ANSWERS

 The answer to Monday's quiz is Ashton Kutcher (b. 1978).  He married the beautiful Demi Moore (b. 1962) in 2005.  She was 43 years-old at the time.  They were together for eight years until 2013.  Two years later, he married the cute Mila Kunis (b. 1983).  They are still together after 10 years.  Oh, most Iowans are Chicago pro-sports fans.  

The answer to "have I made any mistakes recently?" is "Yes!".  A few weeks ago at the grocery store, I had the option to buy Charmin Ultra Soft or Charmin Ultra Strong.  I chose the 'strong' ones.  Well, I had a bout of upper respiratory discomfort last week, including active  sinus drainage and I ran out of Kleenex.  The 'soft' would have worked much better.  Keep that in mind.

WISDOM

 THOSE WHO ACCEPT THEIR FATE, WILL OFTEN BE REWARDED WITH HAPPINESS!

 THOSE WHO DEFY THEIR FATE, WILL SOMETIMES BE REWARDED WITH GLORY!

No guts - no glory!

I have a very happy life - no need for glory.

MIDWEEK PRAYER

 I'm not sure how valuable praying for the dead actually is.  Of course, it can't hurt. I'm not sure what it's like to be in the afterworld. Is all the testing done?  Is the trial over?  I don't know.

 Don't forget the living who still have the free will to make right or wrong decisions every day; earthly people who choose God or don't - over and over again.   We all surely need prayers.

What do you think about praying for people who don't have anyone to pray for them?  What do you think about praying for people, dead such a long time ago, that they don't have any earthly people who even know them?

I'm not sure what I think about all this.  Here's a prayer, I put together, that you can work with.

God Our Father, 

your goodness, love and mercy are without measure.  

We trust that all those who have died 

and truly believed in your son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, 

now rest in Your presence.  

Heal the pain of those left here who mourn, 

awaiting your call 

and send your Spirit to guide us, we pray.   

Amen

PARAPROSDOKIANS

I love these.  Enjoy!

QUIZ

How must it be for a man to first marry a lady born in 1962 and then divorce her and marry a lady born in 1983?  That's such a huge difference; who would do such a thing? 

How must it be to start an investment firm, to provide venture capitol to companies just trying to get started and then hit very big from the beginning? 

How must it be to grow up in Iowa, get solicited at a bar while in college to compete in a modeling contest, win and earn a trip to NYC for a national contest?  

How must it be to coach high school football, be a jiu jitsu black belt, an avid hunter and a Chicago Bears fan.  

How must it be to co-found an organization to fight human trafficing. 

How must it be to be in Time magazine's list of most influential people in the world?

Well, I don't know.  Who could this be?  Comment your guesses to the blog - I'll share the answer on Friday.

ANSWERS

Enough with all the questions!  We want answers!

First, concerning Monday's quiz.  The answer is Ron Beagle;  All-American football and lacrosse player at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.  Yes, he was born in Connecticut but his family moved to Cincinnati and he attended Purcell High School.  Amazing, isn't it. He was a tight end.  Of course, he preceded Roger Staubach at both schools. Two Maxwell Award winners from the same high school.  By now, you know that the Maxwell Award is presented to the best college football player in the country.  Small world.  Beagle's jersey hung in the school hall when I went there and I trust it still does.  Ron died about 10 years ago.

More answers: The answer is "No!" to the question about having no symptoms, feeling fine, and does that   equal a cure?  Stay away from your snot-nosed friends - like me.

More answers:  The answer is "No!" to the age-old adage that deaths always come in threes.  I've lost four friends in the last three weeks.  

QUESTIONS THAT ARE NOT QUIZZES

 How do you describe yourself?  Seriously, if someone asks "What do you do?", they are asking for your description of yourself.  It's a serious question.  Are they only looking for "some job" as your answer?  Maybe!

For 13/14 years I've been retired.  What do I do?  Do I say "Nothing!"?  "No!"  There's got to be more to you than what you do to make a living (or not do, in my case).  

Everyone is doing things for themselves.  Maybe, some of the things you do for yourself also help other people.  Maybe!  Most people are doing things for a family, as well.  A few are doing things for others - some unnamed others.  Not just donating extra money but actually doing things. 

Okay, enough of this.  Take some time today and create your answer to the question "what do you do?".  If it isn't satifactory, maybe you should find something new to do.

Hope I don't trip getting down from my pulpit.

  

MIDWEEK PRAYER

 John Brown was an evangelical christian abolitionsist in the decades before the U.S. Civil War.  He fought for the abolition of slavery and was hanged by the U.S. government for it.  Martha Swan is the executive director of the group called John Brown Lives!  These are two people with whom you should get to know.  Here is a prayer written by Ms. Swan.

Here I am.
Please have me.
I will rest in that.

Please God, 

may I look only to you

for that which I seek so deeply:

Love and Protection

Purpose, Reassurance and Worthiness.

Please take from me, out of me,

the persistent delusion,

my reliance and seeking

in things human.

Please let me become

who you'd have me be.

Amen

QUESTIONS THAT ARE NOT QUIZZES

 So many questions.  So few answers.

Have I managed to cure my illness or merely suppressed the symptoms?

QUIZ

EVERYONE WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT LAST WEEK'S QUIZ, I HAVE ANOTHER JUST LIKE IT.  

IT IS ANOTHER, WHO AM I?  

This week, I'll tell you upfront that we have another football player.  Very interesting.  Here goes:

I was born in Hartford, Connecticut.

I went to college in Maryland.

I was a wide receiver and was named All-American in both my junior and senior years.

I won the Maxwell Trophy as the best college football player in the country.  

I was also an All-American lacrosse player.  

I'm in the College Football Hall of Fame

I was drafted into the NFL by Chicago but never got to play because I blew out a knee before reporting.

In high school, I was a cavalier.  

 

PURPOSE

 Let's get deep into our brains today.  What is the purpose of your life?  Does your life have purpose?

What is it that greatly effects every decision we make?  Can you tell me these things?

When I was very young, my purpose was to have fun.  Some people progress from here to making an education the main purpose in their life - some never get beyond the "have fun" stage.  The education bit for me was pleasing parents and teachers.  That was wrong.  I never had a real desire to learn while I was in school.  There was a period when my main purpose in life was becoming a better basketball and softball player.  Stupid!  

I eased into the please my girlfriend stage -  and all that goes with that.  I ended up in the army and my only purpose was to get out.  I never tried to be a better soldier - just get out.

The next twenty-five years or so my sole purpose was raising children, providing for them and being a good father and husband.  I never had a drive to be better at my work. Stupid!  My only purpose was family.  

Is this boring?  Enough!  I'm searching for my current purpose in life right now.  

The answer to Monday's quiz is Mike Reid.  He did all that and played for the Cincinnati Bengals - a really great defensive lineman.  He quit after only a few years of pro football to follow his dream of a music related career.  He was a wonderful piano player.  Check out his bio on wiki if  you want more.  

GREETINGS

Did you know that our word "goodbye" is a consolidation of the phrase, "Goodness be with you."  "God be with ye."   Try "God be with you" on your friends, sometime.  

The Spanish say "Adios" when you are leaving meaning "Goodbye" but it is a consolidation of "Ve a con dios"  which means "Go with God."

The Italians say "Arrivederci" for goodbye meaning "Until we meet again."  The word is a combination of "A rive derci."

The Irish might say "Slan agat" for goodbye but it translates to "Be safe"    

If you follow all that, do you think our word "hello"  could be a consolidation of "Hell no!"  Well, it could be.  The next time you hear someone say "hello" to you, think about that.

 

MIDWEEK PRAYER

You pray for me and I'll pray for you.  That sounds like a fair proposition, doesn't it?   Tit for tat.  So, what are friends for?  

Well, maybe you'd be better off praying for yourself.  Your friend might be just paying you lip service.

Try this:  

God, I believe in your limitless love and mercy.  Please, forgive me for my sins.  Forgive me for the evil or thoughtless things I have done, as well as, for failing to do the things I know I should have done.  With your help, I can do what is right; I can be a better person.  I know that you are always at my side.  Thank you for the many blessings you have graciously given me. Amen. 

U.S. MILITARY

 Didja ever wonder just how many military installations the U.S. maintains in our country.  In my two-year military career, I was stationed at four different Army posts - the Army calls them forts.  I had no idea how many existed.  For you, I looked it up.  Jaw-draopping!  Here are the approximate totals.  Remember, these are the ones in our country - there are many more in foreign lands.

Army - 183

Marines - 21

Navy - 76

Air Force - 129

Space Force - 13

Coast Guard - 335

Total - 757

Granted, some of the Coast Guard installations house a single ship a crew.  But, lordy, they're almost all on the coasts and great lakes.  These numbers amazed me - how about you?