Opinion

One day it is hot and the next it is cold and it sure makes it difficult to know what clothes to wear. The changes in temperature have caused a lot of sickness. There are coughs and sinus infections going around and if you get it you may not get over it in several days.

GARDENER’S MAILBAG Dear Neil: I have a large Boston fern that we’ve been growing in a hanging basket for 10 years or longer. I have a small greenhouse, but the plant almost fills it now and its basket is nearly rusted through.

The Texas Railroad Commission has suspended nearly two dozen permits that allow oil and gas companies to inject saltwater into the ground, which regulators say has contributed to increased earthquakes of greater magnitude in West Texas.

Oh, for simpler times with fewer adult responsibilities and fewer high-tech distractions! Then I might manage to finish reading two excellent autobiographies (Henry Winkler’s “Being Henry: The Fonz – And Beyond” and the late Garry Marshall’s “My Happy Days in Hollywood”) before The Big Day. The Big Day? Yes, January 15 marked the 50th anniversary of the premiere of ABC’s nostalgic hit sitcom “Happy Days.” Back in the day, “Happy Days” and its two most successful spin-offs (“Laverne and Shirley” and “Mork & Mindy”) were among my favorite programs.

The old one was worn out but a good friend said he could make me a new one. I picked it up just before Christmas and boy was it pretty! It was even better than I had imagined. When I went to pay for it He said, “Merry Christmas, it’s a gift to you.” I was so proud of the belt that I wore it to town. In town someone saw my new belt and made fun of it. I felt so bad because I was so proud of my new gift. That incident made me realize something about Christianity. People who do not know Christ Jesus as their personal Lord and savior may not realize how important or how much we love Him. They may make fun of Christians and mock them. They may even talk bad about or use Jesus’ name in bad ways. I love my new belt and very much appreciate the one who made it for me. I also very much enjoy my salvation, (forgiveness of my sins) and my new relationship (II Corinthians 5:17) to God, which Christ Jesus gave me when He died on the cross, (John 3:16). I am not ashamed to wear my new belt just as I will hold my head high, (Romans 1:16) even if they mock my Jesus and remove His name from our land (Luke 9:26: Galatians 6:7).

Things can change in an instant. Nothing on earth is assured. Our storehouses can be full, and those storehouses and contents can be destroyed in a single night. And the opposite is true as well. The cupboards and pantry can be empty. and something changes and now they are full. We don’t know what the future holds. We’re not meant to.

The deadline to register to vote in the Texas Democratic and Republican primary elections is Feb. 5. Voters on March 5 will choose their nominees for president, U.S. Senator, all 38 U.S. House members from Texas, and a number of other state and local offices, from the Texas Supreme Court to district attorneys, sheriffs and county commissioners.

Afew days ago, during one of those rare occasions when our whole family was together and my three semi-grown daughters weren’t nursing an iPhone while wearing universe-canceling headphones, my wife posed probably the most oft-asked question this time of year: “Does anyone have any New Year’s resolutions?” Although that conversation quickly took an off-ramp into a discussion of something earthshattering like Taylor Swift’s armpits, it got me thinking about my own potential resolutions, or, in my case, “anti-resolutions.” First, I am not resolving to worry about my weight or the general decomposition of my anatomy this year. Now, don’t get me wrong, I will continue to participate in some daily geriatric exercise-ish activities, and I will still attempt to avoid most foods that will kill me if ingested in satisfying quantities, but I’ve reconciled myself to the fact that I adore chips and salsa far too much to go on anything resembling a diet.