How does THAT work??

I celebrated my 58th birthday last week, and my family made it a time I will always remember for all the right reasons. My wife and I did an overnight in Columbus at a "Hot Tub Hotel", and she and my adult children planned a picnic party at a park in a nearby town the next afternoon. It was so much fun. All my kids and Grandchildren were present. It was a little bit on the cool side, but sunny; and everyone had a great day.

I've had time to reflect on things for the past week, and I've concluded that I have done nothing to deserve the wonderful family God has blessed me with. Oh, I've done what I consider to be my best (most of the time) to communicate love to each member of my family; but so many times I've come up short on being the kind of husband, father, and grandfather that I want to be. And yet, despite my failings, God has seen fit to bless me with this awesome family. How does THAT work? Well, a lot of credit certainly goes to my wife--the most loving, unselfish lady on this planet. But she would be the first to deflect praise and credit to the One who really deserves all the cudos for a job well done.

I think a loving family is the most tangible representation of the grace and love of God this side of heaven. Think about it: What have I done to deserve the love and acceptance of my earthly family? Nothing. What have I done to deserve God's grace and favor? The answer, of course, is nothing. And yet for reasons unknown to me, He loves me. And its not just that He loves me--He is totally outrageous with His love and pursuit of a loving relationship with me. If God had waited til I was cleaned up and presentable before inviting me into His family, I'd still be on the outside looking in.

As it is, He has adopted me into His family--chose me for Himself, and so I have all the rights and privileges of a member of His family. And my inheritance?? Wow! I'm heavenbound.

Signed: one grateful, undeserving son of the Most High God.

Murder Myster in the Making

My wife is a huge murder mystery fan. Not just ANY murder mystery though. None of this blood and guts murder mystery. That type of murder mystery is so depressing--and usually predictable. No, she prefers a murder mystery that you could picture Dick Van Dyke, Angela Landsbury, or Buddy Ebsen starring in. A murder mystery with some humor. Can you dig it? So, she's enlisting my humble assistance to come up with a plot for this yet unnamed mystery. Also, could I please come up with a catchy title; and, oh yeah, some good characters, and a good story line too. She promises to give me credit in the book's intro. One more thing, she wants to make lots of money on this book too. So, if you have any ideas, feel free to forward them to us. This'll be great. Really...

Head-On with a Fish

Ohio weather, ah yes--isn't it interesting? Last week on my commute to work, I came upon some high water on a local county road. I slowed down, and as I drove slowly through the water, what did I see but a FISH--that's right, a FISH swimming across the road! I swerved, barely missing this boogeying bluegill. What I missed was documenting this unusual event: I didn't have my camera with me.

Newhart

I just finished watching a PBS special honoring the comic genius that is Bob Newhart. I did not realize that Mr. Newhart was an accountant before beginning his comedy career as a stand up comic, and that he starred in at least a couple of movies. His two long running sitcoms where he played the parts of a psychologist and an innkeeper rank as two of my all-time favorites. Newhart's dry wit was so refreshing--no yelling or grandstanding needed here. The Newhart Show with Larry, Darrel and Darrel, George Utley, Stephanie and Michael, and wife JoAnna was pure comic genius. Newhart's character casting was brilliant--it made the show. Three things really set Newhart apart, I think, from most other comedians: 1) he refused to "push the envelope", as they say, with edgy humor marked by foul language and sexual innuendo, 2) he was master of the "comedic pause"-- like Jack Benny, and 3) he allowed other actors to claim the spotlight in any particular episode. I close with the trademark line from his Newhart Show: "Hi! I'm Larry. This is my brother, Darrel. This is my OTHER brother, Darrel." I salute you, Mr. Newhart! You blessed my family with many, many laughs over the years; and it was all stuff the whole family could watch--safely.

A Twisted World

Re: The Terri Schiavo Case
There are no winners here, and not too many surprises. The prophet, Isaiah spoke of times like this in Old Testament times when he stated: "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter." (Isaiah 5:20) The Apostle Paul also spoke of times like this when he said: "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" (2 Timothy 3:1-5) Where is justice? Where is fairness? We will not see that day--but it is coming. A day who's coming is as certain as the rising and setting of the sun each day. The day of visitation from the Judge of the Universe. He will judge with fairness and justice. Those who fail to protect the innocent and defenseless will be among the most harshly judged.

Pet Peeve

One of my pet peeves is when other people try to force their views regarding nutrition on me. They think that just because they enjoy concocting these odorless (?), tasteless, low calorie food prescriptions, that we ALL need to do this. I say there are MANY ways a healthy lifestyle. My personal favorite snack of choice is a big chunk of Hershey's dark chocolate. It just "tastes right". So what could possibly be wrong with lots of these delicious Hershey health supplements? Of course, I'm being facetious here. While its true that I do enjoy an occasional bite of "Hershey Heaven", I know that a steady diet of chocolate would not be good for my health. Similarly, the belief that some strongly hold to that there are many ways to get to heaven does not agree with Biblical orthodoxy. Many professing Christians even hold to this view, which flies in the face of scripture. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life," and elsewhere emphacized that the road leading to eternal life was "narrow". The "PC" (politically correct) take on this belief in a "narrow" way to eternal life held by followers of Jesus is that it is a "narrow minded" view. As followers of the Lord Jesus, we should not allow ourselves to be intimidated by the "label makers" of this world. Stand firm, Christian.

Amey's Blog Interview Game

Amey has given me five very interesting questions to answer, so here goes:

1. Do you really believe that at your age you have any chance at all of becoming the next NBA superstar? There is precedence for relatively "senior" men performing at the very highest level of professional sports: Julio Franco (47 yrs.), first baseman for the Atlanta Braves, Satchel Paige (51 yrs.), pitcher for the Chicago White Sox, George Blanda (47 yrs.) place kicker for the Oakland Raiders, and Bobby Riggs (50 + yrs.) in professional tennis. The NBA would be particularly tough for an elder statesman to be able to cut the mustard. Michael Jordan was considered old when he made his last (?) NBA comeback at age 37. Messrs. Stockton, Malone, and Jabbar played past age 40, but no one has come close to 50. So, its going to be tough, but that will just make it all the more special, won't it? The term "superstar" does present questions though. I see myself more as a "role" player.

2. Describe a favorite memory you have of spending time with your family. Since I have so many good family memories, I think I'll just go with the most recent. Since school was cancelled today due to poor weather conditions, we decided to risk our lives by getting out on the icy roads, and do something fun together. I suggested to my wife and two daughters that we
visit our favorite Christian bookstore, buy a few good books, then have lunch at Der Dutchman--our favorite Amish restaurant. So that's what we did. The girls each found three or four good books, and my wife and I came up with about eight. I enjoy reading book titles as much as anything. They can be so interesting. Titles like: "When the belly Button Pops, the Baby's Done" and "She's Gonna Blow! Real Help for Moms Dealing with Anger". The one I settled on was "Good and Angry", a book that advertises that "if you don't see a reduction in your anger, then return the book along with your sales receipt" for a full refund. My wife and I are saving that receipt. You're probably thinking from the book titles I named that we must be really angry people, but we really aren't. (After thinking about what I just wrote, I thought that little disclaimer was in order.) Lunch and one of the famous creme filled Long Johns put a cap on a near perfect morning. We came home, got a nice hot fire going, and settled down for some reading and an afternoon nap.

3. Whom would you most like to meet and have a conversation with (someone who is living in the present)? Boy, this was a tough one; because there are so many fascinating people I'd love to meet and talk to. You might think I would choose Michael Jordan or David Robinson (an outstanding Christian and former NBA star), but if I had to choose just one person, I would probably go another direction. I think I'd pick Alistair Begg, Senior Pastor at Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio, and host of the radio ministry known as "Truth for Life." I admire Pastor Begg's skill in communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ in such a relevant and magnetic way. I wish I could communicate the Gospel as skillfully, winsomely, and fearlessly as he does.

4. Other than the Bible, what book has had the most influence on your life? This will probably surprise, and maybe disappoint some people; but I would say the "Deep Thoughts" books (There are at least four of them.) by author (??) Jack Handey might have influenced my life as much as any book other than the Bible. Mr. Handey has the kind of "off beat" humor that I love, and I believe laughter is a key ingredient in keeping us happy (Duh!), reducing stress, making us into attractive people, keeping our family relationships strong, and helping us to live longer, more productive lives.

5. What is it about your wife that you love the most? That we would be interested in knowing, that is. I could name so many things about my wife that I love. One would be nearly impossible, so let me name at least three: 1) My wife loves Jesus and His Church. Everything else she does flows out of this passionate love for Jesus. It motivates her like nothing else can. I love this about her because its a core value that we share. 2) My wife loves her children and grandchildren passionately. She lives and dies with them. There is nothing she would not do for them. She loves them way more than I do, and I love them alot. 3) My wife has an optimistic outlook on life. This is so important, because I tend to be more pessimistic, and she helps me see the good/bright side of things, people, and situations. I love this about her.