History

History makes us who we are.
If my great grandparents/ancestors were Roman Catholic would I be Catholic today?
They were not,so here I am with protestant beliefs.There are my children and grandchildren with their protestant beliefs.
This is history that could not have been changed.

Everything in our lives would have been different.

Somewhere,somehow some long lost relative,probably in France took a stand.
He or she could no longer believe in Catholics and their tradition.

The family fled France and went to Holland.
So for many years we called ourselves Reformed, Christian Reformed or Dutch Reformed.
The family has few ties now with the traditional Reformed churches.
Changes are now happening,the families churches are now varied.
We are all what the world would call just Christians.
In my eyes this is not a bad thing though it may be sad for my ancestors who believed their way was the only way.I am sorry my old grandparents,but this is a better way.
Your faith had sustained you for so many years,but now we seek a freedom in Christ that you never knew.I certainly mean no disrespect for without you and your faith we would be lost.
Time will come when you greet me, and we will rejoice and be very glad for that one lone ancestor in the south of France who was seeking freedom.

Soon and Very Soon

Many of you know I make service calls for a living.
When I was younger I would go anywhere to make a service call,I had 4 little mouths to feed and money was tight.
A call came in, I was wanted in the ghetto,somewhere about 35th street in Chicago.
The neighborhood was bad,getting there was bad and I was worried.This was in the 1970's.I was about 25.
How the people got money to pay for the call I never knew,but I went.
I parked in the lot of the high rise,I was a nervous.
A black guy in a phone service truck pulled in,I decided I would follow him.
We got on the same elevator.He got off on the third floor.
The people lived somewhere about the 25th floor.
The ride continued to the floor I wanted,the elevator stopping every few floors to let more people on.
It seemed like it was the most crowded elevator in the history of the world.

I got off on my floor,looked for the apartment I needed to go to.There were no numbers on the doors.The place smelled bad.Music was blaring.
Young guys followed me,watched and made me more nervous.
I was carrying my large tool box,it weighed about 20 pounds and seemed to get heavier with every step.
After much searching I found the apartment.I talked to the lady who lived there as she casually smashed a cockroach with her thumb.Right on the wall.
The service call was over,I left knowing I had a long ride down.
At least 5 guys were following me now,into the elevator,they pressed the numbers on the wall for every floor.
I was sweating,thinking this is not worth it.
Comments were made,"What was he doing here? What's in the box you are carrying?"
I ignored them,I just tried to be cool.
At the fifteenth floor the ride down became really bad,I was more nervous,sweating,and hated this place.
A young girl got on,the guys got quiet,She was exceptionally pretty.
The doors closed. we continued down.
She started softly singing..Soon and Very Soon We Are Going to See The King.She sang quietly but all were listening,She looked me right in the eyes,smiled at me and then I knew.I was God's and He was with me.
Many years later I think of this.Some told me maybe she was singing about my demise,Soon and Very Soon..
So, who was this girl? An angel? I think so.
I got out of the building,got on with my life.
But I still remember.

Things That Happened

As a kid,I had a train set in the basement.
I think it was Lionel,with other cars and engines I inherited from my brothers.
My dad bought this set for me and one of my special engines was a orange one.Dad called it a worker.
I remember it was a powerful engine and I had a lot of fun with it.
Hours were spent in that basement,playing with the trains.

I once dicovered a walkie talkie set in the base ment that my dad had planned to surprise me with.
It was mentioned by me that I had found this,my brother Bud covered for dad by saying it was a gift for my dad's partner's kid.
I never got the walkie talkie set.

There was a milk man's door on our back porch.As a small kid I could wiggle through.
I did this to the amazement of my mom.Maybe I could get my head through now.

My grandfather John lived with us.He would always burn garbage even though we had regular garbage pick up.
Once when burning garbage he put in an aerosol can.Of course it exploded in the heat and hit him just above the eye. Mom was very mad.

Once I cut school for the day, I think I was 15.Mom came home.I panicked and hid in the attic.
I heard her coming up the steps,more panic...
As I was hiding,I heard the attic door open,I hid in the corner.
She never saw me.I guess that's what you call hiding in plain sight.

more to come

You Husbands and Your Wives

How many meals has she prepared for you and the family.

How many times,when you knew she was tired you didn't offer to get fast food?

When did you last thank her for doing your laundry.I promise you,laundry is not a lot of fun.

Do you remember when you wanted her for your wife? What were you thinking then? What are you thinking now?

Is the little flirting with the girl from the office ok with your wife?
How about the girl online who you don't know and have never seen? Does your wife think this is innocent fun?

She is the mother of your children.
The guardian of those you love most.
Do not take it lightly.
I know some men who will get up with a sick kid in the middle of the night.
Do you?

When she is sick,do you step in? Do your part? Anything? Anyone?

Have you put up with her career as secondary?
Do you support her hobbies,or just think they are silly and humor her?

Will she be your life-mate? Will she be with you in 25 years?
Do you understand God's thinking in your relationship with your wife?

Men,I have been married 38 years now, so I know a bit about marriage.
Please don't read this post as judgemental.
I sometimes need to remember what a jewel I have.
Let's thank God he gave our wives great patience.

I have not quoted scripture here and maybe I should have,but there are biblical principles here.

Women, go ahead print this out.Leave it on his pillow,put it in his briefcase or make a paper air-plane of it and aim it at his head.

Update On The Garden of Lanting

The last couple of days have been dry here.
I really did not water as I should have,everything looked good yesterday.
Today many of the plants looked a bit wilted,so I watered the unhappy plants.
Guilty me,I thought.Neglecting my efforts that I worked so hard on.

As I was watering,I thought about the care I put into this small garden
It is now my third year of gardening so I am still new at it.

Some plants have come back for 3 years ans seem to thrive,some never came back and some are dismal failures.
There are plants that are ground cover,they are ok but don't do much.
Large plants that are suppose to flower but never do,they have no redeeming value.
Some have such beautiful flowers I am amazed.Something I put in the ground,and it looks so good.

God has tended me for all my years.Every year He is there watering,weeding and He uses the utmost care in my life.
He has built a fence around me.If I step out on my own I am vulnerable to the bad things in life.
He has always been there,never forgetting me.
Our God does not know neglect.

For My Belle

My Dearest Isabelle,

Right now you are very young,and then someday you will be old like papa.
Can you believe that?

I am writing this to you in hopes that you will remember how much I love you.

It may seem funny to you now,but someday you will leave home,you will get married and have little kids,just like you are now.
Here are some things I would like you to think about as you grow up.

Love Jesus first,always. He loves you because you have been made by Him.
Don't you love the things you make? You want to keep them forever.
Belle, he wants to keep you forever.

Make a lot of friends,never let silly fights make you think you don't like a person.
Fights that last for five short minutes can make you change the way you think about them forever.
Be the first to forgive.

Love your mom and dad always.Remember how they care for every little thing in your life.
Parents really do know whats best for you.Always obey.

Belle, raise your children like your mom and dad are raising you.

Laugh a lot.Don't be ashamed to cry when you get older.

Ask Jesus about things,ask Him if you're life is pleasing to him.

Love your sisters like best friends,Jesus made them too.You will always have your sisters.

If this post lasts for 30 years,read it again.

With Much Love,
Papa

I Am The Person Who Goes Back

I am the person who goes back.
I have driven back to the house I grew up in.
Parked nearby and wondered about a lifetime spent there.
So many memories, so fast the time went.

I went back to a factory where I once worked as a younger guy.
Seven years of my life I worked there.
I saw it empty, just a shell of a large building now.
There was nothing left.Just walls that held so many sights of my life.
I walked through. I stood a while. Life goes on.

My parents summer home in Michigan on the lake.
I walked through that old house,little remains now.It's all new and remodeled.
I saw the bedroom where I slept,the knotty pine walls.
Mom and dad lived here.
I walked on the shore where I grew up.
The old dock my dad had built still stands.
This is the place where I fished where I made friends with stray dogs.
This is the placed that I loved as a boy.
No, you can not go home again.Life goes on.

Campsites where Lin and I camped with the 4 little ones.
Walking through the park,seeing young moms and dads with thier little ones.
Preserve your memories.
Take pictures,shoot movies of your family.
Life goes on.

We have lived in this house for so many years,it is like an old friend to us now.
I would stand in your doorways my children and watch you sleep.
I wondered about your futures,I wondered who you would marry.
If we had moved away so many years ago,well,we did not.God knew.I did not.We stayed.
Look at you now with all those babies of your own.
Life goes on.

I have walked through darkened churches.I sat there a while and prayed.
Feeling lost,then found.
I walked the halls and thought about the decisions made there.People came to God here.There really is nothing else.
Life changing decisions.
Committees that I was on,now replaced with new committees.
People getting things done.
Arguments in Christ's name, now seem so petty.So silly.
Life goes on.

So you see I am the person who goes back
At my age I still go back,I see the things of my life.I walked forever in these places. I hope I always will.
Life goes on and it is good.

Memories

Thoughts and memories.

I was maybe 4 or 5,I remember dad coming home from work.
He smelled like paint,how many times do I think of him when I smell fresh paint?

I worked with him once.Just once.I did not know what I was doing and he was not a good teacher of future employees.I never worked for him again,nor did he ask me to.

We didn't get along well until I was married.Then I grew up and we became pretty close.

Watching tv: I was about ten,looking at tv,I think we had 5 channels to choose from.
I would sit in front of the tv,changing channels as fast as I could.
My brothers yelled at me telling me i was going to ruin the channel switch.
I told them I would get pliers to change channels.
They told me that would wear down the switcher.I had nothing to say about that.
Isn't it odd and just weird the things we remember?

Going to church on Sunday mornings,Dad and my oldest brother Jack lighting smokes,me gagging in the back seat,getting yelled at for opening the window.

Me,not doing homework,parents yelling,but I was always somewhere else in my head.

Showing my dad a traffic ticket,on the day of my court date.That was not fun at all.

more later

Banana Peppers Part 2 and Other Things

I still have 2 banana peppers on my plant.
This will never work,I wanted my family to love me with my gifts of baskets of peppers. Disappointment is a hard cross to bare.I am sorry.


Watching some of the Olympics this week.One can not help but wonder about China and where the country is going.I think they can be evil,oppressive and anti-Christ.
There is always hope,I pray for the few Christians there.
Pray for an awakening,a coming of real knowledge of God and the plan of salvation.


My doctor has doubled my pain meds.There is not much difference yet.I am disappointed.
Remember me in your prayers friends,I find this disease wearisome.
It is taking energy which I can't afford to lose.
I am trying to remain active,going to ball games,going to my sons house,fishing,babysitting,and many other activities to keep me busy.
I think sometimes I am running on E.
Please pray.

Changing The World

What a small number of viewers I get to my blog.
It is ok though,I can see where the visitors are located.Not specifically but the state,country and general area.
I do get visits from many countries,which is great to see.
Remaining true to the cause, will continue to post small stories that interest me, and hopefully advance the kingdom in my own small way.
I see visitors have seen the post I made about 'There is No Cure".
My hope is that visitors will take a moment to think.
Thanks For Reading,
Mike

Peripheral Neuropathy There Is No Cure

Peripheral Neuropathy There Is No Cure.


My visit to the doctor yesterday taught me nothing new.
My drugs were doubled.I now take 9 pain killers a day.
Then I also take a mess of pills for insulin.
Linda fortifies me with a whole bunch of vitamins.
I am learning not to complain.

The doctor looked me square in the eyes and told me,'There is no cure for Neuropathy.
There is nothing that can be done.
It is a progressive disease and it will get worse.All we can do is manage the pain.'

As I was listening to the doc I was thinking,'you are wrong Dr. N'.Very wrong.
If my God heals me he would be wrong.
I asked God for healing.
Now I learn to live with a new faith.

Banana Peppers

I planted a banana pepper plant about 8 weeks ago.
The plant has done well.That means it did not die.
I have waited to see how many peppers I will have.I thought I could have such a surplus I would give many to my family.They would then think highly of me.I would be praised by them.They would love me as no father has ever been loved before.
When I am long gone,say about 40 years from now they will remember my kindness.
They would remember me with a great fondness.
I planned on bringing a basket to my dear brother Bud's house.His family would then love him too.
Well, so far I have 2 healthy looking peppers.
My plans are not going to work.
There probably is a moral in this story.
Heck if I know what it is.

Death and Other Pleasing Thoughts For Your Enjoyment

You know,I am tired of death.I am tired of friends going before me.
I understand Lord why old people die,I don't always understand those deaths that seem so wrong.
I know my ways are not yours,but Lord forgive me and help me to become a more mature Christ-like person.

We don't suffer much here in America,I suppose because this was a blessing bestowed on us long ago.Can we give credit to the founding fathers of our land?
I think so.


Abe Lincoln was not gay.
I have read 99 per cent of his writings.His biographers never mention such a silly thing.
Have you who say so read as much as I? Have you researched his life from boyhood to his death as much as I? No,I did not think so.
You are deluded and need to get real.

If time does not exist in heaven,what is a clockmaker suppose to do.
God,I can fix clocks pretty well,I can raise a family pretty well,I am happily married after many years.I read a lot of books.
So Lord,what's the plan.
Ok,I will wait to find out.Just curious about it all.Thank You.

Looking at kids I taught in Sunday School,I see a lot of those kids have married and are raising families of their own.
I see some great success stories,I see some are divorced.
Lord, did I do any good there at all?
Not asking because I want credit or more points with You.
I guess I can wait to talk to you about it all.But part of me wants credit,maybe this is a sin,I don't know.
Well,life goes on and You have been with me every second of every day.
Thank You