Good morning and a very happy November 1st! It is a cool morning at 40 something degrees and it it is rainy day. The prediction is that it will be this way for the next few days and I have heard everything from a day with 70 degrees to a night with snow showers. So — welcome to a southern Indiana November.

This is the month that we will celebrate Thanksgiving and our middle daughter Heather will turn 47 and her daughter will turn 20. So there is much to celebrate. We are rapidly running out of teenagers in this family; only Matt and Jon remain. That is the price of getting older. The kids grow up and move away and start their own lives; — although that doesn’t see to be the case these days. More and more kids seem to not want to leave home nor do they want to make any plans for their future. My generalization, (and it is only my opinion) is that parents have so protected their kids from everything that they simply haven’t even thought about learning to fly. Why should they? They have everything they need at home and it isn’t costing them a thing.

I had a great Halloween again this year. I used the monkey costume once again and sat out at the street on my John Deere Lawn mower. I set completely still and the kids and their parents are never sure if I am a person dressed up or a prop setting there. Common comments include: — “Is it real?” “I think is isn’t real”. — “You go up and check.” — “I think it moved. I think I saw it’s eye move.”  — “No, that is an animatronic.”  “I’m not going up there, you go.”   Then they slowly approach and say “Trick or Treat” and I just still set there and stare or maybe I’ll slowly turn my head to look at one of them. At that point they scream or jump back or start laughing. It is all great fun. What is amazing is that some of these same kids have been coming back for a few years and I use the same costume and yet they still seem to not know. I have been known to dress a prop in my costume as much as a week ahead of time and set it out so they all get used to seeing it setting there. Then on Halloween night I put the costume on myself and scare the bejeeezus out of them when I suddenly come to life. It is all great fun. I reckon that at 73 it is too late for me to consider growing up.

Today I want to put the finishing touches on my sermon I’m working on for November 19th when our pastor goes on vacation. I have most of it finished but have to touch it up before I hand it over to Ms. Kate to look at to make sure it isn’t boring or that I haven’t rambled off point. It has been a year almost since I wrote one. I feel blessed to be asked to fill in.

My “Collingsworth Family” CD has just about finished playing and I need to get another cup of coffee and check on Ms. Kate to see if her coffee cup needs refilling. I hope you have a blessed day full of God’s love. If you do, share it with someone and brighten up their day.  Blessings!