Some Updates

          As some of you know, the last few months have been a challenge for us.  Dianne had knee replacement surgery which left us with no driver and me as her caretaker.  This meant that we had to find a driver for everything and it meant that numerous things around the house just didn't get done.  But the Lord provided the help that we needed often just when we needed it.
          But now I want to give some updates for those who have prayed.
          First, Dianne is doing much better.  She is in rehab and learning to use her cane.  She is still not sleeping in bed, but she IS DRIVING!  PTL!  That is a major step for us.
          Last week a dermatologist took a growth off her cheek and sent it to be examined.  PTL we just got a report that it is not cancer.  What a relief!
          But some challenges remain.  Because it hasn't been used, our second car is in our driveway with a dead battery.  That is a challenge to get repaired when you have just one driver.

          I still have not gotten any help or relief from my physical problems and I have some new ones to deal with.  I have appointments with two of my specialists in October but I don't have much hope that they will help this time.  I am praying that the Great Physician will step in and provide the help that I really need.  Living this way has been very hard.

          And finally, some sad news.  For the past year a kind neighbor has been bringing our newspaper to our front door each morning.  The delivery lady will only throw it to the end of our drive and that leaves us with a long walk.  And that is hard when neither of us have been able to walk.  We have really appreciated his service – in rain, cold, ice or snow.  But yesterday we received an e-mail from his wife telling us that his dementia is worse.  He is no longer able to drive and he must wear a tracker for his wife to take care of him.  This is so sad.  Please join us in praying for this kind neighbor.

          God has been so good to us and we thank and praise Him for that.  Thank you, too, to those of you who have been praying for us.  We love you!

A Sad Fall Season

          Fall – my favorite season of the year.  Cooler temperatures, beautiful colors, mums, football and baseball play-offs.  Wonderful time of the year - but not this time.

          This year it has been ruined by a very nasty election.  We have candidates who don't deserve to win who are tearing each other apart with an abundance of nasty ads.  And the ads are everywhere.  You can't even watch a sporting event without political ads during every break.  It is disgusting!

          Now if anyone really wanted to fix it – which they don't, here is what I would suggest. Put a limit on each ad – how about 8 total anywhere for each ad before it must be retired, or junked.   Each time it is shown anywhere it goes against the limit.

          I am also bothered by the ads themselves.  I am amazed by the number of mothers and grandmothers who protest that their daughters will have their freedoms taken away when Harris wins. What they are saying is that they want their daughters to have the legal right to kill their grandchildren through abortion.  It is hard to hear people push for that opportunity.

          I am also sad to hear current politicians claim they are going to fix the economy when they are elected.  I would like to ask them why they didn't do that during the past four plus years when they were in office.  Why should we trust them now?

          Well, there is much more I could say, but it wouldn't do any good.

         Instead, I rest upon the knowledge that the Lord knows all about it and that is good enough for me.  But unless He does a major miracle in November, I am praying for the rapture.

No Higher Calling

Sometimes there are special choruses or hymns that are too important to limit just to my hymn blog.   This chorus is one of those.  So this week I will share it in both.  This blog will be in my hymn blog this weekend.

            There are a few choruses that continue to come back to my mind at various times when either I have a perplexing need or I am burdened for a friend who is facing a challenging situation.  There are times like this that I am reminded of my need to fall at the feet of Jesus and seek His face.
            These times also remind me of the honor that is mine to do this.  I am reminded of His glory and mercy and my need to worship Him.

            "No Higher Calling" is a powerful and inspiring song often sung by Promise Keepers that touches the hearts of many with its profound lyrics and captivating melody. This song holds a deep meaning that resonates with listeners, reminding them of their purpose and calling in life.

            The opening lines, "Down at Your feet, oh Lord, is the most high place," set the tone for the entire song. It humbly acknowledges that God is the highest authority and that surrendering to Him is the way to find our true purpose. It emphasizes the importance of putting our trust in Him and seeking His guidance in all aspects of our lives.  
          As the song progresses, it speaks of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, reminding us of His unconditional love and the redemption that is available to all who choose to follow Him. It encourages us to embrace this love and dedicate our lives to His service, proclaiming that "there is no higher calling, no greater honor than to bow and kneel before Your throne."
            While the specific inspiration or story behind the song is not readily available, the essence of the song aligns with the core teachings of Christianity. The lyrics reflect the biblical truth that God deserves our highest praise and worship. It is likely that the song was birthed out of a desire to express adoration and surrender to God in a profound and meaningful way.   
          Psalm 95:6 (NKJV): "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker."  Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV): "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
            

Down at Your feet, Oh Lord, 

is the most high place; 

in Your presence, Lord, I seek Your face, 

I seek your face. 

There is no higher calling, 

no greater honor 

than to bow and kneel 

before Your throne. 

I'm amazed at Your glory, 

embraced by Your mercy, 

Oh Lord, I live to worship You. 

You can listen to it here.       BOW

Tech Support

Tech support has been needed since the very beginning. Enjoy these reminders of yesteryear, back when people had their first personal computers.

+++A woman called the Canon help desk with a problem with her printer.
The tech asked her if she was "running it under Windows."
The woman then responded, "No, my desk is next to the door.  But that is a good point.  The man sitting in the cubicle next to me is under a window, and his is working fine."

+++ Tech Support: "How much free space do you have on your hard drive?"
Customer: "Well, my wife likes to get up there on that Internet, and she downloaded ten hours of free space. Is that enough?"

+++ Overheard in a computer shop:
Customer: "I'd like a mouse mat, please."
Salesperson: "Certainly sir, we've got a large variety."
Customer: "But will they be compatible with my computer?"

+++ Customer: "Can you copy the Internet for me on this diskette?"

+++ Customer: "So that'll get me connected to the Internet, right?"
Tech Support: "Yeah."
Customer: "And that's the latest version of the Internet, right?"
Tech Support: "Uhh...uh...uh...yeah."

+++ Customer: "My computer crashed!"
Tech Support: "It crashed?"
Customer: "Yeah, it won't let me play my game."
Tech Support: "Alright, hit Control-Alt-Delete to reboot."
Customer: "No, it didn't crash -- it crashed."
Tech Support: "Huh?"
Customer: "I crashed my game.  That's what I said before.  Now it doesn't work."
Turned out, the user was playing Lunar Lander and crashed his spaceship.
Tech Support: "Click on 'File,' then 'New Game.'"
Customer: [pause] "Wow!  How'd you learn how to do that?"