From The Deacon's Bench

Well, I hope the title of this month's "From The Deacon's Bench" got your attention.  Tempus fugit is Latin for "Time Flies" and for me, the phrase "Time flies when you are having fun" was repeated by my parents so often that it is one of those things that is permanently etched in my memory. Until very recently, time did seem to speed up when I was fully engaged in an activity that was joyous or exciting or memorable.  Before I realized it, the hours seemed to disappear.  Exciting travel to various countries around the world seemed to be over in a flash.  Special events in the lives of family or friends seemed to be over almost before they got started. Well, the past year is indeed the exception to this "rule"!  On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global health emergency. Over 103 million cases and over 2.23 million deaths worldwide and growing.  Living in fear, not being with family or frie