Happy New Year

I hope everyone has a great year in 2008. Later...

friendship

The last time I sent out a blog was Oct. 13, the day our dear friend Julie went into hospice care. She went home to heaven Friday evening, Nov. 2, and the funeral was Nov.5. It has been a roller coaster of emotion for 6 weeks. It seemed like Julie held on for a long time, but actually, it was only 5 weeks from the time she knew it was bad. Life really isn't fair. It was such a harsh reminder again that we are not promised tomorrow. You just never know when it is going to be your time. Thankfully we have Christ to look forward to. I don't understand how people without a faith could go on after something like this. We (faithful followers) still question in our hearts why, but can accept it because we realize this world is just something we pass through. For those who do not believe in God's promise of heaven, how incredibly difficult some kind of tragedy like this would be for them to accept. God is good! How thankful I am to my parents and grandparents for such a heritage. The real reason I am writing this tonight is to share a short story about friendship. To give just a little background, Audrey (Julie's daughter)plays on our basketball team. I have written about my girls a few times. As you may remember, 6 of these girls have played together since 2nd grade, and the rest for a year or more. 4 of them go to church together and 3 have known each other since birth. These girls get along real good and really seem to enjoy being together. I have been keeping everyone on the team posted about Julie because there was genuine concern. My heart was really touched when I saw Audrey's teammates at the funeral with their parents. To my knowledge, none of the girls were forced to be there. My little team doesn't win every game. We don't have the best players in town on our team. We most definitely do not have the best coach. But there is one thing that I believe we have better than any team in the league. Friendship and respect for each other. Case in point...the first weekend Julie was unable to come to our games these girls yelled her name every time we broke huddle. Not my idea by the way. The next week at practice the girls wanted to sit down and talk about Julie, because they were confused and needed that time to try to figure it out. So I stopped practice and we talked about it. These little girls always play hard, even if we are getting pounded. When we win they display good sportsmanship. When we lose they keep their heads up and always shake the other girls hands. (Unlike some of the other teams we have faced) These little girls are full of character. An obvious trait of their parents. I realize these girls are 10 and 11 years old, but there is a lesson in this. (I also realize they are closing in on middle school, and something very ugly happens to middle school girls. They turn into these mean, nasty creatures that hunger for being mean to their very best friends. I've seen it and it is unbelievable.) But back to my original thought. These sweet girls came to a funeral for a teammate who just lost her momma. They might not really understand what that means, but they know enough to know they stick together through thick and thin. I can guarantee when we all get together after Christmas to start practicing again nothing will be said about it. There won't be a bunch a hugging and crying. The girls will just pick up were they left off the last time we played and continue to get better. But Audrey will know one thing forever. These girls are her friends, and they care. I was able to talk to Audrey for about one minute at the graveside service and asked her if she saw some of her teammates. Her face lit up as she told me who she saw, then I filled her in on who else was there and she smiled and got goofy like she does. I believe God puts people around us for a reason. Some for a life time and some for a season. Friendship is something that should be cherished and not abused or taken advantage of. I have learned from my little girls what friendship should look like. It is pure, effortless, unspoken. Audrey will not forget her teammates were there for her, and they didn't even say a thing. They just showed up. I really love these little girls. This is just another reason why. I hope you find this as cool as I did. At the end of this blog there is a link to the home page of my blog. If you like you can click on it and check out other blogs I have written. Until next time I feel inspired!!

Hello. This is Curt. I know some of you are thinking what is this? Welcome to my blog. I have added a number of new people to my blog site. So, those who are new, you will get this occasionally. I don't send blogs very often. I don't just do it to send and say something. Because honestly.....I really do not have that much to say. I do not do it to get responses, although, if you want to respond you can. I do it more for me. I send them when I think something needs to be said. As many of you know Wendy and I have a very good friend who is dieing from a brain tumor. It is the type that is the most aggressive kind. Our friend is Julie Sutterfield. The tumor is inoperable and treatment is pointless. They could have done some treatment, but it was a decision by Julie to not go through with it because it was a quality of life deal. This has been going on for over three weeks now. And as I type this, Julie is in hospice care. I am hoping to get to see her today. Julie and Wendy have been good friends for 10 years or so. They have helped each other through a divorce, family tragedies, family deaths, and other junk. But, this blog isn't about Julie....it is about my wife and a small gift she gave to Julie's daughter Audrey. Thursday I had gone to the civic center to get 4 tickets for the Casting Crowns concert that night. Wendy, Lizzy, Sparky, and myself were going. (Leaving Cutter with Mom and Dad. Did you really think I would take tornado boy to a christian concert? Please!! Sparky....this is Emily for those who do not know. I'll explain later) We had basketball practice that night and the plan was for me and Spark to meet Breezy and Liz there at the concert. Wendy had gone to see Jules at hospice (the day she went in) and called me to say Audrey was coming to practice. (I wasn't expecting her to) They might be a little late because Audrey was hungry and needed something to eat. In a few more minutes Wendy called again and said she and Audrey were talking about the concert. Audrey said her mom and her were planning to go but her mom wasn't able to get the tickets. Wendy decided then and there to give her ticket up so Audrey could go with us. I was like really? We had our practice and then it was time to go. The concert was good, Sparky and Audrey had a blast being there together. Audrey just smiled the whole time with that beautiful grin she has. The gift my wife gave her was not that big. It wasn't done for others to see. Wendy did it because it was the right thing to do in her mind. She did it because she loves Audrey. I can promise you Wendy would have done that if Julie wasn't sick and dieing. My wife did not do it so she would look good to others. She could care less. My wife was kind to a little girl who is fixing to lose everything she has ever known. My wife taught my girls what being unselfish looks like, without even saying a word. My wife has shown compassion, understanding, and loyalty to a friend. Wendy has shown alot of us what being a Christ follower looks like without even saying a word. You know the old saying....Actions speak louder than words!!! I just sat back thursday night at the concert looking at my girls (including Audrey), and I realized what has been going on around me. Realized what I have just shared with you about my wife. Now, it will really hack Wendy off that I am making a big deal about this, because that is not what she wants. So, if you see her, just give her a pat on the back. And say a little a prayer for Audrey.

Good days

I had a terrific experience last week. My wife and I were able to take a cruise to the Caribbean. Something I really didn't think I would enjoy. Was I ever wrong!! What an incredible time we had. The entire experience was a big memory of a lifetime. We are already setting plans for another one, but this time with our kids! We did things we never thought we would never do. White water rafted in the Jamaican rain forest, snorkeled in Cozumel, ate different kinds of food normally we wouldn't try (it was free, why not?) We got pampered to the point of it becoming ridiculous. Absolutely spoiled rotten. The biggest decision we had to make was what to do after dinner?... Catch the show? Karaoke? Casino? Dance? Are you kidding me? But you know something, the biggest part of any day was at the end of it, when we went to bed and I realized what a good day I had with my wife. Of all the things we did, all the incredible stuff we saw, it all boiled down to time with the one I love most. When we got home Sunday afternoon, our children running out the front door to hug our necks, so excited their parents were finally home....spending the rest of the night telling them about our trip, watching video we took, looking at the pictures.... that was a good end to another day. I decided to take Monday off as well, just to recover from the trip. I actually ended up working a little that afternoon, but my son, Cutter, would not have me leaving him again. He went with me. I got to spend all day with that little guy. He was with me from 9:30am until he finally went to bed at 10:30pm. Now that was a good day. I spent the evening with my oldest daughter (and Cutter) getting her stereo replaced, letting her drive to and from Best Buy, and just listening to her tell me all of the stuff going on in her world. Then the best, my Emily comes in the room to tell me goodnight and says the best four words a dad can ever hear...I love you daddy! All of this got me thinking while I was trying to go to sleep. And as you can tell, I couldn't since it is 1:30 in the morning. I haven't been going out every day to make money. I haven't been focused on building and running my business. I haven't done things that I usually consider a good day. Of course those are important things, but I don't really think I will look at those things as "good day" makers in the same way anymore. A good day is having your son be excited he gets to spend the day with his dad, and me being excited to get to play with my son. A good day is seeing my oldest daughter grow in confidence as she tells me about her life and the positive decisions she is making. A good day is getting a huge hug and kiss from a very special girl who still thinks your pretty cool. A good day is they all want to go with you to get supper and fight for who gets "shotgun." A good day is waking up to a wife who I know loves me, and ending it with someone I love more than when it started. Maybe it takes time alone with your wife to remember why you fell in love with her in the first place. Time to get to fall in love with her again. Time away from your kids to remind yourself why God gave them to you in the first place. Laying in bed tonight I just thanked God for the blessings I have....Wendy, Lizzy, Emily, & Tornado boy. I know this is sappy, and it isn't normally the way I talk, but I thought if this little message could somehow remind any of you what a good day means, then I should write it down. Go to work, live your life, but just remember...always have a good day!!!

top 10 things I'm learning from watching others.

Been a long time since I've written. I have been busy working mostly. Really haven't had anything to say. Until now! Lately I have seen, heard, and experienced some things that got me to thinking about a quote I read once. "Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement." How many of us can totally relate to that. I would say most of us. But what I wonder about is this. How many of us look at other people and learn from what they do, or don't do? Hence, I have come up with my top 10 things of what I have learned from others, that I will never (hopefully) do or Wendy has my permission to kick my rear. So here goes......
10. At what age in life does a man decide it is o-kay to wear dress shoes and dress socks with shorts? I realize I am not a fashion guy, but come on..... I will never understand this as long as I live. And the old men who do said fashion shouldn't be wearing shorts anyway. Which leads me to my next point.
9. Once your legs get to said point....cover those bad boys up. This goes for both men and the ladies. Age doesn't really matter. I 've seen some nasty stuff lately from people younger than me. Come on!!!
8. Closed-minded people.
7. Arrogant people. Have you ever noticed how #7 & #8 usually go together?
6. Negative people. I had a conversation with someone a few days ago. The only positive was when they said "have a good day" as I walked away. This particular individual was so upset about everything that it really affected their outlook on life. Sad.
5. 'Know it Alls' Who honestly really cares.
4. 'Bigger story than you people' You know the kind. The person who always has a better or more tragic, or worse story than the one told. Guess what.....if I wanted to know, I would have asked.
3. Gossips. Holy smokes!! Where do these people come from?
2. 'Fix it people' This is the worst! Why?? If things are going good, this person will break it or go hunting for someone who needs "fixing" And they are never counselors! Have you ever noticed that? What in the??
1. This is important to me. As it should be to every dad. I refuse to fail as a parent. There are different ways to look at this. I have seen different ways lately that made me think WHAT? I'll just leave it at that.
Enjoy this list. Chew on it, digest it! Later on....

I got to brag a little!

What a weekend! I coach a 4th grade girls basketball team. I have coached 7 of the 10 since they were in the second grade. Four of the ten girls have known each other since birth. Those same four go to church together. We played in a tournament last weekend and lost to the eventual two teams in the finals. This weekend was another story. The girls won the tournament!!! They played 5 games this weekend. We lost our third game to a team from Clovis 20-5. Ugly score, ugly game. We had to win our next game to reach the final and get a rematch. The girls played a very good game and won the championship game 20-18. Now, understand, I have seen alot of basketball in my day. Played my fair share as well. I couldn't be more proud of these girls. They showed determination, heart, and desire like I haven't seen in a long time. It was so awesome to see them perform and achieve their goal. It is really satisfying to watch these little 9 and 10 year olds do the things on the floor we have been teaching them. It was a huge confidence builder for them. For me as well. They were so excited, jumping around, hugging each other, hugging their moms and dads. What a wonderful feeling it was. Our little team has had our share of serious beat downs, true confidence crushers. Been tested and bombed out big time. The kind of stuff that really tests your metal. But the girls have stuck together and continued to play hard. It was a great moment for them, and I am so happy to have been there. I could tie all this in to a deep thought of how it compares to our walk in Christ, how our goal to get to heaven is met with adversity along the way. That just because we achieve a moment of jubilation, doesn't mean it will always be that way. How we have to always continue to improve, because life won't stop challenging us. But I will not do that, I'll just leave you with a coach who is doing nothing but bragging on his team. These little girls are so much fun to coach. The really neat thing is getting to coach my own daughter. But in a way I feel like they are all my little girls. It was an awesome weekend. But, win or lose, they always make me proud to be their coach.

Being Guarded

Two weeks ago I had my truck robbed. Sitting there in my driveway. I can almost tell you when it happened. I was sitting in my office with one of my very good friends and I heard my dog Max barking in a different way. I think I even made the comment he is barking weird. The next morning I go out to take Emily to school and sure enough, my truck had been robbed. Whoever it was did not take anything of real value except one of my check books from one of my accounts. Since then, I have contacted the bank to get the 20 checks stopped. I had to have a police report. One check was recovered thanks to a heads up employee at a store here in town. Another actually made it to the bank. The hassle this is causing is time consuming, but it is what I have to do. But, the part I haven't told you until now is this. I left my truck unlocked. The one time out of hundreds, I just simply forget to lock it for whatever reason. The one time it slips my mind, I get hit. This experience got me to thinking a few days ago, How many times do we get comfortable with our lives and for an instance we let our guard down and Satan steps in and blasts us good. Sometimes it is for just a moment, sometimes it is for months, years, who knows. He can effect us with our own personal relationship with Jesus, with our mate, our children, our friends. As most of you know, we are going to be starting a dad/daughter ministry at church. I am getting very excited about this, but as I have thought about it and read the bible, read a couple of books on being a dad, I have quickly realized how inept I am at being what it is God has charged me with. 1 Cor. 16:13, "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong." What encouraging words, what "look in the mirror words". Being a dad to daughters has so many other things wrapped up in it. The more I read and study, the more I realize how rounded we as men have to be. Let me try to explain that. Are we letting our family see our relationship with God? Are we showing our daughters by our actions towards our wife, how a woman is to be treated? Are we being the protectors of our wives, daughters, sons? Spiritually, emotionally, physically? Is the safe place recognizable? I think you get my drift. I totally believe that you cannot be an effective leader of your family if you yourself are not solidly based in Christ. I am not saying be perfect, I am saying letting Christ be your guide. Who of us will ever have it perfectly figured out. Find that man and I'll follow him, until then Christ is my cornerstone. Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life". I have been on the end of brokenness without hope. I have been where Christ wasn't important. I have try ed to live by my rules and my agenda. I have been where I didn't guard my heart and it became hard, cold, and bitter. It sucked big time. I wasn't an effective father to my children, wasn't a good man to my wife, wasn't a good friend. We (men) have to protect ourselves as well. What is it that causes us to fall away, to stumble? It is leaving ourselves unguarded. Only if it is for a moment. Satan is just waiting to tear out our hearts and crush them. By our actions we can do that to each other and not even know it. By not giving your daughter the goodbye hug and 'I love you'. (age doesn't matter) We can leave her unguarded. By not listening to our wife, loving her unconditionally, we can leave her unguarded. By not making the time to be dad, we can leave our entire family unguarded. Mark 13:33-37, "Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come." (you read the rest). It is never to late to start!!

just stuff

I've got three things. One is an explanation, one is a somewhat humorous story, and another is something I would like your prayers and input for.

First, I've been asked no fewer than a dozen times, what does Skeeter mean? When I went up to York College in Nebraska to play basketball I picked up the nickname. One of my first practices I was guarding this guy from Arkansas. He was your true backhills hillbilly. Amazingly he wasn't a bad ball player either. Keep in mind, I use to be in real good shape and fairly quick. Anyway, during that practice he said to me, (remember, real hillbilly accent) "you like one ov' them skeeter bugs, always buzzin' round me." Of course he meant mosquito. Anyway, it stuck. Which is even funnier now since I am a bug killer. So there you have it.

Second, somewhat humorous story. I 've built a dog run/pen for my lab, Max. I finished it up Monday afternoon. As long as I am around, Max will stay right with me. In finishing my project I had all the gates wide open. When I finished, I hurried to put things up because Wendy had supper ready and we had to start taking kids places. Follow me here, I just built a dog pen, do you think I would maybe put the dog in the pen I just built? No....I leave him out. When we all finally get back home it had been a good 2-3 hours. I go in the backyard to feed Max.....he is gone. I searched for a good solid hour for that dog and couldn't find him. I had left the gate unlatched and he got out. How stupid can I be? I put everything up in its place except latching the gate!!! I found it somewhat ironic though....build a pen for him and runs away within 30 minutes of it. Kinda funny...he was like 'no way man, you ain't pinning me up....I'm out if here!' We found the knucklehead the next evening. He had took up shop with a family that didn't have a dog pen. There may be a lesson in there somewhere, but I haven't found it yet.

Third, Wendy and I are wanting to start a ministry, program...not sure what to call it. Should have been done years ago, but now is the time. We are wanting to start a Dad/daughter ministry. I got the idea from a group of mothers from church who have a mother/daughter ministry. The idea I have for this is to have times where dads and daughters meet with other dads and daughters for meetings. Be it banquets, hiking Palo Duro Canyon, fishing, retreats, going to the movies, whatever... Then having the dads meet once a month for a time of prayer where we pray for our daughters. Of course the real work needs to be done at home one on one. But my idea is this...How empowering could it be for the girls to know they are not the only ones. To know their friends dads feel the same as their dad. To have the confidence and knowledge they are not alone in this struggle to be a daughter of Christ. The peer pressure put on these girls today is stronger than ever before. I want to be a dad that my daughters look to for safety, security, leadership, and love. I do not want them looking for it from some punk. And not all the boys are punks they will find it from. Us guys remember how we were at that age. NOT GOOD!!! Which is why it scares me even more. Good kids make bad decisions all the time. I know good men who provide financially for their families, who are at church, who provide a good example, but who do not get it when it comes to their daughters need for love and affection from their dad. To me, that is what being a dad is...loving on your kids, be it son or daughter. Telling them you love them instead of showing them by how hard you work. Big deal! "My dad works hard, I know he loves me", but do we as dads ever take the time to tell that to our daughters? The more I think about this the more fired up I get about it. To me, just to know there are other men with daughters out there who have the same concerns, cares and desires would be a huge block to lean against when times get tough. My dear wife has always told me about the desires my daughter will have. She has been the best coach for me ever. If it were not for her, I would have no clue what-so-ever. Another area for this will be to teach men how to be a dad for girls. I will be the first to admit it. When it comes to females..........who knows? If you think you do, just wait a day. If you have any ideas to add to this, let me know. If you'd like to be a part of getting it going, please join us. But I ask everyone to pray about it. Pray God will bless and honor our desire.

Colossians 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."

I've got something that happened to me last night I'd like to share with everyone. It really didn't hit me until today. Last night I shared with the youth group some of my story. I will somewhat do that again here. About December 16 years ago I found out I was going to be a dad. I wasn't married for those who may not know. Talk about your shockers. To make a long story short, the main part of my talk last night was about how that decision to have sex changed my life forever. I talked about how I always wanted to be a teacher and a coach and all of a sudden that was put on hold. The things I thought I was suppose to do with my life were not happening that way. I talked about consequences for my sin. I talked about the guilt of letting so many people down, especially my family. The guilt of letting God down. I also mentioned how at the time God wasn't really a part of my life. I did the going to church thing, but there was no true active passion for Christ. It was really more a habit of going to church that I was in. A habit of acting like I had it together. (now that is a whole other topic, eh TK?) That was the main thing. God just wasn't at the focus of my life. As I reflected on what I told those kids it really kind of made me feel weird in the fact I hoped I didn't leave them thinking I was regretful and felt cheated for what happened because I am not doing what I dreamed of doing. It is a strange way to say it, and I am sorry for the way our life started, but to say I am regretful for the way things have turned out would not be true. That would be saying I am sorry I am married to a wonderful woman and sorry I have a beautiful child. I have come to realize in my old age, God always turns bad situations into good if you'll let him. Up to last night I have always had a feeling of am I doing what God put me on this earth to do. I have always felt like I was meant to do more than kill bugs. Almost felt like I was wasting my life away. Something today made me think, I am doing exactly what I am suppose to be doing. God isn't going to waste anyones talent if they want to use it. You just have to look how he will use you. I reflected on my past and the present. I have had a great opportunity to coach my daughter Emily for 3 years and hopefully for many more. What else could a guy ask for? A chance to share something you love with one of your own? The chance to spend time with her and teach her about life? My oldest daughter, we sang a duet together for her great-granddads funeral. How many guys get the chance for something so special as that? My little dude Cutter. My mind goes crazy thinking about the stuff we will get into together. My Wendy and I have done some cool things together as well. We started the Childrens Worship ministry together at church and ran that deal for 7 years. We are again involved with it. We share a love for children. We have been huddle leaders for high school, life group leaders and members. I say all these things to not sound like I'm bragging but to say this. If I hadn't married my wife and walked down the road God sent me on, all these things I mentioned (and believe me there are plenty more) would not have happened. My desire has always been to make an impact on peoples lives. To make a difference. Well.....I think I can most certainly say, I hope I have and believe God will put me into positions were I can be more of an impact player in his kingdom. Do I still wish I was a coach and teacher? I would have to say no. Why? Because I believe God has a better/different plan for me. And if I was coaching, I wouldn't have the chances to do what I do. If it is meant for me to some day finish college and pursue it...fine. If not, I'm o-kay with that too. I am on an incredible journey with my Lord, and feel totally peaceful were I am and what I do.

John 16:33 says "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Top 10 Things that make me Sick!

I might be getting sued. I'm almost certain this will go to court. It is unfortunately one of the risks you take doing termite inspections. Eventually, someone is going to get after you. I figure after 10 years and countless inspections the odds caught up to me. I'm not too upset about it. I feel I did everything correctly, so I feel God will honor that. God will take care of it. No worries. But, I still can't help but be ticked off at the same time. It has got me thinking about things I really can't stand. So....(drum roll) here are the top 10 things that make me sick!!! And for those who really know me, you know I am not a politically correct kind of guy. You know I will tell you what I think, no sugar coating. Some of them you might not agree with, but guess what? This is my blog, and if you don't like it, start your own!
#10. BADLY BEHAVED DOGS. There is nothing worse than trying to spray someones house and their dog is trying to bite you. Just happened Wednesday. Dadgum bulldog about took my lower leg off. All the people could say was, "She has never done that before." Guess what, there is a first time for everything. I finally had to ask if they could take that mean mutt dog somewhere else. Which leads me to ....
#9. STUPID PEOPLE. I wonder when they thought this might be a bad idea to leave a snarling, snapping dog in the same room with me. Ignorance is one thing, but just plain stupidity is another.
#8. ARROGANCE. This is one of those things I really hope I am not. To be around an arrogant person is like torture to me. I can pretty much guarantee you no-one cares about whatever it is you're bragging about.
#7. LAZINESS. My Dad instilled in me at an early age how to work. Believe me, my favorite past time is watching TV, but when it comes to work, I will. People who have things just handed down to them really miss out on the satisfaction of doing something on their own, or failing on their own also. Lots of good lessons to be learned there. Lazy people......wear me out.
#6. BAD DRIVERS. I will keep this as short as I can. I feel I have alot of experience in this area since I have been driving around this town for 16 years killing bugs. The number of knuckleheads is increasing by the hundreds. You can tell alot about peoples personalities by the way they drive. Teen girls are absolutely, without question, the worse creatures behind a wheel. Totally horrible. Followed closely by their cell phone talking, SUV driving, running late mothers. That's right, women!! Then of course you also got the 16-22 year old idiot males. Pay attention and you will see that I am pretty much right about this one.
#5. ARGUMENTS. This is really because I don't like confrontation, and it makes me feel bad. Aren't most arguments over something dumb anyway?
#4. NEGATIVE PEOPLE. Stick a fork in my forehead! Negative people can't love themselves. What fun is it living life always complaining about stuff. Always thinking something can't be done. Looking at the glass half empty would really suck.
#3. FAKE PEOPLE. I have learned their are two kinds of fake. The first is someone who is so afraid of rejection they put up a wall and it comes across as fake. Or they are so wounded, the hurt causes them to not trust and therefore they guard against everything. In those terms they come across as two-faced, and I feel sorry for them. Then there is the 'I'm better than you, stuck up, politician type.' You know the kind, makes me nuts. Can't stand em'.
#2. SATAN
#1. SATAN. Do I really need to expand on this? Nuff said.

Some of you have asked how do I reply or comment. You can either e-mail be back at my e-mail address jaxpest@cox.net or go to the blog using the link, and comment there. Later...

God's way of teaching lessons

I shouldn't be surprised or amazed at this. It is strange to me how God teaches us lessons. Sometimes they are plain as day. Others can be through adversity, not quite as clear. I've been taught life lessons that if it were not for my stupidity, I might not have needed to learn. I'm speaking of God turning something so bad into something good. Then, there are those times when a lesson is being taught, and you don't realize it until it hits you right in the face. Usually after the fact. That is what happened to me recently. It came from an unlikely source and unfortunate circumstance. I've always been taught to be friendly to others, don't make them feel bad, respect them. One of my grandfathers once told me, "Just keep a few close friends with in your circle, you'll be happier." I have recently come across a saying by George Washington that I have on my blog site. It says "Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation." The problem with me is this. If I didn't feel a person was in this area of friendship, I would basically be nice, but not (excuse me for using this overused word) real. I would remain very guarded. Just not being open and honest, but nice (sometimes). I've thought in the past to be open with someone meant having this deep friendship. Otherwise I felt I was just being fake, or someone was being fake with me. Well, due to some major life situations in the last couple of years, my attitude about that has changed. I have started discovering what it means to be 'real' about who I am. Sharing oneself with others, being open and honest is very much what being a follower of Christ is about. Like I said earlier, I was taught to respect your elders, peers, etc... But to actually be a friend of an older person, or even a kid was not something I really thought about. Sure, be nice and all, but their friend? I have enough friends my own age. My thought process was stay within your own age group. I am assuming everyone else has or had the same thought or something similar. In my lifetime I have learned a few things about people. Kids just want your attention, peers just want to see if they are similar to you or just weird, and older folks fall into two categories. One being they want to learn from you to stay current with the times of the day, in order to relate to younger crowds, or they are crusty and think their way is the only way. I prefer the young at heart. This brings me to my point, my latest life lesson. Wendy's grandfather, Hack Hackler, passed away January 18th. It was really quite a surprise considering he didn't have a terminal illness. Hack was always the life of the party, larger than life character. During the time he was in the hospital, he was unable to have many visitors, just family and close friends. I can't remember the number of times I had people from church ask what to do. They all wanted to respect the families wish and not visit, but it was hard for them because they wanted to see him and help somehow. Then at the funeral, the number of people there was a lot. Maybe 200? There was snow and ice all over the place. But the thing that got to me, the lesson I learned right there was this. As people were walking by the family to pay their last respects for Hack, they weren't all his age, not all his very close friends. I saw children who took the morning off school to come, people my age who took off work to be there, and of course his peers. What got me was these people, no matter what their age, were there for Hack. These people all had a memory, a friendship of some level with Hack. He had left some kind of mark on them. He had just been who he was to them, a man who understood what it looked like to be a friend to many. These people weren't all his best buddies, his prayer group pals, his selected few. We were people who were touched by his openness and honesty. I remember sitting there watching everyone walk by and thinking, Jesus Christ had his very close friends, but always was full of love for everyone around him. Hack was very much the same way. What a lesson for me to learn. How fortunate I am to have been able to see this modeled. I just hope as the future becomes the present I will be able to continue to do the same thing.

testing this thing out

I am still trying to get this system figured out. If you received this, then it means I did it. So please let me know. If I don't hear from you, then I can only assume two things. One...no-one gives a flip, or two, I am totally waisting my time typing this because I am the only one who will see this, which is really strange that I am still typing............

Alright people... I am going to start a blog. I am inviting you to join, and discuss things. The fun thing for me is we get to talk about whatever I want to. It will range from spiritual matters to sports to where ever it takes us. I am working on something now that I will eventually have done and that will start us off. I hope you will want to join in on this and lets walk through life together trying to figure it out and make us better for our children and grandchildren. Please feel free to share this with whomever you like. The more feedback the better. I WANT TO MAKE ONE THING VERY CLEAR FROM THE BEGINNING!!! My desire for this comes down to one thing. Love. I know that isn't what most would consider manly, but my savior based his entire life on it! So, I figure that has got to be pretty important. This life can be pretty brutal sometimes, down right harsh at others. How great can it be though, to have friends to go through it with. People who will be truely honest about life. I hope this will be a way for us to begin that kind of openness. Let me hear from you...