LIFE IS UNDESERVEDLY WONDERFUL!

     I love my life! I really do! I am not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but I am rich beyond description. I have everything that I could possibly need. Please bear with me as I elaborate.

     First, I am married to a most amazing woman. Yeah, I know..you're probably thinking "there he goes again! We're so happy together...blah!...blah!...blah!" Well as pathetic as it may sound and as tired as you may be hearing it, it happens to be true!
     My beloved SWMBO is a constant source of  laughter, often without intending to be.  She often gets cliches mixed up in the same way that Yogi Berra does. She is forever losing things like her shoes, her cell phone, her car keys, TV Remote Controls, etc. It is my lot in life to search and find these lost items.
     But more than that she is a great wife. She creates a home that makes me want to come back to, my little refuge from the world.
     She is my best and most loyal friend. She is always in my corner and she loves me enough to tell me the unvarnished truth.
     She is a terrific grandmother. She loves being a Grannie and is so good at it. She dotes on out grandchildren whenever she can.
     This just scratches the surface of how wonderful she truly is.

      Secondly, I have been blessed with several wonderful friends. I have people in my life who I could call in the middle of the night and who would not hang up on me. I have friends who would respond, with shovels, to help me without asking any questions. I have friends who are acutely aware of my shortcomings but choose to overlook them. 

     Thirdly, I have been privileged to have people in my life who are accomplished in a particular discipline who took the time to impart their knowledge to me at the time when I needed it most.
      This was true during my law enforcement career. This was, and is, true with respect to my spiritual development. This was true during my school years. 

     Also I live in a country where freedom is a guaranteed right. Where I get to be as offensive as I want to be without legal jeopardy. 
     I live in a country with the best medical care in the world.
     I live in a country where people can become successful beyond their wildest dreams.

     These are just a few of the reasons why my life is so wonderful. In a future blog entry I'll elaborate on some of the spiritual blessings that I have as a Christian. 
     I really don't deserve any of these things, but I am so grateful that my life is so wonderful, rich and lavishly blessed. 

     I hope that all of you get to experience the joy that I am blessed with daily.  

WHAT HAPPENED TO FRIDAY'S BLOG POST?

     Last week a funny thing happened on my way to the blogosphere...I got unavoidably delayed and then detoured. 

     As anyone who has read this blog for awhile knows, I serve as an Elder in the church of Christ that meets in Manchester, NH. 
     According to the Biblical pattern for the church the only authorised offices, or positions, in the church are Evangelists, Elders and Deacons. 

     Sadly, there are over 40 churches of Christ in New England that do not have a regular full or part time Evangelist or preacher. Those duties are performed by the men of the congregation.
     Many churches also do not have Elders to oversee the work or Deacons to serve the needs of the church. To address this problem, the Ganderbrook Center for Christian Leadership (GCCL) was created. The GCCL is the brain child of our Evangelist, Park Linscomb. 

     Once per quarter there is a meeting of the GCCL. The purpose of the GCCL is to provide training for Christian men who are interested in developing skills as a church leader. There are three tracts of training available: (1) Preacher Tract - for men interested in learning how to develop and preach a Biblical sermon and to perform the other functions of a preacher; (2) Ministry Tract - for men who want training in carrying out church ministry; (3) Leadership Tract - for men who want to develop the skills to become qualified to serve as church Elders or church Deacons.

     Each quarter men from various churches of Christ meet to participate in training along one of the available tracts. The teachers consist of men who have been formally trained and possess college degrees from accredited church of Christ affiliated Christian colleges. Most are currently serving as Evangelists in a church of Christ somewhere in New England and have been for many years.

     The quarterly meetings run from Friday morning thru Sunday evening. Weather permitting the meetings are held at Ganderbrook Christian Camp in Raymond, ME. This most recent meeting was hosted by the Edgewood church of Christ in Mansfield, MA, because the buildings at the camp are not suited to year-round occupation. The Edgewood church had something that Ganderbrook did not have.....HEAT & RUNNING WATER!

     When I returned on Sunday evening I was more tired than I realized and fell asleep.  Therefore I did not write a blog entry.      As a result of my attendance at the GCCL I was unable to post my usual blog entry. I hope your weekend was as fulfilling as mine was. Although it was not pleasant being away from my beloved SWMBO, it was worth the sacrifice. God Bless You!
     

KARMA OR BLIND AS A BAT!

    SWMBO and I live in a lovely slit-entry style house. The configuration of our counters in relation to the stove and the refrigerator, respectively, played an interesting part in SWMBO making light of yours truly.

     One day last week I made a sandwich for lunch. I saw at the time that I was using the last two slices of bread.
     Later that day my beloved SWMBO said that she was going to make soup and sandwiches for supper. 
     Remembering that I had used the last two slices I informed my beloved SWMBO that I had used the last two slices of bread earlier for lunch. SWMBO told me that this morning before I drove her to work she took a loaf of bread from the freezer and placed it on the stove to defrost / thaw out during the day.

     As I mentioned earlier I made a sandwich for lunch using the last two slices of bread in the process. I went to the bread box which is located on the counter to the left of the stove. I took the bread out and moved to the counter that is to the right of the stove next to the fridge. I walked past the stove and moved to the fridge. I removed the lunch meat and mustard from the fridge, made my sandwich, put everything away and then ate my lunch.

     When SWMBO informed me that she was making soup and sandwiches, I naturally questioned her about where the bread was coming from. She said there was a loaf of bread on the stove. I don't know how I could have missed it, but I did. SWMBO took great delight in mocking my prior assertions of being a trained observer. You may recall I was a police officer for 30 years. 

     As luck would have it, SWMBO had to teach a dog obedience class on Monday evening. Due to snowy conditions I drove her to work and picked her up after class.
     I arrived to pick her up as class was letting out. When SWMBO came out of the building there was a full size pick-up truck parked in front of the building. SWMBO had to walk around the truck to get to our car. As we drove away I asked her who owned the truck. She asked "What truck?" I told her the one parked in front of the building. She said that she did not see any truck. She asked me to return to the building so she could jot down the plate number.

     As we drove back I pointed out that she busted my chops over not seeing a loaf of bread and that it seemed like a double standard considering she failed to see an entire full size truck. Her answer was that I'm a trained observer and she isn't!

     Yep! I lost that argument too! As it turned out, the truck belonged to a co-worker. 

     Enjoy your day!

WEEKEND UPDATE!

     How was your weekend? Up here in the frozen tundra we had a bit of a thaw. The temps hit in the high 40's on Saturday and Sunday. 
     What did I do all weekend? Not much really. I lallygagged around the house all Saturday morning having breakfast that consisted of cereal and coffee, then I watched some TV and read a little. 
     In the afternoon I went to Supercuts to get a haircut and beard trim. SWMBO said I was getting too shaggy and needed to get my hair cut. I told her that I was letting my hair grow to the length where I can pull it back into a pony tail, that I was going for a 60's "hippy" look. She threatened to use Nair hair remover on me while I slept. So, off to Supercuts I went. After the stylist cut my hair and used a weed whacker on my beard I had to admit that I looked a lot better.

     I have been hearing a lot of good things about the Les Mis movie starring Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. I know that the play was very popular and well received. My son really likes the music. I have never heard the music except for a song or two.
     Anyways, it has been awhile since SWMBO and I went out to a movie so I decided to purchase two tickets for the 3:30 p.m. showing at the local Cinemagic Theater and surprise SWMBO with a date.
     If you haven't seen Les Miserables yet, I urge you to go see it. The movie is magnificent. Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway did a spectacular job of acting. Russell Crowe of Gladiator fame is also in the movie. He did very well also. I never knew that Crowe could sing. 
     If the purpose of a movie is to take it's audience through a range of emotions, Les Mis succeeded spectacularly. The film was very gripping and well worth the time to see it. SWMBO absolutely loved it! Can you say "Brownie Points?"
      So, if you haven't seen it yet, go see it. You won't be sorry!

      Well, the NHL lockout is over and what is supposed to pass for a season has begun. The Boston Bruins skated against the New York Rangers on Saturday. The Bruins prevailed over the Rangers by a score of 3 to 1. Part of me is glad the Bruins won.
     Having said that, a part of me is still miffed at both the NHL owners and the NHL Players Association. A pox on both their houses! I am boycotting NHL Hockey for the rest of the so-called season.
     It seems to me that whoever wins the Stanley Cup this year will have that victory tarnished because of the short season. There will probably be an asterisk in the record books next to the teams name because of special nature of the season.
     I know that my view is the minority view given the capacity crowds at several of the pro hockey arena's. So I say "BOYCOTT THE NHL !!!"

      Also this weekend my beloved New England Patriots came up short against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game. At least it wasn't the Superbowl and the NY Giants again! The Ravens were due to win one of these years.
     The Ravens entry into the Superbowl marks the first time in NFL history that two brothers will coach opposing teams in the big game. Jim Harbaugh coaches the San Francisco 49ers and his brother, John coaches the Ravens. 
     I don't have a dog in this fight but I suspect I'll support the AFC Ravens.

    I hope you had a good weekend too!

WHAT IS THE TRUE CHURCH?

    In the first chapter of the Book of Acts we read about the establishment of the church. The Apostle Peter preached a sermon on the Day of Pentecost and as a result of that sermon three thousand people were baptized and added to the church. The church grew and spread from that day on.

    In the 16th century, Martin Luther led a movement that reformed the church. This was the so called Great Reformation. What was Luther trying to reform and why was reformation necessary. The obvious answer is that the church had changed from what it was on the day that it was established on the Day of Pentecost in the 1st century.

    Shortly after our nation was founded, around 1800, some Methodist and Presbyterian Preachers came to the conclusion that there were problems with the way Christianity was practiced. There were divisions among Christians, more commonly called denominations, contrary to the explicit intention of the Church's Head and Founder, the Lord Jesus Christ.

    In the seventeenth chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus' prayer is recorded for us. Jesus prayed that His disciples would be one as He and the Father were one.

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that world may believe that you have sent me."  (John 17:20, 21 NIV)

...These 19th century preachers came to believe that: (1) There was only one true church and there should not be any divisions between Christians; (2) There was only one authority on church matters, The Bible; (3) Jesus is the one and only Head of the Church; and (4) Congregations are autonomous. Consequently they attempted to "restore" the original church that was established on the Day of Pentecost in the 1st century.

    What is truly fascinating about this restoration movement is that it truly arose organically. Preachers in the South and preachers in the North arrived at these same ideas simultaneously and independently of each other. Their intent was to return to the church as originally instituted on the day of Pentecost in the first century A.D. (I refuse to use the BCE or CE designators crap!) The common element in this occurence was that they all read the same Bible.

    Something special was obviously occurring here. It was this movement that gave birth to the modern day church of Christ. It's important to understand that the name "church of Christ" does not denote a denomination, per se, but rather a declaration of the church being the possession of Christ.

    Jesus established only one church. The Apostles evangelized the known world and grew the one church. The Apostles taught people one Gospel and urged them to obey that one Gospel. The Apostle Paul warned in his letter to the Galatian church that if anyone, even an angel from heaven, should teach any other Gospel other than the one he, and by implication the other Apostles, taught...let them be accursed.

    However, despite the clear teaching of Scripture and despite Jesus' clear intention to the contrary, divisions arose over the ensuing centuries that gave rise to the various denominations. These same divisions exist to this day.

    The teaching of Scripture is clear...there is only one true church that was established by Jesus through His Apostles. Please don't take my word for it...check it out for yourself! Let me know if I may be of assistance in your search. If you want to know more, this Sunday please visit the Manchester church of Christ,  located a 66 Mammoth Road, Manchester, NH, . I'll see you there! God bless you!

RANDOM NONSENSE !

"It's the nonsensical ravings of a lunatic mind"

Dr. Frankensteen (Young Frankenstein)

     There has been a fair amount of nonsense being presented in the news media recently. Here are just a few examples of what I mean! 

Assault Weapon: Recent discussions around "gun control" make reference to a special class of firearms called "Assault Weapons." What they mean when they say that are military style rifles such as the civilian versions of M-16's, AK-47's and other rifles commonly used by military units worldwide.

     Maybe it's just me, but it seems to me that every firearm was designed for the specific purpose of perpetrating an assault on a person, animal, or thing and are therefore by definition "assault weapons." 

Tax the Rich: President Obama succeeded in raising the tax rates for the rich. Before the so-called fiscal cliff deal was passed and signed into law the "rich" paid about 75% of tax revenue received by the U.S. Treasury. You can be assured that that figure will go down for 2013. Why? Because the rich have the means to shelter income in non-taxable instruments or off shore accounts. 

     The number of jobs will be dramatically less because the cost of hiring someone is more expensive. If the rich (You know the people who used to invest in companies or run small businesses) have less money, then it logically follows that they cannot afford to, or will choose not to, create more jobs. Our government has a spending problem! We are not under taxed!

  Guns in School: The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, has been a gut punch to our national psyche. The tragedy has brought out strong opinions from both sides of the gun control debate.

     What's the answer? The government wants to pass more laws that will only impact law abiding citizens who obey laws. Crazy people and criminals DO NOT OBEY LAWS! 

     The police took 20 minutes to respond to the active shooter call at the school. Imagine if there had been an armed police officer, teacher, janitor or other competent person in the school on that day. It is probable that the death toll would not have been as high. Guns are not allowed in schools...but crazy people and criminals DO NOT OBEY LAWS!

     The sad fact of life is that your government, no matter at what level, cannot protect you. Let me say that again, your government cannot protect you. They can only respond after an incident occurs. On rare occasions they can respond while the incident is happening, but those times are few and far between. No law passed by the government can protect you! Why? Crazy people and criminals DO NOT OBEY LAWS!

     Each community will have to decide for itself how best to secure their schools and protect their children. 

Tax Code: My wife runs a small not for profit charitable organization. Under the tax code that governs non-profits, if the not for profit organization earns less that $25,000 dollars during the year, the organization does not have to file a tax return. However, they do have to file a notice that says that they don't have to file a tax return! You get that...they have to file a return telling the government that they don't have to file a return!   YIKES!

     Thank you for stopping by. I hope that you have enjoyed this blog post. Please leave a comment if you are so inclined! God bless you!  

GUN CONTROL...TYRANNY'S BEST FRIEND!

              " Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it" 
                                                                                            George Santayana

     The above listed quote is very germane to the current discussions about "Reasonable Gun Safety" laws, more truthfully known as "gun control." There are a number of national leaders who are determined to largely restrict, if not ban outright, an American citizen's right to possess firearms.

     Let's review a little of our history. Our founding fathers were very well educated men for the time that they lived. They knew that if significant restraints were not placed upon government, the natural inclination of government would be to grab more and more power. Therefore, they placed significant restraints upon the new fledgling government that they created.

     First, they installed a system of checks and balances by creating three coequal branches of government, Executive, Legislative and Judicial. The power of the purse was placed in the Legislative branch, specifically the House of Representatives. The power to implement the laws was placed in the Executive and the power to interpret the laws, the Judicial.

     Further, the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution was enacted to further codify explicit rights. Among these first ten amendments is the 2nd Amendment, which specifically protects an Americans right to own and possess firearms. The purpose of the second amendment is to insure that the people had the means to throw off the shackles of oppression should the government exceed it's authority and becomes tyrannically oppressive. 

     The most oppressive governments of the past century banned the ownership of firearms by its citizens. 
     Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime passed laws to remove the average German citizens right to own firearms when he consolidated his power over Germany in 1933 - 1945. Millions of German citizens died in Hitlers concentration camps.
     Joseph Stalin and communist Russia banned the private ownership of firearms. Millions of Russian people paid the price with their lives in the Russian gulags.
     Mao Tsetung's communist China banned the private ownership of firearms. Millions of Chinese died in Mao's re-education camps.
     Not to mention the leaders in Cambodia, North Korea, and on and on and on!  

     Thomas Jefferson once observed that "Where the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Where the government fear the people, there is liberty."

     Do not fool yourself into thinking that it cannot happen here in the old U.S. of A. It most certainly can, although not all at once, but IT CAN HAPPEN HERE! 

     NEWS FLASH - Our current democratic President and Senate Majority Leader are currently circumventing laws that were duly passed and enacted, without anyone holding them accountable. 
     In the event that this becomes acceptable practice by the majority of the American people, a future government may just take further liberties and before you know it's Nazi Germany circa 1936 all over again. 

     I'll have more to say on this topic in future postings. Enjoy your Monday! Enjoy your week! God bless you! God bless America!

WHAT IF IT IS, IN FACT, ALL TRUE ? THE BIBLE!

     There is a cliche that if you want to live in peace you should never talk about religion or politics. It is believed that personal beliefs regarding these two topics are so polarized and/or so strongly held that an argument is sure to ensue if either topic is brought up for discussion. In some instances violence erupts when either topic is discussed.

    When it comes to issues such as "God" and "the Bible" beliefs are also so strongly held that arguments are certain to occur. Ironically, Christians are not immune to these depths of belief that lead to heated arguments and sadly, sometimes to physical violence.

      Over the next few weeks I intend to "stick my head into the lions mouth," as it were, by daring to discuss these, and other, so called taboo topics. In the event that my writings cause you to become offended or angry please be assured that that is not my intent. I bear no one any ill will nor do I use this blog to deliberately annoy or make anyone angry. I sincerely believe the things that I write.

      I also firmly believe in my right to express my views that is guaranteed by the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and therefore will not allow myself to be censored by anyone. Should you find any of my views to be intolerably offensive, you have essentially two options: (1) Comment and show me where I am incorrect; (2) Stop reading my blog entries. I would prefer that you choose option #1, but I won't think any less of you if you choose option #2.

      So let's get started. We'll begin by talking about the Bible. 

     The Bible is a remarkable, even a miraculous, book. The Bible consists of sixty-six individual books. These books were written by forty different men from various backgrounds over a period of about 1500 years. The Bible tells one consistent story from the book of Genesis through the book of Revelations. There are no significant contradictions that would call either the Bible's accuracy or truthfulness into question.

     The Bible is accurate historically. The Bible is accurate with respect to the sciences. The Bible is the only book to be 100 percent accurate in it's predictive prophecies. There are over 300 prophecies that were fulfilled in the life of Jesus. The Bible is accurate geographically.

     If the Bible is, in fact, true...as I believe it is, the implications for everyone are staggering and of eternal importance. If the Bible is, in fact, what it purports to be, that is, the inspired word of God, we dismiss it at our peril.

     We will get into more specifics next Friday's blog post. In the mean time I cordially invite you to visit and worship with us at the Manchester church of Christ, 66 Mammoth Road, Manchester, NH, this Sunday. God bless you!

RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A WANDERING MIND!

Why I Haven't Written - Upon checking my blog statistics I was surprised to learn that I haven't posted a blog entry since February 2012. So where the heck have I been? The fact of the matter is that writing was becoming a tedious chore rather than something I enjoyed doing. Something was going on inside me that was taking all the fun out of writing. I suppose it could have had something to do with adjusting to the new reality of retirement. Maybe it was born out of frustration with my not being able to find a suitable part time job. Whatever the reason, I just did not want to write...so I didn't. 
     I spent my time serving as editor on SWMBO's blog, Life Through Bifocals. My wife is rather talented and has an eye for what to write. Check it out. I have a link to it on my blog page. It really was a labor of love for me.  I love SWMBO...but you knew that if you've been reading my blog.
     Towards the end of the year I began to feel the creative juices flowing again and the desire to write emerged once more. I want this blog to be fun! First, for my readers who are kind enough to take the time to read it. Second, for me to write it. If it's not fun for me to write it, I doubt that it will be fun for you to read it. So let's see how it goes.

Goals for 2013 - Last year I made a concerted effort to NOT make any resolutions. Instead I set some goals for myself. How did I do? Well, I learned that there's little difference between "Goals" and "Resolutions," at least that's how it worked out for me.
     Weight/Exercise - I wanted to lose weight and increase my physical activity. I did lose some weight, but not as much as I need to. I also wanted to move more and I did, again, not the the extent that I envisioned. So these two goals get carried over into 2013. I'll try to keep you posted as to my progress.
     Brain Exercise - I set a goal to read twelve books in 2012. I read eleven and am two thirds through the twelfth book. I will read thirteen books in 2013. 
     I also set a goal to learn New Testament Greek. I did not meet this goal in any significant way so this goal also carries over into 2013.
     Spiritual Life - I set a goal to read the entire Bible chronologically in 2012. I further purposed to become a better Christian man, to become the man who God created me to be. I made significant strides towards meeting this goal. I did spend more time in prayer and meditation. I read more of the Bible than I had in past years but I did not read the entire Bible. This goal carries over to 2013. 
     As I mentioned in my first post of 2013, I was appointed to serve as a church Elder in September of 2012. It's a responsibility that I take very seriously because God takes it very seriously. 
     Of necessity, to perform my duties as an Elder it requires much time spent reading the Bible, much time in prayer and concentrating on the spiritual aspects of life, not just mine but those in the congregation who I oversee as well. 
     I still have a long way to go, but I am well on my way, and I am blessed to serve with four other very capable, patient, exemplary men who are assisting me on my journey. 

The National Hockey League - The NHL Players Association and the NHL Club owners are the living examples of "It's easier to ask for forgiveness then to ask for permission." There has been a lockout and therefore there has been no NHL Hockey games this year. A pox upon both their houses!
     I'm given to understand that they have reached a tentative agreement and the lockout is over. They anticipate playing a 50-game season. A statement said that they were going to try to figure out how to make it up to their fans and sponsors. Good luck with that! 
     As far as this hockey fan is concerned I will be boycotting the rest of the season. I call upon all like minded hockey fans to join me in my boycott. If everyone who reads this blog joins my boycott, that will be about ten seats that won't get filled for the remainder of this season! That'll teach 'em! That should bring them to their knee's begging for forgiveness!

     Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog. Please leave a comment...tell me what you think! God bless you all in this New Year!  
     

Fiscal Cliff Notes

     How did you survive the fall over the " fiscal cliff? " Was it like going over Niagra Falls or more like falling out of bed? Are you relieved that a deal was struck?

     To wax a little Shakespearean...Friends! Americans! Countrymen! Lend me your eyes! President Obama is an honorable man and so are they all (Congress), honorable men! President Obama said that he would listen to any idea so long as that idea presented a "balanced" approach, with tax rate increases for millionaires and billionaires and extending the Bush tax cuts for the middle class. Would that balance was made of sterner stuff!

     The Senate voted on their version of the Fiscal Cliff bill three minutes after publishing the bill to the Senate members. Senators had three minutes to read and digest 154 pages, assess the merits, form an opinion and then cast an "informed" vote.
     Eighty-nine Senators voted for this pork laden monstrosity. As for the balance approach the President spoke about, there are reportedly $41.00 in taxes for every $1.00 in spending cuts. Balance should be made of sterner stuff!

     The House Republicans caved and passed the Senate bill which the President signed into law.

     The thing that is particularly galling in light of all the talk of not saddling the "Middle Class" with a tax increase and only raising tax rates on the rich, is that 77 percent of American households will see their taxes rise. Imagine my shock to learn that 77 percent of households in America are rich! Balance should be made of sterner stuff!

     Another thing that is galling is that our national leaders have kicked the sequestration cuts-problem-can down the road. In two months they will have to decide whether the automatic spending cuts go into effect in areas of defense, medicaid, medicare, etc.         

     So in two months we get to watch more drama play out in the "Kabuki Theater" that is our Congress over automatic spending cuts! Also, remember the debt limit? That will have to be addressed again too!

     The 113th Session of Congress was sworn in yesterday! I find it hard to be optimistic about the outcome of their efforts! May God help us! 

The Year That was 2012 or Where have I Been?

     HAPPY NEW YEAR! I sincerely wish for all of you that the year 2013 brings an abundance of health, wealth, and happiness. I hope that the year 2012 is a fond memory and not a painful one.

     When I began to write this post I thought about what to call it. "The Year That was 2012" seemed appropriate. However due to my lengthy absence from the blogosphere it seemed lacking somehow so I added the "Where Have I Been" part. So it is my hope that I can adequately address both parts of the title over ensuing posts.

     The year 2012 was the first full year of my retirement from a 30 year career in law enforcement. I must say that I am truly enjoying my retirement. For one thing, I have been able to spend more time with my beloved SWMBO. I so enjoy being in her company. She is a remarkable woman in so many ways. I am so blessed to be her husband.

     Another nice thing about being retired is the freedom from obligations. I go to bed when I want! I get up when I want! I essentially get to do what I want, when I want! Not a bad deal at all. 

     I have been looking for gainful employment, without much success. I think my search for work has been affected by a couple of things. For instance, the economy has not been conducive to finding work. I haven't been exactly dilligent in the effort either. Also, I am kinda particular about what I an willing to do. I don't want to be in any position of authority like a Court Officer, a Security Guard, a TSA Agent and the like. I don't want to be a supervisor or manager. 
     I would like something around four or five hours per day, two or three days per week, like a courier or auto parts delivery driver, or something like that. So the search continues.

     The year 2012 brought another change. As you know I am rather devout in my faith. I firmly believe in one God, the God of the Bible. I believe that the Bible is God's inspired Word and is true in all respects...without exception.

     Well, around June I was asked by the existing Elders if I would serve as an Elder in the church where SWMBO and I attend. An Elder is a very important position in the church. Other names from the Bible for Elder are "Shepherd, Pastor, Bishop and Overseer." The Elder is responsible for the overall spiritual health of the congregation that he oversees...among other things. 
     After some time in prayer, a conversation with SWMBO about her thoughts on the subject, and a frank discussion with the Elders about some concerns I had, I agreed to serve. It has been an interesting experience thus far serving with my fellow Elders.

     In April our two grandsons came to NH for a visit. They also brought their parents. It was great to see our son and daughter in law. 
    Our older grandson is very afraid of dogs. We have two dogs. By the end of their stay, our older grandson spent the night with us sleeping in the same bed with SWMBO and the two dogs. SWMBO was able teach him how to overcome his fear. We had both boys take turns spending the night at Grannie and Pepere's house. We were ecstatic to have them.

     You may recall that at the beginning of 2012 I set some goals for the year 2012. I achieved some! Partially achieved others and totally failed at the rest. I'll have more to say about that in future posts. Suffice it to say that for 2013 I will try to improve on the goals that I achieved or partially achieved. I will also rededicate myself to achieving those goals that I failed so miserably at.

     Well, I am back and will try to publish more often. I will write more in a couple of days. Thank you for reading my entries and please leave a comment. 

     God bless you in the New Year 2013!