MY SECRET TO LOSING WEIGHT

The secret to how I keep so trim. True it takes a little discipline. In fact on most days I eat only breakfast and lunch, on two days I eat only breakfast. I noted that prisoners of war working many hours a day existed on only one meal a day. Conclusion? We don't need much food. Many thousands of people go to bed hungry night after night, a few nights of hunger hasn't hurt me. So my stomach shrinks a bit, that's O.K.

The secret is a black and white photo; a photo I treasure. A photo I found years ago; the most impacting photo I have ever seen. This photo like none other orients me to reality! For years I've had this photo on my refrigerator and in my bedroom. The more I study it the more impressed I get as to the margin between us haves and the have nots. Indeed I have actually visited places where people exist between a thin line of hope and fat vultures. Places where every day existence competes with death. It's true, there are those places.

I've traveled the world; I've seen and smelled poverty first hand; in Africa, India, Indonesia, Philippines and other countries in South America ... even here in Tijuana. Sights, sounds and smells I find hard to experience again.

This photo is, in part, why I changed my life-style. What others do with their lives is not my business, but pardon me; I'll continue speaking for the poor.

I'm not going to be wise and select only what I consider to be the righteous poor; a true widow and her seven kids, but like Jesus, I will demonstrate grace and compassion by giving to the foolish poor, the deserving poor living out their painful consequences of sin. (Jesus and the adulteress woman, Jn.8:5)

The little child in the photo in a short time went to his true father In heaven, he's joyfully there where there is no hunger ... the buzzard waited patiently, had his meal and flew away full.

I can't afford the luxury of forgetting that photo and the thousands of other hungry children ... born to die hungry.

Second helping? No thanks!

HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY NEWS!!!

I figured that if I had a Happy blog ... a positive blog ... one that would turn endorphins on ... more people would tend to read my blog. A positive blog! La-La Land stuff. I heard a simple little chorus one time, with two simple words. “Happy, Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy, Joy!” The theme song of La-La Land ... and their resident president, Sponge Bob.

I realize I don't resonate with my La-La Land friends. As far as I know La-La Land isn't open to realist's. And worse yet, I'm not politically correct. The high fence around La-La Land prevents them from seeing the ugly truth of poverty, and their sounds of laughter and singing muffle the cry of the hurting. In the First Church of La-La land they too praise god ... better yet, the money all stays in the bank ... the first federal of La-La Land!

Yep, I'm a realist ... born in a real world in the worst of years (1929). Born dirt poor. Yet I'm not a pessimist, but from what I see and hear it's not easy to become an optimist. It's not a matter of endorphins, it's a simply a matter of truthful reality.

I've traveled the world; I've seen and smelled poverty first hand; in Africa, India, Philippines and other countries in South America. Sights, sounds and smells I find hard to experience again.

As I said, I'm a realist. I know I can't do everything any more than I can be everywhere; however, I can do something somewhere for someone, and my somewhere is Tijuana, a few miles down the road from where I live.

Forgive me for expressing my passion for the poor. They can't speak for themselves so I'll do it for them. Forgive me if my reality offends you.

NORTH OF THE FENCE

Our two worlds are so far apart! Living on the North side of the fence we don't know how hungry they are in rural Tijuana. I thought that this might bring reality into view.

If you think our dollar is shrinking, and it is. In Mexico where ten pesos to the dollar was the going exchange; now it's fifteen pesos to the dollar. Their peso is shrinking even faster than our dollar.

Yesterday Alex and Brandon were sent up to the little store to buy breakfast for the family of six. Mother gave them a few pesos. "Don't go to the close store where the eggs are 4 pesos; go to the one up the hill where the eggs are only 3 pesos each." The boys were to buy three eggs, two wieners and a few tortillas.

Breakfast: Chop the wieners up and add them to the scrambled eggs. Presto! Breakfast for six! For six??

Can you imagine buying one egg at a time, or just one wiener or only three tortillas, but that's quite common among our people. You simply buy what you can afford. Can't stock up as there is no refrigeration.

Thanksgiving for most Americans is eight months away, but for those of us who are aware of our blessings; we must thank the Lord every day for His blessings ... thank you, Lord, for a box of one dozen eggs!