How Far We've Come

It was good to find our morning temps warmer than yesterday's, which offered more time to be outdoors without getting overly chilled. When I went to park my car in my parking spot behind my office building, there stood a monster raised pick-up truck with over-sized tires on it, which appeared to being something belonging to a guy to likes to be out "mud'in" in the low areas. Since it was there the entire day, I figured the driver must've been at that tavern several doors down and got either too much giggle water thrown down his pie hole, or got hooked-up with a tootsie and rode home with her. If it's still there in the morning, I'll have to place a call to the police because over 24 hours is a bit too much to endure. In spite of there being two places to park back there, he parked that rig in the middle of the two of them. Another thought I had, was it being a stolen vehicle because the plates on it are out of County.

My first Sunday morning duty, was to get back to my quiet corner and begin my session of contemplative prayer. I must admit, over these past several months, my thoughts have been interrupted by a certain human I'm familiar with whom I've come to believe is partially, or possibly completely under the control of demonic forces, and only because it's highly abnormal for me to be interrupted by that same person who silently glares at me with unwelcome eyes. Yes, I can always remove that person from my thoughts/prayers, but to be interrupted on a regular basis, troubles me. Luckily, this morning I could only see a shadow, so perhaps my intercessions to keep that person out of my space, is working. It'll be interesting to see what happens next Sunday morning.

Having arrived a little early over at St. Paul Lutheran, I had a nice visit with this morning's Presider who always does such a nice job whenever they're unable to get a visiting Pastor to come. After I shared some recent news about the struggles several of our City's churches are having to retain pastors and organists, she matter-of-factly said, "Truth be told, in spite of the shortages we have of Ministers, organists are even harder to find." From what I've been hearing of late, it doesn't surprise me.

For whatever reason, my organ playing stepped-up another level this morning, and truth be told, I have no idea why. I believe those in attendance must've noticed it because they were singing their hearts out, and I was loving every minute of it. As I've said before, if I can't hear them singing, I start becoming nervous, which is not a good thing. I did stop downstairs afterwards, just to wish a number of them a Happy New Year.

With some time to kill before I changed my clothes to go work at my project, I decided to take another drive in our countryside, just to load-up on some additional bucolic photos to share with you all. For some reason, I believe tonight's is definitely a keeper because of the stark contrasts it exhibits. If I were to send some of my better ones off to be turned into a calendar, tonight's would be one of my winter ones. Yes, there still is green in North Iowa during the winter, but you have search for it.

When I got back to office, I changed into my work clothes and headed off to my little project, and while laboring away, my thoughts went back to my conversation this morning with the Presider. What triggered it, was the question if parents of those adult children who refuse to go to church, could've possibly been to blame for it. I couldn't answer it, but I did add my personal thoughts regarding what happened with my siblings and their offspring. I believe part of the reason, is how much more mobile our society has become to where children don't continue to live near their aging parents, and instead bolt-off to far corners of our Country, which placed them far enough away from their questioning parents. I can still hear my mother's many comments regarding the disappointments she had with her own children. Whenever she'd get on the subject, my knee-jerk reply would be, "You did your best at the time, and because they're now adults, it's on them, and not you." Thank goodness she finally understood.

Before heading home, I had a several emails to send out, and while at the computer, I figured I might as well check the news. My goodness, how the obits are now rolling in. This has certainly been the Holiday Season of dying. My own father passed away a very many years ago the first part of January, and to this day, I'll not ever forget the way in which that poor man suffered. Back then, we didn't have Hospice, so you can only imagine how far we've come since then.

What's really got me wondering, is why there are so many men in Putin's inner circle, dying by mysterious causes. The falling out of five-storied windows, eating something and then falling dead over a railing, so-called suicides, and the list goes on. It kinda makes a person wonder if it's Putin making the calls, or if there's a power-play going on. His little personal army that surrounds him 24/7, sure have been keeping their lips tight over it all. I still can't believe after over ten months and the loss of 100,000+ lives of Russian soldiers, he continues to call his war a special military operation. Yes, he's another one that's completely unhinged.

I received another delightful note of thanks from a dear one yesterday, and for sure it's gonna be a keeper. The choice of cards and hand-written words, couldn't have been more appropriate. I don't think I couldn't found a card more fitting.

In spite of tomorrow being part of our New Year's holiday, I'll be busy with real estate most of the day, along with my meeting-up with a new tenant to do a final walk-thru and then get a lease signed. I'm glad our weather's holding out for these new residents moving here from far-away places. Let's hope they stay.

Tonight's One-liner is: Remember, upon the conduct of each, depends the fate of all.

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