FALLING LEAVES HODGEPODGE!

     And so another Wednesday has come upon us. The queen of posers, Joyce from From This Side of the Pond has come up with another set of thought provoking interrogatories to challenge the best of us and to reveal our innermost secrets at the same time. Okay...maybe not our innermost secrets, but it's a lot of fun all the same. Join in on the fun!

1. What's one thing that's still the same about you as when you were young?

     My dimples! Of course, now, my full beard hides them but they are cute as the dickens, still!
     

2. What's more important-history or science? Why?

     I believe that they are both important. I would, however, give the edge to science because what science tells us has a more significant impact upon our daily lives. Consider the impact of technology on our society over the past ten years. Try to extrapolate ten years into the future. It really boggles the mind.

3. Lima, kidney, string, garbanzo, black or pinto-your favorite bean?

     I prefer string beans. However, I do like pinto beans in a meat based chilli.

4. What's something people come to your town to do?

     Visit the lakes or the farms...I guess! I really don't know!

5. When was the last time you were in a meeting? Sum it up for us in five words or less. 

     This morning with the Preacher. Eggs, sausage, toast, potatoes & coffee!

6. What special event would you like a VIP pass to attend?

     I would love to watch the World Series from an executive box with all the perks!
Especially if my beloved Red Sox are playing.

7. What's one piece of advice you'd give a writer?

     Write as often as you can whether you feel like it or not. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
     Recently Ben Afleck was named as the new "Batman." A significant number of people took to Twitter and other social media to complain about the news. My reaction is two fold: (1) Who gives a rat's hinder parts who plays Batman in a movie? (2) Where do these people get the idea that they have any say in casting decisions of any movie? I mean, it's not their money at risk. They have no ownership interests in the production companies. Who gives a rat's hinder parts what these people think?
     Whatever happened to people minding their own darn business and allowing other people the freedom to do the same? 

AUTUMNAL HODGEPODGE WEDNESDAY!

1. When did you last sing happy birthday to someone? When were you last sung to? Does that embarrass you or do you enjoy being the center of attention on your special day?
     The last time I sang "Happy Birthday" to someone was about two months ago. The last time I was sang to was last April. My birthday fell on a Wednesday and at the mid-week Bible study the song leader asked everyone to turn to song number #59 in the hymnals. There was no song #59 and he announced my birthday and the congregation sang Happy Birthday to me. I was, and am always, embarrassed when things like this happen. I do not like being the center of attention.

2.  Name a famous or 'infamous' person (living or deceased) who shares your birth day and month. Is that someone you'd like to meet in person if it were possible?
     There are three people who share a birthday with me, both famous and infamous. First the infamous, Soviet Premier Nikita Kruschev who almost brought the world into World War III by placing Soviet missiles in Cuba in the early 1960's. You might have heard of the Cuban Missiles Crisis? The next two people are that great American actor, William Holden, and the author of the Pulitzer Prize winning play, "Our Town," Thornton Wilder.
     I would imagine that sitting down with any of these figures would result in an interesting conversation, particularly in light of the fact that they're all dead!

3. Someone hands you a box tied up in a lovely bow...what are you hoping to find inside?
     A jackpot winning lottery ticket!

4. What can you guarantee about yourself?
     I can guarantee without qualification or equivocation that I am a male. I can also guarantee that I am a smart ass!

5. Talking art and beautiful cities here...'The Last Supper' in the Santa Maria della Grazie Abbey in Milan Italy or 'The Mona Lisa' in The Louvre, Paris...which would you most like to see up close and in person?  Why?
     I choose Paris, the Louvre and the Mona Lisa. I choose Paris because of all the things that come with it...Art, History, Western Civilization. I also more familiar with what Paris has to offer than Milan.

6. Your favorite dessert?
     My absolute favorite dessert is Pecan Pie with a dollop of whipped cream. YUMMM!

7. This coming weekend marks the official start of autumn (in the Northern hemisphere)...what is something you do to get ready for fall? What is one thing you're looking forward to on your fall calendar? Spring or fall-which do you prefer?
     There are a number of things I do to get ready for fall. Here are three (1) Remove the air conditioners from the windows and store them until next year. (2) Remove the screen insert from the front storm door and replace it with the glass insert. (3) Store all the "yard stuff" in the sheds. One thing I look forward to on my fall calendar is deer hunting season. I am a wonderful hunter, I'm a lousy finder, but I am a wonderful hunter. I prefer the Spring because of the beating we take all winter. Spring is such a relief.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
     My beloved Boston Red Sox played a three game series with the dreaded Evil Empire, AKA, the New York Yankees. The Red Sox swept the Yankees and knocked them out of the play offs. That is a good thing! My beloved New England Patriots have won both their games and are "2" and "0." Granted these wins weren't particularly pretty but they were Divisional Games and could become more important towards the end of the season. Finally the Boston Bruins skated against the NHL Evil Empire, AKA the Montreal Canadiens. The Bruins won in convincing fashion 6 to 0. It is good to be a New England sports fan...at least at this time it is. This, like New England weather, is subject to change drastically without notice!

RETREAT SEASON HODGEPODGE!

     Well, it's Wednesday so it must be time for another Hodgepodge. If you want to understand the title of this blog entry, read my Random Thought below. Thank you Joyce for more thoughtful questions.   

1. What's the best thing about growing older?
     One thing I like is having more flexibility with schedules and obligations. I have been retired for just over two years and I really am enjoying my life, notwithstanding the challenges vis a vis SWMBO's situation. 
     Also, seeing the grand kids is always a special treat.

2. When did you first feel like a grown up?
     I don't remember the first time I felt like a grown up. For me, that feeling tends to come and go and it often goes at the most inopportune times. If I have to pick a point in my life when I felt like a grown up was when I became a father, December 31st, 1972.

3. Chocolate cake with white icing or white cake with chocolate icing?
     Chocolate (Devil's Food) cake with white icing please.

4. What's the nicest thing a stranger has ever done for you?
     The nicest and most endearing thing that anyone has ever done for me was to persevere in teaching me the Gospel and teaching me how to become a child of God. His name is John Brasseaux and he was absolutely unflappable. Believe me, I tried to get under his skin but he only responded with kindness and with what Scripture taught. That impressed me, that he always responded, not with what he believed but with what the Bible said. I will be eternally grateful to that Godly man.

5.  What's something you learned from your grandparents? 
     When I was a young boy my maternal grandparents lived with us. My grandmother taught me how to speak Canadian French. She could barely speak English so she had to converse in French. I enjoyed spending time with her. She was a terrific "Memere."

6. Wednesday marks a sad day in the history of planet earth-9/11...what's something you do (or can do) to bring peace to your little corner of the world?
     I pause during the day and pray for our Nation. I try to live as the Apostle Paul exhorts all of us "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." (Romans 12:18)

7.  Share a favorite quote, scripture, or song containing the word peace. 

     "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."         (2 Peter 2:1) There's a trite saying we Christians put on a bumper sticker "No Jesus, No Peace...Know Jesus, Know Peace." In this crazy world we could all use a measure of peace. It has been my personal experience that peace will only be found when we submit to the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ. You have to know Him to experience the peace of which I speak.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
     The month of September is when the  New England churches of Christ have their annual retreats. It's a time for our young people, the ladies and the men to make the trek to Raymond, ME, to Ganderbrook Christian Camp for three days, Thursday thru Saturday. 
     The first weekend is the Teen Retreat. The second weekend is the Ladies Retreat and the third weekend is the Men's Retreat. It is a great time of spiritual renewal and fellowship. Each retreat has it's own theme. Special speakers are brought in to present a number of uplifting messages. There is great food and special activities in keeping with the theme.
     I look forward each year to this time away from the cares of life. I enjoy the camaraderie of my fellow christian men. It's wonderful to compare notes on how their part of the Great Commission is doing and to give, as well as receive, encouragement. It really is a great time!

BACK TO SCHOOL HODGEPODGE!

     It's the first week of school up in these parts. It's also Wednesday! That means it is time for another Hodgepodge of questions. Thank you Joyce for another fine set of posers!

1. What's something you're never too young or too old to enjoy?

     You are never too old or too young to share a smile or to enjoy a hearty laugh.

2. Share one happy memory from your high school years.

     On Thanksgiving during my Junior year there was a huge blizzard. Also, there was the annual "Turkey Bowl" football game with our hated rival high school. After the game, the friend of a girl who I had a crush on called me to tell me how the game went. In a bizarre twist of irony, she who is always cold, AKA SWMBO, went to the game and got chilled to the bone. He who is always warm, AKA me, stayed home, warm, and dry.

     We talked on the phone for over three hours. It was during that phone call that I knew that I was going to marry that girl...and as it turns out...I did!

3. A nationwide strike of fast food employees took place in the U. S. last week...they're calling for higher wages and the right to unionize? Your thoughts?

     A simple fact of economics is that businesses do not pay wages! As silly as it sounds, customers pay wages. What a business pays for labor is a cost of doing business and if that cost goes up, the price of the product(s) that that business sells must, of necessity, go up too. I doubt many people will be willing to pay $15.00 for a hamburger meal. I most certainly will not! 

     Lower tier jobs such as one finds in a fast food restaurant were never designed to provide a working wage, but rather provide a rung on the ladder that leads to success. It provides young people with an opportunity to develop working skills, responsibility, punctuality and similar habits that will stand them well in their future endeavors, whatever they may be.

     It does not make any economic sense.

4. September is National Honey Month...what's a favorite dish you make or eat that calls for  honey?

     I enjoy a nice hot cup of tea with a teaspoon of honey. Other than that, I don't know that I eat anything with honey in it.

     

5.  If you notice someone with a tag sticking out, a button unbuttoned, a shirt on inside-out, or some leftover lunch stuck between their teeth do you say something or do you keep quiet? 

     If I have a prior relationship with that person, or am on more intimate terms with them, I would "discretely" say something to help them avoid embarrassment.  If the person is a stranger, or someone with whom I have no prior relationship, I probably would leave it to those who do to tell them about it.

6. What movie always makes you cry?  Or at least makes you feel like crying?

     I DO NOT CRY AT MOVIES...PERIOD! I will hand tissues to SWMBO though, because that's the kind of guy I am!

7.   'Mary Had a Little Lamb' was written in May of 1830, and published in Juvenile Miscellany in September of that same year.  Now for the fun part...create your own four line rhyme using that same tune.

     SWMBO hasn't shot me yet!

     Shot me yet! Shot me Yet!

     SWMBO hasn't shot me yet!

     She likes that I'm around!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

     Last year by this time my beloved Boston Red Sox crashed and burned, horribly. They did not make the play offs, not even a wild card slot. This year they are in first place in their division and have been in first place most of the season. I think they are in third place in all of baseball. 

     The "Evil Empire," AKA, the dreaded New York Yankees, are a half game out of last place in the same division.  WOOHOO! I mean..."I hate that for ya!" (Not really! I'm Loving it!)

     Professional football and my beloved New England Patriots are gearing up to begin their season next Sunday. Professional Hockey and my esteemed Boston Bruins are about to begin their pre-season training camps and try again to win Lord Stanley's Cup! 

     It is good to focus on something besides doctor appointments, test results and on what's next,...at least for a few days!

CHRISTIANS, HOW IS YOUR TRANSFORMATION GOING?

"DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS PRESENT WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, SO THAT YOU MAY TEST AND APPROVE WHAT IS THE WILL OF GOD - WHAT IS GOOD AND PLEASING AND PERFECT."                 (Romans 12:2 NET)

     The world sometimes looks at Christians as being people who claim to be perfect. Nothing could be further from the truth! True Christians do not claim to be perfect. In point of fact, Christians are acutely aware that they are NOT perfect. Christians know that they are imperfect sinners who have been saved by the blood of Jesus. Christians are people who are daily trying to be holy because God calls us to holiness. He tells us to be holy...why? He tells us to be holy because He is holy, that's why! However, aiming at a target and hitting that target are two different things. Every true Christian knows this fact all too well!

     The verse from the Apostle Paul's letter to the Romans, quoted above, calls us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. How does one renew their minds you may be asking yourself? I submit that we renew our minds by what we put into them. What we watch, what we read and what we listen to has a profound effect upon our minds, either for good or for ill. The old computer programmer's cliche "Garbage in, Garbage out!" applies to the mind as well.

     Christian, how is your "transformation" going? What are your putting into your mind? Do you read the Bible every day? Do you read books that expound upon Christian Doctrine or Christian Living? Do you concern yourself with furthering the great commission of Matthew 28:18? Do you spend time in prayer daily? How do you pray? What do you pray about? Do you truly talk to God as if He were standing right in front of you or are your prayers more perfunctory in tone and/or content?

     The Apostle Peter, in the first chapter of his second letter, exhorts all of us "to make every effort" to (1) add excellence to our faith; (2) To add knowledge to our excellence; (3) To add self control to our knowledge; (4) To add perseverance to our self control; (5) To add godliness to our perseverance; (6) To add brotherly affection to our godliness; and (7) To add unselfish love to our brotherly affection.
     The Apostle Peter tells us that if these things are truly ours AND they are continually increasing inside us they will keep us from becoming ineffective and unproductive in our pursuit to know our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately. (2 Peter 1:5-9)

     God tells us that if we draw close to Him, He will draw close to us! God says that if we diligently seek Him, that is to "make every effort" to seek Him, we will find Him. You will find God in the pages of His Holy Word, the Bible. You may draw near to God through prayer.

     Christian, how is your "transformation" going? If it is not as it should be, start today to make it what it should be. Repent and begin your walk with God anew. It's not too late. As long as you're on this side of the grass you have time to change. The great thing is that God will help you effect that change. "So, seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness..." Christian, let the transformation begin!

     Also, please do not forget to worship God this Sunday. God bless you!

     

LABORIOUS DAY'S HODGEPODGE!

    Can you believe it, that Labor Day is upon us already? Where does the time go? Won't you pull over for a spell and enjoy a pause in your travels? Please join us! Well, thank you Joyce for these brief rest stops along the highway that is our life. 

1. Labor Day weekend (in the US of A) is approaching...what's something you've labored over this year?
     I have labored over learning the craft of expository preaching. I have taught on an adjuct basis at the college level. I have taught adult bible classes. Expository preaching is much more involved than simply teaching a class.

2. What is one word to describe your 'job' or career?
     Retired! When I did work, however, the word that described what I did was "servant." I approached my job as a police officer as being more of "Service" then of "Enforcement."

3. What was your worst or least favorite job ever? Why?
     Bus boy/dishwasher at a department store restaurant. I developed a serious allergy to the caustic soap used in the dishwasher. It was miserable!

4. How do you measure contentment?
     Sharing a meal with the kids, their respective spouses and of course the grand babies. It's family, short and simple, that is real contentment.

5. Pickles-like or dislike? What is something you eat that requires a pickle? Dill, bread and butter, sweet gherkins...what's your favorite kind of pickle?
     I like pickles. I like pickles on some sandwiches like subs and grilled cheese. I like pickles alongside other sandwiches like hot dogs and cheeseburgers. I prefer bread & butter pickles but I like them all.
    
6. In your current house-town-state, what is it you like living close to?
     One of the wonderful things about living in New Hampshire is that anything you can think of doing is not much more than an hour's drive away. We have moutains and wilderness to the north and west. We have the ocean to the east. We have big city life to the south. We also have many beautiful lakes all over the state. I love living close to everything.

7. What is one thing on your 'want-to-do' list before summer draws to an official close?
    I've got nothing!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
     Milestones! As we go through life we reach a lot of milestones. When we're babies our parents anxiously wait for us to speak our first coherent word. Likewise, a baby's first step is a big moment for our parents.
     Other milestones might be our first birthday, or our first day at school. These milestone, as well as many others, just happen without any effort on our part.
      Still other milestones mark our achievements in life. Graduations come to mind. Graduation from elementary school, graduation from High School, and for some, graduation from college. 
     We mark milestones in our jobs. We mark our five, ten and twenty year anniversaries, and sometimes longer, with the same employer if we are fortunate to stay that long.
     In like manner, we mark milestones in our marriages. The 25th Anniversary and the 50th Anniversary are huge milestones, although being more rare these days.
     SWMBO and I just achieved another milestone. Yesterday we completed sixteen weeks of chemo treatment for SWMBO'S cancer. We did not set out to achieve this milestone voluntarily. This journey was forced upon us by the vicissitudes of life. This achievement is a finish line of sorts for most people. However, for us it is not! For us it is the end of one battle in a series of battles yet to come. 
     This war called cancer incessantly wears on body, soul and spirit...and not only upon the person who has the disease. We are thankful that we have endured thus far and we are determined to see this through. However, our doctors tell us that at this time there is no ultimate cure, only treatment. We are hopeful that research will eventually discover a cure, but that is not case as I write this post.
     We are thankful to God, to our family, to our church family, and to our friends who have taken this journey with us and have held us up with their prayers, with funny cards, and with other demonstrations of love. It is more helpful and appreciated than I am able to express.
      And so, we have reached this milestone and begin to prepare to reach the next one...whatever that one may be.     

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER HODGEPODGE

     This week we are in the so called dog days of summer. We are predicted to have temperatures in the high 80's to low 90's. SWMBO is going to love it, the rest of us are goig to be miserably hot. However, it is never too hot to participate in the weekly Hodgepodge. So, here goes...

1. What's your worst food memory?  How about one of your best?
     My worse food memory is my mother in law's "Indian Pudding" massacre that put me in the hospital for food poisoning. It still hurts to think about it. 
     One of my best food memories happened on a deer hunting trip years ago. My best friend and hunting buddy, and I, went to a restaurant for supper after a long day of hunting. I had prime rib, garlic mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. The prime rib was the best I have ever had. That prime rib is the one by which I judge all others. By the way, I had pecan pie for dessert. That was the perfect meal!

2. Do you appreciate people telling it like it is, or would you rather a speaker temper his/her words and maybe beat around the bush a little?  How about when you're the one communicating...which type are you? 
     I prefer people telling it like it is, preferably seasoned with a little tact. I'll take it straight but a little tact goes a long way. I think that I'm pretty direct and straight forward. You'd have to ask people that know me to be sure. I try to be frank while at the same time being kind and respectful. Jesus is a perfect example of what I mean. I try to imitate Him.

3. What's your favorite place to hang out?
     Home! SWMBO works very hard to make our home the kind of place you love coming back to. As lacking in imagination and as unexciting as it may sound...it's the truth. I also love going to a restaurant with SWMBO and sharing a meal and a conversation.

4. When do you most feel like you're a slave to time?
     I most feel like a slave to time when I am sound asleep and SWMBO gently shakes my foot a 6:30 a.m. to wake me up to drive her to work. Other than that, I don't feel beholding to the clock!

5. What was the last concert you attended?  Who'd you go with? Was it any good?
     SWMBO and I went to see Kenny Rogers and Tanya Tucker in downtown Manchester, NH. She was a dedicated Kenny Rogers fan and I surprised her with tickets to go see him. It was a really good performance. We both had a great time.

6. Reality TV...harmful or harmless?  What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to reality TV?
     Some are harmless, some are harmful. I think "Toddlers & Tiara's," "Real Housewives of __________," and similar shows are harmful. Conversely, I think "Duck Dynasty," and similar wholesome reality shows are harmless.

7. What's something you think is overrated?
     I think that Professional Sports are overrated. It costs a small fortune for a family to be able to attend a professional sporting event and it really is not worth the huge expense. Also, some professional athletes are overrated, A-Rod, Albert Pujols, and LeBron James come to mind.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

      I  read a news story today about three teenage boys in Oklahoma who shot a visiting Australian baseball player in the back, killing him.  The boys said that the reason why they murdered this Australian young man is because they were bored and they wanted to kill someone to break up the tedium. 
     It turns out that these same three boys are part of a larger group of teenage boys. Different boys from this larger group committed a series of armed robberies. It seems that they wanted to embrace the "Gangsta" lifestyle.
     We live in a fallen world. Young men who are too young to shave apparently are not too young to take a life or to terrorize a community by acting like predators.
     When I was a child I was taught that you cannot put a value on human life. Since then millions of innocent lives have been snuffed out in the womb. I was also taught that I must respect my elders, particularly senior citizens. Now, there are states where assisted suicide is  legal and in some cases encouraged.
     I believe that we ought to cherish human life at all stages of that life. Failing to do so diminishes us as a society and as a culture. All human life is a sacred gift and must be treated as such. We will be held to account if we do not! That is why I am pro-life...PERIOD!!!