I enjoyed being outside yesterday – knowing that today will be rainy – and well Autumn is upon us – Fall is falling temperatures and falling leaves and sometimes falling in sadness that summer is done – and yet the temperature is more manageable to be able to THINK – as too hot is too hot… Falling seasons is also feeling like hunkering down and yet we are to remember that it is not hard to throw a sweatshirt on and get back outside…

The night falls faster too – it gets dark earlier and this is probably why the fall TV season starts up this time of year – and the only new offering that I am interested in will be Survivor – and well everything else on TV is just not seemingly worth it – nor is most of the new Roku lineup that I now have investigated after my youngest got one – honestly the only thing I saw last night worth anything was classic old fare: was a few minutes of the A-team – of Carol Burnett – and I don’t even remember now – (and sad for me to complain when I should have been thankful I had the downtime). SO, then I went to YouTube and after watching an interview with Ringo Starr, I stumbled upon a rabbit hole of another great force in entertainment from years ago – Mae West… Yeah much more interesting than junk TV of the 2000’s or 80’s was the EARLY TV 1950’s Red Skelton comedic bits with Mae West.

Yes, Mae was quite the firework sparking attention – of what is now “Old Hollywood” but with sassy Vaudeville roots and scandalous new New York stage ventures… (Yeah scandalous)… Probably people in show business today have a fraction of her spunk as well as power. She was so strong that she was able to keep WC Fields from drinking for a movie!!! However her publicity for bad press was still good publicity – and Mae West was a woman who worked hard and knew her power. Her attitude and one-liner comebacks were notorious and stunning. She even made good publicity use of her short prison sentence for her indecent show and they say she simply stayed pampered on the Welfare Island NY (now Roosevelt Island park with stunning views of NYC).

What struck me in one interview – with giddy interviewers like Dick Cavett – was a sentence that she essentiallu said: “Keep what Keeps You…” – she was asked about her sucess in living and she said she did not drink or smoke – and when asked about her diary she said: “I figure everybody should – yeah I figure you keep a diary and someday it may keep you!”…  smirking laughter – but what a nugget of thought… Keep what keeps you…

And that is the big nugget of more than thought but the ultimate “Keep what (WHO) Keeps you.” – and this ties back to our thoughts of us and God – which we should say God and us – we keep the faith because He keeps us – we have to realize that He kept us first – made us too – and sure we often still do wonder our place in this world, so we need to realize that our FAITH is what is keeping us grounded and able to keep moving – and able to rest without falling into fear or fret or worse…  Keep what is Keeing you – keep faith – keep God as focus – keep going…

And do I advise keeping a “diary” or conversation going with God? (written or otherwise?) YOU BETCHA!!! I am so much better when I start my day with discussing life with God – checking in – surely not listening enough but God always says: Oh I know the plan I have for you – keep going – keep listening – and ESPECIALLY KEEP FOLLOWING… (and after a good rest or at least some rest – yes we should praise the Lord that He wants us to refuel….)

One more mini-rabbit hole for video watching was a faith clip from 70s or 80s TV show “All in the Family” – a scene from “Edith” played so masterful by Jean Stapleton and son-in-law “Meathead/Mike” played so well by Rob Reiner – and she questioned her faith after their friend was murdered (that show pushed all the social controversies of the day into rivetting thoughtful episodes while still being a comedy) and the conversation went like this: Edith said she didn’t understand God – and Mike asked ‘well what subject did you hate the most and not understand in school’ – “Algebra” Edith answered – and Mike said: but you didn’t quit school – and Edith gave the most thoughtful of poses – of course that means that if you don’t understand all that God is doing – don’t quit God…  DON’T QUIT GOD!!! 

True – we don’t understand everything – barely a fraction it seems in people’s actions and evil in the world – don’t understand from the beginning of time on earth the fierceness of cowardness in doing the right thing – but that doesn’t mean that WE don’t do the right thing – and that doesn’t mean that WE don’t keep the faith. We is our limited view = and THEE is God Almighty. Don’t Quit God – because God is NOT quitting you!! and Keep what keeps you – yeah FAITH…

“those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” from Psalm 9

Amen

---

Psalm 9 NKJV

Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Righteous Judgments
To the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David.

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

When my enemies turn back,
They shall fall and perish at Your presence.
For You have maintained my right and my cause;
You sat on the throne judging in righteousness.
You have rebuked the nations,
You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.

O enemy, destructions are finished forever!
And you have destroyed cities;
Even their memory has perished.
But the Lord shall endure forever;
He has prepared His throne for judgment.
He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people.
When He avenges blood, He remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the humble.

Have mercy on me, O Lord!
Consider my trouble from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death,
That I may tell of all Your praise
In the gates of the daughter of Zion.
I will rejoice in Your salvation.

The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made;
In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught.
The Lord is known by the judgment He executes;
The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
Meditation. Selah

The wicked shall be turned into hell,
And all the nations that forget God.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten;
The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.

Arise, O Lord,
Do not let man prevail;
Let the nations be judged in Your sight.
Put them in fear, O Lord,
That the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah

---