Beech Tree News Network

March brings many things.  March flowers (even though it’s raining and 53 degrees as I write this), Spring, St Patrick’s Day(the 17th), Easter (27th) and, perhaps my favorite, March Madness.  I will say that 53 is far and away better than the teens and 20’s we were dealing with as soon as a month ago.  I’ve even got my own shirt with Sullivan(an Irish name, btw) on the back, for St. Patrick’s Day. 

I just had a birthday, and they can cause us to reflect or consider the future. I used to think that someone my age would be wise, but I don’t necessarily believe that now. Wisdom may be defined as having knowledge and the capacity to use it; having discernment and judgment; and having discretion (http://www.webster-dictionary.net/d.aspx?w=wisdom). We certainly learn as we go through life, and discernment and judgment –like muscles – develop.

When I was in eighth grade, I got my first watch.  It had a small face and one of those twisty metal bands with links that stretched to fit over your hand and onto your wrist.  I felt so grown up going to school wearing my new watch.  It was a Timex waterproof watch.  It said so on the dial and on the back of the watch case, which is how John Cameron Swayze said you could tell it was authentic, on the numerous Timex watch commercials on TV at the time—it was also dust-proof and dirt-proof, he said.

Picture a bridge that has washed away. When those working to repair the bridge come to the scene, they will put up barriers, or barricades to keep people from endangering their lives and the lives of others. Barriers may have flashers, flags, and any other attention-getting device attached to them. This is because they are intended to warn people and keep them safe.

Ask most any high school senior what their biggest worry is, and they’ll tell you it’s affording college. That shouldn’t come as a surprise; college tuition has ballooned at an unprecedented rate. From 2008 to 2015, residential undergraduate tuition at four-year institutions in Kentucky has increased by 44%, and tuition in the Kentucky Career and Technical College System has increased by 31%.
           

he 58th annual Grammy Awards were held Monday night, February 15.  The 3 and a half hour show was as heavy on performances as awards.  Some of the performances were upstaged by backstage noise and faulty on-stage activity (Adele’s “All I Ask”). The mics fell on the piano strings.  There were tributes (the Eagles and Jackson Browne tribute to the late Glen Fry).  One of the best tributes, I think, was Lady Gaga’s stellar tribute to the late David Bowie.  His son didn’t seem to care for it but I, and many others, enjoyed it. 

The winter snows kept me in the house a bit, allowing me to read. Many of the articles I’ve read were related to health. The reading provided good material – some worth sharing.

I spent the morning gathering Elsa dolls ( from Disney’s Frozen), and they were many and far between.  There were two in the bathtub, one in my BBC room, three in the living room and one in the toy room.  After I had them all, I locked the dolls in Garey’s gun safe.  Let me explain.

   Pride touched Naaman, the Syrian general, and made him revolt at Elisha’s command to dip seven times in Jordan (II Kings 5:11-12).

    Self-Righteousness touched the Pharisee and blinded him to his own corruption and the publican’s virtues (Lk. 11:12).

    Worldly Ambitions touched the eyes of the young ruler and blacked out the possibility of an eternal crown (Lk. 18:23).

    Love Of This Present World touched the heart of Demas and led him away from Paul and a faithful life (II Tim. 4:10).

Heated floor speeches, huge committee hearings, and the observance of Presidents’ Day highlighted the seventh week of the 2016 Session of the Kentucky General Assembly. As we have passed the halfway point of this session, the countdown begins as we in the Senate anticipate the forthcoming 2016-2018 budget bill from the House of Representatives.