Welcome to my blog, or should I say to the ramblings of an old man. I doubt that my ramblings are of much value, but at least I have an opportunity to share them.  So, please be kind and humor me. If nothing else of value stands out in these thoughts, I hope that you at least sense the value I place on a daily walk with the Lord.  That walk is what has provided me with motivation and a sense of purpose throughout my lifetime.  My prayer is that you, too, are experiencing this direction and joy in daily living which is available to everyone who puts his trust in Christ.  So, thanks again for joining me.  Please don't go without leaving some comments here so I can get to know you better as our paths intersect today in this blog.

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Why?

           So often in life we ask the question "Why?"  We are often confused by even simple things that we don't fully understand.  Here are some interesting illustrations of such questions..
 
Why do supermarkets make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get to the Pharmacy for their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front?
I miss the time when I was working at the zoo. My boss fired me just because I left the lion's gate open. I mean who would steal a lion?
I was in a cab today, and the cab driver said, "I love my job, I'm my own boss. Nobody tells me what to do." Then I said, "turn left".
Why do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and yet insist on getting a diet coke?
Why do banks leave vault doors open and then chain the pens on the counter tops?
Why do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in our driveways and put our useless junk in the garage?
Why does the sun lighten our hair, but, darken our skin?
Why can't women put on mascara with their mouth closed?
Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word 
  
Why is it that doctors and attorneys call what they do 'practice'?
Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavouring and dish washing liquid made with real lemons?
Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?
Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called the rush hour?
Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections? 
  
You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes?  Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff??
Why don't sheep shrink when it rains, whereas sweaters made of sheeps wool, do?
Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?
 
Why did I write such a stupid blog?

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Be Careful What You Wish For


This guy was walking along the beach when he came across this salt-encrusted piece of metal.

He worked for an hour or so to remove the salt. Lo and behold it was a very old oil lamp.

The guy started to buff it to remove the verdigris when "poof" a genie appeared.

This genie, like all genies, was so happy to be freed of the lamp that he granted the guy three wishes.

"I wish to be a dollar richer than Bill Gates, " says the guy.

"Guy," the genie said, "You will forever be a dollar richer than Bill Gates. What's your second wish."

"Genie, I want the most expensive Porsche made: Fire engine red, on board GPS and the finest audio system ever installed in an automobile."

"That's easy, Guy," says the genie. He waves his hand and best car anybody had ever seen pops out of the lamp.

The genie then asks the guy for his third wish.

The guy mulls the problem over and over. A girl... Nah. With billions and billions of dollars he certainly had become a chick magnet. World peace? Only wackos want that. The guy found a reason not to wish for anything that came to his mind.

"Genie," the guy said, "I can't think of anything now. May I save the third wish for later."

"Gee, this is most unusual. But you hold the hammer, I can't escape from this lamp until you make a third wish. Call me when you're ready," and whoosh the genie disappears into the lamp.

The guy carefully picks up the now-ever-so- valuable lamp and places it in the trunk of the fire engine red Porsche. He turns the radio on to balance the sounds and makes all the other adjustments needed to get his great audio system customized to his ears.

After that, he pulled off the beach and headed south along the Pacific Coast Highway.

Soon he was up to 60, then 70, then 80. The Porsche handled perfectly.

The guy was so happy that he began to sing along with the familiar commercial on the radio.

"Oh, I wish I was an Oscar-Mayer Wiener..."

Saturday, March 2, 2024

An Angel?

          We were just coming home after doing our online grocery shopping.  Because we are now limited physically we've learned to do our shopping online, placing our order on the company website.  Then we go to the store and they load the order, for us, into our car.
          The big problem comes next – carrying the groceries from the car to our kitchen.  We've purchased a folding cart to help with this process. It usually takes us two trips.
          Recently we were struggling with this task.  I just got a heavy load to the front door.  Suddenly a stranger appeared and volunteered to complete our unloading for us.  We were surprised and gladly accepted his offer.  He brought the rest of our groceries in, closed the car door and closed the garage door for us.

          He then explained that he was a workman during construction on a house being renovated across the street.  He said he couldn't bear to watch us struggle with the groceries.  He knew he had to help, and he did.
          We haven't seen him since.  Could he have been an angel?
          Things that used to be so easy are now a burden.  We do have another neighbor "angel" who we know who daily brings our newspaper to our front door for us.  We could use some other angels to get our mail each day or to help clean up the many limbs that are now down in our yard, or to shovel our snow or even to just visit with us.  It is amazing how lonely you can get when you are handicapped and basically confined to your home. Visits, notes and phone calls are very limited but appreciated.

          Maybe the Lord can use you as one of his angels.  Many could use help.  I regret that I didn't do more to care for handicapped friends when I still could

          Beware – handicapped can happen to you sooner than you think. You may soon need help.


Saturday, February 24, 2024

Who Stretched The Hill. - LB

"Looking Back" is a feature in which I choose a previous blog which I have written, rewrite it and share it once again.  This one was first posted in 2013.


         Recently one of our cars had to go in for repairs.  Dianne was very ill and in bed and I really didn't want to disturb her.  It was a beautiful afternoon so I thought I'd just walk home.  It was only about a mile from our house and I had walked that route a few times before.  
          Now I did walk farther than that almost every morning, at a large area shopping center where it is climate controlled and flat.  So, I thought it was no big deal and the first few blocks went fine.  But then I turned the corner and started to walk on Prince St., the longest leg of the journey.  As I looked ahead, I was shocked to see how steep the hill ahead of me seemed to be. 
          Ten to 15 years ago I walked on Prince St. several times a week when I was teaching nights at Millersville University.  It was always a nice easy walk.  But I don't remember the steep hills being there before.  Were they new?  I don't think so.  Did somebody stretch them to make them steeper?  Well maybe, but I doubt it.  Was I now a decade older?  I guess that is a good excuse.

        Now I faced three choices.  I could have called Dianne and said "Help!".  But she was too ill for this option.  Second, I could have kept my eye on the peak of the hills and faced the challenge of getting there.  So often in life it is good to keep your eye on the finish line or the goal which you are trying to reach. Runners in track need to keep their eyes on the finish line so that they don't fall short.  I guess if you don't set goals in life and work to reach them, you really don't accomplish what you are capable of doing.  
          I thought of Hebrews 12: 1, 2, "let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;" But, I didn't quite feel that this had the proper application here.  The top of the hill just looked too far away.

          My third choice was just to look at the next few steps as I climbed the hill.  The next few steps just didn't look nearly as steep and weren't hard to take.  And that is what I did … little by little, step by step. And as I climbed, I thought how often in life I worry about the tasks, changes, and challenges that might be ahead.  And one can grow very weary doing that.  
          Sometimes it is just better to take on today's challenges.  The Lord does promise us strength for today.  And tomorrow is in His hands. He will supply the strength that we need when tomorrow becomes today.  So, while it is important to keep our eyes on our final destination - heaven for the believer - living needs to be daily, as we draw upon His resources for today.

          So, taking a few steps at a time, the hill didn't seem quite as steep, and I made it.  However, on the way up I was passed from behind by a young lady walking her dog and an "old man" carrying a bag of fruit.  Both the humans and the dog didn't seem to have too much problem with the hill.  Good for them!  
          And, after reaching the top, I found going down the opposite side was a snap.  But I still wonder if I should ask the borough manager when they stretched the hill and made it steeper.

 

(Please note – Since originally writing this blog and experiencing this challenge, I now face a much different challenge – just walking anywhere.  Physically my days of doing any walking are gone.  Now I find myself dependent on a cane and a walker.  I miss my walks but I thank the Lord for the many years when they were possible.)


Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Answers Are Here

Here are the answers to the brain teasers in last week's blog.

1. The third. Lions that haven't eaten in three years are dead.

2. The woman is a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it, and hung it up to dry.

3. Charcoal. This one it tricky. Only old-timers can remember using coal for heating...

4. Sure you can: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow!


So how did you do?

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Use Your Brain

Study the five brain teasers. Then, see if you can answer without looking at the answers. Very interesting! Don't look at answers!

1. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?

2. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?

3. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?

4. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?

Answers next Tuesday

Saturday, February 10, 2024

Field Goal!

Over the years I have been writing life stories for my grandchildren. I have now completed almost 300 pages for them.  Some of them have appeared in previous blogs and I have decided to share others as I am doing today.   

 
         We had just completed an administrative staff meeting when my assistant superintendent, Jerry Brooks, received a telephone call telling him that he needed a timer for a district basketball doubleheader that was to begin in a few hours at the Farm Show Arena in Harrisburg.  Jerry was chairman of the District 3 of the PIAA and he served as game manager for many district and regional play-off games. He was in a pinch and asked me if I could run the clock.  
          Now I had been involved for many years writing, coaching, scoring and keeping statistics for basketball games so I figured why not try running the clock.  And so that night I joined a team of five Penn Manor administrators who worked the district doubleheader.  And this was the start of an interesting 30 years of working at district and state basketball play-off games.

          For many years we worked doubleheaders, triple headers and on Saturdays two sets of doubleheaders at the Arena, commonly called the "barn".  Some nights were very long, especially when we had girls games.  Those were the years before girls basketball became exciting.  In those days the games were slow with loads of walking calls, jump balls and fouls.  The games never seemed to end and I often had trouble keeping awake.  
          But the boys games were different - often fast and furious.  I had no trouble keeping awake for those.  And I had the fun of watching the great Carlisle and York Catholic teams work their way to several state championships.  And the extra pay was good.

          I also had a chance to serve as scorer for a few play-off games at other locations when the regular scorer couldn't be there.  One of my interesting experiences came in an eastern semifinal game.  Before the game the official asked me if I knew that with two technicals you would be ejected.  I had never heard of that rule and had never been at a game where somebody had two technicals.  But I guess the official suspected that this might happen.  At that time hanging on the rim was a technical foul.  The game featured Lebanon and their future 7 foot NBA star, Sam Bowie.  And would you believe that Bowie hung on the rim twice resulting in two technicals and I had to inform the officials that he was to be ejected.  
          The crowd was incensed and we were pelted with trash and even soft drinks.  Fortunately, Lebanon played a better game without him and went on to win.  That satisfied the crowd and nothing more came of their anger towards us.

          I did have another very difficult experience in a district elimination game between Steel High and Dallastown.  Steel High was always very good and always  brought a very large vocal and involved crowd with them.  It was a close game and Steel High was up by one point in the final seconds when they fouled a Dallastown player as the final buzzer sounded.  
          Now most of the time good officials quickly determine whether or not the game was over and if they thought it was, they quickly disappeared to the locker room.  But these guys huddled and weren't sure, so they came over to me to make the final decision.  I told them that I thought the foul was called before I could react and snap the clock off.  So, based on my decision, they sent the player to the foul line for a one and one situation. And he calmly sank both shots to win the game and end Steel High's season.  
          The crowd went wild and I was escorted out of the arena by a policeman.  But the next day, the Harrisburg newspaper reported that I had made the decision and gave my name and where I lived.  I was prepared for the worse, but fortunately it never happened.

          But in making that decision I did impress one person, the head of the PIAA.  A few days later he came to me and invited me to become the official statistician for the eight state finals at Hershey.  He said that I could choose somebody to work as my assistant.  So for 25 years I kept the stats for the finals with the help of one of my sons, usually Craig.  The work was always very stressful, but I loved it and couldn't wait each year to return.  
          We saw great basketball.  We saw many well know college coaches who were there to recruit.  We saw future college and NBA stars, such as Kobie Bryant, Sam Bowie and Billy Owens.   We were on television and we had special privileges.  We were treated royally by Hershey and by the PIAA.  Great, great memories.

          But as is usually true in life, things change and come to an end.  When Hershey added the Giant Center, the old "barn" at Harrisburg was no longer used for basketball games.  And so I was "retired" as timer.  That was fine because I still had the exciting state finals.  
          But then, Penn State lobbied to have the finals at State College and the PIAA moved them there.  I was no longer needed and I never got an explanation or an invitation to return.  And that's the way life often is - 25 years and you just aren't invited back.  Not even thanks for 25 years of service - nothing.  Things didn't work out for the PIAA at Penn State, as I anticipated, and they've now moved back to Hershey.  But I'm no longer needed.  So now I watch the games on television.  
          While I was very disappointed about not even receiving a response or a thank you when they made the move to State College, I'm glad I wasn't asked back when they returned.  While it was fun, I am getting too old for the fast pace and all the pressure and stress.  It was probably time to "retire".

Inline image

         But I do have great memories.  And I really do miss the excitement.  Those were special times and I am glad to have had these extra special opportunities. And during those challenging years of raising a family on one income, the extra pay went a long way in helping to pay the bills. It was another example of the Lord allowing me to be at the right place at the right time when the right opportunity developed.  And I thank Him for that.  But now it is just a good memory.

 

 

Customer Service

The following is actual correspondence between a London hotel's staff and one of its guests. The London hotel involved submitted this to the Sunday Times. No name was mentioned.

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

Dear Maid,

Please do not leave any more of those little bars of soap in my bathroom since I have brought my own bath-sized Dial. Please remove the six unopened little bars from the shelf under the medicine chest and another three in the shower soap dish. They are in my way.

Thank you,

S. Berman

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Room 635,

I am not your regular maid. She will be back tomorrow, Thursday, from her day off. I took the 3 hotel soaps out of the shower soap dish as you requested. The 6 bars on your shelf I took out of your way and put on top of your Kleenex dispenser in case you should change your mind. This leaves only the 3 bars I left today which my instructions from the management is to leave 3 soaps daily. I hope this is satisfactory.

Kathy, Relief Maid

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Maid-I hope you are my regular maid.

Apparently Kathy did not tell you about my note to her concerning the little bars of soap. When I got back to my room this evening I found you had added 3 little Camays to the shelf under my medicine cabinet. I am going to be here in the hotel for two weeks and have brought my own bath-size Dial so I won't need those 6 little Camays which are on the shelf. They are in my way when shaving, brushing teeth, etc. Please remove them.

S. Berman

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Berman,

My day off was last Wed. so the relief maid left 3 hotel soaps which we are instructed by the management. I took the 6 soaps which were in our way on the shelf and put them in the soap dish where your Dial was. I put the Dial in the medicine cabinet for your convenience. I didn't remove the 3 complimentary soaps which are always placed inside the medicine cabinet for all new check-ins and which you did not object to when you checked in last Monday. Please let me know if I can of further assistance.

Your regular maid, Dotty

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Berman,

The assistant manager, Mr. Kensedder, informed me this A.M. that you called him last evening and said you were unhappy with your maid service. I have assigned a new girl to your room. I hope you will accept my apologies for any past inconvenience. If you have any future complaints please contact me so I can give it my personal attention. Call extension 1108 between 8AM and 5PM. Thank you.

Elaine Carmen, Housekeeper

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Miss Carmen,

It is impossible to contact you by phone since I leave the hotel for business at 7:45 AM and don't get back before 5:30 or 6PM. That's the reason I called Mr. Kensedder last night. You were already off duty. I only asked Mr. Kensedder if he could do anything about those little bars of soap.  The new maid you assigned me must have thought I was a new check-in today, since she left another 3 bars of hotel soap in my medicine cabinet along with her regular delivery of 3 bars on the bath-room shelf. In just 5 days here I have accumulated 24 little bars of soap. Why are you doing this to me?

S. Berman

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Berman,

Your maid, Kathy, has been instructed to stop delivering soap to your room and remove the extra soaps. If I can be of further assistance, please call extension 1108 between 8AM and 5PM. Thank you,

Elaine Carmen, Housekeeper

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Kensedder,

My bath-size Dial is missing. Every bar of soap was taken from my room including my own bath-size Dial. I came in late last night and had to call the bellhop to bring me 4 little Cashmere Bouquets.

S. Berman

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Berman,

I have informed our housekeeper, Elaine Carmen, of your soap problem. I cannot understand why there was no soap in your room since our maids are instructed to leave 3 bars of soap each time they service a room. The situation will be rectified immediately. Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience.

Martin L. Kensedder, Assistant Manager

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mrs. Carmen,

Who the heck left 54 little bars of Camay in my room? I came in last night and found 54 little bars of soap. I don't want 54 little bars of Camay. I want my one bar of bath-size Dial. Do you realize I have 54 bars of soap in here. All I want is my bath size Dial. Please give me back my bath-size Dial.

S. Berman

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Berman,

You complained of too much soap in your room so I had them removed. Then you complained to Mr. Kensedder that all your soap was missing so I personally returned them. The 24 Camays which had been taken and the 3 Camays you are supposed to receive daily (sic). I don't know anything about the 4 Cashmere Bouquets. Obviously your maid, Kathy, did not know I had returned your soaps so she also brought 24 Camays plus the 3 daily Camays. I don't know where you got the idea this hotel issues bath-size Dial. I was able to locate some bath-size Ivory which I left in your room.

Elaine Carmen, Housekeeper

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mrs. Carmen,

Just a short note to bring you up-to-date on my latest soap inventory.

As of today I possess:

On shelf under medicine cabinet - 18 Camay in 4 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 2.
On Kleenex dispenser - 11 Camay in 2 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 3.
On bedroom dresser - 1 stack of 3 Cashmere Bouquet, 1 stack of 4
hotel-size Ivory, and 8 Camay in 2 stacks of 4.
Inside medicine cabinet - 14 Camay in 3 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 2.
In shower soap dish - 6 Camay, very moist.
On northeast corner of tub - 1 Cashmere Bouquet, slightly used.
On northwest corner of tub - 6 Camays in 2 stacks of 3.

Please ask Kathy when she services my room to make sure the stacks are neatly piled and dusted. Also, please advise her that stacks of more than 4 have a tendency to tip. May I suggest that my bedroom window sill is not in use and will make an excellent spot for future soap deliveries.  One more item, I have purchased another bar of bath-sized Dial which I am keeping in the hotel vault in order to avoid further misunderstandings.

S. Berman

Saturday, February 3, 2024

The Elderly

They call us "The Elderly." 

We were born in the 40-50-60's. 

We grew up in the 50-60-70's. 

We studied in the 60-70-80's. 

We were dating in the 70-80-90's. 

We got married and discovered the world in the 70-80-90's. 

We venture into the 80-90's. 

We stabilize in the 2000's. 

We got wiser in the 2010's. 

And we are going firmly through and beyond 2020.

 

Turns out we've lived through EIGHT different decades...

TWO different centuries...

TWO different millennia...

 

We have gone from the telephone with an operator for long-distance calls to video calls to anywhere in the world. 

 

We have gone from slides to YouTube, from vinyl records to online music, from handwritten letters to email and WhatsApp.  

 

From live matches on the radio, to black and white TV, color TV and then to 3D HD TV. 

 

We went to the Video store and now we watch Netflix. 

 

We got to know the first computers, punch cards, floppy disks and now we have gigabytes and megabytes on our smartphones. 

 

We wore shorts throughout our childhood and then long trousers, Oxfords, flares, parachute pants, shell suits, and blue jeans. 

 

We dodged infantile paralysis, meningitis, polio, tuberculosis, swine flu and now COVID-19.

 

We rode skates, tricycles, bicycles, mopeds, petrol, or diesel cars and now we drive hybrids or electric.

 

Yes, we've been through a lot but what a great life we've had!

 

They could describe us as "exennials"; people who were born in that world of the 50s/60s, who had an analog childhood and a digital adulthood.

 

We've kind of seen it all!

 

Our generation has literally lived through and witnessed more than any other in every dimension of life.

change.

 

A big round of applause to all the members of a very special generation, which will be UNIQUE.

Saturday, January 27, 2024

Through It All

          Do you often take time to look back and see how you survived difficult challenges in the past?  This often will give you the courage to face troubling times in the present.  This is especially true if you can see how the Lord brought you through challenges that you thought were impossible.

          Personally, I can recall so many times when it was only the Lord who made away for me through impossible situations which perplexed me.  I was reminded of that recently when I read a devotional, "Through It All" in David Jeremiah's Turning Point devotional booklet for January.  Now I don't normally copy a writing by somebody else, but I thought this was good enough to share.  So, here  goes:

          In 1991, NBA Lakers player Magic Johnson announced that he had AIDS.  In the years since, Magic and his wife, Cookie, have given their lives to Jesus Christ.  In a social media post a couple of years ago, Magic said "Today marks 30 years of living with HIV … Through it all I learned to trust in Jesus and I learned to trust in God!"

          Notice the verb he used: learned.
          Songwriter Andrae Crouch said the same thing: "Through it all, I've learned to trust in Jesus, I've learned to trust in God."  Trusting the Lord is a learning experience as we grow in faith.  When we trust the Lord with today's load, we see His faithfulness and learn to trust Him even more for tomorrow's uncertainties.  Paul told the Thessalonians, "We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly."  (2Thessalonins 1:3)

          Whenever you face a crisis, turn to the Lord and find the needed promises in His Word.  Pray today that God will help you trust Him more and more with every passing day.

I've had many tears and sorrow
I've had questions for tomorrow
There've been times I didn't know right from wrong
But in every situation
God gave me blessed consolation
That my trials come to only make me strong

I've been to a lot of places
And I've seen millions of of faces
But there were times that I felt so all alone
But in my lonely hour
Yet those precious lonely hours
Jesus lets me know that I was His own

That's the reason I say that

Through it all
Through it all
Oh, I've learned to trust in Jesus
I've learned to trust in God
Let me tell ya that
Through it all
Oh, through it all
I've learned to depend upon His word


So I thank God for the mountains
And I thank Him for the valleys
And I thank Him for the storms He's brought me through
For if I'd never had a problem
I'd never know God could solve them
I'd never know what faith in His word could do

That's the reason I say that

Through it all
Oh, through it all
Oh, I've learned to trust in Jesus
I've learned to trust in God
Oh let me tell you
Through it all
Oh, through it all
Oh, I've learned to depend upon His word

Oh, let me tell you right now that

Through it all
Sometimes through the fire
Through it all
My, my, my Lord
Oh, I've learned to trust in Jesus (oh, I've learned)
I've learned to trust in God (and I can trust in God)
That through it all
Let me tell you that
Through it all

Oh, Lord, Lord

I've learned to depend upon His word
Oh, through my sickness and pain
I've learned to depend upon His word
Oh, through sorrow and shame

I've learned to depend upon His word

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Teachers

Over the years I have been writing life stories for my grandchildren. I have now completed almost 300 pages for them.  Some of them have appeared in previous blogs and I have decided to share others as I am doing today.   


 

         How much do you owe to your former teachers?  That is an interesting question because teachers have the opportunity to impact your life for good or for bad.  Today you hear so many folks talk about all the bad teachers and that bothers me because I really don't think there are really that many.  But the bad get all the headlines.  For over 30 years I was involved in hiring and evaluating math teachers and during the last 20 or so the folks we hired were very qualified and excellent teachers.  In all of those years I only dealt with three who I thought were poor and we were able to remove them.

         But having said that, as a student I only had a few teachers who were influential in my life.  I did have some poor ones and many average ones.  But in those days salaries were so poor and teaching conditions often so inadequate that good teachers had a difficult time staying in education.  I felt led by the Lord to go into teaching and I managed on a starting salary of $3,500 a year by working many extra jobs.  Others in my graduating class took jobs with much, much higher starting pay. I had four interviews resulting in four offers. When I was first involved in hiring I had to actually go out and recruit folks just to apply for our openings.  Times were much different then.

          Now, as a student, I did have a few good teachers.  When we moved to Lititz my fifth grade teacher, I think her name was Charlotte Mathers, made me feel so much involved and appreciated.  This was my fourth school in five years and I was an outsider, until she welcomed me.  The one thing I really remember learning that year were the names and spellings of the capitals of all the states.  But I know I must have learned much more than that.  it was definitely my best year of any of my elementary years.  She motivated me to do my best.

        The best teacher I ever had K-12 was my seventh and eighth grade English teacher, Miss Marjorie Enck.  She was tough but fair.  We had to record her daily notes off the board and memorize them.  She would call on you to recite and if you failed you would get one of her "pills" which meant your name went on the blackboard, for all classes to see, and you would need to come in after school for make-up work.  I never received any of her pills.  I was always prepared.  And in those two years I learned all the grammar and writing skills I would ever learn from any teacher.  And these skills have carried me through my entire life.  I owe much to her.  Incidentally, later she married and became Mrs. Kauffman, but no relation to me.

        I never had an outstanding math or science teacher until I entered Susquehanna University.  There I met Dr. Fred Grosse, a physics prof who came there the same year that I did.  As a physics major I had him for every physics course I took.  But what made him special was the interest he took in each of us individually, even going as far as inviting us to his home for dinner.  Incidentally, after over 50 years there, he just retired a few years ago.  In fact he showed up at our 50th Reunion last Fall and spent time with many of us.  A few years ago we decided to visit SU to see the new science building.  Dr. Grosse was there and he remembered me immediately.  I found that amazing.

         Two college math profs had impacts on my life.  At SU, as a math major, I had Dr. Robison for most of my math classes.  He was very elderly and rumors were that he had worked with Einstein.  One day I was assigned to teach a lesson on Kepler's Laws in his Vector Analysis class.  After I was done he commended me and suggested that I should consider going into teaching.  That was very influential in me changing my career focus and path.

         Then, in my graduate work at Bucknell, I encountered Dr. Emil Polack.  He was tough and made us stand and recite, usually in an 8 am class - sometimes even on Saturday mornings.  We all dreaded that we would be called upon and we prepared.  And if you couldn't answer correctly, he would take you back to some point in your math background and, through a series of questions, bring you back to a point where you could answer correctly.  He had an incredible ability to do this and while you "sweated this out", you learned.  He was also a stickler for precise definitions and every test began with "define".  Now I could never put students on the spot like he did, but I learned so much about teaching techniques which I tried to put in place in my 39 years in the classroom.

        Unfortunately, the teachers who stood out to me come down to these five.  The rest were average and a few were poor (maybe I should blog about the poor ones). But I have a feeling that I may have learned much about what not to do from the dozens of others that I have had over the years.  And, as a student, I certainly learned how to deal with a variety of personalities and styles and this has helped me adjust to a variety of bosses over the years.  Sometimes these are the most valuable lessons that you can 

        Now my one regret is that, with the exception of Dr. Grosse, I never took time to share my appreciation with them. I wish that I had. All except him are no longer alive.  As a former teacher you'd love to know if you've had an impact on lives.  Fortunately, I have kept numerous notes and letters that I have received and every once in awhile I hear, usually second or third hand, that somebody appreciated being in my math class.  Now if you've had a teacher who influenced you in a positive way and he/she is still alive, take time to share that with them.  Return the impact - old teachers will appreciate it.

Saturday, January 13, 2024

Praise You

           Sometimes there is a chorus that just sticks in your mind and plays over and over and over again.  Often it has a message that means so much to you, one that you wish to share with those that who you come into contact with.
          I have one like that which was written by Elizabeth Goodine and Carol Cymbala. It is a prayer that has been recorded by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.  I know nothing about the actual background of its writing, but it may have been based on the prayer of the psalmist found in Psalm 119:175, "Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me."  
          Or maybe it was based on Psalm 71, 5 - 8.  "O Lord, you alone are my hope. I've trusted you, O LORD, from childhood. Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother's womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you!  My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection. That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long."  
          The words of this chorus are simple but so powerful and meaningful.  We come to the Lord with a simple prayer, "In everything I do, let my life, O Lord, praise you."   And the chorus repeats our praise to the Lord, "Praise you, paise you, let my life, O lord, praise you."  What a beautiful and simple prayer.  
          Hopefully it is your prayer that your life might bring praise to the Lord.  For that should be our only motivation for our lives.  All other things should be secondary to that desire.  
          May this simple melody and prayer guide all that you do during the coming days, for truly, He alone, who gave us our lives, is worthy to be praised.  Praise you, praise you!


(1)     Lord, I come to you today,

With a simple prayer to pray.

In everything I do,

let my life O Lord praise you.

 

Praise you, praise you, praise you

let my life, praise you

praise you, praise you, praise you

let my life, O lord praise you

 

(2)     Lord, you formed me out of clay,

and for your glory I was made.

Use this vessel as you choose.

Let my life O Lord praise you

Praise you, praise you, praise you

let my life, praise you

praise you, praise you, praise you

let my life, O lord praise you

 

Listen to it being sung by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.    LISTEN

 


Saturday, January 6, 2024

Fantasy Technology


If you think technology has changed the work world, just take a look at what's happening in never-never land. A recent update reports that today:

Little Bo Peep never loses sheep because of their embedded silicon identity chips.

Cinderella searches for her prince on Match.com and leases her pumpkin-colored SUV at Avis.com.

Hansel and Gretel use the GPS rather than breadcrumbs but have reported problems stuffing the wicked witch into her microwave oven.

To avoid travel stress, Alice now plans her Wonderland vacation with travelocity.com.

A reformed Ebenezer Scrooge sends Bob Cratchett to update his certification for Excel and Quiken.

Jack's making a fortune on his beanstalk bioengineering breakthrough.

Old McDonald uses voice recognition to make ordering easy at his agricultural auction site eieio.com.

Romeo and Juliet avoid tragic problems by keeping in touch through their cell phones.

With her early Web capabilities, Charlotte is now a motivational speaker at tech conferences around the world.

The Pied Piper switched career fields after his tunes were bootlegged online.

King Arthur has replaced that expensive round table with satellite videoconferencing.

Gulliver is on sabbatical using up all his frequent flyer miles.

Jack and Jill order their Evian on peapod.com.

Saturday, December 30, 2023

Peace

          I find it interesting to learn the backgrounds of various hymns.  This interest is one of the things that has kept me writing my hymn blog for many years.
           In 1874, Horatio Palmer asked Mary Ann Baker to compose songs to accompany his Sunday School lessons.  One dealt with the story of Jesus sleeping in the storm in the boat on Galilee.

           Mary had recently gone through her own storms. Her only brother had died a thousand miles from home while seeking a warmer climate for his tuberculosis.  For two weeks the telegraph wires carried messages back and forth between the dying brother and his loving sister.  Then came the news of his death.
            With this grief, Mary Ann studied Mark 4 and wrote, "Master, the tempest is raging! The billows are tossing high! The sky is o'ershadowed with blackness, no shelter or help is nigh, carest Thou not that we perish? How canst Thou lie asleep, when each moment so madly is threat'ning a grave in the angry deep."
          The chorus answers, "The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will, Peace be still, Peace be still!" And they did, and they still will!

          As we enter a new year we too will encounter new storms in our lives.  But Jesus isn't unaware or unconcerned.  He whispers to us, "Peace be still."  We can trust Him!