My year was made this week as WP (Will Parker) called to tell me that he had accepted Jesus into his heart, and that he got saved. He said "Pappy, I will never go to Hell, I will always be in Heaven." And I said, "That is absolutely right WP, and Hallelujah!"
He had received the ultimate Christmas present. The free gift.
Tomorrow is a mystery, with nothing known nor guaranteed. Yesterday is in the history books; never to be repeated, and whatever did happen can never be repeated. Today is the present. The only thing that we have to live for. We can't live in the past, we can only dream of the future; but we must live in the present.
The present. Present as in today, and present as in a gift. What a perfect allegory for Jesus. He came to earth to be born, which we celebrate today, so that He may present himself as our gift. Our free gift into Heaven. As you exchange presents today, think about the free gift that Jesus gave to each one of us. It is not earned, nor deserved. We simply have to ask for it, and it is free for the taking.
WP now owns his fire insurance for life at age 8, and as he grows and matures into a young man, I have complete confidence and belief that Jesus will also become his Lord too, in addition to his Saviour.
Jesus Christ, Lord and Saviour. Thank you Jesus for adding to the heritage of our family this week.
I am such a blessed man. Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Books
This year, for the 2nd year in a row, the total number of books that I read throughout the year dropped. This time to only 17 books read for the year. I love to read, though I just do not make enough time to do it. I remember not to many years ago exceeding 50 books a year, but that is now more than my combined total for the last 2 years.
I am announcing here, today, that I am going to write a book, a novel. I do not know the title, or the whole story, but I have a few pages of ideas. Page 1 is complete, only 400 pages left to go. How long will it take to write the other 400 pages? Who knows; maybe 1 year, maybe 5 years, but I will.
I've never written a book before, though with the length of some of my blogs; a few of you think that I have. I anticipate the real challenge to be in getting the book published. Stay tuned for updates ~
From only 17 books to choose from, it was somewhat difficult to cull through and deem 10 of them worthy for my yearly top 10 of reading.
10. Then Again, by Diane Keaton. A very enjoyable auto-biography. I liked it because I like her as an Actress; though I do not like her as an Activist.
09. The Informationist, by Taylor Stevens. This is her first book. It is a quick read, a thriller paced along the lines of 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'. Taylor's story is inspirational, as she was raised in a cult from which she escaped, and only educated through the 6th grade. To now be an author, she has made quite the life changing turn around.
08. Never Trust A Liberal Over Age 3, by Ann Coulter. This is my least favorite of Ann's books, as there is really nothing new that has not already been said many times over in her previous 7 books. But, it was a fun book, full of politically righteous venom.
07. Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell. This was a fascinating book about how we think, how we make decisions, and how we do it in a 'blink'. It is one of those type of books that you will want to re-read.
06. Crossroads, by W. Paul Young. This is a Christian based book on faith, and the unseen spirit world. It was hard to put down, and was a very quick read in one day.
05. Killing Patton, by Bill O'Reilly. Hugely entertaining and historical. Astonishing detail with actual battlefield accounts of WW2 for each year of the war. Several depressing parts involving Hitler and Stalin that I skipped over, as the stories of brutality and savagery choked me up. If you love history (as I do), this is a must read.
04. Valley Forge, by Newt Gingrich. Wow, what an amazing book. Excellent writing. To hear the stories about Washington re-created and explained through the winter of 1777; you feel as you are living through it with them. This is another absolute must read if you love history.
03. Killing Kennedy, by Bill O'Reilly. It is amazing how close Kennedy came to blowing it with the Cuban missile crisis. And had he, it is most likely that today we would either be speaking Russian, or we would have been incinerated faster than the blink of a eye and never reading this blog in the 1st place.
I loved reading again about PT-109 which I did a book report on in 6th grade. If you are offended though by rampant sex, with multiple 100's of acts of infidelity; then it might be hard to read this book as it names names, places, and times. I had always thought that FDR or Clinton were the head philanderer's in chief, and that Kennedy was in 3rd place. After reading this book though, history records that FDR and Clinton are distant 2nd and 3rd places for sexual conquests while in office.
02. Breakout, by Joel Osteen. This is a spiritually uplifting book written in Joel's typical upbeat, smiling, and positive outlook on life kind of way. It is impossible to read this book and not have your spirits lifted, your mind renewed, and your life refreshed.
01. 41, by George W. Bush (43). This is President Bush writing a memoir about his Dad President Bush. It is warm, sincere, gut wrenching with family death, funny, savvy, and chock full or hero's and heritage. It is an incredible journey, and so well written. I loved this book.
~
What were some of your favorite books for '14?
I've already bought my starting inventory of 12 books for '15, and I know without a doubt that at least 3 of them are going to make my top 10 for '15.
Until then....
I am announcing here, today, that I am going to write a book, a novel. I do not know the title, or the whole story, but I have a few pages of ideas. Page 1 is complete, only 400 pages left to go. How long will it take to write the other 400 pages? Who knows; maybe 1 year, maybe 5 years, but I will.
I've never written a book before, though with the length of some of my blogs; a few of you think that I have. I anticipate the real challenge to be in getting the book published. Stay tuned for updates ~
From only 17 books to choose from, it was somewhat difficult to cull through and deem 10 of them worthy for my yearly top 10 of reading.
10. Then Again, by Diane Keaton. A very enjoyable auto-biography. I liked it because I like her as an Actress; though I do not like her as an Activist.
09. The Informationist, by Taylor Stevens. This is her first book. It is a quick read, a thriller paced along the lines of 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'. Taylor's story is inspirational, as she was raised in a cult from which she escaped, and only educated through the 6th grade. To now be an author, she has made quite the life changing turn around.
08. Never Trust A Liberal Over Age 3, by Ann Coulter. This is my least favorite of Ann's books, as there is really nothing new that has not already been said many times over in her previous 7 books. But, it was a fun book, full of politically righteous venom.
07. Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell. This was a fascinating book about how we think, how we make decisions, and how we do it in a 'blink'. It is one of those type of books that you will want to re-read.
06. Crossroads, by W. Paul Young. This is a Christian based book on faith, and the unseen spirit world. It was hard to put down, and was a very quick read in one day.
05. Killing Patton, by Bill O'Reilly. Hugely entertaining and historical. Astonishing detail with actual battlefield accounts of WW2 for each year of the war. Several depressing parts involving Hitler and Stalin that I skipped over, as the stories of brutality and savagery choked me up. If you love history (as I do), this is a must read.
04. Valley Forge, by Newt Gingrich. Wow, what an amazing book. Excellent writing. To hear the stories about Washington re-created and explained through the winter of 1777; you feel as you are living through it with them. This is another absolute must read if you love history.
03. Killing Kennedy, by Bill O'Reilly. It is amazing how close Kennedy came to blowing it with the Cuban missile crisis. And had he, it is most likely that today we would either be speaking Russian, or we would have been incinerated faster than the blink of a eye and never reading this blog in the 1st place.
I loved reading again about PT-109 which I did a book report on in 6th grade. If you are offended though by rampant sex, with multiple 100's of acts of infidelity; then it might be hard to read this book as it names names, places, and times. I had always thought that FDR or Clinton were the head philanderer's in chief, and that Kennedy was in 3rd place. After reading this book though, history records that FDR and Clinton are distant 2nd and 3rd places for sexual conquests while in office.
02. Breakout, by Joel Osteen. This is a spiritually uplifting book written in Joel's typical upbeat, smiling, and positive outlook on life kind of way. It is impossible to read this book and not have your spirits lifted, your mind renewed, and your life refreshed.
01. 41, by George W. Bush (43). This is President Bush writing a memoir about his Dad President Bush. It is warm, sincere, gut wrenching with family death, funny, savvy, and chock full or hero's and heritage. It is an incredible journey, and so well written. I loved this book.
~
What were some of your favorite books for '14?
I've already bought my starting inventory of 12 books for '15, and I know without a doubt that at least 3 of them are going to make my top 10 for '15.
Until then....
Saturday, December 20, 2014
The Diversity of Music
I love music; no shocking revelation there if you know me at all. I blog about it often. My iTunes downloading is not an addiction, but I have become rather prolific at it over the years, and for '14, I just notched my 200th download for the year a few minutes ago.
Movies keep getting worse each year, novels are easier to predict (stay tuned for a blog next week about books), and most TV shows are pure bunk.
Fortunately for me though; I still can find solace, enjoyment, or high wattage satisfaction with so many genre's of music. And not just from today either. Last year, one of my favorite tunes was from 1957. This year, one of my favorites was from 1967, and a few others from the early 70's.
It doesn't matter how old a song is, good music will ALWAYS be good, no matter what year. Amazing Grace was written in 1779; and it's even better today with a big band.
And what about the 1812 Overture? Wow, talk about transcending through the ages. It was written in 1880 by the great Russian composer Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky to commemorate Russia's defense of the motherland against Napoleon's invading Army in 1812.
It has since become a common accompaniment to over-the-top fireworks displays, including those in the USA, and many parts of Europe during Independence Day celebrations. This symphony was also heard prominently in the film 'V for Vendetta' from 2006 in which V blows up government buildings of the future while the 1812 Overture symphony is playing.
Music is trans-generational. Last night on a TIVO'ed Fallon episode I watched Tony Bennett sing a duet with Lady Gaga. Tony is 88 (yes, at age 88 his voice was strong!), and Gaga is 28. And while I did not care for the song, I respected the fact that these 2 artists with 60 years of age separating themselves could relate so well to their 'art'. They truly enjoyed each other's company, and I could also tell that they were having genuine fun. It was not just one song for them; they made an entire album!
My Top 20 for 2014:
20. All I Need Is Love, by the Beatles. ~ Rock.
19. Uncharted, by Sara Bareilles. ~ Pop.
18. Hooked On A Feeling, by Blue Swede. ~ Pop.
17. Never Been Any Reason, by Head East. ~ Rock.
16. Bottoms Up, by Brantley Gilbert. ~ Country.
15. Timber, by Pitbull. ~ Pop.
14. The One I'm Running To, by 7th Time Down. ~ Christian Rock.
13. In The Blink Of An Eye, by Mercy Me. ~ Christian Rock.
12. Beat Of The Music, by Brett Eldridge. ~ Country.
11. This Will Be My Year, by Train. ~ Pop.
10. Alone, Together, by Fall Out Boy. ~ Rock.
09. Born Free, by Kid Rock. ~ Rock.
08. Greater, by Mercy Me. ~ Christian Rock.
07. Ain't It Fun, by Paramore. ~ Pop.
06. The Only Name, by Big Daddy Weave. ~ Christian Rock.
05. It's A Beautiful Day, by Michael Buble'. ~ Pop.
04. My Immortal (the band version), by Evanescense. ~ Rock.
03. I Am A River, by Foo Fighters. ~ Rock.
02. Oceans, by LifeChurch.TV. ~ Christian Pop.
01. The World That He Sees, by Trans Siberian Orchestra. ~ Rock.
What were some of your favorite tunes for 2014?
Please feel free to share; I'm always looking for new great songs!
Movies keep getting worse each year, novels are easier to predict (stay tuned for a blog next week about books), and most TV shows are pure bunk.
Fortunately for me though; I still can find solace, enjoyment, or high wattage satisfaction with so many genre's of music. And not just from today either. Last year, one of my favorite tunes was from 1957. This year, one of my favorites was from 1967, and a few others from the early 70's.
It doesn't matter how old a song is, good music will ALWAYS be good, no matter what year. Amazing Grace was written in 1779; and it's even better today with a big band.
And what about the 1812 Overture? Wow, talk about transcending through the ages. It was written in 1880 by the great Russian composer Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky to commemorate Russia's defense of the motherland against Napoleon's invading Army in 1812.
It has since become a common accompaniment to over-the-top fireworks displays, including those in the USA, and many parts of Europe during Independence Day celebrations. This symphony was also heard prominently in the film 'V for Vendetta' from 2006 in which V blows up government buildings of the future while the 1812 Overture symphony is playing.
Music is trans-generational. Last night on a TIVO'ed Fallon episode I watched Tony Bennett sing a duet with Lady Gaga. Tony is 88 (yes, at age 88 his voice was strong!), and Gaga is 28. And while I did not care for the song, I respected the fact that these 2 artists with 60 years of age separating themselves could relate so well to their 'art'. They truly enjoyed each other's company, and I could also tell that they were having genuine fun. It was not just one song for them; they made an entire album!
My Top 20 for 2014:
20. All I Need Is Love, by the Beatles. ~ Rock.
19. Uncharted, by Sara Bareilles. ~ Pop.
18. Hooked On A Feeling, by Blue Swede. ~ Pop.
17. Never Been Any Reason, by Head East. ~ Rock.
16. Bottoms Up, by Brantley Gilbert. ~ Country.
15. Timber, by Pitbull. ~ Pop.
14. The One I'm Running To, by 7th Time Down. ~ Christian Rock.
13. In The Blink Of An Eye, by Mercy Me. ~ Christian Rock.
12. Beat Of The Music, by Brett Eldridge. ~ Country.
11. This Will Be My Year, by Train. ~ Pop.
10. Alone, Together, by Fall Out Boy. ~ Rock.
09. Born Free, by Kid Rock. ~ Rock.
08. Greater, by Mercy Me. ~ Christian Rock.
07. Ain't It Fun, by Paramore. ~ Pop.
06. The Only Name, by Big Daddy Weave. ~ Christian Rock.
05. It's A Beautiful Day, by Michael Buble'. ~ Pop.
04. My Immortal (the band version), by Evanescense. ~ Rock.
03. I Am A River, by Foo Fighters. ~ Rock.
02. Oceans, by LifeChurch.TV. ~ Christian Pop.
01. The World That He Sees, by Trans Siberian Orchestra. ~ Rock.
What were some of your favorite tunes for 2014?
Please feel free to share; I'm always looking for new great songs!
Friday, December 19, 2014
Making memories with my boys
The boys got out of school prior to lunch today to begin their 17.5 day long winter break, and I wanted to be first in line to claim some much needed 'boy time'. My plans were to take them to Bass Pro and Santa's Village, but to my surprise, they voted on Taco Bueno and the bowling alley instead.
The top picture is classic Will Parker; shy, demure, the patented smirk, and absolutely zero desire to have his picture taken. Just like a few others in this family . . .
Not to miss a beat though, while I was trying to get a decent picture of WP, Spider-Boy Owen had crept up behind me and 'glued' himself to the corner windows. LOUDLY proclaiming for the whole restaurant to hear "Look at me Pappy! I'm Spider-Man!" To the amusement of myself and a few others (which, if you know Owen, that is exactly what he was hoping to achieve), I quickly took a picture of him and applied the magic web solvent to the glass so that we could resume our meal.
There was no way for WP to top o'Mike's artful subterfuge, so we headed to the bowling lanes.
And yes, those are Pajama's that o'Mike is wearing. He was allowed to wear them to school this morning (my how times have changed), and decided he didn't want to put on real clothes when school was out.
Upon entering the alley, o'Mike struts in as if he owns the place and bellows, (while me and WP are 5 steps behind), "Ok, we're going to bowl, play games, eat, and I gotta go poopy." Oh that boy.....
His voice caught the attention of several senior ladies that were bowling, and after we got settled in at our alley, we had 3 different visitors. One brought popcorn for each of the boys, and one other lady (recovering from cancer) came by and loved on both boys for well over 30 minutes.
She was enamored by them, and talked and talked to them, saying that her grandchildren do not live locally. She also saw pics on my phone of Ava and Emma, and nearly started to cry when she saw Emma because she reminded her of one of her own. She is a super sweet lady; I bowl with her league on Thursday afternoons.
The 3rd picture is o'Mike with her wig. He asked if her hair was real, and she said no, and then he asked if he could touch it, and she said yes. One thing leads to the next, and before long, she has her wig off, showing only an 1" of hair left from the chemo; and o'Mike is wearing the wig while he bowls.
And of course, this gets the attention of 2 lovely 20 something young Mom's and their even lovlier young daughters, ages 4, 5, and 6. They were 1 alley away from us, and o'Mike begins to talking to one mom, then the other, all the while while working his way to the 6 year old. They shared some popcorn, and she shared some kind of dip and chips. I said what the heck, why fight fate. I can't keep him from girls. He is a magnet.
With this much o'Mike action taking place, it's hard to concentrate on bowling, but I did ok, rolled a 188, and then a 201; and WP rolled a 69 and a 102. His previous high game was 106 last year, and he needed to spare in the 10th to beat that score, and he knew this too. Amazing little boy with numbers.
WP and o'Mike are about as much alike as Jackie and Angela. Same sex, same set of parents; and the similarities end there. Total opposites.
To end the 3:18 of memories, we ended up in the arcade with fresh hot french fries, Cherry Pepsi, and $25 worth of money on the game card; which vanished quicker than the french fries. WP was Mr. Swish on the basketballs, and Mr. Tony Stewart on the race cars. o'Mike was flying from one corner to the next, and I don't really remember where all he lighted; or if he lit at all.
For his winnings, o'Mike wanted wolverine teeth, and WP wanted candy. Such a fun afternoon.
I love you boys! I love our time together and our memories. I shall cherish them forever.
- Pappy
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