QUARANTINE BLOG # 434

June 7, 2021

This song is a day late, having been written for June 6 with a new moon barely lighting the road, but let's play it anyway.

And another one in the same genre.

👉  And speaking of genre, here is Alex Trebek saying "genre" over and over and over.

👉  My habit with QB, as you know, is to make Sunday’s blog a devotional piece, with no extras.  Even though I didn’t mention, I’m sure many of you paused in remembrance of June 6, 1944 – D-Day.

During World War II, the Battle of Normandy, which lasted from June 1944 to August 1944, resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. 

Code named Operation Overlord, the battle began on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, when some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region.  The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history.  By late August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and by the following spring the Allies had defeated the Germans.  The Normandy landings have been called the beginning of the end of war in Europe.

On the morning of June 5, after his meteorologist predicted improved conditions for the following day, Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower gave the go-ahead for Operation Overlord.  He told the troops: “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you.”  Less than a week later, on June 11, the beaches were fully secured and over 326,000 troops, more than 50,000 vehicles and some 100,000 tons of equipment had landed at Normandy.

Allied casualties were documented for at least 10,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead.    

The American cemetery at Normandy, overlooking Omaha Beach.

👉  I remember a story of an elderly veteran who flew into Paris in 1994 for the 50th anniversary celebration of D-Day.  When he could not produce his passport, a snooty French border agent told he could not enter the country without it.  The old vet replied, “The last time I came to France I did not need a passport.  And your people welcomed me.”  Embarrassed, the agent waved him through with a very weak, “Thank you.”

👉  Two more unusual cars are the Ford Edsel and the Plymouth Prowler.

Ford started off with a good idea when it introduced the Edsel in 1958.  It polled many of its car buyers for the previous few years to find out what drivers really wanted in new cars.  However, Ford ignored many of its findings from the polling in the development process.  On top of that, Ford also spent an entire year marketing the Edsel as a game-changing vehicle.  While the public got its hopes up, Ford developed a car that was nothing like the marketing campaign or the polling data suggested.  Upon launch, many eager drivers found it to be unattractive, poorly-designed, and nothing of what they wanted.  The line was discontinued after 1960.

The 1997 Plymouth Prowler is a unique looking sports car made with the latest 1990s technology.  It looked like a sports car from the future that somehow also incorporated retro designs, with a sleek exterior design.  It had an open wheel front that makes it nearly iconic.  Despite its look, it didn’t make for a good sports car.  It really didn’t perform as well as even mid-size sedans.  Instead of a high performance engine, Chrysler used its regular 3.5 liter V6 engine that delivered just 250 horsepower.  It also only came with an automatic transmission, which didn’t meet the needs of sports car enthusiasts.

👉  Today is National Chocolate Ice Cream Day, dedicated to the second most popular ice cream flavor after vanilla, although its creation predates its more popular cousin.  The first recipes of chocolate ice cream were published in 1693 in Naples, Italy, in which hot chocolate was the ingredient, which consisted of only chocolate and sugar.  Chocolate ice cream was first introduced to the United States in the late 18th century.  Thomas Jefferson took a liking to ice cream when he was living in France during his time as an ambassador in the 1780’s, and there is some belief he helped bring its popularity to the United States after his return.  You can observe National Chocolate Ice Cream Day by eating chocolate ice cream – well, duh!  Eat it in a dish or in a cone.  Add sprinkles, syrup, whipped cream, or one of many other toppings.  No need to just limit yourself to plain chocolate.  Or just one scoop..

👉  I’m guessing that the people who set up the store display below didn’t give any consideration to the angle at which the school supply sign was featured (and thanks to Brian and Elizabeth for a new supply of funnies):

👉  Speaking of shopping:

👉  Today’s sermon from the Crawfordville Pulpit is “Touching the Hem of His Garment.”

👉  And a beautiful song offered by Johnny Cash, based on that same passage of Scripture: “I Saw a Man.”

👉  Today’s close is from Praying with the Psalms, by Eugene H. Peterson.

“Will you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you?  Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation” (Psalm 85:6-7).

Nothing suffers from time quite so much as religion.  The skeletal structure of obedience becomes arthritic, and the circulatory system of praise becomes sluggish.  The prayer “revive us again” keeps the body of Christ youthful and responsive to every new mercy and grace in God.

Prayer: O God, when my faith gets overladen with dust, blow it clean with the wind of your Spirit.  When my habits of obedience get stiff and rusty, anoint them with the oil of your Spirit.  Restore the enthusiasm of my first love for you and the alacrity of my first obedience to you.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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