They sat together, talking very little, enjoying the night, the rest, and the food as well as the smell of wood-smoke and coffee.”
–Louis L’Amour (The Californios)

“For the believing wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the believing husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy.”
–1 Corinthians 7:14 (NLT)
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I’m not one to mark holidays or special occasions. If warranted I’ll remember. A good case in point is that I cannot give a date when Annie and I started dating. It was either the end of January or the first of February. I don’t reckon she was stalking me, but we kept running into each other so I figured it was divine Providence that I ask her out. I remember that first date: bowling, pizza, and then the possible fatal mistake–I started to take her back to her dorm an hour early. Dummy. I had no more money, nor a way to go somewhere to go and spend it. Instead we took a walk around the neighborhood. However, need I say more? The rest is history. I saw her every day, save three the rest of the semester and then the drought of summer.
I said all of that to say this–it was 48 years ago, that’s almost a half-century! In the ensuing years we have traveled many a mile, enjoyed many a night, tasted food of different variety, and to tell the truth I’ve found very little that can compare to hers. There have been numerous campfires and oh, my, who knows have many gallons of coffee we’ve drunk together.
Maybe I should, before getting too senile, write a few things down that I remember. It won’t be the dates, but the events are vivid.
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Ponder This: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall.” (Proverbs 18:10-11)
Why do people pay so close attention to Wall Street? Are they really concerned about the security of the nation as much as they are their own personal wealth? What about retirement? How much have you stashed away for that day, that may never come for you? Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t plan and prepare, but where is your security?
This is a good picture of the difference between the spiritual person and the natural person. What is the real world? Think on that. It depends on whether or not a person has a spiritual perspective. The natural man spends energy storing up for the future. His wealth and confidence is in tangible things. The righteous run to the Lord; their confidence is in Him.
Are you righteous? Then what world do you live in? What world do you long for? The spiritual person accepts the Lord by faith, and his faith proves to him both the unseen and the future reign of his Savior. He longs for another world wherein dwells righteousness.

This was the virtue of training, of conditioning, that in an emergency one always knew what to do. Panic only entered the empty mind.”
–Louis L’Amour (Shalako)

“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”
–1 Timothy 4:8 (NLT)
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Throughout my life I have had plenty of training. First, it was my intent to play baseball, therefore, I spent every available minute practicing. After practice, I would go home and throw the ball against the rock foundation of our house. Practice. Then the military entered my life, or I entered the military. There was all sorts of training and classes. After that I became a teacher, and more training, especially with computers.
We should be involved in some sort of training all our lives. There are all sorts of diets and exercise programs out there to train and discipline the body. But I have found very little training for eternity. Oh, there is some, much of it “feel good” sort of stuff, more like milquetoast than rigorous Bible study. I came across the following by a Veterans Chaplain, William Swierenga.

“Our supreme ambition should be to fulfill a decisive role in the war on evil. Our deepest dread ought to be the prospect of losing our influence for any reason.
At times the demands of Christian love may seem to be downright unreasonable, a cruel denial of our human desires. Under abnormal conditions especially, it is easy to excuse lapses into loose living. But whenever we try to suspend the rules of God’s service, we find that we are being suspended from service. God wants folks to be fit for his use! The undisciplined Christian forfeits the deep satisfaction of being part of the answer to the needs of mankind. He suffers the misery of feeling that he is just one more factor in the overwhelming problems of the world.
God leads us in paths of righteousness, where we are often compelled to choose between the sensual pleasures of the moment and the spiritual joys which endure forever. God give us the grace to see life as the great apostle Paul viewed it and to respond accordingly!
Prayer: Father of Spirits, give us the manly resolution to subject ourselves to you will, that we may know the rich satisfaction of being in control of ourselves. Make us aware that the real satisfactions must forever elude from the self-indulgent. Forgive us for, and deliver us from whatever would make our witness ineffectual. Reinstate us in your victorious service, when we repend of our failures. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
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I haven’t heard anything about the great weatherman Phil, yet. However, I figure that whatever he decides is for the most part phooey. Nature will take its course. Snow, freeze, rain, hail, wind, and heat will come and go; on the just and on the unjust. Ever stop to think about it? Weathermen and politicians get paid to lie. So whatever the weather the important thing is to remember: it is the day the Lord has made, rejoice in it, and be prepared for whatever may come.
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I just have to say something about the deplorable, no that’s not right, I’m a deplorable according to Hillary Clinton. For the disgusting way the Democrats reacted to the State of the Union. Sure they’re not going to agree on everything, but goodness…when there is something such as, the lowest unemployment rates for minorities in years, they ought to applaud. There were several things in the speech that were definitely bipartisan, a chance for a tiny bit of unity. All I saw was hatred.
By the way, I know Pelosi is not of Generation Z, but she sure looked as if she was sucking on  a soap pod.

I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock.”
–Acts 20:29 (NLT)
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Don’t get on to me! I’m old, the mind is feeble, and so it’s a day late, I still included it. Sure, sure, yesterday was the last day in January, but February is still a cold month and can produce lots of snow. Anyhow, this is one of my favorite songs, and no, it is not a hymn but definitely has some biblical truths in it. Early on in his career Garth Brooks said it was one of his two favorites, I don’t know about now. Take your time as you read it and ponder the thoughts. The composer is Stephanie Davis.

WOLVES

Jaunary’s always bitter
But Lord, this one beats all.
The wind ain’t quit for weeks now
And the drifts are ten feet tall.
I’ve been all night drivin’ heifers
Closer to lower ground
Then I spend the mornin’ thinkin’
‘Bout the ones the wolves pulled down.

Charlie Barton and his family
Stopped today to say goodbye.
He said the bank was takin’ over
The last few years were just too dry.
And I promised that I’d visit
When they found a place in town,
Then I spent a long time thinkin’
‘Bout the ones the wolves pull down.

Lord, please shine a light of hope,
On those of us who fall behind,
And when we stumble in the snow
Could you help us up while there’s still time?

Well, I don’t mean to be complainin’, Lord,
You’ve always seen me through.
And I know you got your reasons
For each and every thing you do.
But tonight outside my window
There’s a lonesome, mournful sound,
And I just can’t keep from thinkin’
‘Bout the ones the wolves pull down.

Oh Lord, keep me from bein’
The one the wolves pull down.

If you’ve been following my Miles Forrest story you would notice that he is having some trouble with wolves. This is not the first time in his life that he has had to face a pack of wolves. Wolves hunt in packs, and they like to eat their prey alive, striking first at the underbelly that contains the visceral.
The sound of the wolves brings shivers if you’re out. They lurk, waiting to catch you unawares, to tear you apart. How many over the year have been pulled down by the wolves? I’m not meaning here of the animal, but the force that tear at your soul. Because God is sovereign there is no need to question why He allows it, but instead we should be more on our guard.
Notice who they are. They are those who stand in the pulpits, those who teach and they are waiting to tear out your innards–your soul. You must have the Word of God in you so you will be able to detect the “wolves.” You must walk this life aware of the shadows and what might be lurking there ready to devour. Then perhaps all of us should pray:
“Oh Lord, keep me from bein’
The ones the wolves pull down.”