Prepare-practice-repeat, ad nauseam

Standing in the waiting room of a local shop waiting on my car tire to be fixed up, my cell phone went off.  It was our daughter from southern California, but where she was living at the time, the cell phone reception was less than optimal, so I only heard snatches of her conversation.  It went something like this:

“Hi, mom…(static)…thought you might have seen the news…(static)…fires…(static)…we’re fine…(static)…”

Ah, parenthood.

Not being from that area, I have since learned that they have a “fire season” much like tornado season where I live.  Even when they see the smoke in the distance, locals are well-informed in the drill.

To modify a culturally well known phrase, “disasters happen”.  From nature-born Midwest tornadoes to man-made terrorist exploits, we live in a dangerous environment this

Defense against offense.

Adonijah was really ticked.  Here’s the back story, (and it’s not a pretty one…)

King David’s family life was not convenient. Suffice it to say that his immediate relations were many and confused, and not altogether amiable, and so Adonijah had many siblings.  One of his half-brothers, Absalom, (from a different mother) had already tried to wrestle the kingdom away from their royal dad, and after severely dividing the kingdom and disgracing his father (intentionally), he was brutally killed in battle.  Then more patient Adonijah waits until his father has grown old and, since he is next in line by birth for the kingship (according to tradition), gets a following and proclaims himself king with all the hoopla he can muster.  Funny thing is, he