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These Blogs Are So Last Year
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Two-Seater Ride2 months ago
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Recognition for My Poetry4 months ago
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Does Grief Last Forever?11 months ago
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Growing Up1 year ago
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Tuesday, January 2, 2024
Thursday, September 14, 2023
Jesse White Tumblers @ Elgin 4th of July Parade
Tuesday, July 4, 2023
Tuesday, April 11, 2023
She's A Wonderful Wife
I have a routine when it comes to my A to Z challenge posts. I schedule the time of the post for the date of the post. For example, today is April 11th or numerically 4/11 so I would generally schedule my post for 4:11 a.m. so people could see it as they were checking their computers in the morning.
This by the way is not an A to Z post but I am posting this at 4:11 in the morning because April 11th is a very significant day in my life. It is the day I married my wife Amy. Today is almost as significant as that day as it is our 25th wedding anniversary.
I have scheduled my A to Z post at 4:11 p.m. It talks about my favorite movie It's A Wonderful Life.
In that film, the main character gets a glimpse of what life might have been like if he was never born and gets to realize what a wonderful life he had.
In December of 2005, our 3rd and final child was born and 2 days after they were released from the hospital I rushed Amy to the emergency room. They did tests and her heart was working at 10% capacity. I remember driving back from the emergency room to my house with 3 children between the ages of 3 days and 6 years old and I got a glimpse of what my life might look like If Amy was gone. I prayed on the way home and asked God to restore her to health.
Thankfully Amy was back to 100% use of her heart and her kidneys and was home to our family in a few short days. We were never given an adequate reason for the occurrence but we believe it was due to a lack of proper hydration after the C-section.
I really didn't need an angel to show me the worth of my wife. We were best friends for 8 years before she signed the Marry Dave Agreement. She takes the best care of me and our children. Often preparing and perfecting foods for us that she doesn't even like to eat. While she is just a sinner that said I Do, she is a loving, Godly influencer on me and our children.
I have had the opportunity in the past 5 years to substitute teach in the same building where she works as a school psychologist. I have never seen anyone take their job so seriously and still love on the children and show compassion and concern to the teachers, administration, and parents. We also have worked side by side the last 2 summers working concessions at a ballpark where she would bring sunshine even in a two-hour rain delay.
So you see she really is a wonderful wife. Happy Anniversary Amy. You really do complete me.
Monday, June 20, 2022
"A Song About Baseball"
Sunday, April 17, 2022
I May Have This Read at my Funeral
Today is Easter Sunday. Well it still is in my time zone. After church today I was driving to a family gathering and I heard this song. The song is over 30 years old and I have heard it plenty of times. As I listened to it today and reflected upon the lyrics and thought about it in the context of Easter. I realized I'm accepted by Christ, and He loved me so much to die for my sins and his resurrection shows that His love is packed with power. I hope these lyrics minister to you today as much as they did to me .
"I'm Accepted" | |
by Degarmo & Key | from the 1989 album The Pledge I May not be rich Don't wear fashion clothes Don't live in a mansion Don't have much that shows Never won a contest in popularity Don't have much to offer But Jesus still loves me I'm accepted, accepted I'm accepted by the one who matters most. Never set a record in sports agility Never was magnetic in personality That don't really matter I'll do the best I can 'Cause there's a God above me Who loves me like I am I'm accepted, accepted I'm accepted by the one who matters most. If you think you're a loser When you fail it seems at everything you do Just remember there's a Savior And you are worth enough He gave his life for you I'm accepted, accepted I'm accepted by the one who matters most. I'm accepted, accepted I'm accepted by the one who matters most. I'm accepted, accepted I'm accepted by the one who matters most. |
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
Tuesday 2-22-22 = Tuesday
Friday, December 31, 2021
Friday, November 26, 2021
Feline Friday: When the House is Full, Our Cats are MIA.
I am sort of participating in Feline Friday at Comedy Plus today, I say sort of participating because I am not following their prescribed rules of posting a picture, cartoon or video of a cat. What I offer instead is a cow eating grass style anecdote of why our scaredy cats hide when ever people and especially dogs visit our abode as they did yesterday for Thanksgiving. 6 relatives and a dog-in-law partook in turkey, ham, cranberries and yams yesterday and our cats blipped off the radar into the basement as they are wont to do. I could take a picture of them now as they are in full post holiday hover mode in the next room but in this case no picture is the best picture of what happens when visitors come to call.
For some legitimate Feline Friday entries click here.
Thursday, November 11, 2021
Reflections on Keith's birthday.
Saturday, October 16, 2021
I'm trying an experiment.
It's been quite a while since I've posted here. So I have set my timer for 15 minutes have put on Larry Norman radio from pandora on Alexa which is playing Rich Mullin's oddly enough. I am going to just type for 15 minutes and see if I can produce a short message.
As the school. year started this year, for about 3 weeks I was working 3 jobs. I have had a long term sub assignment as an art teacher at my favorite elementary school. I also had been working along with my wife and daughter at a minor league baseball park selling concessions. There was a section in the employee handbook that said I had to disclose to my supervisor if I wrote in a blog, but I think that was written 20 years ago when blogging was more common place. The problem was that my supervisors would change with almost every shift and the supervisors I did tell didn't know what a blog was. I also continue to work 2 nights a week at the movie theatre. I was very glad when the baseball season ended in early September and I could get back to the relative ease of working only 2 jobs.
The problem with getting back into blogging was 2 fold. The first our family has 3 birthdays in a 3 week period in September which kept us all on our toes. The 2nd is that once you get too busy to do something like blogging or reading which both came to an abrubt halt it's hard to get them back going again.
I lost 30 pounds this Summer. The trick will be not to find it again this winter. I am counting calories consistently for the first time in my life and it seems to be working okay for me. My wife and I are doing it together which is better than going it alone.
My timer just went off so I will continue this again hopefully soon with the opening sentence. I always told myself that when I got under 250 pounds I would start running again.
Music listened to during past 15 minutes:
Larry Norman - UFO
Rich Mullins - If I Stand
Randy Stonehill - King of Hearts
Rescue Story - Zach Williams
Why Don't you look into Jesus - Larry Norman
Sunday, April 4, 2021
1921 A Tale of 13 Presidents
Happy Easter!
Sundays are traditionally days off for the A to Z challenge and while this Sunday is no exception, I have decided to include an A to Z Easter egg today by listing all the presidents of the U.S. who were alive in 1921 either before, during or after their presidency. I have the two presidents who were in office in 1921 in bold.
1921 President Chart
#. President (date of birth-date of death) | Time in office | Years lived prior to 1921 | Years lived after 1921 |
26. William Howard Taft (9/15/1857-3/18/1930) | 1909-1913 | 64 | 9 |
27. Woodrow Wilson (12/28/1856-2/3/1924) | 1913-1921 | 65 | 3 |
28. Warren G. Harding (11/2/1865-8/2/1923 | 1921-1923 | 56 | 2 |
29 Calvin Coolidge (7/4/1873 - 9/5/1933 | 1923-1929 | 48 | 12 |
30. Herbert Hoover (8/10/1874-10/20/1964) | 1929-1933 | 47 | 43 |
31. Franklin Roosevelt (1/30/1882 - 4/12/1945) | 1933-1945 | 39 | 24 |
32. Harry S Truman (5/8/1884 -12/6/1972) | 1945-1953 | 37 | 51 |
33. Dwight D. Eisenhower (10/14/1890 -3/28/1969) | 1953-1961 | 31 | 48 |
34. John F. Kennedy (5/29/1917 -11/22/1963) | 1961-1963 | 4 | 42 |
35. Lyndon B Johnson (8/27/1908 -1/22/1973) | 1963-1969 | 13 | 52 |
36. Richard M. Nixon (1/9/1913 -4/22/1994) | 1969-1974 | 8 | 73 |
37. Gerald R. Ford (7/14/1913 -12/26/2006) | 1974=1977 | 8 | 85 |
39. Ronald Reagan (2/6/1911 - 6/5/2004) | 1981-1989 | 10 | 83 |
Sunday, January 17, 2021
How to get through 2021: Day by Day
I volunteer with our church youth group, It is for 6th graders through 12th graders. Until recently it was two separate youth groups one for 6th 7th and 8th graders and one for 9th through 12th graders meeting on separate nights of the week. During the Summer we would allow the incoming 6th graders to join the middle school group and the outgoing 8th graders to attend both groups. As the Summer would draw to an end I would give the outgoing 8th graders a short (2-3 minute) commencement on their last night of the younger group.
In 2016 my son Charlie was one of the kids moving up to the high school group. I challenged the students to have a "2020" vision of what they hoped to achieve in High School especially how they could be used by God in their new schools.
Little did any of us know about what the year 2020 held for us. In fact my son's senior year was progressing quite normally until March 13th turned out to be his last day of high school that actually met at the high school. Since that day, 2020 was a rather tumultuous year (Understatement Alert).
The events of the past 2 weeks make 2021 look like it's going to be more of the same. How do we get through another year like that?
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Muzak Lessons: Fathers Day Edition
Muzak Lessons: Fathers Day Edition
Like clockwork every time he sees an opening
In a conversation about the way things used to be
Well I'd just roll my eyes and make a bee-line for the door
But I'd always end up starry-eyed, cross-legged on the floor
Hanging on to every word
Man, the things I heard
It was harder times and longer days
Five miles to school, uphill both ways
We were cane switch raised, and dirt floor poor
'Course that was back before the war
Yeah, your uncle and I made quite a pair
Flying F-15's through hostile air
He went down but they missed me by a hair
He'd always stop right there and say...
That's something to be proud of
That's a life you can hang your hat on
That's a chin held high as the tears fall down
A gut sucked in, a chest stuck out
Like a small town flag a-flyin'
Or a newborn baby cryin'
In the arms of the woman that you love
That's something to be proud of
Son graduatin' college, that was mama's dream
But I was on my way to anywhere else when I turned 18
Cuz when you gotta fast car you think you've got everything
I learned quick those GTO's don't run on faith
I ended up broken down in some town north of L.A.
Working maximum hours for minimum wage
Well, I fell in love, next thing I know
The babies came, the car got sold
I sure do miss that old hot rod
But you sure save gas in them foreign jobs
Dad, I wonder if I ever let you down
If you're ashamed how I turned out
Well, he lowered his voice, then he raised his brow
Said, lemme tell ya right now
That's something to be proud of
That's a life you can hang your hat on
You don't need to make a million
Just be thankful to be workin'
If you're doing what you're able
And putting food there on the table
And providing for the family that you love
That's something to be proud of
And if all you ever really do is the best you can
Well, you did it man
That's something to be proud of
That's a life you can hang your hat on
That's a chin held high as the tears fall down
A gut sucked in, a chest stuck out
Like a small town flag a-flyin'
Or a newborn baby cryin'
In the arms of the woman that you love
That's something to be proud of
That's something to be proud of
Yeah, that's something to be proud of
That's something to be proud of
Now that's something to be proud of
The second song was Busy Man by Billy Ray Cyrus which warns about the other side of providing for your family and that is losing focus of why you're working in the first place. I'm more of a Cat's in the Cradle kind of guy, but this has a happier outcome.
Billy Ray Cyrus Lyrics
Play "Busy Man" on Amazon Music Unlimited (ad) |
Saying Daddy could we play a little one on one
You pat him on the back and say not now son I'm a busy man
His sister's out on the sidewalk settin' up a lemonade stand
Hey daddy don't you want to buy a glass from me
You say maybe later can't you see I'm a busy man
You got to go got to run hit it hard and get it done
Everyone can see you're going far
You got responsibilities a crazy schedule that you keep
And when you say that time's a wastin'
You don't know how right you are busy man
There's a woman in the bedroom crying sayin' I thought we had plans
You say honey I'm sorry I'll make it up
When the job slows down and I'm not such a busy man
You got to go got to run...
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
If only I had spent more time at work
There's a call one day from the office they need you down in Birmingham
You say no way the weekend's mine
I got plans with the kids and a date with my wife I'm a busy man
You got to go got to run take a break and have some fun
Those that love you most say you've come far
Got some new priorities in that schedule that you keep
And when you say that time's a wastin'
Now you know how right you are busy man busy man
Well I'm off to work. Happy Father's Day.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Happy Zoo Year
3. I am also planning on getting back to some sort of blogging schedule. I am used to going week at a time without an entry so it will take me some time to get back into practice.
This entry does get me one step closer. I hope to write a quick homeschooling piece in the next day or two. I hope you all have a happy and joyous new year.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Merry Sickmas
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Six Word Santa Day
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
For more Six Word Saturday click here
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Remember our Veterans
It s also Veterans Day, the day we Americans celebrate the veterans of our armed services. Dictionary.com say a veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in an occupation, office, or the like: a veteran of the police force; a veteran of many sports competitions. With this definition in mind, I got to thinking of everyone who has lost a loved one recently. How they, like me, have become a "veteran" of grief. Because even the loss of just one person you loved deeply is enough to make anyone a veteran.
We are taking some time as a family today to communicate to some of these "veterans" that we are praying for them and care for them deeply as they continue to experience their loss. If you are a veteran of recent grief, I hope you are encouraged as you reflect on the memories of your loved ones. If your war with grief is less recent and you know of some one dealing with the new loss of a loved one, i would encourage you to communicate with them words of hope and encouragement.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
2 questions for the 4th of July
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It has been quite a while since I participated in Thursday 2 questions at Self Sagacity. My independence day activities have given me few questions to ask.
Question 1: When is the last time you marched/walked in a parade? If you have never marched in one, when is the last time you went to a parade?
I marched in a local parade today and actually had 3 separate invitations to participate. 2 political candidates (one a homeschooling father, who I will be featuring in a future post) needed marchers but I ended up marching with Spider Droid and his robotics team.
I asked myself question 1 on my way to the parade. As far as I could recall, before today the last time I walked in a parade was in a 4th of July parade in 1990 in Macomb, Illinois during my time at university there. What was unique about that experience was that a Christian group that was marching in the parade needed someone to carry a full size cross in the parade route. I remember this having a powerful spiritual impact on me, as I was able to reflect on how Jesus carried the cross in preparation for paying for my sins through his death and resurrection.
Question 2: What is your favorite part of the 4th of July holiday?
For me it is going to see the fireworks. It's not exactly the fireworks themselves, which were fantastic this year. It is actually tossing a ball or a Frisbee with Amy or the kids prior to the fireworks. Just a simple act of familial affection in a sea of patriotism and excess make me realize how much I "depend" on my family.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Happy Anniversary
I found out that the traditional 14th anniversary gift is Ivory while the modern 14th gift is gold. Both these songs are golden oldies and notice that Barney is tickling the ivories in the video below.
Happy Anniversary Amy, I heart you big time.