As man plans, God laughs!

   Whenever I hear the phrase 'the devil is in the details', I think, sometimes out loud, that God is in the timing. It seems to me that the more details that mankind tries to manipulate for it's own interest, the more God makes His will known above ours by interfering with those plans, as only He can. 

   One of the strongest pieces of evidence we often see is when He puts just the right person in just the right spot in our lives, at just the right time to save us from distress. Timing of this nature is out of the realm of the devil, much less that of mankind. Often times, we may refer to this person as our guardian angel, for lack of a better description. Some of us have experienced this many times in our lives, and have been ever so thankful for them. Some of us wouldn't give it the thought.

   If you have experienced this and never gave it a thought, thinking instead that it was yourself that made something happen, then you have missed the opportunity to observe God's works in action in your own life and those surrounding you. Only God brings us together for good works.

Please, leave someone else in peace.

   Having grown up with a single mother for many years, a common phrase in our house was "As long as they're talking about me, they're leaving somebody else alone". When I did finally 'get it' as a child, I had taken it to mean that my mother felt she could carry that load which would seem a burden to many others among her peers. Having grown quite a bit since then, I began to see the deeper value in that simple gesture. What she was doing was distracting the scandalous talk in town from those she felt mercy on, that is to say, the other women of the day who had it worse than she did. She was ever thankful for what she had in life. 

   As my mother did before me, I, too, remain thankful for what I have and, often times, for what I don't have. The fact that people talk so much about things they know not, we cannot stop. We can be aware that we are doing a great service for others by simply distracting evil doers and their scandalous talk. So, please, if you read this, go out and talk about me, and leave someone else in peace.

Ashes to Ashes

   In the recent past I had begun to notice the proliferation of crematories in our state, or at least their advertising. Being a low maintenance person myself, my first thought was perhaps this was good for our society.  Why spend so much on the materialistic trappings of a funeral?

   What I didn't realize about the situation became abundantly clear recently when dealing with a crematory concerning a family member whose ashes went to a girlfriend rather than his children or his present wife of thirty plus years. Apparently they judged that his family would not carry out his final wishes of disposal and there is no regulation that prevented them from doing so. Make no mistake, the mother, son and daughter-in-law we faced off against in this Anchorage crematory not only were quick to point out that they had done no wrong, but when asked about any governing regulations they had to adhere to, they responded there were none, and they seemed proud of that fact.

   More perplexing was that within an hour the family run crematory we were dealing with did an about face and produced the ashes they had so quickly defended themselves against having mishandled.

   The best take away that I can find here is if any person you care about mentions using a crematory, urge them to carefully select one that will treat all aspects of the process with reverence for the sanctity of the deed.

First biomarker discovered for depression in teenage boys - Medical News Today

First biomarker discovered for depression in teenage boys - Medical News Today

Some lessons can't be taught by free tuition and books.

   My momma always said..."Learn something new everyday", and she didn't mean arts and crafts. She was a Mary, true to her name, a simple educator who began her career in an old red schoolhouse in a community called Turkey Run. With a strong belief in the original three r's, reading, 'riting and 'rithmatic, as the saying went, when it came to the math, she knew the important things to teach were the +'s and -'s, not how to spell plus and minus.
   These days seem to demand that we learn at least one new thing a day. I'd even suggest three a day now, as we move ever faster and so much new knowledge is given to us. After decades of true poverty early in the last century, many of my generation were proud to raise the first generation of college and university graduates in their respective families. The struggles were long and hard, but much to be proud of for the parent, and most often a source of gratitude for the child. I wonder how the priorities and perspectives of the parents, and thus the child, will affect the students learning when tuition and books are given freely to the student. It seems to me that it robs the parent of their sense of accomplishment and the child of experiencing the gratitude. There are two lessons not learned, that the people will pay for.

Joy, hope, peace and love? | Juneau Empire - Alaska's Capital City Online Newspaper

Joy, hope, peace and love? | Juneau Empire - Alaska's Capital City Online Newspaper

hero: a coward who has said his prayers.

   On this eve of Veteran's Day, I would like to suggest to anyone not a veteran, that you simply go and spend some time with a veteran tomorrow. It doesn't require that you dress formally or stand for hours in inclement weather. Here in Alaska, per capita, we have the most veterans than any other state. Perhaps you know a veteran who is a shut-in, or in the care of others, be it at home or an institution of some sort? You may find that they have not attended any Veteran's Day event for years, for a variety of reasons of their own. Think of yourself as the actual celebration coming to them, and what a gift that would be for them. Whatever you choose to do tomorrow, remember that your ability to choose, every day, is attributable to the choices they made in their life.