Ale for the Soul

"Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass."—Matthew. 21:5. We have read the chapter from which our text is taken; let me now rehearse the incident in your hearing. There was an expectation upon the popular mind of the Jewish people, that Messiah was about to come. They expected him to be a temporal prince, one who would make war upon the Romans and restore to the Jews their lost nationality. There were many who, though they did not believe in Christ with a spiritual faith, nevertheless hoped that perhaps he might be to them a great temporal deliverer, and we read that on one or two occasions they would have taken him and made him a king, but that he hid himself. There was an anxious desire that somebody or other should lift the standard of rebellion and lead the people against their oppressors. Seeing the mighty things which Christ did, the wish was father to the thought, and they imagin...

The Christmas season is upon me, along with a seasonal illness.  Yes, yours truly is suffering from a cold.  Several factors, I believe, have contributed to this ailment.  First, the temperature change.  Good ol' Texas weather is at-hand with warm weather one day and cool to cold temperatures the next.  How does one properly plan to prepare for such roller-coaster weather?  Every morning I do check the forecast in an attempt to adequately plan for what's ahead, but trying to predict my day even then is a roll of the dice.  Secondly, a co-worker at the bagel shop had the "cough", a sign of foreboding that gave me a sense of caution.  Thank you, God, for such provisions as Tylenol Cold and Flu medication.  Maybe it is too soon to tell, but I already think the worst of the cold is behind me.  Last year, I was sick for literally the entire month of December and well in to the new year.  Hopefully this will not be the case now.  Hav...

Today was very much a day of rest as I was off work from both jobs.  However, I did make a trip to the bagel shop, at the manager's request, in order to move tomorrow's prep work from the freezer to the walk-in cooler.  Even though this endeavor only took a few minutes, the simple fact of having this chore weigh on my mind detracted somewhat from the day's intended relaxation.  In addition, I am feeling as if I'm about to get sick.  Hopefully this isn't the case as every measure of prevention is utilized to possibly circumvent any illness.  (Resting thoroughly, taking medication, and drinking plenty of fluids.)  For the holiday's special meal, I purchased a Marie Callender's turkey TV dinner.  Many years have passed since experiencing such a meal, but I must confess how unlike the memories of other TV dinners this particular meal surpassed.  The food actually tasted great, and I gobbled it up like a hungry man.  Then I ate a slice of Marie Ca...

Thank you, God!  More people, including myself, need to recognize and continually remember where true blessings come from.  Every time I think everything is under control, I immediately have to correct such erroneous thinking.  Apart from God, I don't have anything even remotely resembling order and calm.  It is only by God's grace, mercy, and provision do I have anything under any sort of personal management.  It is God Almighty who holds the world in His hands.  Through both good and bad times, I pray for the cognizant realization of Jesus walking alongside me, sometimes carrying me when I'm not sure how I endured life's circumstances.  One lesson I've learned lately, is that God's blessings also carry a price.  Of course there are consequences to poor choices, but have you ever thought that blessings call for sacrifice?  For example, I prayed for a second job.  When I did receive that answer to prayer, I had to make a radical cha...

Not normally prone to visit the doctor for illness or physical discomfort, I finally relented in seeing one last Saturday evening.  A few months ago, I applied for and was accepted in to the John Peter Smith (JPS) Connection program.  This is through the county hospital and designed for people who don't make enough money to purchase health insurance.  With the skyrocketing cost of premiums and regardless of their annual income, I have no clue how people afford policies.  The first appointment was scheduled with a wait from August to November.  Yes, a four-month wait.  Thankfully I was able to tolerate the back and hip pain long enough to see the doctor.  Fearing the worst, I was relieved to discover it is only back strain and spasms.  In two more months, I will have a follow-up visit with lab (blood) work included.  During the interim, I have an appointment for a sonogram of my kidneys, and to spend an hour with a physical therapist.  Wo...

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  President Duterte, distinguished leaders, friends and partners:  I'm honored to represent the United States of America at this U.S.-ASEAN Commemorative Summit.  We gather today at a time of great promise and great challenge.    I speak to you on behalf of 350 million Americans with a message of friendship and partnership.  I'm here to advance peace, to promote security, and to work with you to achieve a truly free and open Indo-Pacific, where we are proud and we have sovereign nations, and we thrive, and everybody wants to prosper.  This year we mark 40 years of friendship and cooperation between the United States and this organization.  It's a long time.  I also want to congratulate ASEAN on 50 years of promoting peace and prosperity and stability in Southeast Asia and in the broader Indo-Pacific region.  Rodrigo, I would like to commend you on your success as ASEAN chair at this very critical moment i...

To Be Married, to Be Single . . . 7  Now, getting down to the questions you asked in your letter to me. First, Is it a good thing to have sexual relations? 2-6  Certainly—but only within a certain context. It’s good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality—the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband. Marriage is not a place to “stand up for your rights.” Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out. Abstaining from sex is permissible for a period of time if you both agree to it, and if it’s for the purposes of prayer and fasting—but only for such times. Then come back together again. Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it. I’m not, understand, commanding t...