Related to our family
There are great times with family and then there are GREAT TIMES. Yesterday was one of those. My daughter’s reception for all the family and friends who did not make the trip to St. Lucia. It was great to be with them all.
I love my family. Needless to say getting them all to the same place to celebrate my daughter’s wedding for those who could not make the wedding in St. Lucia.
Despite tech issues, I was simply reminded life is not all that serious.
Yesterday I had a simply great day with friends and family at our church gathering in New Hampshire. The music was great and the people were friendly and fun to be with. The message my friend Scott delivered was a joy to hear.
I know for many, church is not always a fun place to be. Words of condemnation coupled with guilt, pain and other hurtful feelings can often keep you from the very place of understanding and joy God has for you. I have to say my church gathering is a joy to be around. (I also need to say not all church was like that for me.) Continue reading Enjoying The Body of Christ
I think about the fear I see grip people. I think about how much goes unaccomplished in our world over the issue of fear. I accept the fact that fear can be a perceived or real issue.
Some 30 years ago, I remember watching a horror movie on a 19” black and white Sony. I remember the boy climbing into the coffin and I clearly remember the body jumping up. That was it. TV off, lights off.
I had been a horror film watcher for years and all of a sudden this one “got” me. Years later I became involved in witchcraft and I cannot begin to tell you the journey of fear. I do not watch fright films or horror films and have not for many a year. (Who needs the spirit of fear in your home or life?) I like life without fear. That is not to say in my “born again” experience I have not been afraid and had to overcome it a time or two. Continue reading Shhhh… Listen! Do You Smell The Sound Of Fear?
Today I will be headed out to go bowling with my grandson Jacob. He has never bowled and it has been a couple of years for me. I used to bowl a lot. As a child I belonged to two Saturday leagues, paying for my bowling by cleaning the bowling balls Friday afternoons while my mom bowled in a teacher’s league. One of the most competitive times in my life I think. Everyone wanted to bowl that elusive 300. So today will be fun.
Today as I was thinking about being a child and what was important I did my due diligence with news and what I was praying and how I would pray. I thought what is the significance (If any, how do we focus, do we care, etc..) and how we might respond. Continue reading The Good News Is You Can Change It
A little tongue in cheek for the morning.
The first step asks that you admit you are powerless over Post-It’s and that your life is unmanageable.
I guess on some levels I must be a romantic. I guess I believe everything will just work out. You know, find the right girl (Or guy), and life will be without problem, without discord. Perhaps I am a little Pollyanna in part from the generation and culture I grew up in.
So my desire to be “organized” is not as good as I would like. I tend to rely on experience and not thought process some times. If I am helping someone else that is one thing…but me? Continue reading The Ability To Be Organized – May It Be Empowered!
Air hockey! Toboggan! BB guns!
Each year my parents would buy our family one “major” gift. As children we would be up sometime around 5AM and head towards the living room door. We were not allowed “in” the living room, so looking over at the gifts that were not there the night before in the hallway light was just “painful.”
Our family traditions were simple on so many levels. Once our parents were up we were allowed to open handmade stockings from our grandmothers. They contained gold coin chocolate, tangerines and walnuts, as well as one or two special smaller gifts. Then off to breakfast, to return to open the larger gifts. Continue reading Christmas Day In The Morning
Well, the Christmas season is in full swing. And even if the use of the word Christmas is politically incorrect, I am still enjoying a lot of it. It is less than a week until Christmas. As I have said in the past I would be lying if I was to tell you I am not excited. The idea of having all my children and grandchildren and maybe a friend or two over is so cool to me. This year we have “let up” on the presents except for the grandchildren to help out some other folks and that is just fine with me. I also broke the “Ann Lander’s rule on Christmas letters” to my clients and readers. So, far ALL the letters were thanking me for being a voice, not listening to Ann Landers and thinking about them. Besides no one would ever take me to be PC (politically correct) anyway.
As I write this I am listening to Christmas carols. The fire is going in “my mind” and the Christmas lights are going. The only thing missing tonight is the voices of the grandchildren. And maybe a hot chocolate with my wife.
Last night I visited some awesome lights!
I am thankful for those who have written me and said “I was going to skip the… tree, Christmas, etc., but you have inspired me.” YAY! Continue reading The Christmas Past
Because I had done so much snow removal and lawn cutting there were various neighbors who thought I could be helpful to them. One of them was an older man originally from Putney Vermont. His name was Ben. He and his wife were confined for the most part to the chairs they carried around. They would move the chairs from one section to another in their yard.
Their yard was like a mini farm. Behind the house were strawberries and blackberries. On his porch the refrigerator carried eggs and produce and people just left money in the coffee can. Across the street was his chicken coop with geese, ducks and chickens. And a garden.
As his and his wife became more disabled he needed more and more help. He asked my parents if I would come work for him. They said “yes.” I loved money so this was an easy thought process. He would pay me a $.50 a day to come down in the morning and evening. Each morning I got up and raced down the road. Taking the two 5 gallon pails up to his house, I would need to get 2 pails of water to take down to the chicken coop. In the garage I would get their feed out and scatter it to the yard for them. I would grab their eggs and take the basket up to his house and wash off the eggs. Putting them in cartons, I would then head back to make the school bus. I did the same in the afternoon. Continue reading Working On The Little Farm
My first endeavor was probably snow shoveling and lawn mowing. I lived in a community in Northford Connecticut. A rural community my parents lived on a former dairy farm. I shoveled driveways and sidewalks. Most people paid between $2 and $5 for the work. Sometimes we got multiple snows and I collected well. Tips often included cookies and hot chocolate. When we got the tractor with a snow blower everything was $5-$10. I loved the snow.
I put a small tray out my window. Salt sat in the tray and a wire connected it to the buzzer/light in my room. Snow would fall. Snow would melt. Circuit completed. Buzzer would ring. Preparation to be out early ahead of others would begin. Continue reading My First Job Growing Up To Work
Yep. That’s me. No rules.
I hate rules.
I am a believer in small government, trust in God and helping others. Rules do not make it for me. Laws do not make people better. Taxes do not cause people to be better givers. And I do not need the government to help me help others.
I was not always that way. For instance giving for me was difficult thing. (Having any joy over anything was hard.) Becoming a believer in Christ changed that for me. But I struggled with the rules about giving. Now I just give because I want to. Not because I believe I have to or I ought to. (If you want to tithe or give imputed offerings that is your deal.) Continue reading Why I Don’t Believe in Rules
