FEAR

"The only fear that God encourages in a Christian's life is the fear of God (2 Cor. 5:10-11; Heb. 10:31). Fear of people does not come from God. The problem is that many Christians fear people more than they fear God . . . Fear causes us to stop & question what God has clearly told us to do . . . Most fear is fear of the unknown. We do not know what lies ahead of us, so we become apprehensive. Our imagination can magnify problems until they seem insurmountable. We need a sound mind to see things in proper perspective. That is why God gave us His Holy Spirit, to enable us to see things as God sees them. Fear is no excuse to disobey God. There is no reason to live in fear when you have the mighty presence of the Holy Spirit within you. Fear will enslave you, but Christ has come to set you free. Ask God to free you from any fear you are experiencing & to open your eyes. As He reveals the reality of your situation, He will enable you to continue in obedience." [Henry & Richard Blakaby, "Experiencing God Day-By-Day"] COMMENT:  If you follow my FB posts, you notice that pretty often something in my daily devotion really hits home. Today was no exception. I have chronic anxiety, & it is often due to the fear of the unknown. Some of you suffer from chronic anxiety, too, so these words hold out comfort & reassurance for us. The power of God's Holy Spirit is real in our lives. How do we know what God tells us to do? We pray. We read & meditate on His Holy Word. We seek the wise counsel of godly friends.

RESOLUTIONS REVIEW

I understand that my monthly review of my 2024 New Year's resolutions may only vaguely interest you. You know what? It's my blog.

> Lose weight. A. I've lost 2 lbs so far this year. Not record-breaking, but not bad considering our road trip to MN & IA last month.

> Limit myself to no more that 2 cups of coffee per day. C.

> Visit at least 1 National Park and/or National Monument. n/a. No opportunities yet. When we travel to MT for our niece Katie's wedding later this year, I think we'll make this happen.

> Limit my reading to 1 conservative source/day. B.

> Avoid picking fights on Facebook. A. This is a challenging one for me. I have to remind myself that picking a fight rarely changes anyone's mind, & also rarely makes me feel that much better.

> Walk at least 4X/week. D+. I'll make it this week, thanks to the indoor track at our YMCA. I think I'll be able to accomplish this when we're in Florida. [SEE below.]

> Finish writing & publishing a devotional book. C. I'm making steady progress with the final edits to my "Buzzwords" devotion book.

> G.P.A. B-

ROAD TRIP REVIEW

After a 4-day delay getting out of Northeast Nebraska, due to abominable weather & road conditions, we made it to Eagan, MN, for a visit with our son Nathan & his family. A highlight was celebrating our grandkids' JAN birthdays with them. Then we visited my brother Mark & his entourage in Ventura, IA. Highlights? An authentic gyro in Clear Lake, of all places. And watching the Chiefs beat Buffalo, much to the chagrin of some misguided family members, who are Bills fans.

This TUE we leave for St. Petersburg, FL, for our annual winter getaway with Lois' sister. We'll make a side trip to St. Augustine, joined by her sister Anita. Hopefully, we'll get to see our nephew Nick & his family, too.

SPEAKING OF FOOTBALL

I admit to being a KC Chiefs fan. I picked Buffalo to beat the Chiefs. And I picked Baltimore, too. So, what about the Super Bowl? I have to confess that I was cheering for Detroit to beat the 49ers, since I was dreading a showdown with our Californian niece & her family, who are misguided fans of SF. I'm not ready to go out on a limb with a prediction yet. And thank goodness! Travis Kelce & Taylor Swift seem to be the real deal. [FYI:  I don't want to mention any names, but our daughter-in-law is a Swiftie.]

THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED

On Feb. 3, 1959, a plane carrying Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, & the Big Bopper, crashed in a corn field outside Mason City, IA, killing all aboard, including the pilot. There was a raging snowstorm in progress, & the relatively inexperienced pilot may have become disoriented. Don McClean immortalized this day with his best-selling song, "American Pie," released in 1971. I remember listening to this song & its cryptic lyrics on the radio. We've visited the crash site, which is located in a cornfield outside Mason City. And we've visited the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, where Buddy Holly et al performed their last concert.

TRENDING NEWS FROM THE DRUDGE REPORT, 2/2

"Hottest new bedtime for 20-somethings is 9:00 p.m." Yes, 20 is the new 70.

CRIMINAL MINDS

"3,500-strong army of marauding monkeys invade city." [Drudge, 2/2] Not to worry. This was in Thailand. We don't know if the mayor is busing these monkeys to other cities.

POLITICAL POTPOURRI

"Gaza votes for ceasefire in Chicago." [Babylon Bee]

"Mayorkas says he's not sure how he can be impeached when he doesn't even do anything." Ditto

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE CALIFORNIA

"CA becomes 1st state to ban heterosexual marriage." Ditto

MORE TRENDING NEWS FROM THE BABYLON BEE

"Brock Purdy excited to finally see Taylor Swift live as he can't afford Eras tour tickets." Ditto

DEPT. OF SHAMELESS JOKE-STEALING *

* Source:  Uncle John's Awesome 35th Anniversary Bathroom Reader

"My only plans for today are to go buy some new glasses with my wife. After that, we'll see."

ANOTHER DAD JOKE

My half-brother & I are no longer allowed to play with chainsaws.

TODAY'S AWESOME TRIVIA *

* Source:  Uncle John's etc

"The world's shortest scheduled commercial flight is between 2 Scottish islands. It's 1.7 miles. Actual flying time:  about 1 minute."