Honest Scrap Award

I learned a couple of days ago that Malcolm Campbell has honored me with The Honest Scrap Award.

First, I'm sure the word is supposed to be "Crap" and not "Scrap." Second, the honor is dubious in that it invites people to confess stuff so that, if it hasn't been noted in their permanent records before, it will be now.

Anyhow, this confession must include ten honest (fooey) secrets that most people don't know about me along with seven victims whom I want to honor (hahaha). First, the secrets:




1. The first movie that made me cry was Old Yeller.

2. I do not like any peanut butter but Peter Pan.

3. My shoe size is 8 ½ EEE.

4. I have read at least the equivalent of a book a week every year since 1983, and I have a list of all the titles.

5. My middle name is Gabel, my mother’s maiden name.

6. My wife retired on the 19th.

7. I have never used an ATM machine.

8. In my early teen years I stayed summers with my Dad’s people in Arkansas, where I did things like chopping cotton and snapping beans.

9. Two foods that look like they should taste good but don’t are tomatoes and cantaloupes.

10. I am not sure I have seven blogging friends that are not on Malcolm’s list!
Now for the “friends” that I want to tag”

MadameBlogsalot


Jellen

HuttRiver

Jeanne

Elly

Paul Cartwright

Plain Jane

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Christmas Day 2008

Christmas Day began fairly normally, with the 9 & 7-year-old grandsons got up early to discover the treasures Santa had left for them. Each of the boys got a video game system, a movie and a remote control flying disc that is safe to fly indoors. The morning was spent in getting a feel for the games and the flying saucers.
My daughter who lives in Singapore is home for the holidays, so in mid-morning she went to the Pasadena to pick up my mother-in-law, who is 81 and in declining health. They got to the house about noon, as did my youngest daughter, and my oldest daughter and her family.


We decided a few days that instead of traditional Christmas foods, we would have beans and cornbread. There were some other dishes, but the meal was relaxed and very pleasant, not to mention tasty!


Next came the gift exchange between the immediate family members. We took our time and all watched as each present was opened. One of our favorite traditions over the past twenty or so years is the opening or the stocking stuffers that we all get for each other. Some of the most creative and imaginative things show up at this time. For instance, my daughter found a pack of Teaberry gum, which was a favorite of ours in when she was a little girl, but that we both thought was no longer made!


But this is where normal left us today! The little boys and their fifteen-year-old cousin decided to take the flying discs outside to see how high they would fly. One of them got up to around 50 or 60 feet and the wind blew it across the street and into the back yard of the neighbors. Ringing a doorbell and making a request easily retrieved it.


But the other disc, when about 30 feet up, a gust blew it into the top of an ash tree in another neighbors yard. It stuck there and the remote could not dislodge it. So we sent one of the boys to bring his football. We threw the football in an attempt to know the disc free. Before long the football was also stuck in the top of the tree. Then shortly after that we stuck a basketball up there. Then a baseball joined the others. Next we tried tying a rock to a small rope to throw over a limb so we could shake the entire tree. About this time the neighbors came home and found us all “playing “in their yard.


One by one the balls fell from the tree. Then we had to find a way to get the rock down. It took us a while, but we did it. We had spent two hours in the project. Oh, by the way, the disc is still in the tree at this writing!
We went in, played a game, another of our Christmas traditions. We laughed and competed and had a wonderful time.


I always enjoy Christmas day with my family, and I think I will long remember this afternoon’s ordeal!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

The Senses

God must have meant for man to enjoy himself in this worldnot for him to be miserable. Think of the sensitivity that we have to all the things about us. So musch that is taken for granted or overlooked daily was meant for our happiness. We should be more aware of such blessings as the sound of leaves rustling in the breeze, or the smell of a rose, or the sight of a sunset, the taste of a fresh strawberry, of the gentle feeling of a baby's caress.

I am glad my God gave me these senses. It makes this world bearable as I look forward to the next.

Genesis 1:31 "And God saw everything that he made, and behold, it was very good."

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda!

My wife andI are part of what is being called the “Sandwich Generation”. We are the legal guardians of two of our grandchildren, ages 9 and 7, and we are giving care to our aging parents.

Her mom is nearing her 81st birthday and is suffering from a form of leukemia and kidney failure that requires dialysis three times a week. She does not want to move to an assisted living facility, so my wife, who just retired, is taking her mom to treatments, cleaning her home and other chores that need her attention. While we had considered a Medical Alarm, we did not get one quick enough. A month ago my mother in law fell and could not get to a phone. She laid on the floor for a few hours till her son came by to check on her. Now, following the hospital stay, the Medical Alarm is a real comfort to all of us. If she falls again, she will be able to get help right away.

My dad is already 81 and healthy, but he is going to get a Medical Alarm as part of his Christmas present from me!.

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

The Shack by William P. Young

A few months ago I was urged to read the book The Shack by William p> Young. It is of the theological fiction genre, so it is right up my alley. I got a copy of the book and placed it in my To Be Read stack. I picked it up last week and finished it in only a few days. It was a compelling read! I strongly reccommend it for your enjoyment and deepening of faith.

The story centers on the life of Mackenzie Phillips and how he deals with the loss of a daughter to a serial child killer. One can easily identify with the kinds of emotions that Mack struggle with, including anger and distrust of God. Mack’s journey to the shack where the crime ended is not unlike one most of us have to make at some time in our lives.

I do not think I have ever read or heard such a revealing depiction of the triune God, Father, Son and Spirit as the one Young painted in his story. The powerful appeal of the relationship between the persons of the Trinity generates a deep desire to enter into such a relationship with God.

Some of the theology presented in the book, I cannot embrace. I would urge all readers of the book not to allow emotions to cloud their spiritual discernment, but to trust on the revealed Will of God in the Bible for the final authority in their faith and practice.

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

I Now Shop Online!

As I was doing my Christmas shopping I was struck by the fact that only a few years ago I would not do buying online because of my fears of being ripped off. But now I seldom go to a mall, or even to a discount store. I shop almost exclusively over the Internet from my easy chair.

I began trying it out by ordering some little item, like a blender. I enjoyed the successful transactions and the ease of shopping online. I grew more confident. I then tried bigger items like Kitchen appliances. There are so many options and so much control over the purchases that I can hardly imagine going back to the old way.

Right now I am investigating the benefits of tankless water heaters. I am intrigued about the possible energy savings that seem to be available through the use of such a device!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

It Snowed Where?

Can you believe it? Last night we had a significant, for us, snowfall. I covered the ground for a few hours. This is only the 7th time in my 60 years that it has snowed here enough to blanket things. My grandsons were ecstatic! They had a snowball fight before bedtime!

I was glad when it melted away by noon today!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Going to the Texas Bowl!

Rice University is one of the elite educational institutions in the county. It is a small school, enrollment wise, and has a great deal of trouble fielding a competitive football team on a regular basis. But this year the Owls are 9-3 and have been invited to participate in the Texas Bowl on December 30.

I just called and got tickets to see the game. They have a family package that includes 4 tickets, 4 hot dogs, 4 sodas, and a program for only $89! So My wife and I will take the two youngest grandsons to see the game. The ticket agent just callled me back and told me that someone had backed out on tickets on the front row, so now we will be on the front row of the third level!

There is a possibility that the opponent will be Notre Dame. I would love that to happen! Notre Dame has such a storied history, but they are not particularly good this year. I think Rice can beat them. It would be the first ten win season for the Owls in nearly 60 years!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

#1 Turkey Trotter!

My firstborn just called to tell me about her morning run! She, and her husband, signed up for a charity 5K run dubbed the Turkey Trot because of its being held on Thanksgiving Day. She was excited to report that she had run her best time ever, 27:12, and had beaten all the females in the race! She was most proud of the fact that no teen, no 20 something, no 30 something had beaten her. She is 40, and now the title holder in the Turkey Trot!

Way to Go!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Trying To Be A Godly GrandDad!

We were excited in the summer of 1992 to find out that we were to be grandparents for the first time in a few months. And when my wife and I attended a workshop a few days later, we were drawn to a class on grandparenting conducted by Stafford North and his wife. One of the things the North's challenge us to do in that class was to come up with some idea that would be a way to demonstrate to our grandkids how much we valued them.

As a result of that brainstorming session, I came up with a plan that I have been practicing now for nearly 16 years. My grandson was born on 14 January in 93. On the 14th of each month, he receives a card from me telling him how much he is loved, and picturing for himself a special feature I see for him. I also enclose a five dollar bill that is to be put into his mission fund, so that when he is 16 he will be able to go on a mission trip with me to the Caribbean.

I now have four grandchildren, and each of them receives a card each month on the date of their birth. I create the cards on the computer these days, so there is a personal touch even to the cards. I don't how much the cards mean to the kids, but it helps me express my deep love for them and I have a sense of connection that I might not otherwise have through these efforts. And next summer my first grandson will be old enough to take his first trip to Dominica with me!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Second Guessing

Sunday we went to eat at Esteban's after morning services, and I did not get home in time to see the hit on Matt Schaub's knee. But he was surely hobbling around as he tried to play through the pain. He was obviously not able to all his strength into his throws. That fact cost the Texans dearly, as Schaub threw an interception rather than completing a pass to a wide-open Vonta Leach, just before halftime.

I found myself second-guessing the head coach, Gary Kubiak, for leaving his injured QB in, and not putting in the backup, Sage Rosenfels. My perceptions of seemed to be confirmed when Rosenfels started the second half and led the team on a nice scoring drive in their first possession.

However, near the end of the game, with a chance to tie the score, Rosenfels threw up on the unwise pass that resulted in an interception that essentially iced the game for Minnesota.

I said all that to point out that we, all too often, love to second-guess God, supposing that we know better. We want to dismiss some directive that seems to clash with society or "apparent" mitigating circumstance.

But the fact is that we don't know nearly enough to replace God's wisdom with our own. It is not in man to direct his own steps (Jeremiah 10:23).

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

As Election Day Approaches

I read these quotes in the October issue of Think Magazine. I thought I would post them here for your consideration and to hear your observations.

James Garfield—20th President--“Now, more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave and pure, it is because the people demand these qualities to represent them in the national legislature.”

Elias Boudinot, President of the Continental Congress--“If the moral character of a people once degenerate, their political character must soon follow. These considerations should lead us to be religiously careful in our choice of all public officers and judge of the tree by its fruits.”

As you vote, I urge you to implore God to grant you wisdom and a blessing upon this momentous day.

Proverbs 14:34 “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Serendipity

Happiness is something we find, almost by accident, when doing something worthwhile. The days that you awake and say to yourself, "I'm gonna be happy today if it kills me", usually turn out to be the worst days.

It is on those days when you are actively doing something beneficial and you find yourself most happy. God intends His people to be happy, but self-gratification is not their prime motive.

Psalm 40:8 "I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart."

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Worst Breakfast Ever!

Jellen is one of my favorite bloggers. She recently asked about the worst breakfast we have ever eaten. This is my entry, but let me preface it with a bit of background. I am a pretty picky eater. I can eat anything, but there are a lot of things I do not like.

I was on a trip to Dominica, staying with a local, eating whatever the lady of the house prepared. I had eaten pig snout soup, and pumpkin stew, and other indigenous dishes. I had been served a plate that had two small fish on it, whole fish that were about the size of bait back home, fried very crisp. When I asked my host how to eat them, from his plate he picked one up by the tail and bit the head off. I did the same.

After I had been there a week, my hostess announced that she was going to fix something American for my breakfast. She boiled some hot dogs--I don't like hot dogs. She sliced one of local small breads to use as a bun and put mustard on both sides--I do not like mustard. Next she took a tomato and sliced it. Half the slice was placed on one side of my hot dog--I really do not like tomatoes. The she sliced an onion and put half the slice on the other side of the hot dog--I detest onions. To top it off, my hostess drenched the whole thing with Thousand Island dressing--I do not like Thousand Island dressing at all!

When I took the first bite, it was all I could do to chew it, much less swallow it. Dressing was dripping from my wrist. It would have been better if I could have eaten it in one bite, but I had to struggle through the whole thing. It was the worst meal of my life!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Pets

I have always been a dog lover. My dad got a collie about the time I was born so I would have a pet around. Lad was not very healthy and only lived till I was about four, and I only have vague memories of him beyond the stories Dad tells.

We next had a solid black mixed breed named Jet. He was a good dog to take into the woods behind our house. He loved to chase rabbits and squirrels, and he always warned us when a snake was around. He was eventually bitten by a snake and did not survive the bout.

When my grandpa started raising beagles, he had an award winning bitch named Bingo. I was given one of her pups when I was about 13. I named her Belle. I loved to hear that little girl bark and she would run all day. As a teenager, I did not pay her as much attention as she deserved, but my little brothers took good care of her. Belle was still apart of the family when I moved away for school.

We have had a few dogs over the years, but for several years we had no pets because we were so busy and away from home for days at a time so often, it would not have been fair to any furry friend.

But about four years ago we took on the task of raising our two youngest grandsons. I think all boys need a dog, so I tried to find out if I could trace out any of the beagle bloodline from my grandfather’s work. The AKC told me they could not give out such information because of privacy matters. That was about the time Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast, and there were lots of dogs in need of a boy or two.

We went to a local shelter and rescued a big yellow lab that we named Buccaneer. He looks a bit like Old Yeller in the Disney movie and he acts about like him too. I have seen the boys tackle him and him tackle them. I have seen them lying on the ground with one’s head on the other’s belly. Buc loves to fetch, especially when we take him to the creek at the back of our neighborhood and throw a stick or a Frisbee in the water. It is exactly as I hoped it would be, for the dog and for the boys!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Abandon

This post is part of the Great Blogging Experience hosted by the ever gracious and hard working Alicia. Everyone is welcome to participate!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


I am not at all sure that I like the word abandon, not that it has ever done anything unkind to me. I just do not care for the ideas that it brings to my mind. Abandon friends, abandon ideas, abandon projects, abandon faith, abandon hope. Or being abandoned.

Perhaps it is because as a boy I was quick to quit if I thought I was going to fail. And I did not like the feelings quitting produced in me. I was about 25 before I truly embraced the idea that I should always do the best I could and never give up. Up till that time the only place I was dogged was on the baseball diamond, but probably that is because I never expected to be beaten there.

I can easily attribute my growth in perseverance to the relationship I have with my bride. We married young and she had to put up with a lot of immaturity and selfishness on my part in the early years. I am glad she took her vows, “for better or worse” seriously. I am committed to see that she gets the “better” the rest of the way.

Our youngest daughter was abandoned by her birth mother at 18 months. She has made some bad decisions and had some bad breaks in the past ten years and we are raising her boys, 8 & 7. We will never abandon her, or them. I can think of no greater cause than providing them a place of security and safe haven.

My God did not abandon me to my sinful self, and I will never abandon Him and His will for my life. He has to pick me up quite often, but He knows I will keep trying to reflect His love and light to those around. I don’t want anyone to be abandoned in the darkness.

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Bittersweet Day at the Ball Park!

Every trip to the ball park makes the day a good one. A couple of weeks ago my family attended the Thursday night game at Minute Maid Park in Houston, despite the fact that Hurricane Ike would be slamming into our area.

Last night we went again to see the Astros, our first time since the storm. It was a fun game, with the Astros winning over the Atlanta Braves on a home run in the bottom of the ninth by Darin Erstad. I even caught a ball off the bat of Chipper Jones during batting practice.

But once every season there is a bittersweet day at the ball park. It is on the day that you know it will be next April before you will get to go to a ball game again. That was how it was last night. By the time I got to the car, the Brewers had finished their game with a win, thus eliminating Houston from the post season(I knew that the Cubs, who had already clinched the division title, would lose a game against since the loss would make it unnecessary to come to Houston on Monday for a make-up game).

I will watch the playoffs and the World Series, but I won't get to see a game in person again till spring! Heavy sigh!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Teaching Them They Belong!

For the past week we have been digging out from the debris left by Hurricane Ike. After we got the limbs and leaves cut up and piled at the curb in our yard, we helped the neighbors on our block. We includes our 7 and 8 year old grandsons that live with us. We wanted them to understand what it means to belong to a community.

After we finished our block, the guys and I went to remove limbs and leaves from the lawns of our widows and elderly in the congregation. The boys could work for a couple of hours without distraction, then they would need a bit of a break. I set a pattern of half an hour working and half an hour to play/relax. They were able to contribute to the efforts throughout the days on that schedule.

The first day of the work, they were just using their hands to bag up leaves. That evening I took them to the Home Depot and bought each of them his own rake and pair of gloves. They were so proud of the new tools. I hope they remember this time when they are old men and tell their grandsons the stories.

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

First Post Hurricane Post!

The first presidential race I recall was between Eisenhower and Stevenson. For a long time I had a button that said, "I like Ike!" But after the ordeal of the last week and the clean up that is still ahead because of the recent hurricane through here, I can unequivocally say, "I don't like Ike."

My home is about seven miles from Galveston Bay, but in an area that was not requested told to evacuate, in fact we were advised to shelter in place. So we rode out the storm in our home. The first half of the night was not terrible, winds were sustained near 100, but did not do much damage. When we were in the eye, around 3 am, my wife woke up and we went out on our front porch to assess things. There was only one limb down in the front yard, which faces north. The winds had been blowing from the northeast. We were only in the eye for around 20 minutes, then the winds started from the southwest. My wife had gone back to bed (my grandsons slept from about 11:30 till nearly 9 the next morning, we were without power from 12:40 Friday night till about 7:15 tonight).

Between 4:30 and 5:30, things got a lot stronger, sustained winds about 115, but the difference was significant. The wind whistled down the chimney and every few minutes I could hear another branch snapping in our front yard. When daylight came, the winds were down considerably, but it was not safe to go out till about noon. We had 16 limbs down from the big tree near our front door, but not one on the house. We lost our fence in the back, but we had water through the whole ordeal.

Our community is coming back to life, many of the residents are returning now. School may be able to resume Tuesday. Most of our neighbors had similar damage to ours, but in the congregation, two families had considerable water in their homes and have lost every thing, material. The ones of us that were in town have been cleaning up debris for the members who could not do for themselves, widows and elderly. It has been tough in some ways, but great blessings of brotherhood and belonging have been experienced by all of us.

If the storm had not made a little jog to the east within the last 30 miles before landfall, the storm surge would have inundated some very populated areas and much of the crucial refinery and chemical output that is so much a part of our local and national economy. Some say we were lucky. I attribute that to Something much greater!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Ad Space Direct

My daughter has put together a small consortium of blog sites that will allow advertisers to deal directly with the bloggers to place ads at reasonable prices and cut out the middle men expenses of dealing with a broker.

The blogs are carefully targeted and present the advertiser the opportunity to select the blog or blogs that match their advertising interests. Each of the blogs is maintained with a high level of writing and creative content.

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Learning the Hard Way

This article was first published in December, 1982. As I am now once again raising children, it really touched home as I reread it this morning.

Last week I was visiting a hospital and I heard a doctor giving a nurse serious instructions about a patient. Apparently the doctor had given the same instructions the day before, but the nurse had failed to carry out the procedure because of her feeling of compassion for the young patient.

The little girl had a serious infection complicating her cancer. The treatment the doctor ordered was going to be, at best uncomfortable, probably even painful. But it had to be administered if the infection was to be conquered. The nurse’s compassion had, in effect, been detrimental despite her good intentions. She did not follow the precise instructions of one who had greater knowledge and who really exhibited the most genuine care for the patient.

On the way home from the hospital I was flooded with emotions and the scene kept coming back to me. I wondered if I was guilty of the same sort of well intended yet costly decisions as the nurse in dealing with my children. The Lord has given me directions for raising my children and those directions include sound discipline, even if it is not the most pleasant at the time. I must be responsible in my actions, and not act only on my feelings.

It also occurred to me that I possibly had been too “compassionate” in my ministry at times; too willing to placate my brethren; too willing to tolerate behavior that my God will not tolerate; too ready to appease an alien sinner.

I know my God is loving and patient and comforting. He has been all of that to me. And yet I know that there must occasionally be the administration of “medicine” that is at the moment uncomfortable or painful. I haven’t sorted it all out yet, but I pray for God’s wisdom to be my guide.

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Highest Honors

I have attended dinners to show appreciation to a person or group, I have signed letters or posters to show support, I have witnessed the unveiling of statues and monuments in honor of some celebrity. I have seen the stars in the sidewalk in Hollywood, watched as athletes’ numbers are retired, and participated in the dedication of a building named for the honoree.

If you someone were to honor you, what would you consider the best/highest possible way to do so?

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Sharpening the Focus

Three weeks ago, in study for a pair of lessons I was to present I was to present from the sixth chapter of Mark, about Jesus miraculously feeding more than 5000 people and about his walking on the water, I was reminded of Jesus’ need for time alone for personal renewal. He spent the time in prayer. If He needed inner peace in order to be able to minister effectively, how much more do I?


I thought of how busy my wife and I had been for several months and how weary we have become. I got up from my study and called my wife at her job. I told her of my study and that I did not know where we would go to get away, but I invited her to take off the 18th through 20th. I asked her to begin making a prayer list so we could spend at least half a day in prayer. We had not done that in a long time. She was delighted.


We found a place in Hill Country of Central Texas that seemed to offer the quiet we were seeking. It was even called Lost Pines. Our balcony overlooked a garden called "Butterfly Meadow". We accomplished our aims, spending most of the day on Tuesday pouring out our hearts to God. We are back at the grindstone, feeling a bit shaper!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Where are the Valiant?

I have just been reading the Bible story in the last part of 1 Samuel 13 and into chapter 14. The situation has the Israelite army surrounded by the Philistines. The Israelites were vastly outnumbered and without proper weapons. Many of the army had already deserted. Things must have looked pretty bleak.

But in the story, King Saul’s son, Jonathan, decided it was time to do something, believing that God would provide what was needed. So he and his armor bearer determined to approach the enemy stronghold, seeking a chance for something seemingly impossible to happen. His valiant effort led he and his servant to slay 20 of the overconfident Philistines. An earthquake shook the ground and panic set in on the Philistine troops who fled. The Israelite army took heart and chased the Philistines out of the region.

The story made me reflect on the lack of hope and confidence that I perceive is prevalent these days. It may be seen in small ways in families that are pressed by busy schedules and jobs that demand so much, or financial woes, or dysfunction in the home. It can be seen in the local congregation that sees its task of sharing the Good News of the Gospel as an overwhelming task for the Christians; and as unwelcome by non-Christians. It can be seen in a country that would like to have all the war over, not to mention all the political venom put away.

The natural tendency seems to be to shrink back into the background and let the tide wash us away. Have we lost the will to present ourselves for service to our neighbors, our church, our country in the hope that Divine Providence can and will use our service to make a difference? And perhaps inspire others around to rally to the possibility of victorious living?

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Random Acts of Kindness

Not too long ago our youth group at church decided to spend a day in our community doing random acts of kindness. They did all sorts of things, like hand out water to workers on a construction site, offer to wash car windows or check tire pressure at gas stations (after asking permission from the manager), clean up an old city cemetery, and more. They did not even give out information about the church, they wanted to do something good without expectation of reciprocation of any kind.

It was an eye-opener to the kids. The primary response to the young people, at least the initial response, was mistrust. Folks were either afraid of the kids or thought there was some scam involved. Most often the recipients of the RAK were able to loosen up and accept the kindness, but some completely refused.

Does that say something about our society, teens, or just our town?

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Vacations!

In the days of my childhood, our vacations were spent visiting family in other states. My dad’s folks lived on a farm in northeastern Arkansas. I got to hunt and fish and have all sorts of adventures that a city boy did not get try the rest of the year. Mom’s parents lived in New Jersey, near Trenton. There we got to see lots of historical sites and tourist attractions. I have wonderful memories of trips to both places.
When my wife and I had little girls, we did not have a lot of extra money, so we had to make decisions about how we spent it. Vacation trips seemed like a bit of extravagance we could not afford. But as the girls got older things were a bit better financially and we decided to make some family trips.

In 1976 we made a trip to see my grandparents in New Jersey, stopping along the way to visit historical sites during the Bicentennial. We visited Vicksburg, Montgomery and Richmond, all with Civil War ties. We went to Monticello, Washington D.C., as well as Trenton.


In 1980 we went to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and to Yellowstone. We have many stories about car troubles and a skunk in a tent and rock climbing and such.

In 1984 we took our best trip, to see the Olympics in Los Angeles. On the way out we saw the Grand Canyon, the London Bridge, which is now in Lake Havisu City, Arizona, and the Joshua Tree National Park. In LA, not only did we see Olympic competitions, including the Gold Medal baseball game between Japan and the US. We also went to Disney Land, Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studio, Malibu Beach, and baseball games in Anaheim and San Diego.

We have so many fond memories of those trips with the girls. We have bee blessed to take a few trips with our grandkids too (We were in DC on 9/11 when the attacks took place). We spent some money that was hard to come by, but we firmly believe it was a special investment in our family!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Oh, What A Moment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got home from a two-week mission trip to the Caribbean Island of Dominica last night. One of the first things I did this morning was call my two grandchildren, who live across town from me, to see if they wanted to have lunch with me. My daughter told me that her son was going to go to the Department of Public Safety office to take his written test for the Learner’s permit to drive.

I told her I needed to go to the credit union anyway, that I would drop them off at the DPS office, go do my business and come back to get them for a pizza buffet. She thought that sounded like a good plan.

When I returned from the credit union, my grandson was just finishing up his test. He passed, of course, and was granted his license to drive with a licensed driver over 21 in the front seat with him. He had a bit of a smug look on his face, but did not act giddy or uncool. I shook his hand, and as we walked out the door, I handed him the keys to my car. He looked at me in disbelief, and then jumped about four feet off the ground. He ran over to the car and got in the driver’s seat. I got in front with him.

When he got situated, he started the car and proceeded out of the parking lot. We were across the street from a community college. The parking lot was mostly empty, with classes out for the summer. His mother asked him to pull in there and drive around for a few minutes to familiarize himself with the car and its handling. He did that, but after a few minutes, he was ready to take us to lunch. He left the parking lot and headed toward the feeder road of the State Highway we would be taking for a couple of miles.

As we moved, another car came toward the road we were on, using another exit from the college parking lot. That driver came up to the stop sign at a pretty rapid pace, not braking till the very last second. As we passed that car, my grandson said, “GrandDad, that is scary, I didn’t know if she was going to stop.” I told him driving is dangerous!
When we got to the intersection with the feeder road, the light there was red. He stopped in the right lane, and as he waited, an SUV pulled up on our left and blocked my grandson’s view. He eased forward to see past the SUV and saw the way clear. He made the right turn onto the feeder road and moved to the left lane, so he could enter the highway.

As he made his way up the ramp, accelerating to merge with traffic, an eighteen-wheeler was passing the entrance. Though he was a bit intimidated, the boy merged in to the lane behind the truck, then moved to the center lane of the three-lane road. He accelerated up to the speed limit, 65, and was so excited, nervous, rapturous at his new power!

We had to make two turns to get to the pizza joint. All in all, my grandson drove about three miles. I wonder if he will ever have a more awesome driving experience in his entire life!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Off To Dominica!!!!!!!!!

I leave for Dominica tomorrow. For the twenty fifth year in a row, I will be part of a team doing mission work on the island. I love the place, it is unsurpassed in natural beauty. The mountains and waterfalls are spectacular. And the people are warm and friendly and receptive to the message of God’s love and mercy.

This year will be a bit different for me. I will be going to a new village, after having worked the past 19 years in one place. We will be on the opposite side of the island this time, the Caribbean coast rather than the Atlantic. It is the “dry” side or the island, a bit hotter, and fewer breezes. We will be working with a different missionary, so there will likely be a few mix ups and snags. But I know we will meet some great new people and come home with some wonderful stories to tell. And probably a few pictures to share as well.


See you in two weeks!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Overcoming!

The diagnosis was breast cancer. We all began to pray for Mom. My specific prayer was that she would overcome the cancer. I prayed it for three and a half years, everyday, many times a day. Then when I returned from a trip to Jamaica, the first of Mom’s children to leave the States and Mom did not recognize me, I knew she would not live much longer. I wept bitterly and wondered before God why He had not answered my fervent prayers.

But He had. She overcame cancer with dignity and faithfulness and courage. And I thank Him!
***********************************************

The story above is posted in response to Jellen’s Writing Challenge

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom

I am a few days early with my report on this month's selection for the Book Club Discussion started by Marathon Bird. But that is okay, because I was a little late last month!

I don’t know why I had never read The Hiding Place, but maybe it was partly because I did not want to visit the things that went on at the hands of the Germans in WWll. When I was a kid I went with my dad to see Mein Kampf, the documentary that showed the depravity of the Holocaust. Those pictures were deeply etched in my mind. I think that is why I did not want to see Schindler’s List.

As I read of the heroism of the Ten Boom family, I was horrified again at the treatment of those considered by the Nazis as inferior. But I was buoyed by the faith of the family, especially Corrie and Betsie as they were incarcerated and mistreated. I could identify with Corrie, as she wanted to honor God but who constantly had to deal with the emotions of anger and hate for her captors. I was truly inspired by Betsie, who was more Christ-like in her dealing with the deprivation and the persecution.

I am glad I read this book, because its message was not really about creating a hiding place for Jewish refugees and an underground network to get them to safety. Its message, at least to me was that all of us need a Hiding Place as described in Psalm 32:7, “Thou art my hiding place; Thou dost preserve from trouble…”

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

After A Week At Church Camp!

Teaching at church camp is one of my favorite things in life, and it is always a learning experience for me as well as the kids. Last week I again had the tenth graders, thirty eight of them. They were great! And I was tickled to have a young minister work with me this year who not so long ago he sat in my class at the same camp!



Usually at camp I am a pretty creative and active teacher. I use a lot of teaching techniques to keep the class thinking and discovering for themselves. This year our study was in the Minor Prophets, with the aim of seeing "How Great Is Our God." We have a morning class of an hour and fifteen minutes and an afternoon class of forty five minutes. I made a decision that the sophomores would read, or hear read, as much of the texts of those books as possible. Paul set the scene for each reading and then one of the guys would read the message of God through the prophet. The kids were then asked to create a MySpace bulletin that might be sent to the rest of the campers to transmit the message they had just heard.




I went to camp thinking that at least half the kids would fall asleep during the readings. I mean, it is hot and the kids are tired and the messages are, in some cases, long and a bit repetitive! I figured that for the first time in my camp experience they would find my class boring. But I wanted them to hear the Word of God so much that I was willing to take the chance.





We did have a three or four that could not keep their eyes open, but I was pleasantly surprised at how many read along with the "prophet" in their own Bibles. I was even more pleased at how much they understood the main message of the various texts, especially the traits of our great God!




It made me wonder how I could have doubted that the Bible itself would not suffice to teach those precious kids. And it reinforced my idea that we all need to actually read it more than we do!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Why Me?

Temptations and trials are difficult to deal with rationally. When tragedy strikes we automatically think of self. If a hurricane comes and destroys the home in which I live, my first thought is, “Why me?” If someone near and dear to me is struck with a serious illness, my first question is, “How much must I bear?”

I fail o remember that Go has ordained that the sun will shine on the just and the unjust. He does not discriminate! The best answer to the question, “Why me?”, is, “Why not.”

Matthew 5:45 “For He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and send rain on the righteous and the unrighteousness.”

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Watership Down Review

This post is part of the Book Club Challenge by Marathon Bird.
*************************************************************************************

The book club assigned book for the month of May was Watership Down. I had never read it, I think in part because I had the idea that it was an innocuous children’s book that was too long. But I was completely wrong. I no longer think it is too long and I am not at all sure I would call it a children’s book. I kept wishing for a lapine dictionary, only to find a glossary at the end of the book. Too late, I had just finished the story.

Richard Adams did a great job of developing characters and making them appealing. I came to care about a great number of the players in the tale of the rabbits moving to establish a safe and pleasant home at Watership Down. I am not sure who I would call my favorite character, all of them had attributes that were compelling. I found myself identifying with Hazel, trusting Fiver, admiring Bigwig and fearing General Woundwort. As I read the book, I was especially entertained by Kehaar, the seagull that became an important ally in the battles of Efrafa. I think the reason I liked him is that I know some folks in the Caribbean that sound a lot like the feathered fellow from the “Beeg Vater”.

Adams was masterful in moving the story along and making me believe these rabbits have proverbs and prophecies, longings and loyalties. I am not sure what message Adams hoped to transmit to the readers, but the one that rang out loudest to me was that everyone in a community is an important element of the society, from the smallest and meekest to the wisest and strongest.

I was pleased with the book and am pleased that I spent the time to read it. The next selection for the group is The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom. If you would like to participate in the book club, read the book and post a review on June 25. Happy reading.

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

Three S's for Two Weeks!

My wife sprang a surprise on me this evening. We were out walking the dog, having a pleasant conversation, when she announced that we are going to try a two week experiment. She said during the week days we will do away with three S's. No Sweets, No Snacks, and No Seconds.

I think she is trying to tell me something. I am not sure what that something. Being caught off guard, I agreed. I hope this two week experiment doesn't kill me!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

A Day At Dad's House!

Dad called early this week to let me know that he had just finished digging the ‘taters in his back yard garden. He harvested 167 pounds of new potatoes. I had to get down to his place, about sixty miles away, before all my siblings and dad’s neighbors had taken them all. So we went today.

Dad loves to dig in the dirt and his yard is a showplace almost all year round. He still has poinsettias as tall as the eaves of his house, which have been blooming since November. The amaryllis, the Confederate roses, the larkspur, the hidden ginger lilies, the esperanza and the gladiolas all are in bloom. But the real jaw dropping beauty is in his day lilies. Dad has over 300 different varieties of day lily. He colors are amazing. People in the community often stop to take pictures. My secretary goes through the town where Dad lives when she is on the way to visit her mother. She loves to take a three block detour to see what is going on in Dad’s garden.

To add to the joy of the day, my grandsons took their ball gloves so they could play while we visited. As we loaded up, I threw in a couple of gloves as well. As I suspected, the boys asked Dad if he would play catch with them. He said he did not have a glove anymore. I told him I had a couple in the car, if he was up to playing. We went out and threw the ball around for a half an hour. Before long Dad was telling the guys how to turn their gloves and to use two hands, and to get right in front of the ball. It sure brought back memories of the thousands of days he said those things to me when I was the age my grandsons are now!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith

No Biscuits for Dad!

A few days ago I wrote a piece for a challenge about one's worst mistake. It caused me to remember a story about my mom and dad early in their marriage. Dad was a farm boy from Arkansas. Mom was from a suburb of Trenton, New Jersey. Dad grew up having biscuits with almost every meal, made from scratch, of course. Mom had never had a homemade biscuit, but my dad's mom tried to teach her the art of biscuit making.

Maybe it was that my mom's mother had passed away at only 27 years old and Mom never learned to cook as a youngster. Or maybe it was just her Yankee genes that caused her such difficulty in ever mastering biscuit-making. She did try, and once in a while they were edible, but most of the time that was just not so.


One evening as we were sitting at the supper table, Dad saw a rabbit nibbling on the flower of one of his squash plants in the garden he had planted in the back yard. Dad jumped up from his seat, grabbing a couple of biscuits from the stack on the table. He threw them like stones at the rabbit.


It was the last time Mom ever made scratch biscuits!

Subscribe to Family Fun & Faith