Commentary

Baking for the holidays can take a tremendous amount of time.

You not only have to consider regular meals, but also plan what you want to serve on the specific holiday. And in some cases, we may also be attending parties and gatherings that require us to bring a dish. That’s why the end of September is the best time to plan ahead.

First, sit down with a pen and paper. List any parties you plan to attend that require baking. Think about any get-togethers you want to host. Will they be the come and go type? Buffet? Casual or formal? And don’t forget the kids. They may have school parties or a birthday that hits right in the middle of the holidays. All of these things need to be planned and organized.

In God’s Word, He makes it clear that He calls His people to Himself. The means of which He uses vary greatly; not everyone experiences a life-changing event, but all that He foreknew would believe on Jesus, He called before time began, as we read in 2Timothy 1:89: “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,” Christianity is the only ‘religion’ whose God seeks and calls His people with a holy calling. He reveals Himself through His Creation, the perfection of His Word and through personal experiences with His people, as we read in Psalm 19. Then, we who are saved are to seek His Face in everything, for He is LORD.

What is hospice care? The first time it was ever mentioned in front of me, I panicked. My dad had been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic melanoma. We had taken him for a second opinion in hopes of more treatment options. Unfortunately, what we got was, “take him home and keep him comfortable.” They immediately recommended hospice care. So of course from that moment on, I related the word “hospice” with dying. Not just dying, but dying in a short period of time.

Both my mom and my dad did pass from cancer within a year of that, but what happened during those months was not what my mind had associated with hospice.

I don’t know about you, but I hate alligators. If I ever had the misfortune of running into one, a simple shotgun wouldn’t be enough for me. I would want to alert our nearby Air Force base to drop a missile on them.

Then why do I agree to go to the alligator farm when my grandchildren come to visit? Because I love my grandchildren enough to find a way to overcome my fear.

That’s the way fear works. It’s all too easy to see it coming, and then start running in the other direction. We head for safe ground and wrap ourselves in what we think of as our safe little world. However, when we do that, we isolate ourselves from the beauty, excitement, and fun of the outside world.

Fear of any kind is really nothing more than a big bully. It’s time to get rid of it once and for all. But how do you do it? See if some of these tips will help.

4th Trump Indictment is as Legally Weak and Contrived as the First 3

These latest indictments ignore ironclad constitutional protections including the freedom to speak, to engage in political activity, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances that are unquestionably protected by the First Amendment There were others indicted this past week in Georgia—several of them attorneys who have represented Pres. Trump—but because all of this is about politically destroying Trump, his case is the one I’m going to focus on.

Latest Indictment of Trump is Election Interference, Attacking our Democracy They are targeting him. There’s just no other way to view it. They want him convicted on anything that will put him in prison and make it difficult for him to campaign for president—a race in which he is the clear frontrunner for the nomination, as well as ahead, or tied, in polling against Biden. (Note: Trump could still run even if “convicted” and in jail).

To accomplish this, they are charging him with actions that I believe are constitutionally protected activities.

Let’s review the allegations: conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding; and conspiracy against rights.

Can You Hear the Music?

As a child, I was fascinated with the accordion and thought it would be fun to learn how to play. Eventually, I got the gist of it, but even with lessons, it just never seemed to click.

That memory floated into my mind recently when I was trying to learn how to weave on a Lucet – which is a two-pronged loom with a handle and is used to make cording. After repeated attempts, I knew I had the technique down. I even did fairly well with the tension. But for some reason, I kept feeling as if I was missing something, and got frustrated.

That’s when the image of me trying to play the accordion popped in my mind. And it clicked. I knew the notes. I knew how the song should sound. But what I didn’t hear was the music.

There’s been an uproar these past two weeks and the spark for it is a song in a video by country music singer, Jason Aldean, entitled “Try That in a Small Town.” The national media and the national Left are in convulsions alleging it contains lyrics that “glorified gun violence and conveyed traditionally racist ideas.” ( NPR, 07-20-2023).

What is the song about and what does it convey?

These are the lyrics:

Try That in a Small Town

How to Make Simple, Low Cost Christmas Gifts

Christmas is on its way. We are searching for ways on how to make simple, low-cost Christmas gifts. Simple, because we are short on time. Low cost, because our budget is already stretched. Handmade, because we want our gifts to have that personal touch.

One of my favorite simple, lowcost Christmas gifts is handmade Sachets. A little fabric, a needle, some thread and dried herbs all combine to make a great gift!

Supplies: Muslin, or other cotton fabric Needle Coordinating Thread Embroidery Thread Ruler Scissors Approximately 1/2 teaspoon Dried Herbs - (More or less according to the strength of the scent) 1/3 – 1/2 cup Cotton Batting or Uncooked Rice Directions: Cut two squares of fabric for each sachet you want to make 1/2” larger than the finished piece. (For a 4” sachet, cut your fabric 4-1/2” x 41/2”.)

“Come see a Man, Who told me all things I’ve ever done; is not this the Christ?” (John 4:29).

Such were the words of the fivetime divorcee, still living-in-sin Samaritan woman that day after encountering Jesus at Jacob’s Well (vv.4-6). She’d gone there at the hottest part of the day—at

“the ninth hour”

or 12:00 noon (vv.6-7)— to escape the leering eyes and gossiping lips of the other women from Sychar.

But, she never expected to run into a Jewish man named Jesus, Who’d asked her for a drink of water (vv.7-9). However, this unexpected encounter—which really was a Divine Appointment (v.4)— turned into a life-changing experience for this guilt-ridden woman who was the Elizabeth Taylor of Sychar.