It's late in the evening which means it is time to write for the blog.  You know that some nights it can be a better experience than others.  This post is one of the occasions when the well is dry.  We will hit posting 500 somewhere around the end of the month.  No one is inviting me to compose the next great novel but we continue on in our efforts.  Maybe there is something to hitting that mark around my next birthday.  My drivers license will soon tell others about reaching the half century figure.  Right now my plan is to tell people that I am half of a hundred.  Seems a bit more creative than just saying fifty.  Anyway, just be warned that our approach this evening is to touch on a few topics.

Some of us discussed being old school during prayer meeting earlier.  You can count me as one of those who miss some of the days gone by.  Technology will never be my friend.  New gadgets just are not on my list of presents I want.  Rotary dial phones are good enough for me.  Computers are still past my ability to do more than point or click.  GPS systems in the car are fine but whatever happened to road maps.  I had a relative who would stop by our house while growing up who showed me road maps of her travels.  Now it seems like every phone has far more use for everything else but actually calling someone.  One reason that I hope for a longer life is to see even more developments in the stuff we use.  I just won't be able to use any of it.

It took some time for different people to offer varied opinions on the death of Bin Laden.  You had to know it was coming.  Euphoria over his demise had to give way to some on either fringe to criticize that action with its aftermath.  Let me speak only for myself in saying that his passing did not sadden me one bit.  I could not help but notice how it served to remind us of the horrible events nearly ten years ago.  Probably my primary emotion was bittersweet.  I was agreeable to this action but could not avoid remembering that September day.  More than a few in our country took to the streets in jubilation.  I do not know if that would be my response.  Thousands of people still live with the pain that is born of grief.  It is only one death among so many on that one day plus in the days since overseas.  Justice was indeed served but grief lives on.

On a sad note, Mike Franks was killed last night.  Let me hurry to say that he is a recurring character on my favorite show NCIS.  He is not a real person.  The actor is doing just fine.  What amazed me is the response online among fans of the program.  You would think a real person did indeed lose his life in armed combat with a bad guy.  Don't yet again get me wrong.  I liked his character and will miss his occasional presence on the series.  But part of me wanted to register at various sites to remind these fans of his fictional nature.  His death is just part of story telling.  You might be surprised at how often human beings get far too caught up in non reality.  Many years ago a young person told me of her prayerful concern over a professional wrestler who was "attacked" during a match.  She could not know how it was part of the ongoing plot in that industry.  Believers are also prone to missing the reality of life for whatever reason.  Faith does not mean wishing for a better world.  It includes dealing with both the human and biblical realities each day.  Life is grounded in the truth of God whether we accept it or not.  It's not that escape is always a bad thing.  We just need to keep in mind our greater truth.

Bro. Trey