Beech Tree News Network

When we spend time reading and studying Scripture, we have to be impressed with the fact that God wants our “all” — 100% dedicated effort to Him (Rom. 12:1-2)! We see this clearly when we read that those in Smyrna were promised the crown of life if they would be “faithful unto death” (Rev. 2:10). When writing to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul told them to, “Be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (I Cor. 15:58).

Legislators preparing to return to Frankfort to deal with the state’s battle against COVID-19 and its nasty variants would do well to keep in mind Henry David Thoreau’s quote regarding the quantity of governance: “That government is best which governs the least.”

They also, however, would be wise to consider Thomas Jefferson’s gem that “the government closest to the people serves the people best.”

On Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, America held its first Labor Day celebration. In 1894, then-President Grover Cleveland officially made Labor Day a national holiday. Since then, America has recognized the first Monday in September to celebrate the people who keep our economy moving and society strong – American workers.

The late Conway Twitty is known for a lot of songs.  Did you know that one of his biggest was a cover? “Slow Hand” was a 1982 hit for Twitty that topped the country charts for two weeks in 1982.  The original, done a year earlier by The Pointer Sisters, was recorded for their eight album Black and White.  Their original reached #2 in the U.S. 

Last week, I spent much of one morning working on next month’s budget and scheduling payments. I keep my expenses on an Excel spreadsheet and can see what I spend for various items and services. And, over time, expenses have risen – some expenses more than others.

Wondering how others felt about rising expenses, I asked family and friends, “Thinking about your regular expenses, what things do you pay more for than you think you should?” Their responses are listed below.

Sometimes, I get a bright idea.  When I get a bright idea, I am so convinced of its worth that it’s hard to turn me in another direction.  If the idea works, you will find me congratulating myself and telling others of my accomplishment.  If it doesn’t work, however, the idea tends to fail on the colossal end of the success/failure spectrum.  In June of this year, I had one such idea. 

            In Ezekiel 18:2-3, Ezekiel told the people, “The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying, What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.” The proverb that the children of Israel used had to do with those who taught that the guilt of a man’s sins was inherited through his father.

Welcome to the dog days of August.

The Cincinnati Reds are hotter than usual and 90-degree temperatures have returned along with some semblance of legal sanity in the form of a crushing defeat handed Gov. Andy Beshear by the Kentucky Supreme Court, which upheld the constitutionality of legislation passed during this year’s General Assembly session limiting governors’ executive authority during emergencies like COVID.

You can learn a lot just by paying attention to the most random things.  Sirius XM’s decades channels are great for some of that flashback knowledge, especially the countdown shows.  For instance, I was listening to ‘80’s on 8 a few Sunday’s ago.  They had gotten into the top 10 and one of the songs was Eddy Grant’s “Romancing The Stone”.  As some of you may recall, there was a 1987 movie with Michael Douglass and Kathleen Turner called Romancing The Stone.  Grant’s song was meant to be used as the movie’s theme song.  In fact, the deal was done.  Grant had written the son

Even though I’m still enjoying this summer weather, I’ve found time to read. Most recently, my reading has included information about Alzheimer’s disease, the benefits of reading, and the book of Proverbs. Each has been interesting in its own way.