Bitter Cold A-Coming

     Last week we had record breaking or near warm temperatures here in Mississippi. This after just a few weeks prior record snowfall! Now the temperature is dropping like a paralyzed falcon and for New Year's Eve and day are supposed to have a "Wintery mix" of precipitation, freezing cold... Eve, low in the 20's or teens high of 34 Day and a deep freezing low that night. Into the low twenties if not teens again.
     We should be selling lots of soup at the grocery where I work... Hey! And it's on sale too!

     The best thing I can thank God for is that I should be the only member of my family out on the road during the less than pleasant weather. I lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado for six years so I know the main rule to driving on icy roads. That being: Think fast but drive slow!
     And I did go into my closet and pulled out my long drawers. Being a skinny old man, in 20 degree weather my butt cheeks would start chattering without them!

     Looking out my back window right now the low air is clear of the fog we have recently had but the sky is completely white with clouds, not a ray of Sunshine in sight.
    I'm just now praying that anybody who wants to stock up on vittles goes now and gets their dumb butts off the road and stays home unless they have an emergency... and then call 911!

The Book Of Romans

     Some of you who have visited my blog before probably know that I've been reading my Bible as of late. A few months ago while leaving the tool store I saw some folks giving away King James Bibles, got one and began reading Psalms, then went back and started "In the beginning..." reading Genesis. A month or so later, my Jehovah's Witnesses friends stopped by and after a brief chat they gave me The New World Translation Of The Holy Scriptures. It's just a more modern translation without all the  "thine, thee & therefore" which makes the KLV a little difficult for dummies like me to understand. I do keep a KJV in the car along with my New World just because some things I want to cross reference.

     To make a long story short, I am now reading the book of Romans in the New Testament. To show how little I knew about the Bible at age 58, I thought the book of Romans would be about the Romans still persecuting the Jews and especially Christians and beating them up.
     Yes, I did think this would be a rather odd subject to have in any religion's holy texts. It turns out that the full title of the book is The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans. A side note to anyone less learned in the Bible than I am,  Epistles aren't the wives of the Apostles.. Epistle is a fancy old word for a letter. Sorry, that was a cheesy joke, but I did hear a preacher on TV tell it first.

     Speaking of TV preachers, I do watch several quite often and others on occasion and have heard most if not all say we shouldn't but they do have favorite books of the Bible. Most all name The Gospel According to John.as either their personal favorite or as at least one of the best places to start a Bible reading or study. As much as I enjoy John, the Gospel of Luke has the Christmas story we all (or most) grew up hearing. That never gets old for me.  In the Old Testament I thought the Book of Lamentations by its name alone would be the children of Israel weeping, moaning and complaining to God for their sufferings. Surprise to me and perhaps you, it is absolutely beautiful! That said, I am presently about in the middle of Romans and can wholeheartedly suggest that any time you don't feel God's love or his presence near you it is a book to turn to.

     Always remember I love you. So much more importantly, God loves you!

Christmas Lights/ Winter Songs

     This year I actually did put up Christmas lights for the first time in some 20 years and remembered why I didn't for 2 decades. Yes, I will most likely be one of those rednecks who leave the lights up all year long!
   
     My bill paying workplace started playing what I call "Winter songs "just after Thanksgiving. You know, the songs about snow men, rein deer... nothing about the birth of the Christ child.

    As a veteran and redneck I bought red, white and blue lights but it really doesn't matter what if any lights we decorate our homes with.

     It's all about the one light. The light of the world.

     JESUS, the CHRIST

363 Days And "Lost Years"

     Here in Mississippi we have what we call either  "Sunday morning Baptists" or "back row Baptists". If you don't know what that mean, it's the one who show up in Church on Sunday to pay their guilt offering while sitting in the back row with Saturday night still on their breath.
     Don't get me wrong here now. I am not in any way judging those folks. But I was watching a preacher on TV today who mentioned 2 day Christians and I wanted to share his message with y'all.
He wasn't judging anybody but, I think, encouraging everybody. He said in his area he has a lot of once a week Christians but he also has a lot of twice a year Christians. Those who celebrate Christmas and Easter. The birth of Christ and His resurrection.

     That leaves 363 days a year (364 on leap year) to do what?

     To celebrate the life of Jesus!

     The so called "lost years"of Jesus's life aren't lost to anybody with at least a half a brain. He lived in an area controlled by Rome. His father was a carpenter or some translations say "craftsman" . In the area around the Sea of Galilee fishing was an important part of  the diet and economy so Jesus probably fished. Doesn't it make sense that He knew the Apostles or had at least met some if not all of them before He called them to follow Him?

     "The Lost Years"? At the wedding, Jesus told His mother, "My time is not yet come".
So why no mention in the Gospels of those 30 odd years of His life? Because He was becoming the man to fulfill the prophesies.
     Pretty simple, isn't it?

     So more than just Christmas and Easter celebrate His birth and resurrection. More than just every or the occasional Sunday go to Church... Each and every day let us celebrate the life of Jesus!

Happy Christmas 2017

     It's almost December 26, the day after Christmas but I've finally gotten to my Christmas post. I do have a Father Christmas outfit that I had planned to wear when out and about the week of Christmas but every morning save Christmas eve morning we had rain, I opted not to wear the outfit in the rain and get the faux fur trim all sloppy but the one morning I was able to wear it I was surprised at how many people I was able to make smile and holler, "Merry Christmas!"
 All except one dumb ass who said is I had a pointy hat I'd look like "the Grand Poobah" of the KKK. And I thought I was a redneck! I can only assume he'd never heard of nor seen pictures of the European Father Christmas.

     Anyway, this past Sunday I was invited to Mom's for vittles. She cooked a hen, tater salad, dressing, deviled eggs, etc. As usual, I made a ham. I injected it with Cajun garlic butter and cooked it with thinly sliced white taters, sweet taters and onions and mushrooms, all the veggies slathered with butter. Just for a festive touch I placed a few sprigs of fresh rosemary from my herb garden in around the whole tray. Mom and my brother, his buddy John and John's brother and I made up the whole crew and needless to say we'll all be eating leftovers for a few days. With all the food, I've had to put my beer on the back porch to keep the brews cold!

     Bella and Vlad, my Dachshund & Jack Russell Terrier gave me a present Christmas morning. A female field mouse made the bad decision to show herself in the kitchen. I heard Bella's jaws clamp down like a snap trap. Vlad got in on the kill but Bella was the main instrument of death. Once I got the critter away and chucked out, Bella and Vlad each got a reward n the form of a doggie biscuit.

     The temperature here has fluctuated crazily as of late, doing a swing of some 50 degrees F. We've had some rain but are still behind normal for this time of year. And we have had fog! The other morning when I got home and was giving thanks I, without thinking, said thanks to God it was only fog and not smoke like in California. The Thomas fire (the largest now going on among several) has gone from 4th to 3rd to #1 largest in that state's history in a week or so.

     Anyway, that's about all the news from here. God bless you all and remember the reason for the Season. It's not about a fat man in a red suit, a reindeer with a genetic defect or a snow man.
     It's about the greatest gift of all... The birth of a child in a barn who was laid in a feed trough for his bed. The gift of God's love to us all; His Son, Jesus Christ.

Fat / Hungry Kids In America

     I must admit that I am confused about kids in America, especially their diets.
Almost daily I see ads wanting people to feed the hungry kids, saying 1 in 6 go to bed hungry. Just last week I was a special report on the news that an estimated 65% of kids in the USA will become obese by age 35.
     Now, my math isn't great but 65% is close to 2 out of 3, right? Two out of three is four out of six. So out of every 6 kids in America: one is hungry and 4 are on the fast lane to obesity. So only one out of every kid is eating a healthy diet.

     I feel for the kids in Africa, Asia, India and all the world over who starve. But we here in America must do better for our own kids first. Parents, don't give in to your kids when they ask for all the crappy junk food. Look at them with an honest eye and ask yourself, "Is my kid getting a healthy diet?"
     Fast food is okay every once in a while but real home cooked food is what makes us real. Take the time to cook a real meal. I know....it takes time that you say you don't have. But aren't your kids worth the time and effort? The kiddos will not only get better nutrition form a home cooked meal but they will, more importantly, feel your love. You took the time to prepare a meal for them instead of just grabbing a burger from the drive through.

     It is true that I do not have children (fruit of my loins) to call my own. But if I did (and  still have hope God will give me rug rats if it's His will) I would spare no expense in money nor time to provide the very best for them.

Big Screen & Tiny Speaker

     I've been seeing many ads on TV for big screen televisions and decided I wanted a 55'  for my living room. Finally I saw an ad for a store just over a half mile away for a 55" for $299.00 + tax. I called to make sure they had the unit in stock and in less than 10 minutes was there at the store to pick up my big, bad boy TV.
     I'd already decided to put the TV on my mantle but after installing the feet found that the feet stuck over the mantle creating a rather unstable base. Being the crafty redneck that I am, I went to the storage building and woodpile for a remedy.  I found a 4" x 2" piece or particle board which I cut to 4 x 2 which was all I needed for a platform. Then to the woodpile where I found rustic braces which I like. Nothing more or less that a pair of about 2.5" diameter branches became the legs for my new redneck TV stand.

     The only thing that gets me is this... A television with a 55" screen has but a what sounds like a perhaps 1.5" speaker. So I have a ringside or 50 yard line  seat for when I watch wrestling or football but "nose bleed seats"  sound.
     I've an old set of 5 way surround sound speakers that I used years ago but have yet to hook up since I moved. Maybe I'll dig them out and see if they'll  hook up to my new big screen.

The President Is Coming To Mississippi

     President Donald Trump is supposed to come to Mississippi tomorrow for the opening of two museums in Jackson. . One is the Civil Rights Museum and many are saying they will either boycott his appearance if not show up in protest.

     Let me pose this question to all you who plan to boycott and/or protest....
     Are you or are you not showing the very same intolerance and/or hatred you claim to stand for?

     I'm just a redneck but I love (or try really hard to) everybody. I don't care what color your skin is. Your religion doesn't matter to me. As I see it, we are all God's children.
     Love him or hate his guts, Donald Trump is out President, Commander In Chief. If you cannot respect the man, respect the office he holds. I served 12 years in the U.S. military, some under CIC's I didn't agree with. But I always respected the office and the man who held it, no matter what I felt about the man as a person.

     How can you expect you to respect me if I don't show you respect?

Vacation, Snow & Field Mice

     Last week I was on vacation from my paying job and most else as well The only few not included were getting things done in the back yard and attempting to get my solar powered lights positioned to actually get some solar power.
     I got my (2) 10' x 17' portable garages completed all save installing the anchors. Somehow, I managed to get my 5 remaining vacation days, my 2 personal days and my 2 regular nights off all in a row for a total of 11 nights straight and it was glorious!

     I was picking green and ripe tomatoes & peppers from my washtub & barrel gardens, Mom's plum trees had not only flowers but a green plum in early December.

     The only down side was my brother and his mental illness. Kids, He ain't doing well at all so I ask you all to pray if you have 'em. The Doctors still can't agree what's ailing him. It seems at times he's got dementia, bipolar disorder and just... I don't know what else.


    I could have not asked for better weather for 90% of my vacation. For about 9 days we had sunshine, high temps in the 70's. The last couple of days we had fog roll in and things chilled down. Today, Friday, December 8 we had a Winter storm blow in, temps in the freezing range and right about 4" of snow!
     I'm just praying that the temps will get high enough that all the wet will burn off so I don't have to  drive to work tonight on icy roads. I spent some 6 years in Colorado so I know how to drive in snow and on ice. The only ugly thing is 99.9% of Mississippians do not!

     Others who don't seem to enjoy the drop in temperature are the field mice. They have invaded my home again. While I do have another pair of glue boards that I'll set tonight, I'll be getting more tomorrow and officially declare war upon them.