Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 17 July 2017

A good day is wished to all who stop in this off-the-beaten-path place.  Hope that all is well and getting even better.

It's quiet here right now.  Wife slept poorly last night, but having taken a long nap in the late afternoon to early evening may have had something to do with that.  She was up before I was awake, had her coffee and banana (for the potassium that she needs) and a leftover biscuit.  When I got up and had half a cup of coffee down and a bowl of instant low-sugar oatmeal down, she wanted to go outside and pick some cucumbers off the vines, and to take "little kitty", a.k.a. "Princess Squeak" out on the leash arrangement she has acquired.  What that meant was they watched as I picked half a dozen 4 inch long cucumber and also pulled more weeds, a never ending chore.  And then we went inside.  And, in short order, she wanted lunch, it having been a good while since she had her breakfast.  So we ate big salads, employing one of the cucumbers.  She's passed out on the recliner, with feet elevated, and an overweight orange cat laying on her legs.  I just finished doing dishes and have one load of laundry in the drier and another in the washer. Just did  the cat pans as well.  Isn't that exciting??
In a bit, I'll finish the disconnection and removal effort of the cable  TV box, etc. from the stand, and be ready to haul the lot to the cable "service" provider.  No more cable TV, which we very rarely watched and hadn't wanted, but the pre-merger provider insisted we take in order to get the Internet connection.  No more cable, no more "land line" phone either.  Small loss.

 We've been informed that someone broke into next-door niece's car the other night.  Got a little loose change and rearranged stuff.  She normally is rigidly one who always locks the car, so that is curious.  But Wife spotted a device that is available on-line, that acts like a wide-spectrum remote control and is designed to electronically "pop" the locks on GM vehicle , late model ones, and you don't need to be real close to do it either.  "Progress" some call it.  I'm not so sure.  Anyway, we are seeing some "interesting" characters hanging out at a house down the street, one of those that has a registered Sex Offender living there, and some other "interesting" types as well.  Most of the neighbors have been informed.  There's a "navigable waterway" less than a mile from here, and I suspect that anyone found breaking into cars will be found, what's left of him anyway, floating down that river at a later point.  People around here, NONE of them wealthy or even middle class actually, are not big on the forgiveness thing, and while everyone deserves a second chance, some around here are already on their 19th chance and the good will account is overdrawn.

We have appointment in the morning with the oral surgeon, FINALLY!  Hopefully she will get some relief from it.  It's been a very rough six weeks or so.  Very.
And Wednesday, an appointment with the rheumatologist.
Wednesday night will be the tough one.  A funeral / memorial service about 15 miles from here.  I get confused with some of the relationships, but I believe that it is Wife's cousin's husband or something like that.  What will be tricky is that the deceased was also the brother of Dear Wife's ex-husband.  Something like that.  Said "ex" will be there.  So there will be some delicate moments. 
We've been to quite a few funerals since we came back into the area, too many actually.  And there were quite a few that we missed while living far away, some, like some aunts and uncles and cousins of mine, that I wasn't even told about until years after the fact.

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Our Old Testament reading for the day is Psalms 22, 23, and 24.
Psalm 23 is probably the best known of all the Psalms, a favorite of many, and I like it as well.
But don't neglect the others.  For example, Psalm 24 is one of those that I was "encouraged" to memorize when around 10 years old or so, and it stuck with me.
Don't overlook Psalm 22 either.  You should recognize the first verse, Jesus cried it out from the Cross.  Read the whole thing. 

Psalm 22

1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? 2 O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. 3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. 5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. 6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. 7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. 9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. 10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. 11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. 12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. 13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. 16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. 18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. 19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. 20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. 21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. 22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. 23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. 24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. 25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. 26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. 27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. 28 For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations. 29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. 30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. 31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

Psalm 23

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Psalm 24

1 The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. 7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

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The reading in the New Testament is verses 1-16 in chapter 20 of the Acts of the Apostles.

Acts 20:1-16

1 And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia. 2 And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece, 3 And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia. 4 And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. 5 These going before tarried for us at Troas. 6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. 7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. 8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. 9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. 10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. 11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. 12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted. 13 And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot. 14 And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene. 15 And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus. 16 For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.