Just another day: 78* on January 3rd!!!

• Okay, it is Texas. But 78 degrees! Where's the snow? Where's the ice fishing? Makes me want to call Al Gore. Whoa. Maybe the heat's baking my brain.
  

Speaking of the Al Meister, I came across this today.

by Glen McCoy

More on former VP Gore later.


• Papua goes the weasel. 7.9 on the Richter scale in Southeast Asia. Again. That'll rattle the cattle. Tsunami alert. Again. Are these coming at increasingly regular intervals or is it just me? Really. Any geological geeks out there?


• Gaza-ntheit. Israel's spent from trying to abide this factitious peace with Hamas. When your foe says they want to make nice but continues to Moe Howard the back of your head, you can either take the thumping in squeaky whinyness like Curly or you can wield around on your heels and jam digits one and toe into the sockets of your irritator.
  

Yes, the tanks have pushed into Gaza. Hamas has released an interesting response. They have promised to unleash a "day of wrath" (here). Interesting choice of words.

• 2012. Remember the disaster movies of the 70's? Airport and it's sequels? Towering Inferno? Earthquake? What made those movies compelling was their plausibility. You could imagine something like that taking place today or tomorrow.
  

Apocalyptic disaster movies have replaced the localized disaster movie. The usual cause of this cataclysm? You and me. Next in the queue is 2012 by Roland Emmerich. He took a unique slant for this flick. His film imagines what would happen if the prophecies from the Mayan calendar would actually come to pass.

How is it that Hollywood will bite on Al Gore apocalypses and pagan religion apocalypses, but they utterly ignore the judgment and destruction promised by God in the Bible?


• Tragedy. I do not know what 2009 will bring. Standby for my "9 certainties for 2009." One of those certainties is death. Wow, Keith, tracking a little morbid, aren't we? Yeah, I guess so. But one of the things God calls us to do is to learn to number our days (Psalm 90:12). We are to be aware that none of us is guaranteed tomorrow. Most of us grasp that. It touches a more tender spot when we think of those nearest our heart.
  

The sudden and tragic death of John Travolta's sixteen-year old son exemplifies this truth. I say this not to make you live in fear. Each day is a gift from the Lord. So as the clock takes us further from the drop of the puck for 2009, savor the rich blessings of your family and friends. Enjoy strangers, too, and let them know you enjoy their presence. Live without regret to the glory of Almighty God.

Keep your eyes to the east.