We begin this week with a 46 degree cloudy morning. The air is relatively still out there and as I look around the yard I see that almost every feeder is empty. That tells me at least one job I need to do this morning. Rain is supposed to begin moving in by around noon so I need to get on it. I have a squirrel that has come to check out this one feeder several times and finds it empty. Then it looks around and over at the sunporch as if to remind me that I'm not keeping up with his desires.  Since we are looking at rain, heavy at times for the next two or thee days, I don't want to be walking around in a sogggy back yard to feed these guys later. The Channel 14 weather report on my laptop says that we are getting "much needed rain". I wasn't aware that we needed more rain.

I need to brag, one last time, on my folks at my two churches. We finished up our Operation Christmas Child drive yesterday with a shoebox filling party. We filled 76 shoeboxes and they are being delivered to the collection center today. The most we have ever done is77 and that was our first year when enthusiasm was high about a new program. I am so very proud of them. We also have another charity campaign going on now called "Making a Change". It is simply some small cardboard boxes that look like a church that we ask people to put their change in as they get it. This idea was really Ms. Kate's idea last year and we promoted it to the churches. Ms. Kate and I each have a box and we gave them out to all of the members of the parish that wanted to participate. We will collect them on Christmas Eve and the Sunday morning after Christmas as a symbol of bringing a gift to the Christ Child. Each church will then count up the money and the members of each church will decide what charity they wish to donate the money to. Last year we donated almost $1000.00 to support several different food pantries etc. I love it when God's work gets done.

My trumpet solo went well yesterday. I received a lot of compliments. I've thought about doing another during the Christmas season but Ms. Kate says I have enough on my plate during this season and I know she is right. I'll wait until the Christmas season is over. Between extra services, a Chistmas Cantata, and all of the other stuff that is intertwined with Christmas, yeh, I have enough to do. This coming Sunday will be the Hanging of the Greens at each church as we decorate the sanctuary for the celebration of the coming of the Christ Child.

My coffee cup is empty and I need a re-fill so I think I'll stop. As I do, I again lift up prayers for  the people of France and Kenya, both of which were targets of radical extremeists who killed hundreds of people in an all out slaughter in the name of their religion. I pray that somehow God will reach through the hate that is spewing out from these groups and let them understand that God is a God of love and peace, not a God of vengence directing them to kill every person on earth who doesn't follow their definition of religion.  May God have mercy on the souls of the victims of these tragedies.Take time to pray with me today. Then take the time to do somethng nice for someone. Have a blessed day.

Mr. Fuss-a-lot and friend are here again this morning although, in all fairness, they are being very quiet this morning. They are a couple of Cardinals are vying over the peanuts again this morning.

Happy Saturday morning! The world is back this morning to a state of nervous peace. Yesterday in Paris France, terrorists attacked several soft targets such as resturants and theaters, killing at least 155 totally innocent people. I spent over three decaade in the armed forces of this country. I've studied war and the philosophy behind war and nothing I have ever read says that this kind of violence against innocent people makes any sense. The people who commit these atrocities have only one thing in mind --- kill everybody who doesn't believe like them; all in them name of their version of their religion. They are cowards who won't face an enemy soldier, but rather use our humanity against us. They infiltrate countries as refugees relying on acountries sense of kindness, then they plot, plan ancarry out acts of terrorism designed to kill as many people as possible -- then rather than stand and declare their belief in their cause --- they kill themselves. It is a battle plan that is hard to comprehend, foresee, or defeat. May God help us all.

And since I'm already disgusted with yesterday's event -- I'll mention something that I think disgusts me even more than the attacks. In this country we also have a state of unrest being driven by young and not so young college people protesting basically because their feelings are hurt. In the middle of all the killing and terror in France yesterday, our young college protestors were whining because they weren't the focus of the news. One protestor was recorded saying "Those people getting killed over there in France has nothing to do with the injustice we feel right here. This needs to be what America focuses on."

So, --- this morning, God has again sent my Cardinal to sit on my birdbath as a reminder that not all of the world is crazy. Between that cardinal and a single red rose blooming in the sunlight on this crystal clear morning, God reminds me that the world is still full of beauty; one need only look up and see it. The world is still full of goodness, and love, and people who care about one another. Tomorrow, several of the people of my parish will be gathering together and filling Operation Christmaas Child shoeboxes to send to children around the world. We have a lot of stuff to box up and our boxes will be put with a million other boxes that people from around the country have also boxed  up. A million plus gifts of love sent to people we will never know or meet. That's how you wage a holy war; by using weapons of kindness, love, and respect for your fellowman. That's how you conduct a jihad of love and peace. Have a blessed day.

Friday the 13th! Good luck or a Bad luck day, --- I guess we will wait to see how it turns out. However, so far it has been just fine. It is a beautiful sun shiny day; the temperature is 45 dgrees and is supposed to climb another 10 degrees by afternoon. The breeze is light, just enough to occasionally move through the Corinthian chimes and make them peal. Yep, I'll call that a pleasant morning. I'm on my second cup of coffee and I've had my Toaster Strudels, ---- what else could a fella need? Perhaps a second pot of coffee??

This being Friday means that this is my day off; so I need to figure out what I'm going to do with myself today. I'll have to first check with Ms. Kate and see what's on her list for me. I do need to run to the churches and move that Operation Christmas Child stuff from one church to the other. I was going to do that yesterday but spent the day at the computer instead and got a lot of work done there. I also need to practice my horn for a bit in preparation for Sunday. Wednesday our keyboard player and I went over the number a couple of times and worked out the kinks. If it goes as well Sunday as it did the second "run through", we will hoth be very happy. We have several musicians in our St. Lucas church. Off hand I can think of a flute player, a clarinet player, a trombonist, a saxophone player, and at least four of us play the trumpet; and we have a wonderful keyboard player or two. So how come it is me, the asthmatic old fart of the whole group, that is the only one who will stand up and play a solo?? I think it would be so neat to put together an ensemble of us and play during the Christmas season. But, the reality is that it would be nye to impossible to get folks to commit to the time that would take. The sad part is that we are wasting a gift and talent that God gave us.

Mr Fuss-a-lot and a friend are here this morning as are several of the other "big-billed" birds such as the starling, the red-headed woodpecker, and the mockingbird. There have been some interesting challenges at the feeders full of peanuts. Yesterday I threw out the remaining dog food that was left in Auggie's bowl and the birds cleaned that up pretty quickly. Then I threw out some stale bread and that went fast too, and finally I emptied the remainder of a bag of Sugar Pops that had gone stale and they have just about cleaned that up too. As I look out there, I think I need to re-fill several of the feeders again too. The weather is colder, and the harvest is done in the fields, so the birds are moving back to the neighborhood feeders again.

Last evening we were invited over to neighbor  Dan's house for supper. His lovely wife , Minh, cooked up a delicious meal and even sent home leftovers for our lunch today. Tonight we are invited to another neighbors house across the street for a late Halloween party. What is going on with all of this friendly neighbor stuff?? I almost feel "social" again.

On that note; I'll simply wish you a very blessed day and weekend. Carve time out of your weekend to visit you house of worship and give thanks and praise where it is due. Until next time.

Sunny skies and a 22 mph wind this morning. If my shoe laces weren't tied, I'd lose my socks! It is supposed to be windy all day. The good news is that the severe storm threat that we had did not materialize, at least not here. The other good news is that I mulched all the leaves in my back yard yesterday and since my trees are now bare, I didn't get much in the way of new ones to have to mulch today.

The wind is making it a bit difficult for the smaller birds to hold on today. They come in for their landing and it blows them back a little and they have to regroup and press on. It doesn't seem to bother the cardinals nor the bluejays. Old Fuss-a-lot was here earlier and was raising a racket. It sounded like there might have been a second one out of might sight line and maybe that was what it was fussing about. I only have one squirrel so far this morning and it 's tail is really blowing in the wind. Maybe the rest of them are sleeping in and hunkering down from the cold wind. One of the things I like about the wind or breeze blowing though is listening to sound of my Corinthian Chimes hanging out there in the pussy willow tree. It's very melodic.

Ms. Kate planted some more iris yesterday. One of our parishioners gave us some iris at church on Sunday and she wanted to get them in the ground. The fellow said they were hybrid iris, what ever that means, but said they had way too any and had to thin theirs and offered us some. I reckon we will see come spring what they may look like. We also got the asparagas cut back yesterday which we had  been meaning to get done. We had intended to slip some roses this fall too and haven't done that yet. It may be too late, I doon't know. Ms. Kate is the expert on that. We're thinking that maybe if they do well, we'll be able to give Julie some in the spring to plant in her yard. That's how we have added to our rose beds around here.

Today's activities have to including writing my sermon for next week. Then I need to go up to the church and get a little work done up there. This coming Sunday is the day we wrap up our Operation Christmas Child drive. We have a lot of stuff collected and sitting down at St. Lucas but we are going to meet at St. Paul's to assemble and fill the boxes, so I need to get that stuff all moved. I know I could ask for help in doing that, --- but that just isn't my way. I make a lot of work for myself by not asking for help. I'm really hoping though we have a good turnout to help put the boxes together etc. For that, I definiitely asked for help.

I've poured my second cup of coffee and now I think I'll read a little Max Lucado and listen to a bit of southern gospek for my morning contemplation with the Lord. Did you know God reaally likes southern gospel??  I hope your day is as sunny as our sky is today and is filled with blessings.  Peace.

Beautiful blue sky and crisp air greet us again this morning. I was up early this morning again, just past sunrise actually, and came out to the sun porch to see who else was up early today. Mr. calico cat was up and aware because it took off in an instant when it saw me. It didn't take long after that for the cardinals to begin coming in. Then came in a couple of red headed woodpeckers and downy woodpeckers. As I sit here now I have at least eight cardinals sitting around and a few junkos are zipping around on the ground grabbing something to eat. God sure does provide good entertainment for me every morning to start my day.

It is veteran's day and Facebook is full of posts of "thank you for your service" from all around the country. As a veteran I am happy to see those comments and I' suspect most veterans today will feel a sense of pride and appreciation for the recognition. But if I may be allowed to go on a bit of a tangent; let me begin by saying that very few of us who have served, whether it was one tour or made it a career, very few of us went and served for the accolades.

I just read this morning that only 7% of the people of this nation have worn a military service uniform. That's 7% who have stepped up to protect 100% of us. We each joined the military for various reasons individually, but for the vast majority, we did it as a sense of national pride and a self expectation and sense of duty to a nation that was the greatest nation on earth. I can't think of a day in my thirty two year career in the Air Force that I wasn't proud of who I was; or wasn't proud of my branch of the service; or wasn't proud to be a member of the armed forces of the United States of America. I have been retired from the Air Force for fourteen years now and I am still so proud of the young men and women who are stepping up too serve. But --- we are and have raised a new generation of people in this country that no longer feel the need to serve their country. They feel they are entitled to freedom without working for it. They have been protected by overshadowing and "helicopter-parents" and been shielded so that they don't get their feeling hurt. Well, I have to admit that getting your legs and arms blown off by an IED will hurt your feelings! But I give thanks that we still do have young people that do recognize a sense of duty to serve their country instead of constantly demanding to be served. President John Kennedy said it right; "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." Far too many people have forgotten that.

I lift up prayers of gratitude this morning to God that I live in a country founded on Christian beliefs and an expectation to live free from tyranny. I also lift up prayers for safe passage for all of our young men and women in the military and their families who sacrifice so very much in order that this country can remain free. But, I also pray that the people of this nation will wake up from their sense of self indulgence and entitlement and look around them and see the work that needs to be done to make this nation great once again. Quit standing around shouting and protesting about life and pick up a hammer and help build a house for someone who lost theirs. Protest by working in a shelter. Protest by serving others and helping others. There is so very much work to do because as trite as it is to say --- Freedom is not free. Have a blessed day; thank you for reading my blog. Peace!

The starlings are here this morning and they are being a bunch of nasty guests. They fight and they fuss and they pick and peck at one another. But -- Mr. Fuss-a-lot, the bluejay usually comes in and breaks them up because he is noiser and bigger and has a longer beak that they do. It's a universal concept --- if the big dog wants the bowl, you let him have it.

Happy Tuesday. It is 45* out there but the sun is shining brightly. I should be getting ready to go to a meeting over in Owensboro, KY but I have too much stuff to do here at home. It is a monthly Pastor's Circle meeting, but I just am not ready to drive an hour each way to go to a meeting when I can use those two hours to get work done here. I imagine attendance will be small.

Ms. Kate and I went to a friend's house last night for dinner and conversation. He is a year older than me and is selling his house, downsizing by 3000 sq. ft. and six acres,  moving to Ohio to live close to his son and family. Since his wife died, he has been rambling around his big home on seven acres all by himself, so I don't blame him a bit for moving on. He is emotionally ready to do that now. I pray he will find happiness up there. He certainly deserves it.

This afternoon I'm doing a worship service at the Good Samaritan Nursing home. I do that once a year and I always enjoy doing them. I'll use the same worship service and sermon that I used this past Sunday so it is really no extra work. There will be about 30 + residents in attendance and some staff. Many of the residents will sleep through it and I don't mind. Pastor's from many of the local churches take part in providing a worship service once a week there. I have done this at a couple of other nursing homes but they have changed their programs and I don't now who provides services for them now.

Time Warner Cable came yesterday afternoon and I think they may have actually fixed our television reception problems. They took out all of our old DVR boxes and put in new ones and gave us new remote control devices. I really hope this took care of it.

I need to get a cup of coffee and head down to my office and get busy. As I do, I pray your day will be as bright as that beautiful blue sky out there. Have a blessed day.

A new week; a whole new set of opportunities. That's the neat thing about Monday; we just don't know what the week will hold for us. I can look at my calendar and see several things listed for the week. I can listen to the weather and hear predictions for the week. But one never knows the actuality of it all until the week has become history. How's that for feet fresh on a morning floor thinking?

It is a brisk 34 degree morning and mostly cloudy. The back yard has filled up with birds now that I am out here. When I came out to the sun porch, yellow cat and calico cat were both out here. But they took off as soon as they saw me. No free breakfast from my yard this morning for those two guys. Now the cardinals are in for the buffet. Some are eating from the feeders and some are cleaning up the spilled seed under the feeders. Mr. Fuss-a-lot, the bluejay is here making a racket,  as is the larger red-headed woodpecker. The two of them have no problem with pecking at one another for food and dominance on a feeder.

It has been a busy and productive weekend for me. I finished writing the narrative for the Christmas Cantata. It wasn't or isn't a big deal but it was on my plate of things to do and it does take some time to collect my thoughts and put them down so that they make sense. Last evening I put together a couple of up-coming worship services and began working on putting together Advent Wreath Candle lighting litanys for the families to read as they light the candles each of the four Sundays of Advent and Christmas Eve. I'm not creating these litanys but I am having to type them up from one of my resource books. It just all takes time to find a good source and get it down on paper.

Today I have to be at the hospital for a parishioner that is having a hip replacement, then be home in time for the Time Warner Cable people to come and maybe finally figure out why we get such messed up television reception. Then this evening we go to our friend's house for dinner. Some time in between there I need to practice my trumpet solo for Sunday and maybe get some more writing done. I have this Sunday's sermon written, but not next weeks and tomorrow is just as busy as today. Oh, and I really need to take thirty minutes or so and blow off my back walk and flowerbeds one more time and mulch up the leaves yet again. As I said in the beginning --- a whole new set of opportunities!

But --- before I begin all of that  I must stop and give thanks to God that I have all of these opportunities to face. I'm alive, I'm well, and I'm covered and overwhelmed with the blessings that God has provided. Once again I look at my life and just am amazed at what God has favored me with; a loving family, not one but two successful careers, and the trust in me to use me to spread the Gospel. God is good --- all the time. Have a blessed day.