MIDWEEK PRAYER

 Keeping on the subject of eyes this week, let us start by thanking God for the vision we have.  What we really need is another kind of vision.  We need to see the future.  

All people have trouble seeing the future.  If it were an easy thing to do, we could solve most if not all of our problems.  

When we grow older and mature, we have experience in our pocket.  It is a great guide.  Some people gain an insight to the future at a young age and others never seem to have it.  

It's definitely a good thing to try to look into the future.  I ask God to guide me to see what is coming; to foresee the results of our actions.  

THE EYES HAVE IT

 I can hardly think of a more precious gift that we have than our vision.  Here is what you need to know about your eyes.  It's not every part but enough so you know what's going on.

The first thing you see is the cornea.  It protects the parts behind it.  My son got his scratched by a girl when he was about six and had to wear a patch over his eye for a while.  I think he liked it.

Under the cornea is a fluid chamber.  This fluid is over and under the next part which we call the iris.  That fluid has to be able to move around so it doesn't build up too much pressure.  If it does, that's a problem they call glaucoma.  I have had two little holes lazered into this area so that I don't get sudden glaucoma.  I got those holes a few years ago.

The iris is the colored part of your eye - or should I say pigmented?  Mine is kinda blue, kinda white, kinda green.  My icy stare can make children cry.  The white part that we call the eye-ball is really called the vitreous cahmber.  I guess the white is called vitreous.

In the middle of the iris is the pupil.  The pupil is the entryway for light which is what the brain sees.  The pupil changes it's size to accomodate the right amount of light to pass through.  (Large opening in the dark and small opening in lighted areas.) 

Behind all this stuff is the lens.  The light travels through the pupil, through the lens to the back of the eye - to the retina and optic nerve.  The lens is shaped to properly see both near and far.  Some people's lenses work lots better than others.  Lenses get weak over time and people need other lenses (glasses or contacts) to see near or far or both.  

Also, when a person is very old, the lens gets covered with a film.  They call this situation cateract.  The only way to correct the problem is to use a microscope and slice a hole on the side of the eye, send in a roto-rooter.to break the lens into pieces and then vacuum it out.  If all goes well, they can then slip a new lens made especially for your eyes through the hole and spread it into place.  Voila!  

Do you see?

EYE YI YI

All I can think about is "eyes".  

How am I ever going to play golf today?  

My guess is "poorly" as usual.  

Do you "see" my problem?  

JULY 4th

 Here is the oldest post I have made on July 4th.  I've read every one and most were very good.  If you feel real patriotic today, you can go back using the Blog Archive and search each one by date or you can just put Independence into the search at the top of the page and you have them all.  

I sang the silly one below several times before I discovered how really good it was.  Of course, the country is now 249 years old.  

Enjoy the 4th!  

7/04/2007

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Happy Birthday, USA. Just 231 years old...but older than me.

My favorite patriotic song. I never quite understood it.

Oh beautiful, four space ship guys
perhaps they made it rain
the perp will mount ten mad justices
above the fruit in pain.

America, America, God's head will greatfull be
the clown was good, my brother's a hood
from C to XYZ.

BIBLE STORY

 I hope the title Bible Story didn't put anyone off.  Here goes my capsule of the Book of Esther.

About 500 years before Christ was born, the great kingdom of the known world was Persian Empire. (of course, this is what we now call Iran).  The King of Persia, the most powerful person in the world, had a beautiful wife plus a harem.  He had a real spat with his wife when she refused to do something he ordered her to do.  He sent out an order to all the land that forever more the men would be the head of the household and all women better do what they say.  

He had it in his mind to replace the queen, so he had his men search the kingdom for the most beautiful virgins and bring them to the palace.  There they underwent a year's study, training, grooming, feeding, etc. to bring them to the height of their beauty.  One of the girls was named Esther.   She was a Jew but didn't let anyone know that.  Her uncle who raised her had warned her never to disclose it.  

The king picked Esther as his new queen and took the crown off his old wife and gave it to the Jew.  (The plot thickens.)  Now Esther's uncle was given a job in the palace.  Another man (a bad guy) in the Palace was real wicked.  He decided that the Persians should kill all the Jews.  Esther's uncle found out what was going on and told Esther about the plans to kill all Jews.  The king liked Esther's uncle even though he was a Jew, and honored him with a feast.  This really pissed of the bad guy who now wanted to kill the uncle most of all. 

Esther pleaded and convinced the king that killing all the Jews was a bad idea.  He relented but said "an order is an order" and I've already given the order.  Esther's uncle had her ask if the king would allow the Jews to defend themselves - which they did, and they were saved for the most part.  

The Jews have a memorial of this event which they celebrate yearly - it is called Purim and the day before they practice the "fast of Esther" in her honor (no food).  

Now you know that once there was a Jew as queen of Persia and that empire was full of Jews.  Surely we can have peace there again.  

MIDWEEK PRAYER

Be thankful.  

We are such a blessed people.

Be thankful for our world, our country, our family and our friends.

Every day.  

Be thankful!!!

ONE WORD COMMENT

If they are not too soiled, I wash my paper plates so that I can use them multiple times.

Please supply one word comment.   

Some suggestions:  THRIFTY, CHEAP, SILLY ... or offer any other that you feel appropriate.

IT TAKES BALLS

 The United States Golf Association (USGA) takes it upon itself to be the approving agency for golf implements.  They check balls, driver and utility club heads, grooves and finish on iron heads.  The data base of their testing and approvals is immense.  

There are somewhere over 1200 golf balls approved for play.  Balls are judged according to the rules of golf  by size, materials, compressability, markings, colors, dimples and spinrate.  Every manufacture from all over the world must submit balls for testing.  The database for acceptable balls is changed monthly.  It's a huge undertaking.  

So, does anyone pay any attention to these approvals?  Does the average golfer even know if his equipment meets the standards?  I   don't   think   so.  

A BIRTHDAY THOUGHT

LIFE IS GOOD!   

One of my great fears has been allayed:  my fear of dying young.   

QUESTIONS

Questions I ask myself:  Why do I wear my good underwear when going to special places or when going out with special people?  I've done it for many years;  all my life I suppose.  Does this echo back to a mother's admonition that you never know if you might have to go to the emergency room at the hospital and you wouldn't want those nurses and doctors to think you are slovenly or . . . poor?  Or do I just fear losing my drawers when I'm out?

I don't know but I do it.  

MIDWEEK PRAYER

I found this on INSTAGRAM - mostly.  Of course, I changed it to suit my philosophy.. 

Dear God,

Thank you for granting me a new day;

please forgive my mistakes from all my yesterdays and calm my mind.

Keep me safe today and fill my heart with your peace.

I know that; 

where there is faith, there is love,

where there is love, there is peace,

where there is peace, there is God,

and where God is, nothing is lacking.

Lord, protect the path I'm on and don't let me quit for anything.

God, I love you, and I promise to share this prayer with a friend.

Amen

THE TOWER MAN

The man afterwhom the Eiffel Tower was named (the one in Paris - not the one at Kings Island Amusement Park) is Gustav Eiffel.  He was a structural design engineer and in charge of the construction.  

Bless our engineers!

It is reported that Eiffel was born in 1832 in Dijon but reportedly never smelled like mustard.  He died in Paris at the age of 93.  

Here is the kicker:  Gustav designed and built the interior structural metalwork of our Statue of Liberty.  Give it up for Gustav!

BEING CONSIDERATE

Nice person that I am, I want everyone to know that in consideration of both friends and others, I have made a purchase for their benefit.  So, if I request that you to "kiss my ass", be relieved knowing that I have switched from the "unscented" to the new "mint chill" dude wipes.   :)

HISTORY

Dates are the glue that holds history together.  I thought the subject was stupid when I was in school.  Boring!  A bunch of useless memory work.  I got past this thought many years ago.  History is interesting, instructing, and even exciting. 

Always look forward but remember the past.  Try to understand the past.  Not everyone agrees on the past.  Many books have been written that do not agree on the past.  Don't jump to conclusions.  Much of history is in the writers vision.  Another writer may have a different vision.  "Fake news" can apply to history, too.  Enough said!

Here is a little list I've put together of well-known structures and their dates of construction and finishing.  See if any surprise you.

The Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt   2589 BC - 2566 BC

The Great Wall of China  7th century BC and extended thru the 17th century AD (10,000 mi)

The Parthanon of Acropolis, Greece   447 BC - 432 BC

The Colosseum of Rome, Italy  72 AD - 80 AD

Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris, France  1163 AD - 1260 AD

(Leaning) Tower of Piza, Italy  1173 AD - 1372 AD

Machu Picchu of Peru  about  1450 AD

The Kremlin of Moscow, Russia  1482 AD - 1495 AD

The Taj Mahal of Agra, India  1631 AD - 1653 AD

Saint Peters Square of Rome, Italy  1656 AD - 1667 AD

Palace of Versailles of Versailles, France    1660 AD - 1715 AD

The White House of Washington, DC USA  1792 AD - 1800 AD

Arc de Triomphe of Paris, France   1806 AD - 1836 AD

Big Ben of London, England   1843 AD - 1859 AD

Music Hall of Cincinnati, Ohio USA  1876 AD - 1878 AD

Statue of Liberty New York, USA  1876 AD - 1886 AD

Basilica Sagrada Familia of Barcelona, Spain  1882 AD - 2026 AD

Eiffel Tower of Paris, France  1887 AD - 1889 AD