Personal

Once upon a time . . .  I was part of a bluegrass band.  Last night I listened to bluegrass again.  The group was the Good Brothers - an act from 30 years ago that's still going.  Not a bad thing at all! They were good.  As musicians they have paid their dues.  They had some canned humor, but every once in a while got off on a humorous moment.  That's what I like - sponaneity! The audience asked for an encore and received it.  The frantic bango was fun, but the quieter pieces were also appreciated.  And I love the whining high tenor of bluegrass combining to make the vocals a little edgy and fresh. But, bluegrass begins to sound all the same after three hours.  And even the best musicians fight hard seats and crowded auditoriums without a lot of ventilation.  In all, enjoyable but I'm not rushing back for a repeat performance tomorrow!

The first significant snow has fallen. Not to discount a few flakes earlier in the season.  Every snowflake is significant! But when you get gobs of snow, like gooing together all your halloween candy, then you are in trouble! We're keeping watch over another person's house as well.  I'm just wondering how much cardio exercise I really need!

Satan is alive and well! That statement is one I feel comfortable in making - but not a statement that makes me comfortable.  Here is a personal being whose goal is destruction of his creator, and to that end, the end justifies the means. Which means Satan will use lies, bribery, persuasion, apathy, deceit and just about any means to realize the goal -- in fact, he probably would use any means. For years we have taken sides on Halloween -- proclaiming it Satan's day.  The origination of Halloween had the opposite intent.  As with many reactions to pagan practices, the original halloween appears to have been an opportunity to mock Satan, not promote Satan.  The following day was All Saints Day in which the victory over Satan was proclaimed. Here are the last few sentences of an article you may find interesting in this regards Nowadays, children often dress up as superheroes, and the original Christian meaning of Halloween has been absorbed into popular culture. Also, with the present fad of "designer paganism" in the so-called New Age movement, some Christians are uneasy with dressing their children as spooks. So be it. But we should not forget that originally Halloween was a Christian custom, and there is no solid reason why Christians cannot enjoy it as such even today."He who sits in the heavens laughs; Yahweh ridicules them" says Psalm 2. Let us join in His holy laughter, and mock the enemies of Christ on October 31. Via

The day was spent together! I have a friend of decades.  We are just now back in the same town.  As we travelled together, walked through malls together and ate at table together, we shared our lives.  Its been 25 years or more since we did this.  And I'm not sure when the opportunity will arise again. There was discussion, debate, disagreement and laughter, shared concerns, and God. I understand anew the need for uplifting support from a friend, the place of needed "wounds" from a friend, and the vulnerability that this all takes. God grants to us friends - never take them for granted!