Thoughts About Faith

The older I get, the more I realize that I really don’t have anything figured out and I actually don’t know as much as I thought I knew. The one thing that is certain is that life is unpredictable. You never know what is waiting for you ahead. I can tell you that I don’t like it. I like knowing.

A year ago I would have never realized how much I would be thinking about platelet counts or the number of medical appointments that have dominated our schedule over the past year. You just can’t plan for it.

My faith has been tested. I haven’t passed the tests. I still don’t understand why God isn’t doing things I have trusted and believed for Him to do. I have realized that prayer and faith doesn’t guarantee that I will get my way. Just when there is some positive news, it is followed by negative results. I haven’t handled it very well. I do my best to cope.

I have never really had to pray for healing very much in the past. This past year has changed that for me. I can honestly tell you that I wonder if I even know how to pray now. Most of the time I sit in silence. What words can I possibly say? There are no magical words.

In the beginning someone told me that there is a beginning and an end. That wasn’t very encouraging to me but you know the reality is true. Eventually there will be an end to all of this. I know what I hope it will be but I doubt if I am prepared if it is the end I don’t want it to be.

I also realize I am in the middle of when faith is tested. This is when I either believe or I don’t. Can I believe regardless of the outcome?

Christians tend to think that if someone is sick that we only have to ask God to heal and that He will if we have enough faith. We get impatient when we don’t understand what God is doing. When God is able to easily work on our behalf and He doesn’t, we become frustrated.

I am frustrated. I am not a super Christian. I’m just human and emotions trying to deal with current situations in life. The only thing I can do is just take one day at a time. I have to refrain from looking at the whole picture right now and only do what I can do. It’s a lot so you can’t be overwhelmed.

I still believe. I still have faith. I’m just doing my best to get through.

Football Fright Night: Week 10

My teams were 1-2 this week. Clinch County got a big win over Lanier County while Warner Robins and Villa Rica suffered difficult losses in their games.

CLINCH COUNTY 42, LANIER COUNTY 7
Traviian Miller passed for 117 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 33 yards and one touchdown. Clinch County led 35-0 at halftime.

Next: Friday vs. Charlton County (6-1-1, 3-0)
It is going to be the annual Swamp War between the two neighboring counties this week. Charlton County has won five straight including a 21-14 win over Mitchell County last week. Clinch County leads the all-time series 33-31-1. The Panthers have won three in a row. They won last year's game 42-27.

PSR Ranking: #15
If playoffs started today, Clinch County would host Treutlen in the first round.

OLA 35, WARNER ROBINS 21
Ola (7-2, 4-1) won for the first time over Warner Robins.  Warner Robins (5-3, 3-1 Region 2-5A) fell behind and couldn’t climb back against Ola in a 35-21 loss on Friday.

Mustangs quarterback Caden Worley only threw the ball 10 times and finished with 226 yards and a touchdown to go with running back Jaquan Adams’ 153 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Ola was without four-star Caden Waye.

Warner Robins is now 5-3, 3-1 and no longer in sole control of 2-5A, but there are still four teams with one region loss in what will be a competitive finish.

Next: Friday at Jones County (5-4,4-1).
Jones County beat Eagle's Landing 50-14 last week. Warner Robins leads the series 6-3 and won their last meeting in 2023 43-28.

PSR Ranking: #28
If playoffs started today, Warner Robins would play at Tucker in the first round.

DALTON 57, VILLA RICA 19
(from Times-Georgia)

A few impressive plays on offense simply were not enough for Villa Rica on Friday night as Michael Hilbert’s Wildcats lost 57-19 at Dalton in Region 7-5A play. The Catamounts kept scoring at will, responding every time VRHS would build momentum.

A stout Dalton (7-1, 3-1) offense started quickly in the Carpet Capital of the World. It took just over three minutes for All-State quarterback Caine Woods to tally a touchdown toss against Villa Rica (5-4, 1-4), putting the Catamounts up 7-0 early. A few minutes later, the junior signal caller called his own number from three yards out, powering in on the ground to create a 14-0 advantage.

The Wildcats finally found the scoreboard early in the second. Blaine Brown connected with Tamaj Beasley on a 13-yard pass to cut the deficit in half with 10:37 remaining in the half.

The Purple-and-Gold were unable to keep the Catamounts out of the end zone in the second quarter. Woods broke off an incredible 28-yard scramble into the end zone midway through the frame. Then, after a blocked punt, he found his halfback on fourth-and-goal to put Dalton on top, 27-7.

A last-second field goal helped the Catamounts to a 30-7 halftime lead.

Matthew Eubanks returned from injury and impressed on the first drive of the second half, leading Villa Rica down the field before finding Jason Hart on a 17-yard touchdown pass.

Eubanks flipped the ball to Beasley on a four-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth, but it was too little, too late for the Wildcats, who were unable to keep Dalton out of the end zone in a 38-point defeat.

Villa Rica finishes up the regular season at home on Friday as they’ll welcome region foe Cedartown to Sam McIntyre Stadium. Dalton, on the other hand, travels to Bartow County to face region-leading Cartersville next week.

Next: Friday vs. Cedartown (6-3, 3-2)
Cedartown defeated Woodland 49-22 last week. The all-time series is tied 7-7. Cedartown won the last meeting 14-7 in 2007.

PSR Ranking: #30.
If playoffs started today, Villa Rica would play at North Oconee in the first round.

Thoughts about Retirement

I don’t think I will ever experience true retirement.

 
In 2021, I retired from federal employment after 38 years of service but I am still working. My pension is mostly paying for our health care. It helps but certainly not enough to live on.

So you might think social security is next? Not if our politicians have anything to do with it and gut it even more. Now they have made retirement age 67 for me since I was born after 1960.

401(K) or Other retirement savings?
After a divorce and drops in the stock market, there isn’t a nest egg there either.

I am resigned to the fact that I will have to work until I can’t work anymore. It’s just reality for me. We have to live and you can’t live on less. I don’t know how much longer that will be for me. I assume that if my health holds up that it will be another 10-15 years.

I try not to dread it but there are days I get tired of working. The positive of my current employment is that I work from home which I am so fortunate to be able to do. It kinda feels like a retirement since I can be home and not be away for 8-10 hours each day. I also work a lot more than I did in an office environment.

I actually like working for my current employer. I like being a part of changing technology and doing my part for the team. I will probably be with them as long as they want to keep me.

Here are some facts about Retirement in the United States:

• About 52% of working Americans ages 18 to 64 (nearly 76 million workers) lack access to an employer-provided retirement plan.
• The average actual retirement age in the U.S. is 64, while current workers expect to retire around age 66.
• Nine out of ten people over 65 receive Social Security benefits, which average roughly $1,900 to $1,976 per month Annuity.org. Many older adults rely on it for 30% to over 50% of their total income.
• About 59% of current workers plan to work or earn income in some capacity during their retirement years.
• There are roughly 58 million Americans aged 65 and older, a figure projected to grow to 82 million by 2050.
• Social Security serves about 90% of adults over 65, providing an average monthly benefit of $2,071 as of early 2026.

According to SmartAsset.com, To live in the United States, an average American single adult needs a baseline gross salary of roughly $40,000 to $50,000 to cover minimum basic needs, while studies show it takes a pre-tax income of at least $80,000 to $106,000 a year to live comfortably.

According to data from the MIT Living Wage Calculator, the minimum required income for a single individual to cover basic necessities (housing, food, healthcare, and basic transit) without any savings or discretionary spending is roughly $30,000 to $45,000 a year, depending on the local cost of living.

So, as you can see, for MOST people you have to either work to live or retire and stress if you have saved enough to live out the rest of your years.