Beech Tree News Network

The April 15th date causes many of us to feel a sense of dread. This of course is the filing deadline for personal tax returns. This year, due to the Washington D.C. Emancipation Day holiday being observed on April 15, the deadline is actually April 18 – the following Monday. So, tax anxiety can be drawn out a bit longer.

This-That-And-The-Other:
    In ancient Rome before the Emperors, and even in the interim when Rome was without an Emperor, a citizen could walk in off the street and go directly before the Roman Senate to have his complaint, or any matter needing redress, settled by the senate… not going through regulating agencies, committees, and for bureaucracies.  Compared to now, ain’t that somethin’?

Have you ever seen a cat fight?  The fight always involves kicking, screaming, biting, scratching and hair-pulling, and that’s just at the onset.  Before its conclusion, the confrontation escalates into running, rolling around and body slamming.  And I’m not talking about two broads in a brothel.  I’m referring to actual felines.

Have we heard folks justify their behavior based on the thinking that all actions, and even our morality itself is “relative”? This reasoning says that there are no objective standards in life, and that the only standard for right and wrong is the standard we personally establish in our lives. It is from this thinking that we hear phrases like: “your truth,” “my truth,” etc. 

Long days, heated discussions, and budget negotiations marked the 13th week of the 2016 General Assembly. The Senate was in session three of the five weekdays while the Senate and House leaders used the other two days to work on budget negotiations.
The Senate is working diligently toward a budget compromise ensuring the people of the Commonwealth are not left without a state budget at the end of the session. We do not want to waste taxpayer dollars by calling a special session.

At eighty-two I’m a “Pilgrim and a stranger”.  No doubt about it. 
TV movies have whippoorwills hollerin’ in the daytime. 
I saw recently when ten percent of college graduates think Judge Judy on TV is a member of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The younger TV professional say “fur” for the word for.  Growing up we thought anyone who said “fur”, was underrated and from the “sticks”.

My favorite comedy at the moment is The Goldbergs.  The show follows a family living in the 1980’s.  It’s almost the Wonder Years for this generation, only funnier.  Adam Goldberg is this generation’s Kevin Arnold.  A season or so ago there was an episode where Adam was afraid that he wasn’t mature enough for his girlfriend Dana.  It was unfounded at the time, as she didn’t care about that.  She was still a kid, too.  Of course, a season or so later, they grew apart after she moved. They broke up.  Can you tell I watch this show religiously?

I’ve recently been counting my blessings, and my blessings include my siblings. I understand that many people do not like their siblings – even though they may still love them. But, I like and enjoy each one of mine. My siblings and I have strong connections.

One day at work, we went the whole day without receiving one penny in cash for services rendered.  A few people paid with checks, but most payments were by credit card.  I’m sixty years old, I’ve run a cash register at every place I’ve ever worked, and I’ve never had that happen until one day last week.  The odd thing is that it probably isn’t going to be that odd in a few years. 

Satan is very cunning (Gen. 3:1). He prowls this earth, looking for souls to destroy (I Pet. 5:8). The Bible describes him as a very violent being, and one who is filled with hatred, malice, lies, etc. He has waged war against God and Christ for millennia. Therefore, he tries to destroy mankind, God’s creation, as a by-product of this war. We are “collateral damage” in Satan’s war with God! Among other things, he places temptations before us because he knows that when we yield to his temptations, this leads to sin, and sin results in spiritual death (Jas. 1:14-15; Isa. 59:1-2).