Well, we did it. Us folks here in north Texas held up our end in garnering record snowfall. It was as if we (Texans) could not stand the east coast getting all the attention from record snowfall so we decided to share in the spotlight and join the fun. Now when they talk about the record snowfall of 2010 they will have to mention Texas as well! It started snowing right before dawn and did not end until 10 p.m. This was the longest length of time for it to snow since I have been living in Texas. Also it was the most snowfall in one pass in the last 70 years. The total amount of snow this year is officially a record! Way to go north Texas.
Of course, the snow does cause us to do strange things. Public school here in Valley View had kids come to school at 8 a.m. only to dismiss them at 10:30 a.m. The benefit of this was it could be counted an official school day. Yippee. One less day to go to school in the spring!
Last night I grilled hamburgers in the 7 inches of snow that are still on the ground. On a whim I invited everyone on my Facebook to come by if they wanted some burgers. Eleven brave souls came by to partake of the fun. Not surprisingly, my Polish, Honduran, and Filipino friends didn't respond to the invite. :)
One of the friends who came over asked if I had ingredients for cookies. She was doubtful I had this kind of supplies in the house. I am proud to say that I had everything she needed to bake cookies. Another youth said he could bake cookies as well so we had two bakers on two separate computers getting their recipes and then meeting in the kitchen to make their choice cookies. Meanwhile the rest of us chowed down our burgers before watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. The cookies came out of the oven during the ceremonies. I was content to settle for burgers and chips and got fresh cookies as well! Life is good.
One of my morning meetings today is postponed due to the snow on the ground. This means I can attend the Teen Tea Party in Gainesville in it's entirety instead of scrambling to get two events squeezed into the morning.
One of the youth in our church heads down to Kerrville, Texas Sunday and Monday to give speeches at a speech competition hosted by the American Legion. Parker Luke is one of the four finalists in this competition throughout the state of Texas. If he wins this competition it is on to the nationals in Indiana. Go Parker!
Yesterday I got this computer debugged of about 30 viruses or other creatures that were causing it to run in slow motion. I mean I could literally fix my breakfast (well hot chocolate and heated honey buns) before certain programs would boot up. Now all is back to normal with me able to access two programs at once without it freezing up. Life is good.
Bird feeding in the winter is a blast if you can afford it! The birds are fun to watch. However, birds have a tendency to tell all their fine feathered friends where the nearest food source is and the first thing you notice is the bird population rises exponentially. One finch turns into dozens, one cardinal brings another eight, one chickadee materializes into gazillions. Soon the bags of bird food seem insufficient for the masses. I was in Wal-Mart the other day with nothing in my cart but bird food! I was dreaming of feeding birds during the summer time in the desert - thinking about how little this would cost. Then I remembered the birds of the desert are vultures and they eat dead things! And they, too, never eat alone. They go get their friends too! So if I were to provide the birds of the desert a meal, it would have to be me. Now, feeding the birds in my backyard does not seem to cost near as much. How one's perspective can change. :) Life is good.
Blessings
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Snow
Wow! As the dawn brings the first hint of light this morning it reveals it is snowing. And what a beautiful snow it is. For those who have watched White Christmas, it is snowing like the closing scene of the movie. Gently falling snow with no hint of wind makes for a picture perfect scene and lots of fun for the kids who will get to skip school today. And the birds are glad the bird feeders are full
Random thoughts. Today is a great day for Chicken Chow Mein while tonight is a great night to watch some Red Green shows.
This Saturday morning there is a Teen Tea Party in Gainesville at the Court House Square from 10 - Noon. It should be good. This is the 4th Tea Party to be held in Gainesville. Each one has been good. This one should be the best as those hosting it are the ones seeing their future monetary fortunes being spent with no say in the matter. I guess it is similar to the original Tea Party mantra "No taxation without representation".
Today I will learn to use Flicker.
I love these two verses in Psalm 21:1 & 3. "O Lord, in Your strength the king will be glad. And in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice! . . . For You met him with the blessings of good things; You set a crown of fine gold on his head."
And finally for today it is worth mentioning that God does all things well!
Blessings
Random thoughts. Today is a great day for Chicken Chow Mein while tonight is a great night to watch some Red Green shows.
This Saturday morning there is a Teen Tea Party in Gainesville at the Court House Square from 10 - Noon. It should be good. This is the 4th Tea Party to be held in Gainesville. Each one has been good. This one should be the best as those hosting it are the ones seeing their future monetary fortunes being spent with no say in the matter. I guess it is similar to the original Tea Party mantra "No taxation without representation".
Today I will learn to use Flicker.
I love these two verses in Psalm 21:1 & 3. "O Lord, in Your strength the king will be glad. And in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice! . . . For You met him with the blessings of good things; You set a crown of fine gold on his head."
And finally for today it is worth mentioning that God does all things well!
Blessings
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Philippines 2010 Remembered
Returning recently from my annual trek to the Philippines where I and two others conduct seminars for Filipino pastors brings pleasant memories to mind. Much was accomplished during the two seminars held on the islands of Leyte and Bohol. The pastors in attendance were challenged, blessed, and inspired (according to the Filipino pastors' own words.) Highlights for me during the seminars were:
1) Seeing physical healing occur. During the two seminars I witnessed or prayed for persons who were healed of a goiter on a neck, breast cancer, leg lengthened, knees healed, pain in stomachs, backs, shoulders vanishing. One of our long time pastor/interpreter friends with us during the seminar on Bohol had pain in his shoulder and back go away during the seminar. At supper following the end of the seminar he mentioned that he noticed the long term, constant pain he had grown accustomed of enduring was no longer there. Without specific prayer for him, but just being in the presence of the Lord, brought about the removal of pain!
2) A pastor from New Guinea attending the seminar testified that his family ancestors killed and ate the first missionaries arriving from Fiji. Then they killed and ate the second group of missionaries coming from Fiji. Still the missionaries came and his family ended up followers of Jesus Christ. He mentioned to us that the last cannibalistic act in new Guinea took place in the 1930s.
3) Establishing new and affirming old relationships with pastors in the Philippines. God has some really neat men and women serving him in the Philippines! Among them are two couples serving as coordinators for the seminars. Art and Hazel Suralta in Leyte, and Fernando and Madeline Impang in Bohol, did great jobs in coordinating the seminars and taking the hassles off our shoulders.
One last side note regarding the trip. This was the thirteenth year I have been going to the Philippines. In all my trips I invariably travel through Manila. Manila (all 13 million people) has always been dirty, grungy, polluted and crowded. But this year Manila was cleaner than I have ever seen it. The air was clean (not smoggy) and the sky was actually blue! What a wonderful change for this city.
Thanks for letting me remember some of the neat things about this Philippine trip.
Blessings
1) Seeing physical healing occur. During the two seminars I witnessed or prayed for persons who were healed of a goiter on a neck, breast cancer, leg lengthened, knees healed, pain in stomachs, backs, shoulders vanishing. One of our long time pastor/interpreter friends with us during the seminar on Bohol had pain in his shoulder and back go away during the seminar. At supper following the end of the seminar he mentioned that he noticed the long term, constant pain he had grown accustomed of enduring was no longer there. Without specific prayer for him, but just being in the presence of the Lord, brought about the removal of pain!
2) A pastor from New Guinea attending the seminar testified that his family ancestors killed and ate the first missionaries arriving from Fiji. Then they killed and ate the second group of missionaries coming from Fiji. Still the missionaries came and his family ended up followers of Jesus Christ. He mentioned to us that the last cannibalistic act in new Guinea took place in the 1930s.
3) Establishing new and affirming old relationships with pastors in the Philippines. God has some really neat men and women serving him in the Philippines! Among them are two couples serving as coordinators for the seminars. Art and Hazel Suralta in Leyte, and Fernando and Madeline Impang in Bohol, did great jobs in coordinating the seminars and taking the hassles off our shoulders.
One last side note regarding the trip. This was the thirteenth year I have been going to the Philippines. In all my trips I invariably travel through Manila. Manila (all 13 million people) has always been dirty, grungy, polluted and crowded. But this year Manila was cleaner than I have ever seen it. The air was clean (not smoggy) and the sky was actually blue! What a wonderful change for this city.
Thanks for letting me remember some of the neat things about this Philippine trip.
Blessings
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The Morning After
Wow. Yesterday's election in Massachusetts was another "Boston Tea Party". I guess you might say that Bostonians know how to shake things up. Here is this simpleton's 'take' of the events last night viewed from afar.
Thank you David Gergen -
David Gergan, the CNN news guy/former Washington DC political advisor/professor at Harvard Kennedy School, provided the perfect opportunity for Scott Brown to win the hearts of the people in Massachusetts. In a debate several weeks ago, serving as the moderator/questioner, he asked Scott Brown about his chance of claiming the Kennedy seat in the Senate. Scott Brown's reply won thousands of votes. His reply was, "It is not Kennedy's seat, it is the people's seat." With this comment he drew even and took the momentum of the campaign to his side.
Acceptance Speech -
Scott Brown gave a good acceptance speech, thanking all the right people. It was noticeable that he profusely thanked the independent voters of Massachusetts far more than he thanked those in the Republican party. Perhaps this was because the RNC (Republican National Committee) did not contribute much money or hope for his election. This is the second election in a row in which the RNC looked like absolute hayseeds emerging from a cave. In the congressional election in upstate New York a couple of months ago, the Republican party elites backed a liberal republican only to find her tanking as the voters were backing a conservative independent. Only at the last second of that election did the RNC jump on the bandwagon. The same scenario played out in Massachusetts. The RNC thought Scott Brown had no chance so why invest in a losing cause. Only in the last weeks of the campaign, after the momentum had clearly swung in Brown's favor, did the RNC get on the bandwagon.
"Tea Partiers" -
Those most happy on the morning after are the "Tea Partiers". Scott Brown mirrors them. More independent than republican. Not ready to swear allegiance to the Republican Party but will use the party as the only viable outlet at this time to effect political change. If the Republican Party does not get it's act together, "Tea Partiers" will go another route as there is little loyalty to the Republican Party. And this is so with good cause.
One Down, Ninety-Nine To Go -
Only 99 more senators to replace! Even the Republicans need to be replaced! The Republicans in the Senate under Bush did exactly what the Democrats in the Senate are doing under Obama. Bush started the bailouts (with Republican Senators support.) Obama simply took the blueprint and ran farther and faster with it.
The Real Winner -
Amid the speculation of whether the White House 'learned a lesson' last night and how it will respond, the health care debate will go forward by the White House with greater urgency. The Democrats 'lost' that precious 60th vote last night. But remember, in November they bought the 60th vote from Senator Mary Landrieu, securing it with a $100 million gift to the State of Louisiana. Then last month they bought the 60th wavering vote from Senator Ben Nelson, securing it with a gift of indefinite millions of dollars to the State of Nebraska. So, dear friends, it will not come as a surprise when the 60th vote is bought again. And the winner is . . . The state of Maine! With Maine's two liberal Republican Senators, the courting (buying) of just one of their votes will be awesome to behold. It is just too bad no one will be behind the closed door to see the deal being made.
Well, I'm off to have a great day. I hope your day is great too!
Blessings
Thank you David Gergen -
David Gergan, the CNN news guy/former Washington DC political advisor/professor at Harvard Kennedy School, provided the perfect opportunity for Scott Brown to win the hearts of the people in Massachusetts. In a debate several weeks ago, serving as the moderator/questioner, he asked Scott Brown about his chance of claiming the Kennedy seat in the Senate. Scott Brown's reply won thousands of votes. His reply was, "It is not Kennedy's seat, it is the people's seat." With this comment he drew even and took the momentum of the campaign to his side.
Acceptance Speech -
Scott Brown gave a good acceptance speech, thanking all the right people. It was noticeable that he profusely thanked the independent voters of Massachusetts far more than he thanked those in the Republican party. Perhaps this was because the RNC (Republican National Committee) did not contribute much money or hope for his election. This is the second election in a row in which the RNC looked like absolute hayseeds emerging from a cave. In the congressional election in upstate New York a couple of months ago, the Republican party elites backed a liberal republican only to find her tanking as the voters were backing a conservative independent. Only at the last second of that election did the RNC jump on the bandwagon. The same scenario played out in Massachusetts. The RNC thought Scott Brown had no chance so why invest in a losing cause. Only in the last weeks of the campaign, after the momentum had clearly swung in Brown's favor, did the RNC get on the bandwagon.
"Tea Partiers" -
Those most happy on the morning after are the "Tea Partiers". Scott Brown mirrors them. More independent than republican. Not ready to swear allegiance to the Republican Party but will use the party as the only viable outlet at this time to effect political change. If the Republican Party does not get it's act together, "Tea Partiers" will go another route as there is little loyalty to the Republican Party. And this is so with good cause.
One Down, Ninety-Nine To Go -
Only 99 more senators to replace! Even the Republicans need to be replaced! The Republicans in the Senate under Bush did exactly what the Democrats in the Senate are doing under Obama. Bush started the bailouts (with Republican Senators support.) Obama simply took the blueprint and ran farther and faster with it.
The Real Winner -
Amid the speculation of whether the White House 'learned a lesson' last night and how it will respond, the health care debate will go forward by the White House with greater urgency. The Democrats 'lost' that precious 60th vote last night. But remember, in November they bought the 60th vote from Senator Mary Landrieu, securing it with a $100 million gift to the State of Louisiana. Then last month they bought the 60th wavering vote from Senator Ben Nelson, securing it with a gift of indefinite millions of dollars to the State of Nebraska. So, dear friends, it will not come as a surprise when the 60th vote is bought again. And the winner is . . . The state of Maine! With Maine's two liberal Republican Senators, the courting (buying) of just one of their votes will be awesome to behold. It is just too bad no one will be behind the closed door to see the deal being made.
Well, I'm off to have a great day. I hope your day is great too!
Blessings
Friday, January 8, 2010
Leaving Seattle
It's 30 minutes before I board the jet to whisk me away from Seattle and back to home in the Lone Star State. I'm heading into frigid temperatures so Seattle looks real good right now. Lasting thoughts on Seattle before I leave. It was fun to wake up each morning to the sound of sea gulls (amidst the sound of downtown Seattle). In the Mackinesso language the word 'Seattle' means "land of night shadows". This is because you never get to see your shadow until night fall. How can that be? At night they turn on the street lights and as you walk under them you can actually see your shadow. In the daytime you are deprived of shadows.
The Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges surrounding Seattle form a natural beauty. But as a "prairie man" myself the mountain's beauty takes second place to the high plains' beauty. Perhaps the sunshine has a part to play in this.
I got some neat Christmas gifts from my two daughters so my trip to Seattle was great in every way.
As I close this blog, my next step in this venture is learning to post pictures in the blog. "It's easy once you know what to do", say those who know how to do it.
Anyway, God is good and life is good.
Blessings
The Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges surrounding Seattle form a natural beauty. But as a "prairie man" myself the mountain's beauty takes second place to the high plains' beauty. Perhaps the sunshine has a part to play in this.
I got some neat Christmas gifts from my two daughters so my trip to Seattle was great in every way.
As I close this blog, my next step in this venture is learning to post pictures in the blog. "It's easy once you know what to do", say those who know how to do it.
Anyway, God is good and life is good.
Blessings
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Seattle Days
I'm enjoying the week in Seattle visiting my two daughters. It's a nice change of pace from Valley View in many ways. Most notable this year is the weather. Most of the places I have lived (Kansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Texas) have used the phrase, "If you don't like the weather, stick around a day, it will change." This phrase is not used in Seattle. The phrase more likely to be used is, "If you don't like the weather, leave. It will be the same tomorrow." Yesterday we were walking in the mist - which is Seattle's version of rain - when my son-in-law commented that he knew what broccoli felt like in the super market. You know, every so often those misting devices come on to keep the produce moist. That is Seattle during the winter and spring and fall. Having endured nature's misting machine for two days now I think it is time for a change. Maybe a dose of sunlight would be good. Here's hoping for a sunny day so you can at least see the Space Needle. What is a visit to Seattle without being able to see the it's historical icon?
By the way trivia - Did you know that Dallas gets more rain annually than Seattle? It just comes in bucket form in Dallas rather than in misting form in Seattle. Uncle Woody's old fashioned Carmel corn cost $6.99 for a 12 ounce bag. It was good but too pricey. It was not good to eat the whole bag at 11:00 PM. Corinne's Carmel corn is much better. I am starting my third day in Seattle and have yet to enter a vehicle of any kind.
It's time to enter the world of Seattle. Hey, it's only partly cloudy today!
Blessings
By the way trivia - Did you know that Dallas gets more rain annually than Seattle? It just comes in bucket form in Dallas rather than in misting form in Seattle. Uncle Woody's old fashioned Carmel corn cost $6.99 for a 12 ounce bag. It was good but too pricey. It was not good to eat the whole bag at 11:00 PM. Corinne's Carmel corn is much better. I am starting my third day in Seattle and have yet to enter a vehicle of any kind.
It's time to enter the world of Seattle. Hey, it's only partly cloudy today!
Blessings
Friday, January 1, 2010
Welcome 2010
Five minutes into the new year and I was experiencing a first. I was actually 'toasting' something with a group of friends. We were 'toasting' the new year. You know the routine. We were supposed to go around the room and each person/family give a toast to the new year and everyone sip some champagne with each toast. The first toast went something like this. May 2010 be better than 2009. The second toast (with a slight variation) ended with may 2010 be better than 2009. The third toast (after skipping me due to the obvious "bad" year I had experienced) brought the same toast, "Here's to a better year than last." By now you get the picture. Everyone was thinking what a stinking year 2009 was and glad it was over. So with a slight pause someone chimed in for everyone, and said, "For all of us, may 2010 be better than last year." I must admit I was at a loss of what my impromptu "toast" was going to be.
Driving home a few minutes later found me pondering those past 20 minutes with the toast. Why was 2009 so bad? What happened during the year that made everyone glad it was over? In pondering this, the common thread to the answer to this question was difficult situations arose in which we would rather not have been a participant. Each family around the room had their own set of circumstances which made life difficult in one degree or another (and most had a crises thrown in to boot.) And so it was easy to let circumstances dictate our view of 2009.
By the time I arrived home I had a toast to offer the new year. "May 2010 be as good as the last year."
Let me explain my heart. In one sense 2009 was a "bummer" due to the death of my wife, Joyce. This experience does bring about pain and major readjustments to life. But in walking through 2009 and even the two prior years leading up to Joyce's death, there has been an incredible presence of the Lord and His peace upon us through those difficult times. The Lord did promise that He would never leave us. Indeed, I have found this to be so in such a very real way that I do not ever want to "miss" His presence again. I believe my 'awareness' of His incredible nearness only came through those difficult experiences. For me, 2009 was defined by His presence much more so than any year of my life. For this I am forever grateful. For this reason alone 2009 was the best year of my life.
Difficulties, hardships, crises - whatever you want to call them - serve at least two purposes. First, they reveal what is in our heart. Second they deepen our faith in what we truly believe. Without the difficulties, we remain ignorantly blissful and shallow. Some things can only be forged in tough situations. Difficulty, hardship, crisis - they all will visit us again in 2010. This is part of life. But they do not have to define our year or life. I choose to define my year by the presence of the Lord which brought peace, joy, even contentment in the midst of the difficulties and hardships faced.
So here's to 2010 - More difficulties, more of His presence, more of His grace, more of His character forged into my life!
Blessings
Driving home a few minutes later found me pondering those past 20 minutes with the toast. Why was 2009 so bad? What happened during the year that made everyone glad it was over? In pondering this, the common thread to the answer to this question was difficult situations arose in which we would rather not have been a participant. Each family around the room had their own set of circumstances which made life difficult in one degree or another (and most had a crises thrown in to boot.) And so it was easy to let circumstances dictate our view of 2009.
By the time I arrived home I had a toast to offer the new year. "May 2010 be as good as the last year."
Let me explain my heart. In one sense 2009 was a "bummer" due to the death of my wife, Joyce. This experience does bring about pain and major readjustments to life. But in walking through 2009 and even the two prior years leading up to Joyce's death, there has been an incredible presence of the Lord and His peace upon us through those difficult times. The Lord did promise that He would never leave us. Indeed, I have found this to be so in such a very real way that I do not ever want to "miss" His presence again. I believe my 'awareness' of His incredible nearness only came through those difficult experiences. For me, 2009 was defined by His presence much more so than any year of my life. For this I am forever grateful. For this reason alone 2009 was the best year of my life.
Difficulties, hardships, crises - whatever you want to call them - serve at least two purposes. First, they reveal what is in our heart. Second they deepen our faith in what we truly believe. Without the difficulties, we remain ignorantly blissful and shallow. Some things can only be forged in tough situations. Difficulty, hardship, crisis - they all will visit us again in 2010. This is part of life. But they do not have to define our year or life. I choose to define my year by the presence of the Lord which brought peace, joy, even contentment in the midst of the difficulties and hardships faced.
So here's to 2010 - More difficulties, more of His presence, more of His grace, more of His character forged into my life!
Blessings
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
