Today's Readings and Stuff -- Wednesday, 26 July 2017

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand we're back!! Finally!  After several weeks of in and out of various medical and dental offices, we have just gotten home from the last scheduled one for a while.  And, yes, that can change and we have been through such before.  All too often.
But we made the trip, the LOOONG  (OK, not a cross-country one, but altogether too long for my liking) to this one.  Through a mess of badly-planned road construction projects, lousy signage, and some large semi trucks who treat the reduced speed limits in construction zones as not being applicable to them.  To include that Estes truck whose VIN on the cab ends in --578.
Last Tuesday, the oral surgeon.  Last Wednesday, the rheumatologist.  Last Friday the new Primary Care doc (this one was for both of us, an initial visit).  Yesterday the gastroenterologist.  Today  the endocrinologist.  She hadn't been to one of them since her previous one ran for the hills, screaming, back in late 2014 -- early 2015.  Yes, we've been around the block.
We made it home, rustled up some lunch (at around 3 p.m.,) took our "morning" meds.  She went to nap out on the recliner and I did dishes.
Oh, and when we got home and were getting out of the vehicle, we could hear the radiator boiling.  I'd checked the level early in the day, full up and good.  That was then, this is now.
Will start to collect the week's trash shortly, the garbage truck comes in the morning.
Quite an exciting life we lead, right?
But there are some good things.  Great-niece next door is attending Vacation Bible School this week.  That is a very very big step forward.  Other than weddings and funerals, Niece hasn't been in church.  Pretty much ever. Her mom, my sister-in-law, is teetering between militant atheism and militant paganism, tending towards Wiccan.  Niece's husbands family is lukewarm Methodist, and the congregation meets within pretty easy walking distance, so the child's aunt was able to make a successful case.  I'm grateful for that.  Such things are far more common than many members of the "holy huddle" like to realize.  We shall see what comes of it all.  I've seen miracles before, several times.


Yesterday was a pretty long day.   Very.
Alarms off at 06:00
Up 'n at 'em.  Showered, dressed, some coffee in us, she had a little to eat (I didn't).  Out the door finally, and on the road for an 08:30 doctor appointment in the city 15 west of here.  So we were out of here by 07:45, made it in plenty of time despite the "best efforts" of the state DOT, the horrid roads and worse traffic signal arrangements along the way, and some drivers who probably shouldn't be allowed to operate tricycles in a driveway.  We made it avoiding wrecks.
Got to sit in the waiting room a while.  There has to be some reason that the TV's in all these doctor offices, dentist offices, clinics, etc. have been tuned to wretched programming.  I really don't want to watch the skanky nitwits on "the view".  Or the little better programming from CNN, MS-LSD, etc. etc. with loon who somehow think Mao was too conservative.
The appointment went pretty well.  More meds, of course.  New one that she last was on back around 1997 after her thyroid was removed.  It may interfere with other meds, a ever-present issue when you are on so many.  But an effort to deal with the IBS.
Then back home.  Some stuff that simply had to be done and then.
Among those things was packing up the items that have to go back to the cable TV company, as we dropped all TV and "land line" service with them more than a week ago.  We scared up something to eat quickly.  By which time it was pushing 2 p.m.
Then off we went. First to the cable TV office.  For once, they were nice.  Got their stuff back to them, got a receipt also.
Then down the road a bit.  Wife was selling off some fancy dishes she'd gotten on a deal about 15 years ago.  Taking up space now and there is no prospect of ever using them, so we got about $10 for
some items probably worth far far more.  The buyer was appreciative, and will enjoy them.  Then they spent about 15 minutes discovering friends in common, etc.  Boring to me, interesting to them.
Then back down the road, and to the Pharmacy.  The "orphan drug" that had been ordered in last week finally arrived.  She also had in hand a paper prescription slip for the IBS drug.  So a further delay for that to be done.
So we had a few household items to pick up and did, Then pick  up the meds, only to find the insurance stuff had been mis-done.  So a good half-hour or more getting that untangled.  FINALLY out of there, and home.  Get home around 5 p.m.  Snacked a bit and she went off to take a nap.
Cats surrounded me, so I did litter pans, and got a treat for them.

None of this was great or earth shattering.  But all of it was important.  Even doing the litter pans was very important, to the cats at least.  Not the stuff of memoirs or biographies, but doing the necessary to keep things going.  Pretty well describes a lot of our lives.
WHAT we do is not always as important as the WHY or the HOW.

but my nominee for "song of the day" is  one not in the hymnal, but perhaps it should be.
"Someone's Praying For Me"  .  For Someone is.  His name is Jesus.  He intercedes on behalf of even the worst of us, like me. 

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Our Old Testament reading:  Psalms 47, 48, and 49

Psalm 47

1 O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. 2 For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. 3 He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. 4 He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah. 5 God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. 7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. 8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. 9 The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.

Psalm 48

1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. 2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. 3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge. 4 For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. 5 They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. 6 Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail. 7 Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. 8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah. 9 We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple. 10 According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness. 11 Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments. 12 Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. 13 Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. 14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

Psalm 49

1 Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world: 2 Both low and high, rich and poor, together. 3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. 4 I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp. 5 Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about? 6 They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; 7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: 8 (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:) 9 That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption. 10 For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. 11 Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. 12 Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish. 13 This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah. 14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling. 15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. 16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; 17 For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. 18 Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. 19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light. 20 Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

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 The passage in the New Testament, chapter 26 of the Acts of the Apostles.
More of Paul testifying to Jesus the Christ before some very powerful people.  Not bad for a tent-maker's son from central Turkey, huh?
And it contains one of the most winsome phrases ever uttered.  Verse 28's ".. almost persuaded".
Remember this song?? Almost Persuaded, Now To Believe
(no,  it's not the one done by Etta James).

Acts 26

1 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: 2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews: 3 Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. 4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; 5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, unto our fathers: 7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? 9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. 12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. 14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. 19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: 20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. 21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. 22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: 23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. 24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. 25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. 26 For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. 28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. 29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds. 30 And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them: 31 And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. 32 Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.