Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 11 January 2016

Happy Monday to all.
Off to the Doctor office for me.  Dear Wife is REALLY sick, staying home.  I hope to be back home in short order, we have one of those "polar vortex" snowstorms headed this way hard and fast and nasty.  Expecting bitter cold, lots of snow, and general misery all around. 

There are a lot of times that I miss the work world, but the prospect of commuting to & from in these conditions provide a strong counter argument.  I did it for many years when I lived up here before, but I was also 30 or 40 years younger than I am now.  Makes a difference.

So the plan is to go to the doctor (unfortunately, he's relocated.  What was a 5-minute trip into the town we're just outside the city limits of), it is now a 20-mile 30 minute trek that takes one onto 3 separate freeways.  And then back.  He's been very very good with Dear Wife's conditions, so I guess it's worth it. Until our car dies: with a 16-year-old vehicle with over 220,000 miles on it, that/s a WHEN, not an IF. 

=============================
=============================

The Old Testament reading today is chapters 27 and 28 of the Genesis.
Isaac, Jacob, and Esau.  Jacob is not acting in a way that I would admire.  The Lord blessed him nevertheless, but the burning murderous hatred that Esau had for his brother is, perhaps, somewhat understandable.
So Jacob is sent off to the in-laws, there to live a while and to find a wife.  And on the way, he had a life-changing encounter with the Angel of the Lord.  I guarantee that he was not the same person afterwards that he was before.  A good thing.





===================================
=======================================

The New Testament reading is verses 18-38 in the 9th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.  Jesus is turning some heads.  Certainly not the "easy-believism" that some of the popular preachers are flogging today. 

Matthew 9:18-38 

18	While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.
19	And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.
20	And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
21	For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
22	But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
23	And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,
24	He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.
25	But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.
26	And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
27	And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.
28	And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
29	Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
30	And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
31	But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.
32	As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.
33	And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.
34	But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.
35	And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
36	But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
37	Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
38	Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.