Takin' It Out For a Spin

Hey, here's a new post written on my old blog on a new computer. How's that?!

The kids (our daughter and son-in-law) surprised us with a new machine this Christmas. Our old one was very cranky, showing signs of dementia and a bad back. It had eaten a floppy drive about three years ago and had never given it back. Son-in-law found some super-duper deal on the new one and they got it.

We are very grateful and very unfamiliar with this new machine's personality, but we'll manage and, I expect, we'll become fast friends before long.

It's A Long Way To Chillicothe

I almost had the car door closed when I heard him call. I turned and he walked over.

"My name's John Phillips and I'm from Chillicothe and I'll be honest - my problem's money," is the way he began. He went on to tell me that he had tried one gas station and then another to see if any of them could help him, but no! None of the for profit establishments would give away gas! The nerve! He went on to ask if, by chance, I could help him out.

At first, I did not want to help this guy. With every fiber of my being I wanted to say no and I have a decent reason for denying him. But another voice in my head said something like, "Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you." (Matt 5:42, ESV)

And as it turns out, I had cash. I don't usually. But I gave him some money and watched him go. And I prayed.

Because I had a reason for telling him no.

You see, some time in the last few months, maybe six months ago, on the Walmart parking lot, John Phillips of Chillicothe called out to me and came over to say that, being honest, his problem was money. And that he had been to one gas station and another and they would not give him any gas. And then he asked for money. That time I said no because I did not have cash.

I'll be honest, my problem is this: When is John Phillips from Chillicothe going to get it figured out how much gas it takes to get to Springfield and back?

Day of Giving Thanks, Especially

I don't usually reprint others words in their entirety but I make an exception today. Here, lifted from the Washington Times, is George Washington's Thanksgiving proclamation from 1789.

Would that God grant the United States leaders with this kind of leadership more often.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor - and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be - That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks - for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation - for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war - for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed - for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions - to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually - to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed - to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord - To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us - and generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Spencer Tracy's Bad Day

A couple decades or so ago, my dad was talking to me about a Spencer Tracy movie called "Bad Day at Black Rock." I had never heard of this movie and I guess my expression told as much. He was surprised. "You've never seen 'Bad Day at Black Rock?'" he asked. I told him no. He assured me that I should see it and I think my folks had a copy which I borrowed.

I remember watching it twice, I think, and I liked it pretty well. It's not Top 50 material in all likelihood, but it's pretty good. A synopsis might go like this: a forgotten little town that hates outsiders and where something bad happened is confronted by an outsider asking about the bad thing that happened. The town 'boss' and his henchmen finally decide to deal with the outsider.

Tonight I watched it on my computer. The lovely bride and I have a Netflix account now. We signed up for the minimum plan of two DVD's per month. But the plan also allows you to watch two on your computer each month. So, with my bride at a conference, I picked a movie she wouldn't be interested in and watched it on the computer.

I really enjoyed Spencer Tracy in this role - he's the outsider and the good guy - and I liked the way it looked. There are some very pleasing and creative scenes in the movie.

Don't get in a big hurry, but if you are in the mood for "good guy saves the town from the bad guys" kind of movie, "Bad Day at Black Rock" might just be the ticket.

And my dad liked it a lot.

Burst of Blogging

Life is ebbs and flows so it's not surprising that blogging is a reflection of that. Right now I'm having an ebb or a flow. I don't know which.

Blogging isn't my job, but it is an avocation. In other words, I like it. It's just that sometimes other things I like preempts the blog.

It's not business, it's personal.

The Yankee Fan

My friend Gary is a Yankee fan. It's OK. In a country of 300 million people, a few are bound to be, well, special.

He wrote an email the other day wondering where all the comments were about the recent acorn-finding the Yanks had accomplished. We didn't see it for a day or two, but now that I know he's looking for a response, I'll oblige.

He wrote his email on the morning after the Phillies were done laying down. He says, "My office has several new bits of decor today -- all tagged with the infamous "NY". I also wore a "special" hat, a "special"shirt, and dug out my signed Matsui Yankee's bear -- in proper uniform, of course." According to some reports, Matsui will not be re-signed by the Yankees and will become a free agent. I hope Gary can find a little Red Sox uniform for his Matsui bear.

He says: "Hope your day is going as well as mine (snicker)." See, this is how Gary is. He wins. He laughs, points at the score, points at you. He wonders why everyone is slow to respond.

He notes the Congratulations have been slow in coming. "I can't even get people to answer their phones. They know it's me; they have caller I.D. Of course, I'm more than willing to leave a message, which I did in every case. I'm still waiting for return calls." See. See how he is?

He continues, "Did I mention that "27" is a good (make that great) number! What a TEAM! Okay, there I said it." Yes, yes you did.

And actually, Gary, I don't blame you for saying it. The Yankees are pretty good. I thought it would be a close Series that New York would win. I thought it would go 7, but 6 is close enough. Twenty-seven Championships is impressive. If my calculations are correct, there have been 87 championship seasons since 1923 when the Yankees won their first title. That means, having now won 27, New York accounts for about 31 percent of all the World Series titles won since. Every other team is in the Yankees' shadow.

So congrats, Gary! And it was a nice touch, too, that New York won in the first season of the new stadium.

Seems like that was done fairly recently by another squad.

Thank You, Veterans

(Photo from the Seattle Seahawks photo blog)

Vacation Recap, Part 6

I almost forgot my ID and password to log on to Blogger so I could write this post. Yeah, it's been a while. I don't know that I am any busier than I was, but it seems like I am.

So, where was I? I seem to recall visiting the Field of Dreams movie site and then it was on to Minneapolis. By the way, the meal of the trip was consumed in Dyersville, Iowa, the town near Field of Dreams. A place called Country Junction. Kathy and I ordered Peppery Parmesan Chicken and we split it. It was the only time on the trip I regretted splitting a plate. Boy, was it good! A breaded and fried chicken breast topped with Swiss cheese and Parmesan dressing. I'd like to have one right now. The fries were great, too. Stop and eat here if you are ever in Dyersville.

The trip to Minneapolis was uneventful. And long. Cornfields the whole way, with gigantic windmills appearing for about an hour or so during one stretch. Did I mention that it was long? Well, it was. It was all afternoon and into early evening getting to Minneapolis . . .

. . . where we hit traffic backed up on I-35. They had one lane closed which caused the huge jam up. You never know which lane is the closed one until you get near and then you have to rely on the kindness of strangers to get in line. We found a kind stranger who let us in. And we crept up the highway until we passed the clot in the road and could then resume speed.

Kathy had driven most of the way after lunch because, as was habit by now, my leg was stiff and swollen and I was running a little temp. To quote Calvin, "Boy, am I mysterious!" (not the theologian, the cartoon)

We got to the room and I got on the bed to prop my leg up. Kathy retrieved some supper and after we ate, she decided to ride the hotel shuttle to Mall of America. This was part of our plan, though we are not really interested in malls. But everybody said, when we mentioned where we were going, "You've got to see Mall of America!" We didn't really want to spend vacation time at a mall, but we thought Friday night, with nothing else really open to see, would be the time to go for a peek. Obviously, I wasn't in any condition to go, but Kathy did. When she returned she reported that it was a big mall.

Still to come - a Catholic wedding and a presidential visit.

(End part 6)

Vacation Recap, Part 5

Wow! Five parts and I haven't even got to the good stuff yet! Surely, though, you can see the wisdom in breaking this up into more than five parts - who would want to read the whole thing at once?

Who would want to write all that at once?

Anyway, we woke up Friday morning in Homestead, Iowa, one of the Amana Colonies. It's a very interesting place and if you like crafts, homemade food and gift shops, it's a delight. We didn't spend much time there because of our itinerary, but it would be fun to go back. We did look at a mill that had opened before we left and saw lots of beautiful woolen goods as well as items from all kinds of fabric. We had to be on our way, though, because it was Field of Dreams day!

Dyersville, Iowa was where we were headed to so we could see the site of that famous film. After that, it would be on to Minneapolis, hopefully arriving in the early evening. In other words, a full day lay ahead and that's why we couldn't linger in the Amana Colonies for the shops to open.

The leg was pretty good when I got up and I was hopeful that recovery was well underway. However, after a few hours in the car it became clear it was getting stiff again. Even though I was getting around, I was hobbling, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to be discouraged again.

Still, we were on vacation, seeing some neat stuff and headed for a nice weekend capped off by church in a good place. What could go wrong?

Some pictures -

Driving east from Dyersville on Lansing Road brings you to a little rise and as you proceed down the other side, the view opens on your left - the Field of Dreams.



Here's one of my favorite pictures of my lovely date -

Here, emerging from the corn, is my heaven-sent bride -


"Uh, thanks, I don't think I can."

You know what I'm thinking here, don't you? Sure you do - I'm thinking this -

(End Part 5)

Is That For Here?

A previous job took me to Kingston, Jamaica a few years ago and while you could certainly find the quick service restaurants that are so prevalent here, i.e. McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, there were those of local flavor. My favorite I can't remember the name of, but it's where one could find a 'patty'. A patty is like a turnover with shredded, spiced meat inside. Delicious and very reasonably priced. I assumed these were purchased in much the same fashion as we shop the dollar menu - satisfying and inexpensive. In any case, all over the island, when you finished your order they would ask, "Is that for here, or take away?" Sometimes I said, "Take away."

Well, here's a food-related question for Central Standard readers: Ritz or Town House? And why? Tell us in Comments.

Also, for my bacon-loving friend, this sizzling report from Shepard Smith and Fox News. Click the link - it's unbelievable.

Vacation Recap, Part 4

Why, you may be wondering, would the first stop be Fulton, Mo.? Simple really. My wife has family there she hadn't seen in well over 25 years. But, now that I think about it, more explanation is in order. Let me back up a little.

The end point of our trip was Minneapolis, Minn. because we wanted to hear John Piper preach in his pulpit to his people. If you've read my blog much at all you know that Piper has ministered to us a great deal through his books, sermons and web site, desiringgod.org. We had vacation and going there was one thing we wanted to do. But how do you get there? Well, the direct route from Springfield is up to KC, catch I-35, and ride it on in to Minneapolis.

But we also had in mind that it wasn't necessary to take the direct route. If there was something interesting to see, we could stop and see. So we began to look for other sites between here and Minneapolis to enjoy. As it so happens, one of my co-workers is from Iowa and so I asked him if there was anything to see there. One thing he mentioned was the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville, Iowa. It's the farm where most of the action takes place, where the baseball diamond was built in the cornfield. It's still there and is open to the public. This, as you can imagine rose quickly to the top of my list. Also we heard about the Amana Colonies in Iowa. It's a cluster of small communities chock full of craft stores, gift shops and bed and breakfasts.

As we began to consider these places to visit, it was clear that heading northeast, instead of north and slightly west to KC, would be the way to go. It meant heading toward Jeff City and Fulton and on into Hannibal would be the way to catch the sites in Iowa we wanted to see. So Kathy contacted her cousin to see about a visit, which was arranged and we reserved a room in one of the Amana colonies for Thursday night and that was the plan.

As promised, pictures:

Westminster College in Fulton, the site of Winston Churchill's famous Berlin Wall speech.

A portion of the Berlin Wall now sits near the statue and the chapel.

Some ancestor(s) of Kathy's was/were involved in establishing the first Baptist church west of the Mississippi not located in St. Louis. Here is evidence of refurbishing of that building in Fulton.

We had never seen Hannibal so we wanted to stop and take a look. Here is a touristy shot of yours truly in front of Mark Twain's boyhood home and Tom Sawyer's famous fence.

After Hannibal, on to Iowa, a stay at a bed and breakfast and rest for my weary leg, completing the first day on the road.

(End Part 4)

Class and Sportsmanship

What would cause a high school football player with breakaway speed to pull up five yards short of a touchdown and take a knee after he'd outrun all the opposition? The answer has to do with sportsmanship and class in response to heart-breaking tragedy. You may have seen this story on your local news, but it's worth telling, or re-telling, as the case may be. Read about it here.

Vacation Recap, Part 3

See what happens when you don't gulp down your sausage biscuit? You go to the doctor!

We were able to get worked in, so we went on over. I told him about my hurt leg and the swelling and the fever and the lack of sleep and food. He asked about pain and I told him I didn't have any except soreness, like a cramp that happened the night before. After the exam, he surmised I injured myself somehow and that the fever was some viral thing that would work itself out.

So, I asked the $64,000 question - Could we go on the trip? He said we could, but that I should get out of the car every two hours and walk around because with my injury combined with a long car ride, I would be a risk of developing a blood clot in my leg, which wouldn't be good. But getting out the car every so often would be easy, so the trip was on!

As it was, I was feeling much better anyway. I think the juice Kathy brought me helped to perk me up and combined with the relief from seeing the doctor, I think we were pretty pumped to be on our way.

Next stop, Fulton, Mo!

Not counting all the in between stops, of course.

Pictures in Part 4!

(End Part 3)

Vacation Recap, Part 2

My complaint about the unfairness of my hurt leg occurring during vacation wasn't a prayer, at least, not in my mind. Yet almost immediately came an 'answer'.

What I understood was simple truth that I have known for a long while. My Heavenly Father knew all about my hurt leg - He wasn't surprised by it at all. It wasn't a matter of 'fairness' or my vacation. It was what my Father had allowed, therefore given, for this day and the heart of His child should accept rather than kick. So very soon my heart settled and gave up it's pity party and instead began to think more about depending on my Father Who knew all about my situation.

I rested the rest of Tuesday and Wednesday morning had another visit with the chiropractor. The leg seemed to be responding and I was grateful. That evening we had dessert with some friends at their house and then returned home. I felt a bit feverish that evening, but didn't think too much of it. I had been having some congestion and wrote it off as some allergy thing. We went to bed that night anticipating leaving for our trip on Thursday morning.

At about 2:30 or so that morning, I awoke. And I was awake. Now this is very frustrating because we were going to leave on a long car ride in just a few hours - I've got to get some sleep! I got out of bed and went to lay on the couch. I looked at TV and I tried to read, but sleep wouldn't come. Soon, my fever returned. Now I was starting to worry because I thought our trip might be in jeopardy and I didn't want that.

Between 2:30 and 6 am I may have dozed a total of half an hour. Kathy was up and I told her about it. She asked me if I was OK to drive and I said I was, I was wide awake. So we began prepping for our day. After I showered and shaved though, I was feeling a bit wobbly. As much as I didn't want to, I told Kathy about it. As we thought, we realized I hadn't eaten anything of substance since about 4:30 the day before and then we had the dessert. She said, "How about a sausage biscuit?" I agreed to that and she left to get breakfast while I rested.

When she got back, I was less than ravenous in going after the sausage biscuit, which is a very delicious item to my way of thinking. Kathy saw that and said, "I'm calling the doctor."

(End Part 2)