Going Onward
You know, I was thinking. Normally I like to do a feast and ode something on Fridays, but today I am just not in the mood to do that. It's either that or I can't really think of anything to ode. Many wonderful things are going on right now in my life and I need to step back and give the Father some praise. I just got back from the Pilgrimage this past weekend and am still flying on that high a little bit even today. I have had a chance to spend some great time with some brothers in the Lord both Wednesday and Thursday this week and have enjoyed that tremendously. I have the opportunity and privilege to present the lesson this Sunday morning and am excited about that. I haven't done this in a couple of years so I might be a little rusty. I have also already spent and am going to spend more time tonight with
you know who from you know where!
The one thing that is most exciting is that Rachel is getting the opportunity to go to Guatemala for a week of missions work! She and a group from her church are going down there to help build houses. Now, I know that I will miss her tremendously while she is gone but I could not be more excited about her going on this trip. God has gifted her is so many areas and I am just a proud as I can be that she cares enough about people to make this kind of sacrifice. I am saying all of this to solicit your prayers on Rachel's behalf as well as all of the others who will be going on this trip. Pray that hearts will be touched while they are there and that lives will be turned over to Jesus.
I hope all of you have a safe and blessed 4th of July weekend and that as you celebrate our freedom, don't forget that it came at a price! Be blessed beyond belief today.
My Pilgrimage Moment
You know, I was thinking. Every year when the decagang goes out on the Pilgrimage, there always seems to be a defining moment for the Pudgeman! This year it happened in Gettysburg. After viewing a half hour lighted map presentation that explained the highlights of the three day battle where about 51,000 Americans lost their lives, I walked across the street to the Gettysburg National Cemetary. In the cemetary was a memorial that was put on the spot where President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. Probably the most famous speech ever delivered by Mr. Lincoln. The moment moved me and thankfully "Where's Jim" was there to capture this moment for me. There was something very special about this place to me and I hope that the words of President Lincoln will bring home some meaning to you as well:
"Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."
Be blessed beyond belief today.
Rachel Wednesday #8 – What Will Happen Next?
You know, I was thinking. Saturday April 8, 2006 – This day shall forever be known as the day that I couldn’t get Rachel off my mind. I got up early that day to go and be a part of the team that was taking care of scrap metal at the Raisin Township dump day. Pastor Tom was leading the charge and had a full crew of men ready to work. I remember thinking to myself that “I need to call her!” I was so sure that God was answering a prayer for us and I just wanted to make sure that she was feeling the same way. So I waited a couple of hours until I had an opportunity to sneak away from the rest of the boys and I called her. When she answered the phone I said hello, and she giggled! I asked her how she was doing this morning, she said “fine” and she giggled! I told her that what happened the previous evening was very special to me. She confirmed that the moment was very special to her as well, and she giggled! I have found this to be a pattern with this particular woman now. She likes to laugh and she’s not afraid to do it often. After a short conversation with her I got back to doing the tasks that were before me that day, but I just couldn’t stop thinking of Rachel. By the way, I called her again that evening and you guessed it, more giggling!
Well, the rest of the week was still filled with both a busy schedule for the lovely school teacher, and much praying by the both of us. You see, they had play performances set for Thursday and Friday (Good Friday) that week and she still had to finish four days worth of teaching as well as pack for her upcoming trip. The trip over Easter break was a simple one. She was to go to her sister’s house in Tennessee and then make plans to meet this other match. I must say that although I knew that Rachel had to meet this guy in order to clear her mind and make her decisions about what she was wanting in her life, I sure didn’t want it to happen. I was beginning to realize that all of those feelings that had been developing inside of me were not mere infatuation or attraction, but that I was starting to feel a true romantic type of love for Rachel. You see, I haven’t felt this feeling in a number of years so it was kind of strange to me and took some time to recognize, but that is indeed what it was! Love! I didn’t plan on it, but it is what I was feeling! I was still praying for God’s will to be done and hoping that I would be obedient enough to follow His will. But in the same breath, I knew that God understood how I wanted this whole thing to play out. I had made the decision that I would not call her again that week because I didn’t want to put unfair pressure on her or cause more confusion. So I just prayed and waited, and waited, and waited until Wednesday night.
Wednesday April 12, 2006 at about 10 p.m. Rachel called me. I had just turned out the living room lamp and was getting ready to go to bed. She was very excited when I answered the phone. I asked her what was going on and she told me that God had given her a clear answer as to what she was supposed to do about this decision that she had to make! You see both of us really wanted God’s will in any potential relationship that either one of us were to have. Both of us wanted God right in the middle of everything and we knew that if we just waited on Him, then He would give the answer! We got that answer on April 12; you will get it next Wednesday. Be blessed beyond belief today.
I'm Back!
You know, I was thinking. It is always nice to take a few days off of work and enjoy some time off. I spent the last several days really enjoying some of lifes simple pleasures. Time with the boys on the Pilgrimage, baseball and an afternoon with a certain somebody just west of Pontiac! That is a good vacation if you ask me. The problem is, getting back to work! Here are some of the things that I have heard in the first hour today:
Doug, my email doesn’t work
Doug, we didn’t get the Vortex Gray in yesterday
Doug, did you know that we have a new controller? (accounting person)
Doug, did you order those pallets last week before you left?
Doug, do you have a minute for a question on Lakeside? (conversation ended ten minutes later)
Doug, what time does Sherry get in?
Doug, I think you left your light on in your car (I did)!
Doug, how was your vacation? Answer: TOO SHORT!
I can't wait to see what the next few hours have in store for me. But, God is good and His mercies endure forever! It is good to be employed and to have a life that is full. God has blessed me richly and my hope is that you will be blessed beyond belief today.
Pilgrimage 2006 - Day 2
You know, I was thinking. This years Pilgrimage began wonderfully. We arrived in beautiful Stevens, PA and had a wonderful evening at Thorpe Manor. Day two brought about a little nervousness in the Co-Founders because of the weather forecast! It just didn't look good, but we said "it's the Pilgrimage and we know it'll be alright. You see, over the past seven years we haven't had one rain out! Crease arrived at about 8:15 a.m. and after a couple pictures we were off to historic Gettesburg. The weather was beautiful! God blessed us richly and we really enjoyed our day discovering the battlefield! One piece of advice for anyone going to Gettesburg, get the guide to give you the tour! It is well worth the money and we had a guide that was obvious he enjoyed his job.
The tour is over so it's off to Baltimore! We did not see a drop of rain all day long! We got to the inner harbor and had about a half hour before dinner. We dined at Ba Ba Lu's. They serve cuban style food that was simply teriffic! After about a one mile walk, it was off to Oriole's Park at Camden Yards! This is a great park! I can see why the designers of place like Jacobs Field and Comerica went to see this one! It is a must see for any avid baseball fan. After the game (which the O's won) they put on a very nice fireworks show and then it was back to Thorpe manor.
All in all day two was a huge success! The deca-gang got all they could have ever wanted and more! I will let you know about day three the next time I have an opportunity. Be blessed beyond belief today.
The Pilgrimage Has Begun
You know, I was thinking. Pilgrimage 2006 has begun! I am now in Stevens, PA and the decagang will be traveling to historic Gettesburg tomorrow and then on to Baltimore! I will update you as time permits. Be blessed beyond belief today.
Rachel Wednesday #7 – Is It Time To Give Up?
You know, I was thinking. When last we left our story of Doug and Rachel, the beautiful lady school teacher had received her flowers and had thanked Doug. Now, the next week and a half would prove to be a great time of trial in my life! I was going through some “growing pains” that I didn’t really want to experience. I am not talking about just with Rachel, but with a number of aspects of my life. I began to feel that logic would dictate if things are not going well in a new found relationship, then just cut your losses and run! For some reason, I just wasn’t able to do that. I felt that there was something worth my time and effort, but I was beginning to get discouraged. We talked a few times on the phone and did send a few emails but it wasn’t what I had hoped would happen. Rachel had made some definite plans to visit the other match while on Easter break, and although I knew that it would be necessary, I didn’t like the idea of it! Rachel had also been encouraging me to meet other matches during this time. That’s never a good sign! But I did go ahead and do just that. One meeting was not something that I would consider good! This gal just scared me with her “sense of urgency.” The other had some potential, but I just didn’t feel about her like I did about Rachel. Rachel had indeed left an impression on my life. But all of this waiting around was beginning to get to me and although I had told her that I wasn’t going anywhere until she or God told me to go, I was beginning to think that this had run its course. I did have a plan to go up and see the musical on April 7 and was hoping we could get a little time together. Rachel had been very busy with school, her sons and of course the play and she wasn’t sure she would even have time for coffee afterward. So I began to pray about it but with more specificity this time. I asked God for a specific sign. If I was to hang in there a little longer, then the sign would be that Rachel would have time to get together after the play. If things had run their course, the sign would be that she would not have the time. I contemplated writing a letter explaining my decision to stop seeing her in lieu of trying to explain it to her in person just in case this was the last time I would see her. I felt very confident that God would answer this prayer for me and tossed out the letter idea.
April 6, 2006 – This is the night before I was to go to the play. At about 10 p.m. I got a call from Rachel. She wanted to know if I was still planning on coming up and if anyone would be coming with me. She wanted to make sure that she saved enough seats for whoever was coming! I told her that it would be just me coming. She asked me if I wanted to sit in the balcony near the sound booth because that was the best view. Now, I wanted to sit in the balcony near the sound booth because it was near where she was, not because of the view. So I said to her “that would be fine!”
April 7, 2006 – I arrived at the church around 6:30 for the 7 p.m. performance. I went directly to the sound booth area and found Rachel there. Now, the lovely school teacher had not seen me in a couple of weeks and immediately noticed that I had grown a beard (remember two weeks ago I said that this would soon become important: now it’s important)! We gave each other a hug and she was very complimentary about the new look to a very old face! I was very guarded this evening though and didn’t enjoy the moment at all. After exchanging a couple of pleasantries I asked if she would have time after the play to go out. She said that she had arranged it so that she had enough time to go for coffee! HERE’S YOUR SIGN! My feelings were still guarded, but I was confident that it wasn’t time to bow out gracefully! I had to stick around to find out what might happen next.
After a wonderful play, Rachel and I went to a nearby Tim Horton’s for coffee. We sat there and talked mostly about the two of us. I let her know that I understood she still had to make a decision and I was trying to understand the confusion. I also told her that until she had made a final decision that I still wanted to see her as much as time would permit. She had a favorable response to that proposal. She was willing to continue trying to figure out if there was anything there between us. After I had finished my coffee and the waitress was beginning to clean up around us, we decided it was time to leave. She still had about a half a cup of tea and was carrying it out to her car. As we walked, I placed my hand on her back. It must have been a good thing, because she then put her arm around me! We got to her car and I began to give her a hug as was our custom when we departed. This wasn’t a hug though, it became an embrace! We held each other for what seemed like 10 minutes (I am sure it wasn’t much over one). During that time I made a decision that would add a new dimension to our relationship and it would never be the same again. This was (after six dates) our first kiss. The Tim Horton cup she was holding almost didn’t survive. It was quite a moment for me, and apparently for her as well. Nothing had changed about the decision she needed to make but what would happen over the next 5 days would change our lives. That part of the story next week! Be blessed beyond belief today.
Comtemplating Vacation
You know, I was thinking. It is getting close to Pilgrimage time! Most of you who know me realize that every year in either June or July a group of us guys go somewhere on our annual Pilgrimage. This started way back in 1998 when Sheldon Thorpe and yours truly went out to Chicago to see a Cubs game! It is now a great tradition and it couldn't come at a better time for me. Although I will miss you know who tremendously, I am personally in need of some down time. God gives us a number of opportunities to take rest and often times we choose not to take them. I am not easily persuaded to slow down but I do realize it is necessary. Four days away just hanging out with the boys is sounding like a good plan. But let me tell you why this is such a treat for me. You see, all of us boys are Christians. We don't only spend time doing guy stuff, but we also spend time with God! We share a lot of stuff during the four days that we have. It all culminates with a wonderful time of worship on Sunday morning before we take off and go back home. It is good to work hard and to be responsible, but it is also good to slow down and enjoy the blessings of the Father. Be blessed beyond belief today.
Monday Madness - Fathers Day Style
You know, I was thinking. I just don't know what to do sometimes. The weekends just keep on getting better and better. God has blessed me so richly with great family and friends over the years. Now add to that mix one very special lady, and you get a very full life. God's blessings sometimes come in packages that aren't recognized as blessings. For instance what we refer to as valleys are without a doubt blessings from the father. The valley that I was blessed to go through a few months ago prepared me for what God was doing for me now. He really does know what is best!
But, back to this weekend. Without going into great detail let me give you the highlights:
Friday Night - Went to Rachel's and we went to dinner with both of her boys and then just spent some time together.
Saturday Morning - Got up early to get the yard work done, then went to Ypsi and bought a new battery for the WWII.
Saturday Afternoon - Yup, headed back to Rachel's for an afternoon of graduation parties (she is a teacher you know). On the way there I thought to myself "I wonder what everyone is doing for Fathers Day?" So, I did what any good man does, I called a woman to find out (in this case it was Sis)! She had said that she had not made any plans yet. So I told her to find out if everyone wanted to do a little impromptu cookout on Sunday. A few minutes later I got a call and found out that pretty much everyone was in! Wonderful, but I will have to do some shopping before hand in order to have something to cook on the BHG!
Saturday Evening - Graduation parties are over and Rachel's plans were to come and stay at the compound and go to church with me on Sunday (and of course stay for the above mentioned cookout). We arrive at the compound and I do a quick inventory of available BHG products in the freezer and then it was off to the store to do a little shopping. The phrase "woman get your shoes on and let's go" did come out of my mouth. Fortunately it was met with laughter! Whew, that was a close call!
Sunday Morning - Raceday in Brooklyn so it's time to take the back roads to Tecumseh. Wonderful service at
NewSong, sports Sunday on Fathers Day. I wore my vintage Al Kaline jersey! With the exception of only one OSU jersey, the place was filled with great pro and college wearables. Not an MSU anything in sight either!
Sunday Afternoon - Prep time at the compound! Much to do to get ready to feed about 17 people, but the BHG and the grillmaster have it completely under control. Not to mention that I had the help of a beautiful assistant this day (yup, she's got some grillin' potential)! Everyone is at the compound by 2:30 but in the interim the compound brain trust (that's ONOM, Quatro and myself) have some deep metephorical discussions (for more see
ONOM's blog). Then we do what all good MolletteFraleyCouture's do! WE ATE! The yardsbird, burgers and sausage were devoured (as well as chips, beans, coleslaw, etc...) and everyone had a happy smile on there faces.
Sunday Evening - First downtime that I had all weekend. Everyone (including you know who) had left by about 6 p.m. I flipped on the tv and became mindless for awhile. I think I even dosed off for a couple of holes of the U.S. Open! But it was good! Great day of fun and now a little time of reflection for me! Great weekend!
Hope all of you had a chance to give honor to your fathers yesterday. I know that I spent some time reflecting on my dad and of course I spent a little time just missing him. We all have a great Father who deserves the honor everyday. Don't forget to take some time with Him today. Be blessed beyond belief today.
Friday Feast - An Ode To Baseball Stadiums
You know, I was thinking. In less then a week now several men from Michigan and Pennsylvania will be uniting in our annual Pilgrimage. This summer traditions started in August 1998 with two men, a rented Taurus and two tickets to a Cubs' game in Chicago. Eight years (and several cities) later this years decagang will be embarking on Orioles Park At Camden Yards in Baltimore. In honor of this year's Pilgrimage I want to share my top five favorite baseball stadiums of all times.
5 - Tiger Stadium - This historic turn of the century park is the first ballpark that I ever went to as a kid and will always have a special place in my heart. No flash and glitter like some newer parks but the memories of the sights and smells that were there will last a lifetime.
4 - Yankee Stadium - The house that Ruth built. This wonderful classic stadium has to make the list! You can just feel the history and the spirit of the game when you go there. You can just feel Ruth, Gehrig and Mantle when you are sitting there.
3 - Wrigley Field - Without a doubt my favorite of the older parks that I have seen. The ivy on the outfield wall with the city skyline in the background just scream baseball. If you ever get the opportunity to go to Wrigley, jump at the chance.
2 - Comerica Park - When they built this park they really did a first class job. As much as I loved the old stadium, this one really has class! A fantastic view of the city above the outfield, great dimensions and unobstructed views no matter where you sit. I usually will get to attend about four to six games a year and would always love to do more.
1 - PNC Park - This has quickly become a Pittsburgh landmark. After dining in downtown Pittsburgh all you need to do is walk across the bridge and you are there. The views of the city and the layout of the park are the best that I have ever experienced! Whoever built this park really knew what they were doing. A must see for any avid baseball fan.
In the next few years I will be seeing several other ballparks that might just bump something off of this list but for now I can easily say that these five parks are my favorites! How about yours? Perhaps you have a special baseball memory you'd like to share! Either way, be blessed beyond belief today.
It Is Good To Praise The Lord!
You know, I was thinking. Danny Bacus wrote a song a few years back titled "It Is Good To Praise The Lord". It has a very catchy tune and its meaning runs very deep with me. The idea is that it is a good thing to give God the praise. No matter what is happening around us we can find something to praise God about. He has created everything from the beginning to be good and we need to remember that.
Many of you have heard me say that “I don’t always know the right thing to do, but most of the time I know what is the wrong thing to do!” If I simply avoid the wrong things I believe that God will bless whatever decision I make. We have to start each and every day with giving God the praise. He desires it and He deserves it! When things are going great then praise the Lord! When things are going bad then praise the Lord! When you are on the mountaintop then praise the Lord! When you are in the valley then praise the Lord! No matter what your circumstance are at the time, you can always give God the praise.
We live in a world of great negativity. Many people are looking for the bad in everything. Although there are a lot of bad things going on in our world, there are also many good things happening. God’s desire is to bless us! He is anxiously waiting for us to give Him that opportunity. God will always bring us just what we need right when we need it, but we MUST be seeking him and giving Him the glory in all things.
If you are feeling a little weak today then give Him praise. If you are feeling strong and courageous today then give Him praise. If you are in good health today then give Him praise. If you are sick today then give Him praise. No matter where you are at today, put the praise of the Father at the top of your list. Be blessed beyond belief today.
Rachel Wednesday #6 - Two Weeks In The Wilderness
You know, I was thinking. When last we left Doug and Rachel things were not going very well. They had just finished talking on Thursday, March 23, 2006. At the end of the phone call I asked the lovely school teacher, "Is there any way we can get together this weekend?" Her reply was, "Well, I have rehearsal on Saturday, but I might have time to get coffee or something after that. Would you like to come and watch the rehearsal?" I responded favorably to her proposition! So here I was going up to her church on Saturday afternoon, March 25, 2006. Please understand that this was in the township where I had lived for about six years with the ex Mrs. Mollette! This was not an area that I would frequent often. Just as the Jews would go well out of their way to avoid Samaria, I would do the same with this place! But, here I was going to the township immediately west of Pontiac. I left early so that I would not arrive late. In fact I was so early that I drove through the old neighborhood where I used to live. That wound up being quite a healing experience for me. I even drove by my old house. I hadn't done that since 1992!
After killing a little time, I drove to the church where the rehearsal was going to be held. I arrived before Rachel did but I knew that I needed to go to the balcony. I was looking around and saw their beautiful sanctuary! The set for the play wasn't quite complete yet, but it was massive to say the least! This was going to be a very interesting rehearsal. When Rachel arrived we gave each other a hug and talked for just a couple of minutes. She was quite busy with her tasks at hand and I was busy trying to figure out the best way to approach any conversation. When the rehearsal was finished we only had about an hour before Rachel had to be home to take her youngest son somewhere so we decided to go to Starbuck's for coffee (always a fine choice). During our conversation, Rachel expressed how uncomfortable she was with me at her church that day. You see, Rachel had met a few guys online but I was the first that she had actually met in person and that she’d been out with on a date. Her words were "I felt like you were invading my turf!" Now, she was very apologetic for feeling this way, but she felt it was the right thing to do to share her feelings! I agreed that it was good to share those things and that she should always feel free to do so. We even spoke of her planning on actually meeting with this other match while she was on Easter break from school. I was in full support of that idea. We both wanted to follow the Lord, but we knew that a decision would have to be made soon. We left that day without any real advancement in our relationship, but I believe that I had a better understanding of where she was in her life.
Sunday, March 26, 2006 - Note: This would be the last day that I would shave. I had decided to grow a beard! Why do I mention this? It will become apparent later on.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - This marked the one month anniversary of my first meeting Rachel! I felt that I needed to do something very special for her. The problem was that the two of us could not get together that evening because of her play rehearsals and I wanted to let her know that she was special. The answer: SEND FLOWERS. The only problem with that plan was that I only had the address of the school where she worked! "Oh well," I said, "I'm going to send them anyway!" So off to the florist I drove and sent her a spring bouquet with a card that said, "I know that you are very busy; just don't forget to stop and smell the flowers!" Oh yeah baby! I thought I was right on track with that one. Later that evening I got a call on my cell phone (which was on the charger at the time). I missed the call but the ID showed that it was Rachel, and look -- she left a voicemail! Goody!! She thanked me so graciously for the flowers and told me that they were beautiful and of course that I shouldn’t have done it. It must have only been about 10 minutes from the time that she called until I called her back but she had already left the house. Finally I got to talk to her the next morning (after leaving a couple of more messages) and once again she thanked me for the flowers. But there was a tone in that beautiful voice that was a bit uneasy, so I asked: "Is there something wrong?" As much as she enjoyed them, she said that it was a little embarrassing to get them at work! DOH! I never thought about that! I felt like an idiot so I immediately asked her if she knew why I sent them, and she said "No!" I told her that the day marked that one month anniversary thing; she began to laugh with the response of "That is so sweet!" I thought: Once again, I am back on track!! She had another week of rehearsals, I had another week of the wilderness and neither one of us had any clue about what would happen the next time we met! You’ll get that and the reason why we always laugh when we pass a Tim Horton's next week. Be blessed beyond belief today.
What Are You Teaching Me Lord?
You know, I was thinking. Today has started out very strange for me. I mean stranger than usual. It all started last night with a couple of very wierd dreams that woke me up. When I woke up it took me over an hour to go back to sleep, but I finally did. The next part of the morning went like this: Alarm goes off at 5:00 a.m., hit the snooze. Alarm goes off at 5:07 a.m., hit the snooze. Alarm goes off at 5:14 a.m., hit the snooze. Alarm goes off at 5:21 a.m., hit the snooze. Alarm goes off at 5:28 a.m., finally I drag my butt out of bed. After shaving (part of) my face, brushing my teeth, taking my medicine and setting the trash out by the road, it's off to the gym for my (late) morning workout! I arrive at about 5:55 and know that I need to get back on schedule. I set the treadmill for only 17 minutes and my legs are so sore from playing ball on Sunday that I am only able to do a very fast walk without any running involved! Instead of the usual 1.86 miles, I find myself doing only 1.35 miles! But, I am now only about 10 minutes behind schedule and am working my gut and arms next! By the time I finish with my shower I have trimmed my late start to only 5 minutes behind schedule. I thought to myself "I can live with this, no problem." So I get in the car and I am off to my normal Saline coffee stop. I go in and the clerk has my usual already poured and ready for me. I lay the money on the counter, grab a lid, get back in the WWII, turn the key and here the sound of a battery dying! Well, I've been here before so I'll just wait a couple of minutes and see if the battery will pick back up in a little bit. You see, I have had this same experience recently and I am convinced that this is just a minor set back. Well, no dice! The battery is still dead! What to do, what to do? I know, I'll just call Rachel and let the car set for a while as I talk to her. Long story short here, after about a 40 minute conversation with the lovely teacher from Waterford, the car still won't start! So I get off of the phone and begin to look under the hood. Now, like every good owner of a 17 year old car would have, I have tools! I take off the battery cables, clean them a little bit and put them back on the battery. The car still won't start. I saw a guy coming out of the coffee shop and I asked him if he would mind giving me a jump start? I said that I had cables (refer back to the 17 year old car comment) and he said sure. I hooked up the cables to the WWII, he pulled up and popped his hood. I hooked the cables to his battery, turned the key and the WWII was purring like a kitten! I thanked him, wished on him a blessing from the Lord and I drove off to work. I arrived only 10 minutes past my normal starting time (I am normally an hour early) so it was no big deal.
I share all of this to say......................THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE, I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT. No matter what happens, God is in control. He is the source of my joy. It's not my car, my sleep, my coffee, my workout, my girlfriend (sorry hun) nor my current situation or circumstances! I love you Lord and I give this day to you. Be blessed beyond belief today.
Monday Madness - Softball On Sunday
You know, I was thinking. I am going to try a new weekly feature and see if it works out for me. It seems like my weekends are so full of activity that I have to come back to work on Monday just to rest up a bit! But I had a wonderful weekend and I want to share some of the highlights with all of you!
It began Friday night with the small group meeting at the Walsh home! They were doing their post-201 celebration and I was priviledged enough to join them. It is great when Christians just come together to spend time with one another. This group is made up of mostly young couples with young children and they have really come together nicely in the past few months. Keep up the great job Sammy!
Saturday was great! I slept in until 7:00 and got up feeling great. I cooked breakfast for momma and myself and began my day. The day was filled with yard work in the morning and a quick little trip to the store after that. The lovely school teacher from Waterford showed up around 3:30 and the Big Honkin' Grill was then lit. Dinner would soon be on the table.
After we ate, Ms. Amazing, ONOM, Ole Girl and the Pudgeman were on there way over to The Little Pine Nine for some golf! That's right I said GOLF! What a great time that was. It was then back to the compound to have a little snack, some time for visiting with momma, and a little cuddle time for Ms. Amazing and me. To put it simply, it was a very good Saturday! Busy but very good!
Sunday morning was absolutely fantastic! Pastor Chilton from Midland delivered a wonderful testimony/sermon! It really took me back to remember where God has brought ME from! Thank you Jim for sharing such a very personal and inspirational message. At the end of service, Ms. Amazing had arrived and after I finished with a couple of responsibilities at the Civic, we were off to pick up some Chicken and go to the pre-softball picnic! That was a lot of fun but I must admit, those Baptists had us beat as far as picnicing is concerned!
Now, it was double header time! We had to reschedule this game from Thursday due to the VBS program at Missionary Baptist. This would prove to be a great thing! It made for a wonderful Sunday afternoon and we had many more fans for both teams than what we would have had on a Thursday. Since the real coach wasn't there, the team was mine to do as I pleased! So I did as I pleased and we had a very successful afternoon. Everyone who came to play got to play (even the Pudgeman) and we won both games. If nothing else, I gave the players a deeper appreciation for Russ and the way he coaches a team. It was a good time!
The evening was spent with the small group that meets a Roger Boley's home. We had a wonderful time of worship and reflection. This group really loves and cares about one another. I always feel uplifted after spending time there! Finally I went home and finished out the evening with doing a load of laundry and talking to you know who on the phone. Great ending to a great weekend.
I know this went a little long today, but I just felt like sharing. Hope all of you have had the opportunity to enjoy life (I know that I did) and allow the Father to refresh you! It is for a person to work, but it is important to take time out for what you love also! Allow God to grow in you throughout the week this week. Be blessed beyond belief today.
I Don't Want To Leave Kindergarten
You know, I was thinking. I am going to skip the normal Friday feast because the last time I did an ode to something it resulted in a week long tribute to my life. Instead I want to share with you something that happened last evening. I had the opportunity to spend some time with the lovely Christian school teacher from Waterford. After visiting her mother and going to dinner, we attended the kindergarten graduation for
Waterford Christian Academy. It really was a cute evening that included everything that you would expect from 5 year olds. First of all these kids are really cool. I love to watch children performing. They are either frightened to death or they are the biggest ham you'll ever see. A couple of specific things happened that I want to pass along to you. The first one was that there was this little boy who decided that half way through the program that he needed to go down and get a hug from his mommy! That was cute and it made me think. You know, sometimes a person just needs a hug. A hug represents love, affection, warmth, peace and security. Don't all of us need that once in awhile?
The other thing that happened was at the end of the program. There were two little girls crying. They had very different reasons for their tears. The first one was crying because she didn't get any awards at all! This was heartbreaking to her and very difficult for her to understand. Now, from my understanding this child had the opportunity to earn several different awards but did not do the things necessary to earn one. Aren't all of us like that sometimes? We don't really give our best efforts but want to be recognized as if we did. I know that I have been down this road before. Then, when we don't get recognized we either become angry, hurt or discouraged! It is hard to accept the fact that we are the ones responsible.
The second little girl was in tears because she didn't get to be in kindergarten anymore! She has done such a good job that she gets to go to first grade now! She likes kindergarten though! She loves her teacher! It makes no sense to her why she has to go to first grade now when kindergarten must be the greatest thing ever invented. I know that I definitely fall into this category. When it is time to grow and move forward in life it can be difficult! We have just gotten comfortable with our current state of being and then......................BAM! We are forced to grow. That's just no fun.................................at first. Just as any adult could see the need for a child to go forward in their education (you can't stay in kindergarten forever), God expect His children to grow and go forward in their lives. You just cannot stay where you are and still please the father and have a richly blessed life. God doesn't not want his children to remain with the elementary teachings that brought us to salvation, but rather God wants us to grow and move forward. He wants us to be mature (complete). He wants us to learn to love and serve one another. He doesn't want us to stay in kindergarten forever!
Where are you at today? I hope you can say that you have allowed the Father to challenge you and to help you to grow beyond where you were last year! Growth can be painful, but it is always worth it! Be blessed beyond belief today.
Well, She Did It
You know, I was thinking. Sometimes you wonder if your life is spent in vain or if by some small way you are able to make a difference in the world. Today I found out that I indeed have made a difference. After 3 1/2 months of dating and only five Rachel Wednesdays I have inspired (provoked) the lovely Christian school teacher from Waterford to start her own blog! She's a wonderful writer and it would appear that she is going to be a wonderful addition to our blogging family. You will find her link at the right under "Ms. Amazing" or you can go to her blog at
http://luvkjv.blogspot.com. I think things just got a little more interesting in our relationship don't you? Can two people find true love through the internet and then use that same internet to inspire (taunt) one another? The saga will certainly continue. Be blessed beyond belief today.
Rachel Wednesday #5 - The Curve Ball
You know, I was thinking. When last we left the continuing saga of Doug and Rachel, the lovely Christian school teacher from Waterford had just paid a visit down to NewSong Community Church to check out the legitimacy of Doug's story! She left that day quite tired from the two of us being out so late the evening before but everything was fine. I went home that day just absolutely joyous. I really liked this woman and I was hoping that this could possibly be the kind of person that I was looking for in my life. I did my best to sleep that evening but it was tough. I was just .................................very happy! Things really seemed to be on the right track here and I might even get to stop all this eharmony stuff and really get into an actual relationship.
Monday March 20, 2006. This day began like most with my rising and getting prepared for my work day. When I got to work I wrote Rachel what was then and still probably is the longest email that I have ever sent her. I gave her details of everyone's impression of her and how good that impression was. I also didn't hold anything back about telling her how excited I was that we were going down this road together. By the way, this was also the day that my mom got admitted into the hospital for the first time so the day definitely was quite a busy and emotional one.
Late that evening around 9:30 Rachel called me. I was happy to get her call..................at first. She began to share with me about this other match that she had made quite a connection with before she and I had even met. He "dumped" her back a couple of months earlier (by email I might add) but had sent her another email Sunday night wanting to get back in contact with her. Rachel was now confused to say the least. Please understand that both of us were in the position of meeting people and had made no kind of commitment yet. But, she and I were off to such a great start with all of the lights apparently green, and now this. I had two basic reactions to this news. The first one was "I am glad that she has decided to share this with me, because she didn't have to!" The second one was "I can't believe this; things were going so well up until now!" I was really experiencing a lot of pain for the first time in a long time (at least as far as relationships are concerned). I tried to react the way that I should have reacted, but it was obvious that I wasn't pleased with this series of events. The one positive thing that was at the center of all of this was the fact that she never said she wanted to stop seeing me. She was just confused as to what to do and needed to figure things out.
The next couple of days were spent sending a few emails to Rachel. Now, she was just beginning the four night a week rehearsals for the Easter musical! Tuesday and Wednesday were days of complete silence from her and I thought for sure things were over. On Thursday I sent her another email with the subject "I'm concerned." One thing about me is that I would rather hear the bad news than no news at all. Silence really bothers me and I wanted to know what was going on. Thursday night she called me (very apologetically) and explained how she hadn't even checked her emails since Monday so she had no idea I'd been writing to her. Just a side note here, because Rachel was being quite careful about what information she was handing out to men that she had met on the internet, I still didn't have her phone number. When she called that night she didn't block the caller ID this time and she let me know that it was on purpose. What we talked about mostly was her guilt (which was unnecessary), and my feelings that there was still something here and I wasn't willing to give up on it. My exact words were "I'm not going anywhere unless you or God tell me to!" I was not going to give up yet. The next two weeks were going to be a challenge for us. She was just plain busy with so many things (not to mention the confusion issue) and I was just plain stubborn. The next few weeks would be time of great growth and a trip through one of my deepest valleys ever! Be blessed beyond belief today.
Feeling Much Better
You know, I was thinking. It amazes me sometimes how by just doing what I know to do things really work out. I have been struggling with my allergies for a few months now and I have been saying "I really need to go see the doctor"! Well yesterday I did. After we talked for awhile and he checked me out he said it was either very bad allergies or a cold! He started me on Flonase (sp?) to see if it would help, other wise it was just a matter of rest and fluids to get better. The medication seems to be working wonders because I am feeling significantly better today! I just keep thinking that if I had gone a couple of months ago I might have avoided this whole episode, but I am an American male who is basically stubborn and have to learn things the hard way.
A couple of other facts that came out of yesterday's appointment were the following:
Weight: down 18 lbs. since the beginning of March
BP: 116/61
Pulse: 51
Temp: 97.0
I really believe that this is the healthiest that I have been in my life! I am looking forward to dropping about another 50 lbs by the end of the year and seeing how much better I feel getting there. For many years I haven't taken my health very seriously but I have a renewed sense of value and want to do this for me! I like the way Pastor Tom has said it so many times "I'm addicted to feeling good"! I thank God for all of you who have been of such great encouragement to me and for all of the love that you show to me. If it be God's will, I hope I can be around Pudging people for years to come. Be blessed beyond belief today.
Under The Weather
You know, I was thinking. I am feeling a little bit under the weather today. I seem to either have some kind of an allergy or sinus thing going on that has just been kicking my butt the last couple of days. So I am breaking down and going to the doctor this afternoon to get this check out. I am a typical male who would rather "tough it out" most of the time instead of just going to get checked out but I just feel that bad. Of course I still hit the gym this morning and I am at my desk working right now (well I am blogging right now, work will follow shortly). But I got to thinking what does the phrase "under the weather" really mean? Aren't we always under the weather unless we are in an airplane flying above the clouds? We know that this phrase indicates a person doesn't feel well but where did it originate and what does it really mean? Can somebody out there in Blogville help a brother out? Give me your thoughts and of course be blessed beyond belief today.
Friday Feast - An Ode To ONOM
You know, I was thinking. There are few people in your life that can both challenge you and inspire you. One of these people in my life happens to be ONOM (aka Jay Mollette). You see if you don't know the two of us at all and watch us together, you'll just have no clue as to what is going on. If you know both of us and watch us together, you'll still have no clue as to what is going on! Whether you call him Jay, #1, ONOM or that bald guy over there he's always going to be himself. Here are my top five reasons that I love this guy:
5 - He's my very first nephew! There is only a 2-1/2 year difference in our ages. We spent a great deal of time together growing up and became more like brothers than uncle and nephew.
4 - He's lives on the edge of sanity! If you push too hard he might just go over the edge. He likes to mix it up a bit and doesn't get serious unless he has to (remind you of someone)!
3 - He's able to challenge me! Not many people in this world can take me right to the limit of my Pudging ability but this guy can. He knows how I think and how I will respond. You might say that one of us is in the other's head!
2 - He's got a spiritual side! Even before he let Jesus into his life Jay has always had a great deal of respect and honor for God. It is through that part of him that God was able to reach him and bring him into the fold.
1 - He's just a great guy! No matter what he and I have been through both of us have the same values in this life. He is always putting others (especially family) ahead of himself and has a servants heart! He's a wonderful person and let's face it, I just plain love him.
Well there you have it, no matter how you slice it he is definately ONOM! Be blessed beyond belief today.
What Might Have Been!
You know, I was thinking. Back in the sixties I had an opportunity to start my career in acting. I was given the opportunity to have a screen test and was actually offered the part of Captain James Tiberius Kirk on a brand new series that was to be called "Star Trek". I turned down the part to continue my education and move on into first grade! Man if I'd have known then what I know now, I just might have taken that part. Here's the picture that was taken on the set that day.
I guess I'll just have to be satisfied that I am who I am and not some big Hollywood star! Be blessed beyond belief today.
