. I lost 3 lbs in JAN. If I can keep this up, I'll lose 36 lbs in 2022!

* Cross 2 things off our bucket list. If all goes as planned, we'll visit Key West later this month, along with a visit to Dry Tortugas NP.

* Have fruits & vegetables at least 4x/week. A Ketchup counts as a fruit, right? LOL. Actually, this has gone pretty well so far. [I haven't had to depend on ketchup.]

* Walk at least 4x/week. F

* Publish my 365-day devotion book. I suffered a little bit of a setback when I received an email from my Westbow consultant, telling me that they couldn't open my devotion book & supporting materials on the zip drive I sent. So, I need to figure this out.

* Write & publish another 365-day devotion book. I've been working on a devotion book entitled "Buzz Words," & I'm into April.

REALISTIC GOALS *

* Compliments of Jason Howland, Norfolk Daily News, 1/11

"Johnson said there are a few things you can do to increase your odds of making good on that resolution. [Getting in better shape]

> Start with a really realistic goal.

> Don't force yourself to do exercises you hate.

> Be realistic about your time commitment.

> Start from a place where you can build success.

> Above all else, be honest with yourself about what you can stick to.

LECKBAND TEMP CHALLENGE

Results based on data from wunderground.com at 6:44a.

#1, Norfolk, NE, 4/-9 windchill

#2, Eagan, MN, 1/1

#3, Ventura, IA, 2/2

#4, Beatrice, NE, 15/9

#5, BALMIEST LECKBANDS, Lincoln, NE 14/14

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

We finished binge-watching Season 14 of "Heartland." What surprised us the most? SPOILEER ALERT! Ty & Amy moved from the horse ranch to Seattle, where they opened a coffee bar. Last night we decided to try out "Ghosts," a comedy on Paramount+ (CBS). We decided that it was amusing enough to add it to our list of CBS shows.

COVID

You can't be too careful, right? We got our 2 COVID tests in the mail, compliments of JB. We also got our free N-95 masks from Hy-Vee, also, I think, from JB. We'll take these with us to FL.

FOOTBALL

How could the Chiefs blow a 21-10 lead & lose to the Bengals? Really?! And San Francisco lost to the Rams? Ukraine, China, inflation, the border . . . Who cares? Our CA family cheers for the 49ers, so at least we were spared a Super Bowl grudge match between KC & SF. Anyway, we'll cheer for the Bengals, since they are coached by former Nebraska QB, Zac Taylor.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

"Despite pandemic, Chinese still in love with U.S. lobster." NDN, 1/28  This is why I am optimistic that China won't invade Taiwan.

"It's been shown if you take one bite of say a processed meat or ultraprocessed food, replace that with some unprocessed food or a healthier choice--you know vegetables & black beans--after a year or two, that will actually lower your risk of heart attack & stroke." But is it worth it?

YOUR BRAIN

"Three habits that are not good for brain."

#1, Cutting all carbs. Now that's more like it.

#2, Multitasking as you eat.

#3, Drinking too much alcohol. NDN, 1/13

THE WIT & WISDOM OF BEN SHAPIRO

"When identity is psychologized, & the pursuit of happiness becomes a subjective, psychological matter, anything that challenges that paradigm is deemed damaging & oppressive. We see this phenomenon most obviously in the bizarre insistency by transgender advocates or vice versa, but that society mirror that incorrect self-perception. But expressive individualism also manifests in other contexts, such as belief in racial essentialism, denial of parental rights, & objection to science itself." Column in NDN, 1/30

DEPT. OF SHAMELESS JOKE-STEALING

"The weather was so bad in the Washington, D.C., area today federal offices closed for an official snow day. The area received around 10" of snow. L.A. residents were like, 'If you think that's bad, last week it wasn't even sunny here!'" latelaughs, NDN, 1/28