RESOLUTIONS ROUND-UP

Here are my 2023 New Year's resolutions & results to date.

> Average 1 road trip per month. A+  11 so far w/trips planned for TX in OCT & FL in DEC.

> Lose 5 lbs. A+  I've lost 11 lbs but have put on some weight since last month. Time to get serious again.

 > Add to our National Park list. A+ We visited Biscayne NP in FEB.

> Avoid desserts. C

> Exercise and/or walk at least 4X/week. C  I did pretty well when I was prepping for our trip to Europe. Time to get serious again.

> Publish my "Buzzwords" devotion book. C-  I've been stalled. Time to get serious again.

> Write my "Chapter & Verse" devotion book. A  Finished. Next step is for Lois to proof it.

G.P.A.    B+

SPEAKING OF ROAD TRIPS

We were in Eagan, MN, last week. We attended my 7-yr-old grandson Calvin's Lutheran school for his Grandparents Day. Its name is Trinity Lone Oak, named after the huge oak tree that once was a landmark in Eagan. The city's "crest" is, in fact, an oak tree. Yes, we learned something we didn't know. Prizes were awarded to the grandparents who traveled the farthest & those with the most grandkids. I thought we might have a shot at the former, but we were easily beaten by a couple from the United Kingdom. Didn't even came close to the latter. There was a couple with 28 grandchildren! All our children have to produce is 23 more grandchildren. Time to get serious again.

FOOTBALL FOLLIES

I loved watching Cornhusker highlights. Well, that would be the Cornhusker VB teams. They won their last 2 contests, both against ranked teams. They are undefeated & ranked #2 in the nation. Our football team? They lost to #2 ranked Michigan 45-7. The good news? They scored a late touchdown to preserve their streak of 344 games without being shut out. The Chiefs beat the Jets 23-20 but still don't look like Super Bowl champs. At least Taylor Swift showed up to cheer for Travis Kelce & the Chiefs.

Bentley's Y team won on SUN. He had 2 sacks! We don't keep track of the score. LOL. The won, 3 TD's to 1.

HERE'S TO YOUR HEALTH

"Fishing & its health benefits:  The more men go fishing the better their mental health." Fox News Online, 9/30

"STUDY:  Climbing 5 flights of stairs daily cuts heart disease risk 20%." Drudge Report, 9/30.

POLITICAL POTPOURRI

"Congress passes trillion dollar stopgap bill that will fund government until about 2:00 p.m. tomorrow." Babylon Bee

"Rep. Bowman pulls fire alarm again while trying to flush urinal." Babylon Bee

"Democrats propose $12 billion study to determine what this strnge red handle thingy does." Babylon Bee

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE PHILADELPHIA

"A Phillies fan & his emotional support animal, an alligator named WallyGator, were denied entrance to watch Philadelphia host Pittsburgh . . . WallyGator is a working emotional support alligator owned by Joie Henney of Jonestown, PA . . . Citizen's Bank Park's policy on support animals is posted on the Phillies' official website. It states, 'Guide dogs, service animals, or service animals are welcome. All other animals are prohibited.' Henney said . . . WallyGator helps him battle depression & that 'he likes to give hugs.' Henney said then that the gator had never bitten anyone." Norfolk Daily News, 9/30. I thought Philadelphia was the city of brotherly love!

LIKE CALIFORNIA

"Homeless pirates marauding through San Francisco Bay." Drudge, 10/2

TRENDING NEWS

"Disney sued over 'severe' injuries from water slide 'wedgie.'" Drudge, 10/2

"Church elder pulls fire alarm to delay vote on new carpet." Babylon Bee

THE WIT & WISDOM OF CAL THOMAS

"There are other problems [with electric vehicles], including paying China for the Lithium needed for car batteries. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) claims forced labor is being used to mine cobalt, exploiting children in impoverished Congo, the world's largest producer of the mineral that is also needed for batteries. Should we be morally comfortable with this? Then there's the cost. Among the cheapest prices I found in an online search was for a tiny 2-door car costing nearly $44,500. If you need a bigger car for a larger family, the price quickly escalates.

"What happens when the British & Americans force their people to buy electric cars & world temperatures do not even modestly decline? Estimates of what it will cost are all over the place. Bloomberg calculates lowering global temperatures will cost $200 trillion. Morgan Stanley says the cost will be $50 trillion. 

"This is all about politics, more government control of our lives, & the loss of individual freedom. What happens when Britain & America have gone all electric & the results are not as predicted? Who will take responsibility? Certainly not those now promoting this fiction. If you're in government & pushing something that doesn't pan out you never have to admit error." Column by Cal Thomas in NDN, 9/30

THRIFTNESS

"God wants us to be thrifty, contented, & careful in the use of the gifts He bestows upon us, that nothing may be lost, as Jesus said to His disciples after He had fed the multitude in the wilderness. Never has it been more necessary to be thrifty than at the present time. Nothing but economy, thrift, & work can put the world back on its feet again. We might well ask if any generation has been less accustomed to thrift than ours. The prosperous times that we have had during the past century have made us all extravagant & demanding. Here we Christians should take the lead & live industrious, economical, & thrifty lives in the midst of the poverty & distress of our times . . . The thrifty person saves, in the first place, in order not to become a burden to any one, &, in the second place, to have something with which to help others." O. Hallesby, God'w Word for Today