From Turbulent Skies to Rainbows

 

Are your skies turbulent? Rainbows are coming.

How do you feel about endings? The Merry Month of May is concluding.  Are you happy to see it go?

Perhaps it wasn’t so merry for you. Many experienced pain and sorrow.  A family said goodbye to their mother, and then a few days later, they suffered their first Mother’s Day without her.

Spring storms damaged homes across the country. Owners are cleaning up debris and their repair expenses are gargantuan. 

Tornados killed people and the remaining family bears overwhelming grief.

A friend moved into assisted living. A man transferred to Hospice with three months to live. Their families are undergoing chaos.

When Jacob, AKA Israel, found out his son Simeon had been left in the Egyptian prison, he exclaimed to the other ten sons, “You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!” Gen 42:36. NIV

Jacob didn’t know God was working behind the scenes.

The storms of life bring challenges, but God is faithful. After Noah and his family left the Ark, God gave them a rainbow.

As with Jacob, circumstances aren’t always what they seem. Your rainbow is coming.

Take courage and believe.

Lamentations 3:21–23: “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” NIV.

Memorial Day

 

June 6, 2024 will mark the 80th Anniversary of Dday.

The Allies hit the beaches of Normandy, France on that day. My dad went in on June 7, a day later, it is known as Dday Plus One.

Seargant Edward Earl Morton

The sites he must have seen. All the dead heroes lying on the beach and in the water from the day before. He is one of the blessed ones, he made it through and came home.

 

 Mr. Tom Moore and me at church.

Another friend, Mr. Tom Moore, became a POW in a German camp.  He came home too.

I don't have his picture, but Mr. Jim Mathis was a friend and church member of ours too.

Many of my relatives fought in WWII, but these three, my dad, Mr. Moore, and Mr. Mathis were in actual battles.

These men who returned home brought horrible memories with them. None of them would let me interview them, and I tried many times.

I read an article today that reported 30% of America's current young people aren't patriotic. I wish they would take a moment to read the reasons they have that freedom.  Start with this article.

                                                         World War II

All three of the guys I mentioned above are in heaven now, but I will give thanks for them on Memorial Day.

Numerous Americans will gather today in backyards for barbeque, beer, margarita's, play games, and swim in pools—for them, it will be a fun and a relaxing time away from work. Grills will smoke with meat and the aroma of hamburgers and brisket will tantalize the taste buds.

Smoke on the battlefields was part of a soldier’s life during every war.  The smoke did not arise from a backyard grill and fun times.  Men and women fought on foreign shores for our freedom. It was not pretty, nor did it have a fragrant aroma. No fun in this scenario.

The three men I mentioned above came home, but Memorial Day is set aside to remember those who didn't. Let us pause at this solemn interval to give thanks to those who shaped our freedom in the supreme way. 

Fly the flag. Decorate the graves. Pause to give thanks.

 

Gay N. Lewis on Amazon

The Hot Brown

I flew into CVG Airport a week ago. This airport services Ohio and northern Kentucky, and it is a lovely, small destination, especially compared to IAH, the one I left in Houston.

My daughter and son-in-law were to meet me, but they got caught in traffic. Some dude decided to cross a line of travelers. His act cost him his life. A sad day for many.

While I waited, I explored the airport. I’m a big Astros fan, but they weren’t fairing well when I left, so I decided to have a chat with the Cincinnati Red’s mascot, Mr. Red. He was nice, but he didn’t say much. He merely smiled a lot. If he's married, I hope his wife doesn't mind my hand on his knee... er...thigh.

One of my goals was to have a Hot Brown. This sandwich was made famous in the early 1920s in Louisville, KY at the Brown Hotel. Hotel guests often danced into the wee morning. Well, it seems the chef, Fred Schmidt, grew tired of feeding people breakfast foods, so he created a new open-face sandwich with turkey, bacon, tomatoes, and mornay sauce.  Patrons loved it. It became famous and was soon a Louisville tradition.

The server recommended the buffet, but she also said The Hot Brown is always served.

I was there for The Hot Brown.

Eating The Hot Brown.

I confess…I wasn’t impressed.  The Derby had been held the week before, and perhaps the hotel kitchen had run short of ingredients. 

Who knows?  Maybe it was just me. You know, after all the hype about something, our dreams don’t always match the situation.

You will find the recipe here. The Hot Brown. The sandwich pictured in the photo looks nothing like the one they served me. Perhaps the guy or gal who made it in the kitchen had not seen this beautiful presentation. They forgot to toast the bread, and the sauce was too thick and tasteless.

The Brown Hotel in Louisville is a traditional guest house with a dramatic history.  Here's a picture of my daughter standing with me on one of the staircases.

Lanissa and Gay

Crossing this sandwich off my bucket list, I moved on to the next adventure.

Want to know what that was?  I had many!

Stay tuned!

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