Home for the Holidays

The snow started to fall outside our classroom window. Winter had arrived and with it that old familiar song we sang in our eighth grade class. 

Over the river and through the woods to grandmother's we went...the horse knows the way to carry the slay... As we sang many thoughts started to race through our mind. A special day was about to unfold. 

Tradition brought our family together, seven people in a small apartment in the big city, Chicago. We did the best we could with what we had. A small cart table attached to the larger table with several chairs added. Our hearts were in the right place. 

On a table clothe with fancy dinner ware was a delicious turkey surrounded by lots of goodies. Our mouths watered just staring at dressing, mashed potatoes, carrots, peas, corn, and more. A variety of home made pies topped the menu. No body went hungry on Thanksgiving Day. 

Feeling stuffed after dinner with eyes bigger than our stomach's we all went into the living room and got comfortable. Small talk continued to dominate the conversation. The TV competed for some attention.

We gathered together to ask the Lord's blessing. With thankful heart's we praised God for good health, jobs, friends, family, church, and more. Life is so good and we hope you all have a happy thanksgiving.

If you enjoyed reading this article and found it to be helpful, we invite you to sign up for our free weekly newsletter and share it with your friends. https://bit.ly/38jnZnG. 

 
 

The Pride of a Uniform

 

The uniform is a form of expression describing whom you'd like to be. Your friends don't ask questions when they see you.

I like baseball. Whenever I go to Wrigley Field in Chicago to watch a Cub game I like to see the uniform the players wear.

Knee high trouser's, sweat shirt underneath a blue pinstripe jersey against a white background with Cub logo, large number, baseball cap, and knee high socks. Black lace shoes with spikes and a baseball glove compliments the outfit. Red white and blue combination of colors blended the uniform.

Recently my grandson graduated from Boot Camp in the United States Marine Corp. Proudly he marched with his buddies while waving an American flag in a well deserved uniform. 

My granddaughter, his sister, just graduated from Boot Camp in the Army. As her parents watched she proudly marched in her uniform with her comrades. 

God bless America and the men and women whom sacrifice their life to protect us and give us freedom to enjoy.

Hospitals remind me of nurses dressed in sparkling white uniforms, doctors in surgical scrubs, and other healthcare workers. Gawking eyes admire these dedicated workers whom respond to our every need. Thank you.

My neighbor loves her garden. In blue jeans and casual top she stays busy maintaining her precious yard. The beauty of flowers and delicious vegetables gets her lots of compliments.

Everybody dresses according to their personal preference and the sky is the limit. What about Santa Clause? Christmas would not be the same without Santa.

According to the Bible John the Baptist, forerunner to Jesus Christ, wore camel hair with a leather belt. It wasn't the latest style in his day, but he dressed like the prophet Elijah to distinguish himself from the religious leaders whom wore elaborate robes to reflect the pride in their position.

Ever since the fall of Adam and Eve back in Genesis people are required to cover themselves up. It is a part of pride, joy, and dignity, to do so. First it was leaves, now more sophisticated clothing. What are you wearing today? 

If you enjoyed reading this article and found it to be helpful, we invite you to sign up for our free weekly newsletter and share it with your friends. https://bit.ly/38jnZnG.     

Actions Supported by Plans Bring Success

Plans are useless without actions behind them. Plans need feet to make them work. How many times have you developed an idea, but never completed your intention? I have done it many times often ignoring the trial and error theory.

The lady liked to do jigsaw puzzles. It didn't take her long to lay out all the pieces on the kitchen table. The challenge just began.The ball traveled faster than the speed of light toward the plate. I swung my baseball bat viciously, but missed the monster completely several times. I was angry. I tried again, but still missed. What's wrong with me? My cousin taught me to keep my eye on the ball. From the pitcher's mound to home plate never take your eyes off the ball. Don't worry about the color of his eyes or hair. Timing is important. Swing your bat when the ball is arm's length from the plate. You'll hit some and miss a few. Practice. The end result will surprise you.Life without God is dead. That is why we are adding a new in depth dimension to our stories that you will find edifying and enjoy. Perhaps something you may like to share with your friends.The gospel of Mark is a book filled with action. Jesus had a plan and performed more miracles than He did sermons to prove His point. Now that's something to think about.If you enjoyed reading this article and found it to be helpful, we invite you to sign up for our free weekly newsletter and share it with your friends. https://bit.ly/38jnZnG.     

  

 

Body Building Exercise

The necessity for exercise in our life is for old people not for me. I never gave it much thought until it hit home in our family. Then exercise started to have a different meaning.

My mother-in-law now a senior citizen and widow, never did much more than sit comfortably in her living room chair. When encouraged to take periodic walks through the neighborhood she often argued that she got enough exercise going to the bathroom. Hmmm! Not a good answer.

Exercise is important to maintain a good healthy body. Isn't that why God gave us two good legs? We must learn to use them wisely.

When a patient returns to their room following surgery, depending on the type of procedure they had, they are required to walk either with a walker or staff assistance. Blood clots form if they don't get up and move around, not too mention have a bowel movement. Such is good body maintenance. 

It's not uncommon to notice other patient's walking through the halls. Reluctantly they follow a routine exercise program during their stay in the hospital. Physical Therapist execute doctor orders with lots of love.

On another note thirty-five thousand baseball fans pack into a ball park. Prior to an exciting game the celebrities hustle out on the field to exercise. Lining up on the opposite foul lines they race back and forth getting their legs into shape. Exercise along with knee bends and lifting weights helps to build muscles and get a body into shape. Yes exercise is a name of the game for any professional sport. 

Current life styles doesn't make life any easier. Most people sit behind a desk at a computer for most of the day. Riding the commuter from the suburb to the city adds to the problem. Nurses, waitresses, and construction workers are the only other people that I know of that move around a lot. Perhaps fast-foot workers also move around a lot on their job.

Do you like to feel like the living dead? Don't allow stiffness to take control of your body. Put some exercise into your regular schedule. 

If you enjoyed reading this article and found it to be helpful, we invite you to sign up for our free weekly newsletter and share it with your friends. https://bit.ly/38jnZnG.    
 

Starting Over Is Not Bad

Our men's small group meets every Saturday morning. Ten men build each other up in the faith with small talk and a brief Bible study. Today Mark, one of our members, shared a need for tires on his car. That got the conversation buzzing.

The topic got me to thinking about the good old days when I needed tires for my own car. I recall the time I visited a shop in a Chicago suburb. Without much money in those days and credit cards weren't popular, I learned about recap tires.

Recap tires are old worn out tires that needed a new cover. They were not the best tires without a warranty like new tires had, but were a good substitute. The discount price made them well worth the investment and I had no regrets. 

So new beginnings were not bad. Starting over may be the best thing going for some people.

I am a church attender all my life. Yes you heard me correctly My first experience in church was in our church nursery. At church camp when I was twelve years old I became a Christ-follower. Change is a part of life and I never looked back. I have no regrets.

The baseball player struck out, slammed down his bat, and in anger walked back to the dugout. Relax, not all is lost. There will be another chance. Perhaps three or four times during the game. Life would be terrible if all we had was one chance in life. 

A new start is what I needed. Throughout my many days on planet earth I've started over many times, and each time my life got better. Can you identify with this experience? To live in denial may create a road block. And we wonder why so many are unsuccessful on their job, community, family, and church. Learn how to make wise decisions and don't be afraid to start over if necessary. 

If you enjoyed reading this article and found it to be helpful, we invite you to sign up for our free weekly newsletter at https://bit.ly/38jnZnG.   

 

Why Does Inflation Hurt?

Do you like a good joke? Writers like to use humor in their stories. People often have different ideas about jokes. Do you believe a good joke?

Yesterday I was in my doctor's office for a followup visit to a recent surgery. While there the subject came up why elder people can't have any more kids. The answer may surprise you.

At 79 years of age I'm too old to have more kids. Why? I'm too busy paying medical bills and can't afford to have kids. The morale to the story is that senior citizens can't have kids.

Ha! Ha! Ha! Everybody in the office laughed if you believe this one.

Healthcare is expensive. Insurance premiums, medicare, copays, and everything else under the sun, you name it. Do you get my gist? 

Inflation is real. I recall in my business class in college the professor warning us about inflation. He said while we struggle to maintain a budget and have a good job, please don't forget about inflation, it could ruin you. To ride the city bus in Chicago use to be a dime, now it's over a dollar. Even a hot dog at a baseball game cost ten dollars. A package of eight hot dogs at the grocery store cost 99 cents. 

Our economy is going crazy. Gasoline at the pump is skyrocketing. Food prices are at an all time high. Housing is not affordable for a hardworking family. What next?

The word cope is old and trite. We must learn and develop new mechanisms to deal with this devastating problem. Perhaps we should tell the government to stop printing and putting into circulation more money. Maybe we should slow down in purchasing goods and services. Be practical, get only what is necessary to survive, and use our coping mechanisms more wisely. 

If you enjoyed reading this article and found it to be helpful, we invite you to sign up for our free weekly newsletter at https://bit.ly/38jnZnG.  
 

Books are Sacred

Books are sacred and deserve lots of respect. Even though they are not the same as the Bible, they open up to us the world.

Library Day was always big time to us at our local school. Every Thursday we rushed like mad dogs to clear the shelves of everything imaginable. Encyclopedias, National Geographic, and more stacks than we could possibly imagine filled the long tables enclosed by walls of book shelves. 

The local libraries scattered throughout our town also drew a lot of attention. Anything free brought large crowds with a desire to learn new things. My cousin frequented our library every week and brought home a stack of books. No take out limit in those days.

Department stores, often four stories high, had entire floors just devoted to books. And book stores like Barnes & Noble attracted large groups of people in shopping malls. 

No books have not gone out of style. Now we depend on the electrical wires to purchase books online through the internet or Amazon. Even students in the classroom use their cell phone that drives the teacher crazy. What is this world coming to?

I am a book lover. I like to read just like many of you. Do you have a favorite that you are currently reading? I have read most of Robin Cook's medical mysteries and saw Coma on the big screen. I read all of John Grisham books including Calico Joe that any baseball fan would enjoy.

Books open up a whole new world to us. Adventure, mystery, documentary, fiction, or nonfiction, the choice is yours to enjoy. So do you want to laugh or cry?

If you enjoyed reading this article and found it to be helpful, we invite you to sign up for our free weekly newsletter at https://bit.ly/38jnZnG.