Comments on: Signs of Maturity

By: Donna

Donna — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 01:11:46 +0000

I read this from one of the posts in Social Media:

In order to be born, you needed:

2 parents
4 grandparents
8 great-grandparents
16 second great-grandparents
32 third great-grandparents
64 fourth great-grandparents
128 fifth great-grandparents
256 sixth great-grandparents
512 seventh great-grandparents
1,024 eighth great grandparents
2,048 ninth great-grandparents

For you to be born today from 12 previous generations, you needed a total of 4,094 ancestors over the last 400 years.

Think for a moment:
How many struggles?
How many battles?
How many difficulties?
How much sadness?
How much happiness?
How many love stories?
How many expressions of hope for the future? – did your ancestors have to undergo for you to exist in this present moment…

[theoretical calculation not considering the Pedigree Collapse]

By: Debbie

Debbie — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 17:13:15 +0000

Hi Raoul,

Just now reading last weeks TGIF, It sounds like you had a wonderful time with all your interesting people. I would like you to know I enjoy these personal observations you put in the TGIF weekly jokes.

By: Ed

Ed — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 21:50:56 +0000

Thoughtful narrative, good illustrations and jokes…

By: Lee

Lee — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 21:50:36 +0000

Hi Raoul. thank you for this. This is first TGIF that I have received in many months. Many blessings to you and your wife.

Lee

By: Lois

Lois — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 21:49:38 +0000

I certainly can identify with today’s newsletter. I can see that you could become acquainted with someone — and even become a good friend — while drawing that person’s caricature.

By: Larry

Larry — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:32:17 +0000

We all have gifts. Some related to music, some to art, some to sports and physical activities. Others to writing or acting or other activities.

This verse comes to mind.

Christ has generously divided out His gifts to us.

Ephesians 4:7

Your gift of drawing caricatures and talking with people is something God given.

Father Confessor. Very good. People want to talk.

I learned that at an early age. Most of the people I spoke with as a child and young adult were born in 1894.

I don’t know if I told you about my friend Harvey. A Jewish man who taught art at an Adult School.

I met him in Descanso Gardens. He was born in New York in 1925. He was lonely and needed someone to talk to. Me.

I knew Harvey’s life story better than him. He died in 2016.

Such a sweet man. Miss him everyday.

Back to gifts. I believe it is our duty to use the gifts given by God to glorify God.

While gifts may be a persons work or enjoyment, there is a more serious need.

People need more than just money or food. They need Christ.

TGIF