a dear friend in maryland sent me this in an email a few days ago. i thought it was worth posting. i could not have said it any better.
Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
See the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a 'Holiday'.
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
At Target were hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.
Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ,
not Happy Holiday!
Please, all Christians join together and
wish everyone you meet
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Christ is The Reason for the Christ-mas Season!
until next time...
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
where did fall go?
today is december 8 and i am looking out my window at the woods. it seems like yesterday the temperature was in the 80's and the foliage was still green. now, it is gone. we went from summer straight into winter.
i am still off work. last week i had some problems with my knee and my doctor put me back on workmans comp. i am so blessed to live where i live. when the kids are in school, it is very quiet here. if i were a professional writer, it would be a great place to just sit and write. but, i am not.
the last date i worked was june 30th. i have been off more than 5 months. i jokingly told someone that i could have had a heart attack, bypass surgery and rehab and been back to work!!! i checked and found out i was right. oh well.
so much history has been made since i have been off. the depression (or recession), the stock market, the presidential election, foreclosures, "the big 3" and all of the bailouts. it has been quite a year and it is not over yet. we will see more businesses go belly up and more people losing their jobs and homes. it is a sad time in our country.
lee iacocca has a new book entitled "where have all the leaders gone". i have been a fan of his since he was ceo of chrysler. he is straight forward and his approach to leadership i greatly admire. here are some excerpts form his new book. i apologize for the language.
'Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's
happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming
bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship
of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing
us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less
build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around
and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course.'
Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America , not the
damned 'Titanic'. I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums
out!'
You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and
maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this
country anymore.
The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys
in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is
burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving
'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise
of the ' America ' my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for.
I've had enough. How about you?
I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're
not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The
Biggest 'C' is Crisis ! (Iacocca elaborates on nine C's of
leadership, with crisis being the first.)
Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis.
It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory.
Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a
battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world
comes tumbling down.
On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other
time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the
ashes. A hell of a mess so here's where we stand.
We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan
for leaving.
We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country.
We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia , while our once-great
companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs.
Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent
energy policy. Our schools are in trouble.
Our borders are like sieves.
The middle class is being squeezed every which way.
These are times that cry out for leadership.
But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the
leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where
are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and
common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get
the point.
Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than
making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?
We've spent billions of dolla rs building a huge new bureaucracy, and
all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.
Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina.
Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the
hurricane or demanding accountability for the decisions that were
made in the crucial hours after the storm.
Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen
again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a
plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.
Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we
can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have
believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred
to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important,
what are we going to do about it?
Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down
the debit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care
problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are
eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.
I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on
your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is
being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity.
What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News
<http://www.foxnews.com/> will call them a name? Give me a break.
Why don't you guys show some spine for a &nb sp;change?
Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom
here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have
hope - I believe in America . In my lifetime, I've had the privilege
of living through some of America 's greatest moments. I've also
experienced some of our worst crises: The 'Great Depression,' 'World
War II,' the 'Korean War,' the 'Kennedy Assassination,' the 'Vietnam
War,' the 1970's oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years
culminating with 9/11.
If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'You don't get anywhere by
standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action.
Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for
our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm
raising in this book. It's a call to 'Action for people who, like me,
believe in America '. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty
close. So let' s shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em
all we've had 'enough.'
Make your own contribution by sending this to everyone you know and
care about. It's our country, folks, and it's our future. Our future
is at stake!!
until next time...
i am still off work. last week i had some problems with my knee and my doctor put me back on workmans comp. i am so blessed to live where i live. when the kids are in school, it is very quiet here. if i were a professional writer, it would be a great place to just sit and write. but, i am not.
the last date i worked was june 30th. i have been off more than 5 months. i jokingly told someone that i could have had a heart attack, bypass surgery and rehab and been back to work!!! i checked and found out i was right. oh well.
so much history has been made since i have been off. the depression (or recession), the stock market, the presidential election, foreclosures, "the big 3" and all of the bailouts. it has been quite a year and it is not over yet. we will see more businesses go belly up and more people losing their jobs and homes. it is a sad time in our country.
lee iacocca has a new book entitled "where have all the leaders gone". i have been a fan of his since he was ceo of chrysler. he is straight forward and his approach to leadership i greatly admire. here are some excerpts form his new book. i apologize for the language.
'Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's
happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming
bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship
of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing
us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less
build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around
and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course.'
Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America , not the
damned 'Titanic'. I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums
out!'
You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and
maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this
country anymore.
The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys
in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is
burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving
'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise
of the ' America ' my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for.
I've had enough. How about you?
I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're
not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The
Biggest 'C' is Crisis ! (Iacocca elaborates on nine C's of
leadership, with crisis being the first.)
Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis.
It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory.
Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a
battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world
comes tumbling down.
On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other
time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the
ashes. A hell of a mess so here's where we stand.
We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan
for leaving.
We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country.
We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia , while our once-great
companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs.
Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent
energy policy. Our schools are in trouble.
Our borders are like sieves.
The middle class is being squeezed every which way.
These are times that cry out for leadership.
But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the
leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where
are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and
common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get
the point.
Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than
making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?
We've spent billions of dolla rs building a huge new bureaucracy, and
all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.
Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina.
Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the
hurricane or demanding accountability for the decisions that were
made in the crucial hours after the storm.
Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen
again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a
plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.
Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we
can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have
believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred
to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important,
what are we going to do about it?
Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down
the debit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care
problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are
eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.
I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on
your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is
being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity.
What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News
<http://www.foxnews.com/> will call them a name? Give me a break.
Why don't you guys show some spine for a &nb sp;change?
Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom
here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have
hope - I believe in America . In my lifetime, I've had the privilege
of living through some of America 's greatest moments. I've also
experienced some of our worst crises: The 'Great Depression,' 'World
War II,' the 'Korean War,' the 'Kennedy Assassination,' the 'Vietnam
War,' the 1970's oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years
culminating with 9/11.
If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'You don't get anywhere by
standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action.
Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for
our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm
raising in this book. It's a call to 'Action for people who, like me,
believe in America '. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty
close. So let' s shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em
all we've had 'enough.'
Make your own contribution by sending this to everyone you know and
care about. It's our country, folks, and it's our future. Our future
is at stake!!
until next time...
Friday, August 29, 2008
hi, billy mays here
this has to be the funniest story i have heard in a long time. i was doing some research for an article i was writing for a business publication. first, let me confess, i love billy mays and i love ron popeil. these two are absolute geniuses as far as marketing goes, love'em or hate'em, they are very effective marketers and you can't argue with their successes. i wish i had 1/10th their genius but that is another story.
as i said i was doing some research and here is a story i uncovered. i can't add anything else to this as it speaks for itself!!!
Christian Peace Activists Rescued by Billy Mays
By Buckner Wheat
Mar 25, 2006, 07:31
as i said i was doing some research and here is a story i uncovered. i can't add anything else to this as it speaks for itself!!!
Christian Peace Activists Rescued by Billy Mays
By Buckner Wheat
Mar 25, 2006, 07:31
 |
The activists—James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden of Canada and Norman Kember of England—were kidnapped on November 26, 2005, while driving to meet with Sunni Arab leaders. The men were held hostage at a compound on the outskirts of Baghdad.
"We were at the end of our rope," reported Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch. "We really did fear that each one would be killed eventually—until we discovered a new secret weapon. ”
Maj. Gen. Lynch smiled and opened a sound file on a nearby laptop.
"Hi! Billy Mays here for Oxy-Clean!" screamed a grating voice.
"Every time one of that guy's commercials comes on, my immediate response is to hit the fast-forward on my TIVO as quickly as I can," said Maj. Gen. Lynch. "Whether he's selling OxiClean, OrangeGlo, or Kaboom, his voice literally makes me want to put a knife through my eye socket to end the torture. That's how I got the idea to utilize his commercials as an effective weapon."
Maj. Gen. Lynch explained how the new weapon was used to thwart an attack by sixty gunmen on a police station near Baghdad two weeks ago.
"After a three-hour gun battle, we saw that we weren't making any progress. So we tried broadcasting the Oxy-Clean commercial at mega-watt volume from our command center."
Immediately, all sixty insurgents began running around in circles, bewildered and terrorized, pleading for the painful tirade to cease.
"We ended up catching fifty of 'em in the crossfire," said Maj. Gen. Lynch. "It was pretty cool."
Apparently, continued exposure to Mays' shrill, piercing voice at levels in excess of 125 decibels results in nausea, vomiting, acute diarrhea, convulsions, and death among certain non-native speakers of English.
According to British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, Thursday’s military rescue followed "weeks and weeks of very careful work by military and coalition personnel in Iraq, and many civilians as well."
"We had been working on this rescue for four months to no avail," added Maj. Gen. Lynch. "But after five minutes of blaring Billy Mays' voice into the compound, we could hear blood-curdling screams of 'Shi-Kabbalah, Shi-Kabbalah' coming from inside."
Fortunately, Sergeant Dan Henderson, a member of the rescue team, is fluent in colloquial Arabic.
"Basically, 'Shi-Kabbalah' is a local slang term for diarrhea," said Sergeant Henderson. "It's tough to translate, but, roughly, it means 'shish kebabs-on-tap.' Once I heard that, it was pretty clear that the kidnappers would be occupied for a while, and I told Maj. Gen. Lynch we should make our move."
"As expected, the captives were found unguarded, their kidnappers having vanished," reported Maj. Gen. Lynch. "Billy Mays’ voice could be the key to turning this war on terrorism completely around. Its applications are boundless. This is the kind of good news from Iraq the press ought to be reporting."
until next time...
Thursday, August 21, 2008
the school shooting
i had just dropped off my son at school. as i was driving home i turned on the radio and there was a breaking news story. in one of our local high schools a student had been shot. this particular high school, central high school, is located in the north part of knoxville. just after bill gentry hired me in october of 2006, he asked me to drive a special trip for him. it was taking his daughter and one of her classes to atlanta. since then, i have driven many trips for this school, so this event has some special interest to me.
at appx 8:11 this morning, a person shot a 16 year old student in the cafeteria. about 2 hours later, it was announced that ryan mcdonald, a freshman at central high school had died. the response of law enforcement was rapid. the 911 call came in at 8:11am, police arrived at the school 2 minutes later and at 8:17 a subject was in custody arrested several blocks away.
as i was keeping up with this story, i wondered if either of these students had been on one of my buses? had i met them? sometimes my children have been on trips with me . have my children ever seen them? i was processing this from my own perspective and it had become a selfish thought process.
every morning when i take a shower, i pray. it is one of those few times during the day where i am able to be in the quiet and i can pray and meditate. as i was praying, God clearly showed me this was not about me. this morning 2 kids left their homes. 1 will not be going back and chances are the other one will never be going home either. 2 sets of parents are hurting and grieving. both have lost a son. probably a sibling has lost a brother. either way you look at it, this is a horrible tragedy.
i have always heard the worst loss a person can have is the death of a child. i pray i will never know this pain. i was able to witness this 8 years ago when my older brother died. my parents grieved and it hurt me so badly to see my parents hurt like this and there was little i could do. i can't relate to this and not many parents can. 2 years later my father died and i can almost say with certainty that he grieved himself to death. he was never the same. my mother is still alive but she too, is not the same.
this story is one that so very wrong and tragic. it is so true and i wish it weren't. i don't know what to do other than pray and hold my children a little tighter and tell them i love them one more time. we can't keep our children from living life and we can't shield them from it either. but i often think about keeping them home and never leaving.
i have 4 wonderful children and i love them equally with all my heart. i recognize the equal love but as with most families we have different relationships with our children as the all have differing personalities. i wish they were all here so i could squeeze them and tell them i love them. i remember a commercial many years ago that featured paul"bear" bryant. he was plugging coke and it was mothers day weekend. his line was "don't forget to call your mom. i sure wish i could call mine" (his had passed away).
sometimes we have disagreements with our family and we don't tell them we love them nearly enough especially when we have been arguing and and one leaves to go somewhere.
what happened this morning and the details of their morning we may never know. where "i love yous" exchanged as these parents say their kids off to school?
i don't know and probably never will. what i do know is i will never allow a loved one to leave my presence without telling them i love them. it may be the last chance i get.
don't forget to tell your loved ones you love them. 2 parents may never get that chance again.
until next time...
at appx 8:11 this morning, a person shot a 16 year old student in the cafeteria. about 2 hours later, it was announced that ryan mcdonald, a freshman at central high school had died. the response of law enforcement was rapid. the 911 call came in at 8:11am, police arrived at the school 2 minutes later and at 8:17 a subject was in custody arrested several blocks away.
as i was keeping up with this story, i wondered if either of these students had been on one of my buses? had i met them? sometimes my children have been on trips with me . have my children ever seen them? i was processing this from my own perspective and it had become a selfish thought process.
every morning when i take a shower, i pray. it is one of those few times during the day where i am able to be in the quiet and i can pray and meditate. as i was praying, God clearly showed me this was not about me. this morning 2 kids left their homes. 1 will not be going back and chances are the other one will never be going home either. 2 sets of parents are hurting and grieving. both have lost a son. probably a sibling has lost a brother. either way you look at it, this is a horrible tragedy.
i have always heard the worst loss a person can have is the death of a child. i pray i will never know this pain. i was able to witness this 8 years ago when my older brother died. my parents grieved and it hurt me so badly to see my parents hurt like this and there was little i could do. i can't relate to this and not many parents can. 2 years later my father died and i can almost say with certainty that he grieved himself to death. he was never the same. my mother is still alive but she too, is not the same.
this story is one that so very wrong and tragic. it is so true and i wish it weren't. i don't know what to do other than pray and hold my children a little tighter and tell them i love them one more time. we can't keep our children from living life and we can't shield them from it either. but i often think about keeping them home and never leaving.
i have 4 wonderful children and i love them equally with all my heart. i recognize the equal love but as with most families we have different relationships with our children as the all have differing personalities. i wish they were all here so i could squeeze them and tell them i love them. i remember a commercial many years ago that featured paul"bear" bryant. he was plugging coke and it was mothers day weekend. his line was "don't forget to call your mom. i sure wish i could call mine" (his had passed away).
sometimes we have disagreements with our family and we don't tell them we love them nearly enough especially when we have been arguing and and one leaves to go somewhere.
what happened this morning and the details of their morning we may never know. where "i love yous" exchanged as these parents say their kids off to school?
i don't know and probably never will. what i do know is i will never allow a loved one to leave my presence without telling them i love them. it may be the last chance i get.
don't forget to tell your loved ones you love them. 2 parents may never get that chance again.
until next time...
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
on the dl
in baseball terms, i am on the disabled list. 4 days after my last post, i was in the baggage compartment of my bus loading some of the players bags. i was squatting and turned to my left. my body twisted but my right foot did not. i crushed the cartilage and the doctor took me off the road. the prognosis is surgery to repair or replace the medial meniscus, drain fluid, remove bone spurs and repair some other damage due to arthritis.
workman's comp has been an experience. while i feel fortunate to work for an employer who pays into workman's comp, it has been hard to survive on about 1/3 of my regular pay. don't get me wrong, i am not whining. the insurance company has been absolutely phenomenal with the service they have given me. lisa, earnestine and sheila have been professional and after a while it became personal. (no, not like that!!!)
my surgery date is september 5th and i am actually looking forward to it. my doctor is dr. paul naylor and i have been a patient of his for almost 12 years. he is an incredible doctor as well as a person. he is the kind of doc that if you have an appointment at 10:30, you are seeing him at 10:30. very rare these days. i trust him to the point that if he told me he had to cut off my ears to make my knee better i would not question it. probably a bad analogy but you get the point.
long story to get to the point. during this time, i spent a week with my 15 year old. her mother moved many years ago to franklin and i miss seeing her so much. it is so good to spend time with her. my 2 youngest started school and my son made the move up to middle school. i cried the first day of school. i dropped him off and he was so big and mature acting. i realized he is not a little boy anymore. he has adjusted well to such a big change. he and his sister have never been separated as far as school goes and it turns out it was harder on me than it was on them. if i had been working, i would have missed all of that experience. as far as my youngest daughter, it was like she had no summer break. next year may be different as she moves up to middle school. being off has enabled me to experience all of this as well as my spiritual side. sometimes in life at best we acknowledge God. slowing down like this has allowed me to "waller" in the spirit and meditate. it has gotten to the point i am thanking God for the injury. living where i live the only distractions i have is getting out to school or the store. other than that, God's creation has become more "personal". i have been able to reflect on how big yet personal he is. genesis 1:1 has become more real and tangible. he did a pretty incredible job!!! just thinking about how big "the heavens and the earth" are then realizing he knows how many hairs i have on my head is kinda cool!!!
i would not recommend an injury just to grow in your spiritual life. but if that is what it will take for me to experience the things i have, i pray for another one. soon!!!
until next time...
workman's comp has been an experience. while i feel fortunate to work for an employer who pays into workman's comp, it has been hard to survive on about 1/3 of my regular pay. don't get me wrong, i am not whining. the insurance company has been absolutely phenomenal with the service they have given me. lisa, earnestine and sheila have been professional and after a while it became personal. (no, not like that!!!)
my surgery date is september 5th and i am actually looking forward to it. my doctor is dr. paul naylor and i have been a patient of his for almost 12 years. he is an incredible doctor as well as a person. he is the kind of doc that if you have an appointment at 10:30, you are seeing him at 10:30. very rare these days. i trust him to the point that if he told me he had to cut off my ears to make my knee better i would not question it. probably a bad analogy but you get the point.
long story to get to the point. during this time, i spent a week with my 15 year old. her mother moved many years ago to franklin and i miss seeing her so much. it is so good to spend time with her. my 2 youngest started school and my son made the move up to middle school. i cried the first day of school. i dropped him off and he was so big and mature acting. i realized he is not a little boy anymore. he has adjusted well to such a big change. he and his sister have never been separated as far as school goes and it turns out it was harder on me than it was on them. if i had been working, i would have missed all of that experience. as far as my youngest daughter, it was like she had no summer break. next year may be different as she moves up to middle school. being off has enabled me to experience all of this as well as my spiritual side. sometimes in life at best we acknowledge God. slowing down like this has allowed me to "waller" in the spirit and meditate. it has gotten to the point i am thanking God for the injury. living where i live the only distractions i have is getting out to school or the store. other than that, God's creation has become more "personal". i have been able to reflect on how big yet personal he is. genesis 1:1 has become more real and tangible. he did a pretty incredible job!!! just thinking about how big "the heavens and the earth" are then realizing he knows how many hairs i have on my head is kinda cool!!!
i would not recommend an injury just to grow in your spiritual life. but if that is what it will take for me to experience the things i have, i pray for another one. soon!!!
until next time...
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
are they really missing anything?
i love the sounds at the ballpark. there are very distinct sounds and smells that take me back to my own youth. the crowds yelling at a play made well, the long ball, the ball smacking the pocket of the glove. the most recognizable sound is the ball coming off the bat with the unmistakable "crack". wood bats are made from a variety of hardwoods. all produce a different "crack" and some aficionados can even tell you what kind of wood a bat is just by that sound. my ears are not that trained but i can tell you this-metal bats ain't even close.
at this ballpark, there is a couple who work in the clubhouse. he is completely deaf and at best his wife is very hard of hearing. both have cell phones but i guess that is another story. they sign and seem to communicate well with each other as well as with the non-hearing impaired.
i had just gotten off the phone with family back home. i am sitting at a picnic table, watching a good game, and just enjoying being outdoors on a nice night. the small crowd was doing their best to provide some noise. this couple was there and they were gesturing to each other with each play. it was then that i realized we are watching the same game but hearing it differently.
i can't relate to living in a silent world. some hearing loss in one ear is as close as i can get. theirs is totally silent. they will never hear the "crack" nor the crowd. one of the sweetest sounds, your own child crying for the first time, they will never hear. no "i love yous". just silence. do you really "hear" silence? i started to feel some emotion over all they are missing. i sat there trying not to make my observations so obvious. as i watched, they appeared to enjoy the game more than i was!!! so, are they really missing anything? all their other senses more acute? i don't know.
i have seen them on many occasions. they silently go about their tasks with meticulous attention. they are almost always smiling and wave to me when they see me. society may look at their "handicap" but are they really "handicapped".
as i watched them i want to believe, have to, that they are living a "normal", healthy life just as i am. seeing their gestures and their faces, are they really missing anything? if they never heard, how would they know what they are missing?
most of us go through our lives with all of our senses intact and never hear what those closest to us are saying. our friends and family try to communicate with us but we miss it. here are 2 people, that i came to see aren't missing anything.
until next time...
at this ballpark, there is a couple who work in the clubhouse. he is completely deaf and at best his wife is very hard of hearing. both have cell phones but i guess that is another story. they sign and seem to communicate well with each other as well as with the non-hearing impaired.
i had just gotten off the phone with family back home. i am sitting at a picnic table, watching a good game, and just enjoying being outdoors on a nice night. the small crowd was doing their best to provide some noise. this couple was there and they were gesturing to each other with each play. it was then that i realized we are watching the same game but hearing it differently.
i can't relate to living in a silent world. some hearing loss in one ear is as close as i can get. theirs is totally silent. they will never hear the "crack" nor the crowd. one of the sweetest sounds, your own child crying for the first time, they will never hear. no "i love yous". just silence. do you really "hear" silence? i started to feel some emotion over all they are missing. i sat there trying not to make my observations so obvious. as i watched, they appeared to enjoy the game more than i was!!! so, are they really missing anything? all their other senses more acute? i don't know.
i have seen them on many occasions. they silently go about their tasks with meticulous attention. they are almost always smiling and wave to me when they see me. society may look at their "handicap" but are they really "handicapped".
as i watched them i want to believe, have to, that they are living a "normal", healthy life just as i am. seeing their gestures and their faces, are they really missing anything? if they never heard, how would they know what they are missing?
most of us go through our lives with all of our senses intact and never hear what those closest to us are saying. our friends and family try to communicate with us but we miss it. here are 2 people, that i came to see aren't missing anything.
until next time...
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
me, God and catch-up
i am at church and it is the beginning our vacation bible school. it is really cool to see the kids grow and learn. there are so many tools now to reach kids. as a friend of mine said, teach them how they learn. kids today are exposed to so much negative that it is a wonder anything positive gets in.
so much has happened since my last post. the last time i posted i was in birmingham and i wrote about a little boy i met named Solomon. here we are, june 23rd and there is so much to catch up on.
baseball has been baseball. this season is the opposite of last year as far as our season is going. we are about 15 games below .500 compared to being tied for 1st like we were last year. the season is about ½ over so there is a lot more to go.
all of my baseball trips have been good. there is a new management team this year and it has taken me a while to get them trained!!! lots of new faces. about a 50/50 mix of old faces returning.
in between baseball i have been enjoying my other trips. one thing i have been really bummed about is i have not been to d.c. at all. by now i would have been at least 3 times. there is something that i miss about the whole d.c. experience, especially Arlington. it is such a sacred place and i am missing it. i sat down a few nights ago and watched the video by trace adkins “Arlington” and was joined by my son. sometimes when we do things with our children we wonder how much attention they really pay. as we watched the video, he asked me to play it again. as it replayed he started with “remember when we went” and he started naming specific things he saw. i was surprised at how much detail he went into. the moment was as special as when we went there last year.
last week i was in pearl ms. and i had a moment that was one of those special “God moments” that i have blogged about previously. a week before, i was coming back from nashville and i had another experience that was a preface to this one. i had dropped off a group at their hotel and was empty going home. me and 57 empty seats. i stopped at a truck stop with a subway and got me something to eat. i had no place to be anytime soon so this was a leisurely trip home. earlier i had a breakdown and had to get a replacement bus. it had been a hard 3 days with this group. 14-18 hour days and it was a relief to get some “me” time. as i age, “me” time has become more important and when i can get it i soak it all in. it was about
now, back to pearl ms. it was a Sunday morning and we were rushing to get to the field. our “get away” days can be quite hectic and fast paced. our host hotel is located in flowood beside and across from a string of small lakes. there in front of me was a flock of geese (see earlier posts on geese) crossing the road. not flying, walking. i had to stop (chose to) while they crossed and they took their time. as i watched it became obvious it was another one of those times God is telling me to slow down and watch something. and i did. usually some of the players grumble if we get slowed down. not this time. there was silence. it was so cool. and then last night at Church. our class was meeting in the lobby and our lobby is surrounded by glass. we were discussing 1st Corinthians and the contrasts that are outlined in the 2nd chapter. as we discussed this a quick storm blew in with lots of thunder, lightning and rain. as it was passing, the smaller children could be heard screaming when there was a clap of thunder. coupled with several emergency vehicles going by and you start to get the picture. I looked out the window and there was one of the most beautiful rainbows I have seen in a while. the contrasts were quite parallel. on one side of me there was the screams of fear. behind me were the emergency vehicles with blaring sirens. so much chaos to get caught up in. and then i turn away from the chaos and distractions and i see the rainbow. after class i was driving home with my son and nephew, we followed the rainbow home.
as i get older, i think about my own mortality and come to the sobering thought that age wise, most of my life is behind me. as i stop and see rainbows, orange moons and geese crossing, i have come to realize i have only started living. tomorrow may be my last. based on what i have been seeing and experiencing, it still feels like only the best is just beginning.
until the next time… if there is
Monday, April 7, 2008
solomon's birthday
i normally try to keep my blogs in some kind of order just to make sense. there have been so many trips this year and i am trying to sort them out so i can blog about them. i felt the need to post this while the memories were still there.
at ballparks, they will flash your child's name on the media board during the game if it is their birthday. i noticed one name that stuck in my mind more than the others. it was solomon.
for those of you who read scripture, solomon was the son of david and bathsheba. solomon asked God for wisdom above all else-no riches, no vast populus to govern-just wisdom. and God gave him that wisdom and then he blessed him with great wealth. perhaps a lesson for all of us. anyway, i remembered his name for that reason-well, that and my son's name is isaac.
after the game, i noticed a young man walking with his mom to their car. actually i was blocking her in. we talked for a minute and she asked me if he could get some autographs. i said i would be happy to help if i could. when the first player came out to get on the bus, i noticed on the back of his hat was a name-solomon. i remembered the name flashing on the board and being the mensa member i am, it hit me that this was the birthday solomon. cute kid. as each player came out to get on the bus, he would look at me and i would nod a "yes" to let him know this was a player.
the reason i guess this affected me the way it did is because i was missing my own children and i have an unhealthy attachment to baseball. but that is not all.
it was sunday and this mom brought her son to a baseball game (she gets my vote) on a day most stay home and do family stuff, or church related things. to see thru his eyes for a few moments took me back to my childhood and all of my memories of the sight and smells of the parks i went to. the hot dogs, popcorn, hamburgers, cotton candy and sour apple and grape bubble gum. it was a time in my life where i could have taken a wrong turn and ended up choosing to do wrong and not do right. i chose to stay reasonably out of trouble and for the most part i have always landed on my feet despite falling far and often. and here is solomon-wide eyed wonder. not really aware of the fact that as these players develop, one day he will see some playing in the major leagues. and that is ok if he never sees it. for right now, it was mom, baseball, a birthday and some really tall guys who signed their names on a piece of paper. the innocence is something our children lose so quickly these days. i was privileged to be a small part of a day in the life of solomon. thanks for the memories. happy birthday.
until next time...
at ballparks, they will flash your child's name on the media board during the game if it is their birthday. i noticed one name that stuck in my mind more than the others. it was solomon.
for those of you who read scripture, solomon was the son of david and bathsheba. solomon asked God for wisdom above all else-no riches, no vast populus to govern-just wisdom. and God gave him that wisdom and then he blessed him with great wealth. perhaps a lesson for all of us. anyway, i remembered his name for that reason-well, that and my son's name is isaac.
after the game, i noticed a young man walking with his mom to their car. actually i was blocking her in. we talked for a minute and she asked me if he could get some autographs. i said i would be happy to help if i could. when the first player came out to get on the bus, i noticed on the back of his hat was a name-solomon. i remembered the name flashing on the board and being the mensa member i am, it hit me that this was the birthday solomon. cute kid. as each player came out to get on the bus, he would look at me and i would nod a "yes" to let him know this was a player.
the reason i guess this affected me the way it did is because i was missing my own children and i have an unhealthy attachment to baseball. but that is not all.
it was sunday and this mom brought her son to a baseball game (she gets my vote) on a day most stay home and do family stuff, or church related things. to see thru his eyes for a few moments took me back to my childhood and all of my memories of the sight and smells of the parks i went to. the hot dogs, popcorn, hamburgers, cotton candy and sour apple and grape bubble gum. it was a time in my life where i could have taken a wrong turn and ended up choosing to do wrong and not do right. i chose to stay reasonably out of trouble and for the most part i have always landed on my feet despite falling far and often. and here is solomon-wide eyed wonder. not really aware of the fact that as these players develop, one day he will see some playing in the major leagues. and that is ok if he never sees it. for right now, it was mom, baseball, a birthday and some really tall guys who signed their names on a piece of paper. the innocence is something our children lose so quickly these days. i was privileged to be a small part of a day in the life of solomon. thanks for the memories. happy birthday.
until next time...
Saturday, April 5, 2008
quantico x2
i love our country. i have a respect and admiration for the military that runs deep. transporting troops is a high honor for me.
recently i got to take a group of marines to quantico for training and i got to go back 2 weeks later to pick them up. this facility is eerie cool. the times i have been there, i have not seen anyone training. i heard them, never saw them. driving along these winding roads is quiet. then, you hear bursts of small arms fire. like i said, never saw them but they were there.
both trips were night drives. got to know the 2 leaders and these guys were always respectful. i would have expected no less from a marine. but these guys were also down to earth guys with families back home just like me. they were both married and had regular jobs. when we were coming home, i found out they were going back to their families for a while and then on to california before being deployed to iraq. for some this will be their second deployment. for some it is their third. they do what i don't have the guts to do. they are human just like me but that is about all. the work they do and the commitment with which they serve is nothing short of amazing. after dropping them off and the trip was over i prayed for them to return safely. the 2 leaders, Matt and Brandon are very capable leaders. they are the kind of guys a mother would trust their son or daughter to serve under knowing they will do all they can to bring them home safely. all this sounds good and patriotic and gives a feel good warmth. then, i remember my 10 year old wants to be a marine and serve his country. this now really hits home and it scares the hell out of me. sometimes i just sit and stare at my children. i want to soak it in as long as i can. there are times our children seem like the anti-christ and times you can see the halo and wings on their backs. to think of my son or any of my children serving our country, well, my chest swells real big. when i think of the reality that one day they may go to a war, i shrivel up with fear. and i put on the mask of denial. if my loved ones want to serve, i know i can't stop them. if they don't, i can't make them it is their decision. i hope they do. i hope they don't. if they do i can only hope the leadership is of the same caliber of Matt and Brandon. and if they read this blog, remember those you lead were kids at one time just like your own who wait for you back home. i also know that they and you will come home safely because of your leadership. as a parent, thanks. as an American, i am privileged to have met you. i pray for you and all those who serve. God Bless you.
until next time...
recently i got to take a group of marines to quantico for training and i got to go back 2 weeks later to pick them up. this facility is eerie cool. the times i have been there, i have not seen anyone training. i heard them, never saw them. driving along these winding roads is quiet. then, you hear bursts of small arms fire. like i said, never saw them but they were there.
both trips were night drives. got to know the 2 leaders and these guys were always respectful. i would have expected no less from a marine. but these guys were also down to earth guys with families back home just like me. they were both married and had regular jobs. when we were coming home, i found out they were going back to their families for a while and then on to california before being deployed to iraq. for some this will be their second deployment. for some it is their third. they do what i don't have the guts to do. they are human just like me but that is about all. the work they do and the commitment with which they serve is nothing short of amazing. after dropping them off and the trip was over i prayed for them to return safely. the 2 leaders, Matt and Brandon are very capable leaders. they are the kind of guys a mother would trust their son or daughter to serve under knowing they will do all they can to bring them home safely. all this sounds good and patriotic and gives a feel good warmth. then, i remember my 10 year old wants to be a marine and serve his country. this now really hits home and it scares the hell out of me. sometimes i just sit and stare at my children. i want to soak it in as long as i can. there are times our children seem like the anti-christ and times you can see the halo and wings on their backs. to think of my son or any of my children serving our country, well, my chest swells real big. when i think of the reality that one day they may go to a war, i shrivel up with fear. and i put on the mask of denial. if my loved ones want to serve, i know i can't stop them. if they don't, i can't make them it is their decision. i hope they do. i hope they don't. if they do i can only hope the leadership is of the same caliber of Matt and Brandon. and if they read this blog, remember those you lead were kids at one time just like your own who wait for you back home. i also know that they and you will come home safely because of your leadership. as a parent, thanks. as an American, i am privileged to have met you. i pray for you and all those who serve. God Bless you.
until next time...
transportation day
today i had the pleasure of participating in transportation day at what i thought was "just another elementary" school. i knew little about this school. to be honest, i never knew it existed until i went there.
when i got there, i was told where to park and the students would be coming out in small groups. so, i sat and after a while they started coming out. for those of you who know me, i love children no matter the age, race, or whatever. grown-ups shed their innocence and kids (most) still have that wide eyed wonder about everything. these kids were no different. or so i thought. here is something i copied/pasted from the school website (name deleted):
" (deleted) School is unique in that it serves children throughout Knox County. The majority of students attending (deleted) School are eligible to receive special education services. Most of the students attending (deleted) School are preschool age (three through five years old) and participate in a partial day program. Additionally, there is one Comprehensive Development Classroom-Activities Based (CDC-A) serving school aged students (six through twenty-two years old). This CDC-A class serves multi-handicapped, medically fragile children whose needs are best met in a specialized setting.
as they came out, there were smiles and they look in their eyes i can't describe. when they got on the coach, they were all eyes and they sat at appeared to soak it all in. there are times when i spend time around special needs children, i usually end up sad and sometimes i weep when i think of all they will miss in life. i know that is the narrow mindedness in which i sometimes look thru. at times i weep tears of sadness. this was different. as i said, the look in their eyes was different. they took it all in. they were not sad. they were happy and i was too. what started out as a p.r. day turned into a day i will never forget. i went to show them one of our new coaches. they ended up teaching me to never stop looking at life with wonder and excitement. sometimes the teacher gets taught. sometimes the leader needs leading. today, i was changed thru the eyes of these little angels. ashley, thanks.
until next time...
when i got there, i was told where to park and the students would be coming out in small groups. so, i sat and after a while they started coming out. for those of you who know me, i love children no matter the age, race, or whatever. grown-ups shed their innocence and kids (most) still have that wide eyed wonder about everything. these kids were no different. or so i thought. here is something i copied/pasted from the school website (name deleted):
" (deleted) School is unique in that it serves children throughout Knox County. The majority of students attending (deleted) School are eligible to receive special education services. Most of the students attending (deleted) School are preschool age (three through five years old) and participate in a partial day program. Additionally, there is one Comprehensive Development Classroom-Activities Based (CDC-A) serving school aged students (six through twenty-two years old). This CDC-A class serves multi-handicapped, medically fragile children whose needs are best met in a specialized setting.
as they came out, there were smiles and they look in their eyes i can't describe. when they got on the coach, they were all eyes and they sat at appeared to soak it all in. there are times when i spend time around special needs children, i usually end up sad and sometimes i weep when i think of all they will miss in life. i know that is the narrow mindedness in which i sometimes look thru. at times i weep tears of sadness. this was different. as i said, the look in their eyes was different. they took it all in. they were not sad. they were happy and i was too. what started out as a p.r. day turned into a day i will never forget. i went to show them one of our new coaches. they ended up teaching me to never stop looking at life with wonder and excitement. sometimes the teacher gets taught. sometimes the leader needs leading. today, i was changed thru the eyes of these little angels. ashley, thanks.
until next time...
Friday, January 18, 2008
mission of hope
for those of you unfamiliar with the mission of hope, it is an organization that reaches thousands of people in parts of tennessee and kentucky applachians. these people are among the poorest of the poor in our nation. the people i have personally come in contact are a wonderful group and they live in conditions most of us turn our noses up at. they tend to provide for their families below poverty levels and most have little or no means of support. there are no jobs in these "wilderness" type areas. they are born here, live here and die here. i would guess alot of them never leave the area and probably never will.
my trip to harlan county, ky. was a cold day. we left about 0630 and arrived about 0900. the roads at best are paved? and narrow. it is a tight fit in a 45' coach. most of the roads both the left and right sides of my bus were over the lines.
we pulled up to a school that was k-8 and even with 9 grades it was small. the road was so narrow, i literally had to drive back into "town" just to turn around so i could get back in the parking lot. once parked, i headed back into the school. as i was walking down the sidewalk in front of the school, i noticed a deer leg laying on the ground. what a contrast to my "comfy" world. here at home, if someone found a deer leg they would call 911 for a hazmat crew to come and clean it up. probably become a superfund site!!! but here, it was accepted.
i walked into the gym and saw table after table with covered up toys for all the kids in this school. the group i took there was from Christ Covenant Church in knoxville. long story short, after a skit, it was time for the kids to go "shopping". i was taken back as i stood there and this kid, about 11 or 12 with red, curly hair came up to me and hugged me. he said "thanks for coming up here and what you do. Merry Christmas". i said "Merry Christmas" and off he went to sit with his classmates. a few minutes later, thru the view finder of my video camera, i spotted a boy who has his head "buzzed". next to him sat his brother who had no hair due to chemo. the look in their eyes was one of emptiness. i had to get some fresh air.
after i composed myself, the kids screamed with joy when the tarps covering their gifts was removed.
i remember child after child asking if they could get one more gift for their little brother or sister. they were allowed 2 gifts each. i also remember those who got one gift for themselves and another for a brother or sister.
after we cleaned up and ate, the leaders were given a large stack of thank you notes from the kids. one in particular came from a girl named "amber" (name changed). her note said she 11 and she told of it being a hard year for her mom. her dad had died earlier in the year and sometimes they had no food. the only money her mother got was a check from the government. she told of her brother who could not puts words together to make a sentence. then it hit me-she was thanking us for her Christmas because that was all she was going to get. on the bus, the leader talked about the fact that if not for the mission of hope there would be no Christmas for most of these kids.
i flashed back to my own youth. Christmas coming, making out a list, go see santa claus, and then waiting for Christmas eve. growing up, Christmas was almost magical. the anticipation of all those gifts was enough to always be on my best behavior. getting to open them was a time of intensiveness i can't describe. these kids have and will not experience that. santa was not real and never had been. there was no fantasy here. only reality. and their reality was a very harsh one.
God Bless the works of the mission of hope and all they do. this is only one facet of the works these volunteers do. for more information, go to www.missionofhope.org.
my life was made different that day. i will do it again without having to think about it. my heart was changed as was my outlook. giving is truly a joy.
until next time...
my trip to harlan county, ky. was a cold day. we left about 0630 and arrived about 0900. the roads at best are paved? and narrow. it is a tight fit in a 45' coach. most of the roads both the left and right sides of my bus were over the lines.
we pulled up to a school that was k-8 and even with 9 grades it was small. the road was so narrow, i literally had to drive back into "town" just to turn around so i could get back in the parking lot. once parked, i headed back into the school. as i was walking down the sidewalk in front of the school, i noticed a deer leg laying on the ground. what a contrast to my "comfy" world. here at home, if someone found a deer leg they would call 911 for a hazmat crew to come and clean it up. probably become a superfund site!!! but here, it was accepted.
i walked into the gym and saw table after table with covered up toys for all the kids in this school. the group i took there was from Christ Covenant Church in knoxville. long story short, after a skit, it was time for the kids to go "shopping". i was taken back as i stood there and this kid, about 11 or 12 with red, curly hair came up to me and hugged me. he said "thanks for coming up here and what you do. Merry Christmas". i said "Merry Christmas" and off he went to sit with his classmates. a few minutes later, thru the view finder of my video camera, i spotted a boy who has his head "buzzed". next to him sat his brother who had no hair due to chemo. the look in their eyes was one of emptiness. i had to get some fresh air.
after i composed myself, the kids screamed with joy when the tarps covering their gifts was removed.
i remember child after child asking if they could get one more gift for their little brother or sister. they were allowed 2 gifts each. i also remember those who got one gift for themselves and another for a brother or sister.
after we cleaned up and ate, the leaders were given a large stack of thank you notes from the kids. one in particular came from a girl named "amber" (name changed). her note said she 11 and she told of it being a hard year for her mom. her dad had died earlier in the year and sometimes they had no food. the only money her mother got was a check from the government. she told of her brother who could not puts words together to make a sentence. then it hit me-she was thanking us for her Christmas because that was all she was going to get. on the bus, the leader talked about the fact that if not for the mission of hope there would be no Christmas for most of these kids.
i flashed back to my own youth. Christmas coming, making out a list, go see santa claus, and then waiting for Christmas eve. growing up, Christmas was almost magical. the anticipation of all those gifts was enough to always be on my best behavior. getting to open them was a time of intensiveness i can't describe. these kids have and will not experience that. santa was not real and never had been. there was no fantasy here. only reality. and their reality was a very harsh one.
God Bless the works of the mission of hope and all they do. this is only one facet of the works these volunteers do. for more information, go to www.missionofhope.org.
my life was made different that day. i will do it again without having to think about it. my heart was changed as was my outlook. giving is truly a joy.
until next time...
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