Better Bathrooms!

My wife and I began some months ago to be concerned about having to bring our aging parents to stay with us in their waning days, not that not to mention the fact that we are approaching retirement age ourselves. Our ranch-style home that was built in the 1960s is spacious enough and would be comfortable for them, but it was not designed to be easily accessed by those who might be in a wheelchair or motorized scooter. That was especially true of our bathroom.

We knew that we needed to remodel, but were unsure of what really could and should be done. So we went online to sites like betterbathrooms.com. There we found a multitude of ideas and products that would meet our needs. Not only did they have standard bathroom fixtures and accessories, but they also showed possible bathroom suites and ways to arrange the facility for better accessibility for those with limited mobility.

We were able to transform our bathtub into a handicap accessible shower facility with safety features, and comfort features, that will be able to accommodate our parents if they indeed do have to come and stay in our home, and will certainly make things easier for us as we get older.




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Hope For Haiti's Children

Yesterday at the preachers’ luncheon we learned about the work of a faith based group called Hope for Haiti’s Children. This group feeds, educates, and for some orphans, houses children in the outskirts of Port Au Prince. They can fully fund that work for about $40 per month per child. They were already in Haiti before the earthquake and their students were among the top in standardized testing for the whole country. In the aftermath of the quake they have been distributing food and supplies to other organizations—no strings attached.

One of the things that really caught my attention is that the folks who set the ministry up established a separate fund for administrative costs. It is supported by folks who want to assure the work will continue. And that allows that every donation that is made for the children goes, 100 cents of every dollar, directly to the needs of those being helped! Rainy season began about two weeks ago, with most folks living in tent cities with little or no sanitation facilities. To take a look or to donate, go to http://hopeforhaitischildren.org/

Filthy Thirteen

I just read a book called, The Filthy Thirteen, about the WW2 paratroopers that were loosely portrayed in the movie, The Dirty Dozen. The author was one of the original group of demolition specialists who had combat jumps behind enemy lines at Normandy, in Holland, at Bastogne, and in Germany. They were recalcitrant soldiers who did not polish and shine and did not salute officers, but they were not criminals--as they were portrayed in the movie.

The book is graphic in its description of the war, but it is a good read. If you would like to see videos online about the group, here is a url that will help you find them: http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=+%22filthy+thirteen%22&num=100#

Evacuate or Else

I just heard an announcement that the State of Texas will implement a new law effective September 1. It provides authority to arrest any citizen who refuses a mandatory evactuation notice, such as the ones issued last fall when Hurricane Ike was about to hit our area.

There are always some people who ignore the warnings, at their own peril. There are still some bodies missing from the storm surge Ike brought. The proponents of the law point to the dangers to rescue people in the midst of the storms when the stragglers change their minds. No doubt there is a danger. And perhaps arrest might save lives of those so foolish as to stay in the face of danger.

Still I wonder about such a law. What do you thinK?

Reflections on Contentment

Reflections on Contentment
Current mood: content
Category: Life
Sometime back I read a blog on Happiness and its relationship to money. I would like to affirm the idea that contentment is in reality a state of mind over which individuals should have at least some measure of control. We should determine that we will not let anyone else dictate the way respond to any situation, no matter how distasteful. Like the Apostle Paul, we should strive to be content in whatever state we find ourselves.

That being said, there are some things that I find it much easier to be content in doing! I enjoy being with my family for a meal, especially if afterward we can play a game together. I like listening to an acapella choral group or a little child's prayer. I love a pitcher's duel, or an overtime basketball game. I like warm weather and warm smiles. I like to pick up pecans in the fall, and I like writing short, reflective articles about things that bring me joy!

I am sure you have some favorite activities as well, how about sharing them? I would enjoy that too.

Philippians 4:11 "for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content."

Mistaken Identity!!!!

A few days ago I received a small package in the mail with a return address to someone that I did not know. When I opened it, it took a few moments for me to realize what was going on. The package included a note, apparently handwritten by young man, three baseball cards in a plastic case and a pen. I recognized the cards, being a collector myself and because, coincidentally, the player and I share the same name.

When I read the letter, I realized that the boy had somehow found my address at the church and had come to the conclusion that the ballplayer had hung up his cleats and become a minister. The boy asked that I sign each of the cards and return them to him in the enclosed self-addressed and stamped envelope. I got a big kick out of the mistake, and so did some of the members here when I showed them the letter and the cards. My grandkids especially had a big laugh. Of course I would not sign the cards, as I am not the ex-ballplayer. At least not the professional ballplayer on the cards.

But I had met the young man on the cards a few years ago, after having seen him play in the Astrodome in Houston. When I showed him my business card he had a laugh. We visited for a few minutes and I told him that I knew there would be some baseball cards coming out in the new year, and I hoped he would be willing to sign some for me. He told me how to get hold of him, and when the cards came out, I sent a few to him, which he returned autographed.

I happened to have an extra one of those still in my collection, so I posted a note back to my young petitioner explaining the situation and included one of my autographed cards, along with his three cards that remained unsigned. I hope he was satisfied, because I really enjoyed that exchange.

Scarpetta, by Patricia Cornwell

I just finished reading the latest Patricia Cornwell novel, Scarpetta. I have been a big fan of Cornwell, especially of her series featuring forensic specialist, Dr. Kay Scarpetta. But this book is not as enjoyable or as satisfying as earlier books in the series.

In this book the star and title character is the target of a narcissistic serial killer that has infiltrated the NYPD. The story was much easier to predict than other books in the series. But on top of that the undercurrent of emotions going on between the heroine and her most special relationships was not as compelling as in some of the other books.

While I am not about to give up on Cornwell, it was a disappointing read.

Evacuate or Else!!!!!

I just heard an announcement that the State of Texas will implement a new law effective September 1. It provides authority to arrest any citizen who refuses a mandatory evactuation notice, such as the ones issued last fall when Hurricane Ike was about to hit our area.

There are always some people who ignore the warnings, at their own peril. There are still some bodies missing from the storm surge Ike brought. The proponents of the law point to the dangers to rescue people in the midst of the storms when the stragglers change their minds. No doubt there is a danger. And perhaps arrest might save lives of those so foolish as to stay in the face of danger.

Still I wonder about such a law. What do you think?

Thinking About Francesca!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One the second day of our recent mission trip my partner and I came up on a woman who was sitting in the shade of a guava tree, washing clothes by hand in a bucket. Her daughter was sitting on a rock, a few yards away, also in the shade. I introduced myself and told the ladies that I was there to share a message of hope from the Bible. The older woman gave me an answer that was designed to dismiss me, but I responded with a smile and sat down in the shade, between them. I introduced my partner, a 17 year old girl I have known since she came into the world.

I found out the lady, Francesca, is about my age, maybe a few months older. We hit it off well and had a very interesting discussion. When I prepared to leave, an hour or so later, I asked what she was thinking. She told me she found the things I said very interesting. She attended two nights of our crusade or revival meeting, and I went by her home again early in the second week for another discussion.

On our last day in the village, Salisbury, Dominica, I went by to bid Francesca farewell and to see if she had any questions. She was not home, her daughter told us she had gone into the capitol city to sit with her brother who had fallen ill; she had been gone all day. I left by regards and best wishes for both Francesca and her brother.

I was surprised to see Francesca at the service on our last night. After it was over, I asked if I could walk her home and leave a final word with her. It was only a couple of hundred yards to her home, so it did not take long for the walk or the message. When I bid her farewell, she said, “I will be praying that the Lord will add a year of health to both you and I, so that when you come back next year, I will be able to call you my brother.” I told her I was touched. She said, “I am glad.”

I too will be praying!

Colorful Characters Abound

I was asked to review Malcolm R. Campbell’s “Jock Stewart and the Missing Sea of Fire” before publication.”

Readers who enjoy hard-bitten, wisecracking characters will surely fall in love with Jock Stewart, the main character in the new Malcolm Campbell novel, Jock Stewart and the Missing Sea of Fire. The story of the book revolves around the disappearance of the race horse, Sea of Fire, but it features a wagon load of human “horsing around” by the many colorful characters Campbell created, including Coral Snake Smith, Parker House, a preacher named Cotton Mouth and the Krispy Kreme eating police chief Kruller.

While reading the story and gathering the clues, that frequently came to light as Stewart dialogued with his own intuition, readers may find themselves having great fun picking up the puns, word plays and hilarious cloaked references to cultural and historical items. Jock Stewart is an old time newspaperman, whose “blunt force sarcasm” keeps him in hot water with his bosses, co-workers and the police. But if not for his pressing the issue, the mystery would definitely not have been resolved.

Stewart, Malcolm Campbell’s self-acknowledged alter ego, is also the author’s vehicle to decry the effects of the digital age on the craft of writing and the elegance of language. I found the book entertaining, and it might even become profitable, if I can get permission from the author to use the sermon outline he provided in chapter 13!

Can This Be The Beginning of Understanding?

On Jay Leno Thursday night President Obama made an inappropriate joke about Special Olympics. He has made an apology.

I understand thoughtless jokes that were not intended to hurt. I think most of us make them. Special Olympics is one of my favorite charities, and I am not an Obama fan, but I would really like it if his slip and his apology would help get us past the constant call for someone to resign when they make an inappropriate comment they should have kept to themselves.




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More Devastation From Hurricane Ike!

The devastation done by Hurricane Ike was just compounded by the decisions made by windstorm insurance providers. Those on Boliver Peninsula received word that the insurance industry decided that the damage done to their homes, almost all of them were demolished, was only 11.2% due to wind. So the homeowners will receive only 11.2% of the value of their homes and nothing for the contents!




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NFL Cardinals!

I suspect more HDTV units will be sold this week than any other in the year, especially in the Arizona desert! Why? Because the Arizona Cardinals are going to play in the Super Bowl next Sunday! The Cardinals have been one of the worst franchises in professional sports for a very long time, so no doubt the band wagon fans will want to see every detail of the game in high definition!




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One Really Tough Week!

We have had better weeks! Last Saturday I got a call that a friend and fellow Christian had passed away. Then on Sunday morning we got word that another of our members had lost his battle with illness. Tuesday morning I received another call to announce that one of our shut-in members had passed away after several year of deteriorating health. I have prepared had three funerals this week.

Add to that information that on Monday afternoon that the doctors told my wife’s mother that they cannot do anything more to overcome a series of health problems for her. Her body is failing from leukemia, renal failure, pneumonia and a bladder infection. This afternoon she was moved to hospice care, where she will be made comfortable as she finishes her journey.

UPDATE--My Mother in Law finished her race yesterday afternoon, Saturday the 24th.





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The Demands on the Students

These days it seems as though the band directors and choral directors and coaches that head up the extracurricular activities at school place an inordinate amount of demands on the young people who sign up to participate. They almost act as if the kids owe them everything. I went to watch my grandson play basketball last night and it was lots of fun. But he has to be at school before daylight and stay till late. But he is squeezed for time to do things like administer his acne treatments or relax with friends, or spend time with his GrandDad!




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A Very Decent Man!

I watched the farewell speech by President Bush tonight. I was not long, but it was a heartfelt presentation by a man who loves his country and has done what he beleived was best for the nation at every step. I realize that there were things that should have been differently, but I do not know how any honest person, regardless of political persuaion, can consider Mr. Bush as any less than a very decent man!





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HOUSE, by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker

I love to read, but the horror genre has been off limits ever since I saw the original Psycho in 1960 and was scared to walk the three blocks to my home. I was 12 and I decided then that I did not want anything to do with such movies, stories, books, or even “fun” houses at the fair!

So I was surprised to receive a novel for Christmas, House, by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker. My daughter, who gave me the book, knew that I loved This Present Darkness, also by Peretti, so she thought that I would like this one too. She said it was “Christian Horror.” I never knew there was such a thing!

I want to review the book here, and I hate to give away any of the drama in the book, but I am not sure how to give a good review without describing some of the key elements, so if you think you might want to read the book, maybe you ought not read any further in this post.

I entered the book with trepidation. I met Jack and Stephanie as they were on their way to a counseling session to try to salvage their marriage. Things had not gone well for them following the drowning of their daughter a year earlier.
Their trip took a detour that led to their being drawn to an isolated house that looked like an old Southern inn when they arrived. But it turned out to be anything but a place of cordial hospitality. Another couple, Randy and Leslie, also found themselves in the place that night. The four shared a night of unmitigated terror.

As the evening unfolded, the house seemed to be alive, with a mind of its own. It seemed to know the hearts of the four trapped inside by the machinations of the house itself and the villain, Barsidious White.

The story moves at a good pace and helps the reader to get a growing awareness that the personal guilt of the individuals was contributing to the animosity of the house toward the victims. I must admit that I can think of few things that are more horrifying and painful than having to come face to face with one’s hidden sinfulness.

The story allows for redemption and a victory of good over evil only if those trapped inside would indeed acknowledge the sins they had been covering up, while blaming others for their plight in life. Though the word is never used in the book, repentance is an absolute necessity if the sinner wanted to live another day.

Good does win out for some of the four, and though it appears the story is over, we leave the book with an awareness that the evil perpetrators were far from finished with their “game”.

The book has been recently made into a movie, released last November. I promise, I will not go see it. And I hope I do not have images appear in my mind in the night!





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Turnovers Will Determine The Champs

After watching the first possessions by both the Oklahoma Sooners and the Florida Gators in the BCS Championship Game, I decided that the team that wins the turnover battle will be the champions of NCAA Football for 2008. Even as I was typing, Oklahoma intercepted a pass at near midfield! Oklahoma leads 1-0 on my scorecard.





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Info Storage!

I am a dinosaur when it comes to technologies. I still have file cabinets in which I store hard copies of all the sermons I have preached, curriculums I have written, even though I have spoken them into existence using my voice recognition software on my computer. And there are many more cabinets and closets that house the archives of the congregation’s business. We could save much space in our building if we would implement tape drives for our information storage!




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M. O. B.!!!!!!!!!

One of the most irreverent institutions around is the Marching Owl Band, from Rice University in Houston. Rice is one of the elite academic schools in the country, and it is relatively small compared to the other schools against whom it competes in sports.

In 1970 the band transformed itself from a traditional marching band to an unconventional group of performers. They wear black business suits and fedora hats rather than the traditional band uniforms. And there half time presentations have music, but there is almost always some social or political commentary too. I have seen them spoof the Governor, the Olympics and the big universities, especially the University of Texas.

Last night in the pre-game performance for the Texas Bowl, the M.O.B tweaked their opponents, Western Michigan University (it had been hoped that Notre Dame would be the Owls opponent). They thanked WMU for coming to Houston, for, "making their existence known". They said that Rice was pleased to have them as opponents, despite the fact that many would rather have played someone more familiar. They then asked if WMU would mind " putting bags on their heads and pretend they were Irish!"

Outrageous fun!




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