What's Linda Up To Now?

Featured on another blog!

2010-01-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, Friends.

On this second day of the new year, Christian writer, and friend, Kathi Macias has posted a piece on her blog about the book. Check it out at: http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com/

Thanksgiving and Hagerstown Hometown Holidays

2009-11-26T02:53:00.000-08:00

Going to visit Angie and family and see their new house. We may enjoy Thanksgiving dinner at Cracker Barrel since they are packed and ready to move in a couple of days, but that's fine with me! Can't wait to pinch some chubby cheeks!

Then on Saturday I'll be in Hagerstown, Maryland for the "Mega Book Signing" event. Check out www.HagerstownHometownHolidays.com.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Jessie's Wagon

2009-11-12T15:46:00.000-08:00

Last night I met my dear friend, Cheryl, for dinner. We were sort of celebrating our October birthdays, a bit late. During dinner, Cheryl told me about the times when Mycol would bring the kids over to her house as he helped out with handy-man type things. Often Jessie would sit on Cheryl's lap, but the one thing she always loved to do was take this little wooden wagon with teddy bears in it, and pull it around Cheryl's house. Around the living room, down the hallway, back up the hallway, around the living room again. Cheryl told me, "She loved pulling that little wagon, and it was just her size."

Cheryl put the wagon up after the fire, but now, she sensed it was time. And so, on the eve of Jessie's 11th birthday, Cheryl presented that very wagon to me as a gift.

She also gave me a souvenir we had brought back from our trip to Alaska, an Eskimo figurine. "I figured you didn't have anything from Alaska, and you gave me two things, so I wanted to give you this," she told me.

Once again, I am so deeply grateful for such incredible friends and family. Cheryl not only gave to me something that was special to Jess, but she gave me something that holds stories and memories of times I was not there; when I was at work or in class. I have yet to find words that come close to expressing how much this means to me. All I know to say is that I am so very grateful. Thank you, Cheryl.

And Happy Birthday to my precious baby girl.

Sky Writer

2009-11-05T08:36:00.000-08:00

My friend, Brenda, told me last night at church that her grand-daughter came home from school all excited about an author who read one of her books and gave a presentation at their elementary school. Brenda said, "Her name is Masters. Do you know her?" No, I didn't recall meeting someone by that name. Then Brenda said, "She does skywriting." Aha! So I had to find out!

What a cool lady! I look forward to meeting her someday!

http://www.nancyrobinsonmasters.com/biography/biography.html

The Book is Here!

2009-09-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

"When We Move to Heaven: A family love story" is now available via a new website, http://www.whenwemovetoheaven.com/. Or, if you would like to order a copy, email me directly at Legltex@aol.com, and I will send an invoice via PayPal and ship the book as soon as I receive payment. You do not need a PayPal account to order through PayPal. Alternatively, you can purchase the book through Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com - see links below.

I am excited about what this book will do, where it will go, who it will touch. It is my prayer that all who read it be blessed.

~ Linda Street

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/When-Move-Heaven-Linda-Street/dp/1607910373/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252519278&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/When-We-Move-To-Heaven/Linda-Street/e/9781607910374/?itm=1&usri=w

Amelia

2009-07-16T12:39:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga5oEwGeF_o&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eglogster%2Ecom%2Fskins%2F0%2F0%2F40%2F4070%2Eswf%3F1208874840&feature=player_embedded

"Adventure is worthwhile in itself."

Air Race Classic 2009 - Post #10

2009-07-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

From the newsletter of the Texas Aviation Association:

News About

General Aviation

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2009 Air Race Classic Complete;

Local Woman Among Contestants

Celebrating 80 years of women's air racing, the only all-women transcontinental air race has logged another race for the record books. Begun in 1929 as the First Women's Air Derby, Will Rogers dubbed it the Powder Puff Derby upon seeing the lady pilots powder their noses before taking off.

Air Race Classic Pilots at the awards banquet

Operating today under the name Air Race Classic, this year's winning team flew a 1962 Beechcraft Bonanza 35-B33. Kelly Burris, the airplane's owner, is a mechanical engineer and patent lawyer from Michigan. Her co-pilot, Erin Recke is a regional airline pilot residing in Atlanta. Second place went to one of the seven collegiate teams, Jessica Campbell and Victoria Dunbar, of Indiana State University. The first-time racers also won the collegiate trophy. Another Bonanza scooped up third place, owned and flown by microwave engineer, Sandy St. John of Dallas, accompanied by her co-pilot, Linda Pecotte, a Silver City, New Mexico resident.

The route changes every year and is not always truly "transcontinental" although the total miles for the race is usually in the 2400 nautical mile range.
Two pilots per team are requi red by Air Race Classic, Inc.; at least one pilot must have either 500 hours or be Instrument rated, although the race itself is restricted to day time flying, under Visual Flight Rules only. One passenger may ride along, but must be either a pilot or student pilot with a current medical certificate.
Stock, or minimally modified stock airplanes ranging from 145 horsepower to 570 horsepower are eligible to compete because each airplane is handicapped; both single and twin-engine non-turbo powered airplanes are allowed. Points are tallied from the amount flown above handicap, minus any penalties along the way, the winner determined from the total. The goal is to have the actual ground speed be as far over the handicap speed as possible.

Preflight inspections take place with race officials

Authors, school teachers, grandmothers, moms and daughters proved fierce competitors in the wild blue yonder, and good friends on the ground. This year's contestants ranged in age from 19-88. Jessica Miller, who just graduated from high school, borrowed her uncle's Mooney for her first race. She and partner Athina Holmes, the only black woman in this year's race, finished seventh, just ahead of Mooney Airplane Co mpany's former CEO, Gretchen Jahn and her partner Dee Bond, of New Zealand. Among the five women in their 80's. 88-year old Bee Haydu who served as a WASP during WWII, found one of the stops extra special: Sweetwater, Texas, the home of the WASP Museum. Two mother-daughter teams also participated.

Participating cities are chosen based on several criteria, including community support for aviation. This year's race covered several states, beginning at the Denver Centennial Airport, with mandatory timed fly-by's at Liberal, Kansas, Sweetwater, Texas, Lufkin, Texas, Russellville, Arkansas, Grenada, Mississippi, Sparta, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Illinois, Racine, Wisconsin, and ending finally in Atlantic, Iowa. The last leg was the longest: at 332 nautical miles; the shortest was Russellville to Grenada, for 184 nautical miles.

Racers hailed from several states, and even some other countries. Texas was well represented with 10 racers, including 17th-place finishers Linda Street-Ely of Liberty, and her race partner Jodie Perry of Austin. Official standings are available on the ARC web site at www.airraceclassic.org.

*******************************************************

Air Race Classic 2009 - Post #9

2009-06-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

Results are in!

And the good news is: out of nine legs in this race, my partner and I earned a 2nd-place in two of them; Leg #3 and Leg #5. Unfortunately, it was not enough to get us even in the top ten - we finished 17th - but man, what a race, and improvement for me over last year. Still, I don't race to finish anything but first, so I'm considering what airplane might be the best to race in 2010.

There are probably articles in several cities' newspapers, especially in towns Racers call home, but one of them is at this link: http://www.tribstar.com/news/local_story_180215012.html

The team which placed 2nd is from Indiana State University, so they also won the Collegiate Trophy. These are really neat young ladies. I was fortunate enough to spend some time with them during dinner one evening. Turns out, they both took aerobatic instruction under Billy Werth, who I met last year in Indiana when he stopped at the Hendricks County airport in his Pitts for fuel. Billy is now engaged to a gal who lived just acouple doors down from us growing up. Small world! Anyway, Jessica and Victoria and I had a good time talking about what a good instructor Billy is, and a good person. I know he must be very excited for and proud of them.

The first-place team, Kelly Burris and Erin Recke, are two very good pilots. Their first race was last year and they were disqualified for going "into the soup". This race is VFR only. But these ladies have integrity and a great sense of humor. This year they put up a blog titled, "No Clouds For Us".

The host cities were outstanding. I heard that some of the take-offs from Denver Centennial can be seen by following a link on the ARC website for the '09 race.

Atlantic, Iowa is an impressive city. Population 7,000, and it has what real estate agents might call "Show Case" quality. Its evident that leaders of Atlantic know how to get the most for their city. They also know to invest in their airport... hint hint. The city is clean and neat as a pin, with tree and lamp post lined streets in the down town blocks and several blocks of well kept historic buildings that are occupied and doing business. Atlantic is one small town that obviously has leaders with vision; forward thinkers. Its a great example.

As for Amelia Bearheart, well, she's seen some interesting places now. We took her picture with an Iowa cornfield in the backdrop. Not just any Iowa field though - one where the real Amelia Earheart landed once. We also took the bear's photo in front of the historic Whitney Inn, where Amelia stayed, and at the Iowa Aviation Museum, along side framed pictures of the woman who taught Amelia to fly. When we get the pix downloaded I'll post a few here.

The race is a close one every year. Comparing the handicap speed between first and second place was only 0.933. At 17th place (out of 34), we were only 8.600 from the first-place finishers. Interestingly, even the winners had a bad leg. The time they flew for Leg 7 was 29th fastest.

I appreciate the work and dedication of all those who volunteer to keep this race going. I think it would be very cool if there were more races that would be open to all, male and female.

Air Race Classic 2009 - Post #8

2009-06-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

Finished!

We crossed the final time line in Atlantic, Iowa about 1:00 pm local time on Friday. Results won't be in until Sunday evening, and we hear several teams incurred penalties... including us. Penalties are given for various infractions, such as flying the time line too low or too high, but ours was more bonehead than that.

While the FAA does not require a flight plan to be filed when flying VFR (Visual Flight Rules), the Air Race Classic Organization does require racers to file a flight plan with the Chair person of whatever city we're in each morning, giving the departure and en route times, and number of race legs expected to complete for the day. That has to be handed in to the chair person before taking off for the first flight of the day. We spent a night in Sparta, TN and were so focused on getting to Jacksonville, IL that we realized when we arrived in Jacksonville that we hadn't handed in our flight plan in Sparta. Five knot penalty. That's going to hit us hard, because usually less than one knot separates the top few spots.

But that's okay, we'll take our punches. As long as rules are consistent and enforced fairly, its all a part of the challenge. Lots of teams have penalties, and it just makes the whole race experience that much more interesting. Next year, or whenever I race again, I can promise I won't ever forget to file a flight plan with the Stop Chair. Its really disappointing when you're flying a decent race, which I think we did.

I'll post again after I find out the results. Meanwhile, the fine city of Atlantic, Iowa is throwing lots of parties, being a great host. The town, population about 7,000, sure does know how to promote and welcome people. I'm impressed with a town this size that doesn't have its head in the sand and really wants economic growth and development. Putting in an airport and encouraging private development has been one of the very smart moves they've made. Kudos to Atlantic.

Air Race Classic 2009 - Post #8

2009-06-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

Late update for today:

We flew one leg today. Not because we were tired from over 9 flying hours yesterday, but because we weren't willing to risk the running into the thunderstorms around the Chicago area. Sure looked mean on the radar screen. Majority of the teams headed out to Racine this afternoon. We're hoping our choice to stay the night and do the last two legs tomorrow will prove to be the better choice.

We launched out of Sparta, TN at 7 this morning, arriving in Jacksonville, IL a couple hours later. Vacuum pump is still working, cylinders staying cool. Nothing really notable other than seeing the country from just above the tree tops in close proximity to other planes all heading in the same direction.

Almost had to pay a ransome for Amelia Bearheart, as I left her in the back seat of the truck of the man who shuttled us to and from the hotel last night. Competitor, Mary Wunder, thought she could get some green out of me, but we retrieved poor Amelia and she is safe and sound with us.

And by the way, I wasn't going to mention that the same Mary broke her ankle in Sweetwater while running to push the airplane, but since she tried to kidnap Amelia, all bets are off. Watching Mary hobble around the airplane doing a pre-flight with her foot and ankle wrapped up is quite a sight!

And I'm sorry, Tiffany York, News Director of KSHN Radio, that you cannot track us on FlightAware.com, but we're not filing flight plans with the FAA. When flying VFR (which this race is), its not required. Filing a flight plan VFR is only used if they need to come looking for you. We're not filing because there's no need to, and besides, why would we want to give away to our competition where we're flying? The good news, ladies and gents, is that after seeing Team #33's awesome website (myfirstairrace.com - and they're in a Citabria), Tiffany has committed to getting a tracker for my race plane next year. Thanks, Tiff! Is the radio station paying for it? Does that mean we'll get a cool site set up? I'm game!

My partner, Cubbie, skipped dinner tonight, opting to veg in the hotel and blog instead (promarkaviation.net). I dined with four other teams. The table full of chick pilots was a bit rambunctious, but it wasn't my fault. And I'm not the one who thought up the idea to sing verses on the chat frequency tomorrow, 122.75. Nope, not me. That was the mother of an astronaut and a retired United captain who thought that up. Nancy ("Captain Grandma") Aldrich asked if we all knew the song that goes, "When peeking through the knot hole of grandpa's wooden leg, who put the shore so near the ocean...." Yes, I know that one. But I ain't singin' on freq! Ya, we think we're pretty witty, but the poor family seated near us probably thought that was half-right... They had read about the air race coming through Jacksonville and had lots of questions, as have folks we meet at all the stops.

Each of the host airports is unique. In Russellville they spoiled us by cleaning our windscreens when we pulled up for fuel. Water is the most coveted item, but we've been spoiled with great treats, sandwiches, cookies, souvenier bags, and most of all really friendly folks. Most wanted us back (but maybe not all at the same time), some didn’t want us to leave.

Here in Jacksonville, IL we we've been treated like celebrities. Autographs, photos, curious kids, questions about being a pilot and war stories with the older fellows. We met Zachary, who was very proud of his WWII B-17 pilot brother.

Oh, and remember that part I mentioned from the fly-by briefing in Denver before the race, that when we get to Jacksonville be sure to stay at least 1000 feet above the prison? Well, we did, and had no problems, so now Cubbie can tell her folks about it.

Meanwhile, my partner was thrilled to see the Mississippi River for the first time. We also enjoyed watching a couple of crop dusters below us at 15 feet above the ground. The hot air balloon near Bowling Green was cool, and the blanket of ground fog over green Tennessee hills was picturesque.

So on to Racine tomorrow (I remember Kilbourn Gardens there), and then the finish line in Atlantic. Mike is on his way there and I look forward to our reunion. We have been taking photos but will have to upload when we're back home. Meanwhile, I hear there are some on the ARC site - www.airraceclassic.org.

Airport people ready to bend over backwards to accommodate. We'll have lots of Thank-You notes to write.

Air Race Classic 2009 - Post #7

2009-06-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

Trying to catch up on news from yesterday and today. We're super busy and its getting kind of late to be blogging - have an early start in the morning, but will just briefly mention a few things...

The start was exciting. Our friend, Denny, was one in the crowd in the special viewing area. Jodie flew the first leg and did a great job. She did her first fly-by, flying the timing line in to Liberal, KS, and did a great job. The folks in Liberal were great. Lots of volunteers waiting with cold water and snacks and very friendly faces. We filled up, were on the ground a little longer than we wanted to be, but that's how the first stop usually happens; then later on the airplanes start to space out more.

Jodie flew the second leg as well, in to Sweetwater. About 65 miles out of Sweetwater we lost the vacuum pump. Jodie saw the "vac" light, I saw the suction gauge dump to zero, and soon after the two gyro instruments - attitude indicator and directional gyro - were tumbling. Okay, we're VFR, no big deal, we can continue, but we can't take back off until its fixed. There's a rule about having required equipment working.

John Howard is the airport manager in Sweetwater. He's also an IA (mechanic). He was also fueling all the race planes. And unfortunately he didn't have a vacuum pump in stock. Abilene is 40 miles away, and Sue Johnson, who happened to be in Abilene, went to Abilene Aero and picked up a vacuum pump and brought it to John, and he put it in. Sue's husband, Bill, is a volunteer with the WASP Museum in Sweetwater, and he was really put to work with this air race. He was busy transporting people and helped us out arranging the vacuum pump.

We were hoping John could get the pump in so we could make Lufkin, but we ran out of time, so spent the night in Sweetwater. With the weather forecast Thursday, we've been concerned about how far we could get, so the pump failure wasn't great news. We made the best of it though.

A couple of other teams have had electrical problems. Another team staying at the same hotel in Sweetwater, the girls from Indiana Technical College, happen to know an aerobatic pilot I've met. They have both trained under Billy Werth, so we had some things to talk about. I told them about how Billy recently proposed to his fiance, Haley, while performing his act at the Indy Air Show, "bowing" his Pitts on one "knee" and popping the question in public. Funny thing is, Haley grew up just a few houses down from us and I remember her as a cute little two year old with blonde pigtails.

Anyway, back to the air race.

There's a stuffed bear named Amelia Bearheart, who is the official Ninety-Nines bear and apparently she travels extensively. She was supposed to be transferred from the San Antonio 99s chapter to Houston, so when we landed in Lufkin, someone from the Houston 99s grabbed her and handed her to me. Now my partner, Cubbie, and I are responsible for taking Amelia's picture at every stop.

Speaking of Lufkin, the compass rose looked great, and efficiency of the folks marshalling/parking, and fueling was outstanding. EAA Chapter 1219 and the Houston 99s did an outstanding job in Lufkin.

The folks in Russellville, AR and Grenada, MS were very friendly also. In fact, Russellville really wants the business, so go visit there; its a great town with smiling people and has a park with a landing strip.

Cubbie and I had to make the tough decision whether or not to go on to Sparta tonight. We'd have to make it in before 8:02 Central time. The forecast winds looked better for tomorrow morning, but we didn't feel that would leave us enough time to get to Jacksonville, IL before the weather caves in, so we took off for Sparta, accepting the fact that we'd have higher headwinds and probably a slower leg.

As it turned out, the headwinds weren't nearly as bad, but we did notice the #1 cylinder getting hot. 1650 is max, and it was climbing to 1950. Getting rather concerned, we enriched the mixture and soon the temp went back down, and then everything was normal from then on out.

I flew the first two legs today, Cubbie flew from Russellville to Grenada, and I flew the last one in to Sparta. Over eight hours flying time... Gotta get some shut-eye now....

Air Race Classic 2009 - Post #7

2009-06-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

Race eve and as we used to say in auto racing, when the green flag drops, the "nonsense" stops. Formidable competitors are putting on the game face. Briefings all day, watching the weather closely. Thursday might be a wash, and right now it looks like headwinds for most of the course, so we'll look for the altitude that gives us the least amount of headwind. This race will mean more fuel and slower speeds. Density altitude affects how we start and take off here in Denver, leaning the mixture much more than we do at nearly sea level.

Its been a busy, intense day of briefings; safety, weather, regulations, procedures, cockpit management. One can sense the change of mood among racers, who are displaying more of a quiet resolve now. But the day has not been without some comic relief. After discussing the new, strict rules about dual fly-bys a few seasoned race veterans shared 'war stories' some of which they admitted were their own, others were good lessons to be learned, such as not getting interrupted when checking your fuel so you don't forget to put the fuel cap back on.

We're told there's a web cam at one of the stops, one we may reach by Wednesday, in Russellville, Arkansas: http:\\63.97.52.214/ When you get to the screen that says "Log In" just hit "Submit" without filling anything in. It'll still work.

Web cams may be at other locations too, but nothing compares to the warning we got not to fly over the prison near the Jacksonville, Illinois airport. The prison, about 5 miles southeast of the airport and right on the route, apparently employs a very eager guard who will shoot at airplanes. We'll keep plenty clear of the zealous prison guard. Jodie did say, however, that if he were to shoot at us he'd have more to worry about than prisoners: He'd have to deal with Mom!

Centennial Airport is graciously allowing friends and family to meet at the base of the tower at 7:30 am to be escorted to a special viewing area for the start. The start is really something to see. All 32 race planes will be off the ground in less than half an hour.

I hope to be able to update as the race progresses, but no promises. It'll depend on time and Internet access.

So till next time, blue skies, tail winds, and shiny side up!

Air Race Classic 2009 - Post #6

2009-06-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

What day is it again? Jodie and I have both had to ask. At least we know we're still in Colorado.

After worship with one of my competitors at a nearby church I joined Jodie for lunch, and we were soon joined by Gretchen Jahn, who came in from New Zealand. Gretchen is one pilot I was really looking forward to meeting. Not just because she's won the race before, come in second place twice, and has just tons of experience, and not just because she has run airplane companies, including a stint as the CEO of Mooney Aircraft Co., but also because this accomplished pilot is so humble and generous with information, and is a real asset to aviation.

After a delicious tuna melt sandwich we joined the other racers for the first briefing. In an overall briefing touching on flight plans, fuel management, start procedures, fly-bys, cockpit resource management, safety, and race rules, we learned of two important changes. Every airplane will be equipped with an electronic tracker, a new device the ARC organization will be experimenting with as a back-up for timing. Dual fly-bys will be the other change. I undertand this is a return to the way the race used to be run a few years ago. This should be exciting.

Speaking of exciting, after the general briefing a Take-Off banquet became a tribute to the history of women in aviation, with the introduction of Bernice Haydu, an accomplished pilot and WASP. Slender and healthy looking, still able to wear her uniform, this is her first Air Race, and she'll be part of Team #26. When it came time for her introduction, she received a Standing O - everyone honored just to be in the same room with her. She goes by the nickname of Bee. I leaned over to Jodie and whispered, "Bee is a WASP!" I think that makes her a double-stinger.

Its an impressive list of racers, including one gal just out of high school.

Tomorrow will be the dizzying four hours of briefings - more specifics on weather, fly-bys, and safety - but we're ready. Bring it on!

Meanwhile the weather forecasts have our attention. Wondering how far we'll get each day. Sparta, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Illinois, and Racine, Wisconsin look particularly interesting.

Air Race Classic 2009 - Post #5

2009-06-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

Today was aircraft inspection day and the good news is: we passed. Not that there was any doubt, you know.

Being scheduled for the last inspection of the day gave us time to participate in the ARC "Youth Meet the Racers" activities. Like last year, kids were taken to see a race airplane, sit in the pilot seat, and learn a bit about airplanes. Other activities included making paper airplanes and some other creative crafts.

My partner, Jodie, and I were asked to handle the air traffic control game. With multi-colors of chalk, we sketched runways, taxiways, a windsock, ramp, and compass, and then played airplane with the kids. Explaining the numbers on the compass and how they correlate to runway numbers, how wind plays an important part in which way we land or take-off, and what a traffic pattern is, we had the kids "fly" the around the airport, arms outstretched.

Retired air traffic controller, Mary Wunder, a fellow racer, joined us with explaining the controller's job, and when she had to leave for her date with the aircraft inspection crew, I "retired" her again, and we taught the kids how to fly in to an uncontrolled airport.

As Jodie says, it must have been our colorful chalk drawings that landed us an interview by 7-year old Lexi and her publisher dad, Paul, for Airport Journals (www.airportjournals.com). It was an honor to be interviewed by this young, up-and-coming journalist and FWP (Future Woman Pilot). We had to skee-dattle after the interview to make our inspection time, so Paul and Lexi gave us a ride back to the inspection hangar. Lexi and I shared the back seat, along with her babydoll which rode on her lap. Lexi interviewed a number of race teams so if we make the cut, Paul promised to send us copies.

A reception this evening gave us a chance to meet other racers, some old-timers, some first-timers.

The volunteers here are terrific. Guys from the Colorado Pilots Association, and some who I think are 49-and-a-halfs (meaning they are married to a Ninety-Nine), have been shuttling all these chick pilots back and forth between airport and hotel. A good-humored bunch of men and its nice to have their involvement.

So now its time to tuck in for the night. Tomorrow we have the first of many briefings, with more on Monday and first thing Tuesday morning.

The pool of contestants is interesting, from college girls to grandmothers, real estate agents, teachers, engineers, farmers, full-time moms, professional pilots, and various other backgrounds.

Arrived in Denver

2009-06-19T20:31:00.000-07:00

Jodie and I arrived in Denver this afternoon. We left Burnet, Texas about 7 a.m. and had to divert around some storms but eventually made it here. Stopped in Perry, OK and gave the weather some time to dissipate. Visited a cute old cafe with some interesting history - "Kumback Cafe". It was started in 1926 and only now has its second owner. Pretty Boy Floyd stopped there in Perry at the Courthouse square in the 1930's, waiving his gun around, he demanded the Kumback Cafe lock their doors - not because he was going to rob them, but because he wanted a hamburger! Then it was in Perry where Charlie Hanger arrested Timothy McVeigh.

The cafe was a cute spot and we refilled our own tanks, then had 65C filled, and off we went to Garden City, KS. A quick turn-around there and soon we were landing at Denver Centennial.

We have a busy schedule before the race begins Tuesday morning. Airplane inspection is tomorrow, along with pilot registration, which is an inspection of our log books, etc. Then an event set up for youth called "Meet the Racers".

Looks like storms forecast for this area this weekend.

Air Race Classic 2009 - Post #4

2009-06-16T19:07:00.001-07:00

Countdown! One week to go!

We'll post a pic of N8765C soon.

You can follow us by clicking on the "Follow" tab, or just check in on the blog during the race.

Air Race Classic 2009 - Post #3

2009-06-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

One week from today Jodie and I will be in Denver attending safety and pre-race briefings, social events, and tweaking our strategy.

Meanwhile, its a good thing that Kennedy Airport in New York is not on our list of stops!

For ten minutes of humor, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUnVlyyar4M

And, the next time you're flying a U. S. airline, this short clip will help you feel safe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reRRgEET6Kw&feature=related

Air Race Classic 2009 - Post #2

2009-06-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

June 6 was the date to meet in Lufkin for the painting of the Compass Rose. In preparation for the Air Race (Lufkin is Stop #3), the Ninety-Nines Houston Chapter and EAA Chapter 1219 members, about 35 folks in all, spent several hours in the hot South Texas sun, measuring, drawing chalk lines, and painting the 60-foot Compass Rose, with the 99s symbol in the center.

I look forward to seeing our friends from Lufkin when we make this stop.

http://www.eaa1219.org/

http://www.ninety-nines.org/

Looks great from the air!

Air Race Classic 2009 - Post #1

2009-06-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

Here we go! Gearing up for this year's Air Race Classic, just around the corner!

This year I have a new partner, Jodie Perry, from Austin. I was in Burnet, Texas last fall getting my Tailwheel endorsement with MCFI Ken Wittekiend and he introduced me to Jodie. She keeps her Piper Archer there in Burnet.

We met up in Brenham in the Spring and charted a triangular course so we could fly both airplanes - her Archer and our Cheetah - to see which one fared better against its handicapped speed. The planes flew about the same, but the handicap for the Archer is lower, so we knew we'd have a better shot with her airplane.

Once the aircraft was chosen, the registration packet was sent, and we began discussing strategic plans for the race. Jodie had her mechanics go over the plane in painstaking detail to smooth out any rough places.

Mike and I tacked several World Aeronautic Charts to one living room wall and charted the course. I bought all the Sectional Charts we'll need and Jodie ordered matching shirts for us to wear during the race.

The Air Race Classic sent out press releases and soon we were giving interviews and saving newspapers for our moms.

This year we have tough competition! Seven collegiate teams and some long-time veteran air racers will give us quite a challenge, but we're up for it!

The race begins at Centennial Airport in Englewood, Colorado. From there, we fly to:
Liberal, KS
Sweetwater, TX
Lufkin, TX
Russelville, AR
Grenada, MS
Sparta, TN
Jacksonville, IL
Racine, WI
Atlantic, IA

Total distance: 2359.0 nautical miles/2714.7 statute miles

Several competitors will be keeping blogs during the race. Check out http://www.airraceclassic.org/ and click on "2009 Race" and then "Race Teams" to check out other blogs.

This is a super fun adventure and we're going to have a great time. Stay tuned!

How to Build a Model using Flight Path Data

2009-04-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Our precious neice built this model of our flight from Texas to Indy as she watched our track on Flight Aware. Take a look at all the detail - Is this cool or what!!!!

Destined to be an aviator

2009-04-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

At least I get it honestly!

This is my grandfather. My sis found this from a Google search just the other day. I think the copyright belongs to Corbis, so credit to them, whoever they are. Anyway, it was quite a surprise. Still don't know whether he ever flew, but its a great picture!

Updates

2009-04-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

I'll be entering the Air Race Classic again this year (www.airraceclassic.org). I have a different race partner this year and I hope to improve our finish over last year. We compared airplanes a few weeks ago, flying each against its race handicap and have agreed that with the handicaps assigned, her Piper Archer will likely fare better than our Grumman Cheetah. I'd sure like to get that 1st Place trophy!

The race route changes every year; this year we start in Denver, at Centennial Airport. The Archer will perform better there too. I have a few friends and family around Denver so should have some good "fan support".

Other than that, I'm still going round and round with the "publisher", still working at the same job as a paralegal, flying as often as I can, building time, trying to find time to take the check ride for my Commercial Certificate.

I have a new grandson, Liam - #4. Looks like I'm going to be able to squeeze in a quick trip up that way to see baby Liam this weekend. The other two grandsons are here in Texas. I took them to the zoo during their Spring Break... just "Nanny" (that's what they call me) and the boys, ages 6 and 3. I was a good grandparent. I returned them tired, dirty, and full of junk food.

The Boy, the Car, the Muslim

2009-02-26T07:27:00.000-08:00

Today my son would be 12 years old. Thanks to all who have kept that date and have taken the time to recognize it.

On this day, at 12:08pm on a busy road in Houston, I gave birth to my son in the front seat of my mother-in-law's car. (I call her Mamacita; the kids called her Gwanny)

She pulled over to the side of the road when it was apparent we would not make the hospital. Out he came, I put him on my lap, and off she drove the rest of the way to the hospital. Everything turned out fine. Mycol was behind us in traffic. Missy was very excited.

Three years ago today I was in Africa on his birthday, in the 10/40 Window, Muslim territory. That was significant for me and if you read the book (when its finally out) you will see why.

Last June I was driving that same car from work on I-10 when traffic stopped up as usual, but the guy behind me wasn't paying attention. He slammed in to me so hard it bent the frame and broke my seat. The car was totaled.

Sure, its just a thing. But I don't have many things. I wanted to keep it.

So I had it towed to the house and put away in the carport.

Then in September we were visited by Ike. Ike took down the carport, leaving a heap of mess on top of the damaged car.

I knew I could not keep the car any longer, regardless what it means to me. I've had to let go of much more precious than that.

So we called the local junk yard to send a wrecker. What we didn't know was that the junk yard was recently sold to some Middle Easterners. And they don't have their own wrecker. They contract with others.

A wrecker driver came to the house. He was wearing a different looking kind of hat, was Middle Eastern, had a beard, so I asked what his religion was. "I am a Muslim."

My heart sank.

He was loading this important but smashed car onto his wrecker. Thoughts of 9/11 flew through my head as I asked myself, "How can I give this car to a Muslim?"

He handed me money for the car. It felt dirty to me and I did not want to touch it.

Mike held me close as the wrecker driver continued to secure the car.

Before he drove off, I said to Mike, "We need to pray." We went to the back porch and sat down on the steps and Mike prayed for us. He prayed specifically for that Muslim man.

I still felt dirty, or wrong, or something. I wondered if I had done something to offend God. I told Mike I cannot keep the money, but that it must go to the church.

The next day I handed over the money to the church secretary and requested it go to the orphanage in Africa. Later that afternoon, the Youth Group arrived to help us with clean-up of the hurricane damage, disassembling the carport mess and hauling off debris.

I poured out my concerns to a mom and dad of one of the members of the Youth Group. The mom said, "Linda, you are probably the only ones who have prayed for that man specifically. We don't know God's ways, but God put him in your path yesterday. Without crossing paths with him, you would never have known to pray for him, and maybe no one has ever prayed for him."

Wow. She was right. I had to look at it from God's point of view.

So today as I honor my son, with a deep ache wishing I could host a 12-year old birthday party, I would like to honor God also. I would like to ask that all my Christian friends and family pray for this Muslim man, the wrecker driver. That would be an awesome way to celebrate my son's birthday.

Our Brother in Christ, Marshall, added this:

The Holy Spirit has been pressing this verse upon me and I believe I need to share it with you. It is the entire 55^th Chapter of Isaiah.

Isa 55:1 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

Isa 55:2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

Isa 55:3 Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.

Isa 55:4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples.

Isa 55:5 Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor."

Isa 55:6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Isa 55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.

Isa 55:9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isa 55:10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

Isa 55:11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isa 55:12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Isa 55:13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed."

Jesus said “With God all things are possible.” I believe Isa 55:7 speaks directly to your Muslim friend. Jesus died while we were still sinners. He died for all; the sexually perverted, Muslims, Liars, Thieves, and Murderers. As I draw close to Him, I see myself in all those transgressors. We thank You for Your amazing grace O Lord!

May Jesus Christ bless and keep you in His perfect peace!

Stimulus Package Explained

2009-02-02T05:47:00.000-08:00

Stimulus package explained:

"Sometime this year, taxpayers will receive an Economic Stimulus Payment. This is a very exciting new program that I will explain using the Q and A format:

"Q. What is an Economic Stimulus Payment?
"A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.

"Q. Where will the government get this money?
"A. From taxpayers.

"Q. So the government is giving me back my own money?
"A. No, they are borrowing it from China. Your children are expected to repay the Chinese.

"Q. What is the purpose of this payment?
"A. The plan is that you will use the money to purchase a high-definition TV set, thus stimulating the economy.

"Q. But isn't that stimulating the economy of China?
"A. Shut up."

Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the US economy by spending your stimulus check wisely:

If you spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China.
If you spend it on gasoline it will go to Hugo Chavez, the Arabs and Al Queda
If you purchase a computer it will go to Taiwan.
If you purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras, Chile, and Guatemala.
If you buy a car it will go to Japan and Korea.
If you purchase prescription drugs it will go to India
If you purchase heroin it will go to the Taliban in Afghanistan
If you give it to a charitable cause, it will go to Nigeria.
And none of it will help the American economy.

We need to keep that money here in America. You can keep the money in America by spending it at yard sales, going to a baseball game, or spend it on prostitutes, beer (domestic ONLY), or tattoos, since those are the only businesses still in the US.

Accolades

2009-01-26T08:19:00.000-08:00

We've all heard about the homecoming celebration for Capt. Sullenburger... but have you heard...

The Seaplane Pilots Association is presenting Sullenberger with an honorary lifetime membership in the association. The group is also offering him "a complimentary seaplane rating course" at Jack Brown's Seaplane Base in Winter Haven, Fla.

Compressor Stalls

2009-01-25T14:29:00.000-08:00

I'd heard the A320 that landed in the Hudson River (notice I said landed, not crashed; as it was definitely a forced landing, but a controlled one!), might have had compressor stalls two days prior. When Mom asked me about that I sat down with Mike to see if I could explain it in an email. Then I figured why not post it for others?

So, in case you're wondering whether a compressor stall would have anything to do with a bird strike - the short answer is no.

And while I'm on the Airbus incident, the pilots certainly did do a great job and it is nice to see that they are reacting to the attention as professionals. It reflects well upon the aviation industry as a whole. Good to get positive media attention. But make no mistake, airline pilots (and charter and corporate, etc.) receive training, called "recurrent" every year. Airline pilots also take a check ride every six months. So their job is on the line every six months with an FAA-designated examiner. Anyway, back to the bird strike and the whispers going around about earlier compressor stalls

It seems the media is reporting "previous compression problems" which is something I have not heard was being investigated. I have heard however that this particular airplane had experienced compressor stalls two days prior to the bird strikes. But the two are not related and a compressor stall does not bring down an airplane. Here's a little bit about jet engines:

Compressor stalls happen in low power settings or going in reverse (reverse thrust is used when landing).

First of all, anytime you hear the word "stall" related to aviation, it is most likely going to refer to aerodynamic stalls. An aerodynamic stall is disruption in air flow that affects lift. We practice stalls all the time. But that refers to the airflow over the wings. We slow the airplane down to idle and as the speed slows, at some point lift is no longer generated because air is not flowing over the wings at the speed necessary to generate lift. To recover we lower the nose, add power and get lift back.

In a jet engine, compressors are used to compress the air prior to mixing with the fuel. It is regulated by computers. Air goes through various "chambers" or "stages" reducing the space, compressing more and more as it is moved through. Picture a shaft that turns little fan blades. Several sets of fan blades lined up down the shaft, descending in circumference so that as air passes from one to the next, the circle of fan blades is smaller and smaller. These are called axial compressors. After the air has compressed through this series of axial compressors, it then enters a centrifugal compressor. Centrifugal force. Spinning so that the air goes out to the sides, making room for more air, thus compressing even more just before mixing with fuel.

Now, at the point where the air is just at the end of axial compressors and just about to enter the centrifugal compressor, at low speed or at reverse thrust - and remember these are run by computers - sometimes the computer doesn't keep up with the exact air flow. Now there is a relief valve there to let out air that just doesn't fit. (Picture filling up a trash bag. There's only so much room. Fill, fill, fill, and pretty soon it's gonna pop.) Well, the air is forced through compressors, more, more, more, and a computer is supposed to open the relief valve when there is too much air. However, if the air gets to be too much before the computer can get the valve open (could be just a split-second), you will hear a "bang" noise. Basically, its a sonic boom; a shock wave is created. Nothing more.

Once the computer catches up, the valve opens, everything goes back to normal. Normally no damage done, just need to adjust the computer and possibly an adjustment to the valve.

When they hit the birds (about 90 seconds after take-off) the engine was turning at about 20,000-30,000 RPMs and when the birds hit those same axial compressor fan blades, the blades disintegrated. Compressor stalls don't happen at those speeds. They happen at low speeds when the computer is trying to regulate the valve in a quick-changing environment.

Let me know if that explanation is clear enough.

Mike assisted me with this explanation, but I have studied jet engines a little bit, some in my classes and some with my private tutor. When we visited the American Airlines museum in Dallas I was able to see a cut-away of a jet engine. That was really helpful to my understanding.

I suspect that non-aviation media has misunderstood "compressor stall" and has translated that to "compression problem". I haven't heard a thing about that airplane having any compression problems.

Why?

2009-01-20T12:16:00.000-08:00

The AP published a short article by a Jesse J. Holland this afternoon, titled, "Black churches celebrate Obama's inauguration". Um, why? The churches referred to in the article claim to be Christian churches. The one coronated does not claim to share their faith. I've always heard that supporting someone based solely on skin color is racist. Someone tell me what this is called.

Look through the sunroof - there's the ground!

2008-11-18T12:37:00.000-08:00

My formal aerobatic training began Sunday, Nov. 16 at LaPorte Airport. I flew Debby Rihn-Harvey's Super Decathlon and practiced the most basic maneuvers, loops, barrel rolls, and spins. This is the same airplane I used to compete back in May.

The Jan Jones Memorial Scholarship for aerobatic training is made available to one female each year who has a private pilot license or higher and who wishes to pursue aerobatics. The scholarship is kept up by Jan's parents and other donors. I applied for the scholarship and received it, contributing to the cost of this training. I really want to honor the memory and life of Jan Jones, and will give this training my very best effort. I am grateful to her parents for providing this opportunity.

I love doing aerobatics and really didn't want to come down. Looking forward to the next flight!

Celebrating Jessie

2008-11-12T20:09:00.000-08:00

Today "our little Jester" would be celebrating her 10th birthday. I wish she was here for us to do that. I know she is celebrating much more than that in heaven, but for those of us left here, these days are hard.

But today I received some wonderful gifts in honor of our baby girl. Several emails and messages from people who remembered and took the time to say so; a very special lunch date with Missy ("baby of the first litter"); and this evening, in honor of Jessie's birthday, I submitted the manuscript to the publisher.

Throughout the Bible are instances where God has picked the youngest child, or one not assumed to take on a certain role, as with David. When I began writing the book, I thought the title would be, "The Courier," as inspired by Mycol, who worked as a courier when we met.

But things changed and God showed me that He picked the littlest one to title the book and to give it it's cover design. The book is now titled, "When We Move to Heaven: A family love story" and the cover was designed by Jessie.

I'm told this publishing company takes an average of 90 days or so, so in a few months I should have the news that it's finally available. There will be a website too that will have that information as well. But for now, I'm just missing our little Jessie, yearning for us all to be together again, and asking Jesus to tell her Happy Birthday from us.

Nebuchabama

2008-11-04T20:48:00.000-08:00

For some strange reason I am suddenly bombarded with thoughts of Veggie Tales' Chocolate Bunny story....

Good Answer!

2008-11-04T19:55:00.001-08:00

The next time someone asks me why I like flying upside down and doing spins, I have a new answer:

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

The next time one of my older daughters rolls her eyes and says, "Oh, Mom, you're so 1980's," I'll reply:

Inside every older person is a younger person -- wondering what the heck happened.

And the next time I get the crazy urge to stand on a scale, I'll remind myself:

Inside me lives a skinny woman crying to get out, but I can usually shut her up with cookies.

Thanks to my sister Barbara for reminding me of these good answers.

In the Comics

2008-10-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd post these four comic strips that mention my grandfather, Percy, who was a race driver.

I remembered having seen these and fortunately Diane saved copies and had them available.

The family story is that either Frank King, the creator of "Gasoline Alley" and other comic strips, or the creator of "The Gumps" was a good friend of my grandfather's. Whoever it was would poke fun at Percy now and then. These comics appeared in the Chicago Tribune and were quite popular. This first one says:

"It would have made an interesting story if I'd kept a diary of that car of mine, Walt. It's seen life."

"That car is its own diary. That fluted fender tells the tale of the day in 1912 you tried to beat Percy Ford to the corner."

"The transmission could tell you about turning turtle if it hadn't lost most of its teeth!"

"That cubist rear tire is a chapter on misplaced confidence and nine stops for repairs on a July day last summer."

The next one says, "But I've got an account at the 10 cent store and I know Percy Ford and everything!"

"Just the same I've got to have CASH!"

Then the two comic strips that appear together:

The Gumps: "Gee the old motor sounds swell today - and pep - you don't have to step on it - just pat it with your foot - it responds to the slightest touch. If a fly landed hard on my foot it would shoot up to 100 miles and hour-"

"Who does that guy think he is? Percy Ford tuning up for the Big Race? That guy has as much respect for the law as a bootlegger has for the 18th Amendment -"

"Pull over - Pull over - You were going 45 miles an hour"

"WHOA!!" "Get out! I haven't been driving an hour-"

And Gasoline Alley, which pokes fun at both my grandfather, and his race mechanic, George Rowell:

"The bearings must be nicely worked in by now, Sleezix. Let's step on it!"

"George Rowell warned me to stay off the speed for the first 500 miles - but it's gone more than that!"

"There I guess Percy Ford can't do any better on the Indianapolis track!"

"Jiggers, Skeezix, a speed cop! I hope he didn't see us!"

Timely Quotes

2008-10-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

Read these and post a comment telling which one you think takes the prize. I have my favorite, but I'll post that in a couple of days...

If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.-Mark Twain

Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose yo u were a member of Congress.... But then I repeat myself.-Mark Twain

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.-Winston Churchill

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.- George Bernard Shaw

A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money.-G. Gordon Liddy

Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.-James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)

Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.-Douglas Casey

Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.-P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian

Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.-Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850)

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.-Ronald Reagan (1986)

I don't make jokes... I just watch the government and report the facts.-Will Rogers

If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free!- P.J. O'Rourke

In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.-Voltaire (1764)

Just because you do not take an interest in politicsdoesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you!-Pericles (430 B.C.)

No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.-Mark Twain (1866 )

Talk is cheap...except when Congress does it.-Unknown

The government is like a baby's alimentary canal: a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other.-Ronald Reagan

The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.-Winston Churchill

The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.-Mark Twain

The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools.-Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)

There is no distinctly Native American criminal class...save Congress.-Mark Twain

What this country needs are more unemployed politicians.-Edward Langley, Artist (1928 - 1995)

A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.-Thomas Jefferson

Grandson #4

2008-10-21T09:42:00.001-07:00

Well here he is, the fourth grandson!

Baby Kotarski (the baby to be named later) weighed in at 7lbs., 9oz., measured 201/2" tall, making his entry to this world at 8:09pm EST on Monday, October 20, 2008.

Welcome!!!

Another example of sheer brilliance in the media

2008-10-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

This old quote was recently dug up by a Canadian pastor with a great sense of humor...

Space News:
"I have just learned that we do have the film of the astronauts' breakfast, which should be coming up shortly."- Frank McGee of NBC News during the course of a Gemini space flight.

Effects of the "bailout"

2008-10-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

Today I went to buy a toaster and was given a bank as a free gift!

In Honor of Aunt Teen

2008-09-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

Early Sunday morning our precious Aunt Teen left her earthly home on Catawba Road and moved to heaven. I was blessed to be able to be with her in her final days, as well as days in the past which have built memories that I will always cherish. Like our last climb up the mountain three years ago - she at age 90. Aunt Teen is the last person I climbed the mountain with and funny thing is, Uncle Lum was the first one to take me up that mountain when I was a child.

I asked Aunt Teen, if she gets to heaven before I do, would she tell Uncle Lum I love him, and would she tell Mycol, Austin, and Jess I love them and miss them very much. She said yes, she would. Its so hard on this side to say good-bye, but as one of her nephews, John, said when he spoke with a guy who hadn't met her, "You better go in there now, if you ever wanted to meet a living Saint, now is your chance." I think that sums up pretty well the effect Aunt Teen has had on everyone.

Many years ago, her sister passed on after a bout with encephalitis. In the tragedy, the family grieved and Aunt Teen's mother prayed that God would provide some sign to be a comfort to them. The prayers of a mother were heard. Aunt Teen loved to tell of how the house suddenly filled with this heavenly music, indescribable, like nothing they could hear here on earth. I know Aunt Teen is hearing that lovely, heavenly music now. I imagine her dancing with her sisters, parents, brothers, and many others.

One time when I was visiting her, before Mike and I married, Mike called to say hello, and we chatted for awhile. Aunt Teen asked about him, and then she said, "You better cabbage on to him!" I laughed at the cute "Teen-ism" and asked where she got that. She said, "I don't know! I think I just made it up!" And she laughed her adorable Aunt Teen laugh and smiled her contagious Aunt Teen smile.

Well I did "cabbage on to him" as she encouraged, and today we celebrate two years together as husband and wife.

Mike came out to Virginia to be with us over the weekend, and I know Aunt Teen would be grateful for his support. We are all thankful that she left this world peacefully, and even though no one wanted to let go, she has left a legacy of love, kindness, and gentleness that sets an example for all of us.

Goings-on

2008-09-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

We returned to Liberty last night (Wed.). No power, they say for 4-6 weeks, but with crews coming in from other states, working round the clock, who knows, maybe will be sooner. Thanks to so many people who have tried to call or send notes.... eventually we'll get with everyone but we're going to be really busy for awhile with clean-up.

The Liberty Airport took a huge hit. Hangars are gone and those who left airplanes there will return to find only twisted metal. We took pictures so when I can I'll get those up on the blog.

As far as the house goes, of course no power so we might not stay there very long, but the garage collapsed, and so far looks like a little damage to the house itself. My car was at the Liberty Airport and got some dings to it. Mike's car was at Hobby and seems to be fine. We've got lots and lots of trees all over the yard - all over Liberty County.

Meanwhile, if you haven't seen enough photos, here's a link: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/the_short_but_eventful_life_of.html

Amid this, Myles has had some bouts with more health problems and tests are ongoing. More later when I have more definite info. As of Wed., 9/17, he was feeling well enough to go back to school. They're searching for the cause of the constant sinus infections and enlarged lymph nodes in his lungs. A broncosopy is scheduled that will hopefully tell more.

My attention now turns to my beloved Aunt Teen. I am going to Virginia to see her. She has cancer that has spread into her pancreas and will be discharged from the hospital soon to go home with hospice. This is going to be a really tough time. She has been there with me though so much.

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

As I recall, in 2005 I posted during Hurricane Rita. We were at the lake house. This time Lynna and Rusty and a few other folks opted for the lake house again, Missy, Steven and the boys went to the house of some friends in Kingwood, Lillian and Corky were already on a trip to Nashville and then on to Virginia, but Mike and I wanted to get the airplane out of harm's way in case Hobby Airport took a hit. While taking it out, someone asked if we'd take another one as well, so we flew two airplanes, our Cheetah and a Tiger, westward. We stopped in Sonora, TX for the night only because another weather cell wouldn't let us get as far as Fort Stockton. A couple from Baytown and a couple from Houston landed immediately before and after us, so there were four airplanes landing at this small town within about four minutes.

The Baytown couple had a ranch in Sonora so they went there. The other Houston couple joined us over to the Comfort Inn and we each got a room there. There's not much to do in Sonora so the next day we all left for Las Cruces, NM, a much larger town with plenty to do. We had a great time with Sharen and Rainer. They are both engineers, he's from Austria. Sharen is retired from Exxon and she worked 18 months in Alaska back in 1989-90 on the Valdez spill. She said don't believe anything you read or heard from the media - she thinks they must have been on a different spill because whenever she read anything it was certainly not a report coming from where she was.

Anyway, I digress... we are in Las Cruces - it's Sunday a.m. - and we're planning to visit a church here and then decide where to go next. According to reports we are not supposed to return to Liberty just yet. You can see photos at www.i-dineout.com. Click on two different stories there for two sets of pix. One is titled, "Photos of Liberty and Dayton Saturday Afternoon" and the other is "Do NOT Return to Liberty at this Time".

A couple different people who stayed in town went by our house and said that as far as they could tell only the garage collapsed, but the house looked okay from the street.

Lynna said the lake house didn't fare as well though. More than half the roof was torn off, as well as damage to the ceiling fans on the deck, the boathouse, and water leaking in through the roof, through the walls, and lots of places. I guess even downstairs carpet is wet.

My car is at the Liberty Airport and I hear from a couple folks there that airport didn't hold up too well (no surprise). Apparently hangars and airplanes are in pieces strewn about the airport, as well as other debris. Not sure about my car. Mike's car is at Hobby. No word yet from anyone there, but it appears flight ops are back up and going there. However, last we checked, there is a TFR over the Gulf Coast until further notice. That means "no fly" for us (Temporary Flight Restriction).

I know power is out in Liberty as well as at the lake house. They're saying to expect the power to take weeks to restore in Liberty.

Don't know yet about my office. Its in a 14-story building so I'm wondering about the glass. Of course if we can't fly back into Houston yet... doesn't matter much.

We did leave the Cheetah in Sonora and only flew the Tiger out here to Las Cruces. A really nice guy who has a hangar there let us tuck the Cheetah in his hangar.

The weather's been great here and we hardly slept a wink Friday night because we were watching the Weather Channel all night.

Well, check out the photos on i-dineout.com. I figured I'd better get something posted for friends and family afar who might be wondering. We're all fine, just lotsa clean up awaits.

Cover of Flying Magazine

2008-08-15T08:55:00.000-07:00

This just in!
Take a look at the cover of Flying magazine!!!
It's my very own "Sky Tamer"

An Undivided Mind

2008-08-01T06:22:00.000-07:00

Psalm 86:11 is a Davidic prayer of lament and petition, probably better understood by missionaries today than by fat-cat Americans. But for the world we live in, spoiled as we are with amenities and all manner of materialism and attitude, this particular verse from this Psalm should hit us right between our jaded eyes.

11 Teach me Your way, LORD, and I will live by Your truth.
Give me an undivided mind to fear Your name.

Imagine if we had truly an undivided mind to fear His Name. Just imagine. No distractions from situations, conditions, misplaced importance on materialism, envy, deceit, gossip, anger, anxiety... no distractions from pain, whether we are the giver or receiver of it, past, present, and future.

My mom says she strives to keep her mind like a museum rather than an attic. She likes to think of honoring good memories and tossing out worthless junk; holding on to the things that uplift others and glorify God, and dismissing those that fail to.

We are spoiled, and that's an ugly word. Its one that bothers me when I hear adults refer to a child as "spoiled". What happens to food when it's spoiled? It becomes unedible; useless; worthless; even poison, and must be thrown out. It is adults more than children who are indeed spoiled to the point of being poison when our minds are divided and cease to fear His Name; spoiled from allowing division of the mind to worship creature comforts; spoiled in thinking that materialistic, outcome-based prayer honors the LORD.

About a year after the fire, when I had returned to work, I spent some time with a co-worker of mine. Bill is a paralegal here also, but his background is very different from mine. He came into this job after being let go from a university where he taught dead languages. He has a Ph.D. and was teaching ancient Hebrew, Greek, Latin. After answering several questions about translations of God's Word, he said to me, "I FEAR God! I truly fear Him! He IS Almighty!" Bill has a deeper understanding through studying original transcripts and cultures, and I figure he's someone who knows more than I do about the actual words of Christ as they were originally recorded and the accuracy of translation. He says when we really understand what the Scriptures say, we will fear God and we will know even deeper how much He loves us.

So even while we are spoiled, God offers us His Gift of Life through salvation through His Son. Contrary to new-age thought, there is only one way. And while we strive at times to have an undivided mind, we can be at peace when we have accepted the Gift of salvation: the Gift that pays (because we do not have it to pay) that makes up for the difference between being spoiled and being holy.

Our new airplane

2008-07-16T08:17:00.000-07:00

Here's our *new-to-us* Grumman Cheetah. Its a 150 hp airplane, 4 seats. I like the sliding canopy as opposed to doors and I love the more sporty feel of the Cheetah compared to the Cessnas I've flown. This airplane is fun to fly! We purchased it from someone in Phoenix and the airplane had been in his family since new. His parents purchased it but never finished their training. So the son used it to get his pilot license. He's finished with it now and was ready to part with it. He's an auto mechanic and so he has kept the airplane in impeccable condition and all the records are very neatly arranged in binders. The airplane is clean and comfortable.

First Aerobatic Contest

2008-07-16T05:06:00.000-07:00

Going to our first aerobatic contest back in May, Mike and I thought we were just going to watch. When we arrived in Giddings (TX), we learned that we could compete, using a Safety Pilot in the airplane if we wanted to. Debby Rihn-Harvey came in her national champion airplane, a CAP 232, and one of her flight school instructors brought a Decathlon, an aerobatic training airplane, for the competition. So most people were competing in Debby's Decathlon, using different Safety Pilots.

Mike flew in a Decathlon owned by Kevin Rullman, and I flew in Debby's Decathlon, with Jeff Stoltenberg, a surgeon from Brenham. Jeff and his wife, Lynne, are both aerobatic pilots - and you won't believe what Jeff did.... I'll tell you about it shortly.

In order to compete we had to join the International Aerobatic Club, and the local Houston Chapter, #25. Aw darn. :-)

This particular contest was called a "Two Design" contest, meaning that two different general aircraft design types could compete. One type was the Decathlon/Citabria/etc., and the other was Vans RV series and similar.

Then there were two levels of pilot skill competing that day (although there are higher levels); Primary (novice), and Sportsman (the next level up). Mike and I competed in the Primary class.

There was enough time in the day for each competitor to make two flights, and then the scores would be added together for a final. In Round One, I was in 5th place and Mike was in 6th. Round Two saw a flip-flop of that, as 4th and 5th. In the end, when the scores were totaled, I came out just 15 points ahead of Mike to finish 3rd place overall.

Debby Rihn-Harvey made us laugh when she came over to offer her congratulations and encouragement. She said, "You know, I finished third in my first contest too!" and then she turned to Mike and said, "Those darned women pilots!" with a huge grin on her face.

In aerobatic competitions such as these there is a box on the ground and you have to stay within the boundaries of that box. It's marked on the ground with bright orange markings at the corners and midpoints along the box. There are also altitude limits. We had to stay between 3,000'-5,000' or points would be deducted. (As a technical note, the FAA grants waivers for these aerobatic boxes to exist).

There are two types of routines, the Known and the Unknown. Pilots competing in the Primary category will only fly the Known routine. Unknown is for more advanced pilots. The Known routine is published by the IAC at the beginning of the year and is good for all year long. So you can practice, practice, practice to your little heart's content. The Unknown is handed out at a contest about 15 minutes before you go up to compete.

Still, neither Mike nor I had any opportunity to practice the Known routine because we didn't know we were going to compete until we got there that morning. Not bad for going up "cold".

So here's what we did flying the 2008 Known routine in the Primary category: take off and climb to about 4,000', come around lined up to enter the box, do a quick seatbelt check (we do a roll to check the seatbelts), rock the wings to let the three judges on the ground know we're ready, then get a short dive going to enter the box with some speed; aim for the center of the box and start the routine, which has six maneuvers.

The first maneuver is a simple 45-degree angle upward. Just shows the judges you can keep that attitude of the plane in a perfect 45-degree. Then put it in a stall, which goes into a spin. Nose down to the ground and do one complete turn in the spin and stop it exactly at the end of one turn. That's maneuver #2.

After breaking the spin, pull up and go into a half-cuban. Let's see, how do I describe that... okay, start a loop, so that you are pulling up, going upside down, then just as you reach a 45-degree angle coming back around you roll the airplane over right-side-up so that you're on a downward slope.

Then enter maneuver #4 immediately, which is a full loop, and when that's fully executed do a 180-degree turn with 60 degrees of bank. The final maneuver is a roll, and then exit the box.

You can see all these as a diagram, as well as the box, on our Chapter 25 website, http://www.geocities.com/rpetec/iac25/2008Knowns/sequences.htm
and you can see pictures from the Gulf Coast Regional Aerobatic Contest in Giddings at http://www.geocities.com/rpetec/iac25/Pictures/pictures.htm

Also, if you click on the "News and Results" page you'll see that my Safety Pilot, Jeff Stoltenburg, finished 2nd in the Primary RV contest. There were only two contenders. Remember I said I'd tell you more about that? This guy cracks me up. The Chapter was trying to get more RV pilots to join and compete so that's why they included that design category in the contest. Only one showed up, rather disappointing to the organizers. So Jeff decided hop in his G-200 (similar design) to give Luis, the lone RV pilot, some competition. However, he didn't want to win, so he did the entire routine backward and outside. Now that's a feat! Of course, he couldn't receive any points because that's not how the published routine goes, but the judges did give him 10 for overall performance, because it sure was a great show!

(Another technical note: "outside" means, for instance, when you do a loop, you, the pilot, are on the inside of the loop; he was outside, a whole different way to do that maneuver.)

So there you have it. I'm in one of the pictures, holding my little trophy with the two guys who placed first and second. Whomever wrote the captions accused me of being a "fierce competitor." Gee. Where'd they get that? ;-)

Do I have any readers left?

2008-07-12T23:26:00.001-07:00

Hoo-boy! I bet most of my early readers have moved on, since I don't post much these days! Not that there's nothing noteworthy going on, quite the opposite! Just get bizzzeeeee!

Let's see, I have to update yall so much.... expecting grandson #4 in late October;

Entered my first aerobatic competition --- and placed third! 13-time U.S. aerobatic champ, Debby Rihn-Harvey was the chief judge and had some very nice, encouraging words when I received my 3rd place trophy;

Entered my first air race too! .... the 2008 Air Race Classic. I think this was officially the 32nd annual ARC, but it began in 1929 as the first all-woman transcontinental air race. Eventually it earned the name "Powder Puff Derby", from Will Rogers, who called it that after seeing the racers powdering their noses just before starting their engines.... anyway, Amelia Earhart was one of the early racers and organizers. So this year I entered. These days a team of two pilots is required, and must have either an instrument rating or 500 hours minimum. I met a racer who was looking for a partner, named Caroline Baldwin, from Silver City, NM. This was her fifth race. This year's race began in Bozeman, MT and ended in Mansfield, MA, with six stops in between at Miles City, MT, Aberdeen, SD, Mason City, IA, Decatur, IL, Frankfort, KY, Franklin, PA, and on to the final stop in Mansfield. I am going to have to do a separate post on this air race because there's a lot to it - all the pre- and post-race banquets, festivites, seminars, and other activities, and all the cool stuff about air racing, how to do a timing line, etc. We finished 18th of 33 race teams, which isn't bad but isn't what I hoped for. But I learned a lot and had a blast. We didn't race our Cheetah, we raced Caroline's Cherokee 180.

Meanwhile, we've just finished our first year as columists in the Liberty Gazette, a local weekly newspaper which features our column usually on page three, "The View From Up Here." I know, it's a dorky title, but all I could come up with suddenly.

Oh - and the Fly-In! We held this BBQ benefit fly-in for a local family and boy oh boy was it a huge success! Now there's another post all to itself! Just briefly, there's this local family, he's a state trooper, and they have a toddler-aged girl, and then were expecting twins. Well the twins came very early. Faith and Hope. Faith did not survive and Hope weighed one pound at birth. She spent several months at the hospital and was finally discharged last month, and is doing well. But the family obviously had lots of expenses not covered by insurance. So we did this fund-raiser. We had Boy Scouts serving BBQ that was cooked by cook teams including three area fire departments. The Liberty County Sheriff was a HUGE help with everything. The local radio station broadcast from the airport and we had a live and silent auction with all kinds of cool stuff. Okay, I'll have to update more on that one.

I am slowly getting to work on my commercial pilot certificate. There's this darned thing called work that gets in the way.... but I noticed it pays for the flying addiction so.... until I can earn a living flying.... :-)

If you've made it to the end of this post, congratulations! Rusty's been bugging me to update my blog. I just tend to run out of time.

Oh - the book. This takes way longer than I ever thought it would. I keep thinking we're almost finished. I really think we are though. I have been working with a graphic designer for the cover. We've decided to use Jessie's picture as the cover - I love it. And we've changed the title to, "When We Move to Heaven: A family love story". Once the cover design is finished I can submit it all, along with the manuscript, to the publisher and they'll take 60-90 days. I have a website going up that will probably be ready before then. It will be www.whenwemovetoheaven.com. But don't look for it now, it's not up yet.

I sure miss Brother Jim. I wish I'd been there the moment he met my family.

Love to yall.

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

The Resurrection

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a vital part of the gospel message, for a dead Christ can save nobody (1 Cor. 15:1-19). The empty tomb is proof that He is the Son of God (Rom. 1:4); that believers have a future inheritance (1 Pet. 1:3ff.); that we will once again meet Christians who have died (1 Thess. 4:14-18); that our Christian ministry is not in vain (1 Cor. 15:50-58); and that Jesus Christ will one day judge lost sinners (Acts 17:30-31). The early church bore witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:22; 4:2, 33), and so should we today.

Wiersbe, W. W. (1997, c1991). With the word Bible commentary (Mt 28:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

At our church this morning we were treated to a very effective silent re-enactment of Jesus meeting the two on the road, after he had risen. This re-enactment took place at the sunrise service while we sat outside, facing the sunrise, watching it from a distance as the pastor read the story while standing on a bridge. It felt like I was an observer there for real.

Then later during the regular service we were again treated to some a very special service. Several of our fellow church members performed a drama (you can see it, or maybe already have seen it before on GodTube). There were several original things as well which were presented at the special service this morning, including a very moving video featuring several other members of the church holding a mallet and spikes, or a crown of thorns, or whip. They put together probably 50-75 shots of different people as each one would hold up their hand and see they had a mallet in their hand, or one of the other things, and then look upward silently. There was music behind that video too. Anyway, this was a very moving performance, so here's a sample as performed by another church:

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=ee73e63418003b47d7d5

Celebrating the conquering of sin and death is indeed a Happy occasion.

Austin

2008-02-26T10:37:00.000-08:00

Today I created a long line of traffic; Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars. I don't have as many cars as we used to, but the 19 I found embedded in the back seat of the Oldsmobile can make up a pretty good line of cars through the kitchen. You have to step over them if you want to go anywhere. That's the objective.

Eleven years ago at 12:08 pm Houston time, along the west-bound side of FM 1960 near Interstate 45, my precious baby boy was born in the front seat of Granny’s car-the Oldsmobile. He wouldn’t be here very long, but just long enough to leave some gifts of love. These sayings of his have brought many smiles to many faces, as have the thoughts of his wit and wisdom that often seemed way beyond his years. As you read these, if you remember others, please add them to the list and send them to me.

He said:

“The speed limit is five five, Mommy”

“Use your blinker, Mommy”

“Yayow” (yellow)

And "yight" (light) - Turn on the "yight". "I can say "L", I just don't yike to."

“Enger-gy bars”

“Shrum” (from)

“I’m MADE for the cold!”

Dinner prayers that ended, “Please bless this food so we can run real fast and jump real high.”

Mommy: “I love you all the way to God and back.”

Austin: “That’s too far because God is right here in my heart.”

On the way home from the steakhouse in Somerville: We had stopped off at Sonic for sweets Jessie had a chocolate shake and made the comment that she was cold and Austin's instant response was... "well you better turn that shake off"

We rode in the "all the way van," (and you have to say it with your arms stretched way out) so called because it was bigger than the "mall van" (small van).

He loved:

God and Jesus

His family

Family time

A little girl named Savannah

“doing fingers”

Riding bikes

Lining up Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars in a long line across the house

Eating meat

Donut holes from Shipley and watching the video of “The Donut Man,” a Christian children’s show;

Playing with Jessie

Cooking with Daddy

“Knock-down hugs”

The Taco Bell Dog

The Power Wheels riding toys he dubbed, "Vee-vo-wees"

A Jaci Velasquez song, "We can make a Difference," which he called the DoDo song because it starts out "do do do..." (hear the song at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQsr797-6_w)

Chocolate frozen mocha from Jitters, "Daddy's favorite coffee place"

Eating Tyson frozen chicken - frozen!

Wearing my work shoes

Reading the Bible Story Book

Blue’s Clues

Veggie Tales, singing the theme song and especially the end where they laugh, "Ha ha ha!"

Bob the Builder

Jay Jay the Jet Plane

Making things and drawing pictures for people

Jumping on the trampoline at Aunt Weba’s

Children’s bible school class and children’s choir

While playing hide and go seek, and couldn't find his sister… he resorted to tricking her:
"Jessie, Aunt Weba is here!!!"
He was successful in finding her because she came out to see her Aunt Weba

He never missed finding-and pointing out-a light bulb in need of changing, no matter where we were!

He didn't like bubble baths, or sand in his toes.

My niece, Misty, said:

Linda,

Just wanted to wish Austin a Happy Birthday!!

I am sure that the parties they have are much more then we can ever imagine throwing.

They (all of them) are missed by more people then we could count, and we will never even know. And because of them there are more believers.

From our friend, Richard:

Thank you for sharing with us a little bit of what this young man was like. Sharp young man. Just think how witty he will be when we see him again.

From my friend, Kathi:
Though I didn’t have the privilege of knowing him on this earth, I certainly feel that I have come to know him through the writing/editing of your book, and I SO look forward to meeting him face to face and sharing those “hundred sixty forty hundred ninety hundred sixty hundred hundred hundred nice days” with him!

From my friend, Marshall:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Too many times we forget little things that God uses to say “I love you!” This side of glory they may seem small, but in the light of eternity, they are gigantic!
Thank you for sharing some of your most precious memories and reminding me not to take for granted any moment with my “God-entrusted” children.
Blessed Birthday Austin! For you are now experiencing the sights, sounds, and touches our hearts long to know.

From my Sis, Diane:
I'll always remember his big eyes when he was a baby, and how he liked playing with the drinking straws at that eating place where the train brings the food to the table.

From our friend, Russ:
At this moment, Praise God, Austin and Jessie are fully developed as God's designed them to be. Our brother and sister in Christ. I look forward to soon seeing them with Mycol. They are in God's great family.

From our friend, Jean:

I remember a handsome young man who gave me the Veggie Tales characters on my birthday and insisted that I learn all their names… I did learn Junior’s name – because he is so like the loving, energetic, expressive, positive, and knowledgeable person that was Austin!
I mostly remember Austin and Jessie coming to the office on Timberway and always giving me the biggest hug - while catching me up on all the fun things that their DAD did with them while MOM was at work!
I know Austin is still doing all those fun things with JESUS
Every time I look over at the VEGGIE TALES group (in my office), I see Austin’s smile and hear him quizzing me on the names of each one of the VEGGIE TALES (I could never remember their names).
I’m saving my answers until I see him again; what a pleasure it will be to see the joy in his eyes as I rattle off the names!
Happy Birthday young man, I love you!

Mama Jean

And a special note to Austin:

Happy birthday, Austin Chad!
Your momma, Linda, sure loves you. She has shared your photo, your words, and a glimpse of your short life, here on earth, with us. And for that, we are deeply honored.
As I write this, I’m listening to a song about heaven and Jesus. How like God!
Please keep your momma in prayer as we move forward to share your family’s story with others who need to find the hope of Jesus in the pit of their pain.
Oh yeah, I got to hold your Matchbox U-haul truck. It is really cool!
Jesus loves you and so do those of us who know you through your Momma.
Love,
Ms. Jan

For the Birds!

2007-12-01T20:21:00.000-08:00

Click on this link and you'll see, this is just for the birds!

http://birdloversonly.blogspot.com/2007/09/may-i-have-this-dance.html

If you haven't seen the news yet...

2007-11-29T10:42:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to post this news! Our YouTube video made international aviation news today on AvWeb! After you click on this link below, scroll down to the section titled, "News from Around the Web" and you'll see "The New Grass Routes--YouTube Airport Videos" with a link to the video Mike and I put together.

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/1006-full.html#196662

Ironically, if you also take the time to read the very next news item below ours, "On The Fly" you'll see an article you can click on about J. Clarke McNeace. Funny, funny, funny that it just so happens that McNease - code name "Otter" - is the pilot I flew with at Fighter Combat and the one who appears in our video where you see me doing some aerobatics! Otter has been named the country's first Master Certified Flight Instructor for Aerobatics. How cool is that, that these two news items appear right together? :)

Here's the direct link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wMuNy08xQQ

What we need....

2007-11-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

...is more people like this!

"Cowboy Tours Country to Find Good News"

Read about rancher Bill Inman...

http://www.uncoveringamerica.com/the_journey

Jessie

2007-11-12T06:44:00.000-08:00

There are many blog-worthy things that have been going on, including a wedding and a few birthdays. I'm behind on posting lots of that.

But today is a special day. Today, if my family were all together here on the earth we would be celebrating Jessie's 9th birthday. It is the first birthday of any of them that makes more birthdays we are separated than those I got to spend with them.

Today I spent more time on my knees than I have in awhile. Then I opened my bible...to 1Kings, and that triggered my memory about a time when Israel had no king... as told in the Book of Judges.... and one of those Judges, Deborah.... Jessie. So I read Judges 4-5 again, thinking of how I used to say to Mycol, "We should have named her Deborah!" Her confidence in the Lord has always reminded me of Deborah. I had asked God to give me strength for today. Judges 5 ends with
"So may all your enemies perish, O LORD!
But may they who love you be like the sun
when it rises in its strength."
Then the land had peace forty years.

Deborah was a strong leader. So was Jess. She couldn't pronounce the letter "L" but she was proud to be in the "Yord's Army."

I had something special I wanted to do today. About two years ago I signed up to sponsor two children through Compassion International. I requested a boy born in 1997 and a girl born in 1998. Yonas and Sisay are from different families, and live in different cities, but are both from Ethiopia. For the past two years they have written me letters, about quarterly I'd say. I was comfortable with sending money, heck, its even automatically deducted from my checking account so I really don't have to do anything! But the letters, well that was harder for me. So they have been going from the mailbox to the filing cabinet, unopened.

A couple of months ago Compassion sent out postcards that said, "It only takes a moment to write your child. Won't you please?" Crash. The conviction! How selfish of me to let that pain keep me from answering these little children who have taken the time to write me for the past two years! What have they been saying to me that I have ignored because it hurt too much?

I opened a letter from each of them and wrote back a generic but encouraging letter that Jesus loves them and I am glad they are going to church. It was the best I could do. Then I put that idea back in the cabinet again. Until last week.

Another letter came from Yonas. This time I opened up it within only days of receiving it. He talked about the Ethiopian Millenium Celebration they had and how tourists are coming from everywhere to celebrate. He wrote that one of the things they have been doing in their town to prepare is planting trees. Yep, planting trees....my mind went immediately to this past February when Mike planted the trees which grew from the seeds my kids had collected and given to our neighbor, who kept them until I was ready. Then Yonas asked, "Have you ever planted trees?" It hurt so much, yet I knew I had to start writing "my children".

So since it was only a week until Jessie's birthday, I decided that would be the special thing I would reserve in honor of my baby girl. I would write real heart-felt letters, more than just generic. I would tell them more about me and acknowledge all the things they've told me. I would thank them for the little drawings they do at the end of their letters. I opened up every letter that had been sitting in the filing cabinet and read each one. I read about Sisay's sister who passed away and that her mother is very sick. I read about the flood last year in Yonas's region that killed many people and animals and destroyed many homes. I read about what they like to do, run, play soccer. I read about what they like in school and how they help their parent(s) at home. And then I sat down and wrote. They had asked me for a picture so I sent them a picture of me with the grandsons. I acknowledged Sisay's pain in missing her sister and concern for her mother. Her mother had known nothing about prayer until Compassion came to the village. Now Sisay and her family pray together. How could I not respond?

I had told Mike last night that I was going to want some time alone to do something special, so he stayed busy on his computer while I was back in the bedroom praying, reading Judges, reading letters, and writing. Then when I finally emerged, I shared it all with him. He wept with me, and shared about his Compassion child in Indonesia, the third one now, as two previous had moved out of the service areas. He told me about how his heart aches for one of the ones who had moved because he moved to an area where the Tsunami hit. He's been a sponsor for about 12-13 years.

After we talked and I had shared all the stuff with him, I said, "Well I know I can't really mail these letters today because there's no mail service, but I wanted to write them today." His teary-eyed response came from that big heart I love so much - "But we can still go to the Post Office and put them in the mail today."

And so, that is today. I ask for the strength of the rising sun, in the hope that I will glorify God and honor my family.

Jessie's confidence in God is inspiring and convicting. So in honor of our baby girl,

(NIV)
Judges 4

Deborah

1 After Ehud died, the Israelites once again did evil in the eyes of the LORD. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin, a king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.

4 Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading ^[a] Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, "The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: 'Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.' "

8 Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go."

9 "Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, ^[b] the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman." So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh, 10 where he summoned Zebulun and Naphtali. Ten thousand men followed him, and Deborah also went with him.

11 Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses' brother-in-law, ^[c] and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.

12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 Sisera gathered together his nine hundred iron chariots and all the men with him, from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River.

14 Then Deborah said to Barak, "Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?" So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men. 15 At Barak's advance, the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot. 16 But Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim. All the troops of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left.

17 Sisera, however, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there were friendly relations between Jabin king of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite.

18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, "Come, my Lord , come right in. Don't be afraid." So he entered her tent, and she put a covering over him.

19 "I'm thirsty," he said. "Please give me some water." She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up.

20 "Stand in the doorway of the tent," he told her. "If someone comes by and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say 'No.' "

21 But Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.

22 Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. "Come," she said, "I will show you the man you're looking for." So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple-dead.

23 On that day God subdued Jabin, the Canaanite king, before the Israelites. 24 And the hand of the Israelites grew stronger and stronger against Jabin, the Canaanite king, until they destroyed him.

Judges 5

The Song of Deborah

1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:

2 "When the princes in Israel take the lead,
when the people willingly offer themselves—
praise the LORD!

3 "Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
I will sing to ^[d] the LORD, I will sing;
I will make music to ^[e] the LORD, the God of Israel.

4 "O LORD, when you went out from Seir,
when you marched from the land of Edom,
the earth shook, the heavens poured,
the clouds poured down water.

5 The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai,
before the LORD, the God of Israel.

6 "In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
in the days of Jael, the roads were abandoned;
travelers took to winding paths.

7 Village life ^[f] in Israel ceased,
ceased until I, ^[g] Deborah, arose,
arose a mother in Israel.

8 When they chose new gods,
war came to the city gates,
and not a shield or spear was seen
among forty thousand in Israel.

9 My heart is with Israel's princes,
with the willing volunteers among the people.
Praise the LORD!

10 "You who ride on white donkeys,
sitting on your saddle blankets,
and you who walk along the road,
consider 11 the voice of the singers ^[h] at the watering places.
They recite the righteous acts of the LORD,
the righteous acts of his warriors ^[i] in Israel.
"Then the people of the LORD
went down to the city gates.

12 'Wake up, wake up, Deborah!
Wake up, wake up, break out in song!
Arise, O Barak!
Take captive your captives, O son of Abinoam.'

13 "Then the men who were left
came down to the nobles;
the people of the LORD
came to me with the mighty.

14 Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek;
Benjamin was with the people who followed you.
From Makir captains came down,
from Zebulun those who bear a commander's staff.

15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah;
yes, Issachar was with Barak,
rushing after him into the valley.
In the districts of Reuben
there was much searching of heart.

16 Why did you stay among the campfires ^[j]
to hear the whistling for the flocks?
In the districts of Reuben
there was much searching of heart.

17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan.
And Dan, why did he linger by the ships?
Asher remained on the coast
and stayed in his coves.

18 The people of Zebulun risked their very lives;
so did Naphtali on the heights of the field.

19 "Kings came, they fought;
the kings of Canaan fought
at Taanach by the waters of Megiddo,
but they carried off no silver, no plunder.

20 From the heavens the stars fought,
from their courses they fought against Sisera.

21 The river Kishon swept them away,
the age-old river, the river Kishon.
March on, my soul; be strong!

22 Then thundered the horses' hoofs—
galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.

23 'Curse Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD.
'Curse its people bitterly,
because they did not come to help the LORD,
to help the LORD against the mighty.'

24 "Most blessed of women be Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite,
most blessed of tent-dwelling women.

25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk;
in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.

26 Her hand reached for the tent peg,
her right hand for the workman's hammer.
She struck Sisera, she crushed his head,
she shattered and pierced his temple.

27 At her feet he sank,
he fell; there he lay.
At her feet he sank, he fell;
where he sank, there he fell-dead.

28 "Through the window peered Sisera's mother;
behind the lattice she cried out,
'Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?'

29 The wisest of her ladies answer her;
indeed, she keeps saying to herself,

30 'Are they not finding and dividing the spoils:
a girl or two for each man,
colorful garments as plunder for Sisera,
colorful garments embroidered,
highly embroidered garments for my neck—
all this as plunder?'

31 "So may all your enemies perish, O LORD!
But may they who love you be like the sun
when it rises in its strength."
Then the land had peace forty years.

One Hero

2007-10-17T06:44:00.000-07:00

My last post was about two heroes. Today is Wednesday, October 17, and Chief Warrant Officer Kevin Purtee will be the Grand Marshall, riding with the Clydesdales in the opening day parade for the 99th Annual Trinity Valley Expo, the largest single day event in this area. Yesterday Liberty, Texas, the United States, buried another heroic son.

Monday, October 15, as the motorcade crossed the line into the City of Liberty, KSHN radio owner Bill Buchanan quietly declared, "Marine Lance Corporal Jeremy Burris is home."

Mike and I were along the side of the street with flags where the motorcade carrying Jeremy's body and his family came in to town Monday afternoon. The Governor ordered all flags in Liberty County at half-mast and the mayors of Dayton and Liberty asked citizens to line the streets to honor Jeremy and to show his family the respect. The local radio station was broadcasting their progress as they made their way from Bush Intercontinental Airport to Liberty so everyone would know when they were near. The streets were lined with people and flags for miles. Even the radio guys couldn't keep from choking up and had a lot of trouble just being able to talk.

The motorcade went past the elementary school, where the children were all outside at the curb, among all the flags. After it passed us we walked a couple of blocks up to be at the funeral home and witnessed the family's arrival, the salutes of the Patriot Guard Riders, the Honor Guard, men from the VFW, our local police department, and many others. All watched silently, reverently as they removed the casket from the hearse and took it in, Jeremy's family following.

Soon the family was all inside and the crowd began to disperse, quietly. While the visitation this evening was open to anyone, I was not sure about whether I felt right about going. I don't know this family personally, yet Jeremy didn't know me either, and that didn't stop him from serving on my behalf, and paying the ultimate sacrifice - for me.

Mike and I were discussing going to the family visitation when Lynna, my sis in law, called. Lynna and Mike and I had plans to take Granny out for her birthday dinner this evening. But Granny and Grumps were planning to attend the visitation for the Burris family and would meet us afterward.

But they live about 45 miles from here in another town. How did they know the Burris family? Opry. It's big here. Liberty has an Opry on the professional scale of any of the best in the country - professional Opry singers perform here every Saturday night. My in-laws love Opry and go often. Jeremy Burris's mother's family founded the Liberty Opry. Jeremy's mother, Carla, still performs there often. In fact, several of her children have sung there and Jeremy was there on his last leave.

Although visitation was open to the public, knowing that Granny and Grumps would be there made it easier for me to go - just to thank them, even though they didn't know me. I remember how good it felt to me that total strangers took the time to come and see me after the fire. So why was I letting my self get ensnared in this "maybe-I-shouldn't-go-because-they-don't-know-me" garbage?! No, that kind of thinking was ridiculous. Their son served our country and it cost him his life. The least I could do was go and thank them.

Mike and I met Granny and Grumps at the funeral home and as we were standing in line to offer condolences Granny took my hand and said, "You do know that Carla came to our memorial service, don't you?"

No.... wow... I didn't know that.

In fact, as it turns out, Carla not only came to our family's memorial service, she also sang a song dedicated to Mycol and the kids in the next Opry, broadcast on the radio. That was January, 2003 and I was just now finding out about it.

When we got up to the family Granny introduced Mike and me and I had a chance to thank them, first for their son and for the sacrifice, and then for being there when I was in the place they are now. I was so glad we went.

**************

Yesterday, we attended Jeremy's funeral and burial as well. What a deeply committed Christian man he was. During the service the pastor referred to the thousands of citizens, many who did not know Jeremy or his family, who came out to pay tribute to a hero, to a son, a brother, and said, "This is America! It's not what you see in Hollywood - no! This is America!"

He went on to read an email from Jeremy's commanding officer to Jeremy's father, Brent Burris. The message conveyed a deep respect and described the difference in Jeremy - his witness, his passion for righteousness and for everything he does. Then he read Mr. Burris's response.

Jeremy's father wrote to this commanding officer that Jeremy had always wanted to be a Marine. When he was about eleven he wanted to fly a Harrier, but now that he drove a five-ton vehicle that was just fine - he loved what he was doing. The versatility and impressiveness of a Harrier is no comparison now to being swept up in the arms of Jesus. And even if he'd flown a fighter jet, the thrill of landing on a carrier could never compare to the moment Jeremy's feet landed on the golden streets of Heaven. Mr. Burris urged the officer and Jeremy's fellow soldiers to examine their lives, and to make a decision to follow Christ.

When the time came for the family to take Jeremy's body to the cemetary the route took the procession back through town, past the middle school and high school. Again, the streets were lined with people and flags. Liberty High School students stood holding a huge flag that spanned the width of the street and a sign that read, "LHS Honors Marine Lance Corporal Jeremy W. Burris." Another sign read, "Thank you Jeremy for your sacrifice." Fire trucks from seven different towns joined the motorcade. Huge cranes were extended, holding flags at two different intersections. Businesses closed, school children came out, people stood in reverence as the hearse and the family passed on their way to the cemetary.

Full military honors, the 21-gun salute, presentation of the flag to Jeremy's father with salute, orders read in military style by a Marine to award the Purple Heart handed to Jeremy's mother, presentations by a mothers of war group and the Patriot Guard Riders were followed by a dove release and then release of red, white and blue balloons.

Hundreds of people waited in line to give one more word of condolence and encouragement to Jeremy's brothers and sisters and to Mr. and Mrs. Burris. This was something the family could have kept private but they didn't. They chose instead to allow the entire community, and beyond, to come and grieve with them, to show support for them and appreciation for Jeremy's sacrifice. They could have demanded privacy, but they didn't. They knew how imporant this was to the community. Deeply saddened by the facts, I am most certainly not alone in my gratitude for the opportunity to show appreciation and support.

Two Heroes

2007-10-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

Remember hearing a few months ago about the two helicopter pilots who rescued an injured soldier in Iraq? One of those pilots was from here - Liberty's neighboring town of Dayton, Texas.

Kevin Purtee has been honored many times since, including a declaration of a special day in his honor about a month or so ago. A couple of weeks ago there was a dedication of the flag and memorial to all U.S. Vets which was built at an intersection in Dayton. As part of the dedication ceremony, Kevin Purtee flew an Apache over the ceremony. This week he'll be the official Grand Marshall of the Trinity Valley Expo, along with the Clydesdales - a big deal in a small town.

Apache pilots save critically-wounded Soldier with unorthodox evacuation
By Staff Sgt. Lorin T. Smith36th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs

Chief Warrant Officer-4 Kevin Purtee (left) and Chief Warrant Officer-2 Allen Crist, Company B, 1st Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment (Attack), man the AH-64 helicopter they used to help save the life of a critically wounded Soldier. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Randall Stillinger)

LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, Iraq (7/24/2007) – Two pilots from Company B, 1st Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment (Attack), 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, risked their lives in an unorthodox casualty evacuation to transport a critically-wounded Soldier in an AH-64A helicopter during a firefight in Ramadi, Iraq, June 30.

Chief Warrant Officer-4 Kevin Purtee and Chief Warrant Officer-2 Allen Crist, two Apache helicopter aviators flying their last combat mission, are credited with assuring a Soldier of Company A, 1st Battalion, 77th Armor, of prompt medical care by their actions. The Soldier had been shot in the face and the arm, and needed to be evacuated from a raging battle near Donkey Island in Ramadi.

The pilots learned that more than 40 minutes had elapsed since the ground unit had called for the medical evacuation aircraft to transport wounded Soldiers to the hospital at Camp Ar Ramadi. Chief Purtee, from Houston, Texas, was the pilot, which is commonly referred to as the "back-seater. " Chief Crist, from Warrensburg, Mo., was the copilot/gunner, or "front-seater. " Chief Purtee asked Chief Crist if he felt comfortable giving up his seat for the critically-wounded Soldier for the quick flight back to the camp.

"Absolutely, " Chief Crist emphatically answered. Chief Purtee made the decision that to save the Soldier’s life, Chief Crist would fly on the wing of the aircraft on the way to the hospital.

Chief Crist and three other infantrymen lifted the wounded Soldier up into the Apache’s front seat. Chief Crist strapped him in.

"He was bandaged up, and blood was all over him," Chief Crist recalled.

Chief Crist then went to the left side of the aircraft and ran a tether to the aircraft and hooked it on his air warrior vest. He sat on the small wing of the Apache and placed his feet on a narrow walkway lining the fuselage. He knocked on the window to let Chief Purtee know that he was in position and ready for the flight.

Chief Purtee said that he felt more nervous than Chief Crist did during the flight.

"I had my copilot strapped to the side of the aircraft and a critically-wounded Soldier in the front seat, and we were leaving a very dangerous area," Chief Purtee said. "It wasn’t a long flight, but it felt like it took forever."

Chief Crist said flying outside the aircraft was similar to "sitting in the back of a truck going down the highway." The flight to Camp Ar Ramadi lasted just a few minutes. They reached the medical pad, and Chief Crist stayed with the wounded Soldier while medical personnel waited for the ambulance to move him to the hospital.

"I eventually had to get a guy at the pad to talk to him," Chief Crist recounted. "I knew we were going to go back out [to the battle in Ramadi], and I wanted to keep my head right."
Once the wounded Soldier had been safely removed from of the aircraft, the pilots climbed back in and flew back to the battle.

The next day, the crew found out that the Soldier had been moved to the hospital at LSA Anaconda, and they decided to visit him. His jaw had been wired shut, but medical staff gave him a pad to write on.

"Thank you," he wrote. "Sorry for messing up your helicopter."

The pilots learned the Soldier wanted to be a helicopter pilot and was planning to take the aviator test in a couple of weeks.

"We did a little recruiting to get him to join the Texas Army National Guard," Chief Purtee said. They gave him a Company B flight patch and took some photos.

Having a wounded Soldier in the cockpit while the copilot rides on the outside of the aircraft is unorthodox, but Chief Purtee said he would rather do that than watch another Soldier on the ground die.

"We have seen the tragedy of watching Soldiers on the ground waiting for MEDEVAC," Chief Purtee said. "There is no more hopeless feeling than watching the guys who need help not get it, and I’m tired of that, and that’s why we made our choice to go in and do what we did."

The two pilots said they didn’t see themselves as heroes. They said the real hero in this story was the Soldier who was shot while engaging the enemy.

************
Our Second Hero

Last Sunday afternoon in Iraq 22-year old Marine Lance Corporal Jeremy Burris rescued two of his buddies who had been hit by roadside bombs. He got them both to the Medevac helicopter and returned to his vehicle to retrieve some tools when he stepped on another IED they had not seen. He died instantly.

Jeremy is one of seven children, all homeschooled here in Liberty. A brother and a sister are also in the military - Army and Navy.

Arrangements have not been made yet because the family does not yet know when Jeremy's body will be returned to Liberty, but I bet when he is returned the streets will be lined with patriotic, thankful, heartbroken people, to bring him home.

Blast Kills Marine from Liberty
By: Paul S. Martinez, The Enterprise
10/10/2007

Lance Cpl. Jeremy W. Burris, 22, helped injured U.S. Marines out of a vehicle hit by an explosion, then fell victim to a second bomb.

The 10th area soldier to die in Iraq was described as man of great faith who always "lived what he talked."U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jeremy W. Burris, 22, of Liberty was killed in Iraq Monday, according to a Department of Defense news release. Burris was driving a patrol vehicle, accompanied by two other Marines, when they hit an explosive device hidden in the road. Burris was not injured as seriously in the initial blast, and he helped get the wounded Marines out of the damaged vehicle. Burris returned to the disabled vehicle to retrieve some equipment and detonated a second hidden explosive, killing him instantly, according to his father, Brent Burris.The incident occurred near the city of Al Qaim in the Al Anbar province of Iraq, near the Syrian border. Brent Burris said the military has not told him when the body will return to Southeast Texas, and no funeral arrangements have been made.His son was fulfilling a longtime desire to be a Marine, Brent Burris said.Jeremy Burris - the oldest of seven children, four brothers and two sisters - had lived in Liberty since the age of 12.He proclaimed on his MySpace page: "Born and raised in Texas and proud of it." Burris attended Cornerstone Church, a non-denominational church in Liberty. Cornerstone Church pastor Mike Glazener said Burris was a leader who influenced others."He was a precious young man who touched many lives," the pastor said.

Jeremy Burris enjoyed playing guitar and singing, he said on his MySpace page.He led the praise and worship sessions for the youth group at Cornerstone Church, and was one of the guitar players during the main services, Glazener said.Burris was homeschooled in Liberty. When he finished school, he went to Tacoma, Wash., to participate in a Christian discipleship program called "The Core."

He stayed in Washington state for almost two years before enlisting in the Marine Corps about 1½ years ago.Burris' MySpace page blog has a Sept. 7 entry titled "The Desert."In it, he writes about remaining strong in his faith in an environment not necessarily conducive to Christian morals - a U.S. Marine Corps unit in a war zone."When you're surrounded by aggressive, outgoing people it's hard to be bold, but I've never been ashamed of my faith," he stated in the blog."I don't go around preaching, but my faith comes out in the way I act and talk every day and everyone knows where I stand. In fact, my nickname around here is 'Jesus.' I'm kinda proud of that!"

Updated 10/09/2007 11:22:06 PM CDT
©The Beaumont Enterprise 2007

The Fitting Room

2007-10-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

Their newborn baby girl was tinier than the others. Her parents prayed for her as she struggled to survive, in spite of the doctors' grim diagnosis - a 50-50 chance they would get to take her home from the hospital.

But tiny little Allison had lots of fight in her. And slowly she grew, although not the same as other boys and girls. Frequent trips to the children's hospital, battling a myriad of disorders and diseases, Allison's strength grew from her determination.

Suppose a person faced with such trials could go either way; the way of bitterness, denying our Creator, or total faith. Allison chose faith.

Her small size - four feet in height, but shorter because of a humped back - wouldn't steal her spirit, her tenacity, her bright and cheerful light. Neither would all of the physical ailments that continued to send her back to the hospital frequently.

She was hired by a retail store to work in the fitting room, where she continued to spread her contagious joy. The fitting room - the place where Allison would help customers find just the right fit, the right look, the right attire suited uniquely to them. The fitting room - where people came to try on clothes, willing to sacrifice hard earned money for the perfect thing to wear.

Heading up fund drives for the Children's Miracle Network and the local children's hospital, Allison raised awareness and money and told everyone of the wonderful work being done to help people like her. She also told everyone of how God loved her, and He loved them too.

The job in the fitting room led to meeting a David, a co-worker, a wonderfully loving man who soon took Allison's hand in marriage, through sickness and in health.

By their fifth year of marriage the times of sickness began to be more than the times of health until one day Allison suffered a stroke and major heart attack at once. She had already had a heart transplant and had conquered so many previous bouts with various diseases, but this time would be different.

At the age of 31, Allison made her move to Heaven.

Her family grieves at the parting but Allison has gone on to the Fitting Room; the Heavenly Fitting Room, that is. Jesus has placed a crown on her - a perfectly fitted crown, just the right size, shape, and color, uniquely suited to her. The crown fits because she was willing to wear the faith.

It's Not In The Book!

2007-09-26T05:37:00.000-07:00

Friends:

My mom read the following in a book called "Heaven" and shared it with me... I thought it was worth passing along.

It's Not in the Book!
by Ruthanna Metzgar

As a professional singer, it was not unusual to be asked to sing for a wedding, but it was a bit unusual to sing for the wedding of a millionaire. I knew the wedding would be picture-perfect and was pleased to be able to participate, but when the invitation to the reception arrived I knew it would be something exceptional.

The reception was held on the top two floors of Seattle's Columbia Tower, the Northwest's tallest skyscraper, and it was even more wonderful than I imagined. There were waiters wearing snappy black tuxedos who offered luscious hor d'oeuvres and exotic beverages for the most discriminating tastes. The atmosphere was one of grace and sophistication.

After about an hour of merriment the bride and groom approached a beautiful glass and brass staircase that led to the top floor. A satin ribbon, which was draped across the bottom of the stairs, was cut and the announcement made that the wedding feast was about to begin. The bride and groom ascended the stairs and the guests followed. What a lavish event of which to be a part.

A gentleman with a lovely bound book greeted us as we reached the top of the stairs. "May I have your name please?" "I am Ruthanna Metzgar and this is my husband, Roy Metzgar," I replied. The gentleman searched the Ms. "I'm not finding it. Would you spell it please?" I spelled it slowly and clearly. After searching throughout the book the gentleman looked up and said, "I'm sorry, but your name is not here. Without your name in this book you cannot attend this banquet." "Oh, there must be some mistake," I replied. "I am the singer. I sang for this wedding!" The gentleman calmly answered, "It doesn't matter who you are or what you did, without your name in the book you cannot attend this banquet." As I looked around the room I thought briefly of running to the groom and trying to plead my case, but with a hundred guests on the stairs behind us and every place at the tables assigned according to the thoughtful choices of the bride and groom, I stood silent.

The gentleman with the book motioned to a waiter and said, "Show these people to the service elevator please." We followed the waiter past beautifully decorated tables laden with shrimp, whole smoked salmon, even gracefully carved ice sculptures. And adjacent to the banquet area was an orchestra, its members all dressed in dazzling white tuxedos, preparing to fill the room with glorious music.

We were led to the service elevator, stepped in, and the waiter himself pushed "G" for garage. My husband, thoughtfully, did not say a word, nor did I. As Roy drove out of the Columbia Tower garage, we both remained silent. After driving several miles in silence, Roy reached over and gently put his hand on my arm. "Sweetheart, what happened?"

And then I remembered: "When the invitation arrived for the reception I was very busy and I never bothered to return the RSVP. Besides, I was the singer, surely I could go to the reception without returning the RSVP!"

As we drove on I began to weep. I was not weeping because I had just missed the most lavish banquet of my life, but I was weeping because suddenly I knew what it will be like someday for people as they stand before the entrance of heaven: People who were too busy to respond to Christ's invitation to His heavenly banquet. People who assumed that the good things they had done, even perfect church attendance or singing in the choir, would be enough to gain entry to heaven. People who will look for their name in the Book, in the Lamb's Book of Life and not find it there. People who did not have time to respond to Christ's gracious invitation to have their sins forgiven and accept Him into their hearts.

And then I wept again because I was so grateful that I had, many years earlier, received Christ as my personal Savior and can be confident that my name is written in the most important book of all: The Lamb's Book of Life. Is Yours?

(Copyright Ruthanna Metzgar, excerpted in Heaven, by Randy Alcorn.)

ICAS Scholarship

2007-09-07T18:15:00.000-07:00

The following is posted on the website of the International Council of Air Shows Foundation:

"Jan was an outstanding aerobatic pilot. She flew an aggressive and energetic program, including multiple snap rolls, lomcevaks, torque rolls and knife edge spins. In addition to performing, Jan won many aerobatic competitive titles, including the 1992 US National Sportsman Champion, International Aerobatic Club Sportsman Champion, Illinois State Sportsman Champion, and the 1992 L. Paul Soucy Award.

"Jan died May 9, 1995 from injuries sustained in an aircraft accident. Jan was not only a respected aerobatic pilot, she was loved for her sparkling, energetic personality, her passion for flying, and her willingness to share her knowledge with others.

"The Jan Jones Memorial Scholarship has been made possible through an endowment from Jan's parents, William and Mary Jones and other generous donors. The scholarship provides a grant to be applied towards aerobatic training. The recipient must be a female, hold a private pilot's license, and write a short essay on why she wants to learn aerobatics. The recipient is selected by a panel of female aerobatic pilots, and announced at the International Council of Air Shows Annual Convention, held every December."

I am humbled and honored to announce that the ICAS has chosen me as the recipient of the Jan Jones Memorial Scholarship this year. Thank you, ICAS Board and Mr. and Mrs. Jones.

Dr. Jimmie Clemmons

2007-08-22T13:15:00.000-07:00

Brother Jim moved to heaven on Tuesday morning, August 21.

http://www.northmainbc.org/

I look forward to seeing him again.

From the book of Philemon, these verses speak well of Brother Jim and his life message to us all.

Brother Jim: 4I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.

Brother Jim's Life message to us: 6I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.

To Brother Jim: 7Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

Bruno Walter

2007-08-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

Internationally renowned conductor and composer, Bruno Walter, made his way to the stage of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It was 1953, and this German-born icon of music, an expert on Brahms, had fled Germany and eventually Europe in the 1930’s, dropping his Jewish family name of Schlesinger when the anti-Semitic climate became dangerous.

Some 200 young men and women, students at the Northwestern University School of Music, watched in awe of their leader as he approached. Inside the mind of each college music student swirled notions of the accomplishments of the great conductor who had begun his musical education at the Stern Conservatory in Berlin in 1884, making his first concert appearance at the age of nine. Some had read of his leaving Germany in 1933, when the Nazi party boycotted his musical appointments, affecting his return to the Vienna Opera in Austria. They had heard of the harsh conditions for Jews in Europe at that time, and that Walter soon had to leave Austria for France, and then to the United States, which became his eventual permanent home. They thought about how Bruno Walter and many, many more were very fortunate to be able to get out of Europe just before World War II broke out in full.

Some of them were thinking of his many highly acclaimed recordings of other great Germanic composers, such as Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Johann Strauss Jr., Anton Bruckner, Bach, Wagner, Schumann, Dvorak, Richard Strauss, Tchaikovsky, and Smetana. Others were envisioning the great conductor in the famous opera houses of Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin, Vienna, Munich, Moscow, Milano, Salzberg, and later in Philadelphia, Boston, and New York’s Carnegie Hall and Metropolitan Opera House. And now here he was, in Chicago!

Excitement, respect, and anticipation engulfed the members of Northwestern University’s Glee Club. They had been invited to sing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a concert of Brahms Requiem, conducted by Bruno Walter. Four accomplished soloists from the Chicago Symphony would provide the lead voices while those chosen from among the most proficient music majors, admitted to the club by the Dean of Music after successful audition, would provide the chorus.

They had studied and rehearsed extensively at the university until they knew the piece well – it was a very long one, close to an hour in length. A requiem is a funeral piece with different movements and different emotions. After many rehearsals at the university, the Glee Club was granted one rehearsal with a staff conductor at Orchestra Hall. They would not see the famous conductor until the day of the performance. In his 70’s then, he did nothing but Brahms concerts, as there existed such a demand for his exquisite interpretation of Brahms. Imagine what must have been going through their heads as they were about to sing under the direction of the greatest living conductor of Brahms.

One member of the Glee Club, who had herself been singing publicly since the age of eight, remembers vividly the experience which left an indelible mark on her.

“The best part of the orchestra performance was had from the other side because to watch the face of the conductor as he extracts the performance from the participants is to witness rare, romantic art. As the emotions of the different movements arrived, his manner totally changed as he coaxed the music out of the various sections of chorus and orchestra. He never looked at the score, although it was in front of him, but he knew that music so well. When there was a part of great force and strength, his fists showed the emotion, his arms in jerky movements of strength; then the music would become emotionally sweet, and he just looked like he was going to cry. He stretched out his arms in a pleading manner, pleading the music out, and you went into a zone, another place, because it was like personal communication with each person – he made eye contact. When it was your turn to produce a tone that contributes to the whole, you felt with his eye contact that he was saying, ‘This is your time to produce what you came to contribute.’ You couldn’t be part of that and not feel it. His body language and hand movements were so expressive: loud, slow, fast, calm, exciting, hand and finger movements and positions. All the emotional ingredients are in the music and his facial expressions and arms and hands made them clear. You knew the note, you knew the word, he was after that something underneath it and he could pull it right out of you. He manufactured the performance from a lot of moving parts. I was thrilled to be one of those moving parts of his finished product.”

I thought that was a great description, so I asked her for more.

She answered, “When you see the back of the conductor, it’s not the same. It’s a transporting experience when you’re on the other side. When a person gets a chance to be around someone who excels in their field, there is just a special aura about them. I just know the one time I had the chance to sing under the direction of such a great conductor, it was absolutely magnificent. He’s not a mayor or president, just a man who loved Brahms, and did it very well.”

Thanks, Mom, for that wonderful description of your experience.

I copied some comments from a couple of other websites. You can see pictures of Walter if you click on these sites.

“Bruno Walter was a distinguished conductor of music from the classical period, and his recorded performances of Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven are well loved. He revived the long neglected operas of Mozart and attracted worldwide attention for his careful handling of the operas by Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi. His performances had technical accuracy, controlled balance and inner details, expressive phrasing, rhetorical emphasis, and contrasting power and lyricism. Walter was renowned as an interpreter of the German and Austrian classics. His conducting is often distinguished by a Viennese-like warmth and humanity which he extracted from his orchestra. His conducting reputation soared as he was invited to conduct throughout Europe, in Prague, London and in Rome. His star continued to rise after he conducted a series of "Bruno Walter Concerts" with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. While conductor of the Gewandhaus Concerts in Leipzig, he was forced by the Nazis to leave Germany.” http://www.maurice-abravanel.com/walter.html

Wikipedia says, “Walter was a leading conductor of opera … of great interest are recordings from the 1950s of his rehearsals of Mozart, Mahler, and Brahms, which give insight into his musical priorities and into the warm and non-tyrannical manner (as contrasted with some of his colleagues) with which he related to orchestras.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Walter /Bruno_Walter

Latest News

2007-07-30T07:24:00.001-07:00

This blog has been quiet lately. Not that there aren't stories to post, just precious little time to write and publish them.

We recently visited Mike's mother in Salem, Oregon, to celebrate her 80th birthday. Lots of friends, family, and neighbors were on hand to partake in the festivities. All of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, except for two who couldn't make the distance, were there, and the house and yard were filled and overflowing with guests.

We stayed the weekend with a cousin who has a 4,000 grass farm. We took loads of pictures so when I get a chance I'll post a few things.

We've also been busy working with the Liberty Airport Advisory Committee on the status and future of our local airport, and also now write a weekly column for the Liberty Gazette, called, "The View from Up Here". We share fun and adventurous stories from our own experiences as well as interviews with local pilots. We've been having a lot of fun with that, but nothing is as important as the message of salvation, which really is the only thing that offers any permanance.

On that note, the book, "The Courier" is still in negotiations with a publisher. The finished product is in God's timing. "The Courier" brings the message of salvation in a very personal way. I'm not a really patient person, but I'm not the one in charge.

From one of my favorite eSubscriptions, CyberSalt, comes this:

Today's CleanLaugh - "Tournament Weather"

Our pastor, an avid golfer, was once taking part in a local tournament. As he was preparing to tee off, the organizer of the tournament approached him and pointed to the dark, threatening storm clouds which were gathering.
"Preacher," the organizer said, "I trust you'll see to it that the weather won't turn bad on us."
Our pastor shook his head. "Sorry," he replied. "I'm sales, not management!

Happy Fourth!

2007-07-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

I arrived at the Liberty city park at 7:30, in time to hear the Charlie Gray Band, conducted by none other than master musician/clarinet player/U.S. Navy Veteran/photographer/fellow pilot/good friend, Charlie Grabein (see previous post, Feb. 2, 2006, "And all that jazz").

Charlie was the main reason I went to the City of Liberty's annual Fourth of July celebration, and was I ever treated to a wonderful evening!

Several tunes from the Big Band Era, Glenn Miller songs, and all the other old favorites, filled the air and set many toes a-tappin'. The drum solos were awesome, and the "battle" between saxophone and trumpet was original and entertaining-a real treat by two highly talented musicians. Another band followed, the Invincible Eagles Band, led by Jim Sterling of Sterling Real Estate in Liberty. They played mostly patriotic marches, John Phillips Susa, et al.

I totally spaced bringing my camera, so this picture taken from my phone will have to suffice. But picture this: I'm sitting on a top bleacher seat with some friends from church. The band sounds tight-real professional, perfect timing, perfect tune. A Liberty Bell stands to the right of the band, joining in for one song, proudly dinging its distinct sound of freedom in step. Then off to the right is Charlie Grabein's 1943 Jeep Willy, lovingly restored, complete with stars, name plate, the works. A large American flag hangs from the ceiling of the pavilion and we tap our feet and wave our small flags to "God Bless America", "Stars and Stripes Forever", "Chattanooga Choo-Choo", "Play Misty For Me", "Little Brown Jug", and lots more, all broadcast live on local FM radio station, 99.9 KSHN-"Shine All Nine".

I saw Dianne, our city secretary. She was handing out the little flags. So I walked over to her to get one, said hello to her, to Carl, our mayor, and his wife, and Al, a city councilman.

Charlie's wife, Ann, who gives the most wonderful massage, came over to sit with me. After the music, we watched fireworks, and while it was probably just like any other fireworks display, colorful bursts of light that make us all "ooo" and "ahhh", somehow, an Independence Day celebration in a town called Liberty is just, well, better.

Ann took me around introducing me to several people, including KSHN owner, Bill Buchanan, Liberty Gazette newspaper editor, Cynthia Smith, several band members and other friends of hers. I shook hands with Bill and said, "I think you know my brother in law, Rusty Blue."

Bill said, "Oh, yes! He's your brother in law? Now he's a keeper!" Now that's an understatement.

Since Mike and I began writing an aviation column in the local paper it was good to meet our editor, Cynthia Smith, face-to-face. She talked about how excited she was that there's finally some interest in the local airport.

Soon it was time to go and once the traffic began to clear out of the park, Charlie said, "Where ya parked?"

"Way over there, in the grass," I told him.

"C'mon, let's take the Jeep!"

Well now, the walk probably would have been good for me, but how could I turn that down?

Liberty is a small town-official population is 8033. What better place to celebrate Independence Day than Liberty, Texas?

Nobel Peace Prize Nominee

2007-06-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

Now this is really cool. Dr. Joe Mamlin was a neighbor of ours when I was growing up in Indy. His daughter, Leigh, is a year younger than I. We should all strive to make every moment of our lives count. Look at all Dr. Mamlin does out of compassion:

IU School of Medicine’s Kenya Partnership nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

By Mary Hardin, Published May 11, 2007
© http://www.karlgrobl.com/

On two acres near the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, (above), fruits and vegetables are grown and sent to clinics throughout western Kenya. IUSM’s Dr. Joseph Mamlin (below left, with a young patient) is intent upon marrying medicine and agriculture in Africa.

A humanitarian response to the African HIV/AIDS pandemic by the IU School of Medicine and its education partner in Kenya, Moi University School of Medicine, has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

The program, AMPATH (Academic Model for Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS) was only a concept seven years ago. Through the efforts of its field director, Dr. Joseph Mamlin, and faculty involved in the IU-Kenya Partnership, AMPATH now treats 42,000 HIV-positive Kenyan patients at 19 clinical sites throughout western Kenya. It also provides food assistance to 20,000 people, and job and agricultural training to thousands more.

More than 1.3 million Kenyan men, women and children are living with HIV/AIDS. AMPATH addresses the social stigma of the disease while providing medication and helping people become self-sufficient by providing food, jobs and agricultural assistance.

In the Nobel Peace Prize nomination, Scott Pegg from IUPUI and Butler University’s David Mason, both professors of political science, noted that AMPATH has been recognized as one of the world’s most comprehensive and innovative AIDS control programs.

“This partnership is not only one of the largest and most comprehensive HIV/AIDS programs in the world, it is a model of U.S.-Africa institutional cooperation. This model can be replicated throughout the developing world, and thus put a halt to a pandemic that may soon pass the Black Death to become the most brutal killer in human history,” Pegg and Mason said in the letter of nomination.

Pegg and Mason also cited Mamlin, professor emeritus of medicine at IUSM, as a driving force behind the program. Mamlin was a team leader of the collaborative medical education program at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, in the early 1990s. At that time he witnessed 85 patient deaths over the course of a year. When he returned full time to Kenya in 2000, he saw more than 1,000 patients die during a similar period. From that poignant loss, AMPATH was born.

“I find encouragement that thousands around the world are responding faithfully to some of the real pain suffered by so many,” said Mamlin. “While much of this pain is physical, the real tragedy is the loss of hope in single individuals. When any of us find a moment in our lives when we can relieve pain and restore hope, we have already won the Nobel Peace Prize.”

Dr. Robert Einterz, IU professor of medicine and director and co-founder of the IU-Kenya Partnership, said: “The Hoosiers that are leading the global fight against HIV are the same Hoosiers that are teaching at the IU School of Medicine and serving vulnerable populations in Indianapolis. Through this partnership, Indiana University demonstrates its commitment to health for all people.”

AMPATH is one of 181 nominees for the 2007 prize, which will be announced in mid-October. In 2006 Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank, which provides micro-credit for low-income entrepreneurs in the developing world, won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Read more and view a slide show in the March 28 Wall Street Journal Online. Follow link at this web site: http://medicine.iupui.edu/kenya/introduction.html

Crabby Old Man

2007-06-19T11:51:00.000-07:00

I received this from my "Mamacita" (Mycol's mom)...

Crabby Old Man

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a small hospital near Tampa, Florida, it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.

Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital. One nurse took her copy to Missouri.

The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the St.Louis Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem. And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this "anonymous" poem winging across the Internet.

Crabby Old Man

What do you see nurses?...What do you see?
What are you thinking......when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man, ...not very wise,
Uncertain of habit ........with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food.......and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice....."I do wish you'd try!"
Who seems not to notice ...the things that you do.
And forever is losing ............. A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not...........lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding ...... The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse......you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am.....As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding.....as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten.......with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters.....who love one another

A young boy of Sixteen....with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now....a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty........my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows........that I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now......... I have young of my own!
Who need me to guide......And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty........ My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other....... With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons ....have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me........to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more.....Babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children......My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me......My wife is now dead.
I look at the future.......I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing.....young of their own.
And I think of the years...... And the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man.........and nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age .......look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles..........grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone........where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass...... A young guy still dwells,
And now and again .......my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys.............. I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living.............life over again.

I think of the years all too few......gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact........that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people ..........open and see..
Not a crabby old man. Look closer....see........ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within.....we will all, one day, be there, too! Everyone has been dealt a different hand in life. Sometimes life has been harsher on one person compared to the next, which can make them crabby.

Flight Tracking

2007-06-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to track a flight, check out http://www.flightaware.com/
This week and next, Mike is flying N801CT. You can type in that N-number in the flight tracker and see where he is, how fast and how high.

Here he is flying Thursday morning from the Baltimore area to Atlanta. He's flying 433 kts at 28,000' (flight level 280).

Happy Landings!

Expectations

2007-06-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" —Matthew 11:2–3 (NKJV)

Disappointment is something we've all experienced; things don't always go according to our plans. And so that's the first place to look when we feel disappointed-the Plan.

When we find that our plans aren't fulfilling our hopes, as disappointing as that is, consider that Life is not according to our plans anyway. There is only one answer.

John the Baptist was disappointed with Jesus. He witnessed so much unrighteousness in the world and it ached him. He wanted Jesus to use His power to end the hate, the evil, diseases, all the bad stuff in the world. While in prison, John started to doubt Jesus, so he sent two friends to ask Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" I can be an impatient person. I can see myself getting frustrated and asking, "Are you the One we've been looking for, or should we hang our hopes on someone else?"

Jesus' answer tells us how we should deal with our disappointment with God:
"Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them." (Matthew 11:4–5 NKJV)

Jesus pointed John to the fact that He was fulfilling the prophecies that the Messiah would heal the blind, lame, and deaf and raise the dead (Isaiah 35:5–6; 61:1). Why did He answer John in this way? To make John base his judgment on the fulfillment of God's Word, not on his own expectations.

Do we start our statements with "I wanted this," "I wanted that," or do we say, "In this circumstance, Lord, how can I glorify You?" I know that I often do the former, even though I pray constantly for the latter.

Where there are no expectations, there are no disappointments. We can hope and we can ask, but the details, the how and why of God's plan we cannot fully understand; we are not God.

I believe that while its okay (and completely human) to have the feelings of disappointment, we have to remind ourselves of the reality that those feelings of being let down come from expectations that we have imposed on God.

God never said I could control other people and circumstances so that I'll always be happy. God never promised me I could raise all my babies and retire happily with my husband, children and grandchildren around. As painful as it is, I have no right to expect something that God has never promised in His Word. However, I can and do expect what He has promised in His Word.

"Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." (John 16:33 NLT)

1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." (John 14:103 NIV)

According to Jesus, we should expect life on earth to be full of trials and sorrows. But He overcame this world and has promised us a place with Him eternally-a Gift of Life we have the choice to accept.

Pray for Brother Jim, Please

2007-06-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

Please pray for Brother Jim as he prepares to make his move to Heaven. He has said that what brings him the most comfort is this scripture. Please, pray this with him in mind:

Psalm 103
Of David.

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.

Worth Thinking About

2007-05-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass.

West Coast Story

2007-05-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

Dr. Cecil Shotwell took a deep breath of the fresh California air as he walked down the porch steps of his general practice office at the corner of Genesee and Sunset Boulevard and headed home for lunch. Passing neighbors on the way, he tipped his hat as he strolled underneath the oak canopy that let in streams of sunlight like Hollywood spotlights through the shade on Genesee Street.

Half a block down, Mrs. Shotwell set the good doctor’s soup and sandwich on the kitchen table. She would ask how his day was going, and inquire with care and concern about each of his patients. This scene was repeated daily for many years, as was the next one.

Visits to his eldest daughter, Cecille, his namesake, were enjoyable times to spend with four of the doctor’s grandchildren. Sitting out on the back porch of his daughter’s home, Dr. Shotwell was joined by his grandson, Mike. Cecille married a kind and gentle man, Robert. Mike was the third child of the four born to Cecille and Bob. Together, Grandpa and Mike watched the airplanes fly overhead on approach into LAX. Mike loved airplanes and Grandpa Shotwell listened intently as he told him all about each airplane.

Mike grew up and became a pilot. Over the years he flew many places, logging several thousand hours of flight time. He would share his adventures with Grandpa, and with his parents too.

Fast forward through many years of wonderful memory-making; Mike’s grandma had moved to heaven, and Dr. Shotwell soon joined his lovely bride. They were survived by children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Mike was in his thirties, flying for a living when his dad was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Mike flew home every weekend to see his dad during the next two months. But when the call came, Mike was in Utah. He made it back for the funeral.

The years ambled on and Mike had fallen in love and married. He immersed himself in her life and her family, proving that nothing but God was more important to him than her. His new bride often commented that she wished she could have met Bob. All Mike’s stories about his dad were full of love and adventure. Having had an affectionate father herself, she appreciated Mike’s longing for his dad, and his reminiscing, like how Bob would wake Mike for school each day with a kiss. She could tell Bob had been a wonderful father and surmised this is where Mike received his gentle and loving nature.

Ten years since saying good-bye to his dad, to honor him, to reflect on his character and love of his family, Mike took the Love of his life to sunny Southern California for a very special visit.

Standing over their graves, Mike lovingly placed flowers in memory of Dr. and Mrs. Shotwell, and Bob Ely. Yearning for his dad, the ache of missing a man so important made his heart heavy. “I miss him,” he whispered.

Pulling his new bride close under his right arm, he extended his left arm toward his father’s grave. “Dad,” he choked, and paused while the tears flowed, “this is my wife.”

His introduction resonated with her the rest of the day, as he took her on a tour of special places in the city. This was not the Los Angeles everyone else knows. These were the good places, the private places, the places where a man’s heart and mind were formed, where he grew up, his childhood home, his grandparents’ home, his school, and airports.

Thank you, Mike, for sharing your life with me.
Love,
Linda

Myles Makes the News!

2007-05-09T06:46:00.000-07:00

Ill Noblesville child receives Disney wish

Here's the link:
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070509/LOCAL010403/705090398

Or, if that doesn't work go to www.indystar.com and in the search field put 'Myles Temple'

Convalescence

2007-05-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

Stan and Jackie are our next door neighbors at the lake house. They're really great neighbors to have and, as we discovered last weekend, have a great sense of humor too!

After Rusty had shoulder surgery, Kurt had heart surgery, then Corky had surgery, then Mike had sudden severe abdonimal pain and went to the ER, while Bryan was battling a vicious stomach virus, and Angie (bless her aggressive, competitive l'il heart) sprained a knee and ankle (attacking another player) during a soccer game!

Someone mentioned we should have a get-together at the lake house for all the recovering patients in the family and just this past weekend when Lynna and Rusty went up there, this is what they found - ala Jackie:

Yellow tape, taping off an area and a parking sign reading,
"Handicap Parking Only"

And a welcome sign on the door...

Are You Intimidated By The Electronic Age?

2007-05-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

Time moving too fast for you?

Computers confound you?

You are not alone! Watch this short video and you will be encouraged, that anyone can master use of the computer.

http://www.devilducky.com/media/57946.

Notables

2007-05-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

My mom spends one day a week at a mission serving homeless men. As an outreach ministry the mission encourages volunteers to write a brief encouraging note on a note card. Mission workers hand these cards to their guests, who hopefully are uplifted to know someone cares and someone prays for them.

Sometimes, however, mistakes happen. Sometimes handwriting isn't perfect and sometimes the letter "o" may look like the letter "a", as in the case of the message written on one card (which was discarded after a hearty laugh):

"You are stranger than you know - keep on going!"

Another good laugh was shared by workers when punctuation was obviously overlooked in this well-meaning note:

"May the Lord Jesus protect you from someone who cares"

An Interesting Note

2007-04-30T06:10:00.000-07:00

I received the following note from my editor, Kathi Macias, and thought I'd pass it along to yall. She wrote that she and her husband were invited to attend a Hollywood premiere for a movie she helped with (some rewrite/editing).

"This is not a Christian movie company but many in the company are dedicated believers and are working to influence Hollywood (hence, the millions influenced by Hollywood) for Christ. We will be spending some time after the premiere talking with the scriptwriters/producers about future projects and how I can help them in that arena, so your prayers are appreciated.

"Meanwhile, I want to encourage you to visit a relatively new website and consider signing up to pray one minute each day for the troops in and around the city of Baghdad, as well as for the city’s residents. Here is the site:

http://prayercentral.net/baghdad/

Meeting an Aerobatic Champion

2007-04-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

This afternoon Mike suggested we go take a drive down to LaPorte. He'd never been there (to the airport, that is). LaPorte is where I did my first solo and was where we did a lot of practice touch-and-go's.

There's a lady named Debby Rihn-Harvey who is an eight-time winner of the Betty Skelton trophy awarded to the highest placing woman in the powered Unlimited category at the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships. She has also been awarded the Mike Murphy Cup, after winning the overall powered Unlimited category at the 2006 U.S. National Aerobatic Championship. This Cup is awarded to a pilot who wins both the overall powered Unlimited category and is the reigning U.S. National Aerobatic Champ.

She is a 13-time member of the U.S. team, and also owns a flight school at LaPorte. I've mentioned to Mike before that I'd love to fly with her, but I think I should remain focused on working toward my commercial license before "having fun".

Debby is also a captain for Southwest Airlines and she keeps very busy between flying for SWA, managing a flight school, flying competition aerobatics, and appearing at air shows. But much to our surprise, she just happened to taxi up to her school while we were there. She'd been over at Katy practicing and had just returned to LaPorte.

I was eager to meet her, and so glad I got to. She's very personable and was quite encouraging. We had a great time talking with her and she even invited me out to go up in her Pitts with her. You can bet I'll take her up on that!

Hundred Dollar Burrito

2007-04-01T19:02:00.000-07:00

Stinson Field is the second oldest general aviation airport in the U.S. Here are a few pix from our trip there.

There's an old phrase among general aviation pilots - going out for the "hundred dollar hamburger". To make it look like an excuse to fly, lots of folks like to fly to an air field with a restaurant on or near the field. Some places have courtesy cars and if there's a place to eat a few miles away one can take a courtesy car there. There's even a book published annually called "The Hundred Dollar Hamburger". Rather than buy the book though, I just signed up online and now have access to all the restaurants on and near airfields throughout the country, complete with ratings and commentary by other pilots.

All this to say... last weekend Mike and I picked one out - Stinson Field, just south of San Antonio. The restaurant is at the base of the tower, but its not a hamburger joint, its Mexican food. We had a great time flying there, discovering a "new" airport, and the trip back.

I took a few pix of the airport area and Mike got some shots while I was flying.

Good Bye to Miss Zelda Rose

2007-04-01T18:45:00.000-07:00

This may surprise you, but on Saturday I said good bye to Zelda Rose, the 350Z convertible I’ve had for two and a half years. She’s been adopted by a young couple in Lee’s Summit, Missouri and they promise to take good care of her. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed having her but its time to move on. Mike and I are starting to shop for an airplane now and I just couldn’t justify having more than one “toy” at a time. So, one last loving look at Miss Zelda Rose…

PS: I did keep the license plate holder that says "A Woman's Place Is In The Cockpit" ... :)

The Vote

2007-03-12T06:43:00.000-07:00

Today there are many people in the Liberty area thanking God Almighty for a miracle. North Main Baptist Church prayed together for thirty days, asking God to bring us a man who would be an associate pastor with the understanding that he would become the senior pastor when Brother Jim is no longer able to preach.

For many churches this is a long process, but Brother Jim wanted to know the man to whom he would be handing over the important task of caring for so many people he loves. Many of us have prayed that God would provide the right man soon enough so that Brother Jim could be involved in the transition.

Soon after our thirty days of prayer, a name was brought to the attention of the deacons and Brother Jim: Dick Lintleman. From several highly respected people the leadership of our church was told, "If I were to pick someone to take over for me, to care for the people I love and lead, it would be Dick Lintleman."

After a couple of months of background investigation and interviews, the deacons and Brother Jim came to the church family and told us that they believe they'd found the right man.

Brother Dick Lintleman was introduced to the church Sunday. We listened to him preach the morning and evening services and then voted.

Between the two services, I told Rusty that I felt rushed and that while he and the other deacons had the opportunity to spend time with Brother Dick, most of those being asked to vote have spent no time with him at all. All we got to do was sit and listen to a sermon. For me, that was not enough. I wanted to know the man's heart. How was he as a shepherd? Could he love us as Brother Jim does?

Rusty listened and understood my concern. Then Lynna suggested I go up to the church early to see if I can have a few minutes with Brother Dick and ask him whatever I want to. Rusty agreed and encouraged me too.

Sometimes I think the name of this blog, "What's Linda Up To Now?" sounds awfully self-centered. Well, it is. But there have been so many people over the last four years who have gone out of their way to love and care for me and who often ask what I've been up to. And it's so difficult for me to keep up with everyone all the time, but I don't want anyone to feel slighted. So I put up this blog. I do share with you a lot of family stuff, a few aviation stories, but no, I know the world doesn't revolve around Linda. And this post isn't really about me either. Its my observation, its what I have to share with you that I have witnessed and experienced. But its about so much more than me.

Having only heard Brother Dick preach a short sermon in the morning, I headed to the church an hour before the evening service and found him in the sanctuary. Because there was a brief business meeting there were several others there as well. I knew I wouldn't get much time with him and I'd better think quick of the most important things to ask. What would I say? How could I get a peek into a man's heart in just a couple of minutes? I saw the preacher. I needed to see the shepherd. I asked God as I was driving to show me this man's heart. "This vote is too important, Lord," I prayed, "God, please show me Your will."

So after the business meeting I approached Brother Dick and asked if we could speak for a moment. "Sure," he said with a smile.

I was sure he was a Godly man-I trusted the deacons, Brother Jim, and all those who recommended him. I knew he could preach a sermon. No offense, but a lot of people can do that.

So I began, "I'd like to know how you are with grieving people." Not wanting to be presumptuous I asked, "Have you had any personal experience with grief in your own family? If so, I'd like to hear about that, and also about how you handle others, in your church family or in the community, who are grieving."

Brother Dick answered that while his only personal experience in his family was the passing of his grandparents, which he expected and said that it was not in a tragic situation, that he had indeed had several opportunities over the years to be with people when they are grieving. He said he prays with them, for them, over them. He believes in praying God's Word over a person.

Okay so far.

"But you know what, Linda? Sometimes I think its best just to sit and grieve with them. Sometimes there isn't anything to say at all. Just be there." Bingo, Brother. I had to hear that.

"Why," he asked, "have you been through grief?"

Knowing this conversation wasn't private and was going to be interrupted at any moment, I admitted, "Well yes, but..." This conversation wasn't about me. "I was also thinking of all the people in this church, in this community, who will grieve-some day-when he's not with us any more," I said, pointing to Brother Jim. "There will come a day, whenever that is, that you will have a whole lot of grieving people."

"Yes, and I've been thinking about that, and how thankful I am that I may serve here under Brother Jim. Its such an honor to be here at this time, to be here on this journey with all of you. And I'll be speaking on Psalm 23:5 tonight, 'Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies'".

Shortly thereafter other people wanted his attention so I had to let him go. And then it was time for the evening service.

Brother Dick talked about that table that Jesus prepares for us in the presence of our enemies and talked about things temporary and things eternal. Then, just as he was finished, he said, "I was talking with Linda just a little while ago and she asked me how I handle people who are grieving. As I told her, I think sometimes you just sit there and be with them. You give them your heart." Then he shared this story:

"Katie and Sherry were deskmates at school. One day Katie came in and saw Sherry crying. 'What's the matter?' Katie asked. 'The teacher just came and told me my mother has died.' Seeing her friend broken and weeping, Katie's heart sank.

"Later that day when Katie got home from school she told her mother about Sherry. 'Oh, that's awful,' her mother replied.

"Katie asked, 'What can I do? I want to do something to help her.'

"'Let's get out God's Word and we'll find some Scriptures that will comfort Sherry in her time of need.' So they opened their Bibles and Katie highlighted several Scripture verses of comfort her mother helped her find.

"Each day Katie took her Bible to school with her, and each afternoon when she got home, her mother asked, 'Was Sherry at school today?' For several days Sherry did not return to school.

"Then one day Katie came home and her mother asked again, 'Well, was Sherry at school today?'

"'Yes,' Katie replied.

"'How is she? Did you share the Scriptures with her?'

"'No, Mom, I didn't", Katie answered.

"'Why not?'" her mom asked."

With a lot of emotion, Brother Dick squeezed out these final words: "'Because when I walked into class I saw her sitting there at the desk with her head down and she was crying. So I just put my head down next to hers, put my arm around her and cried with her.'"

It is my firm belief that God so desires a personal relationship with each one of us that He speaks to us personally, in a way we will understand Him. I asked God to show me His will. This story Brother Dick told, his own emotion obvious, showed me the heart of the man I thought there wasn't enough time to see. The story speaks volumes to me. And maybe there were others there who needed to hear something like that too.

By the end of the service Brother Jim asked Brother Dick and his wife, Sue, to leave the sanctuary so the members could vote. The deacons and a few other volunteers were asked to go out and count the votes.

While we waited for the count Brother Jim talked about miracles, and that part of this story deserves a whole post of its own, so I'll tell you that part later. Soon, the basket of votes was returned to Brother Jim.

"Well, you've handed me a basket full of paper, but I need to know what the count is," he said.

"Its unanimous," came the reply.

I thought for a moment Brother Jim was going to fall over. "UNANIMOUS?!?!? UNANIMOUS!??!?!" He had to repeat it over and over. "UNANIMOUS?!?!?!?!?!"

"Folks," he said, facing the crowd, "do you know what this means? A church that is unified is not facing division!" North Main has suffered division and in-fighting and here was a clear indication that the past is no longer our identity.

Brother Jim has asked God to allow him the time to witness the transition, to have some time to meet with the man who will take over caring for all of us who he loves so much. This unanimous vote gives him peace and confidence that this family is together. So while I appreciate the opportunity to share with you how I see God work, just in my own life, its not about me.

Mycol's 41st

2007-03-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

Thursday, March 8, 2007. Today Mycol would be 41.

This morning Mike mentioned he needed a hair cut and we figured we'd go see my friend Amy for that. But then as we were leaving Liberty I thought of this day last year (see the March 8, 2006 blog entry) when I met Mr. Nichols, a barber in Humble. I asked Mike if he would be willing to go to Humble for his hair cut this time. Mike immediately understood the reason and readily agreed. "You mean the singing barber, right? The one who sang to you. What was it he sang?"

"Yes," I said, "that's the one. He sang, 'Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus', and he played his accordion".

"Sure, let's go there."

Pulling up in front of the small barbershop on Main Street, we parked the Z and walked in. Mr. Nichols didn't have any other customers right then and was sitting in the middle barber chair. Upon seeing us walk through the doorway he asked, "Need a trim?"

I took off my sunglasses and said, "Yes, and I was here one year ago today."

"Oh? What's your name?" he asked.

"Linda."

Mr. Nichols' eyes widened as he sat up and asked, "LINDA STREET?!"

Surprised with both his memory and his reaction, I smiled big and said yes. And with that, he jumped out of his chair and gave me a hug. I introduced him to Mike and Mr. Nichols went on talking about how much he enjoyed our visit last year.

"I've been wondering when you would ever come back here. Your nephew brought by the pictures you took last year and I was hoping I'd see you again!"

I had made duplicates of the pics I took and had three of them enlarged and framed for him. Bryan delivered them for me and Mr. Nichols had them up in his barbershop.

He was ecstatic and showed us pictures of his new great-granddaughter. "She's just a few minutes old in that picture and I got to hold her", he said, tears coming to his eyes. "I get emotional about that baby girl. She's the first girl in our family in 47 years. This is a good day! And you know, that day last year when you came in here, we sat for two hours talking. We were talking from two o'clock until four o'clock and that's a day I will remember forever."

Me too, Mr. Nichols, me too.

This time our visit was much shorter than last year, but it was good to see him again. Another customer walked in after he finished cutting Mike's hair so we said our goodbye's, but not before he gave Mike a "souvenir".

"Here, you need a souvenir, so if you're like Linda here, if you'll be back here in a year, in case you forget where it was you go that great hair cut, just look here on this comb and read the name."

Leaving the barbershop with smiles, hugs and handshakes, we snuggled back in the Z and headed for Barnes & Noble. On the way there Mike and I sang "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" together, and thought back on Mr. Nichols singing that to me and how special it was, how much love he expressed as he sang it, saying, "That song just says it all, doesn't it? The things of this earth will grow strangely dim, in the Light of His glory and grace."

I wished I had thought to ask Mr. Nichols to sing it again, for Mike. Perhaps we will return there and request that song. I love the way he sings it.

When Lillian was in labor with Mycol it lasted all day long. Finally, in the evening, Corky got hungry and went out to get something to eat at a Mexican food restaurant. While he was dining, Lillian gave birth to Mycol. Corky has always laughed about that, "He waited all day until I got hungry!"

So this evening we had dinner plans with the family.

Corky wanted us all to get together at a Mexican food restaurant in honor of Mycol's birthday. Reminiscing what he was doing when Mycol was born, Corky enjoyed having so many family members join in. There is so much love in this family, in spite of the pain we all share, and I love being part of it.

WOW!

2007-03-06T04:53:00.000-08:00

Have you heard about Akiane? Mom told me about her. Check out this website-you'll be amazed! http://www.artakiane.com/home.htm

I'd love to hear YOUR reactions, YOUR thoughts after you see Akiane's web site and read about her. What I find in her work is comfort. Her paintings and her personal testimony encourage me in that they help me see my family and others in heaven, very happy. I'd encourage you to post your thoughts here on the blog.

Trees of Love, and a Special Little Boy

2007-02-26T16:40:00.000-08:00

Ten years ago today, Missy, Gwanny and I loaded up in Gwanny's Oldsmobile and headed off in a hurry for Houston Northwest Hospital, Mycol somewhere behind us in traffic. Gwanny drove as fast as she could, but my contractions came a little faster.

While things didn't really go as we had planned, our beautiful baby boy entered this world at 12:08 pm on the side of FM 1960 near Interstate 45. Gwanny only stopped momentarily for me to birth him, then sped on to the hospital.

The last birthday party we had for Austin was at "Gwanny's Park", across the street from her house. It was a Blue's Clues party when he turned five.

Today, Mike and I met Missy and Gwanny for lunch. Steven and Aunt Doris joined us. It was very low-key, but just being together was important to the three of us-Missy, Gwanny, and me.

I also received several emails and an ecard, just letting me know that many people remember the significance of today, and that my son is loved by so many people. That helps me feel not so alone.

Austin loved to play "Blue's Clues" at home, making up clues for us to find things. He would put his pencil up to his face thoughtfully, pad of clue paper in hand, just as "Steve" on Blue's Clues did. Often times he'd say, "I know, let's plan a plan!"

So after lunch, Mike and I returned to the house to "plan a plan." Several years ago, Mycol and I had planted two Golden Rain trees in our front yard in Kingwood. One of our neighbors, Tamara, really liked the trees as they grew and took shape. She had asked the kids if they would collect some seeds for her some time, that she would like to plant trees like that. So the next time the trees began dropping seeds, Mycol took the kids outside and they gathered some "for Miss Tamara."

Tamara described for me what it was like, a memory she'll always treasure, how my children brought handfuls of seeds to her and how she remembered their little hands just full of seeds and how it felt when they poured them into her hands. She planted them first in planters and then started transplanting some in her yard.

Sometime after the fire she said, "Linda, I still have some trees that came from the seeds your children collected and gave to me. Would you like to have them?" She still had four in one pot. I definitely wanted them so she saved them for me until I had a house and yard where I could plant them.

The day Mike and I married, Tamara brought the seedlings to our house. A couple of days ago, thinking of Austin's birthday, Mike asked me, "What do you want to do on Monday?" I didn't really have a plan. "I was wondering if you might want to plant those trees," he suggested. THE TREES!!!! YES!!! "That's a great idea," I told him. Mike went to the store and bought potting soil and some wire mesh to protect the little seedlings from being mowed down.

Together, we transplanted two of the four trees in honor of my son, who I miss so very much. Later, as we sat on the porch I thanked Mike again for his thoughtfulness and compassionate heart. He took my hand and looking me in the eyes said softly, "I love the kids."

Just a Little?

2007-02-06T07:40:00.000-08:00

I heard part of a sermon on the radio this morning talking about Lot. The point the pastor was making was that when we settle for less, when we compromise what we know is right, we aren’t just a little bit wrong.

He used the illustration of a lion and a woodpecker. If you found a lion prowling around your house you’d know you were in danger immediately. But if a woodpecker was flying around outside would you realize the potential destruction? If you compromised, if you waited awhile before chasing the woodpecker away, would you realize the damage he’s inflicted gradually?

Likewise, just a little compromise here and there is chewing away at the Truth, little by little, quietly devastating.

As a pilot, I think of aerial navigation relative to this issue of “just a little compromise”. Picture a compass: 360 degrees makes a full circle. The North is zero (or 360). Count clockwise all the way around, passing South at 180, and you get back to North (360). Now imagine I want to fly from Liberty, Texas to Half Moon Bay, California, a distance of 1450 nautical miles airport to airport. The direct route would be a true course of 295 degrees on the compass, or west-northwest. But what if I compromised and flew just one degree off? What if I settled for 294 for 1450 miles? Where would I end up? 24.167 miles away! For each 60 miles I flew I’d be getting one mile further from my desired course, which makes a big difference if you want to land on a runway and you end up over blue water!

Matthew preserved these words of Jesus, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

The gate is narrow because there is no margin of error. There is Truth and there is evil. What Christians are thankful for is that the penalty for all our errors has been paid. It is our choice to accept the receipt!

Walk for Wishes

2007-01-30T10:25:00.000-08:00

Last October Myles received a gift from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a trip to Disney World. Angie is grateful for the opportunity to take Myles to Disney and they were treated like royalty.

As a result, Angie would like to do what she can to return the kindness to the Foundation by walking in a fund-raiser, in the hope her walking will collect enough funds to grant a wish or two for someone else. Following is her page. Check it out and if you would like to sponsor her walk in June, follow the instructions on the page.

https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=216669&lis=1&kntae216669=4704E29715FA4E9C962AEF905D6BF5B6&supId=161850611

Review of The Courier

2007-01-16T15:05:00.000-08:00

Thanks to so many friends and family, I received responses from many more people than we needed. The small reading group is receiving their manuscripts this week. We hope to progress quickly but carefully to be ready to publish in the next month or so.

Wedding Announcement

2007-01-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

Angie and Rob have announced their engagement and wedding plans. Rob is back in the U.S. and we hope for good. Angie was visiting Rob and his parents over the holidays. The morning of December 25th Rob awoke early, showered, shaved, dressed up real handsome, dashed on some cologne, and went in to where Angie was sound asleep. He woke her up, presented her with a ring, and asked her to marry him. She happily said yes. "There I was, Mom, all bed-head-looking, in my pink Riley Hospital for Children jammies and messed up hair, and there was Rob, dressed nice, smelling good and clean, asking me to marry him!" That's a cute visual if you ask me! (biased mommy here)

The couple is planning to wed on the beach at Coco Beach, Florida on October 6, 2007. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEWLY ENGAGED COUPLE, the future MR. AND MRS. KOTARSKI!

Progress in SCID (Boy in the Bubble disease)

2007-01-15T13:35:00.000-08:00

FINALLY!!! They've been pushing for this for a long time. Myles's doctor, Dr. Buckley, is quoted in this article.

Tests may help end 'bubble boy' disease

By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer

Doctors were stumped. Tests for meningitis, cancer, a list of other diseases all were negative — yet just days after a sudden high fever sent 8-week-old Anthony James Mingione to the hospital, he died. An autopsy uncovered the lethal secret: Anthony was born without a working immune system. A rare genetic disorder known as the "bubble boy disease" rendered him vulnerable to the most minor of germs.

Now Wisconsin is about to begin the nation's first experiment at testing newborns for this killer, officially named SCID, in hopes of giving babies like Anthony a chance at lifesaving treatment — even as scientists ask how many infant deaths attributed to infections really might be due to the immune destroyer.

"These people look like the Gerber baby until they get sick," says Dr. Rebecca Buckley, a SCID specialist at Duke University and longtime advocate for newborn screening.

"I am more concerned than ever that a lot of these babies never make it to the pediatrician, much less an immunologist."

Between 40 and 100 U.S. babies are estimated to be diagnosed each year with SCID, or "severe combined immunodeficiency disease." The best-known victim was Houston's famous "bubble boy" who lived in a germ-proof enclosure until his death at age 12 in 1984.

But no one knows how often SCID is missed. In a few dozen more cases? Another 100?
"We think there's a lot more out there and that the infants just die," says Dr. Jack Routes, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. He is heading the newborn-screening experiment, with funding from a parents' advocacy group, the Jeffrey Modell Foundation, that may help answer that question.

Catching the disease before a baby gets sick means a far better chance that treatment is successful, explains Dr. Jennifer Puck of the University of California, San Francisco.
Puck developed the first screening test that promises early diagnosis. This winter, Wisconsin's state laboratory begins the first phase of its pilot project, practicing with Puck's test on anonymous newborn blood samples. If no problems crop up, later this year Routes and colleagues will begin a study that attempts to screen all Wisconsin newborns for SCID — to see how accurate it really is, and track what happens to those diagnosed.

"I know this will change the course of SCID," says Anthony's mother, Tara Mingione of Long Island, N.Y., who has pushed for screening since his death two years ago. "Anthony had absolutely no chance to live unless he was tested at birth."

Today, all U.S. newborns are tested for a variety of rare but devastating genetic diseases — using a single spot of blood from the baby's heel a day after birth — to catch the few thousand who need fast treatment to avoid serious problems.

Not yet on that list: SCID and other "primary immunodeficiency" diseases, meaning children are born with faulty immune-system genes. There are different SCID subtypes, but the end result is that babies can't produce important disease-fighting cells called T cells.

Without treatment, they usually die before their first birthday. Bone marrow transplants can provide them with stem cells that take root and begin producing T cells after all, curing some children and greatly extending the lives of others.

But Duke's Buckley calls age key: She reports 95 percent survival in SCID babies transplanted before they're 3 months old — almost always those born to women who know SCID has struck a relative, and thus seek at-birth testing. After that age, survival plummets because the babies are so sick going into surgery.

Moreover, total costs for transplanting a baby shortly after birth are about $100,000, Buckley says, compared with bills that can reach $1 million after they get sick.
When doctors suspect a baby has SCID, they can check a vial of his or her blood to see if T cells are present. But routine screening — checking those dried blood spots — requires a whole different approach.

Puck had to create a kind of DNA test to detect bits of genetic material that signal T cells' maturation, and thus should be visible only in healthy babies.

It's not perfect, cautions Robert Vogt, a research chemist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But it seems accurate enough to study in thousands of babies, scientists concluded at a November meeting sponsored by CDC and Modell Foundation. Vogt says California, New York and Missouri are among a handful of other states considering pilot screening projects.

Also, CDC is funding California health officials to use the new test to check stored blood samples from nearly 2,000 babies who died before 18 months of age — probing whether SCID gets missed.

Mingione is convinced it does, because she almost turned down the autopsy that finally diagnosed Anthony. To avoid chancing another tragedy, last spring she adopted a healthy baby boy.
___
EDITOR'S NOTE — Lauran Neergaard covers health and medical issues for The Associated Press in Washington.
On the Net:
Modell Foundation: http://www.jmfworld.com
NIH: http://www.genome.gov/13014325

Wedding Pix

2007-01-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from our wedding. There are plenty more, but I just wanted to post a few for now

Opening Prayer:

The Groom:

During the First Song, "This Day":

Exchange of Rings:

Our Flower Girl and Ring Bearers:

Communion:

Our Wedding Party:

Ta-Da!

Smooch! (see the Cub?)

Married!

Mike's Family:

Us with Missy and Angie:

Us with Mycol's Parents:

Mycol's mother and my mother:

Us with my mother and sisters:

Our Wedding Cake-a Runway with Control Tower:

A Toast:

Smiles! Eat Cake!

Lots of Smiles

Smooch!!

Thirty Days of Prayer Completed

2007-01-04T09:53:00.000-08:00

Our Thirty Days of prayer is now finished. Although I did not post a prayer each of these days, our prayers continue for the church, for Brother Jim and Vicki, for all in need of healing, for everyone at NMBC to fulfill the needs of the church, and for God's will to prevail in us and in our church.

Thanks to each of my blog readers who chose to participate in these prayers.

I recently read this quote on Pastor Tim Davis's Cybersalt:

"As if you could kill time without injuring eternity."
~Henry David Thoreau, "Economy," Walden, 1854

Thirty Days

2006-12-14T13:49:00.000-08:00

Lord, I lift Brother Jim and Vicki to you for healing, for peace, for comfort, for Your will.

I pray also for the church, for healing of each and every member and for protection from spiritual warfare.

Keep us mindful, Lord our Father, listening for Your direction so we will know the man you will send to lead this church.

When we are not faithful, Lord, forgive us, and help us to move on toward You.

Let us be active participants in Your will, on earth as it is in heaven.

Amen

Thirty Days

2006-12-13T12:36:00.000-08:00

Cleanse me, Lord, by Your Grace.

Thank you, Lord, for Brother Jim, a true shepherd, full of Your love and compassion.

Your Name is Holy in North Main Baptist Church and in the lives of its members.

Praise You, God Almighty, for healing by Your holy hand, touching each member of NMBC.

We pray, Father, for wisdom, discernment and patience, as the deacons and the church search for the next pastor. Lord, send Your angels before us, prepare the way, and the heart of the one you will send to NMBC. Prepare us, Lord, to know who he is.

Intervene and lead this church, Lord.

Help each of us, Lord, to fulfill our roles at church. Show us, help us to know what we can offer to one another, making good of our faith through deeds.

Now we see dimly, as through a glass, but then we will see clearly. Until then, our understanding is small, so above all, we pray that Your will be done, at NMBC and in the lives of each member, now and in the future; on earth as it is in heaven.

We desire to be actively living in Your will.

Almighty God, we lift these prayers to You in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Thirty Days

2006-12-12T20:10:00.000-08:00

Cleanse me, Lord, by Your Grace. May I come before you washed clean so that there is no stain on the words of my prayers.

Praise God for Brother Jim, such a true shepherd, full of God's love and compassion.

Praise God for North Main Baptist Church. His Name is Holy in our church and in our lives. Praise God for healing by His holy hand, touching each member of NMBC.

Praise God for wisdom, discernment and patience, as the deacons and the church search for the next pastor. Lord, send Your angels before us, prepare the heart of the one you will send to NMBC, and prepare us, Lord, to know who he is.

Intervene and lead this church, Lord. When we fall stray from Your path, lead us back so that we walk in Your Way.

Help each of us, Lord, to fulfill our roles at church. Show us, help us to know what we can offer to one another, making good of our faith through deeds.

We know, Father, that we see only a little piece of the picture, and that our understanding is small. Above all, we pray that Your will be done, at NMBC and in the lives of each member, now and in the future; on earth as it is in heaven. We desire to be actively living in Your will.

Almighty God, Creator of all, our Sustainer and Redeemer, because You have provided us a way to live eternally with You, we lift these prayers to You in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Thirty Days

2006-12-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

Although I have not posted over the weekend, my praise continues thanking God for sending Jim Clemmons to shepherd people in Liberty, Texas. So many have benefited.

The prayers of friends and family of North Main Baptist Church continue:

We ask for personal forgiveness and cleansing.
We pray, lifting our pastor, Brother Jim, and his wife, Vicki. Lord, grant them peace, healing, and Your holy grace.
We pray for the health of everyone in the church who is experiencing physical or spiritual infirmity.
We ask for wisdom, discernment and patience to find God's man.
We ask for the Lord to intervention and lead the search, going before us to bring His man to NMBC.
Help each member, Lord, to step up and fulfill our roles at NMBC.
We pray that God's will is done in this church and its people, now and in the future.
Amen.

Thirty Days

2006-12-07T12:56:00.000-08:00

Lord, I pray asking for forgiveness and cleansing.
Praising You, Father, we lift our pastor, Brother Jim, and his wife, Vicki, to You for healing and for peace.
We lift to You all those in the church who are experiencing physical or spiritual infirmity.
Lord, please give us wisdom, discernment and patience to find Your man, the man you want to step up and lead North Main as the right shepherd for Your sheep.
We ask that you intervene and lead in the search for a new assoicate pastor to become a senior pastor.
Help each of us to step up and fulfill our roles at NMBC-encourage us to help where we can.
We hope and pray that Your will is done in this church and its people, now and in the future, and ask for Your Holy guidance as we each journey closer to You.

In the Name of Your Holy Son, Jesus Christ, we lift these concerns to You, Lord.
Amen

Thirty Days

2006-12-06T09:19:00.000-08:00

After kneeling at the alter last night, thanking God for sending such an awesome shepherd to Liberty, Texas, Mike said, "You know, Brother Jim is always pointing back here to that cross when he's preaching. He's always saying, 'Look to the cross...' He's the kind of shepherd these days that's rare to find, one who honestly knows, loves and cares for each and every one of the sheep put in his care."

It's true. Brother Jim points to this window that is behind him when he's preaching, constantly saying, 'Look to the cross'.

The prayers of friends and family of North Main Baptist Church remain the same throughout these thirty days:

1. Pray for personal forgiveness and cleansing.

2. Pray for our pastor, Brother Jim, and his wife, Vicki.

3. Pray for the health of all those in the church who are experiencing physical or spiritual infirmity.

4. Pray that we will have the wisdom, discernment and patience to find God’s man.

5. Pray for God’s intervention and leadership in this search.

6. Pray that we will all step up and fulfill our roles here at NMBC.

7. Pray that God’s will is done in this church and its people, now and in the future

Thirty Days

2006-12-05T13:04:00.000-08:00

This is a critical time in the life of a church - choosing a new pastor.

If you will pray with us, as you come humbly forgiven before God, please pray that God's will is done at North Main Baptist Church, and in the lives of its people, now and in the future.

In a very moving personal message, Brother Jim shared his hopes with us that when he leaves the pulpit at North Main that he will have had time to spend with the new pastor, "Because I want him to know you like I do. I was at some of your births. Others of you, those who have had tragedies, I have been with you. I want him to know you from the inside out, like I do. I want him to love you as I do."

While I have only been going to North Main since 2003, this church has been incredibly blessed with real leadership by a man who loves Jesus with all his heart, and who engages that love with the people he leads.
Brother Jim is a gift to many, and an example of integrity, honor, and Love.

Our Prayer Request:

1. Pray for personal forgiveness and cleansing.
2. Pray for our pastor, Brother Jim, and his wife, Vicki.
3. Pray for the health of all those in the church who are experiencing physical or spiritual infirmity.
4. Pray that we will have the wisdom, discernment and patience to find God’s man.
5. Pray for God’s intervention and leadership in this search.
6. Pray that we will all step up and fulfill our roles here at NMBC.
7. Pray that God’s will is done in this church and its people, now and in the future

Thirty Days-Day One

2006-12-04T04:55:00.000-08:00

The Sunday service began as usual with praise and worship music as the home town folk meandered in from bible study, or just arriving for morning worship. But everyone knew something was different. An unspoken inkling ushered in enough anticipation to fill any seat that might otherwise be empty.

As the music faded to silence we bowed our heads, reverently joining our pastor’s prayer. God, give me the courage to say what I have to say…

Projected onto the white wall at the front of the sanctuary were the verses to be applied:

Deuteronomy 31:1-2 1Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: 2 “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’ Our pastor began to read, but left us to read the last sentence to ourselves.

As God transferred the leadership of Israel from Moses to Joshua, North Main Baptist Church of Liberty, Texas has begun the process of preparing the way for a new associate pastor who will eventually take over the position of senior pastor. There is great weight on the importance that the leaders and members of North Main know the man God will send. For the next thirty days the church has been asked to pray specifically:

1. Pray for personal forgiveness and cleansing.

2. Pray for Brother Jimmie and Vicki.

3. Pray for the health of all those in the church who are experiencing physical or spiritual infirmity.

4. Pray that we will have the wisdom, discernment and patience to find God’s man.

5. Pray for God’s intervention and leadership in this search.

6. Pray that we will all step up and fulfill our roles here at NMBC.

7. Pray that God’s will is done in this church and its people, now and in the future

My personal request to you is that if you are a part of the church - a believer in and follower of Jesus Christ - that you would join us in these prayers daily, for thirty days.

Because of the importance of this, for the next thirty days all posts will relate to this topic.

Happy Birthday to My Little Sister!

2006-11-28T05:31:00.000-08:00

To one very special sister, mother, daughter, wife, friend, and so much more:

Happy Birthday to YOU!
Happy Birthday to YOU!
Happy Birthday Barbara Lyons!
Happy Birthday to YOU!

Yeeeeeeeeee-haw!

Barbara is a devoted wife and home schooling mother of four whose exemplary demonstration of love for God and her family is an inspiration to many. She brings a smile to many faces and is a lot of fun to laugh with. So I think it's appropriate to dedicate this video to you, Barbara, in appreciation for your gentleness and contagious sense of humor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P6UU6m3cqk&NR

Happy B-Day, Sis!

Psalm 111 Today

2006-11-28T05:12:00.000-08:00

He has shown His power, no matter what we do. With or without us, God will accomplish His divine plan.

In the aftermath of what could be called a senseless killing, I find myself reflecting on my once urgent question, why, God? Over the "Thanksgiving" weekend a woman and her two young children (5 and 11) were driving along when suddenly t-boned by a drunk driver. The mother was killed, the 11-year old remains in critical condition, the 5-year old was released from the hospital. The first person on the scene, a wrecker driver, was the husband and father.

Father, Almighty, Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer: Why?

My heart aches for the dad, the children, the other two family members who were also in the car, and all other family members and friends. And for the drunk driver, whose decisions and actions have affected many lives.

I pray the dad will receive holy comfort, mercy and grace through family, friends, and strangers. I pray the other driver will receive forgiveness; Jesus Christ.

And the question is asked: If God is a merciful, loving God, why?
And His answer remains: I AM with you.

Oversimplified? No. Misunderstood? Yes, often. In fact, God does care very much about each one of us. So much so that He sent His Son to pay the price of our imperfection, of our wrong decisions, so that when we leave this earth we can enter into the Perfect Place, and be in the presence of the Perfect, the Creator Himself. Without His gracious gift of forgivenss, we would be unable, as less than perfect people, to be in a holy, perfect place because our very presence then would make it less than perfect. So our faults have to be wiped clean.

What's that got to do with the lingering why? God has not promised us an easy life on this earth. His promise is that if we accept His gift, we will have eternal life with Him. And He fulfills that promise daily; constantly. Its at the heart of the difference between outcome-based prayer, which begs to fulfill a self-absorbed, materialistic desire to manipulate God, and true prayer, as Jesus taught us, which connects us with God, fulfilling all that is Good, acknowledging His Holiness, and the Truth about His Will. True prayer asks not to manipulate God, but that He use our lives to glorify Him that His will is done here on earth, through us, as it is in Heaven.

At every moment we have decisions. Some, maybe all, have eternal effects.

What I find challenging to grasp is, if God knows the number of our days, and if God knows all, then He knows how old or how young we will be when we depart this life; He knows the loved ones who will be left behind to grieve, and the final blow which causes our breath to cease, our hearts to stop sending the messages to arms that used to hug, and lips that used to whisper, "I love you".

Our unknown time sometimes seems so random. Does God cause us this pain?

Our understanding is limited at this time - for now we see darkly, as through a glass, but there will be a day when we see clearly. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

12 Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. (New Living Translation) New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.

After reading "90 Minutes in Heaven", Don Piper's personal account of the 90 minutes he was pronounced dead, crushed in his vehicle, what he remembers of that time and what he has experienced since, one thing strikes me as imperitive. Don said he was in a place of light and love and the music was beautiful beyond human explanation; all these people were singing praises to God and it didn't matter how they got there, it only mattered that they were there!

BINGO! It didn't matter. Yes, it matters to those of us left behind. It hurts deeply and it hurts for the rest of our lives - the time of our separation from our loved ones. But it doesn't matter to the ones who get to move to Heaven. Can we accept that we don't have the capacity to fully understand right now? Can we choose to trust His promise?

Whether or not God actually causes to happen the events which lead to our earthly death, is probably a moot point when we move to Heaven-either we'll understand or it won't matter. Whether or not God causes pain, now that's a different question. We hurt because we are separated from those we love, because we want to be with them, because we care. The pain we feel is a result of our inability to understand all that God knows. Perhaps if we could see the whole picture, we would have a different point of view. Perhaps we wouldn't even hurt. Perhaps we could easily see that pain of separation from our loved ones is not caused by God, but by our own lack of understanding.

What changes when: one day we have all these wonderful things in life and we praise God for being so Good and then the next day, when it is all taken away, and we are told we are supposed to praise Him anyway? Our circumstances.

God hasn't changed. We are changed by our experiences and circumstances. When we look at God through our circumstances, we don't have a clear view, and God seems to change. When we look at our circumstances through God, God doesn't change. That is why Christ could go through what he did, an innocent man, tortured and beaten and murdered, and kept his focus. He was looking at his Father and saw what lay ahead.

In Exodus 33 and 34 is a story about Moses where he's having a really bad day and still he asks God to see his Glory. God says okay, but here are the conditions... Moses followed through with the conditions set by God. But here we are, we say, I want to see your Glory God, but I want it to be under the following conditions! We, the created, are dictating the what, where and how to the Creator!

I, too, am one who wishes I could have things happen such that I would be content all the time. I would love to be with my family. But I pray until that time that God will use me for His glory, that I will be sensitive and responsive to His direction so that I can participate in His will, here on earth, as it is in Heaven.

Psalm 111 (NIV)

1 Praise the LORD.
I will extol the LORD with all my heart
in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

2 Great are the works of the LORD;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.

3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.

4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the LORD is gracious and compassionate.

5 He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.

6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
giving them the lands of other nations.

7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.

8 They are steadfast for ever and ever,
done in faithfulness and uprightness.

9 He provided redemption for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever—
holy and awesome is his name.

10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.

*Thanks to Mike for contributing to this article

Gracie Allen's Classic Recipe for Roast Beef

2006-11-27T05:14:00.000-08:00

Gracie Allen's Classic Recipe for Roast Beef

1 large Roast of beef

1 small Roast of beef

Take the two roasts and put them in the oven.
When the little one burns, the big one is done.

Here's a Commercial with a Sense of Humor

2006-11-23T06:53:00.000-08:00

This should have you ROFL ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOjMNpjjLPA

Point of View

2006-11-21T05:57:00.000-08:00

Little Johnny had been misbehaving and was sent to his room. After a while he emerged and informed his mother that he had thought it over and then said a prayer.

"Fine", said the pleased mother. "If you ask God to help you not misbehave, He will help you."

"Oh, I didn't ask Him to help me not misbehave," said Little Johnny. "I asked Him to help you put up with me."

Touche~

Breaking News... Saddam Has Escaped!

2006-11-13T06:16:00.000-08:00

Subject: Breaking News, Saddam has escaped

Breaking News, Saddam has escaped

Birthdays and Celebrations in Heaven

2006-11-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

Today Jess, "The Jester", would be eight years old. As with each birthday and anniversary, I asked God to help me honor this special day. When I awoke this morning there was a gift from Rome, an emailed prayer, awaiting me. Longing to be here to be with me on this day, as a special gift, Mike wrote this prayer, an outpouring of his heart. He did not write it for the blog, he wrote it for me, for Jess, for Mycol and Austin, but with his permission, I am sharing this very personal, very precious gift:

Dear Lord,

Would you please tell Jessie Happy Birthday for her Mother and I. We want her to know we miss her and love her. We long for and cannot wait until that glorious day in which her Mommy gets to hold her once again. I long for that day in which I get to meet her for the first time, the little adventurer. We are planning a Birthday celebration for her in our hearts and wanted her to know how much she means to us.

Separation is so difficult and we do not understand why except that in the end, you Father, will be glorified by it all. It does not mean we won't hurt, it does not mean we won't suffer, it only mean that we are allowed to have a deeper relationship with you and your Son, Christ Jesus. We know Jessie was so excited to meet him and we also know he was excited to meet her just the same. We know she is safe, in his care, but still miss her. Tell her we will be there when our time of service here on Earth is through, however long that is.

I can see her a far off, as she sees her Mother, and she will come running with wide open arms screaming gleefully at the top of her lungs "Mommy" and Linda will have tears of joy on her face as she runs so fast she is out of breath and they embrace, to the point where you cannot tell one from the other. And then Jessie will take Linda by the hand and pull her along to meet her very special friend that she dearly loves, Jesus. There she will find not only Christ, but Mycol and Austin both beaming with joy to see her. There she will once again be reunited with her family at long last. And they will all be joined by other family members. Members of the family of God. What a glorious day that will be Lord.

So please pass our Birthday wishes on to Jessie and tell Mycol and Austin we love them and miss them too. We ask these things in your Son Jesus' Holy Name.

Amen

*********************************************************************************** It was sometime last week I received an email inviting family members to attend the baptism of Chase, the eleven-year-old son of one of Mycol's cousins. My initial thought was I'm not going to let anything interfere with my Jessie Day. But as the week went on, the Holy Spirit reminded me that with each soul who accepts God's offer of eternal life there is rejoicing in Heaven; Jessie is celebrating in Heaven with Jesus, her cousin has committed his life to Christ. While we cannot celebrate her birthday in the way we would like to, on the celebration of her earthly birthday she is celebrating in Heaven. And what better way to celebrate with her? I can picture her leading the angels in rejoicing, holding hands with Jesus, excited because she knows what it all means, what Chase's decision means.

The above photo was taken during Chase's baptism. Although I don't have the best camera for distance, I'm sure you get the point.

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