Beech Tree News Network

INFORMAL MANNERS

Oh Snapple!: The Final Frontier

Okay, it’s not the last Snapple column but it sounded good.  The first fact I’ll bestow upon you this week is this: Galapagos turtles can take up to three weeks to digest a meal.  For those wondering, it only takes humans 6-8 hours to pass through your stomach.  

You don’t have to be a lawyer to be a Supreme Court Justice.  In the U.S., there is an official rock, paper, scissors league.  If there were ever a rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock league, Sheldon, Leonard, Raj and Howard should be the official mascots.  

Last December, a Smokey Mountain wildfire left devastation in its wake. One article summarized: “…A fire in Great Smoky Mountain National Park spread …, killing 14 people, destroying more than 2,000 homes and businesses and forcing the evacuation of as many as 14,000 visitors and residents. Damages from the blaze are expected to top $800 million” (http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/02/whats_happened_to_the_2_juveni....).

Prayers and Praying: 

Growing up in a Southern Baptist Church I have heard lots of different kinds of prayers and styles praying. 

Having spent the first ten years of my life attending a country church, I’m able to compare petition to the almighty with those later or when we moved to town and I attended town church (same denomination). Town Church prayers were somewhat more formal-but just as sincere I judge… “God looks upon the heart.” 

I apologized to my peony for moving it again.  It was the fourth time, after all.  A friend, who is now passed, gave it to me years ago, and I planted it below my clothes line, but it nearly met its demise compliments of the lawn mower, so I moved it over next to my fence.  The soil there proved to be too wet for it, so I moved it to the east end of my house next to the sweet peas.  The sweet peas nearly strangled it to death, so last Wednesday, I moved it near the crepe myrtles.  I told the peony this would be its permanent home, and I promised to tend to it better in the future.

Most people know the purchase or possession of alcohol by young people is illegal in the U.S. until age 21.  However, you may not be aware that many Kentucky communities are cracking down on underage drinking with Social Host Ordinances.  A Social Host Ordinance holds adults (social hosts) responsible for underage drinking events on property they own, lease or otherwise control. 

Every society has great days which are remembered and celebrated. In like manner, there are some great days recorded in the Bible that deserve our attention and appreciation. What might be included in God’s list of “great days”?

TECHNICALLY-I have a propensity to get just a little disjointed with my thoughts, when in conversation with other folks. It is just the way my mind works, I do not think in a linear path, there are others like me, maybe not the majority but a sizable portion of the population, whom see patterns and connections in a “big picture” sort of way and we have our thoughts going around in a kind of circular direction, instead of in a straight line.

Reaching The Finish Line

With a seasonal change, I instinctively seem to scan my environment and create a to-do list. I like to-do lists because they help me focus, but looking at a long list of chores can be unnerving. Fortunately, I remember that I’m the only one who cares whether my lists get done or not.