Olympic Swimmer

Yesterday W&MC had their Christmas with MC's family, and they had Shivonne with a floatie, swimming around in a tub full of water.

Guy in our Sunday School class had been in intensive care with covid for weeks/months, but has made an amazing recovery. David is a very good guy who shares Jesus and helps out people he meets in need, and makes a point to run his business and treat his employees in a Christian manner. Makes you wonder if Satan used covid as a punishment for David's good works.

I hung around with him at last week's Christmas party. Doctor's had thunk he would need to be on oxygen for the rest of his life (he's about my age) due to the damage to his lungs. Now he no longer needs oxygen when he is sitting, standing, or sleeping, but only when he's walking. Next month he goes to Denver for special treatment for his lungs.

Yesterday in Sunday School at the beginning of class our teacher commented to David about the small oxygen tank he carried in his backpack. David said the tank lasted for an hour. To the Sunday School teacher I quipped: "You'd better not go long today!"

Also in Sunday School yesterday: a missionary couple shared, home from an undisclosed country overseas. The wife was one of the first in her country to become a Christian, perhaps 50 years ago. She told of the religions her family had practiced, sacrificing chickens to spirits and later trying to please Buddha so they could be reincarnated as a richer person – then being freed up by the love of Jesus, requiring no more sacrifices.

As I was leaving Sunday School yesterday I remembered to stop by the room where my small group meets each Monday (but not tonight). Every week someone changes the design of tacks on the bulletin board, and every Monday I slightly alter the board, to let them know someone is there noticing their handiwork. Kind of like a modern day Kilroy was here. Like changing their circle to my square. Sure enough when I got to the classroom the light was off, but the board had been changed from what I'd done last Monday. I changed the board again and snuck back out, hoping I wasn't noticed. It's the little things that make life worth living. 

Lately I've been stopping at Wendys every morning for the bacon egg and cheese biscuit for a dollar. Last week the guy at the window gave me a coupon book. This morning I wasn't going to stop, but traffic was light so I didn't have to wait to turn left into Wendys. But the dollar biscuit special had ended. I quickly grabbed a coupon and used it. When I handed the guy my coupon he ran my credit card – then handed me back the coupon and told me to come back soon. A nice touch.

Yesterday I designed our Christmas card. Should've done it a month ago. They probably won't deliver to me until after Christmas, so they won't go out until around New Year's. Also last night I wrote up our Christmas letter. Got to polish it up and print it out. You can tell me if I got too personal.

Today C is driving to SC. So are W&MC and Shivonne. I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday. We'll have Christmas at W&MC's house. At some point C will need to return to SC to help with her mom. Would be nice if I could get back to playing golf at least by New Years. With my luck it will rain.

Denison: I was taught in counseling classes not to tell someone "I know how you feel." That's because, even if my circumstances have been identical to theirs, I cannot understand their personal feelings as they face them. But Jesus can. Because "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14), "we have a high priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses" (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus experienced hunger (Matthew 4:2), thirst (John 19:28), weariness (John 4:6), grief (Mark 3:5), temptation (Matthew 4:1–10), rejection (John 15:18), and death (Mark 15:37). He has faced all we face and felt all we feel. In addition, because he knows our inmost thoughts (Luke 6:8) and we are in his hand right now (John 10:28), Jesus truly knows how we feel.

MAURY WILLS [SABR Bio] was punished as a Pirate for refusing to play after Robert Kennedy was assassinated. On 10-Jun-1968. The RFK assassination had taken place four days earlier. That's the date of G he sat out. Research continues to determine the nature & extent of Pittsburgh's punishment. Ichiro Suzuki broke his record for plate appearances in a season. Wills had 759 PA in 1962. Pete Rose tied that in 1976. Ichiro had 762 in 2004, but Pete Rose, & Dave Cash also broke it and before Ichiro did. Jimmy Rollins' 778 in 2007 in the current standard. Wills was the first National League player to win Most Valuable Player and Gold Glove awards in the same season, in 1962. 

Used to have a pair of these back in the day. Man were they cool. Letterman wore them for years.