That Famous Day and Year - 17 April 2021 - Plague Journal Day 401

Micah 6:8
Isaiah 21:11-12 
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Listen, my readers, and you will hear ... well, if you read this aloud you'll hear.

Anyway, I know I'm a day early, but Sundays are always my worship notice, so here's a quick reminder that back in 1775, Paul Revere made his famous ride after seeing "one if by land, two if by see" from the tower of the North Church in Boston.

Let's hope and pray that we still have patriots around here willing to take risks to protect the liberty of their fellow Americans.

On the 18th of April in '75 ....

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

If You Can Keep It - 16 April 2021 - Plague Journal Day 400

Micah 6:8
1 Samuel 8:11-22
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

On this day in history, April 16, 1859 Alexis de Tocqueville, French historian and scientist died.
What a time to remember his description of America as we watch people vote themselves largesse from the public trough and those in power work to legislate themselves perpetual ownership of that public trough. This is incredibly disheartening, discouraging, and disappointing. It's also radically un-American.

Who knew our founders were so wise? I guess they realized that mere mortals ought not to be trusted with much power, let alone absolute power to rule. They did, after all, have the example of the madness of King George III, but that wasn't the only reason. While not all of them were hardcore Bible believers, they did seem to understand the fallen nature of Man taught there, and that's the whole reason we have checks and balances - checks on the strictly limited powers allowed to the federal government in order to protect the people. Clearly they never envisaged career politicians, more's the pity.

Pray for our nation.

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

I Remember Stuff - 15 April 2021 - Plague Journal Day 399

Micah 6:8
Exodus 20:16
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Today is the day that used to be dreaded as the annual request for self-incrimination (generally unintentional) from the IRS, Income Tax Filing Day. Once again the COVIDs have delayed that deadline - this year only for an extra month - so it somehow doesn't feel special, even though my Outlook calendar noted that today is Tax Day.
Please note - I'm not complaining. Also note that the 1040 above is my favorite version - the one that says "DO NOT FILE" in large letters. I'm happy to follow instructions.

It's perhaps instructive to note that today is also Take A Wild Guess Day. Once again we look at unintentional self-incrimination. One wonders if taking the Fifth is allowed on line 1 of the 1040 form.

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Ain't Funny, McGee - 14 April 2021 - Plague Journal Day 398

Micah 6:8
2 Kings 2:23-25
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

When I checked the calendar for today's special celebrations and/or commemorations I discovered that today is Children With Alopecia Day and it's also International Moment Of Laughter Day.

I'm sorry, that's just cruel.

When he was in Middle School - generally considered the time in life when your peers are the kindest, most accepting of differences, right? - my son had a particularly "interesting" alopecia flare-up. I got a call from his counselor asking if we would have any problem with allowing him to wear a hat (in spite of the no-hats-allowed rule in the school).
She hastened to tell me that the other kids were noticing his bald patches and there were rumors galore bouncing hither and yon through the hallways. Everything from cancer (of course) to "he has a steel plate in his head" was being bandied about. I told her that we'd be fine with his wearing a hat, and that I guessed he had started the "steel plate" rumor himself. She didn't believe me, but it turned out to be the case.
I was an especially proud father that day.

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Yes I Can! - 13 April 2021 - Plague Journal Day 397

Micah 6:8
Galatians 3:27-29
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

I was thinking about this quote by Pulitzer Prize winning writer, Eudora Welty, this morning:

"The first act of insight is throw away the labels."

That sounds very profound, doesn't it?
Of course, if we're going to be cooking from our pantries, I think this is not remotely the first act of insight, but rather of chaos.



Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

The Penultimate Frontier++ - 12 April 2021 - Plague Journal Day 396

Micah 6:8
Proverbs 30:18-19
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

What a day in history the 12th of April is!
In 1937 the first aircraft jet engine was tested.
In 1961 Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space.
In 1981 the Space Shuttle took its first flight.

As a life-long reader of science fiction and fantasy, this just makes me yearn even more for my John Carter moment when I will be transported to the cities of dying Barsoom!
I guess it really is time to slip the surly bonds of Earth, eh?

Speaking of that (of "High Flight," that is) I wonder how many of you recall that TV stations used to actually go off the air overnight, and that one of the sign-off videos they used was a reading of that poem accompanying shots of planes flying through the sky. I know - no TV overnight? How did people either get to sleep or buy incredibly useless, yet monstrously enticing gadgets? It was a whole different time.

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Worship - 11 April 2021 - Plague Journal Day 395

Micah 6:8
Ephesians 6:10-18
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

 

 

This is the second Sunday in Easter

When the COVID case levels settled down in Grosse Pointe, we resumed our in-person worship.
Yes, we still have in-person worship in the Sanctuary today. You need to have registered ahead of time to attend, and an email went out from the church with all the details!

For our 9:30 worship service we have a guest presentation for the message, another appearance by the handbell choir for our offertory time, and a hymn for us to read along while Doug plays. (We're slowly getting back to real Methodist worship!) Remember, we'll be streaming for all those who can't join us in person.

As usual, today's stream should just appear as the latest entry on our YouTube channel, here.
You'll find all our previous worship videos right there at that same place, and today's stream will stay there as a recording as well.

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264