Good-bye Irene!

Good-bye Irene. I won't say "goodnight Irene" because there wasn't much good about that night with Irene except that it wasn't quite as bad as some had predicted. It left homes and properties devastated with billions of dollars of damage. It produced a major blow to insurance companies and the economy. We didn't anticipate too much of a problem at our house because the forecasts called for only 2-3 inches in our area. We actually had 4.5 inches but we were spared the damage that so many others are still facing. Our problems developed at 3:40 a.m. when we both got awake and suddenly realized that our electricity was off. As I listened to the pounding rain, my first concern was the basement and our sump pump. Thankfully the Lord got us awake just in time because I found that the water had just begun to overflow the pump pit and the water hadn't spread too far. Using a flashlight I quickly found a bucket and began to bail water out and pour it down a nearby sink. Dianne soon joined me. We set up two chairs, turned on a portable radio, and spent the next few hours, in our night clothes, taking turns with the bucket. For the first hour or so the pit filled up about every 3 - 5 minutes. Each time we took out about 4 buckets of water. By about 5 a.m. it slowed to about every 5 - 7 minutes. Later it slowed to about every 10 minutes and it finally began to get light outside. Waiting for the daylight reminded me of the many times we were up at night with sick kids waiting for the morning to come. You feel like it will never happen. I had responsibilities at church to count the morning offerings and present an Awana award. So when it slowed to about every 15 minutes, I left Dianne to handle the water and I went to church. I made a quick trip home between services and then when I finally returned at about 11:40 the electricity finally came on and our problem was solved. And finally we could use our well once again to wash and go to the bathroom. We decided to go out for something for lunch only to find that most restaurants and fast-food places were closed because they had lost their power as well. We finally found a Golden Arches that had just opened and we were their first customers of the day. But that wasn't the entire story. At church in the first service, while the organist was playing the offertory, the power went off. No lights, no instruments, no power points, and no sound system. However, the pastor was able to preach and finish the service in the dark. They began the second service with guitars for the singing. And, just as I was about to present the award, the power came back on. It really was a morning to remember. As far as our basement goes, since we do have a water problem when we get large rains, I guess I need to buy a generator. We had a similar experience back in 1972 during Hurricane Agnes and that really was worse because the storm got ahead of us and we did have considerable water in our basement. But since that time, thank the Lord, we have never had a serious problem of flooding during a power failure, at least for any length of time. So is a generator in our future? That's a good question. But as I said, good-bye Irene! We won't miss you!

Safe And Secure

There are certain commercials that I really don't like. The ad about the fellow who shows up 30 minutes too early for the flash mob is funny - the first or second time. But after the 50th time - forget it. The Comcast ad with the turtles has now become annoying. Then there is the one used in every Phillies game when a Phillie is safe on an extra base hit. The announcers say, "Safe and secure - with New York Life". That statement has now become predictable and annoying. Now what is really safe about New York Life? In this economy is any financial company really safe and secure? In fact we live in a time when nothing in this world is really safe and secure. The stock market certainly isn't and they say social security and medicare may soon run out of money. Last weekend we had severe thunderstorm warnings here. At least this time they didn't include tornado warnings but we have had numerous such warnings this summer. And we have had several destructive tornados just miles from our house in years past. We have been more fortunate than thousands of others. Nothing is safe and secure in a tornado. Tuesday we experienced an earthquake - the most serious one in the east in about 100 years. We have experienced earthquakes here before but thankfully none as bad as those in Japan. Everything can be gone in seconds. Nothing is safe and secure in an earthquake. Now this weekend they are talking about hurricane Irene hitting here. It has the potential to follow the same track as one a century ago which settled over New York City and created devastating 13 foot waves there. Will that happen this time? I certainly hope not. We have experienced hurricane damage and flooded basements in the past and realize that nothing is safe and secure in a hurricane. Finances, health, jobs, pensions, family, possessions - none of these are really safe and secure. So what can we do? Worry? Hide? Get ulcers? I hope that you've personally discovered the only answer which is found in Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble." Or Psalm 46:7, "The LORD of hosts is with us;The God of Jacob is our refuge." Or Psalm 57:1, "Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by." Or Psalm 62:8, 'Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.' Or Proverbs 14:26, "In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge." So come what may, God's children know where they are really safe and secure. Safe and secure - with Jesus Christ!

Thirty Years

Thirty years is either a long time or a short time depending on what has happened during that time. This week will mark 30 years since we started our Awana program and it is hard to believe that it has been that long. It has been an exciting 30 years and we have watched the Lord work in so many marvelous ways during that time. When we began we decided to hold a training class during Sunday School, beginning in September. And if by December we had at least a dozen folks committed to the ministry, we would start it in January. I taught the class and in December we had 20 adults ready to go. And since then the ministry has grown. We will begin this year with a staff of at least 90. During these years we've now trained and certified over 270 adults. We've had the experience of working in three different locations as our church has relocated. In the second building we had to create game areas in two different locations and that meant measuring and laying tape on carpet, several times. Often we have faced what appeared to be major obstacles in replacing staff, especially key club leaders. But every year the Lord has answered our prayers and provided the people that we needed. Last year we had a major need for men to work with our boys in grades 3 -6 and the Lord actually provided more than we needed. This year we had a major need to replace most of the staff in another club and the Lord again provided all the help that we need. Often we needed to replace key directors and the Lord led us to just the right replacements. I should not be amazed, but I admit that I still am. Now as you might guess, I am thoroughly sold on the Awana program. Their goal is to reach boys and girls with the gospel of Christ and train them to serve Him. The key verse is 2 Timothy 2:15 from which the name comes - Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed. Their major emphasis is teaching children fundamental Biblical concepts and memorization of scripture. It is fun to see our kids excel in regional Bible quizzes and in Awana games. But the greatest thrills for me are to see a youngster come to know Christ personally or for me to present Sparky and Timothy Awards in our morning worship service to those who have disciplined themselves to complete the Awana curriculum. I will have the privilege of presenting a Timothy this coming Sunday morning. During the past year Dianne and I have had the special honor of completing Commander College 101 and 201. Despite our years of service there is so much to learn and so much more that we would like to see accomplished. But we know that we don't have 30 more years to do that. In fact we're not sure how many more years we will have. We are training replacements and we know their time to take over is approaching quickly. Life does go quickly when you are serving the Lord. We would enjoy being able to attend the final training program, Commanders College 301 in Chicago, but that appears to just be a dream. In the meantime, here we go again with another exciting year of Awana. Pray with us that many children will be reached for the Lord this year and that children will grow in their love and passion for the Lord. And while you are at it, join us in praying for the 14 adopted clubs that our Awana sponsors internationally as well as for a new Spanish club in Reading that we are helping to sponsor . Incidentally, over 12,000 churches in the U.S. now sponsor Awana clubs reaching 1.5 million children. Another 10,000 are reached internationally. Pray for this great ministry.

Tradition, Tradition

Over the past few years I have begun to realize how important it is for parents to establish traditions for their children and to do things to pass their legacy to future generations. This has become an important activity and goal for me and I have done numerous things to pass my godly heritage to my children, grandchildren and maybe someday even to my great grandchildren. I have had the opportunity to share this concern and some ideas at Pinebrook and in a Sunday School class years ago, but it is not a "hot" topic and there seems to be little interest in it. But most families do have traditions. Some are better than others. One of ours is that we annually host a birthday dinner for each of our grandchildren. They get to select the menu. We have had everything from pizza to ham to hoagies to chicken pot pie, and much more. Then we make them a special cake. Each year, until they are 13, the cake is a special shape that has some special significance in their lives. Once they are 13 they receive a cake in the shape of a heart but they still may decide what kind of cake and icing we should make. As part of our tradition, we always sing together the prayer which goes "We thank thee Lord for this our food, God is love, God is love. But most of all for Jesus' blood, God is love, God is love. These mercies bless and grant that we may live and feast and reign with Thee, may live and feast and reign with Thee, God is love, God is love. Amen". And all learn the words and participate. I recall having sung this at family gatherings on my father's side since I was a toddler. It is one tradition that I want to continue to pass on. The cakes have been a challenge. I do most of the designing, Dianne does the baking, and we share the decorating. I've just placed 18 pictures of some of these on my Facebook wall. One of our granddaughters has had a butterfly, a castle, a cat (her pet), a horse (her hobby), a piano, a dolphin, and a violin. Her sister has had a Christmas tree, a cat, a panda, a teddy bear, a reindeer, a Christmas stocking (her birthday is near Christmas), and a bicycle. A grandson has received a crown (he used our King puppet in Awana) and a football. Another granddaughter received a soccer ball, a soccer ball (guess what sport she likes), a roller coaster, and a blonde wig (she had the lead in a church musical and dressed with a blonde wig). A grandson has received an ark (guess what his name is), a Sparky (an award won in Awana), a snowman, a french horn (guess what he plays), a Brian Westbrook uniform, and an angel (he had the lead in a church musical as an angel). Pictures of each of these are included in the annual family DVD which I make each Christmas for the families. Traditions are important as are other activities for sharing your legacy - maybe I'll need to write blogs about some of these ideas in the future. However, many of my writings and pictures can be found on my web site, fbfawana.com. Well we have another birthday this Sunday - number 11 for one of my granddaughters. She has asked for ham loaf, mashed potatoes, french green beans, chocolate cake with white icing and Lady Liberty ice cream. And her cake is done! It's her favorite of the three instruments which she plays - a trumpet. A two-layer trumpet which is made from two flat cakes. And you have a special preview of the finished product - just don't tell her about it or you'll spoil the Sunday surprise.

Turn Your AC On

I never enjoyed history when I was young, but the older I get, the more interesting history becomes. I guess that is because I've actually now lived through a great deal of history. And there are so many interesting stories that folks often don't know about. One of those is about the Goldberg Brothers, the inventors of the automobile air conditioner. The four Goldberg brothers, Lowell, Norman, Hiram, and Max, invented and developed the first automobile air-conditioner. On July 17, 1946, the temperature in Detroit was 97 degrees. The four brothers walked into old man Henry Ford's office and sweet-talked his secretary into telling him that four gentlemen were there with the most exciting innovation in the auto industry since the electric starter. Henry was curious and invited them into his office. They refused and instead asked that he come out to the parking lot to their car. They persuaded him to get into the car, which was about 130 degrees, turned on the air conditioner and cooled the car off immediately. The old man got very excited and invited them back to the office, where he offered them $3 million for the patent. The brothers refused, saying they would settle for $2 million, but they wanted the recognition by having a label, 'The Goldberg Air-Conditioner,' on the dashboard of each car in which it was installed. Old man Ford was more than just a little anti-Semitic, and there was no way he was going to put the Goldberg's name on two million Fords. They haggled back and forth for about two hours and finally agreed on $4 million and that just their first names would be shown. And so for many decades, all Ford air conditioners showed - Lo, Norm, Hi and Max - on the controls. And that's the news - have a great day!

It's Coming!

It's coming! I can feel it! My favorite season will soon be here. I love the cooler temperatures. I love the colored leaves. I love the fields filled with pumpkins. I enjoy the smells of burning leaves and wood burning in fireplaces. And I love football. Now the calendar certainly indicates that Fall should soon be here. But here are my top ten indicators that tell me it is coming quickly.

10. It's getting dark earlier - daylight is really getting shorter.

9. High school sports teams are beginning to practice and today, in the mail, we received the school calendar for the coming year. It's on its way!

8. We're getting sick of reruns on television. They aren't too bad the second time, but the third time - boring. Bring on the new shows.

7. Garden stores are beginning to sell mums. I love to see mums bloom in Fall.

6. People are beginning to talk about wild card teams for the October baseball play-offs. Hopefully the Phillies won't need to worry about winning a wild card spot this year unless they begin to fall apart. And that has happened to the Phillies before.

5. Advertising for Awana begins, I have meetings each Wednesday beginning next week and I am spending hours getting everything ready to go again - for the 30th year.

4. Our tomatoes are all getting ripe at the same time. We are living on tomato sandwiches and tomato salads ... and we have tomatoes, and tomatoes and tomatoes!

3. The kids are counting how many days of vacation are left until school begins. The parents probably began doing that in June.

2. The cicadas are singing loudly and the cicada killers are busy attacking them and digging up our yard.

1. And my number one indicator is that the Penn State football board has started its countdown to the first kickoff. While I am writing this, the clock says there are 21 days, 14 hours, 12 minutes and 53 seconds until the opening kickoff. And when you read this blog the clock will already be much closer to 0 0 0 0! Let's go Lions.

Ready or not, here comes Fall!

Lesson Lived - Lesson Learned

Monday morning I heard a song that was new to me. I don't know the title nor the artist, but the message was clear - his father taught him many lessons. One of the things mentioned in the song was how the family used to take an elderly lady to church each week. That message stirred my memories. My parents were married about the time World War II broke out. Times were tough. Jobs were scarce. For about eight years of married life they lived without owning an automobile. This is so impressive since during those years they moved seven times. During the war, among other things, dad taught Air Force cadets at Susquehanna University and worked on the Manhattan Project in Wilmington, Delaware. He also taught math and physics at Doylestown High School, New Cumberland High School and Elizabethtown College. He coached football and had to travel fall weekends to scout opposing teams. He had two young sons to support and all of this was done without an automobile. He spent considerable time walking and traveling by bus and train during those years. And, we never missed getting to church and weekly he had to carry groceries home by hand. All this was done without a car. Then, when I was in second grade, he purchased his first car, a Ford, from Garber Motors in Elizabethtown. Now we could drive to Harrisburg to go to church, three times a week. We could visit relatives and do many of the things we couldn't really do before. Then we moved to Lancaster where dad helped establish a new church. During the initial services, in a tent, we met an elderly lady, Mrs. Brenneman, who came to the services by bus. Dad told her that we could provide transportation for her and for many years we did that, each Sunday. During those years she lived in two different locations, neither of which were on our normal route to church. Later she moved to Lititz. Again we would take her to church, each week, even though it meant six of us squeezing into dad's car. Finally she was physically unable to come anymore. And the transportation stopped, but not for long. There was another lady who lived in Lititz, Mrs. Sturgis, who had formerly attended our denomination's church in Easton. She wanted to attend our church and once again the weekly transportation was provided by dad. But this situation was a little tougher - our family was growing up and needed more room. And Mrs. Sturgis was very overweight - and that is saying it as kindly as possible. In fact at one point she even broke the springs in our car. But I never heard dad complain. But what I do remember is that during these years he often said that the car wasn't his - it was the Lord's. He had struggled for many years without one until the Lord provided one for him. And he dedicated its use to the Lord, not just in name but in practice. That was true of all that my father and mother had. And they lived that way through the lean years as well as through the years of plenty. They continually thanked God for all that they had and they were always ready to use it for the Lord. Our home was always open to host missionaries, visiting speakers, and students. They provided meals and clothing to others. They hosted Bible clubs for children and they supported many ministries with their time and money. All that they had was the Lord's. And that is a lesson I hope that I too will practice and never forget. Lesson lived - lesson learned.

Daily Ups and Downs

One day last week personal comments from three different people really impacted my emotions that day. All three made comments - two of them were public - about things I had done. I was surprised because I really didn't expect any of the three. One negative one came from a person I don't know very well. And it hurt even though I realize our lifestyles are very different. The other two were from people that I know who are born again Christians. One of these two is very vocal about his/her faith and you aren't with that person very long until you hear of all the "ministries" he/she and his/her church are involved in. And they are really good ministries and I think he/she is sincere and is being used by the Lord. But this person has very strong opinions and isn't always bashful about sharing them. Comments made by this person have hurt before and this unnecessary public comment stung once again. Being human, my first thought was to defend myself and strike back. I thought of all sorts of comments I could make in return. But as I thought about it, it certainly wasn't a way a Christian should respond. Better just to turn the other cheek. So I have decided not to react, but to forgive, try to forget and just move on. However, I was reminded of the scripture verse, Colossians 4:6 "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." Unfortunately, just because we are born again doesn't mean that our speech will be perfect. Our tongues still can create problems. But as Christians we must recognize the need to speak with grace to those who cross our paths - believers and unbelievers. That isn't always easy. Another of my favorite verses is Psalm 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer." I find that I need to pray that many times throughout the day and I think most Christians probably need to also make this a daily request. Now to finish my story. I mentioned the two critical comments that were made to me, but there was a third one that day. A dear Christian brother surprised me by calling just to say "thank you" for a decision that I had made and to tell me how excellent that decision was. I didn't ask for this reaction nor did I expect it. But it sure was an encouragement to me and it more than balanced out the two negative comments I received that day. God is so good. I need to be more sensitive to others and to encourage them as this caller did for me. We don't need to attack or wound fellow believers - the world does this enough to us. Let me urge you to watch what you say - and think - and to encourage somebody today. Years ago I heard "To live with saints above, oh that will be glory. But to live with saints below, well that's a different story." It's sad that there is so much truth to that saying. Have a great day! God is still on the throne and He is in control! And, keep looking up!

You've Got Mail!

It started like any typical Monday morning. I headed to my den to check the morning mail - the e-mail that is. I was waiting for some replies to e-mails that I had sent over the weekend. I needed to check the tracking information on some products that I had ordered online. I needed to see if there were any prayer chain requests that I needed to send out to the prayer chain which we supervise. I wanted to check to see if my newest blog was online as scheduled. I wanted to update my website. I was hoping to get an update on my cousin who has been in the hospital for several weeks. I wanted to see if there were any updates and new verbals on the Penn State website which I check daily. And I wanted to see if there were any messages from friends, either by e-mail or on Facebook. But after my computer fired up I found that I couldn't get online. I tried our other computer with the same results. And I checked our new iPad and found the same problem. I tried a different browser and still couldn't get online. In frustration I checked all the connections. I unplugged the modem and the router, reset them, and rebooted with no change. Then I decided to call Verizon, our internet supplier. I finally waded through all their menus and finally received a message that there had been an outage in the Lancaster area but service was now restored. I was told to pull out the power supplies to the modem and router, wait 60 seconds, plug them back in and reboot. For the second time I did that and still had no service. Frustration was now building up. It was amazing to me how isolated I began to feel. I was not able to communicate with the outside world - at least by computer. It almost felt like we had a snowstorm or bad electrical storm and were housebound with no electricity. I then had a reality check and realized that it was just the internet and I could survive without it. But I kept trying, unsuccessfully, throughout the morning. Finally, early in the afternoon I decided to call Verizon once again. I spent 35 minutes going through their phone system. They required me to go through the routine of unplugging and rebooting once again before I could talk to a real person. Finally I reached what I guess was a real person who spoke in broken English. Despite their recorded message that all service was restored, I think he told me that their technicians were still working on the problem and that it would soon be restored. I gave up and decided just to wait. A few hours later it was restored and life returned to "normal". But the experience reminded me of how much we are learning to depend upon the modern technology. I was embarrassed to realize how isolated I felt when I couldn't use it. And yet I am not alone. I still am amazed to see folks everywhere - driving, shopping, walking - talking into their phones. Many others are listening to their iPods. How dependent we've become. I am convinced that one of the biggest terror threats to our country is the loss of electricity and internet service. We couldn't bank, we couldn't buy, we couldn't communicate, and we'd all feel isolated. And that might be devastating to many in today's technology dependent society. That's enough for now - I really need to check my e-mail.

How Our Lives Change

Recently we were talking to somebody about their new baby and the remark was made that children really change the lives of their parents, sometimes more than anticipated. We discovered that almost a half century ago. Recently somebody sent me an interesting e-mail that listed some of these changes. I enjoyed it enough to share with you. Parents, enjoy!

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful to have been born the USA, the most powerful free democracy in the world.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for Velcro tennis shoes. As well as saving valuable time, now I can hear the sound of my son taking off his shoes -- which gives me three extra seconds to activate the safety locks on the back seat windows right before he hurls them out of the car and onto the freeway.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for the recycling program which will preserve our natural resources and prevent the overloading of landfills.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for swim diapers because every time my son wanders into water in plain disposables, he ends up wearing a blimp the size of, say, New Jersey, on his bottom.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for fresh, organic vegetables.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for microwaveable macaroni and cheese -- without which my children would be surviving on about three bites of cereal and their own spit.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for the opportunity to obtain a college education and have a higher quality of life than my ancestors.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful to finish a complete thought without being interrupted.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for holistic medicine and natural herbs.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for pediatric cough syrup guaranteed to "cause drowsiness" in young children.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for the opportunity to vacation in exotic foreign countries so I could experience a different way of life in a new culture.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful to have time to make it all the way down the driveway to get the mail.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for the Moosewood Vegetarian cookbook.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for the Butterball turkey hot line.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for a warm, cozy home to share with my loved ones.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful for the lock on the bathroom door.

BEFORE CHILDREN: I was thankful for material objects like custom furniture, a nice car and trendy clothes.

AFTER CHILDREN: I am thankful when the baby spits up and misses my good shoes.

Yes, life does change when you have children.

They're Back!

They are back! The cicada killers are invading our lawn once again. Last year was the first that they appeared at our house and they really dug up the lawn in our backyard. I worked hard to replant grass and this year it looked back to normal once again. But now they are back. Most folks don't know what I am even talking about. So here is some information about this unusual wasp. Adult eastern cicada killer wasps are large, 0.6 to 2.0 in long, robust wasps with hairy, reddish and black areas on the thorax (middle part), and are black to reddish brown marked with light yellow stripes on the abdominal (rear) segments. The wings are brownish. Cicada killer females use their sting to paralyze their prey (cicadas) rather than to defend their nests. Adults feed on flower nectar and other plant sap exudates. Adults emerge in summer, typically beginning around late June or early July and continuing throughout the summer months. They are present in a given area for 60 to 75 days, until mid-September. The large females are commonly seen in mid-to-late summer skimming around lawns seeking good sites to dig burrows and searching shrubs and trees for cicadas. The males are more often seen in groups, vigorously challenging one another for position on the breeding aggregation from which they emerged, and generally pursuing anything that moves or flies within proximity. It is not unusual to see two or three male wasps locked together in midair combat, the aggregate adopting an erratic and uncontrolled flight path until one of the wasps breaks away Females may share a burrow, digging their own nest cells off the main tunnel. A burrow is 6 - 10 in. deep and about 1.2 in. wide. The female dislodges the soil with her jaws and pushes loose soil behind her as she backs out of the burrow using her hind legs, which are equipped with special spines that help her push the dirt behind her. The excess soil pushed out of the burrow forms a mound with a trench through it at the burrow entrance. After digging a nest chamber in the burrow, female cicada killers capture cicadas, paralyzing them with a sting; the cicadas then serve as food to rear their young. After paralyzing a cicada, the female wasp straddles it and takes off toward her burrow; this return flight to the burrow is difficult for the wasp because the cicada is often more than twice her weight. After putting the cicada in the nest cell, the female deposits an egg on the cicada and closes the cell with dirt. Male eggs are laid on a single cicada but female eggs are given two or sometimes three cicadas; this is because the female wasp is twice as large as the male and must have more food. New nest cells are dug as necessary off the main burrow tunnel and a single burrow may eventually have 10 to 20 cells. The egg hatches in one or two days, and the cicadas serve as food for the grub. The larvae complete their development in about 2 weeks. Overwintering occurs as a mature larva within an earth-coated cocoon. Pupation occurs in the nest cell in the spring and lasts 25 to 30 days. There is only one generation per year and no adults overwinter. It is an incredible creation of God - I just wish that we could view it somewhere other than in our yard. Apparently there is no practical way to kill them or get rid of them. We have checked with several experts and they don't have a solution except to put up with them - while they dig up our lawn. However we did find a site on the internet that suggested swatting them with a tennis racket or a baseball bat. However that just stuns them. You really then need to crush them with something hard to complete the job. So if you go by our house and see us taking our swings in the backyard, you know what we are doing. And it really is a great way to improve your coordination and get some exercise several times a day. Come on over and try it. We don't charge for this recreation.

Tragic News

Sometimes the news just makes you sick. Such was the case last Saturday when I read the front page story of a fatal auto crash near us. A family from Delaware County had come to Lancaster County to purchase a puppy. They were headed home when a drunk driver who was speeding tried to pass on a double line and crashed into them. A young woman and the puppy were killed instantly. One of the preteen children was critically injured. The drunk driver was not hurt. Police reported that he had previously been charged with a DUI and he was driving with a suspended license. That just makes me sick. It is probably good that I can't make the laws because I have no time at all for people who drink and drive. I think that if a person is charged with a DUI it should result in at least ten years in prison and permanent loss of their license. It seems to me that if we got serious about this problem, strong enforced laws would reduce and maybe even eliminate this problem. And if a DUI causes an accident it should be twenty years in prison. And if it results in a fatality it should be life in prison. And if a person is caught driving with a suspended license it should be permanent loss of license. Few will agree with me, but possibly the family in this accident might. It will be interesting to see how easy the courts treat this murderer. I guess DUI gets me upset since my mother was killed in an auto accident when a teenager hit my parents broadside. I don't know if he was drinking but I know that his parents quickly whisked him away from the scene and he was never tested. And he never suffered any serious consequences. On the other hand, we lost mother. With drinking and drugs so common and accepted today, one risks his life each time he enters an auto to go somewhere. I guess that it just is not politically correct for our laws and courts to come down hard on such offenses. But I just can't help but wonder how much safer we would be with strict laws that were enforced. There is one other sad side to this fatal accident. The police said that the young woman who was killed did not have her seat belt on and she was holding the dog. For the life of me, I can't understand why people, especially young people, won't buckle up. That too should be an offense. However, I guess the difference is that when you fail to buckle up you are risking your life. When you drive under the influence you are risking the lives of others. But such is life today. Keep safe!

Number Four

My son and his family recently returned from a trip of a lifetime. They spent several weeks in South Africa and Botswana hunting. For our grandkids it was the second time they've made this trip, while my son and his wife have been there several times. They have become good friends with the families that own the hunting ranches there. The main purpose of this trip was for my son to notch the fourth animal in what is known by hunters as the "Big Five" - the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot. Previously he had shot his lion. Later it was the Cape Buffalo which is considered by many to be the most dangerous animal to hunt. Many hunters have been killed attempting to hunt it. He had also shot his leopard which is considered to be the most difficult to hunt. If you are interested, you can read the diary of that hunt on my website, fbfawana.com. He might not ever get a chance to get fifth, the black rhinoceros, since licenses for that animal are not presently available. But this hunt was to get his African Elephant, which despite its size, is very difficult to hunt because it is very dangerous and most likely to charge you. It is extremely difficult to track because it can hide in the tall grasses and trees. But after nine days of hunting, he was able to shot a very large elephant with tusks that probably weighed more than 50 pounds each. His daughter was with him when this was done and she was even able to take some video of the event. Hopefully he'll write his diary of this hunt and if he does it will also appear on my website. After the kill, area villagers came and claimed all the meat. This was a big event for them. My grandson went for a zebra and he was successful. My granddaughter went for an impala and she shot that and a zebra. My daughter-in-law took hundreds of pictures. If you see any of them ask them about their experiences since they have many stories to tell. Ask them about how much "fun" it was to sleep out in the wilderness in tents with wild animals and snakes all around. We are just glad that they've returned safely. Folks often ask us where they've picked up this desire to hunt. I really don't know. However, I have been very successful as a hunter ... killing things around the house like spiders and ants as well as catching mice and even squirrels. Do you think that counts?

Medical Visits

We don't qualify as experts on very much, but I do claim to be somewhat an authority on doctor visits. So far this year we have made 40 different visits to 13 different doctors, medical technicians, and dentists. I think that might be enough to claim that one is an authority. Doctor visits have changed. Today all records are being changed to computer records. Some of our doctors are now learning to type - they didn't take that course in high school or even medical school. But, concerning those records, we have learned to request all copies of tests and reports from specialists and we carry them in a folder to all our visits. With so many specialists who spend so little time with you, we are learning to take care of ourselves and our records. And that is an essential lesson for all to learn. But that isn't the main concern of this blog. When I was a child we went to Dr. Griswold. There weren't appointments. You just showed up and signed a list and they took you in the order of your name on the list. That meant you probably would sit and wait at least an hour and sometimes two or three hours to see the doctor. That was tough anytime, but especially when you had a fever or upset belly or worse yet, when you had a sick child. Of course he still did some home visits so if you were really ill you could wait at home until he could visit. Good old Dr. Heinbach in Selinsgrove was no different except that he probably didn't do home visits. But he did speed up notifications - he told my father-in-law that Dianne was pregnant before he told either of us. I guess that was pre-HIPA. Then came Dr. Bryson in Landisville. He was the first of our doctors who made and actually kept appointments. What a great change. Very short waiting times there. And since then all doctors that we know now use appointments. But there are often two major problems with appointments, waiting and waiting. The first "waiting" is waiting to get an appointment. Sometimes it is the same day, but if it is a specialist it might be a week, or a month, or two months or even in one case for me, six months. The second "waiting" is the waiting for the doctor to keep the appointment and actually see you. A few are very prompt. We have one who I like who is almost always on time. But he is on time because he doesn't spend much time with you. I don't mind that as long as he is able to help me. We have some where the wait is a little longer and then there are a few where you can still expect to wait an hour or more. Now that is where I have a major problem. I can only see three reasons that should happen - an emergency, a slow doctor, and poor scheduling procedures. This week I read on the website of a local practice that if you are 15 minutes late for your appointment it will need to be rescheduled and you may be charged for the missed appointment. We actually saw that happen in this practice when a lady was about 30 minutes late. Rather than try to work her in they suggested that she go to an urgent care facility. Now I understand that policy but I think the consumers should also have some protection. A few weeks ago we sat in that same practice for almost an hour past our appointment time just waiting to be seen. That should not happen. I think doctor's should have a policy that if a doctor is delayed more than 15 minutes by an emergency, waiting patients should be informed and given the opportunity to either reschedule or wait. Waiting patients deserve to know if this is happening. Second, if the doctor is more than 30 minutes late, without an emergency interruption, the waiting patient should not be billed for the visit. The practice should absorb the cost. After all, patients have responsibilities too and their time should be valued. If a doctor can't schedule properly and maintain his schedule properly, it should be at a cost to him. That should be a professional courtesy and practice. So another key lesson that I have learned is, since the doctor will probably be late, and maybe very late, carry something along to read. This is important because the Ladies Home Journal in the waiting room will probably be at least eight months old.

A Very Special Year

It was an interesting year ... Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of Great Britain ... nylon stockings went on sale in New York City ... the first successful helicopter flight was held in the United States ... Italy joined the war as a member of the Axis power and declared war on France and Great Britain ... German troops entered Paris and marched down the Champs-Elysées ... the Battle of Britain began as the German Luftwaffe bombed London ... the first peacetime draft in the United States was held ... Disney's Fantasia became number one as it premiered at the Broadway Theater in New York ... Tiffany & Co. moved to a larger store, the first completely air-conditioned store of any kind ... Near Pasadena, Calif. McDonald hamburger stands had its beginning in a drive-in opened by movie theater co-owners Richard and Maurice McDonald of Glendora ... Forrest E. Mars developed m&m's candies with the idea that candies could be eaten in the summer if they did not melt from the heat ... For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway was published ... the Cincinnati Reds won the World Series ... the radio show Abbott and Costello began as a summer replacement for Fred Allen ... The Adventures of Superman was introduced on Mutual Radio ... A quiz show, Double or Nothing, started on Mutual Radio and ran for 12 years with a top prize of $80 ... Singing cowboy Gene Autry's Melody Ranch was introduced on CBS radio and ran for 16 years ... the number 1 song was In The Mood by Glenn Miller, then Frenesi by Arthur Shaw, Only Forever by Bing Crosby, I'll Never Smile Again by Tommy Dorsey and When You Wish Upon a Star by Cliff Edwards ... and many future musicians were born such as Smokey Robinson, Rick Nelson, Tom Jones, Ringo Starr, and Dionne Warwick ... Franklin Roosevelt beat Wendell Wilkie for an unprecedented third term ... and in Sunbury, PA, on this day in that year, a beautiful baby girl was born to Glenn and Mary Bickle. They named her Dianne Lee (if she had been a boy her name would have been Barry Lee). She grew up to be a wonderful beautiful lady, devoted mother, and loving wife. And her positive Christian influence and testimony has impacted many besides her family. So today we say "Happy Birthday Dianne!"... now if you correctly guessed the year then you know how young she is. I'm not going to reveal that to you. But she looks ten years younger than she actually is. If you really want to know her age, just ask her. She isn't like many women in that she is willing to share her age. So please join with me today in wishing her a very happy birthday.

Stars and Stripes

One of my favorite activities on the Fourth of July is watching, on television, the fireworks and listening to the Boston Pops holiday concert from Boston. I often wished that I could go and actually be part of that exciting event, but now that I am older it is just much easier to dream about it and to watch it on television. I was a little disappointed this year in that television only showed an hour of the program and several of my favorite holiday numbers were not even televised. My favorite march is "Stars and Stripes" and the usual rendition by the Boston Pops is by far my favorite. I love the part by the piccolos and then the triumphant ending featuring the brass. As a former trombone player I imagine myself playing along with them. I first fell in love with this number when we played it in marching band many, many years ago in high school. And it has been my favorite march since then, The Fourth of July is just not complete for me until I hear it played once again. I have always enjoyed the music of the Boston Pops. When I was teaching I was very fortunate to be able to attend, almost annually, the national conventions of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. I think over the years Dianne and I attended about 30 of these in most of the major cities in the United States and Canada. I was actually on the program as a speaker at several of these conventions. Much of the funding for these trips came from the Presidential Award that I was honored to win from President Reagan. Some funding came from my school district but most of it came out of our own pockets. They were special trips with tremendous in-service training for me as well as the exposure to many national textbook and supply companies. I was able to broker many special deals and discounts for my district at these events. But back to my major thought - one of my most remembered conventions was held in Boston. Special arrangements were made by the NCTM to hold a special concert just for convention guests by the Boston Pops in a large hotel ballroom. We arrived early to scout out the location and when the doors opened, we were able to sit in the fourth row, right behind the conductor. There we had an excellent view of the entire orchestra. Their concert was tremendous with a wide variety of numbers. Unfortunately, it did not include their signature number, "Stars and Stripes". At the end of the concert the gathering gave the orchestra a standing ovation and began to beg for an encore. Now I am normally a very quiet guy, but this time I couldn't resist. I yelled out "Stars and Stripes" and soon all those around me joined in the chant. And guess what? For an unplanned encore the Boston Pops struck up my favorite. It was an event and a night that I shall never forget. And I can hardly wait to hear them play it once again next July Fourth.

P.S. - Some day I'll share another great experience - hearing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in person at a convention in Salt Lake City. But that time I was quiet and I behaved.

Ten Reasons Why Lititz Is A Special Town

I moved to Lititz when I was in fourth grade and I lived there until I got married, about 11 years later. My parents lived there about 60 years until dad recently died. As much as I would have liked to move back, it was never the Lord's will that this would happen. But as we returned last Friday for the annual Fourth of July parade, I realized again how great a town Lititz really is and how much I miss it. Here are my top ten reasons for saying that.

(1) It has great traditions - the Fourth of July parade is extra special as are other parades (Memorial Day, Halloween, etc.), the Candlelight Ceremony, fireworks, and especially the Trombone Choir and the Moravian traditions at Easter. It still maintains a community band (see picture).

(2) It has a rich history dating back well over 200 years. It was a key location in the Revolutionary War and even General Sutter who started the California Goldrush is buried there. Historical sights and markers can be seen throughout the town and very old tombstones can be found in the Moravian Cemetery.

(3) It has great architecture with many restored homes and buildings. It has many streets lined with houses with big front porches. Even the alleys are fun to explore with their old garages and apartments. I miss Sunday afternoon walks throughout the town.

(4) It has great facilities with excellent public and private schools, top notch athletic facilities, a community rec center and swimming pool, churches, a great library, museums, a wonderful park, retirement homes, and much more.

(5) It has a wonderful downtown with many small shops for antiques, specialty items, food, etc. and even an Inn. It is fun just to be able to walk around and explore. You can even stop to make a pretzel at the Sturgis Bakery.

(6) It has a religious heritage that was established by the early Moravians who settled there. While it is not immune to today's liberal agenda, the effects of this heritage are still seen in things like the Christmas Nativity display found in the town square each Christmas season. And few communities still allow churches to use chimes to broadcast hymns daily for the community to hear, but Lititz does.

(7) It has a weekly newspaper that covers the town news each week and promotes the community and school activities. I wrote for this paper for about six years while growing up and it is something special that few towns have been able to maintain in today's economy and technology.

(8) It has great community spirit. It may be hard to understand this unless you've lived there. But, Lititz folks support their local merchants, their community events and especially their athletic teams. Thousands turn out for their annual Craft Fair and Art Fair. I have now spent most of my life in a college community where such spirit does not exist and I really miss that. It is a special feeling.

(9) It has a chocolate factory and residents live with the daily smell of the chocolate. Many don't realize how special that is until they move away and miss that delicious smell. And Wilbur Buds just are a special treat.

(10) It is still my hometown. No matter how long I am gone from Lititz, memories of a great time in my life still frequent my thinking. I was blessed to be able to grow up there.

Now you might ask, why don't I move back. We never did move back because our present home was much more convenient to where I worked and and it is close to where we worship and serve. The one drawback to living in Lititz is the traffic, especially on 501. Sometimes it takes a long time to get in or out of this growing borough. Area highways have not kept up with the growth. We did seriously consider moving back when we had to sell my dad's house, but at this point it makes much more sense to stay here. Our next move will probably be to a retirement facility or to heaven. And as nice as Lititz is, it just doesn't compare to heaven.

Independence

I am running a one man campaign against two small issues that irritate me. I have mentioned one of them before, but since we are celebrating Independence Day I thought I'd share my approach to trying to get my independence from junk mail and advertisements. Everyday when I go to my mailbox I find that about 2/3 of it is junk (the other third are usually bills or J C Penney sales flyers for the greatest sale ever). It almost always includes an offer for a new credit card or an invitation to learn more about a medicare plan or an opportunity to buy insurance or borrow money. Many of these include postage paid, addressed return envelopes. So what I do is kindly write "No thank you" on the information, fold it all including the original envelope, stuff it in their return envelope, seal it with tape, and put it back in the mail. I feel that if they have the funds to send the offers to me, I should be "kind" enough to reply and decline, at their expense of course. And with all that is stuffed into the envelope I imagine that it may cost them more than normal to receive my reply. But that is just part of my campaign. I am also irritated when I go to read a magazine and all sorts of reply advertising cards fall out of the magazine - usually on to my lap or the floor. I now take those, which are also postage paid, "kindly" reply "no thank you" on the cards, and mail them back. After all if they really want me to react to their advertisements, why shouldn't I take the time to do so, again at their expense of course. Now I guess the junk mail is what is probably keeping the U.S. Postal System in business since most correspondence and even billing is now done electronically. So in returning all of these, I am helping to support the U.S. Postal Service, as every good American should want to do. I'm helping save jobs for my friend Mitch and for my local mail carrier. And that is a good cause. Now if you are bothered by junk mail or those irritating loose cards in magazines, maybe you might want to consider a campaign for independence from them as well. I don't know if I will ever achieve anything, but at least I am exercising one of the rights that I have as an American - freedom of speech. So shout it out - U S A ... U S A ... U S A ... U S A!