Ale for the Soul

As of today, I've been working once again at the smoke shop for a little over two weeks, thus holding down multiple jobs.  May I tell the truth?  It's wearing me out!  The blessing is the increased acknowledgement of how precious time is.  I am more appreciative of the rare commodity free time has become and the hobbies I enjoy.  In fact, I have to plan extra carefully for the activities in life I value, and try hard to fit them in between the new demands on my schedule.  And how can I forget, the money is nice.  But I must recognize the true source of my income, and that is God Almighty.  He is the one who truly knows and provides for my needs, not some job or large corporation.  With every paycheck, I immediately give back to the church God's tithe (10%).  It's all His money, not only 10%, but I fulfill the biblical principle every time I make the contribution.  According to Malachai chapter three, I can't out-give God, and I have...

Thank you. Thank you. Senator Hatfield, Mr. Chief Justice, Mr. President, Vice President Bush, Vice President Mondale, Senator Baker, Speaker O’Neill, Reverend Moomaw, and my fellow citizens: To a few of us here today this is a solemn and most momentous occasion. And, yet, in the history of our nation it is a commonplace occurrence.   The orderly transfer of authority as called for in the Constitution routinely takes place as it has for almost two centuries and few of us stop to think how unique we really are.   In the eyes of many in the world, this every-four-year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle. Mr. President, I want our fellow citizens to know how much you did to carry on this tradition. By your gracious cooperation in the transition process you have shown a watching world that we are a united people pledged to maintaining a political system which guarantees individual liberty to a greater degree than any other. And I thank you and your p...

Keep it simple stupid!  This is commonly referred to as a K.I.S.S.  (If you take the first letter of each word, it does in fact spell the word kiss.  Ha!)  Over the years I have often heard this acrostic used when making major decisions or in dealing with the tough issues of life.  What exactly does that mean?  I firmly believe it means to continually have clarity concerning what lies before us.  Don't unnecessarily cloud the issue or make it more overly complicated than it has to be.  I for one immediately begin making a laundry list of "if/then" statements, only to find myself and the situation further in disarray.  This makes the possibility of arriving at a decision even more remote.  Sometimes life also has us trying to keep up with the Joneses, the never-ending pursuit of the latest gadget, trend, or fashion.  Before long, we as human beings are so encumbered by our society-stimulated artificially created need, we have lost th...

1. When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent” (Matthew 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. 2. This word cannot be understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, that is, confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy. 3. Yet it does not mean solely inner repentance; such inner repentance is worthless unless it produces various outward mortification of the flesh. 4. The penalty of sin remains as long as the hatred of self (that is, true inner repentance), namely till our entrance into the kingdom of heaven. 5. The pope neither desires nor is able to remit any penalties except those imposed by his own authority or that of the canons. 6. The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring and showing that it has been remitted by God; or, to be sure, by remitting guilt in cases reserved to his judgme...

I have struck gold in having the freedom to not act my age.  Today is it!  Can I really be a kid again for a day?  There are many things in life I would love to have the opportunity to do over again.  Remember the TV commercial with the "Do Over" button?  If only life were that simple.  However, I don't believe that is the premise behind the holiday.  Yes, I think most everyone would love to have the constraints of adulthood lifted from time to time.  But why does acting the role of an adult have to be all frowns and involve inflexible seriousness?  Life is meant to be lived with joy and happiness.  Years ago I managed a shoe store in Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport.  One evening several employees from neighboring stores and I commenced to play tag throughout the terminal and back hallways of the airport.  Come on, you know the game.  Whoever was "it" had to chase after someone, touch them, and then they would beco...

In today's world of moral relativism and situational ethics, I often hear people say, "According to my truth...", or when asked how someone would behave in a certain situation, "Well, it depends on...".  Bull!  There is no such thing as "my truth", and it doesn't hinge on any set of circumstances influencing my behavior.  To find oneself in a hellish environment of their own making doesn't dictate what the truth will be.  Nor do times of apparent peace and prosperity.  Even Pilate asked in the narrative of Jesus crucifixion, "What is truth?"  The answer is Jesus Christ.  He is Truth with a capital T.  The Gospel of John 14:6 states, "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.'"   I can already hear people gasp with horror from such a statement, "That's too narrow-minded.  Truth is always in flux...it ebbs and flows according to the needs of the s...

For the second weekend in a row, I had one of my two best friends travel to the Fort Worth area.  The timing couldn't have been better has he contacted me just as I was leaving from work at the smoke shop six o'clock Sunday evening.  We went to our favorite restaurant in town, Little Germany.  It is located on Henderson Street (Texas Highway 199) and White Settlement Road.  Surprisingly, he is the one who first introduced me to the place years ago, shortly after I first moved here.  Even though I have eaten there several times since, it has been a while between visits.  It was a great time of fellowship over a good meal.  The dish I ordered was the German Spaghetti.  Sadly, the only thing German about the dish was the sausage in the sauce.  Other than that, the rest of the food selection is authentic.  I highly encourage everyone to try out this place if and when you find yourself in Fort Worth.  It is worth the time and effort t...