April 2016 Articles

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Just Rambling April 2016

Just Rambling:
Early last month Donnette and I traveled to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina, flying out of Monroe, LA on a Delta flight. Going through security was rather easy having only to take off my boots and jacket along with putting my ipad, cell phone, pen, car keys, bill fold and toiletries in a container to be scanned. My carry on bag and briefcase were also scanned. No big deal. Everything went real smooth until our return trip home which was coming out of Savannah, Georgia, back to Atlanta and then to Monroe. Before boarding in Savannah, we had to go through security again. This brought back memories of flying out of Charleston, South Carolina last year. As I approached security I was told to take off my hat and jacket along with my belt. I followed those instructions plus again put my cell phone, ipad, bill fold, pen, car keys, and toiletries in a container along with my boots. I also sent my brief case and carry on bag through the scanner then I stepped into the x-ray. I was immediately told to take off my vest so out I went with the vest for the scanner. I stepped back into the x-ray and was told to raise my arms and to turn one way and then another. A young lady was handling the x-ray and then another older gentleman approached the x-ray and asked me in a rather gruff manner, “What do you have in your pockets?” I told him that I had two cough drops and a handkerchief, plus a medical chain around my neck. He said, “Get the cough drops and hand kerchief out of your pockets.” Didn’t say anything about my medical chain around my neck. Again, I had to go back into the x-ray and then he called me out. He asked me if I hurt anywhere and then he immediately began to pat me down from my shoulders to my feet, slowly and methodically. With this pat down, I began to have visions of being the main character in Ray Stevens’ song “The Streak”. Finally, after it seemed like an hour, they let me pass through. As I was getting re-dressed, I caught up with Donnette and she had been treated basically the same way. She had been patted down four times and then they had used a scanner over her hands and arms. They say when all this is done that you have been randomly selected. It seems this random selection is getting real regular when we fly. Maybe the TSA personnel are trying to overcome last year. They had a high percentage of security failures, as they were randomly checked without their knowledge or maybe they have begun to profile older white men and their wives. If TSA is as thorough with everyone as they were with Donnette and I , there shouldn’t be any problems flying in the United States.
I recently had some fence built by C & C Fencing, which is owned by Ricky and Joann Cobb. Their son, Justin Cobb, was home for a few weeks from his oilfield job. Justin is 27 years old and I was amazed at how this young man would work and his knowledge of the fencing business. Now days, many young people don’t want to work nor do they know how to work. I commend Ricky and Joann for rearing such a fine young man and I commend Justin for making his parents proud. See C & C Fencing ad in the Ag Trader USA.
The front cover this month is a collage of pictures my daughter Velvet Roberts took to celebrate Spring.
I often wonder how strong is my faith. I know it is not strong enough. A bible story I often think about when I am surveying my faith is the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. This is found in Daniel chapter 3. King Nebuchadnezzar had made an image of gold and he expected everyone in the provinces to fall down and worship the image of gold. Anyone who didn’t fall down and worship this image of gold would be cast in the midst of a burning furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused. Nebuchadnezzar, in a rage and fury, commanded that these three be brought before him and they were.
In Daniel 3:16-18 they tell Nebuchadnezzar, “We have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O King. But if not, let it be known to you, O King, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury and he commanded that the furnace be heated seven times more than it was usually heated. He then commanded certain mighty men of valor in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and cast them into the fire. The furnace was so hot that it killed the men of valor that put Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished when he saw four men walking in the midst of the fire and they were not hurt. The form of the fourth was like the Son of God. Daniel 3:28 = Nebuchadnezzar spoke saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the King’s word, and yielded their bodies that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!” Do you/I have the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Think seriously about it and let us strive to become more faithful to our Heavenly Father. Van Bennett