Senseless

***Well, the happenings in Las Vegas take me back to James' sermon I told you about a couple of weeks ago - I am so glad my citizenship is not in this crazy world, but already settled in heaven. It is so difficult not to respond in anger to elected officials who seek to exploit the pain we all feel when we see something like that happen to their own ends. We should be focusing on helping the people of Las Vegas, the victims and their families, rather than trying to win cheap political points.

There are some great stories of people stepping up and helping others through the chaos.

Amy McAslin and roommate Krystal Goddard dived under a table as gunfire rained down on fellow concertgoers in Las Vegas on Sunday night. Eventually, McAslin realized she was being shielded by someone who'd just been shot.

"A gentleman -- I don't know his name -- he completely covered me," McAslin told CNN. "He covered my face. He said, 'I've got you.'

"Just truly incredible, (a) stranger, jumping over me to protect me."

Then there are ghouls like Hillary Clinton and Stephen Colbert, who just can't help themselves. 

***Here are some heartwarming stories of people helping people in other situations.

Icing Smiles delivers custom cakes to kids who need a reason to celebrate

Remember the photo of an Elsa cake that looked a little… well, otherworldly? The cake went viral and was mocked relentlessly, until the backstory came out, and bloggers started feeling a little guilty about the whole thing.
As it turned out, the cake had been created by a volunteer for Icing Smiles, an organization that provides free custom-decorated cakes to children with life-threatening illnesses. Even though Elsa wasn’t perfect, and the baker fully admitted it wasn’t her best work, the recipient was thrilled. Every day, “Sugar Angels” around the country volunteer their time and ingredients to prepare cakes for kids with serious illnesses, and for their siblings (who too often miss out). Check out Icing Smiles’ collection of cakes, or sign up to volunteer your own talents.

Wigs ‘n Wishes gives boy a beach backyard

A 4-year-old boy named Chad Carr lives in Michigan, and is suffering from a rare and aggressive brain tumor. He wanted more than anything to go to the beach this summer, and a charity, Wigs ‘n Wishes, had planned to send his family to Florida—but he wasn’t well enough to make the trip. So instead, the charity opted to bring the beach to him. They set up sand, seashells, bubbles, and a hot tub in the family’s backyard, and surprised Chad with the scene. "I got to see Chad's face and how excited he was when he saw everything,” said Chad’s mother, Tami Curtis Carr. “ He had the combination of all of his wishes.”

More at the link.

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We are having beautiful weather in Indiana, but not much in the way of color yet.

***Oh, the stuff they leave out...

Colin Kaepernick has received favorable publicity for pledging $1 million in charitable donations. But according to the Washington Times, $25,000 of that money has been donated to an outfit called Assata’s Daughters, which is named after former Black Liberation Army member Assata Shakur.
Assata Shakur was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1973 shooting death of New Jersey state trooper Werner Foerster. He was sentenced to life in prison, but staged a jailbreak. Shakur now lives as a fugitive in Cuba.
Assata’s Daughters was founded in 2015. Its mission, according to the outfit’s website, is to “develop and train young people, ages 4-19, in the Black queer feminist tradition and in the spirit of Assata.”
Thus, Kaepernick is promoting the work of an organization dedicated to training young people in the spirit of a convicted cop killer deemed a “domestic terrorist” by the FBI.

Geez, can that guy get any lower?

***Beautiful Soup, by Lewis Carroll

BEAUTIFUL Soup, so rich and green,
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
Beautiful, beautiful Soup!
Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish,
Game, or any other dish?
Who would not give all else for two
Pennyworth only of Beautiful Soup?
Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?
Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
Beautiful, beauti--FUL SOUP!

There, now you've had your culture for the day.

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Hymns for People Over 50

Give Me the Old Timers Religion
Precious Lord, Take My Hand, And Help Me Up
Just a Slower Walk with Thee
Go Tell It on the Mountain, But Speak Up
Nobody Knows the Trouble I Have Seeing
Guide Me O Thou Great Lord God, I've Forgotten Where I've Parked The Car
Count Your Many Birthdays, Count Them One By One
Blessed Insurance
It Is Well With My Soul, But My Knees Hurt

***The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. –Amelia Earhart