some thoughts

A few thoughts:

1. Paul’s advice to Timothy regarding how to act toward (and think about) younger women is to treat them “as sisters, with all purity.” I think an interesting discussion might come from asking what that means for men - and for women. How can women encourage their brothers to obey this exhortation - among other similar ones? Modest dress and behaviour spring to mind - any other ideas, or expansions on those?
2. My father is preparing to lose his father, whose multiple recent strokes have rendered him both bedridden and speechless. I had a long talk with my dad about the whole situation - in general and in particular - and asked him how he was doing. What he said is rather insightful: “Well…I’m actually thankful for the grief; many people don’t know their fathers, or do but wish they didn’t, or have horrible relationships with them. My grief exists because I have a father whom I love, and who loves me in return. I’m sad to lose him, of course, but this is a wonderful grief.” C. S. Lewis wrote of a similar reaction when he lost his beloved wife, Joy: “Love dies for many reasons: infidelity, lost interest, etc., or death. Losing love by death is the severest of mercies.” I hope to be, by grace, as good a son to my father as he is and has been to his.
3. I may have to disable comments for awhile - I’m getting bombarded with comment spam (and therefore email), and I don’t have time to set up better comment filters.
4. The winds of change seem to be blowing hard against my will.
5. I paid off three credit cards recently, and 90 % of a fourth. PRAISE GOD!

That’s all for now. I wish I had more time to think/read/write.