The Muse is Loose

It is half time. There will be no miracle finish with the Dallas Cowboys. They are mounted up and galloping off into the sunset. Houston is our lone NFL representative. The best teams are the ones with the best quarterbacks. They also have to have capable help in front of them and wearing earphones on the sidelines.

Some great college games should still be in the offing. Whether or not you are a Baylor fan you have to be impressed with their end of season showing. They were FUN to watch! The Aggies won with no Head Coach on the sidelines.Maybe THAT is the key!

On a more serious note....that Mayan Calendar. Some hear it saying December 21 of this year will wrap things up. End of the world! I am wondering if anyone has let God in on this. Somehow those dates were left out of His Book, and it hasn't been wrong yet. What does the Book say about days and years?

"Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." Matthew 24:44

"From everlasting to everlasting you are God....For a thousand YEARS in your sight are like YESTERDAY when it is passed."Psalm 90: 2;4

"Now, after you have known God, are rather are known by God; how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements to which you desire again, to be in bondage? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you...." Galatians 4:9-11

"Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you." Revelation 3:3

As with our own lives, God will close out history in His own Divine choosing. Our greater concern is that we are prepared for that time. Preparation is clinched with a belief and trust in the Son as our Savior. That done, there is nothing to fear.

Oklahoma State, ranked number three, and Stanford, ranked number four, battled each other to a tie in regulation in the Fiesta Bowl. Oklahoma State would have the game given them by a missed field goal by a redshirt freshman, Jordan Williamson, in the last three seconds. Stanford had 580 yards of offense. That was 200 yards more than Oklahoma State! They were led by Andrew Luck, runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. It all came down to a field goal.....or two. Williamson missed at 35 and 43 yards. He had only missed THREE the entire season.

Even opponents have to feel for Jordan Williamson. He will live out his lifetime as the kid who lost the Fiesta Bowl for Stanford in 2012. Is that really fair? Of course it isn't. Every man playing in that game bears some responsibility for losing. A dropped pass. A missed block. A penalty. A missed tackle. A blown assignment. Still, it will not free Jordan Williamson from feeling that HE lost the game.........BUT....stepping up to the plate was Andrew Luck, the Stanford quarterback, who is considered the possible number one draft choice for the pros. This classy man said: "I am as much to blame as anyone.". Andrew Luck verbally accepted some blame for the loss.

I have watched athletes slapping themselves and dancing around after a good run or catch or tackle. One gets the feeling they think they did it all by themselves, but they didn't. Do they equally share the losing? I hope so.

This kind of things happens in day to day life as well. As Believers it is good for us to join in singing "Blest Be The Tie". All the stanzas.

Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.
The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that a-bove.

Before our Father's throne we pour our ardent prayers.
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one. Our comforts and our cares.

We SHARE our mutual woes. Our MUTUAL burdens bear,
And often for each other flows the sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part, it gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in HEART and hope to meet again.

John Fawcett

Ann and I have tried through several years to make our front and back yards a place inviting to birds. That does not mean we have a "Front Cover" setting for Better Homes and Gardens. Far from it. Those kind of yards are beautiful and attractive to people, but not necessarily birds.

The yard has been a bit of a success. We do have birds year-round. We have the winter hummingbirds.Rufous and buff bellied. There are American Goldfinches on the feed sacks made for them. Cardinals, titmice, dove, and woodpeckers are frequent visitors. There are also house sparrows! Scads of them! When you put out the welcome mat for birds it means all of them.

This week another bird has found a place in the lemon tree. It puts him about six feet from the bird bath and feeders. He is also about ten feet from the kitchen window. He is a beautiful bird, but a killer. You can see it in his eyes. He/she is a sharp shinned hawk. They love birds as much as we do, but for a different reason. When I first saw "Sharpie" he was on the ground, finishing off his meal for the moment. The feathers left seemed to say, "titmouse". I had hoped it was a sparrow.
Sharpie has been back to that location. He seems to like the arrangement.

What do we do? We say to the birds, "ya'll come". Now can we say "ya'll come, except sharpies and sparrows? Ya'll come except starlings and grackles and red-winged blackbirds?." Do we become an "elite" yard, only welcoming the best dressed and mannerly birds who do not scatter our feed or eat it all in one setting? If we are truly interested in reaching birds we must be open to each and all, no matter their manners or lack of them.

I wonder if this has implications and applications outside the bird kingdom? I think it does.

I remember buying a nickel cup of coffee. I nearly fainted the first time I paid 1.50. One can easily pay more than that today. Places like Starbucks have made a business from coffee mixtures and sales. The world's most expensive coffee probably cannot be found in a Starbucks.You just thought that!

This bit of research I will share comes because of reports our Duprie family, traveling today on the final leg of a marvelous gift journey, are at Semarang, capitol of the central province of Java. As I drank my second cup of Community Coffee this morning it came to me that a nickname for coffee is "java". It is also called, "mud" or "joe", and other things!

What is the most expensive coffee in the world called? That would be Kopi Luwak. It sells for as much as $160.00 a pound. Peter Jones Department Store in London sold the stuff called "Caffe Raro" at $79.00 a cup! Kopi (coffee) Luwak comes from the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. This coffee is made from coffee beans that have been eaten by the Asian Palm Civit (and other civits).In the stomach proteolytic enzymes seep into the beans, making shorter peptides and more free amino acids. (I assume that is good.) The beans are defecated, washed, sun-dried, and lightly roasted before brewing. This makes for an aromatic coffee with more flavor. This coffee is made on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Sulawesi. Since our kids were at Bali two days ago and Java today I just KNOW they will be bringing me a pound of Kopi Luwak. It has been their practice to bring us coffee from their various trips. I can hardly wait for this java to show. I am certain Robert Edwards will show up at our house shortly after it arrives. I plan to give him a price break on his cup.

Her name is Spanish for "little girl" and she is back for another year, the weather gurus say. We know her as La Nina. She is not a person, of course, but some sort of giant system of cooling in the Pacific Ocean that can literally affect the weather around much of the world.

This past year is officially recorded as the driest ever in Texas! It was also the second hottest year on our record books. Forest Service people estimate a half million or more trees died from lack of moisture. All one has to do is look at the parched fields where cattle once roamed to see the effects on ranchers. Farmers await some rain before they can plant. Water becomes a respected and scarce commodity. Lake Texana, our secondary source of water for Corpus Christi and adjacent communities, appears dry as a bone from highway 59 near Edna. Other places far away were affected. Australia had record floods. The driest place on earth, in Peru, had a thirty-two inch snowfall! That was last July.

As I walked over to a Mexican restaurant near our home I saw bits of fog, and heavy dew everywhere. It looked almost like rain had come. I was reminded that Elijah the prophet said to Ahab, "As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew or rain in the next few years except at my word." ( I Kings 17:1) God getting into the weather picture? You better believe it. He did it time and again. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He will use whatever methods needed to get our attention. He has mine right now! What about you?

Is God into football? I doubt that He is in it like some of us. I can't picture him wearing a Hog Hat or one that looks like cheese. What He IS into is people.. This morning He loves every Pittsburgh Steeler player as much as he loves Tim Tebow. Something beyond the realm of football, however, took place Sunday evening. A young man who loves the Lord and is not afraid to proclaim that love, took a football game and turned it into an arena of testimony like David when he faced Goliath. There wasn't as much at stake for sure, but this morning around the country there are folks who never give God a nod, scratching their heads at what they saw in the Denver victory over Pittsburgh on the last play Sunday night. Tebow took the snap on his own twenty-yard line, and on the first play of overtime, threw a perfect pass to Demaryius Thomas who turned on his full speed and ran victorious into the end zone! Tebow ran to the end zone, then dropped to one knee in what is rather mockingly called, "Tebowing". He said his first thought was, "Thank you, Lord".

After having watched the wiggling and dancing and chest pounding after touchdowns it was refreshing to see "Tebowing". This young man, Tim Tebow showed his faith in college days as he played one game with black under his eyes and in tiny white letters wrote John 3:16. That, he says, is his favorite verse. Surely it was only a coincidence that he accounted for 316 yards in this game! Don't be so sure.

Something like this may never happen again. That doesn't matter. The testimony given to God in an atmosphere more like an early battle of gladiators in the Coliseum, will not be forgotten. Maybe some will find a Gideon Bible and read John 3:16 proclaiming, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

The Hour of Power from crystal cathedral may be a favorite program for you. It is not for me, but I have watched it from time to time when the senior pastor and founder, Robert Schuller, was at the helm. Some of the music was magnificent. Prominent guests would bring testimony. The building would be packed with members and the curious. Now the building is being sold to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange for 57.5 million dollars. Crystal Cathedral can continue there for three years. It had to be sold, for the church has sunk into a debt of fifty million dollars which led them to bankruptcy!

Do you recall how this church began? It was quite innovative for the time. They leased a drive-in theatre on Sunday mornings. Dr. Schuller preached over the same speakers folks had heard actors speaking through the night before in the movie playing. They outgrew that setting and through the gaining popularity of Schuller, eventually a church building was built almost beyond description. When Schuller retired he handed the reins to his children. It has not gone well.

How did they sink into a fifty million dollar indebtedness? I do not know. That is a staggering amount!

From one who found the Lord as a nine year old boy in a one- room country church, separated at Sunday School time by curtains; I have not ever understood the extravagance of such places as this cathedral. I do like comfort and beauty when it can be afforded, but there should be limits in a world with so many needing basics like food and a place to sleep.

No matter, the Pope gave a reluctant approval and so the cathedral will become a place where priests will celebrate Mass in a completely different setting. Just imagine! Fifty- seven and a half million dollars for that building of glass! Why that's almost as much as the Angels paid to get Pujols to play baseball for them. Incredible!

I doubt if any are surprised to hear Robert Griffin III is allowing himself to be placed in the professional draft later this spring.He has done four years at Baylor and received a degree. He has become a sports icon, having won the Heisman. This is the obvious next step in his career.

I cannot keep from thinking back to the spring of 1970. I was serving as minister of music/youth/education at First Church, Center,Texas. A football player from Louisiana Tech had been selected as the number one draft choice of the Pittsburgh Steelers. His name was Terry Bradshaw. He was a vocal Christian, speaking to youth groups. I took a bus load of kids from Center to hear him speak in Shreveport. It was an inspirational talk. In it he shared how he planned to be a Christian witness in the NFL. I think he really meant it.

No one can question his ability and accomplishments in that arena. He won four super bowl rings and was all-pro. He was a Super Bowl MVP. He did it all. He has followed up his retirement in 1984 by becoming a commentator for games at various networks.

Terry found the life a difficult one for his family relationships and his commitment to being a Christian witness. He has been married three times. His voice has been quiet in the arena of Christian witness. Why? Was he not sincere that spring day in Shreveport when he gave testimony? I believe he was, but he did not realize the formidable task that lay ahead. You want to see the abuse a Christian can receive when he makes a vocal stand? Just watch and hear the "comedians" making jokes about Tim Tebow's public commitment to Christ. Others voice critical words about what he does. There is a double standard in that arena before millions.

I hope and pray Robert Griffin will not fall prey to the same temptations. Becoming an instant millionaire will not be easy. After that every sleaze artist who can, will be after him for endorsements. He is in for the toughest games he has ever played and they all won't be on a football field. Let's pray for this young man to remain strong in purpose and belief.

If you are suffering from this rare ailment,( I dare not try to spell again,) do not worry further. It will be gone at midnight. Yes, there is such a word that means "fear of Friday the thirteenth". Today being that fateful day, I mention it to you in case you are under undue stress about it. You are not alone. It is estimated 17-21 million persons in our country also are stressed and worried over Friday the thirteenth. How ancient is this superstition? It is only 150 or so years old! Friday being an unlucky day goes much further back. In "Canterbury Tales" of the fourteenth century Friday is mentioned as an unlucky day. If you live or go to a Spanish-speaking country the unlucky day is Tuesday!

What is an "unlucky" day? What is a "this is my lucky" day? I guess it is what you make it. We have to look closely at the word "luck". One definition is "The things that seem to happen to a person by chance, good or bad"; "lucky"....having a good result by chance.

We need a little more help. What is meant "by chance?". Definition: "Chance - the way things turn out;happening of events by accident" Well, explain for me "by accident"? I guess that is whether one is speaking of being lucky or unlucky!

Does any of this make sense? You know it really doesn't. Obviously, things appear to happen by accident from time to time. In our eyes it may appear as "chance" or "luck". Let's bring another One into this discussion. That would be God. Is there chance in regards to God? None. Is God ever surprised or have a lucky day? Never! Should we, then, ever give in to seeing our life events as good luck or bad luck? Not to my thinking. Many events will leave us wondering and in question. I think that is okay. Attributing life events to luck, good or bad, seems a bit out of touch with God being in charge. Why do bad things happen to good people if God is in charge? That is a question of the ages. Job asked it and all who have followed. It has no simple answer, except to say that God is perfect but none of us are. We cause bad things to happen at times. We are also victims of others causing them to happen. This is an imperfect world. Sin has taken away it's perfection since that time when God saw it and said, "That's good". In fact, things got so bad that the Lord Almighty gave the world a good bath and scrubbing, leaving only Noah and his family to make a new start. If this isn't a lucky or unlucky day, what kind is it?"........ That's an easy one. "This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it."

Our yard right now is full of birds. Food and water is of a short supply so they drop in to feed and drink. American Goldfinch; White-winged and Mourning dove; Field Sparrows; Titmice; Cardinals, and others come in numbers; not to overlook the pesty English Sparrow. They are all fun to see and study. It doesn't take much to scare them to nearby trees. We also have frequent hawk visitors. A large shadow overhead will quickly scatter the little birds. Yesterday a shadow was from a Turkey Vulture. It made no difference to the birds. They fled for cover! A Turkey Vulture would only be interested in a dead bird.

But all birds do not fly at warning.A few will simply "freeze" where they are, hoping they might not be seen by the sharp-eyed hawk. Who has the better chance of survival....freezer or flyer? I don't really know. There seems to be safety in numbers, for the hawk is only interested in catching a single bird. He is very capable when it comes to that.

We all deal with similar issues in life. Have you been in the "flow of traffic" (nice way of saying group speeders) and suddenly come upon a police car or motorcycle with the radar gun pointed at you? Are you safest by speeding ahead or slowing down? I guess it depends on the operator. It looks at times like the slower vehicle is nailed.

What about an impending storm? Is it safer to flee or take cover? You make the call. I have heard horror stories of folks caught in miles of jammed freeway traffic while trying to escape a storm.
What about the sound of a rattlesnake close to your feet in grass or weeds and you cannot see it? Freeze or run? You make the call. Helppp!!!!

You see we human birds have our own confrontations with impending dangers and have to decide what to do or not do. Solution? When possible, avoid getting INTO a situation where there is danger. Leave early before a storm. Maintain a legal speed. Check where you are walking. O yes, and when necessary cry.....Heelllllllllpppp!!!!

everywhere I looked there were little gold nuggets! I stopped counting after a hundred-twenty. I had never seen so much gold......in these little flyers. Goldfinches! These are called American Goldfinch. There are others called Lesser Goldfinch, and still another named Lawrence's Goldfinch.

American Goldfinch comes in December, usually. They have not developed their full colors of summer. In summer American Goldfinch male will be mostly yellow, with black wings and topknot. People have sometimes called them canaries which they are not. Lesser Goldfinch, which can be seen in the Hill Country in summer, will have black backs and head, with a few white stripes in the wings.Their breast will be yellow to the tail. Both of these are stunning birds.
They are not loners, running in small flocks.

Our American Goldfinches hang on bags eating tiny thistle seeds they pluck through a bag. They also love the black sunflower seeds. I could easily estimate their numbers yesterday for I had scattered the sunflower seed under a feeder and they were wing to wing devouring that much-needed nourishment. Water was close by. They alternated between drinking and bathing, in the same water!

A neighborhood cat came over the fence, uninvited, and plucked a hapless goldfinch before I knew it. Everyone has to eat. I imagine some hawk probably buzzed through while we were at church to get his Sunday dinner. It is an unrelenting danger for birds.

The problem we experience in Rockport is that the American Goldfinch leaves just as he gets his full array of summer color. I wish some would stay but they never do. They move on to another haunt to eat thistle and other seeds and be enjoyed by the folks there. Such is the birding experience. Oh yes, they shared those sunflower seeds with white-winged and mourning dove, cardinals, titmice, and the house sparrow!

It is called a mega ship in a mega industry producing mega bucks. The Costa Concordia is 1000 feet long, and loaded with a half-million gallons of fuel. More importantly, it had over 4,000 passengers on board! Less than five years old, it had all the sophisticated equipment to aid in traveling the seas of the world in safety. So what happened? All fingers point at the captain who made what the ship's owner called, "an unapproved, unauthorized maneuver", diverting the ship from the programmed course.

Would you travel on a liner after this disaster? I would in a minute. I made my first trip last year and it was wonderful. I felt safe all the way. Perhaps that was a false sense of security. These giants ships have one big fault, potentially. It can be the captain. He can over-rule good judgement and charted waters and reports of dangerous seas. He has supreme control of his ship. It has always been that way on the high seas. This captain in Italy apparently diverted from the course tried and true to "do his own thing", and disaster struck.

Who is at the helm as you sail the seas of life? There has to be a captain. Are you piloting your own ship? Do you allow anyone or any thing to chart the course? Is he/she capable enough for you to place your very life in his/her trust? Does he know the destination and how to get there through all circumstances? These are things worth thinking about.

This old gospel song comes to mind:

Sometimes when my faith would falter
and no sunlight I can see.
I just lift my eyes to Jesus
And I whisper, "Pilot me.".

"Fear thou not, for I am with thee,
I will still thy Pilot be."
Never mind the tossing billows,
Take My Hand, and trust in Me."

It is wise to check to see who is at the helm of your life.

What kids do during summer vacation these days is mind-boggling. They go everywhere from Disneyland, to Paris to Rome. I have a much different remembrance of my summer vacation. I do recall a summer when we traveled from Cavanaugh, Arkansas, to Liberty Hill, Oklahoma.That was about thirty-five miles. My parents left me and two older sisters there at my grandmother's house. She was a widow, and one of her daughters and her family lived across the road.They were Charlie and Flora Buttress and their four children. Uncle Charlie was a truck farmer. He had some acres and a team of mules. He raised potatoes and watermelons mainly. Our arrival for "summer vacation" was timed with the big event of "pickin' up taters". We were the pickers up. It meant we would take a metal basket and get in the rows plowed up by the team, and pick up the potatoes that had been uncovered.We did this by simply crawling along on our knees behind the mules. The dirt would be cool and the potatoes were easily found in the red, sandy-like soil. Once a basket was full it would be carried to a shed where there was a machine that graded them by size. Those of the right size were put in a tow sack and sewed up at the top. They were ready to sell. I would get a cardboard "token" for each basket I brought in. Those tokens were like money. At the end of the pickin' we turned in our tokens and would be paid. I imagine it would be .25 to.50 cents for me. I was about ten or eleven.

That was summer vacation. I didn't mind it at all. We didn't work all day. Afternoon meant the boys would go to the swimming hole up behind the Baptist Church, where they baptized. It was a nice deep hole and a real treat after crawling through dirt all morning. My cousin, Oren Ray, would be with me. Some other boys I didn't know would also go to the swimming hole.

I have recalled this today because my cousin, Oren Ray Buttress, passed away yesterday in Oklahoma. I haven't seen him since those long-ago days. Distance and interests never brought us back together. We didn't do much of families getting together. It wasn't really very easy to do it. My father worked five and a half days a week at the glass plant and Sundays were for church. I don't even know what Oren Ray did for a living. I don't think it was truck farming like his dad. I do recall fondly, riding in the back of the wagon as we went in to Cameron, the nearest town. We were bare-footed, of course, and when the wagon crossed a creek we dragged our feet and legs in the cool water of cedar creek. That was a summer vacation memory for me. The only souvenir I brought home was an arrowhead I found one day. It is gone, like those days, and most of the memories.

"All right, boys and girls, sit up straight and listen. I have a new word for you today. It is not an easy word to say....PARA-PROS-DOKIANS. What does it mean? Let me tell you......"

"A figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently used in a humorous situation."

My friend from High School days in Fort Smith, Gene Oneal, sent this to me. Thought I might brighten this dismal Friday just a bit. Here are some paraprosdokians for you.

Light travels faster than sound. That is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

War does not determine who is right - only who is left.

The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it is still on my list.

I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was blaming you.

A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.

You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need one to skydive twice.

You're never too old to learn something stupid.

To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

Change is inevitable except from a vending machine.

I used to be indecisive. Now I am not so sure.

Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

Thanks Gene. I needed those.

You have heard it said many times in various news interviews that we live in a Country where anyone who sets his/her mind to it can become President of The United States. That is really exciting! Think of those wonderful children/grandchildren in your family who can aspire to the most powerful position in the world. "anyone can grow up to be President" is an aspiring statement.

There are major flaws, however, in that claim. There are age and citizenship requirements. There are legal requirements. There are FINANCIAL requirements that are staggering.

To even get through the primary elections in today's political environment one must come up with FIFTY to ONE HUNDRED MILLION dollars! That is more money than many of us will make in several hundred years! So, there has to be wealthy contributors willing to help finance the campaign..... a lot of them. What do they want in return? Some, simply a person who will stand by his/her promises in speeches and writings. Others want political appointments such as Ambassadors to various world countries. Still others want favoritism in their businesses and personal lives. A visit to the White House would be nice.

We have just mentioned getting through the primaries. Now the big "run" is on. Here our government through taxpayers chip in. On your IRS return you can check giving $3.00 to aid in the election. It is doled out in the finals in matching funds. Now, a person could need $75 million more. Or more!

As ideal as it sounds, it just isn't so: Running for President is available only to a select few persons. They must have a thick billfold and a thicker skin. They must accept the spotlight of attention to sweep across their lives, exposing any and every mistake they ever made!

I saw on the back of a leather jacket worn by a Bandido Motorcycle club member, "God forgives. Bandidos never do". The same is true in a political race.

This is as political as I will get.

Our grandson, Calvin Duprie, who is four' was excited to tell me that from their Christmas trip to Australia and the East he had brought us a present. I asked, "What is it Calvin?". He answered with a laugh in his little voice, "A Komodo dragon!". "Oh no!", I replied. " I will keep him in the back yard!" Calvin's quick response was, "No! In the house!". We haven't seen the dragon yet. I am hopeful it is one we can keep in the house.

The Komodo dragon is the largest lizard in the world. They can get to be nine feet in length. They are flesh eaters and, on occasions, that has been humans. They live on some Asian islands and can chase down small deer that live there. They are fearsome creatures.

The "Year of The Dragon" in the Chinese New Year has a more mythical creature played out with paper ones for their street parades. Some may be fifty or more feet in length. This year is supposed to be a "good" year under the dragon. Comic books and movies are filled with dragons.

Did you know the Bible has it's dragon? It is not a mythical creature but one very real, and extremely dangerous. He is alive and he is here among us.

"and there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth and his angels with him." (Revelation 12:7-9)

"woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you.! He is filled with fury because he knows that his time is short."

You will remember his appearance in the Garden of Eden. You also will recall his visit with Jesus as the Lord prepared for his public ministry. The Dragon pulled out every temptation possible that might bring the downfall of a hungry Man in the wilderness.

This is "the year of the dragon" for Believers. Every year is. He is a furious enemy because He knows his time is running out. He wants to be, not in our backyard, but in our den and workplace and car. He is as real as the ones who pad about Komodo Island, but far more dangerous. They can only destroy a body. This Dragon is after both body and soul.

Car ads are humorous to me. I am not selling one right now. I have had two bought from my yard. One did not even have a "for sale" sign on it. The buyer was heading for Mexico. He had cash. He also had a "lemon" when he left.(Not off my tree) The sale wasn't my idea!

When you run an ad words are at a premium. The cost is based on the number of words so some folks really get conservative with words. Here are "real" words from "real" ads in today's Caller Times: 1 owner, loaded, a/c, runs good, new brakes, super clean, sunroof, automatic, must see, 3rd row, obo, low mileage, take over payments, no rust, cruise, power windows,4WD, warranty, wife's car, tow pkg, like new, super sporty, Bose, V6, navigation, leather seats, we finance.(These were from several ads)

What might a "totally" honest car ad look like? Maybe something like this. FOR SALE: NEARLY WORN- OUT CAR I HAVE DRIVEN HARD. ALL KINDS OF THINGS DON'T WORK ANYMORE. WOULDN'T STOP HARDLY AT ALL SO HAD TO GET NEW BRAKES TO GET INSPECTION STICKER; VACUUMED THOROUGHLY AFTER HAULING FERTILIZER IN BACK SEAT, SHIFTS ITSELF BUT YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN; THIRD ROW SEATING WITH FOLDING CHAIRS; TAKE MOST ANY OFFER. 23,000 MILES SECOND TIME AROUND, RUST DOES NOT SHOW UNDER DIRT, WARRANTY EXPIRED YEARS AGO. ROPE IN TRUNK FOR TOWING, WIFE'S CAR TILL SHE WRECKED IT, GARAGE SALE BOSE RADIO IN SEAT, NEARLY NEW MAP IN SIDE DOOR, V6 (was v 8), LEATHER SEATS UNDER SEAT COVERS. MIGHT BUY YOU GAS TO DRIVE IT OFF.

How honest are we in telling all the facts in other areas of our lives? The Lord only knows.

Mr brother-in-law in Arkansas sent me a string of old color commercials featuring cigarettes and smoking. Any one my age would know most every ad, whether you ever smoked or not. We did not have TV but all the magazines, newspapers, billboards, etc. featured these familiar commercials, each with their clever "catch words". (LSMFT; Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco).

Popular stars, and persons of prominence, were especially sought. One ad said: "More doctors smoke.......than any other cigarette.". Wonder how they ever took that poll? There is a handsome picture of movie star, Ronald Reagan, promoting his brand. Another features John Wayne and his cigarette of choice. Who saw these advertisements? Everyone! When I was in the service and on maneuvers we would receive a canned pack of food and necessities. There was always a small pack of cigarettes in there. It was usually Camels or Lucky Strike. Cigarettes could be bought at the PX for fifteen cents a pack. They were probably given by the companies for the publicity. It is interesting that although that product has paid through the nose, and now has to make written statements of the dangers, it is still around and even seems that more folks are smoking again. I wonder what those doctors would say today? Cough! Cough!

It isn't often a black Baptist Pastor claims the headlines. One did in Sunday's Caller-Times. The occasion was the funeral of Dr Harold Branch. Brother Branch died last week at 92. Seven hundred people filled the St John Baptist Church in Corpus where he served from 1956-1988. He had asked that the scripture, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" be the theme of his service. The one hundred voice choir sang "Amazing Grace" and "Jesus Keep Me Near The Cross".

Brother Branch was a man who led his church into the Corpus Christi Baptist Association. It was one of the first black churches to join our other churches across the state. Many followed through the years. His special concern was for the youth of his church and neighborhood.

I have a special remembrance of Harold Branch. We had both taken kids to the Youth Camp at Zephyr Baptist Encampment. I was just over thirty. He was in his middle forties. One afternoon when the kids were swimming and doing other things I headed to the shores of lake Corpus Christi with a pole and some worms. I looked for a place away from the kids, and found a spot with only one person. It was Harold Branch. He also had brought a pole and some bait. We spent a delightful afternoon there, catching a few perch, and sharing of our childhoods. They were remarkably the same in many ways. It was refreshing for me to discover that, and to work on the prejudices that occur in our lives. I left that fishing hole a young man better equipped to serve the Lord and lead young people, which I was doing back then.

He was not a loud person, but a strong one. He was loving and kind, and I have always cherished that afternoon in the summer of the early sixties, joining with another Christian of a different race, but with the same heart and mind I had through Jesus Christ.

Well, sort of. I know the feeling of wanting to pick a forbidden fruit, even though warned not to do it. My warning is from Big Pharma and not from God. I think they are not the same. The forbidden fruit in my case is NOT an apple. It is a grapefruit.

We have a bumper crop this year. I counted them earlier in the Fall and quit at 250. It isn't easy to count grapefruit on a tree. They just won't hang still! There are still many on the tree. Folks who have taken some claim they are real good and juicy. They are Rio Reds. Want some? Come and get them! The orchard is open. (one tree)

This morning I researched all my prescription medications against grapefruit. I had read and heard there can be reactions and interactions among some medications. How would mine look? It was going great! Some medicines cleared easily. No problem! Farther down my list it did not fare so well. I started reading DON'T! (I do understand that word, though have not always obeyed it.) My question was, "Why not?" The answers received convinced me that my beautiful grapefruit hanging thickly on the tree are a "no no"for me. (Maybe I could sneak just one while Big Pharma isn't looking.) "DALE, DID YOU JUST EAT A GRAPEFRUIT?"............."yes sir, but Ann gave it to me." "YOU MAY JUST DIE SOONER THAN EXPECTED. YOU IGNORED THE FINE PRINT ON THAT FOUR-PAGE LETTER YOU RECEIVED WITH YOUR MEDICATION. NOW, YOU WILL AWAIT THE CONSEQUENCES FOR YOUR DISOBEDIENCE!!!"

Let's face it. Adam and Eve's disobedience brought a lot more problems than if I eat one of my grapefruits. It wasn't so much a matter of apples or grapefruit...but of disobedience. What tempting fruit is hanging in your life garden? Better check in the Book and read the fine print on the matter. It could be life or death.