My Baby Girl Jolene and I are celebrating our 21st wedding anniversary today. Fittingly, according to the website anniversaryideas.co.uk, there are "no traditional materials or symbols" associated with a 21st wedding anniversary.
That's us, for the most part; not necessarily traditional.
Now the website also noted that the gift themes for the 21st anniversary are items made of nickel and brass, and the gemstone is iolite. That fits us, too. Pretty random.
By the way, what in the world is iolite?
We've enjoyed a wonderful life together, enhanced greatly when we adopted Joel. Like so many other couples, we haven't always had a lot in the way of material things, but that hasn't mattered. God has always provided for our needs and we are thankful for all that the Lord has given us, both spiritual and material blessings.
In typical Andrew and Jolene fashion, we celebrated today by enjoying each other's company during a quiet lunch at her favorite restaurant, The Olive Garden. It was nice.
In many ways, we are complete opposites. She grew up on a farm; I grew up in the 'burbs. She's quiet and thoughtful; I'm a bit of a loudmouth at times. She is frugal; I'm, well, I'm not, to be honest. But she's trying to teach me. It's a process.
Our mutual faith in God has always been the common denominator in our relationship. I was attracted to her by her compassion, a gift from God that she has exercised to be a blessing to many people. That compassion prompted her to reach out to me at a tough time in my life. And I am so thankful to God that He gave her that compassion and used it to bring us together.
Jolene is intelligent and wise, a combination that has kept me out of trouble throughout our marriage. She never busts my chops when I mess up; she gently offers advice and helps to steer me back onto the right path.
Jolene is a wonderful Mommy to Joel. And our little man loves his Mommy with the same passion that she possesses. I love watching them interact, playing, laughing, loving, it's a huge blessing to me.
Twenty-one years of marriage. It hasn't been perfect, but it has been, and always will be, sweet. Just like my Baby Girl. I love you, Jo.
By the way, iolite is a rather obscure, blue gemstone that is mined in India, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Brazil. The Vikings used to use iolite as a navigation tool. Who knew?
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Wanted: Dads
A friend of mine has said that the worst criminal act being perpetrated in America today is the absence of fathers in the home.
Here's the context for his statement. We are facilitators in a mentoring program for male inmates at a state prison in Ohio. The program is called Inside Out Dad with the target audience being men who are fathers, who are near the end of their prison terms.
My friend uses that seemingly shocking statement to challenge the men and make them aware of the reality of their responsibility as fathers. And it's a very effective tool.
Among the ideas we try to communicate to the men in the program is that their families need them, and that when they are released from prison they need to become positive and effective leaders in their homes and communities.
While the men we work with are separated from their families due to their incarceration, far too many of us dads are separated from our families by a variety of man-made barriers. We need to break down those barriers and reacquaint ourselves with our families. We need to be the fathers and husbands that God is calling each of us to become.
Now I don't mean to come across as "preachy." Goodness knows I'm no expert when it comes to being a good father. I'm just another average guy trying to do the best for his family, relying on the Lord to grant me the wisdom and strength I need to walk the road of fatherhood.
Proverbs 22:6 reads, "Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it."
We need fathers who will teach their children how to become productive and positive members of their communities. We need fathers who will commit to being leaders in their homes. We need fathers willing to instill discipline in their children.
Dads, we have a God-given responsibility to do right by our children, and that means providing them with a firm foundation of values that will guide and nurture them throughout their lives.
(For information about Inside Out Dad, visit the National Fatherhood Initiative website at http://www.fatherhood.org/)
Here's the context for his statement. We are facilitators in a mentoring program for male inmates at a state prison in Ohio. The program is called Inside Out Dad with the target audience being men who are fathers, who are near the end of their prison terms.
My friend uses that seemingly shocking statement to challenge the men and make them aware of the reality of their responsibility as fathers. And it's a very effective tool.
Among the ideas we try to communicate to the men in the program is that their families need them, and that when they are released from prison they need to become positive and effective leaders in their homes and communities.
While the men we work with are separated from their families due to their incarceration, far too many of us dads are separated from our families by a variety of man-made barriers. We need to break down those barriers and reacquaint ourselves with our families. We need to be the fathers and husbands that God is calling each of us to become.
Now I don't mean to come across as "preachy." Goodness knows I'm no expert when it comes to being a good father. I'm just another average guy trying to do the best for his family, relying on the Lord to grant me the wisdom and strength I need to walk the road of fatherhood.
Proverbs 22:6 reads, "Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it."
We need fathers who will teach their children how to become productive and positive members of their communities. We need fathers who will commit to being leaders in their homes. We need fathers willing to instill discipline in their children.
Dads, we have a God-given responsibility to do right by our children, and that means providing them with a firm foundation of values that will guide and nurture them throughout their lives.
(For information about Inside Out Dad, visit the National Fatherhood Initiative website at http://www.fatherhood.org/)
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Historical accuracy or the lack thereof
A history lesson from the president. Sort of.
From Real Clear Politics ...
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/03/16/obama_flubs_us_history_--_again_113502.html
From Real Clear Politics ...
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/03/16/obama_flubs_us_history_--_again_113502.html
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Flies in the ointment
When I was a kid, I got beat up by some boys in my neighborhood. The fact that I got my backside kicked wasn't the embarrassing part, though. What was most humiliating was that it happened in my own yard. On top of that, when I went inside to cry on my Mom's shoulder, instead of receiving the "It's all right, baby" treatment, Mom told me if I let those boys beat me up again she was going to administer a whuppin' of her own on me.
It took a while and a couple of more beatdowns, but I finally manned up enough to even the score, and those guys left me alone after I went all Kenny Rogers "Coward of the County" on them.
Yeah, it's not a story that I'll share with my son ... hmmm. Another day, another time.
Anyway, former Speaker of the U.S. House Newt Gingrich probably understands how I felt all those years ago in the wake of his minor meltdown in the Alabama and Mississippi primary elections on Mildly Interesting Tuesday. Gingrich's "Southern Strategy" apparently didn't wash with voters in two southern states that many observers thought would go his way. Basically, Gingrich got beat up in his own yard.
Ugh! Bad memories.
"If he can't win in Alabama or Mississippi, where can he win?" Fox News political analyst Charles Krauthammer deadpanned during the network's primary election coverage on Tuesday night.
Where can Mr. Gingrich win, indeed?
As I look at the remainder of the Republican presidential primary calendar, I don't see an answer to Krauthammer's rhetorical question.
But I think Gingrich and fellow cellar-dweller U.S. Rep. Ron Paul are less concerned about winning the GOP nomination and more concerned about influencing who will eventually win the nomination. Both men, it appears, are relishing the "fly in the ointment" role they find themselves in at the present. Gingrich and Paul will continue to penny, nickel and dime delegates along the road to Tampa, Fla., and the GOP convention, which is set for Aug. 27-30.
If they're still in the race come the last week of August, the convention will look like a remake of Custer's Last Stand. They can't win, but their mere presence in Tampa (where the good life gets better every day) will be enough to irritate the two frontrunners, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.
If all four men are still in the race when GOP convention time rolls around, maybe they should just have a cage match to determine the nominee. Gingrich is already using Hulk Hogan's entrance music at his rallies, so a cage match might not be a big stretch.
This GOP primary race kind of reminds me of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disney World.
Hey, toads like flies right?
It took a while and a couple of more beatdowns, but I finally manned up enough to even the score, and those guys left me alone after I went all Kenny Rogers "Coward of the County" on them.
Yeah, it's not a story that I'll share with my son ... hmmm. Another day, another time.
Anyway, former Speaker of the U.S. House Newt Gingrich probably understands how I felt all those years ago in the wake of his minor meltdown in the Alabama and Mississippi primary elections on Mildly Interesting Tuesday. Gingrich's "Southern Strategy" apparently didn't wash with voters in two southern states that many observers thought would go his way. Basically, Gingrich got beat up in his own yard.
Ugh! Bad memories.
"If he can't win in Alabama or Mississippi, where can he win?" Fox News political analyst Charles Krauthammer deadpanned during the network's primary election coverage on Tuesday night.
Where can Mr. Gingrich win, indeed?
As I look at the remainder of the Republican presidential primary calendar, I don't see an answer to Krauthammer's rhetorical question.
But I think Gingrich and fellow cellar-dweller U.S. Rep. Ron Paul are less concerned about winning the GOP nomination and more concerned about influencing who will eventually win the nomination. Both men, it appears, are relishing the "fly in the ointment" role they find themselves in at the present. Gingrich and Paul will continue to penny, nickel and dime delegates along the road to Tampa, Fla., and the GOP convention, which is set for Aug. 27-30.
If they're still in the race come the last week of August, the convention will look like a remake of Custer's Last Stand. They can't win, but their mere presence in Tampa (where the good life gets better every day) will be enough to irritate the two frontrunners, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.
If all four men are still in the race when GOP convention time rolls around, maybe they should just have a cage match to determine the nominee. Gingrich is already using Hulk Hogan's entrance music at his rallies, so a cage match might not be a big stretch.
This GOP primary race kind of reminds me of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disney World.
Hey, toads like flies right?
Monday, March 12, 2012
Blame game: Look in the mirror
We The People like to complain about our government; how it operates, how it spends our tax dollars, what it does and is not doing correctly, how involved or uninvolved it is or wants to be in our daily lives. In general, we complain about most everything that is government.
We like to complain, but how many of us actually get involved and take responsibility for our government and its actions? After all, government starts and ends with We The People. We choose the individuals who will represent us at the township hall, village building, city hall, school board office, county courthouse, statehouse, governor's mansion, House of Representatives, Senate and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. That's where the White House is located. The President of the United States lives there during that individual's term of office.
Oh, and did I mention that we pay the taxes that fund the government?
March 6 was billed as Super Tuesday for the 2012 election cycle, with ten states holding primary elections and caucuses. But Super Tuesday turned out to be more like Tepid Tuesday at the voting booth, both in Ohio where I live and across the nation.
In the Buckeye State, only 25.35 percent of registered voters went to the polls last Tuesday. Folks in Williams County seemed to be more interested in the primary than anyone else in Ohio. Voter turnout there was a state-best 42.3 percent. The low water mark was reported in Tuscarawas County at 17.98 percent.
Now I know that, historically, even presidential primary elections generally attract fewer voters than the "big show" that's coming up in November. But 25 percent? We can, and should, do better than that, my fellow Ohioans and fellow Americans.
Those of us that say that our government, at all levels, is out of control, but don't even take the 15 or 20 minutes or so that it takes to vote really don't have a stump to stand on and shout from as it pertains to the discussion about government. In general, We The People don't really pay attention to what our government is doing, and there are a lot of politicians who like it that way.
Here's the formula: Uninformed electorate + Good election year media campaign = Reelection even if the politician has done a poor job in office.
We need to wake up, friends. Never in the history of the United States have We The People enjoyed such access to information about what our elected leaders are doing, or supposed to be doing, on our behalf. We're a mouse click away from accessing proposed legislation, how our representatives have voted on legislation, information about candidates, and exchanging information and ideas about all things government.
But how many of us actually take advantage of the many resources that are available to us that will help us keep tabs on what our elected leaders are doing? How many of us even care? By the looks of voter turnout, not too many. We'd rather wait to be spoon-fed by the media, whether it's from a liberal, conservative or whatever kind of viewpoint.
Good grief, we don't even go to local council, county commission or school board meetings, and those things are in our own backyards!
So if you don't like what your government is doing, friends, don't complain to me; just look in the mirror.
We like to complain, but how many of us actually get involved and take responsibility for our government and its actions? After all, government starts and ends with We The People. We choose the individuals who will represent us at the township hall, village building, city hall, school board office, county courthouse, statehouse, governor's mansion, House of Representatives, Senate and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. That's where the White House is located. The President of the United States lives there during that individual's term of office.
Oh, and did I mention that we pay the taxes that fund the government?
March 6 was billed as Super Tuesday for the 2012 election cycle, with ten states holding primary elections and caucuses. But Super Tuesday turned out to be more like Tepid Tuesday at the voting booth, both in Ohio where I live and across the nation.
In the Buckeye State, only 25.35 percent of registered voters went to the polls last Tuesday. Folks in Williams County seemed to be more interested in the primary than anyone else in Ohio. Voter turnout there was a state-best 42.3 percent. The low water mark was reported in Tuscarawas County at 17.98 percent.
Now I know that, historically, even presidential primary elections generally attract fewer voters than the "big show" that's coming up in November. But 25 percent? We can, and should, do better than that, my fellow Ohioans and fellow Americans.
Those of us that say that our government, at all levels, is out of control, but don't even take the 15 or 20 minutes or so that it takes to vote really don't have a stump to stand on and shout from as it pertains to the discussion about government. In general, We The People don't really pay attention to what our government is doing, and there are a lot of politicians who like it that way.
Here's the formula: Uninformed electorate + Good election year media campaign = Reelection even if the politician has done a poor job in office.
We need to wake up, friends. Never in the history of the United States have We The People enjoyed such access to information about what our elected leaders are doing, or supposed to be doing, on our behalf. We're a mouse click away from accessing proposed legislation, how our representatives have voted on legislation, information about candidates, and exchanging information and ideas about all things government.
But how many of us actually take advantage of the many resources that are available to us that will help us keep tabs on what our elected leaders are doing? How many of us even care? By the looks of voter turnout, not too many. We'd rather wait to be spoon-fed by the media, whether it's from a liberal, conservative or whatever kind of viewpoint.
Good grief, we don't even go to local council, county commission or school board meetings, and those things are in our own backyards!
So if you don't like what your government is doing, friends, don't complain to me; just look in the mirror.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Daylight Saving Time ... no worries
So instead of sitting here in my recliner pecking away at the keyboard like a hungry cardinal and whining in writing about "losing" an hour to Daylight Saving Time, I should be curling up on my new memory foam mattress counting dolphins. Right? Right.
Random Thought 1: Yes, dolphins. I grew up in Florida. We didn't have sheep, at least not that I remember.
Tonight we are supposed wind our clocks one hour ahead as Daylight Saving Time begins. And, yes, it is Daylight "Saving" Time, not "Savings". The powers that be who govern this stuff are pretty particular about the name thing from what I hear.
Random Thought 2: Actually, I have no idea if there are Daylight Saving Time powers that be or if they even care about the name.
I give a thumbs down to Daylight Saving Time for "taking" that hour away from me tonight. But that's really all I've got on the so called negative side of this make-believe argument.
On the positive side, I give a hearty thumbs up to Daylight Saving Time for the extra hour of daylight that we'll enjoy over the next several months. We fall back on Nov. 4.
What I'm truly thankful for is the knowledge and assurance that God Almighty, the Creator of the universe and everything we enjoy, has authority over the times and seasons. And the Lord who hung the planets and stars in place holds my life in His hands. Is there anything that I really need to worry about?
Random Thought 1: Yes, dolphins. I grew up in Florida. We didn't have sheep, at least not that I remember.
Tonight we are supposed wind our clocks one hour ahead as Daylight Saving Time begins. And, yes, it is Daylight "Saving" Time, not "Savings". The powers that be who govern this stuff are pretty particular about the name thing from what I hear.
Random Thought 2: Actually, I have no idea if there are Daylight Saving Time powers that be or if they even care about the name.
I give a thumbs down to Daylight Saving Time for "taking" that hour away from me tonight. But that's really all I've got on the so called negative side of this make-believe argument.
On the positive side, I give a hearty thumbs up to Daylight Saving Time for the extra hour of daylight that we'll enjoy over the next several months. We fall back on Nov. 4.
What I'm truly thankful for is the knowledge and assurance that God Almighty, the Creator of the universe and everything we enjoy, has authority over the times and seasons. And the Lord who hung the planets and stars in place holds my life in His hands. Is there anything that I really need to worry about?
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
"Wedding Crashers" fall short or Romney rallies
Well, it looks like there's some cake left over after all in the aftermath of the Ohio Republican presidential primary. The "Wedding Crashers" Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman made a dent, but didn't do enough to totally derail the primary.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has been declared the winner of the GOP primary in the Buckeye State, but it was no easy task. Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum was the people's choice in Ohio's rural counties -- winning in 69 of the state's 88 counties -- but the bigger population centers in the Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton, and Akron areas came through for Romney in the end.
Perry and Huntsman collected nearly 14,000 votes between them on Super Tuesday. The spread between Romney and Santorum was about 12,000 votes.
I'd like to pick the brains of the folks who supported Perry and Huntsman even though both men have been out of the race for the past month or so. Who are those folks and why did they vote the way they did?
Gotta love politics.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has been declared the winner of the GOP primary in the Buckeye State, but it was no easy task. Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum was the people's choice in Ohio's rural counties -- winning in 69 of the state's 88 counties -- but the bigger population centers in the Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton, and Akron areas came through for Romney in the end.
Perry and Huntsman collected nearly 14,000 votes between them on Super Tuesday. The spread between Romney and Santorum was about 12,000 votes.
I'd like to pick the brains of the folks who supported Perry and Huntsman even though both men have been out of the race for the past month or so. Who are those folks and why did they vote the way they did?
Gotta love politics.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Perry & Huntsman: Ohio's GOP "Wedding Crashers"
All right, I didn't see this one coming. Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman are going to determine who wins the Ohio Republican presidential primary.
Huh?
Zoiks!?!
Eh?
As of 11:51 p.m., Perry and Huntsman had secured between them 13,339 votes, or 2 percent of the total votes cast in Ohio on Super Tuesday, which is soon to be Moderately Okay Wednesday.
Currently, the spread between frontrunners Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum is about 7,000 votes, or about 1 percentage point.
So, in effect, Perry and Huntsman are the "Wedding Crashers" of the Ohio GOP primary.
Hope they leave some cake for the rest of us.
Huh?
Zoiks!?!
Eh?
As of 11:51 p.m., Perry and Huntsman had secured between them 13,339 votes, or 2 percent of the total votes cast in Ohio on Super Tuesday, which is soon to be Moderately Okay Wednesday.
Currently, the spread between frontrunners Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum is about 7,000 votes, or about 1 percentage point.
So, in effect, Perry and Huntsman are the "Wedding Crashers" of the Ohio GOP primary.
Hope they leave some cake for the rest of us.
Rural vs. Urban
It's 11:16 p.m. as I write this and it looks like former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney might rally to win the Ohio Republican presidential primary after trailing for most of the night. His surge is due in large part to support from voters in the Buckeye State's larger, urban and suburban areas.
Random Thought 1: I still don't hear the fat lady warming up.
Anyway, Romney now leads former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum by about 4,000 votes with 88 percent of the state's voting precincts reporting.
But if you take a look at the county-by-county results, Santorum stands to win 66 of Ohio's 88 counties. Granted, most of the counties Santorum is winning are rural counties, while Romney is winning in the larger population centers of Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Dayton, Akron, and the like. That's not a surprise, since Santorum's sort of grassroots approach was likely to play much better in rural communities than Romney's more slick, big city image.
Okay, it's 11:23 p.m., fellas. Do you know where your delegates are?
By the way, Texas Gov. Rick Perry now has about 7,000 votes and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman is up to about 6,000 votes in Ohio.
Random Thought 1: I still don't hear the fat lady warming up.
Anyway, Romney now leads former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum by about 4,000 votes with 88 percent of the state's voting precincts reporting.
But if you take a look at the county-by-county results, Santorum stands to win 66 of Ohio's 88 counties. Granted, most of the counties Santorum is winning are rural counties, while Romney is winning in the larger population centers of Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Dayton, Akron, and the like. That's not a surprise, since Santorum's sort of grassroots approach was likely to play much better in rural communities than Romney's more slick, big city image.
Okay, it's 11:23 p.m., fellas. Do you know where your delegates are?
By the way, Texas Gov. Rick Perry now has about 7,000 votes and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman is up to about 6,000 votes in Ohio.
Too close to call
As I write this, election analysts in Ohio say the Republican presidential primary race is still too close to call. Well, it's 10:38 p.m., people, get the votes counted already!
I'm kidding, of course. Having worked in the news industry for many years and having covered many elections, I know the folks at the local boards of elections work pretty hard on an election day; check that, extremely hard.
According to the Ohio Secretary of State's website, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum is leading former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney by just 1 percentage point, 38 percent to 37 percent.
Observation of the Obvious: That's pretty tight, fella.
Former Speaker of the U.S. House Newt Gingrich is a way-back third and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul is running fourth.
Bizarre Stat of the Night (So Far): Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman have each picked up votes from Ohioans even though they dropped out of the GOP primary race. Perry had 5,231 votes and Huntsman had 4,374. Uh huh.
Anyway, it's now 10:47 p.m. and Ohio is still too close to call.
Does that mean Ohio is 2 Legit 2 Quit?
Sorry, Hammer.
I'm kidding, of course. Having worked in the news industry for many years and having covered many elections, I know the folks at the local boards of elections work pretty hard on an election day; check that, extremely hard.
According to the Ohio Secretary of State's website, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum is leading former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney by just 1 percentage point, 38 percent to 37 percent.
Observation of the Obvious: That's pretty tight, fella.
Former Speaker of the U.S. House Newt Gingrich is a way-back third and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul is running fourth.
Bizarre Stat of the Night (So Far): Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman have each picked up votes from Ohioans even though they dropped out of the GOP primary race. Perry had 5,231 votes and Huntsman had 4,374. Uh huh.
Anyway, it's now 10:47 p.m. and Ohio is still too close to call.
Does that mean Ohio is 2 Legit 2 Quit?
Sorry, Hammer.
So will Jesus' coming be ...
Jesus said that we don't have to be worried about the exact time of His coming,
and we shouldn't be deceived by those making false predictions. When He comes,
there will be no doubt. As lightning flashing from the east to the west,
splitting the sky in a millisecond, cracking the air with flash and fire, so
will His coming be.
The next time you see a bolt of lightning cleave the sky, think of it as a reminder that His coming is near.
The next time you see a bolt of lightning cleave the sky, think of it as a reminder that His coming is near.
-- Rev. David Jeremiah
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Hey, 45
Okay, so the title of my post is a bad play on the Steely Dan tune "Hey Nineteen;" but I'm not 19, I'm 45 today.
One of the odd things that I enjoy is number association. Let me explain. In the warped jumble of gray matter that is called my brain, I tend to associate numbers that I need to remember (phone numbers, addresses, locker combinations, etc.) with the jersey numbers worn by professional or college athletes.
Yes, I realize that I probably need some therapy to deal with this, but, hey, it works for me.
Anyway, for instance, the last four numbers of my cell phone number are the same numbers worn by former 49ers stars Guy McIntyre and Joe Montana. Now, there's really no reason for me to memorize my cell number because I never call myself, but you never know. But if I do need to call my own cell, I just dial up Guy McIntyre and Joe Montana. No worries.
Yep. Therapy.
So what famous wearers of the number 45 come to my mind on this, my 45th birthday? Here's the short list.
1. Archie Griffin. The former Ohio State running back is the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner so he has to top the list. That's a good start.
2. Michael Jordan. Sure, MJ only wore 45 for one season or so, but he still wore it. I'm still in good company.
3. Bob Gibson. The former St. Louis Cardinals righthander is one of baseball's all-time greats and a Hall of Famer. 'Nuff said.
Umm. Well, I said it was the short list. Just didn't realize it would be so short. Meh.
But it's a good list.
Moving on ....
My 45 years on this big blue marble we call home have been filled with blessings. Good family and good friends top the list of blessings that God has bestowed on me. And I am thankful for everyone that the Lord has allowed to come into my life.
Most of all on this 45th birthday of mine, I am thankful for the precious gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ that God has granted me. My prayer is that all of my family and friends would come to know Jesus as savior.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)
One of the odd things that I enjoy is number association. Let me explain. In the warped jumble of gray matter that is called my brain, I tend to associate numbers that I need to remember (phone numbers, addresses, locker combinations, etc.) with the jersey numbers worn by professional or college athletes.
Yes, I realize that I probably need some therapy to deal with this, but, hey, it works for me.
Anyway, for instance, the last four numbers of my cell phone number are the same numbers worn by former 49ers stars Guy McIntyre and Joe Montana. Now, there's really no reason for me to memorize my cell number because I never call myself, but you never know. But if I do need to call my own cell, I just dial up Guy McIntyre and Joe Montana. No worries.
Yep. Therapy.
So what famous wearers of the number 45 come to my mind on this, my 45th birthday? Here's the short list.
1. Archie Griffin. The former Ohio State running back is the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner so he has to top the list. That's a good start.
2. Michael Jordan. Sure, MJ only wore 45 for one season or so, but he still wore it. I'm still in good company.
3. Bob Gibson. The former St. Louis Cardinals righthander is one of baseball's all-time greats and a Hall of Famer. 'Nuff said.
Umm. Well, I said it was the short list. Just didn't realize it would be so short. Meh.
But it's a good list.
Moving on ....
My 45 years on this big blue marble we call home have been filled with blessings. Good family and good friends top the list of blessings that God has bestowed on me. And I am thankful for everyone that the Lord has allowed to come into my life.
Most of all on this 45th birthday of mine, I am thankful for the precious gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ that God has granted me. My prayer is that all of my family and friends would come to know Jesus as savior.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)
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