But the man who loved whiskey and hated self-denial
Never grieved over loved ones nor walked down the aisle

Had plenty of pictures but not many stories
Had not lost any battles, yet not gained any glories

His philosopher’s timbre was ready to greet you
But only for sick games he’d play to defeat you

The gnawing fear and sorrow he’d long ago medicated out
But at the heavy price: his capacity to accept hope

His “boundaries” had been masterfully crafted over time
Full of razor wire, land mines, EID’s, and booby traps
Strategically placed to permanently maim
The brave explorers who come with their Treasure Map

He covers his sniper tracks to ensure legal footing
When he cries “intruder; self-defense!”

But today, as he looks down the barrel sight,
He makes the mistake of looking into the face
Of a distant, childhood friend
Who unmistakeably recognizes him,
Knows his malicious intentions,
Yet bears a genuine, and disarming, countenance.

…like summer kids want a pool

…like authoritarians want a rule

…like monopeds want a stool

…like folly and a fool

…like Jr. Highers want “cool”

…like a farmer wants a mule

…like a mechanic and his tool

…like a crown without a jewel

I want YOU.

A Song of Ascents.

¹I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
² My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth. 
³He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
⁵The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
⁷The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
⁸The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.

…and that, folks, is the glorious difference between his thought processes as a guy and hers as a girl.  I love it!

Flows could, to would, to should

I cannot help but smile

And think that life is good

Wedding exhortation to Caleb and Katie, Douglas Wilson

Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking, Bob Dylan

Warren Buffet and Bill Gates have started a campaign - the Giving Pledge - calling the world’s richest to commit to giving away at least half of their fortunes to philanthropy.

It reminds me of J.C. Penney - http://www.nndb.com/people/656/000160176/

A recent study in the U.K. surveyed over 17,000 children ages 7-16 and finds that 85.5 per cent of pupils had their own mobile phone, compared with 72.6 per cent who had their own books.

So the time a person spends when he is single should be time spent in preparation for marriage. This is important even if he never gets married. This is because biblical preparation for marriage is nothing more than learning to follow Jesus Christ and to love one’s neighbor. In other words, preparation for Christian marriage is basically the same as preparation for Christian living. Christians are to prepare for marriage by learning self-denial, subduing their pride, and putting their neighbor first. Once they learn to love God and love their neighbor, they are prepared to enter into the covenant of marriage with one of their neighbors. These are issues which should be in the forefront of every parent’s mind as their children approach the age when they may court and marry.“ (Her Hand in Marriage: Biblical Courtship in the Modern World, pp. 83-85).