Further Away and Right at Hand

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
​​Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
​​“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
​​So are My ways higher than your ways,
​​And My thoughts than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:8-9

Have you noticed that the smarter we as the human race think we are, the further away from us the heavens get? In Babel they were building a tower that could reach the heavens. The heavens were quite close in those days. Many years later, there was this model of the earth and the stars all around. With some discoveries the heavens became a bit further away, and man thought himself smarter as he increased in knowledge. Then, the sun-centered universe model came along, and man was smarter still, but the heavens also got a bit further out there with this solar system thing. Now, the Sun is just another star in one of many galaxies and man thinks he knows that the edge of the universe is something like 15 billion light years across or about half that away from the center. Some are so smart in their estimation these days that God is not even needed in their thoughts of how the universe came to be. Those heavens are so far out of reach now that Babel seems almost silly.

Then Paul wrote: "The Lord is at hand..." At hand? Yes, as in right here, with us. I am glad. For as the heavens have gotten further away by our becoming smart in our own eyes, the more so many of us have felt lost and adrift in an alien universe. It is good to know that our Lord's heavens are further away from those who would leave Him out of His Creation, and that He is right here at hand for those of us whom He has chosen to believe in His Son, who was very much right here on this earth. And one great day this Son is coming to get us and take us home.

In Christ we live,
Bucky

Like An Army

And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days. Genesis 7:24

The 'road closed' markers on the map from Charlotte to Wilmington and up to Raleigh and Winston-Salem in North Carolina are like an army. The waters rule right now; it is tough to see hope amidst the flood. Other areas have flooding too and lives have been lost to the storm. Peace has been said to flow like a river, but I don't think the author had overflowing, flooding rivers in mind. Once again we are hardly more prepared than the ancients for such large floods.

Noah was well prepared to survive the greatest flood of history, but was he so well prepared for the waiting? Not just waiting while repairs and reconstruction took place, but the waiting to get started - that time when he was ready but nothing could be done for those 150 days. At this moment, equipment and materials will be staged somewhere, ready to begin the cleanup and building. But today, as a bit of sun begins to shine on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, they are stuck waiting and listening to the rain as further showers plague the area. Just like an army, ready but stuck waiting for the time to come. We too have a waiting that has come upon us.

One day, we know our Lord will come, and these terrible floods and other catastrophes will be done for us. However, we have that time of waiting. We can't make Him come sooner. We cannot advance a date we do not know. The waiting for our Lord goes on, but we can come to Him in prayer to be made ready. And while we wait on Him, we can help out our neighbors wherever we can, especially in prayer for their salvation, safety, and rebuilding their homes.

Waiting in prayer on our Lord Jesus,
Bucky

The Rain of Righteousness

​Sow for yourselves righteousness;
​​Reap in mercy;
​​Break up your fallow ground,
​​For it is time to seek the LORD,
​​Till He comes and rains righteousness on you. Hosea 10:12

Like the story of the four soils where the seeds that fell on good ground produced 30, 60, and 100- fold for each seed, we are exhorted to sow some righteousness. That is good, for at times it seems that all of my efforts to produce righteousness are in vain. We are the sower, and the sower does not see the harvest at the time of the sowing. We might imagine it, some of our wild imaginings might even come close, a little close, but the result belongs to the Lord. I get a picture of a big event in this verse, a rain of righteousness that sweeps away the chaff of the old life and grows such a harvest that the barn cannot contain it.

Sowing righteousness makes more sense. We do not get to see the results we desire because it is just too early yet for full maturity. Which explains why we are to reap in mercy, which in turn sounds like living in grace, and then break up that fallow ground. Wait, what fallow ground? Could be the future that we will begin walking through today; ground that we have not attempted to break up with the plow before this time. In this day, it is time to seek the Lord, because there ain't nothin' scarier than plowing the fallow ground of tomorrow by yourself. And we labor in this "Till He comes..."

Well of course we do! And He could come on this very day!

Bucky

God Knew

Binding his donkey to the vine,
​​And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,
​​He washed his garments in wine,
​​And his clothes in the blood of grapes. Genesis 49:11

Vine, donkey's colt, washed, garments, wine, blood? There is some symbolism going on here! Even more there is talk of a lion and the words are directed to Judah. This verse is from Jacob's final words to his 12 sons, in particular the blessing given to Judah by his father, also known as Israel. This happened about 1,689 years before the birth of Christ. What is even more interesting is that Jacob called his 12 sons together to hear what would befall them in the last days.

So, do the final words of Jacob tell us when Jesus is coming back? Sorry, that knowledge is still held closely by the Father our God. We do not get a date with our wine. (Ouch, poor painful pun.) However, we are glad to see that God knew His plan for salvation and imparted a bit of it to His servant, Jacob.

Some of the deeds of Jacob's life do not match up well with a prophet of the Lord. The birthright thing, the deception of poor old Isaac along with his co-conspirator, also known as 'Mom', do not seem to be the righteous deeds of a man of God. Of course, some of my past deeds would not qualify me to teach from the word either. And so it goes with all of us. God knew our deeds and yet loved us so much that He sent His Son, on the donkey's colt no less, to save us from those former deeds, and thoughts, and intentions, and all of the other sin we were born into. God knew, and He saved us anyway. Israel belongs to God, and so do we!

God's blessings to you,
Bucky

The Wind Comes

​The wind goes toward the south,
​​And turns around to the north;
​​The wind whirls about continually,
​​And comes again on its circuit.  Ecc 1:6

When our brothers and sisters in Christ face the coming storm on the Atlantic coast of our nation, it is difficult to write of the conditions here, far away from the storm. We may be neighbors only in spirit and not in location, but we are neighbors in the Spirit.

Looking at some traffic cams on the North Carolina coast, it is almost a ghost town atmosphere. The whirling wind is coming later today and the people have left the area. It is interesting that with all of the technology and construction we boast of, it is still better to run from the big storm. And yet, as always, there were a few vehicles on the roads even on the outer islands. We will of course pray with them too. Always that sort of action brings up the question: foolish or faith-filled?

We tend to base the answer on the result. If they ignore the evacuation and stay to face the storm, and we see their corpse being removed from the shattered house on the news report, then we conclude foolishness. But is it? Is that the final result? A body was placed into a tomb many years ago, but that was not the final result for that one body. He rose again. No doubt before the resurrection some judged Him foolish too.

Today we pray for the storm is near,
Bucky

How Did It Get This Way?

God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
​​To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
​​Every one of them has turned aside;
​​They have together become corrupt;
​​There is none who does good,
​​No, not one.  Psalm 53:2-3

What sort of love caused our Lord to save us from this? In His place any of us would have scrapped the lot of us. What to do with a world full of sinners? Few among us get up seeking to do evil or bad though. We might even intend to do good in the morning when we rise. If even most of us intend good, what happened to the world?

Of course we know from the word of God that sin is our birthright. We are born into it, and only a rebirth in Christ by the Spirit can take us through the narrow gate and get us on the Lord's way back to God. Sounds simple...as long as He does it. Salvation is of the Lord. I have no idea how to rebirth you, wouldn't even know where to start, so go to Him, then receive and rejoice in the salvation of Jesus Christ.

Bucky

Getting Late

The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Romans 13:12

About 35 years ago, I toured part of Israel and it seemed a pretty dry place. A place where growing food would be tough and However, Israel now exports food. The desert is blooming faster than the younger me would have thought possible. So, when I say that it is getting late, figure that it is getting later. If I should say that our Lord could return in the next few years, figure that it will be tonight. If I should say tomorrow, best look toward today.

Paul said the night was far gone, a pretty far long time ago. Yet, our Lord has not yet come. This is the trap to be wary of, as Peter pointed out to us, that we might think our Lord will not come just as quickly as He said He would. It will be in a time such as this, one of relative peace in the world. It will be when mankind least expects it, though each of us should be expecting the return of our Lord at this very moment. It will be today when we are looking at tomorrow. The good news is that in Christ we are ready for it.

Take us home, Lord, in Your good and perfect time!

Bucky

Be Known

Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” Acts 28:28

Praise the Lord for the salvation of Jesus Christ! By that we are known as His followers. And how are we known? For doing the wrong things? For the worst sorts of behavior? Certainly not! And we strive daily to be known for doing what is right and following closely the teachings of our Lord Jesus. We want to be known for the lives He has changed to the better, for being reborn in Christ.

Yet, there seem to be in this world of today many who just want to be known. When the criticism arrives they don't care and even see it as indication their method is working. Whatever means is justified by the notoriety, infamous to them is just as good as famous. Disrespect of the elder things is okay with them as long as the click count is up on the web metrics. Dishonesty is not even a consideration but another means to gain the desired attention. And why should we worry?

We shouldn't! Our Lord told us all of this would come near the end. While all of this is going on, be known as one of His. Be known for integrity, righteousness, and the light of Christ shining out to the world. Be known as wholly given to the Lord. Be known in His love.

Be known in Christ,
Bucky

The Lord's Goodness - Right Here

​I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
​​That I would see the goodness of the LORD
​​In the land of the living. Psalm 27:13

Listen to the news on most days and it is easy to lose heart. David came to believe that he would see the goodness of the Lord here, in the land of the living, and it gave him heart. It may be that we are not given news of the Lord's goodness at work in our news media. It may be that we are not seeing the Lord's goodness due to a blindness of sin. But David believed that goodness he would see here.

We may be tempted to believe that the Lord's goodness is withheld only to come in some future time that we cannot see from here. David tells us no. Jesus tells us no (see Mark 10:29-31 for one promise). We can look for the Lord's goodness right here, right now, in this life and in this time. All may appear headed for destruction, but the Lord is still sovereign, still good, and still loving. We have our hope in Jesus, today.

May our Lord Jesus be praised in our found and renewed heart today.

Bucky

The Sting of the Scoffer

“Look, you scoffers,
wonder and perish,
for I am going to do something in your days
that you would never believe,
even if someone told you."  Acts 13:41 (quoting Habakkuk)

Paul ran into the scoffers; he should know, he used to be one.

Believing in Jesus is not easy. The flesh fights against it with every argument that it can muster. Distractions from the world flow in waves against the shore of faith. And then, there is the seduction of sin which promises the scoffer an approval rating just short of miraculous. Beside all of that is the fun of becoming the object and target of the world's scorn.

None of us particularly wants to feel the sting of the scoffer. In this world there are many who have become quite skilled at scorning a belief and scoffing at the believer. Their darts and jibes can hurt us deeply. They have discovered the tone of voice and set of face that brings others to their side to witness the verbal execution of the faith we hold so dearly. The Son of God felt this even as He died on the cross. But there is also this message for the scoffers.

Sent by the prophet in the time before Jesus came to us, and repeated by the apostle in the time when we await our Lord's return, God sent a short note to the scoffers, "Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish..." And then, our Lord promised an action so awesome that even foretold the scoffers will not believe.

Hmm, kinda sounds like that refers to the Revelation of our Lord Jesus! The Return of our Lord Jesus: coming soon to a world near you!

Bucky

Men, We Labor

Then King Solomon raised up a labor force out of all Israel; and the labor force was thirty thousand men. And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts: they were one month in Lebanon and two months at home; Adoniram was in charge of the labor force. 1 Kings 5:13-14

One of the great works of the Bible is the Temple of God that Solomon built in Jerusalem. We have descriptions and measurements, but it is hard for us to imagine what this building looked like. We do have some idea of what it took to build the Temple with the tens of thousands of laborers called to the work from Israel. 70,000 bore burdens and another 80,000 quarried stone in the mountains (v15). That is 180,000 persons on the project just in these three verses. Labor was the order of the day and a lot of men turned out to labor away a month at a time on this huge project. It is interesting to note the shifts organized by month in the first group. The organizers of this huge effort were 3,300 of King Solomon's chiefs of deputies. They also likely worked 1,100 at a time by monthly shifts. Do we get the impression yet of an enormous project?

As God has put the spirit of creation in us, I wonder how many methods and machines of construction were invented during this time. The local Caterpillar dealer probably hadn't been born in Solomon's time and I saw great stones in the western wall that would have called for some cooperation and leverage to place. By the accounts in the Bible, the completed Temple was really something to behold. And then, God's presence entered in...

The works of man, even the greatest of them, lack something. Men, we labor, but God is that something our works need.

In Christ, I am a work in progress,
Bucky

Hands of Toil, Hands of Trouble

But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. Genesis 19:10

In the case of our verse today, the hands were used for good to pull Lot to safety from the mob outside the house. You may have seen a news report today about a bishop's hands getting him into trouble. Yes, men, we are on the hot seat today because I am one of you and have gotten into trouble with my hands too.

The hands of man were given us as blessings from God. Then Adam reached out and took from Eve the forbidden fruit and we have toiled with our hands ever since that time. We have also used those hands to get into trouble time and time again. Jesus even told us to cut one off if it was going to be the cause of missing out on Heaven. So important are the hands in this life that I'm thinking very few men, if any, have done this thing. Any of us could exhaustively list all the tasks we use our hands for each and every day. We could also make quite a list of troubles and sins our hands have helped us get into. If trouble has come to you by your hands already this morning, I'm sorry. Let us hope the remainder of the day will bring good works.

The hands of toil are indeed the hands of trouble, but they can also be the hands that do good works. We need some help with that though, and Jesus our Lord offered to be that help. Actually, He said that without Him we could do nothing. Paul also said that through Christ's strengthening he could do all things. The hands of the Lord are seen as those which bring us His good help. Hands appear 456 times in the New King James Bible, showing their importance in the days of our lives. In Christ we can do good works with our hands, but in the flesh we can also do great harm.

Thank You, dear Lord, for the hands which are so useful and beautifully made by You. Please strengthen me to use them for good works.

Bucky

The World Terrifies Me

Where can we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our hearts, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”  Deuteronomy 1:28

Trembling on the border, the Israelites had zero confidence in their ability to win the promised land. The world terrified them; the world terrifies me. When we look at the strength of the world, of course we are going to be afraid. There's certainly more of them for one thing. One against 7 billion is pretty steep odds. But then, if the entire world turned against God, it would still be 7 billion against One.

That is the wrong point of view that we often share with the Israelites of long ago. We look at the world and see such strength and even ill will directed against us. We must look to the One who loves us and know His sovereign strength.

Water from a rock in the desert. A sea parted so that the people walked through on dry land with walls of water on either side. A blind man made to see. A paralyzed man takes up his bed and goes home. So, which side has the power? Who stopped God when He acted for the Israelites? Who can stop God when He acts to save us from the world? Afraid today? I think I look in the wrong direction!

Trust and live in the Lord Jesus Christ, He stills the raging sea of fear in us!

Bucky

Pharisee U's Biggest Fan

Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Acts 9:1-2

This Saul was not only fervent in his unbelief, but murderous, threatening, and connected! Saul was the Pharisees champion. At Pharisee banquets he would be invited to the top table and given the honor of the after dinner speech. The old hands would praise his energy and enthusiasm for the task, and better still he was useful to their plans. Saul went right into the high priest and received letters to the synagogues, and these letters would have meant that he had no worries over a hotel room or servants to see to his needs. No worries about collecting receipts for the bean counters back home. No worries over dates to the best restaurants in Damascus. He had it made!

As Saul journeyed down the road to Damascus, we would have seen the pennant of the Pharisee University Authoritarians on his cloak, a Pharisee sweatshirt on his back, and a heavy gold ring from the PU class of '35 on his finger. Saul was all Pharisee and charged with what he thought was a holy mission approved by the powers that be in Jerusalem. He was Pharisee U's biggest fan and proud of it. Saul belonged, felt the warm glow of official approval, and had purpose in his stride. And, as we know from the scripture story, Saul was all wrong.

The Pharisees had declared for the Antichrist way back in Mark 2, and Saul was their golden one, the champion they could count on to destroy the Way and His followers. Only, as we have read in the scriptures, the story does not continue from here quite as the high priest and the Pharisees thought it would.

Seldom is a rebirth in Christ such a big change to an earthly life and career as Paul's was, and yet, each of us has undergone a similar change in our new life in Jesus. Your/my change may not be so dramatic, so sudden, or affect our career like Paul's did, but be patient, the change will be just as profound and far-reaching when our Lord is done.

Glory to His name,
Bucky

Living For A Living

​Her heads judge for a bribe,
​​Her priests teach for pay,
​​And her prophets divine for money.
​​Yet they lean on the LORD, and say,
​​“Is not the LORD among us?
​​No harm can come upon us.”  Micah 3:11

Micah knew nothing of us in this nation right now...or did he? Reading through our verse for today we might see Micah living right now in this time. King Solomon noted that everything comes around again, and here we are filling the prophecies of Micah in this time quite well. So many seem to be in it for the money. Take away that money and watch, would that fellow run for his senate seat again? Would that pastor get up and preach in that show or revival if it were without compensation? Is the prophet more accurate with her invoicing than in her predictions? So many of us today are living for a living.

And then, they look around and say, "The Lord has our back; we cannot be harmed. Everything is going so well!"

Those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior find a problem with that. It is after our rebirth in Christ that the real testing begins. Poor decisions or rough circumstances may have laid us flat on our back and brought us to realize our need for salvation, but the cheerful walk in the rose garden we looked forward to with our Lord does not often come in this life. Problems come in their battalions at times and we never seem to 'get ahead' as the saying goes. One quick rest in the valley of peace leads to yet another hike up the mountainside of woe. And strangely perhaps, it is on that mountainside that we say almost the same thing as those others, " The Lord will not allow us to be harmed. We will get through this tough time with Christ our Lord!"

What difference then? Those others demand and expect the Lord's protection while they roll in their money, worshiping Mammon deep down. We live where the Lord leads us, whether in wealth or poverty or somewhere in between. We climb the mountain of woe knowing that our Lord is leading us higher for our sanctification and also that He is right there with us. So, the question to ask then: Is money a useful tool in life, or is it the main pursuit of your life?

And thank you Lord for all those who have used their money generously to Your glory! I am glad to know so many who are not like those others.

In Christ the Lord,
Bucky

Evil From His Youth

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. Genesis 8:20-21

Great are the Lord's promises in this passage of scripture, but oh, we seem to have yet another indictment of our condition in there. That imagination of ours, the sins of the flesh play out there daily it seems like dirty movies at a sleazy theater in the worst part of town. We might well ask when that place will be shut down?

Trusting in the Lord includes faith that what needs to be changed in us will be done on the Lord's schedule. It may be that particular theater is under renovation even now. The next movie shown there may be one of love and forgiveness. Actually there is no 'may' about it. We believe in Jesus and removal of sinful imagination is already well underway. Just don't be that dirty old coot that keeps getting in the way of the demolition crew.

Imagine a closer walk with our Savior today, that will help the remodeling move along,

Bucky

Adam Had A Purpose

Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. Genesis 2:15

Our father, Adam, was not dumped in a nice place to simply goof off. He had a purpose and an assignment. However, we should not think that this was something that Adam was unsuited to perform like me on roller skates or something.

Even in my youth I was not well suited to rolling around on shoes with wheels. What some appeared to do effortlessly backwards or forwards, I struggled on the edge of disaster to perform at all. You will note that I did not become a professional roller skater. The one who invented that trite phrase about becoming anything you want to did not see me roller skate back in the day. There is something though in this life that I am suited well to perform.

This something will require training and practice, as toil is our lot now since the fall of Adam, but most of all it will require my Lord Jesus. To attempt the accomplishment without our Lord is nothing but a vanity. Solomon discovered that human vanity after much study and experimentation in his life, but most of all he had an overflowing measure of wisdom from the Lord. Paul wrote much that we learn from and struggle to implement to this day. He did it after years of study and practice, but mostly he did it after a powerful visit from the Lord and a constant presence in his life of the Lord's Spirit.

We do not work alone. The Spirit of our Lord God is in us this day. Want to accomplish something, have a purpose, and work for the kingdom of God? Look to the Lord and receive from Him the faith, wisdom, knowledge, and steadfast effort we need to work in His house. And don't act like He is holding a whip to drive us to this thing! Our reward in the doing will be greater than we can imagine.

Bucky

Hear What The Spirit Says

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." Revelation 2:7

The midst of the Paradise of God sounds like a good place to go and stay forever. But, we have to do one thing which we are not very good at: listen to the Spirit. We go like that Yoda character, "My own counsel will I keep..." so often are we so smart in our own estimation. My own counsel has led me to some rough places where I was able to sample extensively from the consequences of my own failures. Could it be that God has a better way?

We so easily take the lesser way and the lower road, counting on difficult experience to teach us the right way to go. God is already righteous, would it not be much better to learn from Him? If we listen to His Spirit, would not the teaching be both better and easier? My own counsel has proven to be such a wicked servant, I'm thinking that learning to listen to the Spirit at all times is the ear to develop. How wise is that? The Lord gives me the ear to hear what the Spirit says to the churches, so I can claim no wisdom for my part. Seeing no wisdom of my own, I must ask for wisdom from God.

And thus do we start down the road to righteousness and wisdom and love and all the other fruit of the Spirit by realizing that we have none in ourselves and learn or get them only from the Spirit of God. Great is the name of Jesus!

Bucky

Rejoicing From The Lord's Mercy

Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
​​That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! Psalm 90:14

From a psalm by Moses. This psalm has been around a long time. I think I write that every time this psalm comes up here. Moses perhaps feels the span of many years here and asks for a satisfying measure of God's mercy early in life. Rejoicing and gladness all our days would be something, and what to us is a long time later, an answer comes!

​Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
​​Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
​​Great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Jeremiah wrote the Lord's answer, we have new mercies and compassions each morning. It is indeed a mercy from the Lord that our sin does not consume us each day. It is the compassion of the Lord that is given each morning to start a new day in the love and grace of His wonderful Son. It is the Lord's mercies that take away our vision of the Lord God as a hammer and His Son snatching us away from the awful descending blow. It was always God's mercy and compassion that failed us not, and from His love and goodness came our Savior Jesus the Christ.

Now that makes for a day of gladness and rejoicing!

Bucky

Jesus And The IQ Test

Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. Hebrews 6:1

"Daddy, what was Jesus' IQ?"

Go ahead, you wanted to be a father, a question such as that one is where a father earns his daddy points. If Jesus were to take one of our IQ tests and scored anything less than perfection, the test would be flawed. We know that perfection is one of His qualities. The Pharisees, on the other hand, refused to know such a thing and tested our Lord constantly. Which brings up another interesting point. If testing the Lord was their job, and the law and the prophets was their excuse, then why didn't they test the Lord in the way they knew was laid out by the prophet?

If the prophet in question, Jesus or John the Baptist or any pretender, simply enjoyed the tithes and offerings brought and failed to bless the land then they would be exposed as a fraud, right? Well... the tithe test never did benefit God directly, as He does not need our provision, and such a test can easily expose the motive of the tither. That is, if we work out the percentage carefully, and take the $57.33 it works out to into the temple expecting God to respond with a winning lottery ticket by way of blessing, then we expose the greed behind our selfish giving. It would be moot anyway; Jesus already passed the test that matters most to us: He laid down His life to save us and then took it up again exactly as He said He would proving His love and His word beyond question. Now the test is on us: do we believe in Him?

Hmm, now it is a noon devotional because I walked out this morning without sending it. I think that is one of those old age things I was warned about!

Love in Christ,
Bucky