Deceived!

I've been deceived! Yes, I admit it, I've been deceived … by a little wooly caterpillar. If you are a regular reader, you might recall that in my blog of December 21 I said the following. "I used to enjoy the recently deceased columnist from the Lancaster Newspapers who annually would give his winter predictions based on observing the wooly caterpillar. And his predictions were as accurate as the professional forecasters, although that isn't saying very much. Well this year I've seen exactly one wooly caterpillar and he had a black neck and the remainder of his body was brown. So my interpretation is that this means we will have a stormy beginning to the winter, and we have, and then the rest of the winter will be mild. And on that I am counting! I'm dreaming of a … mild winter!" But was he correct? No! And I thought I could trust that caterpillar. He seemed to be as reliable as the weather men and ladies. And certainly he is as least as good as a ground hog. And until this weekend he appeared to have given me correct information. We had a record snowstorm and cold weather in December. Then January was milder and we had very little bad weather. Then came February! Today we had about 24 inches of snow in Millersville. According to the caterpillar, that shouldn't have happened. And to make it worse this is only the fourth time in 80 years of record keeping that we have had two major snowstorms (over 12 inches) in the same year. So this was a very rare event. Fortunately, it wasn't a blizzard, which requires sustained winds of 35 mph, or we might be housebound for days. So I was deceived – unless maybe the caterpillar I saw was wearing a Halloween costume because it was late in October when I saw him. Well I hope he didn't deceive himself and that he is keeping very warm somewhere. I guess it is really easy to be deceived if you aren't alert. The Bible has many warnings that Satan would like to deceive us – he walks around like a roaring lion – not as a caterpillar – seeking whom he may devour. The Scriptures also warn us, "Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Today many folks are being deceived by false promises, false religions, and secular (politically correct) beliefs. And those deceptions are much more serious than a caterpillar's stripes and a snowy day. Keep warm and stay away from caterpillars.

A Very Special Ministry

When we began our Awana ministry 28 years ago, I never thought that 28 years later I would still be involved in this ministry and certainly not as commander. But it has been a great experience and we have really seen the Lord bless this ministry over the years. There have been many challenges including two moves to new buildings, working with kids from inner city Lancaster through a van ministry, finding new leaders and directors, and handling the challenges of a growing ministry. But it has been a special blessing to see children memorize scripture and come to know the Lord as Savior. It has been fun to watch them compete in quizzing, Awana games and the annual Grand Prix. It has been rewarding to be involved in training almost 250 Awana leaders, some of whom have served with us for many of these 28 years. It has been a joy to present over 280 Sparky and Timothy Awards for achievement in completing handbooks. It has been a very special honor to present some of these awards to family members, especially my grandchildren. Six of our seven grandchildren have or are presently attending (one is still too young) and by the end of this year three will have earned the Timothy and five will have earned the Sparky. This year has been a special year since we have set numerous attendance records (145 K-6 clubbers and 233 total attendance) and are well on our way to having 85 completed handbooks (40 so far). But last evening was very special since we completed our annual adopt-a-club drive by raising $4,954 to support 14 clubs that we have adopted around the world. About $1,500 of this will go to help five clubs in Haiti try to reestablish themselves after the devastating earthquake. We plan to keep the offering open for one more week in hopes of going over $5,000 and possibly collecting $2,000 for Haiti. Being part of this missions project has been another highlight of my time in Awana. My one regret – at times - is that I am not the same as I was 28 years ago. I see the special ministry of Awana to boys and girls and families and I know that there is so much more that we could do to expand the ministry and reach others. But, unfortunately, while I have a bigger heart for Awana than I've ever had, my body, nerves, and stamina just aren't what they were 28 years ago. My mind tells me there is so much more to be done, but my body just can't do it anymore. Being a good commander of a growing vital ministry can be a full-time job. And one of the problems that we all will face as we age is when to give up key things in our life – whether it be something like our home, our driving, our activities, or even our ministry. And, unfortunately, society today does not value age or experience. But that's just one of those things we all will face, if we are fortunate enough to live that long. But, in the meantime, we rejoice in being part of the Lord's work, both in the past and in the present. It is a great God that we serve and there are so many who di not know Him. God is so good to us!

An Interesting Musical

Earlier this week we had a chance to attend the Dutch Apple Dinner Theater for their production of the musical "Nunsense". The musical begins when the Little Sisters of Hoboken discover that their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, has accidentally poisoned and killed 52 of the sisters, and they are in dire need of funds for the burials. They are able to bury 48 of them but have four still stored in the freezer because they can't afford the burials. The sisters decide that the best way to raise the money to do this is to put on a variety show. The musical is this variety show. It is rather funny, although there are a few crude jokes. The dancing is entertaining and the singing is exceptional. The entire production is done by just five women actresses. But while we enjoyed most of the show, I'm not sure that I could recommend it to anyone. Unfortunately, the musical was some what ruined for me by the final number. There really isn't too much theology throughout the show until the very last song, "Holier Than Though". It begins with these words, "If you want to be a saint, all you have to do is pick a saint to emulate who embodies you. Then figure out what made that saint the idol of today. Then follow in those footsteps and you'll earn the right to say, I am holier than thou. I've got the spirit now. I feel like I'm in heaven now because I'm holier than thou!" Then they continue to dance and sing for several minutes "I'm holier than thou!" The audience loved it, but it left me with an ache in my stomach. The words sound great to a world that is ignorant of Biblical truths or the Gospel … a world that believes that we all are gods and we can just pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. There is no need for mercy and grace and a Savior. But the Bible teaches us that all believers are already saints in that they are positionally "set apart" to God and are experientially being made increasingly "holy" by the Holy Spirit. This is all through the grace of God and there is absolutely nothing we can do to earn it, no matter how we may try or who we may try to emulate. And holiness is certainly not something to brag about, far from it. My prayer is that, as a saint of God, I may daily become more like Him and that my life and actions may please my Father and help to draw others to Him. I admit that since watching that musical, my heart aches even more for the multitudes right here in this country who don't know the Lord and His desires for them. I certainly wasn't expecting to be challenged this way when I thought we were going for a night of relaxing and entertaining. But it is interesting how the Lord can use an event like this to challenge us. I pray that all who read this blog may have already experienced new life in Christ and then you too are a saint of God, set apart for Him.

It Was Worth It All

It wouldn't be right not to follow up my last blog with an update on Zachary and Taylor's trip. As you know, after many delays, they did get to Reno, a day late, but in time to enjoy some of the convention with their parents. Their main reason for the trip was to meet President George W. Bush, and that did happen. They spent much of Saturday with Liz Cheney, the daughter of the former vice-president. She also spoke at the convention. While Craig was showing her around the exhibit area, she said that she wanted to go see the former President. So their security contacted secret service and arrangements were made. Craig accompanied her and was able to talk to President Bush for a few minutes. Later that day arrangements were made with a professional photographer to take pictures of the Safari Club's officers with the President. Craig took his family along and they had a great picture taken with him. Taylor also had a few moments to talk with him. That night they heard him give a special speech about his eight years in office, and, at the end, the audience gave him a standing ovation. One of his comments was that the thing that got him through those eight years was the knowledge that every day thousands of people who he didn't even know, were praying for him. Craig followed the President on the program and as the President left, he told Craig "I've gotten them all warmed up for you!" I remember well the day that I met President Regan. It was a day that I will never forget and so it will be for Craig and Kisha and especially for Zachary and Taylor. It certainly was a challenging, memorable experience getting them there, but in the end, all the effort and inconveniences and problems were worth the result. And I have been reminded once again that someday we will meet Jesus. And everything in this life pales with that. All the cares and trials we face now will be worth the result of being with Him. This reminds me of an old hymn which I featured a few months ago in my hymn blog (Hymn Blog), "It Will Be Worth It All". The first verse and chorus go like this: "Oft times the day seems long, our trials hard to bear, We're tempted to complain, to murmur and despair; But Christ will soon appear to catch His Bride away, All tears forever over in God's eternal day.. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus, Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ; One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase, So bravely run the race till we see Christ" The anticipation and promise of that day makes one pray, Lord come quickly.

Up, Up And Away ... Maybe

The idea began months ago when our son learned that President Bush would be attending the annual Safari Club convention in Reno, Nevada. Because he is an officer of the international organization, Craig would be one of the hosts who would be with the former president during the convention. Craig and Kisha would be there in Reno the entire week but their two children normally stay with us because of school. However, since this would be a special event, they planned to have the kids fly out on Thursday to spend a few days with them while the former president was there. Both Taylor and Zach have traveled by air quite often so they weren't concerned about flying there without their parents. So Thursday morning they left home at 8 in the morning to travel to Baltimore for a 12:25 flight to Reno, changing planes in Phoenix. Then the fun started. About noon they were told that their flight was cancelled due to heavy winds in Phoenix. Southwest then rebooked them for a 4:30 flight changing planes in Las Vegas. Then that flight was delayed an hour and a half and finally cancelled. After standing in line for an hour, they were next booked on a flight changing planes in Chicago, leaving at 9:35 … the next morning. That left them with three options – cancel and get a ride home, sleep overnight in the terminal, or find a hotel room. Unfortunately, Zachary is two months short of 18 and no hotel would allow us to book a room for him. And Southwest could have cared less about these two minor kids with no place to stay. So Dianne and I jumped in the car at 7 that night, drove to Baltimore, picked up the kids and checked into a hotel. But since I had an early morning appointment on Friday and because they were calling for ice overnight, we couldn't stay with them. So we left them alone in "my hotel room" and drove back home to Millersville. Friday morning they got the hotel shuttle and headed back to the airport. Their 9:35 flight was on time and went well and they landed in Chicago. Their second flight took off as scheduled at 11:45 and all seemed well. But a few minutes after take-off the plane developed mechanical difficulties and had to return to Chicago. They were told that they would probably need to be booked on another flight which meant they might not get to Reno until Saturday or they might even get stranded in another city – with little money and the inability to get a room overnight. Craig and I made some frantic calls to Southwest and after quite a wait we finally found that they were going to either fix the mechanical problem and use the same plane or else use another plane. Finally they did take off again and landed in Reno at 6:05 our time, just 34 hours after their adventure began. Actually, calculating the distance between Reno and Lancaster, as the crow flies, and averaging 60 mph, they could have driven that distance in 38 hours. But then they wouldn't have been able to get a few hours sleep "illegally" in a Baltimore hotel. But God was good and protected them through this process. We had many folks praying for them. And during their wait in Baltimore on Thursday they actually saw Tara Wise, our pastor's daughter, who was working there. Taylor said that it was so nice to talk to somebody they knew during a time of frustration and uncertainty. I think that was a special blessing and comfort that God provided for them. And another special answer to prayer was that their luggage actually showed up so they had clothing to wear to the banquets. Maybe in a later blog I can share how their time in Reno went for them. I do pity those who must fly regularly. Now they face the whole process again in reverse, trying to return home just 44 hours after they arrived, but this time with their parents.

Some hope

I must admit that as I've watched politics and the workings of government during the past year, I've begun to get very disillusioned with the whole process. What I've seen is one party control pushing their liberal agenda despite what the voters want. They have insulated themselves from the average American. They have padded their own empires, placed the country in massive debt, and sneered at any bipartisan action. Campaign promises have been ignored. Politicians have abandoned their principles to vote the party line and protect their power. But what should we expect? After all, politics broken down comes from "poly" which means "many" and "ticks" which are "blood sucking parasites". What more can one say. But during the recent month there have been some glimmers of hope. First there were the elections in Virginia and New Jersey where conservatives won in upsets. Then there was the major upset last Mon day in Massachusetts where a conservative Republican won Kennedy's seat. Who would have ever believed that this would be possible? Scott Brown, a state senator who defeated Democratic state Attorney General Martha Coakley on Tuesday, is the first Massachusetts Republican to win a U.S. Senate race since 1972. His win stripped Democrats of their filibuster-proof 60-seat Senate supermajority and has forced the Obama White House to reconsider its options for passing a health care bill. And he apparently won because the voters were fed up with the way the Democrats were doing their own thing. Maybe there is still hope for democracy. Now if only the public keeps expressing their concerns at the ballot box. For example, it would be tremendous if Pennsylvania would "retire" Arlan Spector this year in favor of a conservative. He is a real career "politician" who claimed to be a Republican for years when it was to his advantage, even though he voted like a Democrat. Then he suddenly changes parties because the polls show that the Republicans would no longer support his actions and he might lose reelection. Now with loads of money and liberal support, he is running for another term, this time as a Democrat. Now it is time for the voters of Pennsylvania to stand up and send this politician into retirement. That would be refreshing and a change worth supporting. Will the voters of Pennsylvania, from both parties, do this? Congratulations to Scott Brown for proving that much of the public does care about this country and that they will vote for what is right, not just for what their party says. Maybe there is still hope!

A Special Discovery

In the winter of 1918, at the height of World War I, history's most lethal influenza virus erupted in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with the American troops, then exploded, killing as many as 100 million people worldwide. It killed more people in twenty-four weeks than AIDS has killed in twenty-four years and more in a year than the Black Death killed in a century. In Spring City, PA, a young minister lived with his wife who was expecting their second child, and their son. The minister, Horace Abraham Kauffman, was my grandfather and his young one-year old son was my father. While ministering to ill members of his congregation, the minister himself caught the influenza and died. For his viewing, his body was placed near the front window so that folks could look in the window to see him and not risk spreading the flu to others. After his death, the presiding elder felt that an expectant widow should not live alone so he approached another young minister, N. H. Wolf, and told him that he should marry the widow and help raise her children. N. H. Wolf was one of Horace Kauffman's closest friends. I actually have several letters that the two young ministers had written to each other both before and after Horace Kauffman was married. So N. H. Wolf listened to the presiding elder and married Kauffman's widow. Then they assigned the new couple to the same church and even the same parsonage where my grandmother had lived with her first husband. How difficult all of this must have been for both of them. As it turned out, N. H. Wolf was a special godly man who would become a great father and a special servant of the Lord, spending about 65 years in the ministry. He was a great husband, the only father my dad ever knew, and he was a major influence in my spiritual life. However, years later when Dianne and I were engaged, my grandmother privately shared with us that one never forgets their first love. Over the years I have learned many things about my real grandfather and his heritage. He also was a very special, godly person. He was a schoolteacher before entering the ministry and he is considered to be the founding pastor of our church in Lebanon. In fact, N. H. Wolf began his ministerial training with him at Lebanon. But as I've tried to find out more about H. A. Kauffman, I was missing information about his life from the time of his marriage to his death. Then, this week, my sister discovered a baby album that my grandmother made after my father was born in 1917. It is filled with baby pictures and notes. It has special pictures of his grandparents. But even more importantly, it has pictures of my real grandfather, including those with my dad. These to me are priceless – a real treasure. I think I now know how an adopted child must feel. I wish I could have met my grandfather. There is so much I would like to ask him and share with him. The more I learn, the more I can see myself in both my father and my grandfather. We had so much in common. Now if only I could be the godly man that they both were. But what is so precious to realize is that last February my father finally met his dad and sometime in the near future I will also have that experience myself.

Is It A Cause?

If you have read my blogs for any length of time, you know how disgusted I get with folks who are always talking on their cell phones, especially when driving. Now I know that my female readers will get upset with my opinion but I believe that the worst offenders are female. I shudder every time I see a female driving her big SUV with one hand and using the other to hold her cell phone. Recently I even saw one talking while also holding a lit cigarette in the hand on the steering wheel. During the Christmas season I observed many at Park City wheeling through the packed parking lot, looking for a parking place, while talking on their phone. But you've heard that before from me and you know I strongly feel that doing this should be illegal. But today another thought struck me while we were waiting for a store to open at Park City. Half of the waiting crowd, mostly female, were talking on their phones. While I watched this, my mind went back to a news program I recently heard where they were talking about an alarming increase in thyroid cancer in women. And the experts don't know why this is happening. It suddenly struck me that maybe the cause of this might be cell phones. Now I am serious about this. Cell phones are so new that there really can't be any decent research available on such a problem. I have been having difficulty in recent weeks with headaches and I have spent considerable time using a heating pad on my head, neck, and shoulders. When I mentioned this to my doctor he told me that this was very dangerous. He said that one should not use a heating pad more than 30 minutes. I never knew this. When I got home I did some searching on the internet and that confirmed what he was saying. It appears that there could be two bad results of overuse of heating pads. One is that you could cause damage to nerves and that damage can't be reversed. A second is that the heating pad could cause cancer. Now if a heating pad could cause cancer, what about a cell phone? I'm not a doctor or a researcher, so I could be out to lunch with my thoughts. But the increase in cancer of the thyroid in females certainly seems to coincide with the increase in the use of hand-held cell phones by women. So while there is serious danger of auto accidents caused by lack of full attention to driving or lack of control of the steering wheel, maybe there is even a more serious danger to the cell phone user. I for one will no longer use a heating pad for more than 25 minutes, but using a cell phone while driving is not a habit that I must give up. I never do it. Instead I will try to spend my time while driving watching out for the careless driver using her cellphone.

Resolutions You Can Keep

So did you make any resolutions for 2010? How many have you broken already? I guess resolutions are fine if you have the discipline to meet them. I'm not into resolutions although I do enjoy starting the year by looking over my journals from past years to see how things have changed and how the Lord has led in our lives. But if you are into resolutions, why not promise to do something you can actually do. Here are some suggestions.~ Gain weight - at least 30 pounds. ~ Stop exercising - waste of time. ~Eat more snacks at night. ~ Read less - makes you think. ~ Procrastinate more - starting tomorrow. ~ Spend more time at work, surfing the web. ~ Don't jump off a cliff just because everyone else did. ~ Stop bringing lunch from home - eat out more. ~ Get in a whole NEW rut! ~ Start being superstitious. ~ Only wear jeans that are two sizes too small and use a chain or rope for a belt. ~ Get further in debt. ~ Don't drive a motorized vehicle across thin ice. ~ Don't swim with piranhas or sharks. ~ Spread out your priorities beyond the ability to keep track of them. ~ Wait for opportunity to knock. ~ Focus on the faults of others. ~Get more toys. ~ Mope about faults. ~ Never make New Year's resolutions again. Hopefully this list will get you thinking about some that you can actually keep. But on a more serious note, personally I don't make resolutions but I do have a daily goal for my future. It is shared in the chorus of one of my favorite praise choruses that, unfortunately, I seldom hear sung anywhere. You can listen to the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sing it now by using the following link, PRAISE. The words are so simple but so powerful. "Praise you, praise You, Let my life praise you! Praise you, praise You, Let my life O Lord, praise you!"

Happy New Year

In going through the personal items left by my father, I came upon three brief essays that he wrote while he was in high school. I don't know if they were for a class project or if they were editorials written for the school newspaper. He was the editor of the paper, so it may be that these were written to be shared with the student body at Sunbury High. One of these was on leadership, one about Christmas, and the third about New Year's Day. So let me kick off 2010 by sharing with you the one on New Year's Day that was probably written late in 1935. The title was "Things We Can Do Without". New Year's Day is always thought of as a day of new and mighty resolution. One should not only make a fresh start at the beginning of the year but every day should bring new determination and resolution to do our best. Business houses everywhere check up on the quantity and quality of their stock as well as the condition of the plant. The stock is cleaned out and reorganized. Shopworn and obsolete articles are gotten rid of and inventory is taken. A balance sheet is another business form connected with the new year. These business methods can be applied to our own lives. If one did not check up and "sweep out" old ideas and sort the good from the bad, his life and mind would become so cluttered up as to become useless. Check over your own assets and liabilities. Balance this account and see where you stand. Do away with as many liabilities as possible and acquire some new assets. The question, what should I keep, may present itself. Here are a few things which ought to be kept - your temper, your sunny disposition, judgement of others, secrets, and your word of honor. Some things to get rid of are grudges, borrowed books, bad habits, ugly dogs, and debts. It is one thing to make a resolution and another thing to keep it. A certain young man was heard to say, "If I break a resolution I can make more." Don't be as foolish as this young man was. When we make good resolutions, we should keep them. (Horace Kauffman) After your parents pass away there are always so many questions that you'd like to ask them. After reading this essay, I'd love to ask dad what it was written for and also what brought about the comment of getting rid of ugly dogs. Although I do agree, after all, who wants an ugly dog. Have a great 2010.

A Challenging Forward

I really don't want to upset anybody, but please don't put me on a list to regularly receive e-mail forwards from you. If the forwards include attachments or downloads, I will delete them immediately. I don't want to catch any virus that could be part of such a forward. And most of the time I delete plain forwards, too, unless I have a good idea what it is. I find that the majority of these are full of big pictures that tie up my computer for several minutes while they load. My time is too valuable for that type of entertainment. Or they often include hoaxes that have circulated through e-space for years. Some are attacks on Obama and I already know more about him than I want to know. The Bible tells me to pray for him, even if I disagree with him. Others are cute poems or prayers that I am asked to pass on to others. But doing so with my email address makes me more available to spammers who love to get such lists of email addresses. So, my delete button gets plenty of action daily. Now having said that, once in awhile (maybe 5% of the time) there are some that are worthwhile. Recently I received one that many of us seniors can relate to. I've saved that one to share with other seniors as we end 2009. So here it is. Who would have thought... (1) that when you wished your kids didn't need you so much, you would someday wish that they did? (2) that when there wasn't enough time in the day, you might someday wonder how to fill your free time? (3) that when you couldn't wait to get your driver's license, you would someday try to decide when to give it up? (4) that you would finally have more than enough stuff? (5) that grandchildren grow even faster than children? (So very true!) (6) that when people told you to enjoy your (time, education, job, kids, friends, health, spouse, etc.), you would someday realize why? (7) that some people are grateful no matter what, and some are ungrateful no matter what? (8) that when you struggled to make ends meet, they finally would? (9) that each day can be a blessing and a chance to be a blessing to others? (10) that a smile, a touch and a listening ear are worth more than expensive presents? (12) that there's always something new to learn? (13) that you would never get tired of watching a sunset, a rainbow, or a baby's first steps? (14) that the best things in life ARE free? Maybe I could add two more of my own … (15) that life goes faster the older you get? (16) that 2009 would already be over? Have a great and safe New Year's Day and enjoy each new day that the Lord grants you.

Twas The Day Before Christmas

Twas the day before Christmas and all through the land all the people are preparing as fast as they can … It is interesting how we have a whole year to prepare for Christmas and yet we are all so very busy at the last minute getting things ready. This morning we took our usual morning walk at Park City. The stores opened early and the customers were there, at least the men were. I think 90% of the shoppers were men doing their last minute shopping. And it looks like most of the women in their lives must be getting jewelry. The first jewelry store had five male customers, another had four, a third had seven men and one woman, and the fourth wasn't opened yet – I wonder how much business they lost. Traffic everywhere was getting heavy at that early hour. I'm actually ready for Christmas although my wife is still busy getting the food ready for our family buffet. All of our kids will be coming tonight for our Christmas celebration. One of my big jobs is completed. For the past five years I have prepared special dvds for our kids which highlight the past year in pictures and music. They are done. I also prepare additional chapters to add to the books that I have written for each of my grandchildren. These are chapters about their heritage and the lives of their ancestors. This year I've written five more chapters and prepared more pictures of their great grandparents and great great grandparents and their families. One of these is the first letter that my step grandfather, Pastor N. H. Wolf, wrote home to his parents when at the age of 15 he left home to become part of the pastoral team at a mission church in Lebanon. It is interesting to see the faith and maturity of a young lad as he sacrificed to serve the Lord. Another long chapter shares incidents from the lives of my parents and my grandparents. (If you are interested you can read these at fbfawana.com/Blog.html) I did have to rewrite part of this chapter on Tuesday after I learned some things about my mother and her father which I had never known. On Tuesday we made a quick trip to see three of my four remaining aunts on my mother's side. Thesel three are now in Manor Care at Sunbury. My mother's oldest sister, Anna, is now 92 and she told me that they had once lived in Port Trevorton. Their father, Pappy Wise, worked for a lumber company in Herndon and they wanted him to move across the Susquehanna River to live and work at their facility in Port Trevorton. So, in the middle of the winter, when the river was frozen, the family moved across the river using a horse drawn sleigh. I wonder if they sang Jingle Bells. When the move didn't work out, they later returned to Herndon, this time moving across the river on a barge. Unfortunately, I don't know how old my mother was at that time and she never talked about it. But that story and a few other items had to be included in what I had written for this year. So I am now ready for Christmas, except maybe for a short nap before the kids all come tonight. This will be a different Christmas for us, our first as orphans. It will be strange not to have dad with us tonight and it will be strange not to head to Sunbury to be with Dianne's dad tomorrow. We miss them, but we thank God that they are having a better Christmas celebration this year. After visiting my aunts in the home in Sunbury, I have thanked the Lord again for his goodness in caring for our parents. God is good all the time – even in times of grief. So we will spend Christmas Day alone this year, by our choice. We were invited by our children to be with them, but we decided that maybe it would be nice to just sit together in front of the fire, watch the Christmas tree and the birds at our feeders, listen to Christmas music, maybe sip hot chocolate, eat some no calorie cookies, and just relax. That sounds like a plan and I am looking forward to it. I hope that you have a blessed Christmas.

Let It Snow ... Not!

For those wishing for a white Christmas, if you live in southeast Pennsylvania, I believe that your wish will come true. Saturday's record snow will still be here and there is a warning of more to come on Christmas Eve. So be careful what you wish for. Here in Millersville we received 16 inches which is the largest pre-Christmas snowfall ever recorded, breaking the record of 13.5 inches in 1926. For those who say we never get snows like we used to, think again. We've just experienced history. There are a few other snowfalls that I still remember. The worst one was in 1958 when we received 20 inches in March. What made it the worst is that in those days they didn't have the equipment that is available today. There were snowdrifts on route 501 to the tops of telephone poles. I remember that storm well, because I was returning from a concert in Harrisburg the Saturday night the snow began, with my choir director and a friend, and it took us hours to make the trip since we had to stop often to push cars so we could get through. Half of Lititz was without electricity for several days and they were finally able to get milk and bread into town – by train. (Here is an interesting video of that storm – STORM - it will start after the brief commercial.) I don't recall what year it was, probably in the late 1960's when we had snow on Christmas Eve and much of the day on Christmas. I don't recall the amount. I had been in the hospital for tests and they released me late in the afternoon of Christmas Eve, not knowing that we were headed to Sunbury. Poor Dianne had to drive that night, through heavily falling snow, with two small children and a very ill husband. I still wasn't well enough to drive home a few days later, so my brother-in-law and sister-in-law followed us home and my brother and father came to shovel our driveway and some drifts which were blocking our street. In 1979 we had 15 inches on President's Day and in 1983, on the same weekend, we had two feet. That sticks in my mind because I had to have a medical procedure done in Lancaster and we drove through the deep snow in our yellow VW bug. In 1996 we had 35 inches over a four day period, including one day with 21 inches. I remember that snow because it came when our granddaughter, Taylor, was born and we drove into Lancaster to take her brother Zachary to the hospital to see his new sister. When we got to the hospital we were told that we shouldn't be there because Lancaster was officially closed due to the heavy snow. But we were there, we visited anyway, and we managed to get home again safely. We thought Taylor should have been named Storm. And then there was the ten inches we received on Christmas Day in 2002. For the first time ever, the two of us sat at home, alone, on Christmas and watched the beautiful snow fall. Now there are several obvious signs that I am getting old. First, I am recalling these old stories. Second, I no longer enjoy driving through snow. Third, I've already had enough snow for this year. And fourth, I am beginning to wonder if it is better to stay here and endure the snow or move to Florida and endure the hurricanes. Well there might be some good news. I used to enjoy the recently deceased columnist from the Lancaster Newspapers who annually would give his winter predictions based on observing the wooly caterpillar. And his predictions were as accurate as the professional forecasters, although that isn't saying very much. Well this year I've seen exactly one wooly caterpillar and he had a black neck and the remainder of his body was brown. So my interpretation is that this means we will have a stormy beginning to the winter, and we have, and then the rest will be mild. And on that I am counting! I'm dreaming of a … mild winter!

Christmas Cookies

Now what is Christmas without cookies? But some of us worry about too much sugar and too many calories. Now I can put your mind at ease. Here are the rules for Christmas cookies. 1. If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test and thus calorie free. 2. If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories. 3. If a friend comes over while you're making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend. Because your friend's first cookie is calorie free, (rule #1) yours is also. It would be rude to let your friend sample alone and, being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free.

4. Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move. This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass. 5. Any calories consumed during the frosting of the Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue. 6. Cookies colored red or green have very few calories. Red ones have three and green ones have five - one calorie for each letter. Make more red ones! 7. Cookies eaten while watching "Miracle on 34th Street" have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel. 8. As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking causes calorie leakage. 9. Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate have no calories since the calories Rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate. We all know how calories like to CLING! 10. Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes NEVER have calories. It's a rule! And remember, these rules are valid - they have to be since you read them here. So, go out and enjoy those Christmas Cookies - we only get them this time of year! Just don't get near the scales.

Our Secular Society

Paraphrasing a famous Christmas editorial we could say, "Yes, Virginia, the United States is a secular society". That became even more obvious last night in our Awana game time. My son, Tim, is the game director for the girls in grades 3 – 6 and he is very creative in planning new games and variations of old ones. Last night his games included facts about the Christmas story. When he told the girls that, quite a few of them thought he meant a movie. It was disappointing how little many of them actually knew about the birth of Christ. Quite a few of the girls had no idea who Mary was and they didn't know that she traveled on a donkey. And they knew little or nothing about other factual aspects of this special story. And this wasn't in Russia or Iraq, it was in our program located in the middle of the "Bible Belt" in Lancaster, PA. When I was still teaching, on my last test before Christmas, just for fun, I would include some bonus questions about the holiday season (incidentally, holiday came from holy day). I would include some items about other faiths and good holiday literature. But every year fewer and fewer students could answer correctly my questions about the story in Luke. Should we be surprised about this ignorance of basic Bible facts? Maybe, but isn't this the result of our society becoming very secular. It's a society in which Christmas can't even be discussed, and certainly not celebrated. It's a society where even Christmas carols can't be sung. It's a society in which many nativity scenes are banned. Some of you may think it has always been that way, but that isn't the case. Today I heard parts of the Christmas message delivered to the American people in 1944 by President Franklin Roosevelt. Here is just a portion of that speech. "It is not easy to say "Merry Christmas" to you, my fellow Americans, in this time of destructive war. Nor can I say "Merry Christmas" lightly tonight to our armed forces at their battle stations all over the world -- or to our allies who fight by their side. Here, at home, we will celebrate this Christmas Day in our traditional American way- because of its deep spiritual meaning to us; because the teachings of Christ are fundamental in our lives; and because we want our youngest generation to grow up knowing the significance of this tradition and the story of the coming of the immortal Prince of Peace and Good Will." Wow, times have changed and most of the parents of today's children don't even remember a time when the President could and would speak publicly like this. And few are concerned about our youngest generation knowing about Christ – certainly not the leaders of our country. So what can we as individuals do? First, we can make sure that we are teaching God's Word to our children and grandchildren. Second, those of us who have the opportunity to work with children must be diligent about our ministry. We need to teach basics. We need to be faithful – we can't give up or get discouraged. The battle is too critical. We need to ask the Lord for wisdom and then teach these children prayerfully and lovingly. For if we don't, who else will?

Letter Writing

This week John Pittenger died and it reminded me of an experience that happened when he was Secretary of Education for Pennsylvania. At that time the state passed a new certificate which was to be required of all supervisors. I was disappointed when my superintendent told me that I would need to return to school to earn 18 credit hours of supervision and budgeting courses, even though I had been doing this while serving in this position for over 15 years. So I decided to write to Mr. Pittenger and tell him how I felt it was a waste of my time and money to return to college to be taught by some inexperienced professors what I had learned in 15 years of practical experience. I was surprised when he answered my letter and told me that he agreed and would grant me the certification without the required course work. That is one of the few times that the Department of Education has granted a reasonable exception. This is one of many positive experiences that I have had writing letters about a variety of concerns. Once we received a case of applesauce when I shared that we had found a piece of glass in a jar. Several times we have received a free night in a motel when I wrote about some poor situations that we had encountered. A year ago I received numerous coupons when I complained about a bad container of deodorant. Last year I was very disappointed in the way my oil company handled renewal of my annual contract, so ... I wrote a letter. The manager actually called me and offered me a new deal that ended up saving me well over $600 this past year. That was more than I ever expected. I've also received coupons and refunds for meals after bad experiences. Recently, after we waited for 15 minutes for a waiter in an area restaurant, I shared my experience in writing and they sent me an apology and a gift card for $20. A mistake on a bill at an area grocery store also resulted in a gift card for groceries. Often I receive ano response or just a letter of apology. Sometimes the replies are a surprise. About a month ago I wrote a letter to a major company with a copy to Stauffers of Kissel Hill, about the poor packaging of their cases of distilled water. The company never replied, but Stauffers did and they told me that they had checked different suppliers and on Monday they will use a new supplier with cases that are much more customer friendly. We didn't get anything free, and that wasn't my motive, but I am impressed that they would make such a change based on just my letter. So I've learned to not be afraid to write a reasonable letter when I encounter a real problem. Such letters should not be written when you are angry. They should be short and to the point but should share the key details. They are best addressed to the manager or the owner. They should not request anything in return but should be written in a way that the manager understands that you are trying to help him improve his product or service. His response is up to him and my future use of his product or his facility is up to me. Now there is one exception to my advice – don't write a letter to the author of this blog unless you want to commend the writer for being intelligent, creative, and thought provoking.

Days To Remember

December 7, 1941 - a Day of Infamy. It was early in the morning that Pearl Harbor was attacked and the world was changed. For folks older than I am, it was a moment that they will never forget. It was one of those moments in history that you vividly recall exactly where you were when the event was announced. I was just a day over eight months old, so, of course, I don't remember that moment. But there are others that I do recall. I do remember some of the events that followed Pearl Harbor with concerns of my uncles who were serving around the world. I do remember blackouts here at home. I also remember my dad taking me downtown, in Wilmington, Delaware, to see the celebrations when the war was declared over. Much later in life, I recall where I was when it was announced that the Russians had launched Sputnik. I was driving to deliver medical goods when I heard the news on the radio. It would launch a new era of competition in space exploration. I recall watching the landing of the first manned space capsule which I viewed on tv in the student union at Susquehanna University. I also recall, years later, the night when man first walked on the moon. We were in an apartment at Florida State University, watching on television. One of the most crushing memories was receiving the word that President Kennedy had been shot. I was teaching an Algebra II class when it was announced. This is an event that many folks still recall. I recently talked to a former student who remembered being in my Algebra II class when that announcement was made. I remember hearing that Martin Luther King had been killed while I was driving to a church board meeting in Lancaster. I heard the news of Robert Kennedy's assassination on the radio while in bed. And I recall the news that President Regan had been shot while I was driving to a school meeting on the campus of Millersville. And, of course, most of us recall where we were on the morning of September 11. I was watching the news on television during a prep period at school. Like everyone, I was stunned and then I watched the events on television, in silence, with my students the remainder of the morning. And then we all have those personal events that we vividly remember, especially births and deaths. While our memory banks are already filled with memories of such events, I imagine that there will be many more to add during our lifetime. Unfortunately, many of them probably will not be pleasant. But there is a future promised event that I can hardly wait for it - a day that we shall never forget - the day Jesus returns to take His children home. He promised that one day He would return and His promises are secure. It seems to me that we seldom talk or even sing about this event now like we used to. But that doesn't change the reality of His promise. An old hymn asks the question, "Oh Lord Jesus, how long?" We don't know the answer to that question, but we should be waiting and watching in anticipation. The older I get, the more I hope each day that this will be the day. Titus 2:13 "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." It will be the most important day that you will ever remember. As my grandfather used to always say, "Keep looking for"!

Things I Don't Understand

There are many things in life that I just don't understand ... How can you expect to win a war when you tell the enemy that you will only fight for 18 months and then begin to pull out? Duh! Wouldn' t the enemy understand that all they had to do was hang in there for 18 more months and the victory would be theirs? What am I missing? ... Many cities, such as Lancaster, are facing major deficits resulting in higher taxes. Why then should I be surprised to see a city work crew of four with only one working while the other three are sitting and just talking to each other? Union rules? ... When I try to buy Christmas stamps to send our Christmas cards I find that I have just four choices - snowmen/reindeer, the Virgin Mary, Chanukah, and the newest - holiday stamps for Moslems. Why can't I just get stamps showing Jesus in the manger, with shepherds? I guess we really aren't allowed to celebrate Christmas this way, after all it is only the celebration of the birthday of Jesus. ... If the malls are afraid to play "religious" songs at Christmas, why can't they at least select some holiday songs that are fun to listen to. I don't get too excited about a rendition of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" done in almost every major language but English, or a rendition of "Jingle Bells" which sounds like the vocalist has fallen off the sleigh and is being drug behind the sleigh through the white and drifted snow. Of course, there is also "White Christmas" sung by a vocalist who sounds like she must already have frostbite. Where is Bing when you need him? Is he politically incorrect also? ... Why can't the state pass laws making it illegal to use hand-held cell phones or text when you are driving? Philadelphia has just done this, but not Pennsylvania ... And talking about laws, why can't we make the penalty for drunken driving an immediate five-year suspension of the driver's license? ... Why do pharmacies make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions? ... How much worse can promotions for TV shows get? They have now gone beyond the point of just being sexually suggestive, especially when they do things like talking about grabbing a breast! And these promotions are shown in prime time when kids are probably watching! ... Why are there handicap parking spaces in front of a skating rink! ... And maybe the most profound thing that I don't understand, Why do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight or twelve? Guess I need to go and ponder some of these deep things. Or I could go and read Tiger's latest book, "My Shortest Drive".