Opinion

I recently heard someone say you know you’re getting old you when get upset that your grocery store moved stuff around.

Happy Father's Day

What has become of integrity?

The rain pounded my truck as I waited for the next event to start. I had planned to make a run for the coliseum, but I was more daunted by the thunder and lightning than the actual downpour. The clouds were heavy, and we were under a tornado warning. The front had moved in quickly and soaked everything. Little floods of running water filled every low spot around. I suppose it comes from living in West Texas and Oklahoma for many years, but I keep a close watch on the weather. Its unpredictability intrigues me and I'm fearful and curious at the same time. Regardless of the weather, each day is beautiful in and of itself. Clouds come into our lives casting heavy downpours and then in a short while the sun shines again. The rainbow is God's promise dismal times do not last forever and another flood will never take us out. Sometimes, it just does a body good to let your guard down and go stand in the rain. There is something about cleansing that sets the spirit free and gives a new perspective to troubled times. Sunshine brings happiness but there is just something about dancing in the rain that tosses inhibitions out the window. I'm a play-in-the-dirt kind of person, and am not bothered by mud, wet hair or drenched clothing. Short of freezing cold weather, I'm not inconvenienced by a good downpour. For me, weather is a for sure sign God’s got it all under control. I gathered my briefcase, my jacket and the rest of my gear, locked the truck and took off for the covered arena. The smell of the rain and the mist on my face was refreshing and made me feel a certain peace. In all lives, rain must fall and, in all situations, and circumstances God promises variety and color when the sun comes out again and the rainbow appears. Rain can be dismal and depressing. Sometimes, we say enough is enough. However, a little dance in the rain does everyone a bit of good and just might change your perspective.

A few years ago, after my daddy died and my mother was living alone, she called my brother, Shelby. Her voice was frantic as she said, “Get over here. Now. There’s a skunk on top of the martin house.”

Comedian Rodney Dangerfield used to tell a joke that went, “My psychiatrist told me I was crazy, and I said I want a second opinion”. He said, “OK, you're ugly, too.”

It had been a long six, seven days. It had been quite eventful to say the least.

The waiting room was empty. All the people were gone. The silence was deafening. In a distant room, I could hear the consistent beep of a heart monitor. I tried to read an old magazine, but my mind wandered and replayed the events in my mind over and over. The dogs had hunted all afternoon as we made our way down a fence line checking for broken wire. Off and on, we stopped to reattach it with wire steeples. When my daughter and I heard the distinct deadly noise, it was too late. Our cross bred stray Basenji pup took the brunt of the rattlers strike right in her neck just below her ear. I grabbed my pistol, but the snake had retreated into a rat hole and my pup's howls filled the air. My daughter scooped her up and blood covered her hands. Not a good sign. It meant the snake had hit a vein. If it was the jugular, there was no way to get her to a vet in time. We loaded the dogs and took off. I drove and the pup whimpered in my daughter's lap. I called the vet to give them a head's up and blood continued to flow. Swelling was minimal and that wasn't a good sign either. It meant the biggest part of the poison went in her blood stream. My hands shook as thoughts flooded my mind. The veterinary response team met us at the door and that was the last we saw of the multi-colored pup. A vet tech came periodically to tell us the pup was hanging on. We had been waiting for what seemed like hours. There is no explanation why things happen. There are no reasons to explain how timing and events coordinate to bring about circumstances over which we have no control. Only one thing is certain and for sure, and that is God love us and He will never give us more than he will help us carry. I turned in my chair trying to get comfortable. My daughter walked around the room trying to pacify her anxiety. The heart monitor continued to beep and the seconds on the clock continued to tick. When the vet walked into the room, I studied his face but read nothing there. He sat down and took a deep breath. I feared the worse. "That was a huge snake," he said. "The fang marks were an inch and a half apart in her neck. He missed her jugular by mere centimeters. If the venom had gone into her jugular she would have died on the way."

As citizens, living in what the world sees as a free country, should our state or federal government mandate the books we read, websites to visit, social media outlets to enjoy, who to love, and enforce reproductive laws? Would such a condition be classified as democracy?

I continue to be amazed and therefore praise God for the great things I am seeing Him do in my life and the life of His church. There is power in praise. Praising God is part of our worship. Psalm 147:1 tells us, “Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.”