My Dad used to say, “Do the right thing because it is the right thing; you shouldn’t even have to think about it.” Some people have quite a few things that they do every day, which are not necessarily right or wrong but because they are important. They do these things day after day with seldom an interruption because they are important, and they don’t even think about it or have a personal debate about whether they are going to do them or not, they just do them. Those people are faithful, reliable, and dependable. They are almost always successful in every area of their life. Those who do what is important every day without fail have trained themselves to be that way. They weren’t born that way; they became that way by effort, discipline, and training.

The first step is to decide what is important and what we should do daily or regularly, like brushing our teeth. Then make a list of these things that make up the basic foundation of our life. If they really are important, and necessary, and we haven’t trained ourselves yet to be faithful in doing them, make a goal and read those goals every day. If you read them every day, you will do them. Keep it up until they are an established, entrenched habit.

Obviously, everything has a beginning, and the beginning for those who have become faithful in doing what is important is writing a goal and reading it every day. Without that beginning discipline none of the others are apt to follow except maybe ones like brushing your teeth.

I read my Bible every day, I spend time in prayer with God every day, I review the day and confess all the sins I can remember every day, I exercise every day, I write my blog every day, I spend 15 minutes minimum every day memorizing scripture, I take my Parkinson’s medicine every day, I brush my teeth every day, I read in a good book every day, I step on the scales every day, I read my goals every day, I record how I spent my time every day, I tell Patty that I love her every day.

John 15:15
No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Jesus called His disciples friends. I want to be a friend of Jesus.

Job called his friends, “false friends.” proverbs says there are friends that stick closer than brothers. Proverbs also says some friends bail when adversity comes. One of Jesus’s friends, Judas, betrayed Him for money.

Real friends encourage when life is tough. Real friends pray and help in times of need. Real friends endure the ups and downs of life. Real friends forgive offenses, slights, and stupid words quickly and unconditionally. Real friends are loyal and faithful. Real friends are patient and tolerate differences of opinion. Real friends can have an argument and recover quickly. Most people don’t have real friends, they just have friends, acquaintances.

The only way to have real friends is to be a real friend. A person becomes a real friend by choosing to be, by a commitment to be a real friend. The way things are going we will soon be a friendless culture. COVID, masks, vaccines, and elections have thinned the number of friends most people have down to zero.

Next to my family my friends are a great treasure in my life, a gift from God, that makes living life in the midst of pandemics, political chaos, financial uncertainty, and totally unpredictable tomorrow’s very doable.

There are 150 chapters in Psalms and I read five of them every day so I read Psalms through each month. Most of the Psalms are prayers so as I read them each day, I use them as a guide for my own prayers. Many of them I have memorized so I can pray them, through out the day as situations warrant them.

My birthday was Wednesday, and I am 73 years old. Not that old, but definitely in the “old man” category. Psalms 71 is a prayer of King David when he was an old man, so I have made it mine as well. There are 24 verses in the chapter so I cut out about half.

O Lord God, You are my confidence from my youth.
By You I have been sustained from my birth;
You are He who took me from my mother’s womb;
My praise is continually of You.
Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
Do not forsake me when my strength fails.

But as for me, I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And of Your salvation all day long;

O God, You have taught me from my youth,
And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.
And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come.
For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You?
You who have shown me many troubles and distresses
Will revive me again,
And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
May You increase my greatness.

The cool thing about praying the Psalms is that there is a growing confidence and faith in God working in response to my prayers because it is right out of the Bible.

I have found different chapters of Psalms that fit every area of life, and most circumstances that I typically find myself in and I have memorized most of them.

Periodically I feel down in the dumps, like tonight. Usually I don’t have a clue why, but I am pretty sure I am feeling down because all our kids and grandkids have all gone home after being here for a week.

I will probably stay up later tonight than I should, and about midnight eat a piece of lemon meringue pie that I got for my birthday, maybe two pieces, yeh, two pieces for sure! I will sleep in until 8:00 am in the morning, then go into Sportsman’s Warehouse and spend the gift cards that I got as gifts for my birthday. Then I will take Patty out to lunch, and when we have finished eating I will talk her into going to Harbor Freight to buy a tool with the cash that I got for my birthday, 73 one dollar bills. Then a bit later I will go watch Monday Night Football with some friends, if you want to watch it with me, you are welcome. Wow, what a fun day tomorrow is going to be, I am feeling better already!

Emotions are funny things. You can’t predict them, and you for sure can’t control them. The main thing is, I don’t let them control me, with the exception of the pie, of course. I am fortunate in that if I am going to have a downer day it is almost always on Mondays which I take off so I can do what I have planned tomorrow which is a perfect remedy for a blue funk for me.

1 Timothy 6:17b but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

Acts 14:17 in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

There are events and circumstances that bring joy into our life, one of those for me is fishing. I caught this Chinook salmon yesterday fishing with friends on the Alsea River. It was a very enjoyable day.

Intermittent experiences of fun mixed in amongst the regular pressures and trials of life are a key to staying energized and positive. I try and schedule fun events into my life as I ride this train called “the life of Dee Duke,” so as to be as productive as possible, bearing as much fruit for God as I can.

It is often difficult to schedule enjoyable events into our life as often as we would like, and the pressures and trials of life seem to be increasing, some days, increasing rapidly. There are a number of ways to fix that problem, one is to learn to enjoy more of the regular events that occur in our life, events that we take for granted, and that we don’t think about much as they happen. Joy tends to be an emotion that takes more and more fun to maintain if we don’t guard our heart from being unappreciative of these gifts from God, I think it is called “diminishing return.”

Thanking and praising God for the smaller, less impactful events that happen in our life is super important. God gives joy, He can put that powerful emotion into us as often as He likes. Those who assume that God owes them comfortable and positive events tend to take the many good things that happen to them for granted. God does not give joy to those people, so choose not to be one, train yourself to be a person who praises and thanks God for everything.

James 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

The flip side of that principle is don’t grumble or complain about anything. Grumbling and complaining destroys our ability to feel joy and have fun.

Psalms 9:1-2 I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders.
I will be glad and exult in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

Notice the number of “ I Will’s” in those two verses, making a commitment, a goal, choosing to rejoice always is something that we can all do.

Yesterday I wrote about blind spots. Those sin habits and character flaws that we have excused, justified, ignored, and blamed others for to the point that we become totally unaware of them, blind spots. I wrote how we can begin to discover and conquer them, but what about helping others with their blind spots. Can we do that, should we do that?

So you have friends whose marriage is in trouble, and you can see clearly what the problems are, and what needs to change. You are pretty sure that if the changes are not made their marriage will end in divorce. Do you say something? If you do will they accept it? Will they get angry and possibly end your friendship? If you say nothing for fear of their reaction, and their marriage does end in divorce, will you kick yourself for doing nothing?

You have some other friends whose kids are terribly misbehaved, and you are certain that if nothing changes they will probably all be in jail before they graduate from High School. Should you say something or just let happen what will? If you do say something, how will they react?

You have another friend who seems to create conflict wherever he goes, and you can see what appears to be a blind spot in his character that is the reason he is such a trouble maker. He needs to change if he is ever going to have many friends or amount to anything in the work world, but he probably won’t unless someone points out his blind spots to him. Should you risk being the one who does as one of his few friend’s or do you just let him keep going the way he is.

The fact is, those who seek input, counsel, and correction from others grow and change very rapidly. It is one of God’s chosen methods for character growth because it takes great humility and God loves humility and blesses those who have it.

Psalms 141:5 Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me;
It is oil upon the head; Do not let my head refuse it,

Proverbs 17:10 A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding
Than a hundred blows into a fool.

But what about those in my life who are not seeking it?

Three suggestions:

1. Make sure you are working on the log that is in your own eye, then you can see clearly to take the speck out of your brothers eye. Examine your own life carefully, and develop the habit of doing so regularly. Ask friends for input on things you are weak in, possibly even the ones you want to help.

Matthew 7:3-5 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

2. Think about what you will say and how, and be very gracious and gentle.

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

3. Pray for those who have blind spots that God will work in their life, and give you wisdom about what to say, when to say it, and if you should even say anything at all.

James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

A blind spot is a character flaw that we are unaware of. Everyone around us can see it, but we are oblivious to it. It is sad to think that I could have a sin habit or weakness that I could be working on to eliminate it or conquer it, but instead I act like it doesn’t exist. Blind spots are a major cause of relational problems, and because we are unaware of them in our life the bulk of our sinning is in this area.

Personal shame is one of our greatest fears. We were created by God for glory and majesty so feeling and experiencing shame is especially repugnant to us. When we attempt to protect ourselves from shame by blaming others for our sins and weaknesses, or excusing it as not so bad, or justifying it, or simply ignoring it, we begin to desensitize our conscience, callous it so it doesn’t do it’s job. If our cover up takes place with one particular sin or weakness pretty soon we have programmed ourselves to be blind to it.

If it weren’t so sad to see someone so disconnected from their own irritating behavior it would be funny as we watched people do and say dumb things that don’t make them blush even a little bit. It ought to make us really nervous that we could be acting like a fool, but be thinking that we are right up there with King Solomon.

A good way to begin to discover what these blind spots may be in our own life is to think reflectively about what we did or said before, during and after a conflict with another person. We see other people’s blind spots easily and come to the conclusion that the conflict is their fault, thus increasing the seriousness of our own blind spot. Those who really want to eliminate blind spots from their life will choose to take the blame for conflicts and then search for the reason, asking others for their input on what we have done to create the problem between us.

Because we are so reluctant to discover faults in our own life most people live their entire life with major blind spots that everyone can see but themselves.

I am 73 years old today, and I have had a wonderful day, wonderful week actually. All my kids and grandkids have been here with us, that is 45 people counting Patty and I. That doesn’t happen very often because everyone has their own jobs, homes, agendas, and schedules, so it was a great honor and joy to have them all here for a couple of days. The American tradition is to honor people on their birthday, sing to them, visit them, send them birthday cards, and give them gifts. I felt very honored both by family and friends all this week.

The Bible says we are to give God lots of honor. It also says that we are to honor our parents, great emphasis is put on that one. It also says that husbands are to honor their wives,and we all are to honor the aged.

1 Peter 2:17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God,

“Honor all people,” and it probably means, “honor all people, all the time, not just on their birthday.” How do we do that? Be nice to them, listen to them when they talk, meet needs in their life when we can, offer to pray for them, don’t be irritable or grumpy even if you have had a bad day, and ask for their counsel and advice.

God says in His Word that if we would honor others He would honor us. It also says that we reap what we sow, and that if we honor others they will honor us. It takes discipline and self-control to always treat every person in our life with the utmost honor and respect, but the dividends are huge.

My girls and Patty have been going through boxes of old photographs getting a lot of laughs as we see ourselves from years ago. It is hard to believe but I used to be rather slim with lots of hair and my beard was black! As we were looking through the pictures, even some from my High School days, I couldn’t remember much of the details that would have been part of my life when the picture was taken. I often lament all the events and experiences that I can no longer remember, it is like they didn’t even happen.

I often wonder about heaven and my new glorified body. I am sure that I will be able to remember every detail and every thought of my entire life. As I reminisce in heaven about my life here on earth will I have much regret or sorrow over what I did and didn’t do with the life I was given by the Lord? Some people will say, we won’t remember any of the sad stuff, God will take that away. I think that is just wishful thinking, personally. One of things that will make eternity awesome is the contrast between there and here.

But I am sure that there will be some feelings of regret when we remember fully and realize what could have been, and what we could have accomplished. But for now, I am choosing to forget the past and press on hard, with all my might to become all that I am capable of becoming and to accomplish all that I am capable of accomplishing.

Written by Siemens AG employee named Sarah.

It’s interesting, because I never thought, as an American citizen, I would have to justify My body My choice. But apparently, I do. I was born and raised Maronite Catholic. However, my religious beliefs are more than a secular religion. It is a contract between me and my creator, God.

God blessed me with a vessel, my body; and charged me with the responsibility of stewardship over my body. I take that responsibility seriously. In so doing, I do my research thoroughly. One of the interesting aspects of this year was the amount of knowledge I have gained regarding the scientific community and how they operate.

A startling realization has been the revelation as to the number of pharmaceuticals that contain aborted fetal tissue. This should be abhorrent to every human. We are not cannibals. I am not a cannibal. And therefore, I cannot risk ingesting fetal tissue from aborted babies. I do not take any medication. And with this newfound knowledge, I have no intention of starting now.

As to the “vaccine”, it’s efficacy is almost 0. It neither prohibits nor deters the reception or transmission of Covid-19. It is also showing to have a effectivity life of anywhere between 4-6 months. Therefore, the question becomes how often are we going to be coerced into getting “booster” shots? Additionally, all the scientific data is now showing that the vaccinated populations are at risk of more severe infection than those that have chosen to be unvaccinated. Whereas the unvaccinated are reaching natural herd immunity, with greater efficacy and longevity. I could use the next several pages to provide documented proof, scientific data, and religious texts. Which I am happy to provide, if needed. However, I would assume most people are aware and doing their own research, as opposed to just blindly following. This is not to say that others should or shouldn’t be vaccinated, it is a personal choice. And one that should be respected.

Religion is more than prayers or psalms, it is a realization of the sanctity of life, my life. It is my responsibility and mine alone to ensure the best life I can live, and that includes my health and my health choices. Science should never be used as a weapon. However, it is being used now. The people responsible at the CDC and NIH have both professed to not having studied natural immunity. That is completely counter to scientific analysis. As a company with a long history of scientific achievement, this should be obvious.

The justification of government contracts to be used as coercion is abhorrent. I would expect a company as large as Siemens, and with a history as long as Siemens’, would understand this, and would stand up for human rights and human dignity. I am saddened by this decision, and disheartened that I have to choose between a 20-year career of dedicated service or my free will. Having been born on the 4th of July, and having served 8 years in the US Army, I will always choose Free Will. My religion is founded in our constitution: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Forcing an injection on someone who has already achieved natural immunity goes against my religious beliefs, The US Constitution, and basic human decency.”