“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:2, BSB).

     Imitation is the highest form of flattery, as the saying goes. Just ask Punxsutawney Phil. The infamous Pennsylvania rodent no longer can lay claim as the only four-legged weather forecaster.

     Enter Bee Cave Bob. Bee Cave Bob is an armadillo that has predicted the seasons in Texas for the past twelve years. By the way, why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the armadillo it could be done.

“Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly”.  (Proverbs 14:29, ESV)

     Slowpoke. It’s the name my mother assigned me when I dawdled. When Mom called your name, she expected a swift response.

     In 2021, the South Carolina senate passed the “Slowpoke Bill.” The law requires drivers in the left-hand land to yield when another vehicle moves in behind them. A new bill presently is pending that will increase the fines for violators up to $100. So much for the idea that life moves more slowly in the South.

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10, ESV).

     The developmental psychologist, Erik Erikson, once wrote: