And the Pastors Rejoiced! - 02 October 2021 - Plague Journal Day 569

Micah 6:8
2 Timothy 4:1-5
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Today in history really is one for celebration. On 02 October 1950, Charles M. Schulz's comic strip, Peanuts, was printed for the first time in 9 newspapers around the U.S.

If you've been in more than two church services in any one year, I'd be willing to bet you've heard a pastor use a Peanuts cartoon as a sermon illustration. Charles Schulz was a genius - even if that first strip didn't seem like it was really going where we all have seen it all end up. Still, we can recognize Charlie, even without his standard shirt, and we can see that he's the one who doesn't always know what's going on around him. He really is an everyman, isn't he?

Today is also World Card Making Day, probably not Charlie Brown's favorite day, unless someone finally would make him a card and he wouldn't be left with sarcasm as his only defense.

Keep Calm and Don't 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.

Feeling Like Tommy Roe - 01 October 2021 - Plague Journal Day 568

Micah 6:8
Isaiah 22:17-18
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Today is International Coffee Day. (Didn't we just have National Coffee Day a few days ago?) Here's my big coffee tale.
I was in grad school and having some health issues. I had cold hands, ringing in my ears, and bouts of vertigo. I remember sitting in a lecture hall and holding tightly to the desk as the room rotated around an axis that seemed to go through my navel. It was, shall we say, an uncomfortable experience.
So ... I finally actually went to see my doctor back home, getting an early morning appointment, no less. I went in, described my symptoms, and was asked how much gin I drank. "None," was my truthful answer, but I asked why he asked that. Apparently juniper berries are bad for the inner ear, so excessive gin drinking can lead to vertigo, dizziness, and the like.
That being cleared up, he moved on to the next candidate, asking how much coffee I drank. "Oh, only one and a half or two pots a day," was my again-truthful reply. "OK," he replied, "no more coffee for three months, and then you can start drinking decaf." He added a vaso-dilator medication to the mix and sent me on my way.
I remember thinking as I walked to my car, "But I didn't even get a cup yet today." I would say that I was well and truly addicted.

01 October 1968 marked the premiere of the original “Night of the Living Dead.” I first saw it at a free screening at a science fiction convention (probably in 1977?), and I know I enjoyed it; but my strongest memory of that film was its dubbed version we caught on an old program called "Mad Movies with the LA Connection" on USA Network (or at least I think that's where it was). This was a great show where they dubbed movies to make them into comedies. The (originally) horrifying scene where the zombies are storming the house where the young woman is cowering was morphed into something very different. As the zombies approached, they were all chanting, "Party! Party!" while the poor blonde woman inside was berating herself: "I forgot to buy the chips!" What a fun show that was.

Keep Calm and Don't 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.

Bedrock Values - 30 September 2021 - Plague Journal Day 567

Micah 6:8
Proverbs 17:6
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

My, how things have changed these past few years. Just seven years ago, on 30 September 2014 - our good friends' grandson was born. Dave was out of town on a business trip, so we took Sue to the hospital to see the new baby. Things were so different then, that we - unrelated friends - were allowed into the hospital, and even into the room after mother and child were cleaned up and presentable. Would that things were that hospitable in hospitals today!

On a slightly less personal historical note, 30 September 1960 marked the premier of "The Flintstones"
on television. Set in the stone age, it detailed the lives of the Flintstone and Rubble families and ran for 6 years until April 1 1966. It also engendered one of my current favourite Dad jokes:

What's the difference between Dubai and Abu Dhabi?
People in Dubai don't like the Flintstones, but those in Abu Dhabi do.

On an entirely non-personal historical note, on 30 September 1841, Samuel Slocum received a patent for the stapler. In those days the drawings were all monochrome, so there's no indication as to whether he envisaged a red stapler or not.


Keep Calm and Don't 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 Like the Java Jive - 29 September 2021 - Plague Journal Day 566

Micah 6:8
Proverbs 23:35
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Today is National Coffee Day! This holiday is to me as Christmas is to Ebenezer Scrooge at the end of "A Christmas Carol" - a day that I keep in my heart all through the year.
I just got a CD of classical music for the Coffee Lover, so I may have to drop that in the player. Bach's Coffee Cantata is no doubt a big part of the repertoire.

In addition, today is Michaelmas, which is also known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael. That list makes me think of the chorus from Haydn's "Creation" where the choir and three soloists sing that "the Heavens are telling the glory of God," with the soloists being Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael. Heidi, Fred, and I have sung those parts many times with the church choir, and it is a favourite piece of mine, and of the choir's.

So ... have a nice cup of Java (or even better, Jamaican Blue Mountain! Yum!) and realize that the Heavens really are telling the glory of God. After all, He made coffee beans!

Keep Calm and Don't 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.

But That Doesn't Seem Fair! - 28 September 2021 - Plague Journal Day 565

Micah 6:8
Psalm 58
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

The Electoral College is apparently one of those hard-to-understand bits of our republic. The reason for such a thing was that when the Declaration of Independence was signed, we were, and of rights ought to have been, free and independent States. Yes, that means they were considering each of the colonies to be an independent State, State as in Country. The federal government, as limited in the Constitution, was strengthened from the nearly powerless entity of the Articles of Confederation, but was still seen as subservient to the States themselves in all areas not specifically designated to its purview in that Constitution.
Given that state of affairs, it was - and I would assert remains - important that larger States not be able to ignore the needs of smaller States. For that reason we have a bicameral legislature, arranged so that the House of Representatives is aligned by population (and the Representatives were to represent their actual, local constituents), while the Senate was set up as a council of the States with equal representation for each (and the Senators were to represent the interests of their own State).
There is now a fairly big movement to abolish that Electoral College and to elect the President by popular vote across the country, just as we do with every other elected office. (Of course, there are no other national elected offices, so the analogy doesn't really apply, but that's never gotten in the way of pushing an agenda, has it?) When I heard that former leaders of both major parties in Michigan are working for this it became obvious that this is something that the political class wants, and in my mind, if the political class wants it it's almost certainly a bad thing for the people.
To abolish the Electoral College would continue the dismantling of the federal system that is typified by the 17th Amendment, moving to direct election of Senators. (Yes, State legislatures used to appoint Senators to actually represent the State rather than to play at being national leaders.) I think that was a major mistake and would strongly support a move to repeal that amendment and go back to an appointed Senate.

Again, when the two major parties are colluding to change the way our votes are counted, my first reaction is to say no, and to try to figure out why they think it's good for them, because it's almost certainly not good for the country nor for the people.

Keep Calm and Don't 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.

Sunday Blues - 27 September 2021 - Plague Journal Day 564

Micah 6:8
John 14:1-11
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Well, it was a mixed bag of a weekend. Heidi and I got to sing with Jacki in church for the first time in a long time - it was great to try to keep folks on the Sunny Side of Life.
Saturday was a pretty good day all around. Got some stuff done, chose and "rehearsed" our song for Sunday, walked Billie, all the good things a weekend of nice weather can afford. Sunday started well too - singing in church and then it was Rummage Sale time! Well, actually it was getting ready for Rummage Sale time, so Heidi and I were back there helping from around 1 to 4, moving, sorting, tossing, testing, all that good stuff.

However, at the same time, Dad was having a bout of the Sunday blues. It seems to happen to him fairly often when he can't be at church - he misses the worship and especially the fellowship. He was in a funk when he was awake, but he slept much of the day. It was distressing to hear his very "down" comments - especially after his having gotten such a boost on Friday from Dawn's visit and encouragement.

I'm happy to report that it seems to have been a one-day kind of thing. He's back to more himself again today, so here's hoping.

I don't want you all to miss the special historical commemoration that should happen today. On 27 September 1722 Samuel Adams was born. That makes today his 299th birthday. Happy Birthday to America's Beer Guy, and imagine the celebration next year!

Keep Calm and Don't 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 - 26 September 2021 - Plague Journal Day 563

Micah 6:8
Luke 18:35-43
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one? 

 

For our 9:30 worship service we have the return of a version of the Moving Vans at offertory time and three(!) hymns for congregational singing. (Yes - we're back to congregational singing. We're Methodists again!) Remember, we'll be streaming for all those who can't join us in person, and intend to continue that practice indefinitely. Still, know that we miss seeing you in person - please come join in corporate prayer, praise, and worship as soon as you feel ready.

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 Don't 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