Strange thinks keep me awake at night. I have never been a good sleeper because I have never mastered the ability of turning my brain off when my body is desperately craving sleep. I have read all kinds of advice from gurus on sleep, and have come to the conclusion that they are all full of horse manure. It reminds me of something I read recently from a self-help guru who said, “If you think young, you will be young.” I contend that if you think young, you will be just a delusional old fart. Thinking young is not going to stop my joints from aching, my frequent trips to the bathroom at night, my back from aching, or me walking like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz after I have been driving a car for any period of time for longer than three hours.

So as we enter the Christmas season, please allow me to share just a few of my Biblical “I wonders”.

1. I wonder a lot about Joseph, Mary’s husband, because there is so little mention of him in the Bible.
2. I wonder if Joseph and Jesus ever arm wrestled, and if Jesus let him win. I wonder if Joseph taught Jesus carpentry.
3. I wonder if Joseph asked himself on the night that Jesus was born if the angel’s appearance to him was just a dream rather than a true vision because Joseph certainly would not have expected God’s son to be born in a stable.
4. I wonder if Jonah ever ate any fish after being swallowed by one.
5. I wonder what old Noah thought every time that he heard thunder.

OK, here are a few non-Biblical thoughts that also keep me awake at night sometimes:

1. If you rob a bank in a sanctuary City, is it a robbery, or just an undocumented withdrawal.
2. If Muslims want to run away from a Muslim country, does that mean that they are Islamophobic.
3. If Hillary’s speeches cost $250,000 per hour, why does no one show up to listen to her now that they are free?

Now, in the true spirit of Christmas, please allow me to close this short blog with a thought of my own and a quote from a preacher who I greatly admire. My thought is that while it is good to be blessed, it is even better to be a blessing. Pastor Rick Warren stated that… True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. I would expect that disqualifies every politician from having the character trait of humility.

We will close down tomorrow afternoon for a solid week to give the guides, dogs, and kitchen staff a much-needed break. It has been a GREAT fall! The weather, dogs, guests, and bird hunting have all been the best that we have seen in the last few years. The last half of the season looks just as good. The entire Riverview family joins me in wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year!