Ale for the Soul

A new year is upon us, and it's almost February already.  Wow!  So far, 2023 has been a good one as I'm diligently working on my bucket list.  On New Year's Day, I participated in the First Day Hike at Cleburne State Park.  There were two different hikes slated for the day.  Both included hiking to the CCC-built dam, while the longer hike diverged to the trail running along the perimeter of the state park.  (Roughly six miles in length.  My arthritic back sure hurt the following day.)  In addition to the time spent outdoors, I finally took four days off from work in order to visit family for the holidays.  For whatever reason, the job wouldn't allow me to take off.  Out of frustration, I simply stated yours truly would be out-of-town for a few days and the shifts need to be covered.  If this constitues a resignation, so be it.  Surprisingly, I still had a job upon arrival back in Fort Worth.  Guess playing hardball pays of...

Hope everyone had a very Christ-filled holiday season.  I sure did, even though yours truly wasn't able to spend time with family.  The second best option was to spend a few hours with the men and women of my support group.  We had a great time of fellowship over a hot meal.  I took two to-go plates to friends of mine whom I knew probably didn't have family nearby to help celebrate the season.  Then I spent the remainder of the day in solitude.  On Tuesday I also celebrated my 49th birthday.  Yes, the last year of the age decade is coming to a close.  Not sure how I feel about it as I reflect back on the time spent in my current place of residence.  Why can't I be happy and experience the abundant joy I know is possible through the Lord Jesus?  He has so richly blessed me, yet I often fail to "taste and see that the Lord is good".  Happiness is fleeting, but joy can be had in spite of life's circumstances.  Try as I may, I keep...

About a month ago, my mentor and friend passed away from a very aggressive form of cancer.  Thinking it was an issue with his gall bladder, he was shocked to learn it was Stage Four cancer.  Wow, can't imagine how he must have felt to all of a sudden have mortality staring at him in the face.  Shaking my head in disbelief at yet another friend transitioning from this terrestrial sphere to eternity.  Five total in almost three years.  Unfortunately, unlike a few of my other friends, Pat passed away without Jesus.  This makes his death even harder to bear.  Today his family will hold a Celebration of Life service at the Lecture Hall inside the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens.  Since I wasn't able to get off work to attend, I will remember the life of my friend in a special way while on duty at the cigar shop.  A celebratory smoke while enjoying a cup of coffee is in order.  One day soon, I also hope to frequent the coffee shop we would often me...

Happy Thanksgiving and many blessings to one and all.  In the midst of life and the harsh reality of daily living, it is sometimes difficult to get an objective perspective on what's really going on.  Perceptions are created and decisions made contingent on the ebb and flow of the surrounding circumstances.  Experience has taught me this is dangerous as I need to step back for a proper assessment of life predicated on the Scripture of God's Holy Word.  Only the Sovereign Lord has complete knowledge of and infinite wisdom to discern life as we live it out here on earth.  Thanksgiving isn't simply a holiday one day in November...it is a daily lifestyle of true gratitude for God's many blessings and acts of grace and mercy.  More than getting a "want" or having a "need" satisfied, I am truley grateful for those things in life I didn't get, which is what mercy really is.  Grace is getting what I don't deserve.  Mercy is not getting what I do dese...

In a week from now, I will begin a 90-day temporary job with Walmart.  As a result, I have been taking advantage of this last week of freedom by travelling and sight seeing.  Last Saturday, I took off on the open road to Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose.  They had two guided park events I wanted to participate in: Track Talks and a hike to Paluxey Overlook.  The discussion on the dinosaur tracks was very interesting in that I don't personally believe in evolution, which includes a belief in a young earth.  Basically, it is a belief that the earth is only 6,000 to 8,000 years old.  (For more on this, read The Young Earth by Dr. Morris.)  Then Ranger Katie took us on a non-strenuous hike to the overlook, which holds the best scenic view in the park.  Once the two activities had ended, I checked out a few other sites around the park: the Blue Hole, the Monarch butterfly area, and the park store.  After leaving the state park, I immediate...

Last Friday morning I was able to leave town for four days of camping and site-seeing.  The main purpose of the trip was to visit a friend who is incarcerated on the Ellis Unit in Huntsville and then to swing by Palestine for a time of fellowship with a friend who pastors a church in the area.  As a result, camping was simply a form of inexpensive lodging to help accomplish what I wanted to do.  The cost for three nights at Huntsville State Park were still cheaper than one night at any motel/hotel.  Unbelievable, isn't it?!  Of course I still need to factor in the price of gas in travelling and the cost of food and drinks.  I still came out ahead by camping at the park.  In addition to visiting both friends, I was able to take in the historical sites the area had to offer.  First on the list was the Texas Prison Museum.  Utterly fascinating, considering I'm about to visit a local unit where my friend is currently assigned.  Then I visite...

Several more items on my bucket list were marked off last Friday and Saturday.  On September 9th, I travelled to Fort Richardson State Park in order to participate in the ten o'clock tour of what was left of the original outpost.  A few of the buildings were reconstructed represenations of what they would have looked like while a greater majority were original to the time it was an active installation.  Park Ranger Conner performed an excellent job guiding another camper and me throughout the area.  Once we were finished, we chatted inside the incredible Interpretive Center at the forefront of the historic grounds.  At the conclusion of our time together, I immediately set out to discover what the park had to offer.  Two of the hiking trails piqued my interest as I wanted to explore nature at its finest.  To cap off my excurion, I smoked a cigar in the pavillion/playground area.  Discovering a communal firepit, I'm already planning my next trip to...