10/8/2018

Well the square table talks recently have been broad based discussions to be sure. But, in an over-all sense, they seem to always be about why we can see some perilous happenings and others cannot. It isn’t that we’re alone in seeing these things as bad-to-evil. Oh, no, many of our acquaintances and friends on FB see these same things. But to the larger audience, the city, county, state, nation, world: our question which has yet to be answered at the square table is why can’t they get on board with this?

Of course, at the top of the list is always, why people cannot see the Lord Jesus Christ for who and what He is for us. Followed by seeing the Bible as God’s word, and then a desire for fellowship around those two subjects (and not religion.)

But, there are other subjects: Vaccinations, water, dangerous traffic routing, politics, public bickering

Take water, for instance…and no, this is not a commercial! But, every few days for the last 12-15 years there has been another crisis with a water system effecting an entire city, sometimes several cities along a certain watercourse, to the point that even boiling the water will not clean it up enough to drink. Is there not enough interest in clean healthy water to cause more preventive and curative measures to be drawn up? Who and how many true experts in what is happening to our water supply would it take to fix this? More than we have interested in it, that’s for sure.

Or, in our town, a ridiculous traffic situation with a simple answer, yet there isn’t any, zip, nada, zero, nil, interest in even talking about it amongst the leaders. Sometimes one of them will nod, or even say, “oh, I agree with you.” Then walk away or change the subject.

What causes otherwise “movers and shakers” to avoid as if it were the plague, this question? Reminds me of Austin, TX, who had leaders in the 60s & 70s who said, “we want to keep Austin small.” That’s head-in-the-sand politics. So now they’re sooo big, sprawling with traffic snarls you wouldn’t believe, all due to lack of foresight. Been working on it sense the early 80s and still not fixed.

How many rants can you take in one morning? So sorry.  Maybe I’d better get the other half of the square table discussion group to write about a couple of these things.

The SIMH this morning came quickly, maybe because when I opened my eyes I thought I had overslept (not a chance.) The Everly Brothers had several big hits in their day and one them was bouncing around: “Wake Up, Little Susie!” (You know, they are out on a date, went to a drive-in movie, boring movie,  fell asleep, yeah, yeah, yeah….now go sell that to moms and dads, right?)

Hope Monday is your favorite day of the week!! Get on with it!

Thanks for reading, the Elder

10/7/2018

Well it’s Sunday morning and this may be short. Gotta hit the road soon. For the SIMH today, I could have kept the first one in my mind (can’t remember it now), but when I got up and started to move around it left and Travis Tritt’s big hit, “Anymore” came to mind. I never really listen to country music very much, but this is a beautiful, sad ballad. I appreciate expressions of love through music.

Got another subject in mind to write about, but not enough time. So I might come back to the blog and write more later in the day, perhaps early evening. Right now, it’s important to go elsewhere.

Thanks for reading, the Elder

10/6/2018

Sometimes I’m amazed at how a day unfolds and the odd way time-consuming events step in with which to be dealt. Yesterday, just before I was to leave the Blue Jug store, a tall athletic looking lady came in (guessing 50-55 years old) and asked me to tell her the benefits of Alkalinity. She then asked to sit and I got her a chair. She was wearing a walking cast (“boot”) and using a cane. In the course of the explanation, I asked her what happened to her foot, and her story went like this.

“Two years ago I was training for a tri-athlete competition on my bike, and at about 20mph a large dog came out of nowhere, not seeing me, nor me seeing it. I had no time to hit the brakes and hit him straight on; we tumbled and I found myself sprawled across the middle of the road, having flown through the air, and hitting the pavement. Several months later, after having repairs to 7 broken bones and multiple ligament/cartilage mendings, I was trying to figure out rehab. The long slow program had begun but was difficult from a chair. Now, I am able to get around and I come up with a stress fracture in my left foot, not knowing how that occurred.”

“My employer’s daughter and son-in-law get this water from you and I want to know if you think it will help me.”

I told her about our water, she took a free gallon with the promise to come back at near closing time to get more to take home with her. What a tragic story! Even though this happened two years ago, we could easily see the athleticism in her, though I’m sure, just from muscle loss alone, she’s probably 15-20 pounds lighter than before the accident. If she continues to stop in and we get to watch her recovery, more interesting aspects will surely come to light. …People lead interesting lives, do they not?

This is another beautiful Saturday morning, with a birthday party to attend this afternoon. Musing a bit about a conversation I had yesterday afternoon with a man who is sure of his salvation, but had two different times in his life he noted as possibly when he got saved.(?) OK, not my salvation. But I’m hoping he gets that settled “down deep” as the Lord said. I asked him to describe both times and he concentrated his explanation on the latest one. If he’s saved, I agree with that story. The first was sketchy about whether it was just emotion, etc. Hopefully, I used the correct references to make the point that salvation is a moment of trust—trust in the work Christ has done for us. Done at Calvary, finished by resurrection, told by Paul, sealed by God, the Father with His Holy Spirit. Hopefully.

A pastor friend has resigned a church he was at for 8 years and is moving to central Texas, about 80 miles North of where we were. He is starting a new phase of his ministry there with family. We’ll be praying for him and his wife and watching with great interest.

When a man chooses to start a bible centered and Spirit led ministry there are several things I know will happen: first, an enemy will show up, he’ll be in many forms and what he wants more than anything else is to stop the testimony of the saving power of the gospel of Christ (Rom.1:16.) Secondly, the preacher/teacher will make mistakes, a few, perhaps many, and some will hurt. But, he shall not fail because he makes mistakes and must remember “our sufficiency is of God” and not man.

Thirdly, though he should keep records of where his support comes from for future references, he should never consciously take note of who it comes from on any sort of scale, i.e., and let it form preferences or favoritism. That’s vital, but not difficult if he remembers the second note above.

Fourth and last but not least, he should work at his ministry like it is his full-time job. And most of his time, like most of the time on a normal full-time job, is taken up by preparation. Study. That’s the preparation. And study is work. And you are never done. You work, we’ll pray.

Multiple SIMH today, none of good noteworthiness.

Thanks for reading, the Elder

10/5/2018

Once again, I am amazed at the SIMH on more the one front: I’m not a “fan” of very many singers or artists though I admire many. Phil Collins is a singer that has had many songs I’ve enjoyed and he, like Sinatra, Elvis, Joel, et al, has endured through decades of popular music. But the song still lingering this morning is a Phil Collins song that I may not have ever heard had it not been on an album Barb purchased and sometimes plays thru. “I Can Feel it Coming in the Air Tonight” was written by Collins and done in 1981. I’ve been up an hour and it’s still hanging in there. Many others have recorded it besides Collins—hmm, perhaps I should.

Some other music which I truly enjoy listening to includes some rock, some Southern Gospel, old hymns, John Denver, Alison Krauss (one reviewer said of her, “I’d listen to Alison Krauss sing the menu at Denny’s” — I probably would, too.) Alison Krauss does Paul Simon music better than Paul Simon. I really like the Eagles music, a bunch of left coast musicians who created an infectious sound. Just like most pop stuff, no real redeeming value, just enjoyable.

My first introduction to hearing music I enjoyed, but seemed out of my bailiwick came from radio in the ‘50s. While Elvis, Conway, Ricky were all getting more and more air time, I was listening (usually late at night for better reception) to a Nashville, TN station, WLAC, play rhythm ’n blues and Black Gospel. I heard “Searchin’” by the Drifters long before it was popular. In those early teen years I listened to Dinah Washington and Brook Benton before the world knew about them—before television and American Bandstand!

Sometimes I would nod off to sleep, then wakeup shortly to black Memphis preachers —they came on WLAC after my R&B music went off. I enjoyed listening to some of them. One man, if he was on, to whom I would always listen was a man I thought was Dinah Washington’s father, turned out he wasn’t, but he was a notable preacher to his audience. Pretty sure, as much as I can remember, he spoke of the work of Christ on the cross with a great passion. At any rate, he caught my attention each time with his distinctive voice and style. Wish I could mimic it here, but I don’t think you could hear me.

During this time period of my life, I listened to a lot of radio as an escape from being in a rather sad house. Though this was a short-lived sadness, it was hard to go through and would have been harder without music.

When I was 15, my brother Don was killed in a late night one-car accident, probably the result of going to sleep. This changed home life considerably. My father, who had pastored churches for about 18-19 years at the time, just sort of drew back a little. I got what our doctor called walking pneumonia during this time and my father drove me to the dr.’s office for what seemed like huge penicillin shots several days in a row. One of those days was a Sunday morning when he would have normally been in church. I asked him if he was ever going to preach again and as tears rolled out of his eyes, he said, “I don’t know, son.” I never continued the conversation. Seems to me it was a total of 8 weeks, he didn’t go preach. Then, when he did go he never sounded the same to me. Less fervor, I’d say.

What an interesting thing to remember this morning.

Thanks for reading, the Elder

10/4/2018

Good morning! (Good afternoon and good night! —remember the Truman Show) this is another beautiful NE AL Fall day. Love these cool mornings. Sitting out in the back porch, I gave Buddy a couple of treats which made him eager for more. When he finally realized I didn’t have any more, he walked off with a “huff” coming out of his mouth and wants to go back outside. (I’m only his friend when two things occur—Barb isn’t here and I have treats.) His health seems better to me and he looks as though he’s gained back some of his weight loss. A good friend just lost his faithful pet a few days ago and I’m appreciating Buddy here today. It’s a great loss when something as close as a pet can no longer stay with us, yet we have the memories.

But the morning sun rises up over the trees and the day breaks filled with hope and joy! Hope for the content of our day, most assuredly, but also hope for tomorrow when the “morning breaks eternal.” And the joy—the joy of accomplishment, the joy of others’ around us being happy and prosperous (weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Ps.30:5)

My sound effects this fresh morning are many birds, backed up by a few head of cattle. We live amongst houses but we adjoin a couple of farms and have the benefit of a pasture a few hundred feet away. In fact, our lot was formerly (15 yrs ago) part of a large pasture. We still get the experience of it when instead of grass in early Spring, we get wild onions. We cut them or pull them or speak harshly to them, they still come back. When I speak harshly to onion plants I let them know I know which chemical it takes to annihilate them, so it is in a threatening tone (I think they understand, they didn’t get very big this year.)

I know we’re pretty far into the normal size of this blog and I haven’t yet mentioned the SIMH. OK, ok, I know you’re anxious! It’s a George Jones —“He Stopped Loving Her Today” —done in 1980, Wow! 38 years ago. Ol’ George had a voice, didn’t he? If you have any appreciation for country music, you’d never turn the radio off when George was singing, right?

As some of you know, my Monday night bible class is online at zoom.us/j/2103785748 at 7:00pm Central. Please know you’re invited to join us. Enter the above url and follow the screen prompts. the rest of the “board” and I in Blue Jug land use Zoom for our meetings. It is a great medium, seamless and clear signaled, etc.

Last evening a couple who are several years into bible study and good friends to Barb and me wanted to call me and discuss some Scripture passages. I suggested using Zoom for that. It was a true pleasure, not only because the conversation was edifying and the friendship side of our fellowship was sweet, but because the zoom system was so easy and gave us the sense of being in the same room (and they didn’t have to put on shoes and they didn’t have to smell my breath!) It was fun catching up with their news, telling some of ours, and the bible study was (I hope) helpful.

Technology does get ahead of me very easily, but when I’m used to using a program, and it isn’t complicated, I truly enjoy the “day” in which we live. I was just thinking about how sometimes it is hard to remember everything that is said in an hour or take notes that catch everything. We could have recorded that hour also and I could have sent it to them by email, I think—I’ll check and see if that’s possible. Oh, the possibilities!

Thanks for reading, the Elder

10/2/2018

SIMH today is really something: “In Some Secluded Rendezvous —that overlooks the avenue….” from the early 1930s. This was recorded by scads of singers in the 30s,40s,50s, from people I never heard of to Bing Crosby to Louis Prima/Keely Smith in 1958. But, when I looked it up, the version which appeared was Spike Jones’ version—crazy as all get out!

Spike had a way of making funny that which had been done in all seriousness. His sound effects gave visuals to recordings. When The Lawrence Welk show became popular in the 50s, part of his show was to come on with “champagne” bubbles all over the place. Spike Jones did a version of Welk’s theme song where he couldn’t get anyone to “turn off the bubble machine!” By the time the song came to an end, one could nearly see billions of bubbles and hear the “glub, glub” of the band drowning in bubbles. Spike was to the world, a “oner”—No other like him.

I hope all of you are familiar with TED Talks. These short talks will give 15-20 minute snippets of 100s of areas of thought, progress, regress, funny stuff, scientific stuff, ridiculous stuff, out and out lies, profound truths——the whole gamut of thoughts presented by children, rank amateurs, experts in their field, innovative people, and old folks who’ve “been there!” And yes, some make you angry, some make you cry, some make you want to do something, others make you just sit and think. If you haven’t yet, just visit and scroll through subject matter, or enter a descriptive word or two and see what comes up. It’s better than watching cartoons!

Today, I wanted to see what a man was going to say about his topic—“4 Things We Tell Ourselves About Dying” —it was ruined for me before he got to what they were because he told us we were the product of evolution. (He was English, so he said “ee-volution.”) With that exposed, I knew he was not going to be talking about the will of God, so I wouldn’t waste my time. If I had never heard an evolutionist’s version of it, I might have listened. But, I have heard what they say, therefore, even if his 4 things were different, they would have just been another attempt to denegrate the Creator of the universe and try to destroy the belief in salvation through His Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. So I went to something else.

In the “Omnibus” category of self: we often want people to not be disappointed in us when they see us or hear us, so we improvise our exposure toward what those people want. Much of the time this is very helpful. A sales person, for instance, wouldn’t  approach a potential sale with a scowl or unfit language. This isn’t going to improve chances for a sale—might not kill the sale, but will not help.

In another area of what people see in us can be whether we truly help those we are in contact with or, when we help does it come off almost begrudgingly? Leaving the person to think, “well if I had known I was going to put you out, I would have done it myself” or they give you a never mind look. Helping people, from opening a door, carrying their load, or raking their leaves, or what ever may be the task, should always be because we want to do so. If you think you should want to help, but you don’t really want to, you must discipline your “want tos” to match your “I shoulds.” And you are the only one who can make that change. Self-discipline is the only discipline that exists. As Jim Rohn used to say, “for things to change, you’ve got to change.”

Thanks for reading, the Elder

10/1/2018

Well, off we go into a new month! It seems good to expect some truly good things to happen this month. To begin with, I always expect the Lord to come which, I believe, is only going to happen if the gospel is preached to, heard by, believe on, salvation comes to the last person to fit into the body of Christ. Even though I believe this, I know it could take a while longer than this month. It’s alright with me if it takes another 1000 years—it’s alright with me if it is today.

Another occurrence this month, if all goes well, is more people in 3 states will have a new Blue Jug Alkaline water store near them. We are working with a couple in Louisiana, a man here in Alabama, and a lady in Texas to get their stores open, each of which are in some late stage of getting the door open and offering the world’s best drinking water. This is exciting to see! We’ve (the company) have worked with these folks and they are very hard at work, making ready to see fruition! More in a week or so about this. This is fun! Even the hurdles and hoops we have to clear!

As the month comes to a close, Lord willing, I’ll be in Navarre, FL for a bible conference. I guess the last of this year. (I’m open for more if you want to have one.) This should be a great one. I think it is the 5th year for this (I missed one because a funeral) and I’ve enjoyed them all. People from several states, get to meet new people every year, it seems. The word is taught well, saints are edified, and hopefully, people get saved. (We don’t keep count, the Lord handles that.)

Other than those things, life is normal. Oh yes, I’ll probably have to comment about the Cubs, the Tide, maybe even the Cowboys and those who oppose them. If these teams do worthy things. But, as the song says, there’s rioting in Africa and Texas needs rain—somewhere in Africa and somewhere in Texas these things are always true.

Speaking of songs, I’m not writing about the SIMH today because it is the same one as a couple weeks back. It rarely occurs to have the same song often, but I awoke, slept, woke up again, slept, and finally got up and it’s still there. I mean, I don’t even like the song, it isn’t even true to life! Sheesh!

The Lord said, “for as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Modern positive thinkers built on the same basis “You are what you think you are,” and “What the mind can conceive, your will can achieve.” And many other such slogans. But, the Lord’s words were not automatically positive. They are said in a negative way about ego, self, and unrighteousness. So this produces in some of the Lord’s people an attempt to use the words of Paul, such as “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” In fact, many people change the word “which” to the word “who.” Don’t do that.

The sense of the statement is with the pronoun being “which”—read like this: I can do all things through Christ and the knowledge of that gives me strength. Of course, I know that all strength comes for the Lord, but that isn’t his purpose in these words. Paul is trying to tell us no matter what circumstances we are in (he was in prison when he wrote this) our reliance is on Christ, and our knowledge of “our sufficiency is of God” should keep us from faltering or being laden down with the cares of this life. The previous three verses explain what I mean. Phil.4:10-14 is a favorite passage which I depend on to keep my perspective. Hope it helps you, also.

Thanks for reading, the Elder

9/30/2018

Wondering what the month of October is going to bring for the things I wish for, worry over, and watch: Cubs are looking a might weak this morning, more tomorrow. I wish they had more energy, they’re playing tired baseball. It’s been a terribly hard last 35 days!

My schedule for October will keep me pretty busy; Newport, TN on the 14th, a conference in Navarre, FL the last weekend and probably a couple more trips thrown in. Could be a blessed month. Preaching the cross of Christ is the most important words to be spoken anywhere, anytime, to anybody. It is a privilege to be permitted to participate in it.

While the world (which doesn’t belong to us) rants and raves about dozens of things, most of which their resolution will not make the next things seem less intense, it is calming to take a step back and a deep breath and realize the Lord knows the end of it all. Since He knows the end, everything which occurs is also known by Christ. Even though from time to time it appears the devil is just running roughshod over it all (and he is), we must keep in mind in the end he doesn’t win. He can’t win, God has already said!

We see in an analogue fashion. The God of heaven and earth sees in a 360 degree fashion. (There’s probably a better way of expressing that.) The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ knows the beginning from the end, and all along the way. He has told us in His word how and for what purpose all things will finish. Now, take that deep breath, step away for a broader perspective, and thank Him; first for His sovereignty, next for His salvation so freely given, then for sealing us and keeping us in His Providential care. Daily life? Best to align with Romans through Philemon (of all 66 books in the bible, that part which has His will for our lives spelled out.)

Keep in mind the first “Facet” of our lives this week: That is the part everyone sees. We don’t want to appear phony, neither do we want to be exposed. Slow to speak, slow to anger, speedily help, quickly befriend, calm in approbation, careful in criticism. Measure your words since it is a truth: words go out and cannot be drawn back in, neither are they easily forgotten. To many people who cross our life’s path, we are very important even if we do not know it. Our words should not be as a canker to them, but pleasant and receptive, easy to be entreated. Desire as much, their reply, as your own comments.

Today is the last regularly scheduled visit to Alexandria (I mentioned earlier they have a new pastor), so we’ll both be there today and have a fellowship meal together. I pray for however the Lord leads these folks and for the new pastor to lead and enlighten them for the tasks the Lord has for them. I love these people in Christ, as well as in “this world’s good.”

Thanks for reading, the Elder

9/29/2018

SIMH today is “What’s Your Momma’s Name?” —very sad song about a man searching for the product of an unsuccessful or unfinished love. Sad about the man, but sadder the number of times this might have occurred in the last couple hundred years in America, leaving a child without a father. The song was written by two men in the early 70s and recorded, oddly enough, by both George Jones and Tanya Tucker. (Tanya’s was a big hit)

Usually, by the time I look up the history of a song, I’ve managed to get it out of my head. Today is lingering, c’mon brain, get in gear! The song wasn’t that memorable.

But, memory is a mystery. This week’s soiree in Washington has brought to light the mysterious way our memories work. Detail by one person’s perspective versus the same event viewed by more people produce thoughts, times, conversations, actions and results which differ. Sometimes leaving us with no way of knowing what actually happened. I’ve told many stories about Trafalgar, IN which I have heard differently coming from someone else who was there. I’ve wished, on several occasions, to have each person’s account of things which are vivid memories to me, just to see how their version varies.

Just a short one: about 30 years ago, I mentioned a 1957 ballgame wherein I watched my brother Pete score 21 points. When one of his classmates heard what I said he became thoughtful for a moment, then said, “Hmm, I don’t remember Pete ever scoring anywhere near that.” Well, he did. This classmate was one of the stars on that team. Isn’t it interesting he cannot remember Pete ever being “high point man?” Is that selective, from some deep-seated jealousy? or just unimportant to his memory? It was important to me because I was the last of 6 Lockhart boys to play basketball there and Pete was the only one of us to score 21 points in a game. So walks in the ways of memory.

My point in this isn’t about points in a ballgame: my larger point is how do we believe history books if the history book is gathered together 20, 30, even 100years later? In 1978, I saw, in writing in a “modern history” book how a 1968 event had been drastically changed to make a hero out of a villain. And that’s just 10 years! Whose account of history do we believe? My personal opinion is that much of what our students get from educational processes now is not exactly what happened then.

I once picked up a copy of the Will Durant “History of the World,” thinking because I enjoy history I would enjoy his take. He told so many things I disagreed with in the first 40-50 pages, I decided to not read the remaining 1200 or so pages! Do some historians use their own guesswork about details and facts, or is it mostly the reason for their writing is a deeper hidden agenda? While mostly I suspect the latter, I hope there are some true historians for each time-frame we choose to study. What will be the present USA administration’s history record? What of the most recent past administration? Want me to write both? I’m honest, I’ve got a great memory,…believe me?

As to the history of the faith, Christ-centered faith, I’ve read some accounts which promote a religion instead of a view of the faith. In the early 90s, I was discussing this with a preacher who had the same fears as mine and he recommended two church history books of which I had never heard. I got them and noticed in both books, the authors had drawn the conclusion which said what I just wrote about above. But, their approach to what they recorded was bent toward the reader seeking another way to verify any questionable thing. As I studied, I tried to do that and found most things to be corroborated by both books, but also other writers. The internet today makes that an easier job.

Recently, I recommended those two books to a friend and she found them with ridiculously high price tags! I told her I might have to have an auction—looks like money to be made!(tongue in cheek.) Naw, I’m betting you can find them cheaper, somewhere. The books for church history are The Pilgrim Church and Miller’s Church History. If you find them at a reasonable price, let me know and I’ll tell my friend. If you want further church history, get in touch. I am now old enough that I know it from experience!

Thanks for reading, the Elder

9/28/2018

This is a tumbled up morning when it comes to the SIMH. Several songs popped in and out in short snippets, some of them are “repeats” of ones I have written about, some didn’t stay long enough to get the name of it clearly. I get weirder by the day about this, I guess. So, as the mind wandered and began to settle as dust, there was a song came to mind that might just fit this day: It says, “I got a song Ain’t Got No Melody —Ooh, ooh, ooh!” Yep, that fits. This was written in 1971 by Billy Preston. Second line says, “Gonna sing it to my friends”: I think I have both heard that song from my friends, and sang it to them!!

Life is a multifaceted thing. Perhaps multi-sided is a better word. There is the side that anyone and everyone can see which could be called the “omnibus” side. Then there is the “personal” side which only a very few people can see, a side which can change a lot more rapidly than the omnibus side. Another side we all have is the “private” side: one held so closely to ourselves that only the Lord knows about it (and rightly so.)

But, there are some other “sides” to most of us, sides that rear our “ugly” heads, or “valiant” strengths, or certain “weaknesses.” Lastly, yet should always be first: our “spiritual” side. A seven-sided life. We can pick apart these seven aspects  and beat them to a pulp! Or, we can accept them as they are, then set out to change only those things about each where we need help by increasing our understanding.

So, we have a list of facets:

1. Omnibus, what everyone sees
2. Personal, what a few see
3. Private, all that the Lord sees
4. Ugly, what we wish no one would ever see
5. Valiant, what is strong and/or benevolent, want seen
6. Weaknesses, where/how we fail and we wish not be seen
7. Spiritual, our most important facet which should be seen

We’ll begin work on these as time and space permits. Most of these will take more time to think through and then write about than merely seeing that we all have these sides. My fear is I’m the only one who is an example of all these. If so, that’ll be boring for most of you. But, watch this space.

The children of Congress played in the mud and muck yesterday, very ugly side of them, don’t you think? I repeat what I said a couple days ago: “why would anyone examine an applicant, who has been in the profession for 25 years, on the basis of his teenage years?” Would any of us above the age of 50 want our teenage years exposed? to anyone? for any reason? Naw, it’s just dirty politics from people who can’t tell childhood from adulthood because they never left the former and cannot recognize the latter.

So, I don’t doubt the poor professor has had a horrid experience. But the lack of memory would just as easily include who did it, would it not? I’ve read many accounts where a form of psycho analysis called “suggestive memory” has placed people in the memory of another who was never before in that patients life. (I don’t put anything past politicians who want their own way, folks.) The vehemence of the judge’s denial and the lack of corroboration leaves me believing he is innocent of this thing.

But, as one reporter said, “How will we ever know?” Once again, the nation is in the hands of a few people we never really know. Thank God for a Savior! and, in Christ Jesus, thank God for a better hope!

Thanks for reading, the Elder