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I have been told by my older relatives that I was still un-named a week after I was born. My aunt Margaret Woods apparently had pity on me, and finally gave me a name. My paternal grandmother was a Neal, so she hung that Sir name on me. I have wondered why my parents waited so long to give me a handle. Usually the expecting parents have a couple of names selected prior to the baby’s birth. It could have been that I was the last of three, so the new had already worn off by the time I came along as the caboose. I don’t think it is usual to name a caboose, so that may explain it.

For the first time in my life, I've been having health issues. It was nothing serious, but just enough to be aggravating.

Did you know that what you call something or name something carries power? So often we name things, declare things, or identify things without much thought. Nevertheless, the words and names we use can determine the future of that event or circumstance Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Prov. 18:21) Our words establish authority and power. If we name a situation as impossible, it will take on the nature of that designation. If you tell your child, “you will never amount to anything,” those words can act as seeds in the soil of the child’s heart and can come to pass. If you accept the declaration that you have terminal cancer, and you submit to that “name,” it is very likely it will be terminal. Words have power. Names have power.

I enjoy the antics of my friends pets. Whether I see them on a video or they tell me about them. But, I am allergic to cats and dogs and so I don’t have either. I have a widowed friend, in Arkansas, that has two tabbies. They keep her entertained and loneliness at bay.

Shortly after World War I, the Gold Star Mothers' Club was formed in the United States to provide support for mothers that lost sons or daughters in the war. The name came from the custom of families of servicemen hanging a banner called a Service Flag in the window of their homes. The Service Flag had a star for each family member in the military. Living servicemen were represented by a blue star, and those who had lost their lives were represented by a gold star. On the last Sunday of September, Gold Star Mother's Day is observed in the U.S. in their honor.