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, April 30, 2011

A Special Ceremony

It was 53 years ago. It was in the Warwick High School Auditorium. It was the annual National Honor Society Installation Ceremony. It was the second one held by the newly merged Warwick School District. Four students spoke on the four NHS characteristics - Scholarship, Service, Character, and Leadership. Each speaker lit a candle before they spoke. One of the recipients that night was me. Many years have gone by since then. This week it was the new auditorium of Warwick High School. It was the 54th NHS Installation Ceremony. The program was the very same - four students, lighting candles and discussing the four characteristics. But the major difference this time was that one of the new inductees was my grandson, Joshua. And I know that I was prouder this time than when I was the recipient 53 years ago. It is a very special accomplishment. At Warwick a student must have a GPA of 3.7 or higher, must have been involved in numerous service activities, and must be elected by the faculty. Now there was another difference this time that could have been very serious. After one of the candles was lit, the candle fell over. Fortunately it was picked up before the table cloth caught on fire. But then it fell a second time and this time it rolled off the table to the floor. One again it was rescued before anything could catch on fire. Now I've had considerable experience with such ceremonies because for many years I was the advisor of the Penn Manor NHS. But the worst induction ceremony experience that I observed actually came when I was student teaching at Shikellemy High School in Sunbury. Their ceremony was a full school assembly and when one of the speakers went to light her candle, her hair caught on fire. Fortunately, before anything more serious happened to her, somebody threw a coat over her head and extinguished the fire. Now I don't remember too many ceremonies - they haven't changed in six decades - but I do remember that one. And I will now remember the last one that I attended because I am proud of my grandson. He is a fine gentleman who presently has an interest in engineering. I continue to pray daily for him that the Lord will lead Him into the field of God's choosing. But I especially pray that God will continue to help him to walk with Him and serve Him with a passion. And that is my daily prayer for all of my seven grandchildren of whom I am equally proud and thankful.

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