GRANDKIDS

Grandkids are the best, aren't they? We had a family reunion at Lake Okoboji last weekend, so we got to spend time with our 5 grandkids. They constantly delight us, & they love spending time with each other & their aunts & uncles, & (hopefully) us. Our oldest son Nathan, Laura, & their 2 kids, Calvin (6) & Claire (2) came back to spend some time with us in Norfolk this week (left yesterday). Tomorrow our daughter Sarah & her two kids, Brianna (18) & Hadley (12) will join us for Boomfest, & so will our daughter Rachel & Bentley (9). Speaking of Boomfest . . . 

BOOMFEST

As I've posted many times before, Boomfest--formerly referred to as Big Bang Boom--is the best fireworks display north of the Platte River. It's held at Skyview Lake, which is just a 1/2 mile walk for us, & it is awesome! There are other weekend festivities, including Wingfest at the lake tonight. Lois says we can go, "if we feel like it." So, we'll see.

NEWS FLASH! The little woman just returned from grocery shopping & brought a mongolian beef entree to fix for supper. So, no wingfest.

RESOLUTIONS REPORT CARD

Once again, it's time for me to provide a scorecard for my progress in meeting my 2022 New Year's resolutions. This may not be of interest to many (most?) of my followers, but it amuses me, so here goes.

* Lose at least 12 lbs. The good news? I didn't gain any weight in June, despite a road trip to California & family reunion at Lake Okoboji. The bad news? I also didn't lose any weight, so I'm not too optimistic.  D

* Cross 2 things off our bucket list. National parks are always on our bucket list, & we visited Dry Tortugas NP off Key West in FEB. We're planning a Hawaii cruise in NOV. B+

* Have fruits & vegetables at least 4X/week. A+

* Walk at least 4/week. I was struggling to meet this goal even before my hip started going out on me. [More below.] F

* Publish my 365-day devotion book. All my steps except one have been accomplished. It should be available on Amazon & other sites within the next month. I'll also be getting some hard copies in 2-4 weeks. B

* Write & publish another 365-devotion book. I've been working on another book & making sure but steady progress. B

FINAL GRADE:  B-

SPEAKING OF MY HIP

My right hip replacement is schedule for 7/14. Next week I have a hip replacement class [I hope this doesn't mean a DIY procedure.], visit w/the physical therapy people, home visit by an occupational therapist, & a pre-op check by my doctor. I've already passed my cardiologist & pulmonologist checks.

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE TEXAS

"TX fisherman reels in massive alligator snapping turtle." If you want to see it, you'll have to go to Fox News Online.

TRENDING

"Supreme Court rulings must spark 'atheist' backlash, says WaPo columnist:  'America is not a Christian nation.'" FNO. I'm certainly glad that the drive-by media is reacting with restraint.

"Kentucky Catholic church holds 'Service of Apology to the LGBTQ+ Community.'" FNO. Could this be another sign that we're living in the End Times? Inquiring minds want to know.

"TX Border Patrol agents nab convicted sex offenders entering US illegally." FNO. More evidence that everything is going well on the southern border.

"Border Patrol in Rio Grande Valley nab 2 sex offenders, 9 MS-13 gang members." FNO. What I said.

"DOJ paying $1.5M for 'transgender programming curriculum' in US prisons." FNO. Of course they are.

"CNN'S Amanpour fears Taliban, 'repressive regimes' won't respect US after Supreme Court abortion ruling." FNO. Oh, for Pete's sake!

"UK climate activists glue hands to Vincent van Gogh painting at London Museum. FNO. Because van Gogh was a well-known climate-change denier.

CRIMINAL MINDS

"Washington man admits to jumping on beverage cart & trying to strip mid-flight, forcing lane to divert." FNO.

MUST-SEE LANDMARKS THAT TELL OUR NATIONAL STORY *

* Compliments of Fox News Online

Here are the landmarks that I've visited. How does it compare with your list?

> ARIZONA:  The Grand Canyon

> COLORADA:  Rocky Mt NP

> FLORIDA:  The FL Keys

> HAWAII:  Pearl Harbor

> IOWA:  National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium

> KANSAS:  Dodge City

> MICHIGAN:  Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation

> MINNESOTA:  Itasca State Park [source of the Mississippi River]

> MISSOURI:  Gateway Arch

> NEBRASKA:  Scotts Bluff National Monument

> NEVADA:  Virginia City

> NORTH DAKOTA:  Theodore Roosevelt NP

> OHIO:  Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

> PENNSYLVANIA:  Gettysburg National Military Park

> SOUTH DAKOTA:  Mt. Rushmore National Memorial

> UTAH:  Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

> WYOMING:  Yellowstone NP

If you're keeping score, that's 17 out of 50.

BEST SANDWICHES IN EVERY STATE *

* Compliments of Reader's Digest, July/Aug 2022

For the time being, I'm going with the states where our children, brothers, sisters, nephews, & nieces live. I'm anxious to see if they agree.

> ARIZONA:  Fry bread tacos. I've had the Nebraska & S. Dakota versions. Delicious!

> CALIFORNIA:  French dip. Delicious!

> COLORADO:  Fool's gold [peanut butter, blueberry jam, & a pound of bacon]

> FLORIDA:  The Cuban [roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, & sometimes salami]. Delicious!

> IOWA:  Maid Rite [a pile of steamed hamburger meat on a bun]. I've had the Nebraska version. Okay.

> MINNESOTA:  Walleye. Delicious!

> NEBRASKA:  Runza [a pocket sandwich with a ground-beef & cabbage combination]. Delicious!

> NORTH CAROLINA:  [Pulled pork with vinegar & pepper]

> TEXAS:  Beef brisket. Delicious!

> WASHINGTON:  Smoked salmon

GOD'S POWER, WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING

Jeremiah 51:15  “God made the earth by His power & wisdom. He stretched out the heavens by His understanding.” The Living Bible

MEDIOCRITY

"To call myself a Christian & then not strive to be the best I can be & do the most I can with what has been given me would be the height of hypocrisy. Being a Christian is no excuse for mediocrity or passive acceptance of defeat. If anything, Christianity demands a higher standard, more devotion to the task." Orel Hershiser, Men's Devotional Bible

FORGIVEN, NOT PERFECT

"The Pharisees & the scribes grumbled, saying, 'This man receives sinners & eats with them.'" (Luke 15:2) "The Church is not a country club for the spiritually elite. It is a field hospital for the battle weary. The Gospel is for sinners only. The Church is for sinners only. That is why we confess our sins as Christians. In the Church, we do not find perfect people, but we do find forgiven people. And Jesus? He comes for sinners. He especially comes for sinners on SUN mornings. So come to the place where Jesus can be found--His Church. Come to the Lord's Church, where the Word & Sacraments are proclaimed into your ears, poured upon your head, & laid upon your tongue." Matthew Richard, Minute Messages

THE PROBLEM OF DEATH

"The 'problem of death' becomes a great opportunity to confess Jesus & to show one's loved ones how to die in Christ & live in the certainty of a resurrection just like His." Rev. Matt Harrison, The Lutheran Witness, Sept. 2021

A PRAYER FOR OVERCOMING MY FEARS *

* I found this prayer to be especially pertinent, given the current turmoil in our country & abroad.

"Lord God, heavenly Father, 'whom have I in heaven but Thee? And there is nothing upon earth that I desire beside Thee. My flesh & my heart may fail, but God is the Strength of my heart & my Portion for ever.'

"I am deeply grateful that You are my God, who has promised never to leave me or forsake me. I trust Your Word that nothing shall be able to separate me from Your love which is in Christ Jesus, my Lord.

"I am ashamed to confess that sometimes my heart is filled with fear a I look at the trouble & turmoil in the world today. Sometimes I am afraid to face a difficult problem in my personal life. Forgive my little faith. Increase my faith in Your loving-kindness & in Your almighty power that I may overcome my fears & meet every trying experience with confidence. Make Your strength perfect in my weakness.

"By Your Holy Spirit enable me confidently to say, 'I fear no evil, for Thou art with me.' In Jesus' name. Amen. My Prayer Book

G.O.M.E.R. * RETURNS

* Grumpy Old Men & Their Elucidating Rants

After the Supreme Courts overturning of Roe v. Wade was announced, the Omaha World Herald reported that there were at least 1,000 "protestors" that turned out in Omaha & "some anti-abortion protestors." Here are my questions. Why were the 1,000 "protestors" not correctly identified as "pro-abortion protestors," while "anti-abortion protestors" were not referred to as "pro-life" protestors? And how come we know that there were at least 1,000 pro-abortion protestors & "some" anti-abortion protestors?

And, will I'm at it, we are very grateful that we made our 3,800 mi. trip out West last OCT instead of this year, when gas prices probably would have eliminated the possibility of such a trip.

FLOODS

If you're not aware of the catastrophic flooding in Yellowstone & Capitol Reef NPs recently, you should Google to see videos of the devastation. Some of the areas that Lois & I visited in YNP a few years ago are completely inaccessible now, with roads & bridges washed away & structures adjacent to rivers washed into the floodwaters. And the Grand Wash Trail in CRNP, which Lois & I hiked last OCT, also experienced a flash flood that swept away vehicles & required some hikers to be rescued. I remember that as Lois & I hiked that trail & noted warning signs about flash flooding, we speculated as to where exactly we could climb if we found ourselves in that predicament.

COVID

"Do mask mandates work? Bay Area data says no." Drudge Report

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE . . . CALIFORNIA

"Anchovies raining from sky across San Francisco." Drudge 

POLITICAL POTPOURRI 

"Dems pause Jan. 6 hearings to call for insurrection." Babylon Bee

"Hillary seen on grassy knoll near Biden bike fall." Babylon Bee

"Democrats argue that Clarence Thomas should only have 3/5 of a vote." Babylon Bee

TRENDING

"In 6-3 vote, Supreme Court overturns all Matrix sequels." Babylon Bee

"Convenient napkin dispenser lets you grab either a handful of 50 napkins or tear a small corner of 1 napkin." Babylon Bee

CRIMINAL MINDS

"Snakes discovered. Police in Germany said SUN they discovered more than 110 dangerous snakes on a farm after a woman who lived there sought medical treatment for a poisonous bite. The 35-year-old woman drove to a hospital in Salzgitter, near Hannover, early SUN & told doctors there that one of her rattlesnakes bit her finger.  While the woman's condition deteriorated & authorities hastily ordered an antidote from a specialist . . . police visited the farm in central Germany & found dozens of snakes . . . Police said specialists determined the snake collection included both constrictors & poisonous varieties, which weren't housed in appropriate terrariums. The reptiles were all impounded." Norfolk Daily News, 6/27

WHY PARENTS SHOULD HAVE NO SAY WHATSOEVER IN THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATION *

* Compliments of the Babylon Bee

1. Parents don't know anything about kids.

2. Most parents don't raise their kids to be unquestioning drones of the dystopian state.

3. Uneducated parents might only know about 2 of the genders.

4. Parents' judgment can't be trusted when they choose to have kids instead of getting an abortion.

5. Parents may read their kids books like "Cat in the Hat" instead of "My Two Dads."

6. They might not want their 5-yr-old to transition just yet.

7. Reinforces the outdated stereotype that the nuclear family is the core of society.

TODAY'S VERSE

Jeremiah 32:27:  "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind; is there anything too hard for Me?" The Living Bible

THE NEEDS OF YOUR FAMILY

"The idea is that each of us has a responsibility before God to care for himself as God's person. Not just physically, but spiritually, emotionally, relationally, morally, intellectually, & so forth . . . If you work to meet the legitimate needs of your family, then you are fulfilling something important that God wants done in the world." Doug Sherman & William Hendricks, Men's Devotional Bible

WHAT CONCERNS GOD

"'Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saint' (Ps. 118:15). Although not the most quoted of Scripture verses, God's people should cling to it earnestly because we do not live for this world--we live for eternity. The Lord desires above all things that we be saved. He is not ultimately concerned with our wealth, education or health. If we possess all these things but lack the righteousness of Christ, we are a sad & vain people. Our God desires that we be saved, & so He is most concerned with our faith, our forgiveness & our death in His sight. When we die as the people of God in Christ Jesus, we die a glorious death because the Church Triumphant has grown." Mark Taylor, The Lutheran Witness, Sept. 2021

TODAY'S HYMN

By All Your Saints in Warfare (LSB #317, Sts. 1-3)

By all Your saints in warfare, For all Your saints at rest. Your holy name, O Jesus, Forevermore be blest! For You have won the battle That they might wear the crown; And now they shine in glory Reflected from Your throne.

Apostle, prophets, martyrs, And all the noble throng Who wear the spotless raiment And raise the ceaseless song--for these, passed on before us, We offer praises due And, walking in their footsteps, Would live our lives for You.

Then let us praise the Father And worship God the Son And sing to God the Spirit, Eternal Three in One. Till all the ransomed number Fall down before the throne, Ascribing pow'r & glory And praise to God alone.

ROAD TRIP RECAP

We flew out of Fresno at 3:00p (PDT) yesterday & arrived back in Omaha around 10:15p (CD5). By the time we drove Brianna back to Lincoln, then returned to Norfolk, it was after 2:30a, so by the time we got to bed, it was after 3:00a. None of our flights were delayed. There were no glitches with luggage or anything else. 

My Highlights *

* Lois can post her own highlights.

> Spending time with my loved ones, including our grand-daughter Brianna, her sister Wanda & my brother-in-law John, & our god-child & niece Teresa, her husband Blake, & their 5 adorable kids, &, last but not least, by my wonderful wife Lois. We also got to go to John & Wanda's great-grand-daughter's b-day party in Stephens.

> Listening to Wanda, Lois, & Brianna gush about their uplifting experience at the Joni & Friends Retreat in Mission Springs. [It was a great blessing to be able to take Brianna with us. It was her h.s. graduation present from us.]

> Getting to attend 2 of John's band concerts, one in the sweltering heat in Fresno, & one in the city park in Kingsburg. 

> Accompanying John to the Olson estate in Bass Lake, which included a delicious lunch at Ducy's on the Lake. It was a day trip. He needed to take care of some odds & ends. I provided essential help by giving him encouragement.

> Eating delicious food, which included Denny's, where we ate with some of John's bandmates after the concert in Kingsburg. Another highlight was eating at the Longhorn Steakhouse in Kingsburg on Father's Day, & feasting at Salazar's Mexican Restaurant in Kingsburg last MON evening.

> Noticing gas prices which closed in on $7/gal, & giving thanks that we live in NE.

> Attending Concordia Lutheran, John & Wanda's church in Kingsburg. Wanda sings in the praise band, & Lois & Brianna accompanied us last SUN. And brats were served during fellowship time after church!

> A visit to the Shin Zen Japanese Tea Garden in Fresno, & the flea market in Kingsburg, where it seemed as if we were the only gringoes.

ROAD TRIP PREVIEW

This FRI we leave for Arnold's Park, which is located by Lake Okoboji in northwest IA. We'll be joined by our kids & grand-kids, sans Derek [who has to work] & Craig [who has been deployed to Qatar.]. Back on MON. Then no road trips until SEP, when Lois travels to St. Petersburg for Sister Bash, & I travel to SD for a few days at my favorite KOA next to the Badlands.

BENTLEY UPDATE

You may remember that Bentley, our 8-yr-old grand-son, broke & dislocated his wrist earlier this month, which prevented him from joining us in our grand-kids adventure to the Twin Cities. Lois took him to the orthopedic surgeon today, who was happy with the healing process, so Bentley is now wearing a brace instead of a cast. He'll still have to go back & get an x-ray in 3 weeks, but it looks like he won't be needing any surgery.

THE LORD'S PLAN

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good & not for evil, to give you a future & a hope.” The Living Bible

THE PROBLEM OF DEATH

"The 'problem of death' becomes a great opportunity to confess Jesus & to show one's loved ones how to die in Christ & live in the certainty of a resurrection just like His." Rev. Matt Harrison, The Lutheran Witness, Sept. 2021

ALUTHORITY

"It is no wonder that there are so many pitfalls in the exercising of authority:  he who wields authority wields a God-given weapon, & he must constantly be on guard lest he misuse it for selfish ends.  Authority must never be exercised in an arbitrary, unreasonable manner." J.H. Waterink, Men's Devotional Bible

THE FESTIVAL OF ASCENSION *

* We celebrated Ascension on May 26.

"The Festival of the Ascension bears testimony to the fact that Jesus was truly raised from the dead. Death is forever behind Him. The crucified & risen Christ Jesus is now received into the Father's presence. Jesus alone is enthroned. Satan is cast out of heaven, never again to accuse us before God the Father (Rev. 12:10).

"We live in the age between the Lord's ascension & His return in glory on the Last Day. During this time, Jesus is hidden from our physical sight, but He is not absent. The Lord's promise of His continuing presence concludes the Gospel according to St. Matthew:  'Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age' (Matt. 28:20). Jesus is ascended, but He is still present. He is with us in His Word, in His Baptism & in His body & blood. He has 'ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things' (Eph. 4:10). Jesus is still Immanuel--'God with us' (Matt. 1:23). 'God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of the trumpet' (Ps. 47:5). Even so, 'come Lord Jesus'" (Rev. 22:20)!

A PRAYER FOR PENTECOST *

* This coming Sunday is celebrated as Pentecost.

"Holy Spirit, who on that first Pentecost established the Christian Church by Your outpouring upon the disciples in Jerusalem, I thank You that through Word & Sacrament You have continued Your Church through the ages & preserved the fellowship of the faithful throughout the years. Grant me so firm a faith in the Redeemer & so steadfast a faithfulness in Your means of grace, that through our generations You might build Your Church among the children of men. Protect us from all falsehood & error. Heal all controversy, dissension, & schism, & foster God--pleasing unity among all Christian people. Grant to me the grace to be loyal to Your Word, resisting all efforts to set aside Your revealed truth. Remove the indifference of our hearts, & make for Yourself zealous workers for Your Church, that many souls may be added to Christ's kingdom through our confession Give to both the young & the old Your grace, that through our words & deeds we may faithfully bear witness to the Lover of our souls, & on His account, the glorious hope that lives within us; in Jesus' name. Amen." Lutheran Book of Prayer

A PENTECOST HYMN

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest (LSB #499, St. 1

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest, And make our hearts Your place of rest; Come with Your grace & heav'nly aid, And fill the hearts which You have made.