TRUE TEXAN RETURNS TO TEXAS

April 8, 2026 By Leave a Comment

Wrote this after watching
FALLING FOR VERMONT
(True Texan still falls for love stories.)

I was born in the middle of Texas, and the ‘Heart of Texas’ is in my heart.

I also did my time outside of Texas, so I know even more what it means to be a Texan.

Spent the last three years of college in Nebraska.
Survived ‘up north’, -14° one morning, because I didn’t need a car (walked everywhere in the small college town).

Spent the next seventeen years ‘in the big city’ of South Florida.
Should qualify in Guiness Book for longest a Texan spent in S. Florida (maybe the only Texan—never met any there).

When moving onto my inheritance (in land) became an option, I thought it was better for my children to finish growing up in the country and attend small-town high school (with its limitations, without metal detectors).

Hasn’t been perfect, but no regrets for this Texan returning to Texas.

Please enter TEXAS in the search bar,
and read more, lots more, what it means to be a Texan.
Note the dates on articles.
I wrote all that since returning to Texas.

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Family, Inspirational, Political---Cultural, Time

COMFORTABLE

April 8, 2026 By Leave a Comment

Can one word say so much ?
Can one word say it all ?
Can one word preach a sermon ?
Can one word write a book ?

Then I realized the book might not happen now.
And the sermon might be too long.
And, maybe there is food for thought in the outline itself.
I want the reader to think, not just read what I think (I do plenty of that).

As I wrote the following notes, two pertinent illustrations came to mind.
I forgot one before I could write it down.
And that makes me uncomfortable as a writer.
I’ll have to live, and write, without it.

Bull—Here’s the winner, that got this article going.
A trusted foreman for a wise cattleman was sent to an auction some distance away, to bid for a special bull to be sold on a certain day.
He was given enough money for bus fare both ways, and the max he could bid.
The bidding was intense, because it was a top-of-the-line bull.
As the bids approached the amount of money in his pocket, the foreman made a decision.
If necessary, he would add the amount of his bus fare home and his own money.
Sure enough, he won the bid and bought the bull.
But he had no way home, and only enough money for a one-word telegram to his boss.
He came up with the perfect one-liner in one word:
COMFORTABLE

That story may not leave you with profound insights, but you will remember COM FOR TA BLE and this article.
Comfortable—good, bad, ugly ?

Do we know what we want to communicate, what we must communicate, what matters most, to the people who matter most, ahead of time, before we know what is going to happen, no matter what happens.
Do we expect to communicate success in the things that matter most, because we will give everything we have (that is, everything that has been entrusted to us) to accomplish what we were sent here to accomplish ? ***

– – – – – – – – – –

Comfortable Culture
Comfortable America
Comfortable Lifestyle
Comfortable Military/Wars
Comfortable Retirement
Comfortable Theology
Comfortable Death
Comfortable Afterlife

x ? x ? x ? x ? x ? x ? x ?

Not so Comfortable ?

Comfortable Pioneers
Comfortable Soldiers
Comfortable Seniors (with limitations)
Comfortable Christians
Comfortable Lukewarm Christians
Comfortable Non-Christians
Comfortable Anti-Christians
Comfortable Hell

(and, more meddling)

Comfortable MAGA

Comfortable ANTI-MAGA

Comfortable TDS

Comfortable DDS

Most of my prayers are asking God to make my life easier, more Comfortable.

I usually want others to feel sorry for me or help me when my life is not Comfortable.

Without the sermon (the book) on Comfortable, on all the above—a few words from The Word, the bottom line:

“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion.”

“Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”

” ‘Take your ease . . .’—BUT GOD said, ‘Tonight your soul will be required of you.’ “

And there’s a boatload more from The Book, already written.

– – – – – – – – – –

*** “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a little; I will put you in charge of much.”

TDS – Trump Derangement Syndrome

DDS – Daddy Derangement Syndrome

Filed Under: Faith Based, Family, Financial, Political---Cultural, Time

WHAT STRENGTHENS YOUR FAITH ?

April 3, 2026 By Leave a Comment

GOOD FRIDAY, 2026

What strengthens your faith ?

What should strengthen your faith ?

Biblically, what should strengthen your faith ?

What should you not look to, to strengthen your faith ?

I started writing this on Good Friday morning, listening to a program investigating the shroud of turin.
Whether the shroud of turin is authentic as the burial cloth of Jesus—or not—I am content to leave the matter to research of others—I AM CONTENT TO LEAVE THE MATTER TO GOD, TO JESUS HIMSELF.
After all, HE KNOWS.*

Oh, now we can see how things the Bible said, happened, can happen, will happen, when they were dismissed because we couldn’t see how they could happen.
Even recently, in our lifetime:
— technology
— mark of the beast
— simultaneous worldwide visuals
— antichrist

How could David write (in our Bible, 22 centuries ago) about the Messiah “pierced . . .hands and feet”, before crucifixion was invented by the Romans, before they came to power ?

How could Isaiah write about “God, Who sits above the circle of the earth” several millenia before we learned and believed the earth is indeed round.

Jesus did miracles after miracles—healed many and fed thousands—and how many believed and followed — — and how many stopped following Him when He told them the rest of the story (not just about food and healing).

Note the astronauts that left earth’s orbit for the moon two days ago, enthusiastically looking back as soon as they could on the beautiful round earth.

And, how about recent archeology, uncovering countless items that factualize Bible references previously discounted.

Someday, we may find Noah’s ark, and irrefutably ‘prove the flood.’
Amazing how powerful evidence everywhere, wordwide, already matches and confirms the flood of Noah’s day—beautifully !

There is so very much evidence, so many facts that would make a person believe, and strengthen a person’s faith.
But I bring up something on the flip side, that discounts depending on signs, and artifacts, and especially near-death-experiences to strengthen anyone’s faith, or bring someone to faith in Jesus.

X☆X☆ “If they do not listen to Moses (the Law of God, our sin) and the prophets (the message of the Messiah, Jesus, our Savior), neither will they believe if someone comes back from the dead.”—–Jesus said that.

If something, anything, makes it easier to believe in Jesus to forgive you and save you from your sin, it makes it less likely that you will believe.

Anything that makes life easier is less likely to strengthen your faith.

–

So, what strengthens your faith ?

—Both physically, and especially spiritually
—universally, and indisputably
–hardship and testing strengthen your body
—trouble and persecution strengthen your faith

“We must through much tribulation enter the Kingdom of God.”

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

How can you tell your faith is being strengthened ?
“We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us.”

What do persecuted Christians today say about their suffering ?
They say persecution blesses them with a new and closer walk with Jesus.
And they only ask that we remember them, and pray for them.

That is what strengthens faith.

We can expect the same—
☆ ☆ ☆ JESUS SAID SO ☆ ☆ ☆

*They say the Shroud of Turin has evidence of an enormous flash of light embedded in the cloth, to match the LIGHT when Jesus THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD came back to LIFE.

And that would not be the only supernatural evidence in the natural world, of The Almighty.

Just a note about the shroud–
–For most people, even the label, ‘the shroud of turin’, immediately takes it from something Biblical to another ‘Catholic relic’ to be worshipped or disputed.
Consider how many details the Bible describes that seem to have little or no relevance to the story, like what it says about Jesus’ burial cloths–BUT GOD has reasons for including it all, for us to discover and understand someday, just like—
—like power with crude oil, uranium
—like technology with silicon
—like communication with . . .
God just expects us to “acknowledge Him in all our ways, and He will direct our paths.”

We get used to what we see in the world around us and in the heavens above—boatloads and boatloads of evidence that “leaves us without excuse” that there is God, and “He created the heavens and the earth.”

So, His promise to return in power and splendor and majesty to conquer and judge, is just as certain as all the evidence around us, and all the evidence we continue to discover.

No wonder the Bible says,

“The goodness of God is to lead us to repentance” and faith.

“PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD !”

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Health, Time

DISCLAIMERS – APOLOGIES – DILUTIONS

March 31, 2026 By Leave a Comment

– – – – – – – – – –

+ The Bible says, over and over, “Fear God.”

DISCLAIMERS
X – just respect God
X – don’t be afraid of God

– – – – – – – – – – –

+ The Bible says, “Submit to your husbands.”

APOLOGIES
X – not a doormat
X – we’ve got it more right now
X – mutual submission

– – – – – – – – – – –

+ The Bible says, “In six days, God created the earth”, 6000 years ago.

DILUTIONS
X – old earth, young earth, not so important
X – don’t lose fellowship over creation

– – – – – – – – – – –

Again and Again:
“Did God really say, ‘. . .’?”

HE DID SAY SO !

And He wrote it down, just what He said, just what we need to know, just what we must obey.

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Family

WHAT’S FOR REAL AND WHAT’S NOT

March 31, 2026 By Leave a Comment

In all my interactions with others nowadays, there is an assumption and expectation of functioning like always, when I know that is simply not the case anymore.
It is difficult to reconcile life as normal, that others want to see, and still count on—and life as I know it (losing ground), that others don’t want to see and can’t count on as in the past.

So the alternative is to start pretending more and more, to carry on life as in the past as long as possible—all the while knowing it isn’t real, and it’s not real living.

There comes a dreaded or feared reality when others finally recognize and label you with some “condition” so they can talk about “it”.
That is worse because you become the “it”.
The worst is awareness of talk about you, which most surely will feel demeaning.

And all along you just want[ed] someone to believe you, accept you, and relate with you where you are—not what they hope, wish, expect, pretend, so they can cope with (or ignore) their their own life issues.

And, you certainly want to avoid turning inward and focused on no one understanding—when your heart’s mission is to unselfishly make a difference in others with your wisdom from living.

Nowadays it seems no one under 50? has time or patience to step in the shoes of seniors, with struggles—and with much to offer.

It is much harder for over-busy, over-loaded, over-scheduled younger generations today to be content spending time—TIME—with older folks just to absorb good stuff gained through decades of living.

Rather, they are more likely to apply the lense of their ‘got it together’ generation and ‘much too fast life’—wanting quick answers that they will accept by pre-set default.
They don’t have time to wrestle through issues in life like older folks did, to come to convictions and foundation principles to stand firm on, through difficult, rough, hard times, like today, and the uncertain days ahead.

Where is there room for those in 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, to find change in their life, from time spent with seniors ?

Wisdom is so much more than just an interesting story of someone who has lived longer.

The Bible is full of wisdom, and so are the older ones among us who have walked with the Lord and His Word.

Mary chose “the one thing needful”, sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening.

I urge the reader to do the same, and sit with a senior, and listen.

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Family, Fun, Health, Political---Cultural, Time

“THE PLOT CLOTS”

March 29, 2026 By Leave a Comment

“The plot clots.”
—–Ed Young THE CREATIVE CONNECTION 3-29-26 on afr.net, in message on Joseph, when Joseph’s brothers bowed before him to buy food

Imagine those poor brothers, painfully, step by step, by God’s design, and by the hand of Joseph, coming ‘face-to-face’ (LITERALLY) with their sins against their brother and lies to their father.

PAIN
before
REPENTANCE
before
FORGIVENESS
before
RECONCILIATION

Filed Under: Faith Based, Family, Inspirational, Time

BIBLE READING/BIBLE STUDY – – – IN THE HOME

March 28, 2026 By Leave a Comment

First of all, a decision to follow Jesus is good, but incomplete.

With following Jesus, time in your Bible will follow, it must follow.
Reading your Bible every day, every morning, every night, WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

Bible reading is just the start, even just a short time.
Leave your Bible open, where you will pass and see it several times a day.

Leave a pen on your open Bible, to mark, underline, circle, date, add notes for anything that had meaning.
Reviewing and re-reading marked passages will add to and strengthen your walk with Jesus.

Pray when you stop to read your Bible.
God’s Spirit will shed light on what ‘He wrote’, and your Bible Reading will become Bible Study.

Then you experience why your decision to follow Jesus was incomplete.
You now have a commitment to everything you can get with Him.

A decision leaves you with some control, some say in things.

A commitment is stronger because it gives specifics.

But a surrender is everything—and that is what Jesus wants—He will settle for nothing less.

Get it straight in your life first to spend time with Jesus and His Word—in your home, where it shows—then you can lead the rest of your family likewise.

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Family, Inspirational

MURPHY’S LAW – JOB VERSION 10.0

March 27, 2026 By Leave a Comment

As a Christian, I do not subscribe to murphy’s law—but someone keeps sending me a gift subscription.

Job got a double, triple subscription from that someone himself—and Job didn’t know the back story for the source.

–

“Though He (my God) slay me, yet I will trust in Him.”

“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

“Should we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity ?”

“In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Financial, Health, Inspirational, Time

GIVE – – – or – – – SPEND

March 27, 2026 By Leave a Comment

“They gave of their abundance. She gave all she had.”

“If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry . . .”

“. . . satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you always;
He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

GIVE SOME ?

SPEND YOURSELF !

– – –

(Read SACRIFICED LATELY ? on this site)

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Financial, Health, Inspirational, Time

CHOICES ?

March 26, 2026 By Leave a Comment

“The debate is no longer beteeen right or left.
It is between normal and crazy.”
—–Sarah Huckabee/Sanders

“These people are CRAZY.”
—–Donald Trump, directly to democrats in the room refusing to acknowlege anything good, anything heroic, anything American, any brave Americans recognized in person in the room, during his State Of The Union address

Filed Under: Family, Health, Inspirational, Political---Cultural, Time
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