0800 and the snow has begun falling in our neck of the woods, as I write, 1108 it is still falling and not letting up.  We already have a couple, three inches and the forecast is for more snow, possibility of freezing rain with more snow in the next couple of days.

We have snow that has compacted into thick ice under more snow, with more compaction, with freezing rain on top of that already.

It is getting to be a real interesting winter in our neck of the woods.

I have had to deal with black ice all my life.  For those that have never experienced it, it is basically ice on roads and sidewalks that appear to be either clear or just wet, but in reality are covered with ice and are slick and unforgiving.

Early yesterday morning I put the humming bird feeder out in its usual spot.  The sidewalk was wet but not icy and the temperature was above freezing.

About three hours later I went out to feed the other birds, stepped on that same sidewalk and found myself flat on my back, it was black ice – I didn’t even think to test it.

Many decades ago I separated my shoulder, and since then it is weakened and subject to being stressed and causing pain.  That is what I hit the sidewalk with – the arm is very sore and I can’t do much with it.

It will heal, but it is going to take a while and use will be limited for that time.  Surprisingly, though, it didn’t cause bruising, critical for me since I am on blood thinner for my a-fib.

As I send this out at 1300, it is still snowing and building up on the ground.  Me thinks winter hasn’t given up on us yet...

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Ephesians 4:29-32  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

³⁰ And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

³¹ Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

³² And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

I have refrained from getting too deep into the political discourse on Facebook.  Not because I do not have strong feelings, but because I cannot begin to express in a few short sentences what I believe and why.

I also know that there will be those that agree and those that disagree – unfortunately many that disagree will hurl angry epitaphs and declare that I am out of touch, an idiot, etc.

What I see on Facebook is that both sides of the aisle claim they have the real American ideals and neither wants to listen to the other with any desire to meet in the middle – to do so seems to be looked upon as weak.

The news media, and most democrats are still trying to figure out why Trump was elected, but still don’t want to listen to those that voted for him.

In politics I am a conservative.  I know that nothing I say will help those that do not understand why I believe the way I do. 

Thirty some odd years ago I realized, while talking to a ‘liberal,’ that we had different visions for America, in effect we actually had to Americas – and that huge gulf has opened up even more.

In profession I am a law enforcement officer.  I will defend the right of Americans to gather and protest.  I will not defend those that destroy other people’s possessions, that destroy public property, that attack the police and others – and if I was still in uniform I would do all I could to make sure the perpetrators, in my area, were arrested.   Although not of that rioting has occurred in our area.

I am a Christian, and I find myself having to remind myself, almost daily – and at least four or five times in a half hour news broadcast – Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

As many of you, I have all but stopped listening to the other sides’ arguments – they damage my health, blood pressure rises by several points.  I don’t even read much of what ‘my side’ has to offer because much of it is also vitriolic.

Until true leaders sit down and honestly and politely discuss their differences this country is going to be in far more trouble than it is now.

Right now, both sides like to throw out quick comments desired to boost their own ideas or denigrate the opposites’ ideas - but the only thing they are accomplishing is re-enforcing their own biases, not changing any minds and making the ‘opponent’ angrier.

Many on my list of friends on Facebook are on one side or the other.  While I may not read these venomous posts they submit, I still like them and consider them a friend.  We do have other things in common and don’t need to agree on everything.

I will continue to pray for this country and its leaders, just like I have for the last 50+ years – no matter who is in office, God is still in charge and can move hearts and minds.

He is the God of the universe, after all.

2 Kings 19:15  And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.

I am not a great prophet, heavens, I am not a great anything, but I AM a Christian and God has pledged to hear my plea.

Later, Art (-: