This is Youth Fair and Stock Show week. Until a few years ago I was unaware that schools closed down for those things. Now that I’ve been here for a while it makes perfect sense. In Dallas, you get a day off for the State Fair, they even take a school day. Really it’s just a big youth fair and stock show, so it all evens out. Many students are competing or showing in this event so for them the time off is really important. However which way it works, we will all have a great time at the show. We’ve been labeling artwork and school projects to present. I’m excited and so are the kids!

On the national front it has been a very tense week. The Israelis have been trying to point out to Hamas, that two can play rough, but they just don’t reason like ordinary folks.

I don’t know how I would feel if someone was bombing my area almost daily. I suspect I wouldn’t have given them as many times as Israel.That old maxim, “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me”. I think what bothered me even more, was seeing Muslim protesters in our major cities espousing hate slogans.

We do not need or want that in our country. We have worked hard to remove racism and hatred from our streets. I’m sorry, but if that’s what you think freedom is, go back to your own country. Take your hatred and violence with you and exercise your free right of protest over there.

Oh, I forgot, you don’t have that right over there, do you?

Our founding fathers stated the issue correctly. A republic cannot stand if its people are not educated. The foundation of democracy is literacy.

I don’t want to live in a country where I have no rights as a person because I am a woman. I don’t want to live in a culture that says I’m an inferior being. I detest the hypocrisy that allows young Muslim men to wear Western garb, but smothers their women in clothing chains.

The Europeans are finding out to their dismay, that some cultures do not understand this way of life. In fact, their long term goal is to bring about one of their glorious societies.

You know, the ones where they behead people, stone them, cut off body parts, and beat them if they dare to break one tiny law.

That sounds pretty liberating doesn’t it? Our way of life is under attack, and we must stand strong against any attempts to belittle any one portion of our society. I feel very strongly about this issue as you can tell! If you don’t want to change, stay home. Why are you coming here if not for a better way of life?

Enough of all that angst. Here in good old Richland Springs, we walk at a different pace. We have our little internal issues, but we don’t go out and kill people. We band together in times of trouble and help each other out. I’m sure you’ve seen the flyers but there are two benefits coming up.

One is for Jerry Benton and the other is for Mary Cummings. Both are facing costly medical treatments and need our help to meet the financial burden.

The Benton group is organizing a Chili/Pancake Benefit for January 24th. My mind is having a little trouble putting those two words together, but there it is. There will be auctions and donation buckets at both events.

The Benton event will be held at the Fire Department Building. Supper will be served at 5:00 p.m. This is a donation only event.

The Cummings event will be on the 31st. Depending on the weather it will either be in the Community Center or near the Tabernacle. Those details are being worked out.

An account has been opened at G & R Grocery for the barbeque items that will be served. I know many of you will be at both events, because that’s what we do here in Richland Springs!

Les Hammett reported that they are still looking for answers as far as his health is concerned.

Bonnie Evans has requested prayers for Junior. We missed his sweet face in church this morning. She told me David is doing well. In fact he told her this was the best he had felt in four years. Please keep this family in your prayers.

I don’t know about the Church of Christ or the Christian Church, but our sick list is extremely long. So many people are fighting winter crud. I know Jesus can heal them all. Mind you, Hebrews 12 states that some of them, even the deeply faithful, will not receive their promise until they go home. I guess all we can do is pray and hope.

I guess, since I tell on others, I shall have to tell on myself.

I was waiting for Donald to cue up my tape this morning and mentioned that my sister, much younger, had sent me some cream to remove wrinkles. I meant to say under my eyes, but unknowingly said under my arm. Barry just couldn’t understand that so the whole church had a good cleansing laugh or the cream that is so strong you put it under you arms and wrinkles are gone! No wonder everyone was smiling while I was singing! “Laughter makes for good medicine,” according to the Bible. So tomorrow, I expect everyone in the congregation to be in the pink of health!

On a little side note, not minding my own business thing; going to church really is a good thing.

Put aside all your petty differences, your hurt feelings and take an hour to worship the God who gave you life.

Don’t like the Pastor, too bad. Don’t like the pews; get over it. Don’t like hypocrites in church; take a good look in the mirror. Every last one of us isn’t right.

We all gossip, when we should keep quiet. We don’t dispense love and possessions freely. We grumble just like the escaping Jews because we think we need more of whatever. We are blessed beyond all things. We should take one hour out of 98 hours to give thanks. Christian denominations are going to have to unite in brotherly love, or we will wake up and find ourselves prisoners in our own country. Nothing is stronger than a praying Christian bound with a brother or sister in Christ.

The gates of hell cannot prevail against us. Be alert, times are increasingly dangerous!

Did I let everyone know Khalid Katib has left for boot camp? He joined the Navy instead of the Air Force, since they would not guarantee his profession.

We wish him all the best in his chosen career field. I know Rhonda is eating her heart out. It is so hard to let them go when they are so young. He has been well trained in the way he should go, but we old folks know how cruel the world can be. Our prayers are with Khalid and his loved ones.

Our weather has been a strange mixture of spring and winter. Clear season areas get to put their off season clothes away, but not here. One day you’re in shorts and the next you need heavy sweats! I can tell you that’s why I love Texas.

The only problem we have right now is the lack of rain. This country and its farmers and ranchers are hurting for water.

Without rain, the grasses can not recoup. Many of our folks are land rich but capital poor. We seem to be bailing out everybody and his brother; it’s time foolish talk of raising taxes on farms is stopped!

Let our agricultural people do what they do best. We need rain desperately, and we need relief from lawmakers.

Please pray for our precious troops, our sick, our departing and arriving Presidents, and our not too smart lawmakers, who seem to be at a loss to fix the problems they helped create. Have a blessed week; we live in a wonderful country. Stand proud America!