When All Else Fails...Guess...

Today's theme will follow along those lines, and you'll discover why in just a bit.
The Heartland weather this day will be a replay of yesterday, with temps a bit higher...maybe into the 40s (if we're good).
Nice and clear with a good sunrise and plenty of "Big Daddy Sol" in our skies.
Should be real easy to play "spot the perp" anywhere in and around the Summit City.
And now...for the rest of the story...
*** We're taking the Wifeymobile in for regular service this morning...nothing of consequence.

(crosses fingers)
The woman who answers their phones asked if Wifey wanted to WAIT for her car...she replied: "I prefer to wait AT HOME - I only live a block away."
That's my girl...!
At least we still have another "holdout" in the area...a reputable service center. About the only business that has NOT been chased out over the years.
And speaking of crime...
*** With the Norkos waving their "man-parts" and posturing over an attack on the USA, and most every Middle Eastern nation wanting our heads on pikes, and a possible global economic meltdown, what would YOU consider the greatest THREAT to America these days?

If you said "Why, it just HAS to be the Mexican drug cartels, Bob"...go to the head of the class!
Yes, it's true, and this is a LOT more invasive and insidious than even the Communist threats of decades past.
But the truth is obvious, as found in this FOX news story:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/04/01/mexican-drug-cartels-reportedly-dispatching-agents-deep-inside-us/
DISPATCHING AGENTS, hmm?
Now THAT sounds ominous, doesn't it?

Sinaloa busted by the DEA - with ALL the "goodies"

Well, considering our ever-so-porous border to the south, and the utter lack of this Obamunist administration to properly SECURE that border and root out all the ILLEGALS here and send them back to their motherland, it's little wonder that this would NOT be happening.

It's just a LITTLE pot...

The fact that this all began back in the 1990s, when they became this nations #1 drug supplier (sorry Lilly and Pfizer) and started smuggling drugs into the USA and even fronting grow operations here, makes perfect sense.

An AP review of court cases and DEA data indicates such groups have been deploying agents into at least NINE non-border states, often in middle-class suburbs in the Midwest, South, and Northeast.
This is being considered the most serious threat the USA has faced from organized crime.
Funny thing...years ago, MEXICO faced the same problem with the (then) growing cartels, and did nothing to "nip it in the bud", and now look what you have down in that country today.

In recent history, cartels have emerged in places like Chicago (IL), Columbus (OH), Louisville (KY), and even rural North Carolina.

Yeah, they look like the "neighbors".

Add to that the FACT that suspects have surfaced in INDIANA, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, and yes, even in my home state of PENNSYLVANIA.

((...Que?...))
That sounds like a really nasty "trend"...doesn't it?
Well, that's what happens when you "ignore the small sh*t"...you find yourself hip-deep in BIG sh*t.
(right, Ft. Wayne?)
*** More on the recent spate of shootings in the Summit City.
Information is coming out as to WHO was shot and WHO was killed.
Remember, you can't tell these players apart WITHOUT a "scorecard".
Here's one story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130402/LOCAL07/304029955

Montez Brooks

One of the victims who was killed was Montez Brooks, a star linebacker for Bishop Luers High School, and who also won all-state honors as a senior in 2011, taking the Knights to a THIRD straight championship.
Doesn't sound like anyone who would be involved in criminal activity to ME.
Had a decent life ahead of him...and it was taken away from him...and THAT is a damn shame.
I mentioned yesterday that Robert Kanyuh, 65, was the other homicide victim killed this past Saturday out on Lafayette Center Rd in SW Allen County.

Marck J. Vachon

Police have identified two of the surviving shooting victims as Marck J. Vachon, 22, and Marcus Q. Bibbs, 19, both of Ft. Wayne.
Vachon was the person shot outside of Early Bird's Ultralounge up on Wells St, and Bibbs was the person shot along Hanna St. (near Weisser Park), when a man jumped out from between two houses and began firing at Bibbs.
The FWPD PIO stated that none of the shootings appear to be random, and that at this point, nothing suggests any of them are linked.
Now, to ME, that sounds like talking out of BOTH sides of one's mouth.
NOT random...and NOT linked?
Lemme see here...NOT random means a "targeted" victim, and NOT linked means not related...probably to one another?

Sounds like a convoluted way to say something obvious.
It would be wrong of me to say that none of these recent shootings DO NOT have a "connection", as in people usually know who the victims are, or the vics know the shooters.
That is a PROVEN fact that always winds up in that 80% category.
Here's a WPTA link that chronicles the shootings much in the manner I did yesterday:
http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/2-Dead-After-5-Shootings-Over-Weekend-200876431.html
Now, the ONE thing I am always saying is that we need MORE POLICE PRESENCE in the area...
Done so for YEARS, in fact.
Now WHAT do you think the local media is grabbing on to?
Well, here's THIS link to fill you all in:
http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/Could-More-Police-Presence-be-the-Answer-200981091.html

People are FINALLY figuring out that MORE POLICE being seen might be a good idea...!

Imagine THAT...!

How's that gonna fly during a time of BUDGET CUTS?
Jonathan Ray, of the Ft. Wayne Urban League (of Less than Extraordinary Gentlemen) also warns that people do not want "a police state".
He would say that anger and poverty are major contributors to such violence.
I say anger - yes.
(the mooks are angry because they can't always get their own way...that makes sense)
But poverty?
Not so much.

How can you be IN poverty, and yet have a nice new vehicle (like an $45K+ESCALADE), fancy-ass rims and tires, a cell or smart-phone with apparently UNlimited minutes, nd be able to ALSO afford a rental crib, and the best cuts of meat at the market...or new clothes and athletic shoes (costing upwards of $100+ a pair), hair weaves, "ghetto-talons" (those long-ass fingernails of various hues that don't come cheap), sundry tattoos and piercings...and above ALL...the ability to secure (in some obviously illegal manner) a FIREARM...and the AMMO to load into it, anyway?

How EXACTLY can...that...happen?
Well, with all the "assistance" programs available, one can easily rake in close to between $40K-$80K per year in "benefits"...!

Yes, now THIS is a definite "WTF???" moment.
Nice work if you can get it...for free.
Jonathan Ray has the right idea, but still, like so many others, refuses or neglects to see the ROOTS of the problem...much like weeds in your garden.
You can hack off the top growth all you want, but until you find a way to kill the ROOT, that weed ain't going anywhere soon, and will most likely MULTIPLY.
Trust me, I know dandelions all TOO well...LOL.
The violence problems we face HERE in Ft. Wayne are not too different from the basics of gardening in that respect.

Inviting more police into a certain area might seem a GOOD thing on the surface (and from a crime aspect IS a damn fine start), but you have to contend with those who have that ingrained SUB-CULTURE mindset...their OWN rules and their OWN laws.
Most of which are contrary to the laws on the books, and very often counter to normal morality and civility.
That can be a huge stumbling block to progress in thwarting crime, because of how the PERCEPTION reveals itself.
The REALITY of it is such where you have people that despise the law, and those upholding it. How best to win THEM over becomes more of a diplomatic adjunct than a mere law-enforcement one. And we DO hire these officers to UPHOLD the laws and prevent crime FIRST.
You want a diplomat?
Hire a damn ambassador of good will.
It's not a simple solution whenever the problem is not properly addressed...that will always be a given.
Grasping at straws and impulsive guesswork by city leaders will do nothing to change the status quo.
*** As an added bonus to all of THIS, News-Sentinel reporter Kevin Leininger has a weekly cable-access show locally called THE FORT REPORT.

And this past weekend, the thrust of the 1/2 hour show was about the RECENT VIOLENCE in the city, featuring Jonathan Ray and FWPD chief Rusty York. Man, talk about being PROPHETIC!

This was taped BEFORE this last round of shootings and homicides...how coincidental.
Here's the link, and it's a really decent video:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130331/NEWS/130339992/1026/FORTREPORT
Kevin asked some great questions of his guests, and I'll leave it to you to determine whether or not you detected any "two-stepping" in the answers.
Moving on...
*** Lastly today, I got a package yesterday from my smoke-eating nephew over in VA...

He's now an LT in the fire department where he's been for more than few years. And he's seen his share of weird on his streets. 

He's a smart man, a good husband and father with a good heart...had a good upbringing, too.
I was wondering WTH could he be sending me...thought it might be a family portrait of him, his Wifey and the children.
Nope...wasn't that.
Perhaps it was a book I was wanting (there are SO many these days)...
Nope again.

Turns out it was a 4-DVD set by Magpul (you shooters out there KNOW that name) enmtitled:
 THE ART OF THE DYNAMIC HANDGUN.
(love the cover art!)

Yeah, that was a really huge "WOW!" moment for me.
He enclosed a nice letter thanking us for all we've done for the family over the years (hey, it's what we do).
What good is money if you can't help family out for no reason other than the fact that you CAN, eh?
I've been on both sides of that fence in my life...and you pass such things forward.
THAT is what made this nation...people giving a damn, and doing for others with no expectation of compensation.
We DO...because we CAN.
We seek no rewards in this life, and that's due to our belief and faith that such rewards will come in AFTER this life.
That's not something we can guess at either...it's something we can believe in, and hold on to not just today, but every day after from here on out.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.

Monday Musings - April Fool Edition...

Welcome to brand-spanking new month, and for some of us, it's well-received.
For others of us, it's just another month of the same "stuff"...with a different name attached to it.
(and that's being optimistic)
Weather today will be cooler, with temps only reaching into the mid-30s.
Still have the clouds around, but remember, the sun is ALWAYS shining at 40,000 feet. And it will be down here today, too.
With that said, let's see how we should rate this weekend...
Before we get into the "rest of the story"...I noticed the Norkos (N. Koreans) declaring some state of war between them and us and the south, so let ME be the first to say this:

I AM OFFICIALLY GOING ON RECORD AS DECLARING WAR AGAINST THE COUNTRY OF NORTH KOREA...!

There, I said it...and I feel better because of it.

Let just ONE of those little goose-stepping commie fish heads cross onto MY property or send a missile targeting OUR fortress, and I will lay them ALL to waste without batting an eyelash.

I might even smile while doing it.

Call it the "Pre-emptive Bob-ing" of the Norkos!

And I think more of us HERE should do likewise...WHO'S WITH ME?

There's NO fool like an APRIL one, and that little punk-ass dictator, Kim Jong Un fills THAT bill to a tee!

Moving on...
*** First off, yesterday was a pleasant Easter for us here at the "Fortress", while outside, it was more of the usual.
I made us a baked ham with pineapple, clove and brown sugar glaze, scalloped potatoes for Wifey (along with hominy), while I did the mashed gig.

I watched some of Hollywood's better attempts at portraying Jesus on TCM, and then I switched over to watch the last installment of THE BIBLE on History Channel.
VERY well done - gives a REAL sense of the agony of Christ on the cross of out salvation. And they even followed up after the resurrection with the apostles and how they fared. (most all of them didn't end well, but still got out the GOOD NEWS)

I had to also watch the season finale of THE WALKING DEAD, too, and that was as good a way to end as possible. More followers to the prison and Rick's group, we lost Andrea to Milton the biter, and the Governor went way off the deep end and shot many of his own people.

After midnight, BBC America ran a show on the companions of Doctor Who, and followed that with a study of the 3rd Doctor (Jon Pertwee) AND a classic 1st episode Spearhead From Space...great way to finish the day and revisit part of my youth.
I give this Easter 4 stars out of a possible 5...for INSIDE our "Fortress".
Aside from that, everything outside was, as a I stated...typical (for the Aborigines), and that brings us to the heart of the matter.
*** When the dust settled, the final score was:

Shooters - 5

Victims - 2

(we still have two in critical and one in fair condition at local hospitals).

That brings our dead pool total to FOURTEEN HOMICIDES (for all of Allen County) with THIRTEEN of them happening INSIDE of Fort Wayne.
I heard two of those shootinsg on the radio (until they went to Tac-5 channel), and THREE of them occurred on the...(...all together, gang...)...SOUTHEAST side of the city.
(Ypu all sound REAL good this month - give yourselves a round of applause)
And these five come on the heels of TWO nights that Wifey and I heard shots fired in OUR area.
Early Saturday morning, she heard several (rather distant or smaller caliber) shots, and the following (early) morning, I heard TEN rounds steadily and purposely fired followed (my guess would be 9mm), a few minutes later by one loud (shotgun?) boom.
Those must have been within a two block area, too.
Never saw any FWPD cruisers criss-cross the area, either.

...Anyway, back to the shootings that caught that media's eye.

Here's the story link as it appeared in this morning's (J-G) paper:

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130401/LOCAL07/304019943

--The FIRST shooting (and homicide) took place Saturday out on 13600 Lafayette Center Rd, where a home invasion took place, and left the resident with abdominal wounds.

The victim, Robert Kanyuh, age 65, died from complications.
--The SECOND happened near Weisser Park, along the 3300 block of S. Hanna St. near Drexel Ave., on the city's SE side.

This took place late Saturday evening.
--The THIRD shooting happened up on Wells St. at the Early Bird's Ultralounge around 0300 hrs Sunday morning.

The incident happened after a fight broke out in the parking lot.
How "upscale" is THAT?
He's still in critical condition.
--The FOURTH shooting occurred around 1907 hrs when a person was dropped off at hospital with a gunshot wound.
Someone told police this happened around the area of Oxford and Smith Sts.
He's the second person to die of his injuries.
--The FIFTH shooting took place in the vicinity of Hanna and Hayden Sts., around 1930 hrs.

In the last shooting, it was said that someone in a black Chrysler shot at him, hitting him in the calf, and is listed in fair condition.
In ALL the shootings, we have NO supsects, NO motives...NO hits, NO runs, and NO errors.
(end of the inning, I suppose?)

So there 'ya have it...looks like those "stop the violence" rallies are doing SOMETHING.

(because even NOTHING is SOMETHING, right Bob?)

And the "safe streets" task force is doing their job.
Yeah, my streets seems JUST AS SAFE as they did last...which wasn't all THAT safe to begin with...for the last TEN YEARS.
Hold that thought - We'll come back to THAT in a minute...

*** Now, forgive me for posing the questions that only CAPTAIN OBVIOUS (my alter-ego in another life) could ask, but wasn't THIS the most HOLY weekend in the Judeo-Christian calendar? And doesn't that USUALLY mean a LACK of violence?
Apparently NOT...at least not in an around the Summit City.
And here I thought this was a time of reverence,
 and spiritual understanding.
(silly me)
It's also interesting how our own violent crime rate per 100,000 has grown to 9.4.
Could be worse...could be DETROIT. (over 1200 per 100,000)
Still, that should make than a few of us out there wince just a bit...we're moving in the WRONG direction, and that could be because this city's been governed by those moving (also) in the WRONG direction for a bit too long.

You DO get what you "pay for"...don'cha?

NOW is the city going to pay attention to what I've been saying for more than the past several years?

(probably not...you have to remove your head FROM your a$$ before you can read anything, right?)

*** Now, about that Safe Street Task Force...
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130331/LOCAL07/303319934/0/SEARCH

Okay, so the headline reads that they have a "NEW" focus - GANGS!
Um, forgive me for being OBVIOUS again (I just dig the mask and cape), but what EXACTLY was their OLD focus, and whatever it was, why wasn't THAT working?
Well, better to target GANGS anyway, I suppose.
And to target THAT, you have to start enforcing the laws pertaining to all the small sh*t out there.

Like what Ben Franklin spoke about regarding poverty, the exact SAME applies to criminals and their behavior.
You have to start making these thugs (very) UNCOMFORTABLE in their behavior, otherwise, they're not going to move away from it.
If that seems to appear to "unfairly" concentrate on ETHNICS in certain parts of the city...consider this:
MOST of the crime is always committed by a small number of people in ANY given ethnic community.
Hispanics on Hispanics, white on white, and black on black...that's the PRIMARY gist
When you move (law-enforcement) assets into an area that is PREDOMINANTLY one ethnicity, the chances of nailing the criminals OF that ethnicity, that ARE causing most of the crime RISE significantly.

So, I don't want to hear ANY bitching from the black community (the predominant ethnicity in our part of the ghettohood) when THEIR people get pulled the hell over and THEIR people are the ones being watched, questioned and arrested.
That's called CRIMINAL profiling, and it ONLY occurs with REASONABLE SUSPICION.
You don't act hinky or break the law and commit crime...you got NO problem...simple, huh?
That SHOULD suffice for the locals down here, since they can become SO predictable so easily.
We'll see what changes...and what does not, and I can probably call THIS one correctly as well.
*** Lastly today, sadly, there are some people that simply DO NOT deserve the right OR privilege of living among civilized and law-abiding people.
Hell, there are some that don't deserve a HOUSE to live in, because they couldn't even handle a government-sponsored apartment in a slum.

Others don't deserve a license to drive, because they neither get insurance, fail to register the vehicle, and drive like they're deaf, dumb, blind AND stupid (helluva combination).
Some don't deserve to allow alcohol into their system, because it gives them both liquid courage AND Acute Stupidity Syndrome.
(ASS for short...I love acronyms...LOL)

We all certainly don't need put street pharms in our bodies, either...that's asking for trouble on several fronts.

Some people don't NEED all the technology available to us, because it becomes more of a DISTRACTION and hindrance than a help...and causes accidents.

There are SO many things that many people DO NOT to have in their possession, and it's NOT due to any BIAS.
It's due to the LACK of KNOWLEDGE...the lack of REASON...the lack of WISDOM...and the lack of moral and civil tutelage.
Many of us still may be lacking in certain areas there, but we are NOT lacking in ALL of them, and not to the degree those idiots enjoy.
Sure makes you long for the days of better education, both AT SCHOOL, but more importantly...AT HOME.
And home is always where the heart is...or should be, right?
Have yourselves a great week.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.

May you have a BLESSED EASTER.



Good Friday (Follies)...

Here we go, at week's end and at the doorstep to the high holy day of Easter.
And, we have a very nice forecast for this Good Friday, with temps again comfortably into the mid to high 40s, no chance of precipitation, and sunshine to melt away the last of the snow.
I, for one am glad that this is a "GOOD" Friday, especially after yesterday, which began nicely enough, but turned into one of "those" days.

We had "bunny-sign" yesterday on the patio, and that means Easter and springtime HAS to be near.

The squirrel-patrol, led by "Stubby", came by to get fed as well, and two of them will take peanuts from my fingers (score one for St. Francis of Assisi).

And Mr. Cardinal could barely wait until I got back inside to take on the seed pile I left on our patio. He was peeping his feathered butt off in anticipation of my feeding him, and all the other avian friends we have stop by.

Yes, that was a nice start to the day...
Then, things began to go downhill.
*** I purchased some paperbacks on eBay, and wanted to PAY for them (simple enough), but for some reason, Paypal would ONLY permit me use those "e-checks", which I NEVER use, as I prefer either my credit card or an instant transfer from our bank account ( both of which I've never had a glitch with).

Well, since neither the card OR bank account option was appearing, I decided to call Paypal's customer service and find out what was what.
After a 15 minute wait (I hate that stuff - if my call IS "so important", then hire MORE people to staff the phone lines), I get a nice woman on the line who DOES manage to help me well enough.
Everything on Paypal's end looks perfectly FINE, according to the woman AND her supervisor. Everything checks out perfectly.
So, it MUST be an eBay problem (that would make sense at this point)

I then call up eBay, wait another 15 minutes and get another "warm body" to assist me.
And amazingly enough, THIS person also seems helpful.
(I just cannot be THIS fracking lucky...!)
Thing is, they can't find any problem and suggest a few things to "try"...(I don't like guessing when it comes to money),
But, after hanging up, and trying some things, I can''t find any way to pay for those books. (now)
Now, I'm really in a quandary. I email the seller and explain the problem.
And I go over ALL my personal information carefully, to make sure everything looks as it supposed to. Which it did...several times I read it.
Then, after the SEVENTH run through, I see something that gets me thinking (and that can be dangerous).

I notice the bank account number...looks fine enough...got the right last 4 digits..."ABC" bank...(?!?)
Wait a minute...didn't "ABC" bank MERGE with "DEF" bank not too long ago?
I check our checkbooks and lo, and behold...it says DEF on the damn checks...with a NEW account number...!!
Cripes almighty, no WONDER I can't pay for stuff...my account information needs to be UPDATED, and no one prompted me or sent me one stinking email about it.
So, after all that time, I found out what was "wrong", and attempted to update the account.
(will take 3 days to rout through the systems)
I'll tell 'ya...my damn BRAIN hurt after that clusterf$ck!
First time since 2001 (when I joined eBay) that I had THIS problem...and I hope it's the LAST time, too.
Another reason to despise technology...like I don't have ENOUGH?
OY...!
Meanwhile, back at the Tylenol bottle...

*** Today IS Good Friday (which should be easy for me to pull off after yesterday...LOL), and with it comes certain "traditions" from when I was a child. Yes, even for this old Methodist, some things were meant to be held in reverence when it came to religion.
And NO meat today, kapeesh?
Here's the WIKI on Good Friday...just because:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday

God seemed a lot more important to a LOT more people when I was young...
We went to Sunday School at a very early age (and those classes were always FULL). Same went for those upstairs in the main sanctuary.
All the pews were FULL, and it wasn't JUST at Methodist churches...it was the same at Catholic churches, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Baptists, non-denominations, and Synagogues (a day prior, as is tradition).
Least that's what I remember...lots of people. lots of kids, lots of new clothing...and lots of GOD.
All of that didn't seem to hurt us ONE bit,either...we MADE time for church, or more specifically...for GOD.

When I got older, and became a PART of a church (usher, board member, Sunday school teacher, treasurer, and yes, even a fill-in preacher a few times), I grew to learn there are a great NUMBER of ways to serve God (and help mankind).

The services we attended and took part in became a mainstay of our lives, and were something to look forward to.

There are times when I truly miss such days, But God always has plans for your life, and you never know where that might take you.
God knows where HE wants you, and where YOU will do the most good, or in my case...the most "damage"...LOL

We might not enjoy where we wind up, and might even question God from time to time, but we have to hang on to the fact that it's where WE belong (in His name, doing His work, whatever that might entail).
With that said, Good Friday takes on a whole new meaning.
To me, it's a time of solemn acknowledgement of what Jesus did for US...ALL of us.
Mom used to have this 3-hour window (noon until 3 PM) where I was to be "quiet" around the house, I could play, but nothing loud or boisterous.
We even had stores that CLOSED for those 3 hours, too.
Those are traditionally the 3 hours which commemorate the time that Christ hung on the cross prior to his death at Calvary.
And I don't think that THREE hours is a big deal to give up and...
"Be still and know that HE is God."

So, I still follow that lead of mom's...three hours of no rants, no shouts, and no disturbing the calm and the MEANING of the day.

Can't say others around here will be anywhere as "faithful" to our Lord...not in the slightest.

And that's pretty sad.

We'll STILL have the heathenmobile boom cars thumping by, Godless people shouting to and at one another...nothing ever changes for them.

Thing is, I remember a time when NOT going to church on Good Friday or (especially) Easter was frowned upon, and maybe that's why we used to see SO many of the neighbors (of the same faith) at church during that time.

Although most of our neighbors were Catholic, you could tell that everyone of every faith was getting ready to go to church, and the streets were like ghost towns during such times. Few were those that remained home...mostly the aged and infirm.
Whole families gathered in the pews from wherever else they moved to, JUST to congregate at this time of year, more so than Christmas, actually.
And this wasn't in some small town in the Midwest...it was in Philadelphia.
Amazing how far we've come..or is that how far we've fallen?
I think it's a little of both.
I suppose what makes me wonder the most about things today, is how our morality has changed.
Sure, people make some small "gesture" of what used to be normal, but overall, so many just don't have the time to care anymore about things that SHOULD matter in their lives.

My father was a great believer that... "The REAL church is RIGHT HERE" and he would point to his heart.
Now, I wouldn't consider my father a very "religious" man, but he was a God-fearing man, and knew the "ropes" when it came to believing in God.
He would say that many churches "were buildings full of empty PEOPLE", and in many ways, he was right.
Was it better to have the house of God relatively empty, but for a handful of people FILLED with the love and grace of God, or to have a building almost overflowing with people of an empty heart and faith?
That, I'm sure would be (and probably still is) a great debate for many theologians.
Today is a good day to contemplate such things...
*** Lastly today, I got on my soapbox and got to preaching a bit, but sometimes, you just have to say what lies heavy on one's heart.

It IS that time of year when we should be reflecting more about all the gifts that God has bestowed upon each and every one of us.

Some will take today with a grain of salt, while many others of us will want to understand the TRUTH behind what the Bible says to us.

Now, I don't ever think of myself as any type of prophet or preacher...just a simple guy that knows when he hears the truth, and wants to pass it along.
I don't consider myself a "religious" man, either...much like my Dad in that regard.
But, I will speak as the Spirit moves me, and many times, that might be a bit on the pungent and righteously-indignant side.
I make no bones about it...I'm more like the apostle Peter, ready to swing that sword and take an ear or two off along the way.
And yes, I don't swim that well either and am hesitant to "get out of the boat".
But in that, I know I'm not perfect...nor are we all.
We STILL try, though, and even though I've never been a farmer, that's not a bad road to hoe, considering the end result.
Have yourselves a blessed day and a great weekend.

Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as always...
Stay SAFE out there, America.