Thanksgiving

If you are on Facebook, you may have noticed some of your friends doing a 30 days of Thanksgiving countdown. Quite simply, you give one thing per day that you are thankful for. This not a bad idea because we so often forget to thank God for the blessings we have. And blessed we are. I know that many folk are going through some of the roughest times in their lives at this time. I have two friends that lost their husbands, in their 50's, this year and I have ached for them. This time of year seems to make it more difficult to deal with that loss.

I don't know about you, but, I find it hard sometimes to think about what I could be thankful for. We have a tradition at my mother-in-laws as we sit at the table, we each give thanks for something before the blessing and the eventual destruction of the bounty in front of us. The difficulty of thankfulness shows at that time. Everyone of us has had the situation of just saying, "I am thankful for my family". There is nothing wrong with that but we should be thankful for much more. I believe, our problem is we take so many things for granted and don't view them as blessings. Our human nature, at least lately if not always, is to be wanting more or to feel entitled to something we don't have or have not earned or given to us from God's love for us. God warned us about that in the "Ten Commandments", "Thou shalt not covet....".

I hope this does not seem to be "preachie" because I have the same difficulties describing what I am thankful for as well as the next person. I want to lump all of my blessings into one little catch phrase to get myself off the hook. So, I think I will try to list some of my thankfulness now.

I am thankful for:
 1.  Jesus Christ who by giving of his life and rising from the dead has given me the choice to follow him and have eternal life.
 2.  God providing safety for my son-in-law while he was deployed to Iraq.
 3.  My wife who continues to hang with me even on my worst days.
 4.  My children, for they have brought me joy.
 5.  My Mom and Dad, for their unconditional love and the godly heritage they provide
 6.  My brother and sisters
 7.  My extended family (in laws)
 8.  My job, so many don't have one now.
 9.  My church family for their love
10.  United States of America and it's godly heritage that has provided the freedom we have to even have a Thanksgiving day.
11. The things that make life more comfortable (and likely make me more complacent on thanking God).

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. May you be thankful today for the blessings God has provided you.

Home

Home at last! Yes he is. His physical body is not yet sitting in his physical house but he is on Mississippi soil and Sonia is spending time with him as he and his fellow soldiers are processing out.

It has been a long year. We thank our great on wonderful God for all he has supplied during this last year. First and foremost his safety and the safety of his unit.

Although the news doesn't report much from there anymore, his deployment was not uneventful, but all are safe and returning.

Thank you 1-185th Aviation Battalion for your service to your country. Because of your efforts we are safer.

Almost There

Well, we are almost there! SNL will be on Mississippi soil in a day or two. I cannot begin to tell you how excited, elated, overjoyed, and as my daughter put it "getting butterflies" we are to have him almost here.

This little blog post is to have you to continue to pray for him, and the men he has served with this last year. Some are coming home to families falling apart and some to spouses diagnosed with life challenging diseases. All of them will have to re-integrate into society again. Their families will have to adjust along side of them as well, when husband and daddy returns.

Although I am primarily concerned with him and his group, the war in Iraq is winding down and many will be coming home to the same situations. Multiple deployments have taken a toll on the family structure that our great nation is built around and as that crumbles so does the very being of who we are.

Specifically pray for patience (on everyone's part), for peace in their spirits, and for their safety as they take these last legs of travel to get home.

Thanks to all of you who have remembered them all this time and have helped in ways that cannot be counted here but will be in eternity.

Country Living

 I have been reading lately on worship and the relevance of our churches. This is not deep but I just thought I would re-post.

I have found that the older I get the more reflective I become. I am not quite sure if that is normal, but that is me nonetheless. This morning I woke up thinking about some of the places I have had the privilege to live. Until I married, all them but one were in the country ( outside city limits for you city folk).

Maybe some of you have heard your parents or at least your grandparents talk about the simpler way of life or the good old days. Growing up in the country is just that type of living. In those days there were many things you didn't have in your community. You didn't have drug problems unless of course you count smoking rabbit tobacco as a drug. It didn't alter you mind but it would burn your insides because it wasn't a processed product but right off the stalk. We didn't roll in paper but made our own corncob pipes from, you guessed it, corn cobs and hollowed out cane.

Another thing you didn't have was a supermarket. Oh, we had a little country store as most communities did that sold gas, and a few staples to tie you over until you could go to town. Today you might call them a convenience store. They always had a big jar on the counter with a pink brine that kept the pig's feet pickled. Yes, lots of folks ate pickled pigs feet, I am not one of them. If you wanted bologna, you would tell the store owner and he go to the cooler and get this big long loaf of bologna and take it the slicer and slice the amount that you wanted. Oh, and gas at his store cost $.32 a gallon. No kidding.

Another thing different was jobs when you were a teenager. Most of us guys, would help on the farms in the community. I remember there were six of us that worked together as a team hauling hay, and unloading feed and seed trucks, and a host of other jobs needed. When it came lunch time we would go the the store, get a pound of bologna and some crackers that we would share. We each would then buy our own quart size RC Cola and have ourselves a feast. The good old days. We were all the best of friends. We would work, play, and hunt together. We would get together and go to town on Friday nights to the movies. The good old days. Not hardly a care in the world.

An important part of all those communities was the church. Many had a couple, maybe a Methodist and a Baptist. Ours, just the Baptist. It was the hub of all that happened in the community. Here we gathered to worship, see friends that we hadn't seen all week, and on many occasions have a dinner on the ground. If you have never had dinner on the ground at a country church, you have missed one of the greatest eating festivals of all time. Everyone would bring their favorite dish and we would place them on tables and then everyone would walk through buffet style and help themselves. MMMMMMMMM good eats. The children would play games and the adults would catch up on things. The good old days.

On occasion, I have the opportunity to revisit some of the places I used to live. In most, the country store is gone. Gas is no longer $.32 a gallon. My friends have moved on to other places. That way of life is slowly being lost in our nation, one family at a time. But there is still one constant in those country communities, THE CHURCH. Yes some have died with their community, but many remain. They are still the focal point of spiritual renewal and fellowship. Like the old country communities, the church where we live plays the same important part of everyday life. Many do not recognize it's importance, but it is important just the same. They are the focal point of spiritual renewal, fellowship, and grounding of everyday life. Without them the basic moral teachings would be lost. Without them many of us would be alone in our spiritual journey.

As you read this, if you do not attend the local church in your community, go. They are not perfect, but there are those there that will become your friends. They will be there for you and show you the one who is perfect and has a perfect love for you.

I don't think being reflective is all bad. It allows us to see where we have been and maybe give us a glimpse of where we are going. It is how we get there that counts.

Intolerant

Intolerant, an adjective, to be unable or unwilling to endure. The first time I remember hearing the word was in the verb form, tolerate. I was in the sixth grade. My “homeroom” teacher was the principle of the elementary school. He would always say “I will not tolerate…..”, or “your… will not be tolerated, that would be some misbehavior on someone’s part. Out came the dictionary so that I would know what in the world he was talking about.That was a big word then.

Today, the word has become a brand to describe everyone who disagrees with your particular social or political agenda. It is used to beat you down and make you cower as soon as the word is tossed into the air. You are to tremble in fear if you are labeled as intolerant. It is used to degrade your opinion or knowledge and is an effort to make them irrelevant.

As a Christian, I have learned that we should be intolerant of sin. I have also learned that sin wants to be tolerated. Truth shows sin as it is. Sin seeks to redefine truth. God's Word, the Bible, is the truth that reveals that sin, whether through the words of the prophets of the Old Testament, or from the Gospels of the New Testament recording the words of Jesus. Sin viewed in this light is clearly seen, personal or societal.

Sin, individual or group, is not new in a society. From the fall of man to today's social agendas sin has worked to be acceptable. It has found ways and will continue to chip away at the moral fiber of our churches and the nation. Will we (I) continue to stand aside and watch as we flush ourselves down the toilet, or will we gain a backbone and stand against the assault, with the Truth, the real Truth.

I have found that being intolerant, in light of The Truth, a correct action and in that light  will accept being called intolerant as a compliment.

First Grade

Today my oldest grandson registered for the first grade. This is a huge deal. Kindergarten was big but this is really big.

I remember my first day, uh hum, 50 years ago. It was at Main Street Elementary school in Yazoo City Mississippi. I don't remember my teachers name because we moved during the Christmas break to a new town. What I do remember about that first semester, was my attempted escape from the school. I don't remember the circumstances but I remember getting to the outside door before I was captured and returned to my cell.... classroom.

We moved to Clarksdale, MS where I again enrolled in my first day in the first grade. My teacher there was Mrs. Jones. She was a great teacher and I can remember her well. Many years later I met her daughter who was attending Mississippi College.

It was in Mrs. Jones class that I met a boy that joined up a day after me. We instantly became inseparable friends for the next three years. That is when we moved again. I wish I could remember the names of all the kids then. I would Google them or see if they were on Facebook. But too many years have passed since those innocent days.

I remember the big fat pencils that you could really hurt someone with if you bopped them on the head. I remember the tablets with the lines and that dotted line so you could learn upper and lower case letters. I remember learning to read, "See Jane Run". I remember we had our own bathroom in the classroom so we didn't have to go down the hall and... escape. Later I wondered if they had them there because many of us were still not quite potty trained. Not me but some. I remember recess on the playground with swings, slides, monkey bars, chase, red rover, football and some crying. A few years ago I had the opportunity to go by that old school again. I looked through the door down the halls. The principle's office is still by the front door. The play ground is still there but more "safe" and in my minds eye I could still see us playing all those games.

Today made me think of Mrs. Jones and how she guided me that first year. She was stern but caring and I hope I will never forget  her.

 I learned today that Cayden's first grade teacher is a Mrs. Jones. I hope she can make the same impression on him as my Mrs. Jones did on me. If so, he will be alright.

The Fourth Of July

For some today is just another day to celebrate a holiday. For others, it is remembering those family members who went to other shores to secure the freedoms we for now, still hold. For yet still others it is a day of praying that our loved ones in foreign lands taking the fight to those who wish to impose their will on us will remain safe from harm.

On this day, we spout our platitudes on freedom and what it means, but yet many have taken those freedoms for granted for so long they mean nothing to them. It will be easy for them to fall for the trappings or appearances of something that "could" be better. Oh, wait, this country just did that. We liked the words of "Hope and Change" but didn't really look at what that might mean. What it has meant, at least to this Southern Boy, is the eroding of our basic freedoms.

All the quips and slogans that have been spoken and posted on Facebook sound good and may make some feel better, but the reality is most have not spent the time to evaluate what they are saying. What do they really, I mean really mean to these people? That is what I like to hear. Not something learned by rote all the years of your lives, but what does it really mean. What if you had to live differently?

Day 4 NYC

Day 4 our last day in NYC started somewhat lazily. I am not ashamed to say that we were tired. We had covered miles and miles of asphalt, but it was a good tired because we were having the time of our life.

Our first stop of course involved food. We ate a good breakfast at the little cafe we found a couple of days before then we went down to time square to stand in line to get discounted tickets to a Broadway show,"Jersey Boys". More about that later.

After buying the tickets, we caught the subway down to Canal (aka China Town). We spent a couple of hours bargain hunting. It was fun "Jewing" down the prices on some items that we brought back.

This is a real NYC Chinese fish market

Then on to "Little Italy". Italian resturants on both sides of the street for about 3 blocks. These were real Italian eateries. Linen table cloths, the works. Then up to Spring street where we could get a real Italian pizza. They were right. Lombardy's was a quite the place. A small was more than enough for Shirley and I to have plenty to eat.

Back on the subway to Time Square then on the the show, Jersey Boys. This is the story of the Frankie Vallli and the Four Seasons. The music was outstanding. If you closed your eyes you would swear the real thing was there on stage. The language left a lot to be desired, but the music.... man!

After the show we went Grand Central Station then a leisurely walk to see Time Square one last time. On the way we stopped by Bryant Park and people watched in some quite laid back place.

What a trip! It was all we could dream of and all we had hoped it would be.

Day 3 NYC

Our day started with sleeping late. We headed out to the NBC studios to do the tour only to find out they were sold out until 6:00pm. On the way we ran into our grandson Cayden's favorite characters.

We headed down to 42nd and 7th avenue to catch the buss tour to Brooklyn. The line was so long we opted to walk the 5 blocks down to pier 83 to take the 3 hour tour. I know, I thought of the theme song for Gilligan's Island. It was relaxing trip around the entire island. Our tour guide was great! He later told us that he was once a professor of speech and acting at one of the universities there. While working the ship for a summer job, the company learned what he did and hired him as a tour guide. 

After the tour we made it back up to Hotel (10 blocks) on foot. While crossing broad way we ran into a street vendors festival.

Then we made it to our tour of the NBC studios and saw the sets of Jimmy Fallon, which is the same set as Johnny Carson when he was in NY. We also saw the set of Saturday Night Live. Sorry no pics of this adventure they wouldn't allow them.

Finally back to the line for the bus night and Brooklyn tour. Lots of new things to see and rode over the Manhattan bridge into Brooklyn.

Then back into Manhattan off the bus in a very crowded Time Square. Walked the 10 blocks back to the Hotel where I am now. 

Day 2 New York

Day two started with a thunderstorm about 5:00am so we slept in. When we  finally ventured out we started with a good breakfast in a very busy café. But they were hustling and kept the turnover going. They weren’t rushing folks but as folks left they had the table cleared in seconds and the next one sat down. Once again our waitress was from Poland. Go figure that we would eat at two different cafés and our waitresses would be from Poland. Of course no sweet tea!! Iced tea but not sweet! There was a lady sitting behind Shirley and she heard her ask for sweet tea and when leaving she told us she had committed the same offense. She was from Alabama.

We left there and walked another two blocks to Central Park, an oasis in the midst of chaos. We too found it very peaceful. We took the horse and buggy ride and learned a lot about the park. There were rock outcroppings throughout and we learned that Manhattan is on bedrock. The tall buildings here can be built because they dig down until they get to the bedrock then start building. In Central Park, the rock pops up above the surface and looks like the foothills of a mountain range in the middle of all the asphalt and steel.

Shirley texting a friend telling how much the buggy ride was.

Our carriage driver. He is from Ireland. Doesn't he remind you Dana Carvey?

After the ride.

Rock cropping and if you look close you will see two people asleep on top!

After that we took our first subway ride. Crowded and hot are two adjectives I would use to describe it. Shirley had an experience that only she can tell you about. Not bad but really weird.

Down underground

Next out to Liberty Island. All I can say about that is “emotional”. I cannot remember a time in my life that I have not wanted to see “Lady Liberty”. It was all that I had ever imagined. A bonus was there. A high school band from Springdale Arkansas was there playing. They played “America the Beautiful”. Need I say more. 

Isn't she just beautiful?

Bet you are wondering how I took this photo. Let's just say a really good lens on the camera. I was on the ground at the base.

One the way back a thunderstorm blew up and we all got wet. By the time we reached the dock it had stopped for us long enough to get back to the subway station.

We rode the subway to uptown and then got on the bus tour again and went up to Columbia University and Harlem.

The Apollo taken while getting completely wet!

 Guess what? Another thunderstorm!! We were on top of double-decker bus with no cover. Wet again! The guide then handed out ponchos, which helped. But we just laughed and made the best of the situation.

We made it back to the hotel, wet! Changed clothes and went to the “Top of the Rock”. Beautiful! We waited until dark and it was well worth it.

The top of the Empire State Building at the left. I think my lens might be a little dirty for a night shot.

We have found out that we need to know Dutch, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, German, Spanish and a host of other languages. You know how you want a pic of the two of you in front of something neat and you just grab a passerby and ask them. Nope, ain't going to happen!

Topped the night off with desert.

Day 1 New York

We ran all over town today. We started the day by going to see the Today Show. The whole crew came out for a cooking segment on was outside on the plaza. I took pictures of Matt, Ann, and the rest. 

Shirley got to shake hands with Ann Currie, twice. Ann even called her “sweetie”. 

That is the top of Shirley's Head

We walked down to “Time Square” where we found a little out of the way café for breakfast. Our waitress is from Poland and has been in the US for about 4 ½ years. She had a great personality and was very good at her job. It was a really nice way to start off the day. By the way, you can get iced tea in New York just not sweet. 

What an awesome view from atop the Empire State Building.

 I was real nervous about the elevator ride but it was a non-event, except for the fact it took less than a minute to go 80 floors. I mean really fast but you didn’t get that feel of loosing your stomach. Our ears popped, but more going down than up. It was worth it. You could see for miles. While there we did the New York Sky Ride.(a virtual simulator ride) Not worth the money. In fact, we thought it was a dud. It was expensive and not very good, except to make you very sick. Nearly lost my breakfast there.

Hopped back on the bus and headed further out on Broadway. Got off at the World Trade Center sight. 104 floors are up and they are still climbing on the rebuild. Just outside about 100 yards away is the church that survived the collapse. St. Paul’s I think. Can’t remember. Anyway, there was much inside on the days following the recovery efforts.

Then we went down another block to the little temporary museum for 911. A real nice one is being built to house these exhibits and more.

I rounded a corner into a room with pictures of many if not all of the persons that lost their lives on that day. To say that I became emotional would be a gross understatement. Many emotions from that day, just a few short 10 years ago, came to the top as I once again was reminded of the human toll extracted by those madmen.  I am not sure how anyone could go to that site and not think of this area as hallowed ground.

After walking another mile we made to battery park and the next bus stop to get on the bus to ride back as close as we could to our hotel.

After a little rest we headed out again aiming for the “Top of the Rock”. Unfortunately they were sold out tonight but we have our tickets for tomorrow night and are looking forward to looking out over New York at night.

We had a great day and really can’t believe we are here. It has been a desire for many, many years, but we never thought we would do this.

It has been a wonderful gift and we are enjoying it more than we could say Thank You enough. If you get the chance do it.

Playing Baseball

Since the first of April I have been going to my grandson's baseball games. This is his second year to play and he is playing T-ball/Coach pitch. It has been an absolute fun thing to do. I must admit that I dreaded it before it began, but it has been so much fun to watch these 6 year old boys improve over the last weeks. His team is 8 wins and 1 loss and now is in second place in his division.

While watching him my own baseball days, which were quite few, have come to mind. I remember playing T-Ball and moving up to when the players pitched. I didn't play anymore after the 5th grade, but I would like to share with you two stories that I remember.

Story 1
I believe I was in the third grade and was at bat. In those days the batting helmets were quite different than today. They consisted of little more than a hard piece of plastic that went around the temples with ear holes and a strap that went over the head from ear to ear to hold it on. Well the little pitcher thought he was Major League and tried to throw a curve, and it curved alright right up against my head. Out I went, cold as a cucumber. When I came to our family Dr. was there waking me up.(he just happened to be at the game) I thought I was OK to go to first and I did make it, but when the next batter hit the ball I couldn't find second base. It kept moving from side to side. Needless to say I was thrown out at second. I can remember that fogging look just like yesterday when it is now almost 50 years ago. Ugh! Time has flown.

Story 2
Let me begin this one with just a little background. For those of you who don't know me personally, my dad is a Baptist minister and has been all my life. In my younger years, most Christians were more legalistic in living. We didn't play sports on Sunday's or do much of anything else for that matter. If the church doors were open for meetings then you were there. For a brief period my dad was not serving a church and we attended as regular members of a local church where we lived at the time.

It was baseball time again that spring and I played once again. Well, now there were some games on Wednesday night and of course I couldn't go. Except one time. I finally talked my dad into letting play this one Wednesday. I don't remember why it was so special. He relented this time and took me to the field and then he went to prayer meeting at church which was less than a mile away. In the course of that hour a huge thunderstorm blew up and they called the game for lighting. And man was it. Then the rain came in buckets. Everyone left and there I was a 5th grader standing alone in the dark under the eave of the concession stand in the worst storm I could remember. Dad suddenly realized what was going on outside and came to the rescue. He said nothing but I knew that I would never ever again do that when I was to be at church. I got the message loud and clear.

I was never very good. Couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. If  I got on base the ball always had manged to hit me instead of me hitting it, but I will always remember those days as fun days and times.

So here is to my grandson, GO CAYDEN!