Beginning today,, my blogs will have a religous message.

“Are you kind and merciful

Slow to anger

And rich in compassion?”

These are the attributes of the Lord.

They must become our attributes!

If not today, when?

A Swiss International Air Lines plane took off from Zurich this past weekend filled with passengers but without a single checked suitcase on board because of a lack of ground staff.

After an initial delay, Flight WK226, operated by SWISS on behalf of Edelweiss Air, set off for Bilbao on Saturday without checked baggage so the plane would be able to make its return flight to Zurich before the night-time flight ban kicked in.

“It was possible to deliver most of the luggage to Bilbao the following day,” a SWISS spokesperson told CNN, while the rest arrived on Monday.

He added, “We deeply understand the frustration and anger of the passengers and are currently reviewing our processes.”

Air traffic controller shortages also continue to be a problem globally.

US airline execs are warning that years of flight disruption lie ahead. (CNN)

Where have all the people who need work gone?

A person’s “sense of purpose” declines leading up to and following a diagnosis of dementia or cognitive decline, according to a new study. “Purpose in life is the feeling that one’s life is goal-oriented and has direction. It is an important component of well-being,” said Dr. Angelina Sutin, lead author of the study published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Network Open. Sutin is a professor of behavioral sciences and social medicine at the Florida State University College of Medicine in Tallahassee. Researchers now know a sense of purpose is an important factor of good health across adulthood. (CNN) Recent surveys have revealed that 60% of Americans are lonely. I wonder how many of all those lonely people don’t have a “sense of purpose?” If you are lonely, adopt a “sense of purpose!” We need you to make this world a better place! If not today, when?

You don’t need the extra baggage of regret.

The mistakes of yesterday belong in the yesterdays of your life.

Learn from them, but don’t carry them around one more minute!

You’ll make more mistakes throughout your life.

So, you must develop the habit of self-forgiveness if you’re going to live with the sellf-esteem you need to win life’s battles.

And life is a battle primarily with yourself.

Like anyone who goes into battle, you must be fortified.

You won’t have the strength to win if you are living with unforgiven regrets.

Not today! Not ever!

I have a niece who was in the Marines.

She was on a 15 mile march with her fellow marines.

She was getting very weary when her captain told her to “Look outside yourself.”

He didnt want her to become preoccupied with her struggles, but to focus on all the other marines marching with her.

I think this is good advice for us all.

Many of us are so self-centered that we don’t notice or care about others and their struggles.

We will never be as happy as we could be until we look at the world around us.

There are many people who have greater burdens.

I’ve decided today to educate you on the life & times of the chipmunk.

The name “chipmunk” derives from the chipping call these mammals make.

The genus name is from a Latin word meaning “collector or storer.”

This refers to the Eastern Chipmunk’s winter survival strategy of storing food in its burrow.

Native Americans use an Ojibwa term meaning “red squirrel.”

Now, you know more today than you did yesterday!

The sleek, dark-gray lines of a F-16 Fighting Falcon jet, flanked by two other veterans of the Cold War skies, a French Dassault Mirage IV and a F-104 Starfighter, is not what you would usually expect to come across when walking into the courtyard of a 700-year-old French château.

The conspicuous presence of this triad of combat aircraft in such an unlikely setting offers a foretaste of what this historical manor has in store for its guests.

Château de Savigny-lès-Beaune, in the little Burgundy village of the same name, dates back to the 14th century and would be just one more of the many wine-growing estates that dot this historical region of France was it not for the personal passions and initiative of one man, Michel Pont.

A winegrower, car racer and avid collector, Pont bought the château in 1979 and over the following four decades, until his passing in 2021, turned it into a treasure trove for all those interested in mechanics and engineering. (CNN)

I guess that’s how he chose to spend his fortune!

Are your kids influenced by you or their peers and social media?

It’s a simple question.

Your answer may well determine their future and yours.

I have never seen a more difficult time to raise a family.

In times past, your kids were influenced byparents, peers and popular entertainers.

Today, however, social media and peers can reach them 24/7.

In order to combat those influences, parenting requires a TIME commitment to your kids.

I know your personal time maybe a much demanded resource.

However, if you do have children or plan to, don’t let them have peers and social media set the agenda!

Not today! Not ever!

Beginning in the spring 2024, visitors to the floating city will have to pay 5 euros ($5.40) to enter on peak days if they’re not staying the night.

But this isn’t a permanent move yet – the Venice authorities have committed to a 30-day “experiment,” according to mayor Luigi Brugnaro, who shared the news on Twitter/X.

Rather than operating over a calendar month, the authorities will scatter the chargeable days across the year.

They will pick the days which are predicted to be busiest, for example holiday weekends and peak Carnival periods.  (CNN)

I wonder if this will be adopted by other vacation destinations.

I watch Detroit Tiger baseball games on TV almost every night during the season.

When players get a successful hit, many of them raise their hand thanking God.

How about you?

When most people pray, they are asking for something.

That’s understandable, but I think our relationship with God should be a two way street.

Our prayer should include asking and thanking.

If you look back over your life, you’ll find that God came to the rescue many times.

If you didn’t thank Him for all those miracles, it’s not too late.

Thank God for your life.

If not today, when?