fly on the wall

The Right Answers

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“There is great joy in having the right answer, and how sweet is the right word at the right time!” (Proverbs 15:23, VOICE)

I can’t believe that yesterday was October 21, 2015, the day Marty McFly jumps to in the movie Back to the Future Part II.

Some of the movie’s predictions came true.

There are flying hoverboards (just not as prevalent as in the movie.

There are flat-screen TVs and 3D movies (just not of Jaws 19).

OK, so the fashions never came to pass. Neither did that 80’s-themed cafe.

Most disappointing of all, the Cubs got swept out of the playoffs, ending that prediction’s chances of coming to pass. I really would have liked seeing that one fulfilled.

Am I where I thought I’d be at this point 30 years ago? Probably not. Honestly, I don’t even remember what I thought about my 40-something year old self, if I thought about it at all.

Maybe I thought I’d be firmly settled into a career. I do have a full-time job (finally), but I think any notion of working one place for a couple of decades and retiring with a pension is as extinct as those self-drying jackets with those adjustable sleeves that Marty McFly wore.

It seems anymore that nothing is permanent, nothing is for certain, and that the only constant is that things will constantly be changing. Most likely when you’ve just gotten used to everything the way it is.

Then I remember that God is forever the same.  Jesus is unchanging yesterday, today, and the rest of the days after that for as long as there are days, and beyond even that.

Oh, I almost forgot. Tomorrow’s Friday. That’s one thing that won’t ever get old for me. That’s the closest thing to a constant that I can think of. That and sleeping in on Saturday.

 

A Day in Downtown Franklin

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I think I’ve made it clear that one of my happy places is downtown Franklin, especially on a weekened where there aren’t too many folks wandering about. Another is whenever I’m sitting down and Lucy the wonder cat is in my lap, but that’s for another blog for another day.

I started off with a meal at McCreary’s Irish Pub, probably my favorite place to eat in downtown Franklin. It wasn’t the best meal I ever had there, but it was good. I had fun tipping the server more than I paid for the meal. I hope she was pleasantly surprised.

I sat in an old church while a guy was playing organ music, probably in preparation for Sunday. I think I heard a little bit of heaven then.

I went over to check on my favorite house there. It’s a stone cottage with a red door. It says, “You need to live here.” Or more accurately, “You need to win the lottery or have a very rich relative kick the bucket and leave you gads of money so you can afford to live here.”

I was standing on the corner of Main Street just in front of Starbucks when I looked up and around and noticed that I was in an entourage with Toby Mac and Gabe-Real and a few others. I was the proverbial fly on the wall (or in this case, fly in jeans and a cool t-shirt).

I love the fact that they’ve fixed up the old Franklin Theatre to show old movies (and some newer ones, too). I love seeing the classics on the big screen. I even have tickets to see Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid on Sunday and The Artist next Friday, if anyone is in the area and wants to join me.

Is there a point to all this? Not really, unless it’s a plug for historic Downtown Franklin. Maybe it’s just a reminder to stop and smell those roses every once and a while. I actually did that recently (with an actual rose, no less). You should try it.

Go and live in the abundant grace of God that never ceases and still continues to amaze.