SDM's Keystrokes and Pixels

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T21:16:00.000-08:00

Dec 18th Sunset 2011

2011-12-18T16:07:00.000-08:00

Lake of the Ozarks 12/18/11 Sunset

2011 Awards Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District

2011-12-09T21:38:00.000-08:00

11-11-11 Veteran's Day

2011-11-11T21:18:00.000-08:00

Moon Dancing

2011-11-04T08:04:00.000-07:00

A day is coming soon when:

Revelation 21:23(NKJV) 23The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.

Sunrise on Tree Tops

2011-11-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

Mk 1:35 In the morning, long before sunrise, Jesus went to a place where he could be alone to pray.

Sept Camera Club Photos

2011-09-28T06:26:00.000-07:00

2011 Shootout Time Lapse

2011-08-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

2011 Shootout Poker Run- Lake of the Ozarks

2011-08-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

I happen to be driving this one. (Using my motion sensor camera)

Wind and Fire MC @ Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District

2011-08-25T07:29:00.000-07:00

August 24, 2011 Wind and Fire MC at Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District.

We had a great breakfast gathering, made some new friends, enjoyed having everyone who joined us.

July Camera Club 2011 Photos Part 1

2011-07-26T20:17:00.000-07:00

Some Sunsets at the Lake of the Ozarks

2011-07-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

June 2011

2011-06-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

I Believe

2011-06-12T20:04:00.000-07:00

I believe today will be a good day because God made it. {Psalm 118:24}

I believe I have all I need to accomplish His purpose in my life. {2 Peter 1:3}

I believe nothing is too difficult for me because nothing is impossible for the God who lives in me. {Philippians 4:13}

I believe even the biggest challenges in my life can be redeemed for my good and His glory. {Romans 8:28}

I believe I am loved just as I am and called to become even more like Jesus every day. {Hebrews 10:14}

I believe that He isn't finished with me yet and is able to complete the good work begun in me. {Philippians 1:6}

I believe I am an overcomer, more than a conqueror, and nothing will keep God from carrying out His plans! {Romans 8:32-39}
Can I get an "amen" or a "woo-hoo"?
http://www.holleygerth.com/heart-to-heart-with-holley/2011/5/30/i-believe.html

LOTO Sunset Video

2011-05-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

2011 National Day of Prayer

2011-05-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

2011 April Sunset on the Lake of the Ozarks

2011-05-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

170 Photos TimeLapse taken from rocking dock over 35 minute period.

Easter Story

2011-04-23T06:33:00.000-07:00

Worth the 7 minutes of your life to watch.

Spring Time Lightning/ Hiding

2011-03-28T21:43:00.000-07:00

Grand Canyon

2011-02-25T21:27:00.000-08:00

North Phoenix Area

2011-02-17T21:27:00.000-08:00

Sunrise over Gilbert Riparian

2011-02-04T12:31:00.000-08:00

Birds at Gilbert Riparian

2011-01-25T18:51:00.000-08:00

(Gen 1:20 NLT) And God said, "Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind."

Greatest

2011-01-25T18:31:00.000-08:00

Greatness is a question that was answered but one way by God.

Isn't curious how when the disciples were "discussing" who is the greatest that Jesus didn't rebuke them, rake them over the coals, lecture them, He just gives them the simple answer.

Help others become greater than yourself. Kinda counter-cultural isn't it.

But it is right the right answer.

(Mat 23:11 NLT) The greatest among you must be a servant.

(Mark 9:34-35 NKJV) But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. {35} And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."

(Luke 9:45-48 NLT) But they didn't know what he meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they could not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it. {46} Then there was an argument among them as to which of them would be the greatest. {47} But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side. {48} Then he said to them, "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest."

(Luke 22:24-27 NLT) And they began to argue among themselves as to who would be the greatest in the coming Kingdom. {25} Jesus told them, "In this world the kings and great men order their people around, and yet they are called 'friends of the people.' {26} But among you, those who are the greatest should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. {27} Normally the master sits at the table and is served by his servants. But not here! For I am your servant.

Inspiration for 2011

2011-01-01T18:13:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T08:29:00.000-08:00

Looking for the Wise

2010-12-19T20:07:00.000-08:00

A wise old owl sat in an oak,

The more he heard, the less he spoke;

The less he spoke, the more he heard;

Why aren't we all like that wise old bird? unknown

Saturday night visitor outside our sunroom.

Into the World...by Roy Lessin

2010-12-18T14:17:00.000-08:00

Into the world came...

God's purest Light to show us the way;
God's perfect Savior to free us from sin;
God's tender Shepherd to care for our needs;
God's sure Foundation to make us secure;
God's fullest Joy to give us a song;
God's broken Bread to satisfy our hunger;
God's conquering King to rule in our hearts;
God's healing Fountain to make us whole;
God's highest Purpose to fulfill our longings;
God's quieting Peace to bring us rest;
God's redeeming Love to make us His own.
They will call him Immanuel, which means "God is with us." Matthew 1:23 NLT
-Roy Lessin

December Sunset

2010-12-11T14:23:00.000-08:00

Taken with new Pentax K-X

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T07:09:00.000-08:00

Morning Fog and Early Light

2010-11-18T17:09:00.000-08:00

Knots and Nots Prayer

2010-10-31T17:34:00.000-07:00

2010 Halloween

2010-10-31T17:25:00.000-07:00

God carves a Cloud Jack-0-Lantern

Then He paints the sky!

Mid-County Fire Protection District- House fire in Linn Creek Arm

2010-10-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

More Fall Photos

2010-10-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Fall at the Lake

2010-10-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

Moon Setting in the West

Sunrise Fog

Great Thoughts

2010-10-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

Tom Morris
"Why do so many people lead lives that feel out of control?
The greatest case of mistaken identity in modern society relates to the four marks of public success: money, power, fame, and status. I have no problem with money, power, fame, or status -- as long as they're treated as resources, rather than as goals in themselves. But that's precisely the problem for most people -- and that's why it's so hard for people to answer the question "How much is enough?" If acquiring money or fame is your goal, how do you know when you have enough? Everyone I know who has a little wants more. But everyone I know who has a lot also wants more."

(Heb 13:5 NKJV) Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

September Summary of Photos

2010-10-03T07:34:00.000-07:00

If it doesn't load automatically press click link: http://picasaweb.google.com/revsdm/1009club?authkey=Gv1sRgCKiI8J7n7o7OdQ&feat=directlink

Firefighter Wedding

2010-10-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

September 25, 2010 Jim and Corrine Fulkerson Wedding

Full Fall Moon Rising over the Lake of the Ozarks

2010-09-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

"Never Forget"

2010-09-11T15:18:00.000-07:00

Sunrise Beach Bridge to Fog

2010-08-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

Make it more than a thought...

2010-08-08T21:11:00.001-07:00

Libby eaten by Large Fish

2010-08-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

Enjoying the weekend at Big Cedar Lodge in Branson when suddenly out jumped this very large bass...

Willa the Firefighter

2010-07-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

God and You

2010-07-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

July 4th Highlights

2010-07-15T21:24:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day

2010-05-30T21:02:00.000-07:00

Remember the price of the day!

National Day of Prayer 2010 Proclamation

2010-05-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

THE WHITE HOUSE

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, 2010

- – - – - – -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Throughout our history, whether in times of great joy and thanksgiving, or in times of great challenge and uncertainty, Americans have turned to prayer. In prayer, we have expressed gratitude and humility, sought guidance and forgiveness, and received inspiration and assistance, both in good times and in bad.

On this day, let us give thanks for the many blessings God has bestowed upon our Nation. Let us rejoice for the blessing of freedom both to believe and to live our beliefs, and for the many other freedoms and opportunities that bring us together as one Nation. Let us ask for wisdom, compassion, and discernment of justice as we address the great challenges of our time.

We are blessed to live in a Nation that counts freedom of conscience and free exercise of religion among its most fundamental principles, thereby ensuring that all people of goodwill may hold and practice their beliefs according to the dictates of their consciences. Prayer has been a sustaining way for many Americans of diverse faiths to express their most cherished beliefs, and thus we have long deemed it fitting and proper to publicly recognize the importance of prayer on this day across the Nation.

Let us remember in our thoughts and prayers those suffering from natural disasters in Haiti, Chile, and elsewhere, and the people from those countries and from around the world who have worked tirelessly and selflessly to render aid. Let us pray for the families of the West Virginia miners, and the people of Poland who so recently and unexpectedly lost many of their beloved leaders. Let us pray for the safety and success of those who have left home to serve in our Armed Forces, putting their lives at risk in order to make the world a safer place. As we remember them, let us not forget their families and the substantial sacrifices that they make every day. Let us remember the unsung heroes who struggle to build their communities, raise their families, and help their neighbors, for they are the wellspring of our greatness. Finally, let us remember in our thoughts and prayers those people everywhere who join us in the aspiration for a world that is just, peaceful, free, and respectful of the dignity of every human being.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 6, 2010, as a National Day of Prayer. I call upon the citizens of our Nation to pray, or otherwise give thanks, in accordance with their own faiths and consciences, for our many freedoms and blessings, and I invite all people of faith to join me in asking for God’s continued guidance, grace, and protection as we meet the challenges before us.

Today

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

2010 Easter Sunset

2010-04-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

I vote Easter Sunset Services...

“a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (I Peter 1:3)

What in the World is going, Probably Not What You Think

2010-03-25T08:44:00.001-07:00

What is God trying to do in your life that you are not aware of?

Jacob: ladder, Angels, God was here and I didn't even know it.
(Gen 28:16 NKJV) Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said,
"Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it."

Road to Emmaus- Heart burned.
(Luke 24:32 NKJV) And they said to one another,
"Did not our heart burn within us while He talked
with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?"

Moses to the people. Stand still and see the salvation.
(Exo 14:13 NKJV) And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid.
Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD,
which He will accomplish for you today.
For the Egyptians whom you see today,
you shall see again no more forever.

Elisha to his servant- Lord open his eyes that he might see.
(2 Ki 6:17 NKJV) And Elisha prayed, and said, "LORD, I pray, open his eyes
that he may see." Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man,
and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and
chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Waking the Dead: John Eldredge (Book quotes and paraphased)

The lesson the whole Bible is trying to get across--
begins with the simple truth:
Things are not what they seem.

There is more going on here than meets the eye.
Far more.
That is Eternal Truth Number One"
Eternal Truth Number Two: This is a world at war.
Daniel 10:1-3 3 weeks of prayer and no answer.
What is going on?
Am I missing something?
Is God mad at me for something?
God is holding out on me for a some reason?
I must be blowing it.
Then the rest of the story comes on day 21.
Delay because of a fierce battle in heavenly places between good and evil.
Third eternal truth: We have a crucial role to play.
Shepherd boy slays giant. (David)
Farmer performs miracles (Elisha)
Fisherman walks on water (Peter)
Peasant leads rebellion (Gideon)

You are not what you think you are.
(And God is probably not doing what you think.)"
The story of your life is the story of the long and
brutual assault on your heart
by the one who knows
what you could be and fears it."

Coffee Cup Lives

2010-03-04T08:22:00.000-08:00

Life is so much more than just living from day to day.
Do something today that will make a difference for eternity.
A recent challenge in my daily reading was:

"What are you going to do today that requires faith?"

Just some thoughts...

Don't Quit Poem

2010-03-03T14:26:00.000-08:00

2 Pains

2010-02-28T17:45:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite quotes from Jim Rohn.

Mountains

2010-02-18T21:35:00.000-08:00

Some mountains you just have to go around.

Do buildings really matter?

2010-02-14T13:36:00.000-08:00

Focus

2010-02-01T11:03:00.001-08:00

Don't lose focus of the important things of life.

Principle vs Experience

2010-02-01T08:32:00.000-08:00

Oswald Chambers:
GETTING THERE

"Come ye after Me." Mark 1:17

One of the greatest hindrances in coming to Jesus is the excuse of temperament. We make our temperament and our natural affinities barriers to coming to Jesus. The first thing we realize when we come to Jesus is that He pays no attention whatever to our natural affinities. We have the notion that we can consecrate our gifts to God. You cannot consecrate what is not yours; there is only one thing you can consecrate to God, and that is your right to yourself (Romans 12:1). If you will give God your right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you. God's experiments always succeed. The one mark of a saint is the moral originality which springs from abandonment to Jesus Christ. In the life of a saint there is this amazing wellspring of original life all the time; the Spirit of God is a well of water springing up, perennially fresh. The saint realizes that it is God Who engineers circumstances, consequently there is no whine, but a reckless abandon to Jesus.

Never make a principle out of your experience; let God be as original with other people as He is with you.

If you abandon to Jesus, and come when He says "Come," He will continue to say "Come" through you; you will go out into life reproducing the echo of Christ's "Come." That is the result in every soul who has abandoned and come to Jesus.

Have I come to Jesus? Will I come now? "

Yesterday at church there were 20 fresh salvations by the second service, while 30 people were being baptized. It is great when principle and experience meet in a life.

Sunday Drive

2010-01-25T10:28:00.000-08:00

Lightning in the Desert

2010-01-14T10:27:00.000-08:00

Phoenix had a thunderstorm 1/13/2010

(Mat 24:27 NKJV) "For as the lightning comes
from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Mesa Sunset

2010-01-12T22:26:00.001-08:00

Having Your Best Year Yet

2010-01-02T07:54:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year, 2010.

Does that even seem possible?
Well, 2010 is here, what are you going to do with it?
Or maybe the thought might be what is 2010 going to do with me.

(3 John 1:2 NKJV) Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Get things in the right order is what New Years Resolutions are all about.
Making a list to prioritize your life, your goal, your health, your road map of life.

John tells us that he had a prayer for others that was more like a New Years revelation.
That people like you and me would put first things first.
That jobs, mortgages, schooling, bank accounts, credit debit, groceries, and the like are secondary items to how our soul is doing. You can have a worldly prosperity that is meaningless.

But how is your soul doing?

Let 2010 be a prosperous year for your soul and all the rest will take its proper place.

The prayer, like a resolution, states that John's desire for the readers of his letter is that their soul's prosperity be the baseline for their health, their doings, occupations, families, and even their earthly goods.

(Psa 37:23 NKJV) The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.

What steps do you plan to take in 2010, for your soul to prosper?

Ice Show

2009-12-30T06:51:00.000-08:00

Click here to see what some people do with ice that is amazing.

45 Lessons in Life

2009-12-25T20:54:00.000-08:00

As 2010 approaches, many of us will find ourselves reflecting on last year, writing New Year’s resolutions and wondering what the coming year has in store for us.

To celebrate growing older, Regina Brett once compiled this list of the 45 lessons life taught her. Her list was originally published in her column for Cleveland’s Plain Dealer. It’s the most requested column she’s ever written. The sentiments and majestic photographs presented in these slides are a moving reminder of what is truly important in our life.

Click here to view the presentation.

We wish you and your family Blessings for the New Year.

2009 Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District Slideshow

2009-12-24T21:17:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T18:12:00.001-08:00

Christian One Liners

2009-12-19T17:44:00.000-08:00

Christian One Liners

Don't let your worries get the best of you;
Remember, Moses started out as a basket case.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited
Until you try to sit in their pews.

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Many folks want to serve God,
But only as advisers.

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It is easier to preach ten sermons
Than it is to live one.

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The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose,
But mosquitoes come close.

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When you get to your wit's end,
You'll find God lives there.

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People are funny; they want the front of the bus,
Middle of the road,
And back of the church.

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Opportunity may knock once,
But temptation bangs on the front door forever.

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Quit griping about your church;
If it was perfect, you couldn't belong.

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If a church wants a better pastor,
It only needs to pray for the one it has.

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We're called to be witnesses, not lawyers or Judges.

Some minds are like concrete
Thoroughly mixed up and permanently set..

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Peace starts with a smile.

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I don't know why some people change churches;
What difference does it make which one you stay home from?

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A lot of church members singing 'Standing on the Promises'
Are just sitting on the premises.

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Be ye fishers of men. You catch 'em - He'll clean 'em.

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Stop, Drop, and Roll won't work in Hell.

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Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.

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Don't put a question mark where God put a period.

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Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.

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Forbidden fruits create many jams.

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God doesn't call the qualified,
He qualifies the called.

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God grades on the cross, not the curve.

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God loves everyone,
But probably prefers 'fruits of the spirit' over 'religious nuts!'

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God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. ;

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He who angers you, controls you!

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If God is your Co-pilot, swap seats!

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Prayer:
Don't give God instructions, just report for duty!

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The task ahead of us is never as
great as the Power behind us.

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The Will of God never takes you to where the
Grace of God will not protect you.

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We don't change the message,
The message changes us.

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You can tell how big a person is
By what it takes to discourage him.

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The best mathematical equation I have ever seen:
1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.

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If this blessed you in a profound way today, Share it with a few friends to bless them! I bet someone else will LOVE it too.
There is no greater treasure than a good friend!

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.

Tuesday Night Fire

2009-12-10T20:24:00.001-08:00

What I saw as I pulled up on the scene of trailer fire late Tuesday evening.

Some photos

2009-12-06T18:08:00.001-08:00

Cedar Wax Wing

Willa and a box (What fun)

Out West

2009-11-18T21:39:00.000-08:00

Tombstone Main Street

Cowboy Ten Commandments

1. Just one God.
2. Honor yer Ma & Pa.
3. No telling tales or gossipin’.
4. Git yourself to Sunday meeting.
5. Put nothin’ before God.
6. No foolin’ around with another fellow’s gal.
7. No killin’.
8. Watch yer mouth
9. Don’t take what ain’t yers.
10. Don’t be hankerin’ for yer buddy’s stuff.

Cross Trails Church Fairlie, Texas

Keep'em or else

Shiloh Kai Sellars

2009-11-07T20:52:00.001-08:00

On November 6th, 2009 at 12:55 pm Shiloh Kai Sellars was born to Angela and Jeremy Sellars.

Gen 49:10 ...Until Shiloh comes;

Well guess what, she is here!

Reminder of the days we live in

2009-11-07T20:29:00.000-08:00

Half-Staff Alert! American Flags on federal buildings are to be flown at half-staff until Veterns Day as a tribute to those who lost their lives in the tragedy at Fort Hood.

(2 Tim 3:1 NKJV) But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come.

Photo Trip

2009-10-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

On the Road Again

2009-10-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

On the Road again.

Just got back from Federation of Fire Chaplains Conference

And now we are in Arizona, Sedona area...

We are headed to Mesa next.

Currently sorting about 500 photos.

Lake Sunset

2009-09-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

The sun sets on the 2009 Summer at Lake of the Ozarks.

I love the lake from Labor Day til May 1st;

I tolerate it the rest of the year.

The "Fam"

2009-09-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

No Regrets

2009-09-21T18:20:00.000-07:00

Great little article sent by a friend:

This is a wonderful piece by Michael Gartner, editor of newspapers large and small and president of NBC News. In 1997, he won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. It is well worth reading, and a few good chuckles are guaranteed. Here goes...
My father never drove a car. Well, that’s not quite right. I should say I never saw him drive a car.
He quit driving in 1927, when he was 25 years old, and the last car he drove was a 1926 Whippet.
“In those days,” he told me when he was in his 90s, “to drive a car you had to do things with your hands, and do things with your feet, and look every which way, and I decided you could walk through life and enjoy it or drive through life and miss it.”
At which point my mother, a sometimes salty Irishwoman, chimed in:
“Oh, bull----!” she said. “He hit a horse.”“Well,” my father said, “there was that, too.”
So my brother and I grew up in a household without a car. The neighbors all had cars—the Kollingses next door had a green 1941Dodge, the VanLaninghams across the street a gray 1936 Plymouth , the Hopsons two doors down a black 1941 Ford—but we had none.
My father, a newspaperman in Des Moines , would take the streetcar to work and, often as not, walk the 3 miles home. If he took the streetcar home, my mother and brother and I would walk the three blocks to the streetcar stop, meet him and walk home together.
My brother, David, was born in 1935, and I was born in 1938, and sometimes, at dinner, we’d ask how come all the neighbors had cars but we had none. “No one in the family drives,” my mother would explain, and that was that.
But, sometimes, my father would say, “But as soon as one of you boys turns 16, we’ll get one.” It was as if he wasn’t sure which one of us would turn 16 first.
But, sure enough , my brother turned 16 before I did, so in 1951 my parents bought a used 1950 Chevrolet from a friend who ran the parts department at a Chevy dealership downtown.
It was a four-door, white model, stick shift, fender skirts, loaded with everything, and, since my parents didn’t drive, it more or less became my brother’s car.
Having a car but not being able to drive didn’t bother my father, but it didn’t make sense to my mother.
So in 1952, when she was 43 years old, she asked a friend to teach her to drive. She learned in a nearby cemetery, the place where I learned to drive the following year and where, a generation later, I took my two sons to practice driving. The cemetery probably was my father’s idea. “Who can your mother hurt in the cemetery?” I remember him saying more than once.
For the next 45 years or so, until she was 90, my mother was the driver in the family. Neither she nor my father had any sense of direction, but he loaded up on maps—though they seldom left the city limits—and appointed himself navigator. It seemed to work.
Still, they both continued to walk a lot. My mother was a devout Catholic, and my father an equally devout agnostic, an arrangement that didn’t seem to bother either of them through their 75 years of marriage.
(Yes, 75 years, and they were deeply in love the entire time.)
He retired when he was 70, and nearly every morning for the next 20 years or so, he would walk with her the mile to St. Augustin’s Church.
She would walk down and sit in the front pew, and he would wait in the back until he saw which of the parish’s two priests was on duty that morning. If it was the pastor, my father then would go out and take a 2-mile walk, meeting my mother at the end of the service and walking her home.
If it was the assistant pastor, he’d take just a 1-mile walk and then head back to the church. He called the priests “Father Fast” and “Father Slow.”
After he retired, my father almost always accompanied my mother whenever she drove anywhere, even if he had no reason to go along. If she were going to the beauty parlor, he’d sit in the car and read, or go take a stroll or, if it was summer, have her keep the engine running so he could listen to the Cubs game on the radio. In the evening, then, when I’d stop by, he’d explain: “The Cubs lost again. The millionaire on second base made a bad throw to the millionaire on first base, so the multimillionaire on third base scored.”

If she were going to the grocery store, he would go along to carry the bags out—and to make sure she loaded up on ice cream. As I said, he was always the navigator, and once, when he was 95 and she was 88 and still driving, he said to me, “Do you want to know the secret of a long life?”
“I guess so,” I said, knowing it probably would be something bizarre.
“No left turns,” he said.
“What?” I asked.
“No left turns,” he repeated. “Several years ago, your mother and I read an article that said most accidents that old people are in happen when they turn left in front of oncoming traffic.
As you get older, your eyesight worsens, and you can lose your depth perception, it said. So your mother and I decided never again to make a left turn.”
“What?” I said again.
“No left turns,” he said. “Think about it. Three rights are the same as a left, and that’s a lot safer. So we always make three rights.”
“You’re kidding!” I said, and I turned to my mother for support.
“No,” she said, “your father is right. We make three rights. It works.”
But then she added: “Except when your father loses count.”
I was driving at the time, and I almost drove off the road as I started laughing.
“Loses count?” I asked.
“Yes,” my father admitted, “that sometimes happens. But it’s not a problem. You just make seven rights, and you’re okay again.”
I couldn’t resist. “Do you ever go for 11?” I asked.
“No,” he said “ If we miss it at seven, we just come home and call it a bad day. Besides, nothing in life is so important it can’t be put off another day or another week.”
My mother was never in an accident, but one evening she handed me her car keys and said she had decided to quit driving. That was in 1999, when she was 90.
She lived four more years, until 2003. My father died the next year, at 102.
They both died in the bungalow they had moved into in 1937 and bought a few years later for $3,000. (Sixty years later, my brother and I paid $8,000 to have a shower put in the tiny bathroom—the house had never had one. My father would have died then and there if he knew the shower cost nearly three times what he paid for the house.)
He continued to walk daily—he had me get him a treadmill when he was 101 because he was afraid he’d fall on the icy sidewalks but wanted to keep exercising—and he was of sound mind and sound body until the moment he died.
One September afternoon in 2004, he and my son went with me when I had to give a talk in a neighboring town, and it was clear to all three of us that he was wearing out, though we had the usual wide-ranging conversation about politics and newspapers and things in the news.
A few weeks earlier, he had told my son, “You know, Mike, the first hundred years are a lot easier than the second hundred.” At one point in our drive that Saturday, he said, “You know, I’m probably not going to live much longer.”
“You’re probably right,” I said.
“Why would you say that?” He countered, somewhat irritated.
“Because you’re 102 years old,” I said.
“Yes,” he said, “you’re right.” He stayed in bed all the next day.
That night, I suggested to my son and daughter that we sit up with him through the night.
He appreciated it, he said, though at one point, apparently seeing us look gloomy, he said:
“I would like to make an announcement. No one in this room is dead yet”
An hour or so later, he spoke his last words:
“I want you to know,” he said, clearly and lucidly, “that I am in no pain. I am very comfortable. And I have had as happy a life as anyone on this earth could ever have.”
A short time later, he died.
I miss him a lot, and I think about him a lot. I’ve wondered now and then how it was that my family and I were so lucky that he lived so long.
I can’t figure out if it was because he walked through life, Or because he quit taking left turns. “
Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
So love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the one’s who don’t.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a chance, take it & if it changes your life, let it.
Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would most likely be worth it.”

Been A While

2009-09-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I blogged.

But now I have stocked up, so here we go.

This poem was my closing for Sunday School last week which was on Psalm 9.

Poem shared with me by Terri Miears:
I asked God to take away my pride, and God said no.
He said it was not for Him to take away but for me to give up.
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole, and God said,
“No, her spirit is already whole. Her body is only temporary.”
I asked God to grant me patience, and God said no.
He said that patience is the by-product of tribulation.
It isn’t granted; it’s earned.
I asked God to give me happiness; God said no.
He said He gives blessing; happiness is up to me.
I asked God to spare me pain, and God said no.
He said I must grow on my own, but he will prune me in order to make me fruitful.
I asked God if he loved me, and God said yes.
He gave me his only Son who died for me, and I will be in heaven someday because I believe.
I asked God to help me love others as much as he loves me, and God said,
“Ahhhh, finally! Now you have the idea.”

OH, and by the way, don't shipwreck your life.

(52' SeaRay on the shore,

probably a million dollar boat,

just made one wrong turn at night.)

In God We Trust

2009-07-07T11:32:00.001-07:00

On this past Sunday my pastor preached on this very subject.

In God We Trust

(Jer 17:5-7 NKJV) Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD. {6} For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited. {7} "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD.

An interesting and timely statement was made by Pastor Bob:

"What the United States of America needs is a revival of a healthy fear of God."

(Note: the quotes are what I heard, which may or may not be what he said, either directly or indirectly. But isn't that what preaching and listening are really about.)

Where is this great land of freedom headed?
What will our children's children know of God and His Hand upon this land?

Who will take up the task of living out the motto of the USA (In God We Trust) in tangible ways that are influencers, not being influenced?

OH, that America would really trust God!

In God We Trust is the official motto of the United States. The motto first appeared on a United States coin in 1864 during strong Christian sentiment emerging during the Civil War, but In God We Trust did not become the official U.S. national motto until after the passage of an Act of Congress in 1956. It is codified as federal law in the United States Code at 36 U.S.C. § 302, which provides: "In God we trust" is the national motto".

If each American believed and lived with trust in God, the motto wouldn't be challenged; but affirmed.

Make trusting God more than something on a coin in your pocket.

See this link for his blog about his sermon: http://aubuchon.wordpress.com/2009/07/07/trust-now-trust-always/

Summer Place Condo Fire

2009-06-18T06:05:00.000-07:00

June 16, 2009 6:26 am

Lake of the Ozarks

36MM

Summer Place Condo off of 5-58

View from Hurricane Deck Bridge

Lightning Struck Building

Exposure Protection

Some Photos

2009-06-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

Going Back Home

2009-05-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

Going Back Home: Tribute to Betty Mae Koehler, My Mother
Going back home on Monday evening was not the same as other times or will it ever be the same. You see I had received "the call" from my brother Dana that our mother had died.
Going back home for as along as I can remember had for the most part always been a good thing. Oh there were a few times in my early years that going home was dreaded. If I had as child had over extended my boundaries, whether geographically or by time, there was a price to pay upon arriving back home. Those times were exception and not the rule.
As time past and circumstances changed, so did the times of going back home. The transformation from child to parent of my own might there was trips to "Grandma Betty's” house for Sunday dinners and Holidays like Christmas.
Since moving to the Lake of the Ozarks going back home has become more of a visit. Treated more like a guest than a son, no chores to do, no curfews, no schedules to keep. Well, even now and then was a “to-do list”
But this time, this trip, the 180 miles, the 3 1/2 hours, was not the same. She wasn't going to be there, not this time or any time in the future. As memories flood the mind, miles are traveled, and thoughts abound.
Mothers are curious lot. They are:
Molders of young lives, shapers of future adults,teachers of shoe tying and kite flying, nurturers of minds and bodies, nurses to hurts and wounds (both physical and mental).
They are providers of security and shelter, counselors of broken hearts, instructors of life and death, role models to follow and emulate,
Cooks of favorite foods in that special way,
seamstress and menders of both clothing and hurts,
chauffeurs without pay, driving instructors,
encouragers of talents and dreams,
warners of dangers and snares,
shoulders of comfort and peace, eyes of approval and reproof.
You don't really need a conscience, you just need to remember "Mom will find out."
Multi-talented: my mother knew how to use a yard stick for more than measuring things. (I hated trips to county fair where she could gather a new supply)
Bilingual: knowing both what you said and what you meant, knowing fact from fable.
Along the miles of this evening travels my mind rehearsed, reversed and relived many memories of my 58 years of knowing my mother was always there: back home.
Cherish the moments you have with each other.
Moms are wiser than Solomon, having all knowledge because it is always said "Just ask mom, she'll know the answer."
She knows where the lost sock is or mislaid ball glove can be found,
“Have you seen my (fill-in the blank) and mothers have the answer.
I no longer have Mother to be the sounding board for theories,
adventures, and questions of life.
But there was a question, a very serious question, a very important question,
that I knew my mother had answered correctly.
It is the same question that each person alive must answer at some point in their life.
Jesus asked the question of woman at the well.
(John 11:25-26 NKJV) Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. {26} "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
Mom's answer was yes. She believed in Jesus Christ as her Savior.
I pray that is yours also.

National Day of Prayer 2009

2009-05-07T19:26:00.000-07:00

I pray you found yourself participating today in the National Day of Prayer.

Here is the prayer I offered at the Westlake Ministerial Alliance Host Site, Lake West Christian Academy in Sunrise Beach, MO.

Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District and Gravois Fire Protection District both brought their new 100' plus ladder trucks and flew the flag between them over the main entrance.

I was asked to pray for the Emergency Service Personnel.

2009 National Day of Prayer
(Judg 6:12 NKJV) And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, "The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!"

Mighty men and women of valor equal heroes.

That is what God saw in Gideon, a hero.
That is what God sees in those who place others before themselves.

Oh Lord we give
Thanks to the Dedication of Paramedics, EMTs, Firefighters, Police Officers, Law Enforcement Personnel, and 911 Dispatchers:
whether Paid, Career, Volunteer
Whether young or old or in between,
Whether male or female,
Whether rookie or veteran,
To all those who serve our communities unselfishly,
responding to what others are fleeing from,
Putting others lives and welfare ahead of even their own,
I pray for God's blessing to rest upon each one.
Keep them safe in the face of danger,
Let their training and experience lead their actions,
Granting each one wisdom to do the best for all without prejudice,
Reward their families and loved ones with special grace and comfort,
Let each one find restoration and peace in you from the burdens
and stresses of sworn duties to others.
Keep them from harm and injury.
Our first line of homeland security is found in trusting you God.
As these officers defend our homeland and keep us safe,
guard their homes and families, and bring security to household.

Your Word tells us blessed is the peacemaker, bless these who serve.
Your Word tells of the good Samaritan who helped another without regard for personal safety or reward,
who just did what he could for whom he could,
I thank you each emergency services person who gives of themselves for others.
Say a prayer of Protection, Wisdom, Comfort (families), Peace, Burdens and Stress
for those responding to someone’s crisis.

APPRECIATE AND SUPPORT THE LOCAL POLICE
OFFICERS, EMS PARAMEDICS, FIREFIGHTERS, and 911 DISPATCHERS
IN YOUR AREA. ONE DAY THEY'LL PROBABLY BE SAVING YOUR
PROPERTY OR YOUR OWN LIFE. WHEN YOU SEE THEM COMING WITH
LIGHTS FLASHING, MOVE OUT OF THE WAY QUICKLY, and THEN PRAY FOR THEM

Easter 2009

2009-04-12T05:39:00.001-07:00

(Rom 8:10-11 NKJV) And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. {11} But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

The dawning of Easter 2009 took place as I viewed Eastward from my Fort Lauderdale 19th floor observation post.

Another day has begun.

Give God the glory for the Risen Savior of all who believe.

(1 Cor 15:1-6 NLT) Now let me remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then and still do now, for your faith is built on this wonderful message. {2} And it is this Good News that saves you if you firmly believe it--unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. {3} I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me--that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. {4} He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said. {5} He was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles. {6} After that, he was seen by more than five hundred of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died by now.

Florida Trip

2009-04-10T07:27:00.001-07:00

Good Friday

2009-04-10T07:05:00.000-07:00

The term or of the two words together on a day that is remembered for the events that took place has always intrigued or confounded me.

Good- Having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

Friday- The sixth day of the week; the fifth working day

I grew up to the abbreviated phrase- TGIF- Thank God its Friday.
For most it had nothing to do with God and more to with the work week drawing to close.
For our Lord and Savior it was His work drawing to a close.
"It is finished"
(Heb 12:1-2 NKJV) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, {2} looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For most enduring is how they would describe their work week, but Jesus is states for the joy that was set before Him.

May God help us to see life as Jesus Christ saw even death.

Have a Good Friday

Quotes for Today

2009-03-14T18:43:00.000-07:00

"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble." -- Helen Keller (1880 - 1968), educator and writer, B&P

"The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to support you long enough to enable you to reach for something higher." -- Thomas Henry Huxley (1825 - 1895), biologist and writer, B&P

"The world has yet to see what God can do with one man totally committed to him." -- Dwight L. Moody

"The mode by which the inevitable comes to pass is effort." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes

"Life affords no higher pleasure than that of surmounting difficulties, passing from one step of success to another, forming new wishes and seeing them gratified." -- Samuel Johnson

"I feel that the greatest reward for doing is the opportunity to do more." -- Jonas Salk

"Death comes to all
But great achievements build a monument
Which shall endure until the sun grows cold." -- Georg Fabricius

"Mere longevity is a good thing for those who watch Life from the side lines. For those who play the game, an hour may be a year, a single day's work an achievement for eternity." -- Gabriel Heatter

"Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait." -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"Every man who is high up loves to think that he has done it all himself; and the wife smiles, and lets it go at that." -- James Matthew Barrie

"Do not attempt to do a thing unless you are sure of yourself; but do not relinquish it simply because someone else is not sure of you." -- Stewart E. White

Ice Light

2009-03-04T19:01:00.000-08:00

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost (1920)
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice.
Is also great
And would suffice.

(Job 37:10 NKJV) By the breath of God ice is given, And the broad waters are frozen.

Why

2009-02-08T18:19:00.000-08:00

The question asked by many, time and time again,
for ages and ages.

Why-Used 430 times in NKJV

God asked Cain: Why?
God asked Abraham: Why?
Jacob asked Laban: Why?
Gideon asked the Angel: Why?
Pharoah asked Moses: Why?
Moses asked God: Why?
God asked Moses: Why?
The Angel asked Balaam: Why?
Balak asked Balaam: Why?
Joshua asked God: Why?
God asked Joshua: Why?
Naomi asked Ruth: Why?
Ruth asked Boaz: Why?
Elkanah asked Hannah: Why?
Eli asked his sons: Why?
Saul asked Samuel: Why?
Samuel asked Saul: Why?
Goliath asked the army: Why?
David asked Saul: Why?
Jesus asked the Pharisees: Why?
The Pharisees asked Jesus: Why?
The disicples asked Jesus: Why?
Jesus asked the disicples: Why?
But when the Son of God asked God: Why?
(Mat 27:46 NKJV) ..., "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
OH, what a question.

Jesus asked Saul (Paul): Why?

And on and on, over and over, the Whys just keep coming.

Why: a question word asking what is the reason.
Why: the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase 'the whys and wherefores'.

As profound as the Why question is, I don't have a profound answer for it.
But I do know the answer is found with God.
God alone so many times knows the answer.
Eternity will reveal many of the unanswered whys of humanity.

(Psa 22:1-8 NKJV) My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? {2} O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent. {3} But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. {4} Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. {5} They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed. {6} But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. {7} All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, {8} "He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!"

"Fairness is an eternal principle, not a temporal one - that's why this life may seem unfair at times, but you can be sure that things will even out in the life to come."
"Why not live today, how you'd like to live tomorrow?"

Chris Edmunds

Reflecting

2009-02-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

A tree reflecting in the lake on calm day.

This picture is my neighbor's dock, encased in icicles reflecting in the Lake of the Ozarks on a very calm day.

(Prov 27:19 NKJV) As in water face reflects face, So a man's heart reveals the man.

What does your heart reveal about you?

Let people see Jesus Christ in you daily.

Full Moon

2009-01-11T14:03:00.000-08:00

1/10/09

Canon SX10

Lights of the Church

2009-01-04T20:43:00.000-08:00

(Mat 5:16 NKJV) "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

If only all of us shined for Him.

2009 Begins

2009-01-01T07:48:00.000-08:00

It is the dawning of a brand new year.

1st Light through the woods.

Happy New Year to all.

"The most successful businessman is the man who holds onto the old just as long as it is good, and grabs the new just as soon as it is better." -- Robert P. Vanderpoel

Look for God to do something

New in 2009.

Christmas Sunrise Sunset 2008

2008-12-26T13:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas Sunrise 2008

Christmas Sunset 2008

Merry Christmas to all

2008-12-25T07:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas Prayer

2008-12-24T17:39:00.000-08:00

A Christmas Prayer

Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus,

that we may share in the song of the angels,

the gladness of the shepherds and the wisdom of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world.

Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings,

and teach us to be merry with clean hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children

and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with

grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake.

Amen

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

Lights of Christmas

2008-12-23T11:38:00.000-08:00

A Pole and Tree

2008-12-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

A couple of recent crashes in

Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District

A pole just jumped out in front of me...

And then

After going off the road on one side and then the other,

it became air born, hitting several several small trees.

Then it impacted a larger tree so hard both rear tires broke off.

Give Thanks

2008-11-27T08:59:00.000-08:00

(Psa 136:1-9 NKJV) Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. {2} Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. {3} Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever: {4} To Him who alone does great wonders, For His mercy endures forever; {5} To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy endures forever; {6} To Him who laid out the earth above the waters, For His mercy endures forever; {7} To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever; {8} The sun to rule by day, For His mercy endures forever; {9} The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever.

Happy Blessed Thanksgiving to all

Westward View Heading East

2008-11-14T07:10:00.001-08:00