My wife is visiting her mother and I’m alone at home for the next two weeks. While I miss her dearly, and would much more desire her presence, it is always a good time to reflect, to work with my hands, and detach myself from the world.

It’s been almost a week now and I’ve managed well. Of course I’m busier than usual as her duties are now mine. The house is quiet, clean, and I sometimes talk to myself just to hear myself alive. In the morning I day trade my stocks. By mid day and into the evening I exercise on the stepper, do chores, read, pray, and fix dinner. As background noise I’ve been listening to the Frank Sinatra channel on Sirius radio. I’ve also been listening via audio book to the 1485 a.d. version of Le Morte d’Arthur by Thomas Mallory in middle English.  It’s much easier to listen than pronounce medieval words in my head.

With much remorse I have occasionally looked at my phone and the news. It is unremarkable how it changes my disposition for the worse.  We all know C.S.Lewis was right when he describes our “incurable taste for vulgarity and sensationalism and the fatal habit of fluttering from paragraph to paragraph to learn how an actress has been divorced in California, a train derailed in France, and quadruplets born in New Zealand.” Still, I’m told, and reluctantly I think from time to time, “I must educate myself, you know keep up with things.” But watching the latest movie I will not do, I’m cured! In twenty years I’ve proudly not watched but a handful. I’m quite an odd duck for sure. I cannot stand swearing nor the gratuitous senuality. So after a week away from the propoganda (news) that we too often have playing in the background and in the peaceful tranquility of an off grid starter castle thirty six miles from the real world, I realise it’s not me who enjoys reading the news or watching TV, it must be that ity bitty devil on my left shoulder. Thank God I’ve learned he can be resisted.

In James 4:7 the apostle James exhorts believers to resist the devil in order to cause him to flee or “run away” from us.

In contrast, the happy feeling I get listening to Frank and friends brings me peace. It took some time to get used to listening to Dean Martin, Sammy and the gang doing the “Chaiman’s Hour,” still it’s a leep better than Lawerance Welk. And  all those charming Doris Day, Jimmy Durante, Rosemary Clooney songs are such refreshing songs of joy; I’m so glad they never sang rap music. There is such delight in their voices and the merriment in the tunes makes me smile. Then it snows. It’s now that I head out to plow snow and shovel till I have peace.

I’ve eaten dinner now, and I’m listening to the old tune “that’s the story of, that’s the glory of love.”

I’m Imaging all the fun and laughter Jackie and I will have in our rocking chairs and it too satisfies me. We’ve laughed and cried, and we will do these again, still, we are well together. Presently we’re traveller’s for a few seasons. And we’re happy to do it after many years of work and sacrifice. And yet we know death and the crowns that await us will be our final journey. Then we will wish only to humbly lay them before our Savior and say thank you. Presently, loving my wife, our family, our friends, and telling others about Jesus is all that matters. I’ve already forgotten about the news! Since all our tomorrows wait deep in our eyes, today, we must love. So hurry home my angel we have things to do. We will continue to live our, fabulous, quiet life together, till death do us part.

“But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.”

1 Thessalonians 4 :10-11