Ale for the Soul

**Address at the quarterly meeting of the Society of the Holy Name of Brooklyn and Long Island Oyster Bay, New York – August 16, 1903** I am particularly glad to see such a society as this flourishing as your society has flourished, because the future welfare of our nation depends upon the way in which we can combine in our men - in our young men - decency and strength. Just this morning when attending service on the great battleship Kearsarge I listened to a sermon addressed to the officers and enlisted men of the navy, in which the central thought was that each American must be a good man or he could not be a good citizen. And one of the things dwelt upon in that sermon was the fact that a man must be clean of mouth as well as clean of life - must show by his words as well as by his actions his fealty to the Almighty if he was to be what we have a right to expect from men wearing the national uniform. We have good Scriptural authority for the statement that it is not what comes int...

At ten o'clock this morning, funeral services were held for a very dear and long-time friend who passed away on Sunday.  Unfortunately, due to such short notice, I was not able to switch days off at work in order to attend.  However, today I celebrate the life of Joye Taylor Walker.  She was a little over ten days away from another milestone birthday, but she often told me she would rather be in heaven than ticking away days here on earth.  Her husband had preceded her in death, and oh how she missed him.  What I remember most is having grown up in Yoakum knowing this great and wonderful woman.  Moving to this small town in the summer of 1979, our family started attending First Baptist Church, which is where I met Joye.  The name matched her temperament as she was full of joy, happiness, and wisdom.  Over time, a blossoming friendship developed as she became a grandmother of sorts to me.  Even upon graduating High School and finding a new hom...

[1] President Reagan: Thank you…Thank you very much…Thank you very much…Thank you very much…and, Reverend Clergy all, and Senator Hawkins, distinguished members of the Florida congressional delegation, and all of you: [2] I can’t tell you how you have warmed my heart with your welcome. I’m delighted to be here today. [3] Those of you in the National Association of Evangelicals are known for your spiritual and humanitarian work. And I would be especially remiss if I didn’t discharge right now one personal debt of gratitude. Thank you for your prayers. Nancy and I have felt their presence many times in many ways. And believe me, for us they’ve made all the difference. [4] The other day in the East Room of the White House at a meeting there, someone asked me whether I was aware of all the people out there who were praying for the President. And I, had to say, “Yes, I am. I’ve felt it. I believe in intercessionary prayer.” But I couldn’t help but say to that questioner after he’d as...

Knowing if I didn't plan a getaway of sorts, my two days off would pass me by as a total waste.  As much as I realize I don't have to plan every minute of my life, I did want to plan something special for at least one of my days off.  Today was the day for that something special.  Getting up a little after 5:15 a.m., I quickly began my day.  By around 7:20 a.m., I was on the road to Cleburne State Park.  This state park is a part of the larger state park system in this great place I call home, The Lone Star State of Texas.  Probably one of the smaller parks I've been too, it definitely wasn't on the short end of sites (sights) and sounds.  Arriving at a little before 8:30 a.m., I quickly paid the daily entrance fee and quickly searched for a place to park the truck.  Seeing some other bicyclists parked at a bathroom/shower area, I parked and quickly got out introducing myself to those around me.  One older rider and I engaged in a quest...

The first official day of summer hasn't come our way yet, but the hot temperatures are already here.  Unfortunately, the heat and humidity will only get worse.  As a result, my two favorite seasons of the year have always been Spring and Fall.  Another two days off have come my way, and they were fantastic.  Wednesday afternoon brought a few hours of relaxation at Paladin Cigars.  Normally, I smoke a cigar and quickly run off to other endeavors.  This time, I stuck around for a second smoke.  The "round table" of discussion covered quite a few topics, and I joined in the conversation when the subject interested me.  Both Thursday and Friday brought lots of bicycle riding as I took to the streets and trails in and through downtown Fort Worth and Gateway Park.  I had a blast!  Do I need to mention I took a lot of pictures?!  The only project I couldn't get to on my days off was painting the apartment.  Yes, I'm still workin...

My weekly two and a half days off are coming to a close, and they have been truly wonderful.  On Wednesday, after clocking out at 9:30 a.m., I promptly headed to Grapevine in order to visit the city's Historic South Main Street.  On the way over there, I stopped off at Buon Giorno, the sister location to the one I frequent in downtown Fort Worth.  I deliberately made myself stop long enough to enjoy the coffee with espresso, called a Depth Charge, so I could decompress from work.  Once finished with the beverage and mentally ready to continue, I got in the car to travel to the intended destination.  I was in Grapevine almost exactly one year ago, and I thought the area warranted a return trip.  Of course I was excited about filling the time off with personal activity instead of wasting the time away.  There is so much history to take in the process can become overwhelming.  (This time I remembered to bring the charging cord for the phone....