Out and About – Week of July 8th

Every year, in early May, Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky is the place to be if you’re a fan of horse racing. The Kentucky Derby is definitely a race like no other. Horses are beautiful animals and a thoroughbred racehorse is truly a thing of beauty. The horse is all muscle and loves to run. I’ve always been impressed in watching the horses and their jockey walk by on the way to the starting gate.

Here are a few facts on the Derby, which celebrated its 150th annual running this past May 4.

More than 125,000 mint juleps are consumed at Churchill Downs over two days; Friday’s Kentucky Oaks day and Saturday’s Derby Day. I’ve sampled a mint julep and was not a big fan.
You might wonder how much money changes hands on Derby Day. In 2023, a record $288.7 million was wagered over the fourteen races.
The winning horse not only gets a generous helping of oats for winning, but also gets a garland of red roses. It takes more than 400 flowers to make this fancy accessory.

The time is quickly coming when we will be casting our vote for the 2024 Primary Election. Here are some key dates to remember when it comes to registering:

If you plan to register online or by mail, the deadline is Monday, July 22. If you’re planning to register in person, the deadline is Tuesday, August 6.
When it comes to Statewide Early Voting, the dates are Saturday, July 27 through Sunday, August 4.
The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot is Friday, August 2 by 5 PM, if online or by mail, if in person, Monday, August 5 by 4 PM.
The deadline to submit an absentee ballot is Tuesday, August 6, by 8 PM.
Primary Day, Tuesday, August 6, the polls will be open from 7 AM until 8 PM, local time.

Five more things to do in order to be a better person:

Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen.
Forget the Joneses.
Never deprive someone of hope. It might be all he/she has.
Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage.
Be tough-minded, but tender-hearted.

A story for those of little faith:

A father takes his son into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a man. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him, maybe even some human might do some harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat still, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man.

Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.

We too, are never alone. Even when we don’t know it, God is watching over us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to him.

Moral of the story: Just because you can’t see God, doesn’t mean he isn’t there.

We walk by faith, not by sight.

S H A L O M.

Submitted by Norm Stutesman