Safely arrived!

Sorry there was no post yesterday. I was very busy. I organized and was in charge of a church work day. This is one of my duties as a Deacon. Many members of our church volunteered to spruce up the church and make minor repairs. We are very blessed to have a wonderful facility and the people of our church keep it in tip-top shape.

On another note, we received word that the team from our church arrived safely in Mexico. I am so thankful that God has kept the team safe during the first leg of their trip. I now pray for their continued safety and for God's Word to go forth to the people of Vera Cruz, Mexico.

Finally, tomorrow is the first day of my "Staycation". Blog posts will continue however. Dedicated bloggers never take much time away from their blogs.

Adios!

Tomorrow at 6:15 A.M., Abby will fly to Mexico with a team of volunteers from our church. This will be Abby's fourth missions trip to southeastern Mexico to serve the people of MITC (Mexican Indian Training Center) and the surrounding villages. MITC is a facility where Mexican pastors are trained and then released to plant churches throughout Mexico. Abby will be in charge of teaching a weeklong Vacation Bible School program to the children of La Cumbre. Please pray for the safety of the team as they travel and also that the Gospel goes forth to the people in Mexico.

In years past Tami and I have taken advantage of Abby being away and taken small vacations. This will not happen this year. The budget is just too tight and it would be reckless and irresponsible to travel with our current financial state. Instead we are planning a "Staycation" (a stay-at-home vacation). We have made a vow to not be distracted with household work, to eat some nice meals (grilling a few nice steaks etc..), to lounge around the pool, do crossword puzzles, and drink some fruity froo-froo drinks. This staycation will be markedly cheaper than a so-called real trip. Even inexpensive hotels add up after a few nights. Restaurant food is expensive (and not as good as I can cook at home). Gasoline is not cheap and any entertainment on a trip really causes the cost to increase. Granted, relaxing at home is NOT the ideal vacation. The dishes still need to be done and the scenery is the same old, same old. But... for this year it will have to do.

Crime Shows

Tami and I enjoy watching crime shows. Not the fictional CSI stuff... true stories. We especially enjoy Dateline NBC. Tami is really good at figuring out "whodunnit", and when people are lying or covering something up. I'm terrible at it. I almost always get it wrong. I guess I would have made an awful detective. Tami is a veritable Sherlock Holmes.

Rio Olympics

The Olympics in Rio are a month away. Brazil has been a mess lately. The police are telling visitors they can't guarantee their safety. The waters in Rio are a polluted sewer. The political climate is volatile. And to cap things off there is the threat of the Zika virus. Many athletes are opting out of these Olympic Games and I can't say that I blame them.

Alaskan Cruise

Take an Alaskan cruise they said. It will be fun they said. The view of the glaciers is breathtaking they said.

Tami and I love cruising, but............

***Disclaimer***
This is just a joke. I know Alaskan cruises aren't really cold. Alaskan cruises are taken in the summer time and the weather is warm. And yes, I know this is not really a cruise ship.

The 4th of July

As my daughter, Jessi, said when she was little, "Happy for the jolly!".

Today is the day we celebrate our independence from Great Britain. King George III was imposing excessive taxes on the colonies and was giving them no voice in Parliament (No taxation without representation). Colonists, fed up with the King's tyranny, began to revolt. This revolt was made official when the colonies submitted The Declaration of Independence to the King. Thomas Jefferson had penned one of the greatest documents in human history and King George was not at all happy about it. Enraged, he sent his army of "Red Coats" to put the colonists back in their place (under his thumb). The colonists were not deterred and continued their rebellion (Boston Tea Party anyone?). These acts further enraged the king and he ordered his army (the biggest, baddest, most well-equipped army in the world at that time) to crush the rebellion and resume the flow of tax revenue to Britain. You know the rest. A band of ragtag men who were not trained soldiers fought guerrilla style and held their own against this massive fighting machine. These shopkeepers, farmers, blacksmiths, and other commoners ultimately defeated the Red Coats and a new nation was born. Keep in mind what rebelling meant to these common men. They were traitors in the eyes of The Crown and would be executed immediately if caught. These men were so determined to free the colonies from King George they pressed on despite the threat of being put to death. It's because of these brave men (and the women who supported them) that we are the greatest, most powerful nation on the face of the earth.

"We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately!"
Benjamin Franklin

"Give me liberty, or give me DEATH!"
Patrick Henry

"I have not yet begun to fight"
John Paul Jones

"There! His Majesty can now read my name without glasses. And he can double the reward on my head!"
John Hancock

"Our properties within our own territories should not be taxed or regulated by any power on earth but our own"
Thomas Jefferson

"Humanity has won its battle. Liberty now has a country"
Marquis De Lafayette

"The British are coming! The British are coming!"
Paul Revere

"Paul Revere is coming! Paul Revere is coming!"
The British (Just kidding. Only making sure you are still paying attention)

Independence Day

Happy Independence Day (one day early)! On a serious note, this is a celebration of our nation's birthday. Let us honor those men and women who risked everything to thumb their collective noses at King George III and form a new republic.

On a less serious note, nothing quite says 'murica like the photos below. God Bless the U.S.A.!

2000- A Milestone!

Silence Runs Deep reaches a milestone today. This is the 2000th post for this blog. After nearly five years and almost 34,000 page views, this blog goes on with almost daily posts. You folks have come to understand what this blog is all about. Most days my posts are pretty good, but every now and then (due to either fatigue or lack of ideas), I post something short and not very interesting. I can only apologize and beg your forgiveness when this blog is not up to the standards you have come to expect. I have always said I will continue posting as long as you continue reading.

2000 posts?????? Unbelievable!

Thanks for reading all these years.

No Parking?

Officer: I'm giving you a parking ticket

Me: Why?

Officer: Didn't you read the sign?

Me: Ummmmm.... ??????????

Happy July

Happy July! There was a storm last night. It was really in-tents :-)