QUARANTINE BLOG # 385

April 19, 2021

We start today with some good news.  Half of all adults in the U.S. have received at least one COVID-19 shot, the government announced yesterday.  Almost 130 million people 18 or older have received at least one dose of a vaccine, or 50.4% of the total adult population, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.  Almost 84 million adults, or about 32.5% of the population, have been fully vaccinated.  If you are reading this blog, and you are not one of the 130 million, roll up your sleeve and go get a vaccination.  Because the bad news is the U.S. cleared the 50% mark just a day after the reported global death toll from the coronavirus topped a staggering 3 million, according to totals compiled by Johns Hopkins University, though the actual number is believed to be significantly higher.

👉  If you say that someone stole your thunder, you mean that the thief has pre-empted your attempt to impress.  But where did the expression come from?  Well, you think that you’ve done something awesome and unique, but someone got in there first and took your credit.  Playwright John Dennis, back in the 18th Century, made a machine that could nicely mimic the sound of thunder for his play.  Sadly, his play wasn’t a success, but somebody had taken note of his clever invention.  When, later he was in another theater, Dennis found somebody had copied his thunder machine and was using it without credit, he got mad.  Somebody had stolen his thunder!

👉  “Barbara Ann,” today’s girl’s name song, was written by Fred Fassert and first recorded by the Regents in 1961 and reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The most famous cover version was recorded in 1965 by the Beach Boys.  

The song was parodied as “Bomb Iran” by various musicians, including Vince Vance and the Valiants, during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis.

In 1987, the Beach Boys re-recorded the song as “Here Come the Cubs” which became the team’s official theme that year, replacing “Go, Cubs, Go.”

👉  Your favorite bloggers have run away to the cabin in the woods this week.  If the blog schedule varies from day to day, be patient.  There are trails to hike, waterfalls to see, and antiques to find.

👉  I don’t have the programs on my laptop to convert yesterday’s sermon at Crawfordville for uploading to my website, so today I’m sharing “Our Changeless God in a Changing World,” from the Macedonia Pulpit (preached just over 8 years ago).

👉  Today’s close, “Don’t Overreact,” is by Joyce Meyer.

No matter how carefully you plan your progress in any area of your life, you will have setbacks. That’s part of the journey. Successful people are able to press through difficulty and delay and get right back on track without wasting time, feeling bad about themselves, or losing momentum.

Having a bad day does not mean you have to have a bad life. Don’t be like the Israelites who wanted to return to Egypt every time they had a bad day while traveling toward the Promised Land. You are being freed from the bondage of Egypt and heading toward the Promised Land, where God’s purposes and promises will become realities in your life, but you will have days in the desert.

Be nurturing and supportive of yourself, as you would of anyone else you love. Remind yourself that ten steps forward and one step backward still gets you where you’re going. Celebrate your successes, even small ones, and it will help you press past your setbacks.

Prayer Starter: Lord Jesus, I thank you for all the great things You’ve done in my life. Keep me ever mindful of all my victories and successes. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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