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Don Locke: Looking Through Bifocals

There are a few things that come pretty close to bugging me at times. Just close. I don't want to be thought of as an old grouch. Somebody asked first wife Bett if she ever woke-up grouchy. "No," she replied, "I just let him sleep." Well, sometimes maybe, but not always. But we all have a few things we deny I guess.

Don Locke: Looking Through Bifocals

There are several definitions of the word "expert"; I'll mention only two: A HAS-BEEN-DRIP-UNDER-PRESSURE, and, ANYBODY A HUNDRED MILES FROM HOME CARRYING A BRIEFCASE.

Don Locke: Looking Through Bifocals

Some folks in our past, and in our more recent, have said some pretty worthwhile stuff that we can take to the bank. Since much of this worthwhile stuff comes from the Bible, let's establish that authority first-off.

Don Locke: Looking Through Bifocals

We were going to up-grade now through a small patch of woods. Granddad didn't seem any worse for the wear; I was breathing hard and sweating. It was a couple of hours into morning and a month into summer. The sun was already hot this early. Granddad was carrying the heavy half of the house jack; I was carrying what was supposed to be the lighter half. It didn't seem that way now. I was probably somewhere around my eleventh summer. Granddad was in his seventies, but still a strong man.

Don Locke: Looking Through Bifocals

Barry Manilow gave us the song, "I WRITE THE SONGS THE WHOLE WORLD SINGS," a few years back.

It's sad to think how empty our lives would be were it not for song writers and songs. Lines from an old Negro refrain tell us: "Without a song, the day would never end. Without a song the row would never bend . . . without a song . . ."

Song writers an singers have a sort of symbiotic relationship: you scratch my back; I'll scratch yours. Unless the performers become superstars, most song writers usually make more money than singers do. Royalties.

Don Locke: Looking Through Bifocals

We don't want to miss the folks along this Pilgrim's journey who have contributed a great part of who we are. One of my favorite quotes by C.S. Lewis is: "Sometimes we fail to recognize when the most important things are happening in our lives."

Don Locke: Looking Through Bifocals

God does not deal in luck. He doesn't knock on wood. He has no time for fortune tellers, soothsayers and the like . . . or throwing salt back over each shoulder and muttering some kind of mumbo-jumbo nonsense. He has no need to; he knows WHAT has happened, what IS happening, and what WILL happen. It is simple as that. He lets nothing happen by chance. That would be turning over the operation of the world to something or somebody else. He lets nothing usurp authority or power over Him.

Don Locke: Looking Through Bifocals

As always when I visit with you about NCAA basketball around tournament time each year, I must always put forth the disclaimer that I never played in an organized game. As a seventh and eighth-grader I did get to dress on our high school B-team at home games. We got to come out before tip-off and shoot, then, during the half-time of the A-team games. I did have a jersey with our school colors, but that's where the complete uniform ended. Oh, I had trunks, such as they were. They were olive-drab and very much resembled World War-Two soldier's boxer shorts.

Don Locke: Looking Through Bifocals

Innuendos (indirect hints or remarks, which may or may not imply something derogatory), can say a whole lot of hateful stuff. Folks sometimes use them to lie, or to tell the truth. Truth is better.

Don Locke: Looking Through Bifocals

I don't know how far this horse will carry me, I may--before "kindest regards"--go in a different direction. I'm going with it anyway.

A thought along that line just occurred to me. (true story): An old-time country preacher I knew growing up, loved to fox and coon hunt. One Saturday night he stayed out too late; he hadn't been into his sermon very long when he closed his Bible and sat down. A couple of the deacons rushed forward with the excited question, "Preacher are you all-right?"

"I'm fine," he said, "I just ran out of SOAP."

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