Move-in Day

We moved uncommon son #2 into his dorm room today. I'm not really sure how I feel about that.

I thought it would be no big deal since I did this five years ago with uncommon son #1. It's a different school, which is farther from home. The drive to Lubbock makes the drive to Abilene seem like a short commute. He has some health concerns that I wish he didn't have to worry about while he's being all collegiate. He wants to have a degree that requires 7 years of college. All that adds up to more apprehension than I was expecting.

He's also got a definite plan and is where he wants to be. He seems pretty well adjusted to the idea of us leaving him tomorrow. His roommate has been a friend of his since birth. (That may or may not be a good thing. I hope the friendship survives such close quarters.) His adviser at college followed the exact same degree plan as he is pursuing. But there's still a small tugging at my heart.

I guess it doesn't matter how many times you take your kids to college. Their still your kids and it's still a big change.

RAIN

This looks like it's going to be a good soaking rain. I knew it would get here, I just didn't know when.

The sentence in the middle comes to mind when drought turns to rain, but the whole paragraph is so good I that I had to include it all:

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect."

Dropping the Dish

I'm seriously thinking about stopping my satellite service. I've been a fan of Dish Network since digital satellite television supplied through the 18" dish antenna first became available (wow I'm old).

Uncommon son #1 recently moved into his own rent house and I helped him connect a television antenna. He didn't want to spend money on satellite or cable television that he would rarely be home to watch. He is a school teacher and a coach. I was amazed by the number of channels available for free. Somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty.

With two uncommon sons still at home, and one starting college, the chances of my sitting around watching the tube (wow I'm old again) for hours in the evening or on the weekend are pretty small. Truthfully, paying nearly $100 for television service for the last three to four years has been a bit of a waste. We dropped our subscription by one level about a year ago and I haven't even missed the channels we dropped. I noticed for about the first two months that some of my 'regular' shows were missing, but quickly adjusted.

I like to watch the news. I don't care much for sports except for playoffs, which are almost always on the free network channels. And more shows are available on Netflix or similar Internet subscription services every month. I think I would rather have $100 in my piggy bank each month than keep paying for 100 channels I don't watch.

Olympic Highlight

This is probably my favorite Olympic moment so far:

Oldie but Goodie

August Singing Night Devotional

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

"Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’
~ Matthew 25:34-45 NLT ~

Be aware of people around you who need to know that someone cares. Then show them how much God cares for them.