Unusual Mother's Day Memories

          Mother's Day is a special day for most people.  It is a time to thank mothers who are still alive and to remember those who have passed on.  Hopefully if your mother is still alive you took time to be with her or to talk to her on the phone if you were many miles away.  Both my mother and my mother-in-law are now home with Jesus and while I miss them and wish that I could talk to them again, I know they are in a much better place.

          So why would I discuss some fathers around Mother's Day?  Well Mother's Day has another significance for me since it was on that special day (March 10, 2009) when the Lord saw fit to take my brother home to be with Him.  And I miss him.  He was a special person.  He loved the Lord and served Him faithfully.  He was a friend and I could share my concerns with him and he always seemed to have wisdom to share with me.  I have many special memories of times and events that we shared together.  I was proud of him and pleased to call him my brother.

          In reflecting upon my memories of my brother I came to realize that the Lord placed many godly men in my paths over the years.  And most of them are now home with the Lord.  Of course there was my father and my grandfather and my uncles.  And there were men like Pastor Jansen Hartman, Charlie Mann, Roy Hertzog, Leonard Buck and Pastor John Dunn who influenced me at key times in my life.

          My friend Norman Zellers from Sunbury was a special friend.  He and his wife were responsible for getting Dianne and I together.  We had many great times of fellowship over the years.  It was my privilege to sing with Norm and the Gospel Four for many years in churches and weekly on the radio.  There were times that I accompanied him on his route delivering Middlesworth Chips.  We had much in common.  He was a special male influence who is also now home with the Lord.

          Then there was my friend Gary Varner.  My wife and I used to sing with Gary and his wife in a mixed quartette.  Our wives used to play piano and organ duets in church. Together we started and ran several fellowship groups in our church. Their daughters and our sons grew up together and are still friends today, as are our granddaughters.  We both loved music, sports and the Lord.  He was a gifted Bible teacher and a faithful friend.  He helped us move and was willing to help us with any needs that we had.  He, too, was a special male influence who is also now home with the Lord.

          And I can't forget my friend Ralph Michel.  We served together in our church.  We took several memorable vacations together.  We were in their will to take their children if something should happen to he and his wife.  We both suffered from arthritis although his was much worse than mine.  He too enjoyed sports and we just enjoyed being together.  But while he was a special male influence in my life, the Lord also has seen fit to take him home.

          When I began my college life I met Jim Herrold who was in the room next to me.  He was a young Christian from Shamokin and I had known his future wife for years.  We quickly became close friends.  He was also a math major.  For two years we roomed together until we both got married.  We were in eachother's weddings.  Then the Lord worked it out that for three years we taught math in classrooms next to each other at Penn Manor.  Our wives and children became very close during those years and spent much time together. Later, when they moved to Pinebrook, we used to spend much of our summers there with them while we taught the children and helped with the music ministry. We visited with them years later, just after it was determined that his wife had terminal cancer.  That was a difficult time.  We visited with him again after his wife died and our friendship was very special during those difficult times.  When Jim remarried I was again his best man and we continued to have special times together.  Jim was special because he was a real prayer partner.  Often he would ask what needs I had and he would remember them in prayer.  I really miss that.  But the Lord also took him home.

          It is very hard to lose close friends.  And their deaths left holes in my life.  I don't know why God took each of them home so early in life.  You think He would have given them many more years here to serve Him.  But that was not His plan.  And His ways are always right.  I just thank the Lord for the years that we were friends and the influences that each had in my life.  God is good - all the time.

Does Prayer Change Things

         The following was written by Teressa Vowell and after my recent blogs about prayer, I thought it might be a good reminder of the results of prayer.  Hopefully this will remind us and challenge us to be prayer warriors and to exercise our faith in the Lord.

They say that prayer changes things, but does it REALLY change anything? Oh yes! It really does!

Does prayer change your present situation or sudden circumstances?   No, not always, but it does change the way you look at those events.

Does prayer change your financial future?  No, not always, but it does change Who you look to for meeting your daily needs.

Does prayer change shattered hearts or broken bodies? No, not always, but it will change your source of strength and comfort.

Does prayer change your wants and desires?  No, not always, but it will change your wants into what God desires!

Does prayer change how you view the world?  No, not always, but it will change whose eyes you see the world through.

Does prayer change your regrets from the past?  No, not always, but it will change your hopes for the future!

Does prayer change the people around you?  No, not always, but it will change you - the problem isn't always in others.

Does prayer change your life in ways you can't explain?  Oh, yes, always! And it will change you from the inside out!

So does prayer REALLY change ANYTHING?  Yes! It REALLY does change EVERYTHING!

Prayer Today

          Since writing my previous blog on prayer warriors, the subject of prayer has continued to be in my mind.  Could it be that failure to pray might be one of the major reasons that the evangelical church appears to have become so ineffective in recent decades?  Despite the fact that we know God is in control and the final victory is His, it has become apparent that we are losing the battle against today's sinful culture.
          Many things have changed in churches over the decades.  Some of it may be good, but some of it may not be.  In most churches prayer is no longer a prominent part of worship services and church programming. 
          Brief prayers during a worship time might now be the only prayer in a morning service.  Generally there are no public prayers for particular needs of people, government leaders, missionaries or our country.  Where prayer services were an important part of church programs in the past, few have them today and if they do, they are probably the poorest attended of any services.  We have become too busy – and maybe too content – to spend time in corporate prayer.
          Now many churches do have prayer chains.  In our church we head up our church e-mail prayer chain which includes about 100 persons.  And these chains are good and important.  But are all the people on these chains really praying?  I know many are, but I admit that from things I observe I am fearful that many just want to know what is going on.
          I am not the only person who is concerned about this apparent trend.  I recently read an article in the Decision magazine, "Bringing Prayer Back", by Ronnie Floyd.  In the article he states "Christians want prayer back in schools; however, we ought to first bring it back into the worship services of our churches.  Most churches spend more time in worship services promoting the ministries of the church than praying.  Jesus wants His church to be a house of prayer for all the nations!"  Unfortunately, he is correct.
          Floyd goes on to say, "Prayer is dependent.  When we pray we are depending upon God.  When we do not pray, we are depending upon ourselves. …  Prayer is faith.  When you pray you are declaring absolute dependence on the Lord!  Therefore pray whenever you need to exercise any level of faith, because prayer is faith.  When you pray rightly, you are trusting in the Lord completely … Prayer is action.  When you start your day with God, you are taking action upon your day.  When you pray anywhere about anything, you are taking action."
         He concludes by suggesting that each day we do the following.  "Make prayer your first choice.  Realize that when you pray you are demonstrating great faith in God.  Live in a way that proves prayer is important to you.  Make prayer a priority in your church.  In your life and in your church, pray like it matters."
           Are we prayer warriors?   Is your church known as a house or prayer?  Floyd concludes by stating "It is past time for us to prioritize prayer both personally and in the church.  For far too long we have seen what we can do; it is time for us to see what God can do.  This can only happen when we pray. " 
          Acts 4:31 says, "When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God's message with boldness."       

Prayer Warriors

          I have never seen myself as a great prayer warrior, but I do believe in the power of prayer and have seen the Lord answer so many requests over my life time.  Recent surgeries and unexpected "down time" and sleepless nights have not only given me more time to pray but have allowed me to think about the power of prayer in my own life.
          As a child I was taught to pray and as I grew I saw so many answers, many of which still stick out in my memory.  Later, as the leader of our weekly prayer meeting, I had the opportunity to study what the Bible said about prayer and then to share with those in attendance what I had learned.  Prayer meetings used to be an important part of the church ministry.  Some held them once a week and others twice a week. Today, unfortunately, many churches no longer have formal prayer meetings, for a variety of reasons.  
         For at least 30 years my life, my wife and I have led prayer chains in our church.  Originally they were phone chains, now we have an e-mail prayer chain.  Within seconds we can send out requests to nearly 100 intercessors.  Each month we send out about 40 requests and answers.
          But a highlight of my life personally was having several prayer warriors who remembered me daily.  My mother and father definitely did.  Dianne's parents had a list that they prayed for each morning.  We miss them but especially their prayers.
         One of my major prayer partners was my grandfather, Norman Wolf.  I knew he prayed for me each day.  His grandchildren often sent him special requests to pray for, such as key exams that they were taking.  When we had a family ministry we knew he was praying for us each Sunday morning as we traveled many miles to minister in churches.  In nearly 25 years of ministry we only got lost once in driving to a church.  While we finally found it in time, we suddenly realized that Grandpa Wolf was not praying for us that Sunday  - he had been buried earlier that week.  We were suddenly even more aware of the power of prayer and the impact on our lives.
          My Aunt Thelma Smock was another prayer warrior.  The night before she went home to heaven, we visited with her in the nursing center.  We knew she was weak and thought that she was sleeping, so I chose not to pray with her before we left, as I had always done in previous visits.  That was a choice I regret.  For as we began to leave she opened her eyes and told us that she had been laying there praying for us.  That is a visit I never will forget and a lesson that I needed to learn.
         My Aunt Ellen and Uncle John were also great prayer warriors.  Although they lived in Wisconsin, they were always interested in us and our family and always asked about each in much detail.  And it was obvious that they prayed for us daily.  Even after Aunt Ellen's stroke, she continued to ask about us and pray for us.  Uncle John continues to do that.  Since Aunt Ellen graduated to heaven, he has continued to call us and ask about each member of our family.  What great prayer warriors.
          Maybe all of these folks valued prayer because of the tough times they had gone through - the depression, World War II.  They had learned that only God could bring them through times like this.  This was a lesson that carried over to everyday life.  Maybe life has just been too easy for most of us today and we tend to depend ourselves rather than upon the Lord.
          As I've thought about these great prayer warriors who have supported me over the years, I am sadly aware that most of them are now in heaven.  That realization leaves a deep hole in my life.  Now I know there are those who pray for me when I have a particular need, but those who pray regularly are few and far between.  Blessed is the person who has faithful prayer warriors supporting him.
         Now while I live with that disappointment, I also realize that it is now my challenge to be a prayer warrior for others, especially my family members.  And I pray that I will be faithful in doing this.  What a precious responsibility to do this.
       "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."   Jeremiah 33:3

Fraud Warning

        One of the scary things that all of us face today are the many attempts to scam us and to steal our identity.  Some of these come in e-mails that falsely tell us that we need to click on a link to update our existing accounts and if we do, they steal our identity.  Some come in phone calls like the common one which tells us that our Windows on our computer has been infected and we need to allow this company to have access to our computer to fix the problem.  Some come with devices added to ATM's to steal our debit card or credit card numbers.  Others come with attachments to e-mails or in replies to Facebook postings.  It appears to me that these attempts are becoming more clever and much  more frequent.  And many, especially seniors, are taken in by these criminal actions.
          So what does one do?  First, you never reply to e-mail links or requests to verify or update your information.  You don't open up attachments.  You don't give out your information online unless you are on a secured site (https).  You shred all documents that contain your address, account numbers and personal information.  You use your credit card carefully and stop using your debit card.  Doing these things may help protect you. 
          But criminals are very clever.  We have been doing all of these things, and, yet, somehow, we became victims of fraud.  We don't know how our information was secured by criminals, but despite being very careful, it was.
          The night before my bypass surgery my wife received a call from Macys.  She was told that I needed to call them to open my credit card account.  She said that we didn't want a Macys card, never applied for one, and that since I was in the hospital I couldn't call.  The lady told her that I had applied.  After getting nowhere, my wife finally hung up on her.
          The next day when I had surgery, my wife found that she could no longer use our cell phone and nobody could call her.  After a day or two of frustration she went to a local AT&T store and was told that they could not help her because the account was in my name.  The fact that I was in the hospital after major surgery made no difference.  So from my hospital bed I contacted AT&T using the hospital phone and had them add her name to the account.  Then back to the store she went where she was now told that our phone service had been turned off because we had purchased another phone with a different contract.  As it turned out, somebody had stolen our identity and had purchased a $500 iPhone from Apple and had used our account number.  We then had to contact AT&T's fraud department and, fortunately, they believed us, canceled the new contract, and turned our cell phone back on.  However, a month later, our AT&T bill showed an additional charge of nearly $400 in charges for calls overseas. A call back to AT&T took care of those charges.
         About a week later, after I was released from the hospital, we received two Macys credit cards in the mail.  But we also received a separate letter from Macys which told us that they had some difficulty verifying our application.  We called their fraud department and found that somebody had already charged over $400 to this new account which we had never asked for or authorized.  They agreed to cancel the bill and the account but we had to complete a fraud report for them.  They recommended that we also contact the local police, which we did.  An officer visited us and gave us a case number to give to Macys.
          We thought this fraud was now all done until we received another letter, this one from Pay Pal which told us that they couldn't open an account for us because they could not verify the information which we provided.  Another attempt to use our information but this one was stopped before any damage could be done.
         We contacted one of the credit bureaus and they agreed to put a 90 day hold on our account and ask the other bureaus to do the same.  So have we reached the end of the fraud attempts?  We certainly hope so but are watching all of our accounts very carefully.  We were concerned that our income tax accounts might also be compromised or stolen, but, PTL, those did process smoothly.
         Now we still have no idea at all how our information was stolen, but it was.  And this has been a very scary and time consuming experience that I hope we never face again.  The moral of our story?  I guess be vigilant, be careful and never assume that this couldn't happen to you, because it can.

Oceans And Waves

         On my birthday we spent a few days relaxing at Ocean City, Maryland.  We love going to the shore off season, not to swim or shop, but just to watch the waves and relax.  There is something very refreshing about watching and listening to the powerful waves roll up on the beach. I could spend hours during this.
         This time while I was watching my mind began to recall many hymns and choruses written over the centuries in which the author used the ocean, sea and waves to illustrate spiritual truths.  For example, "Wide, wide as the ocean, high as the heavens above, deep, deep as the deepest sea, is my Savior's love." 
         Then there is the beautiful hymn that begins "O love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in thee. I give thee back the life I owe, that in thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be."  
         Or how about "Since Jesus came into my heart, since Jesus came into my heart, floods of joy o'er my soul like the sea billows roll, since Jesus came into my heart."
          Now while some hymn writers used illustrations of seas and waves to express the depths of God's love, more often they used them to illustrate the various storms of life that we all face.  "Be still, my soul, thy God doth undertake to guide the future, as He has the past. Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake, all now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still my soul, the waves and winds still know, His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below."
         Or how about "My soul in sad exile was out on life's sea, so burdened with sin and distressed. Till I heard a sweet voice, saying, "Make Me your choice",  and I entered the "Haven of Rest"!   I've anchored my soul in the "Haven of Rest,"  I'll sail the wide seas no more. The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep, In Jesus I'm safe evermore. "
          Then there is "Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,  threaten the soul with infinite loss. Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,  points to the refuge, the mighty cross. Grace, grace, God's grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace, God's grace,  grace that is greater than all our sin!"
         "Jesus, Savior, pilot me over life's tempestuous sea. Unknown waves before me roll,  hiding rock and treacherous shoal. Chart and compass came from Thee. Jesus, Savior, pilot me."  And don't forget, "Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,  when the clouds unfold their wings of strife?  When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,  will your anchor drift or firm remain?  We have an anchor that keeps the soul, steadfast and sure while the billows roll. Fastened to the Rock which cannot move, grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love."
         Now while we could list so many more, I close with one of my favorites which is based on a true story.  "Master, the tempest is raging!  The billows are tossing high! The sky is o'ershadowed with blackness, no shelter or help is nigh. "Carest Thou not that we perish?" How canst Thou lie asleep, when each moment so madly is threat'ning a grave in the angry deep? The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will. Peace, be still! Peace, be still! Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea, or demons, or men, or whatever it be, no water can swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean and earth and skies. They all shall sweetly obey Thy will! Peace! Peace! be still!"  And I must include the last verse.  "Master, the terror is over, the elements sweetly rest. Earth's sun in the calm lake is mirrored, and heaven's within my breast. Linger, O blessed Redeemer! Leave me alone no more. And with joy I shall make the blest harbor, and rest on the blissful shore." 
          And those of us who have placed our lives in the hands of our Lord have experienced His protection and His peace in the times of our storms when the waves almost overwhelmed us.

Happy Birthday

        Wow, how time flies!  I can't believe that once again it is my birthday, or should I say the Xth anniversary of my birth day.  And I just can't believe that I am now X years old.  Although, at times this past year I did feel more like 99 than X.  But God is good and I thank Him for X great years of life.
          Now how is your memory?  If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you should have no problem figuring out what X is.   All you need to do is add one to the age revealed in last year's blog.  That's simple math - old, modern or Common Core math. Now if your mind isn't that sharp anymore or if you didn't read last year's birthday blog, I'll give you a number of hints in case you want to find X.  And you thought this blog would be easy and quick to read.  Probably not.  And maybe you don't even care what X is.  Just know that it is high.

         Now X is the product of three prime numbers.  It has six divisors.  In the binary system it is 1001011.  Or in base three it is 2210.  Now, even more fascinating, it is palindromic in base 14 - 55 and in base 24 - 33.  Now that should make it easy.  But in preparing this I learned something new, it is also a Keith Number.  I never heard that term before, but X actually appears in a Fibonacci like sequence started from its base 10 digits.  Fascinating!  It is also a Nonagonal Number and a Pentagonal Pyramid.  So there!

          Now if you haven't solved this yet, this clue will give it away, especially for those of you who remember high school chemistry class.  It is the atomic number of Rhenium.  For you historians, X is also the age limit of Canadian senators.  I wonder why we don't have such a limit in the United States.

       And for you scholars of the Bible,  X was the age of Abraham when he left Haran.  And I think the thought of moving to a retirement home is tiring.  It is also the number of family souls that were sustained by Joseph in Egypt when he brought Jacob and his large family to live there.  And finally, it is the width of Noah's Ark.

         Unfortunately, other than me, nobody very famous was born on April 6, unless you want to count Bert Blyleven, a baseball player, or Janet Lynn, an Olympic star.   And nothing very noteworthy happened on the day I was born except that Craig Woods won the 8th Masters Gold Tournament with a 280.

         So another year has quickly passed.  And when you reach this point in life and have had some of the experiences that I have faced during the last year, you begin to realize that life passes quickly and only what is done for Christ is important. And you appreciate that He continues to give you more days because He still has something He wants to do through you.  And whether that is to continue to build a spiritual legacy for my children and grandchildren, or to be an encouragement and help to someone who is struggling, or to share the Gospel with another, or something else, it is vital to continue to serve the One who controls each day and each breath.  And you don't need to reach X years before you can realize the importance of this.   My desire is to continue to serve the One who has been so faithful to me for X years whether He gives me X, or X+1, or X+10, or even X+20 more years here on earth.  God is so good, all the time.

          Incidentally, rather than send me a card to me, maybe you can enjoy some of the cards that I might send to myself.

CARD 1

CARD 2

CARD 3

CARD 4

A "Key" Lesson in Life

          When we are young it is common to misplace important things like your glasses or your orthodontic equipment or your homework or your shoes or your cell phone. These situations can drive parents crazy. Sometimes, at any age, we are all a little too careless with our items. Then when we get older and approach dementia we continue to misplace or lose things and sometimes don't even realize that the things are gone.  Sometimes these misplaced things are minor, other times they are expensive to misplace and a real problem to go without them.
        Now I don't know if it is dementia setting in or just plain careless, but I recently lost my keys.  We searched everywhere - two, three and often four times - without any success.  We checked with places that we had visited, again without any success.  What made the situation even more frustrating is that I had seldom even carried my keys in the past few months because of my two surgeries.  I hardly ever left the house and when I did, my wife did all the driving and I had no use for the keys.  
         When I finally gave up any hope of finding them, I went about the process of replacing them.  My house key was simple to have made.  My church key was replaced by the church office.  But then there was the problem of replacing my two car key fobs. That was not easy.
        I first contacted the car dealer.  I was told that it might cost me over $700 to replace the two of them.  I knew it would be expensive but I was stunned by that response.  I wasn't sure what to do and decided to wait a little longer, hoping that they might still show up.  But they didn't.
         One day at cardiac rehab I shared the problem with one of the nurses.  That afternoon she surprised me by calling me at home and telling me that her boy friend had a person that I should contact.  While at that time I still wasn't yet ready to purchase, I though to be courteous to her I should at least call this person.  I did and I was pleased to find that this contact could replace my 2009 fob for about $75 less than the dealer.  Unfortunately he didn't have the software needed for my 2015 fob.  So I ordered the 2009 one from him and picked it up the next day.  One down, one to go.
         When I went to the locksmith to get my house key I was pleased to learn that he could replace my 2015 fob for about $100 less than the dealer's price.  But he first had to order it and we had to pay in advance.  I told him to go ahead.  I figured this would be the best deal I would get and I knew it would be done right because of the reputation of the locksmith.  All I had to do now was wait for him to receive the order.
         Then the big surprise happened.  My wife decided to wash some of the clothing that I had seldom worn during my long recovery.  In fact I had really only worn my gray sweat pants and another pair of pants for the past few months.  But I also had an old pair of blue sweats that I really didn't like to wear.  But I probably wore those sweats once or twice while the others were bring washed.  And guess what?   When my wife went to empty the pockets she found the keys!  Unbelievable but true.
          I quickly called the locksmith and tried to cancel my order for the 2015 fob which they had already charged to our credit card.  They said that I would still need to pay the postage and a restocking fee.  At this point I readily agreed.  So the key which I didn't get, ended up costing me $44.52.  I thought that was a little high, but it was certainly better than what I was expecting to pay to have it replaced.
         Now maybe I should look for an ap that would find my keys when they are misplaced. I know there are aps to find some other items when they are lost.  But then I'd probably need to buy a smart phone to use the ap.  And I would also probably then misplace the smart phone.  
           However, there is at least one good thing I can conclude from this frustrating and expensive experience. Since at least I knew that my keys were misplaced, it might not be the beginning of dementia.

         

To Eat Or Not To Eat

            Recovery from my two recent major surgeries has been a challenge, especially dealing with several side effects.  However, one of the biggest challenges has come from trying to find something permissible to eat, especially as a result of my open heart surgery.  And in this battle with frustration I am being forced to learn more about what I eat then I ever wanted to know.

         I have been diabetic for years and have learned what I can and cannot eat.  And I think I have adjusted well to that and check my blood sugars about four times a day.  Adding a heart healthy diet to that has made things more complicated.  But then I had to go on coumadin and that has added all sorts of additional restrictions including limiting green vegetables and especially salads.

        But one of the biggest challenges has come from sodium restrictions.  We should all limit our sodium intake to less than 2,305 mg a day.  But with a heart problem it should be less than 1,500 mg a day.  Incidentally, a teaspoon of salt alone is about 2,300 mg!  Now I have seldom added salt to my food so I assumed that this wouldn't be a big challenge.  Wrong.  Start examining packages and you will see what has surprised me. Almost everything we normally eat is loaded with sodium.  Seriously, check it out.

          The Cleveland Clinic has said you should avoid garlic salt, onion salt, MSG, meat tenderizers, broth mixes, Chinese food, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, barbecue sauce, sauerkraut, pickle relish, bacon bits, croutons, canned soups, pasta, rice mixes, frozen dinners, instant cereals, puddings, gravy and sauce mixes.   Wow!  So, is there anything left to eat?

         The American Heart Association advises you to avoid their "Salty Six". (1) Bread, rolls, bagels; (2) Cold cuts and cured meat; (3) Pizza; (4) Poultry; (5) Soup; (6) Sandwiches.  Poultry shocked me but they claim some chicken is actually injected with sodium.

          Now we don't generally visit fancy restaurants.  If you do, go online and look at their nutritional facts.  If you are like me, you will be stunned by the amount of sodium involved.  Now our favorite place to go is Chick fil a.  The basic meal that we have purchased there of the chicken sandwich and fries has 1,570 mg. of sodium.  If I replace it with the more expensive grilled chicken it is 980 mg. Using barbecue sauce inflates these numbers. And I may not have mayo because of the coumadin.  Of course, I could eliminate the fries or not eat anything more the remainder of the day.  But then that wouldn't be good for my diabetes.

         Our second favorite place is Olive Garden.  Our favorite item is the soup and salad combo, with the chicken gnocchi soup.  Total?  2,110 mg without using any dressing on the salad.  Of course one could order their chicken ptarmigan and salad.  That would be  3670 mg without salad dressing - enough for two days.

          We have gone to Ruby Tuesdays frequently for their salad and minis combination.  That's 4,308 mg,  not counting the salad bar.   How about MacDonalds?  Quarter pounder with cheese, no fries - 1,100 mg.  Add nuggets without sauce, 900 mg.  Arbys?  Roast Beef sandwich, Arby Sauce, Fries - 2,090 mg.  They do have a good turkey salad, only 870 mg, but their low fat Italian dressing adds 720 mg.  Wendy's?  Their 4 for $4 deal - 1,560 mg without any sauce for nuggets.  And their good small chili - 780 mg.  Burger King?  Whopper without mayo, onion rings without dipping sauce - 1,630.  Your meal for the day. And they've now added grilled hot dogs - 960 mg without anything else.  Oh I love and miss hot dogs but I guess they are gone forever,

         Now I could go on and on and talk about foods from the grocery store, such as soups.  Amazing and very disheartening.  Maybe "disheartening" in many ways.  This is a major challenge for my wife.  It is just hard to find a really healthy diet.   And sodium is just one item.  I  haven't discussed calories or fat or sugar or any of the other items that one should consider.

         So I may be frustrated, but I am learning and adjusting, I guess.   One solution - just give up eating.  Another - forget it and speed up your trip to heaven where meals will no longer be a problem.  Hopefully there is a middle ground. Take care and watch what you eat!

No More Night

        There are those moments in life when you are stunned by news that is both surprising and shocking. Sometimes it is news of a death or an accident or a loss of a job or a serious physical problem.  One of those moments came for me years ago when my son told me that my parents were in an auto accident and the Lord had taken mother home.
         The most recent stunning moment for me came following my heart cath when I was told that I would need to see a surgeon to schedule open heart surgery.  They were going to send me home until I could set up a time for surgery but we suggested that it would be better to be admitted and stay in the hospital until surgery could be scheduled.  Why would I want to go home with the possibility of having a heart attack?   They agreed and admitted me that morning.
         Later that afternoon they informed me that a surgeon was available and I would have by-pass surgery the next morning.  I was overwhelmed by what was happening and it was a very long night.  We all know that someday death will come for each of us, but seldom do we need to face the issue that it could happen in a few hours.
         That night I wrestled with two thoughts.  First, I really didn't want to die now.  It wouldn't be fair to my family.  How would my wife adjust?  I wanted to see my grandchildren grow up.  I had things that I still wanted to do.  Why now?  But then why not?  Death is going to happen someday and the Lord will provide the peace, wisdom and strength that those left behind need.
         On the other hand I thought about how marvelous it would be to be with Jesus for eternity.   There would no longer be pain or crying or evil.  The problems of this life would be over and I would be at peace.  And there were relatives and friends I longed to see - my parents, my grandparents, my uncles and aunts and special friends such as Jim, Norm, Gary, Ralph, and, of course, my brother Terry.  What a great reunion that would be.
          So early the next morning I went to surgery with peace knowing that the Lord was in control and my life and future, whatever that would be, were in His hands.  I have always believed that but for the first time in my life this was reality. My life really was in God's hands.
          And obviously it turned out that this was not the time that the Lord would take me home with Him.  He brought me through hours of surgery and five by-passes.  There apparently are still things for me to do here on earth for Him.   And I gained a new appreciation for health and life and for each new day, days that the Lord has made.
          A few days after surgery I heard a special song that I had forgotten about, "No More Night".  Dianne and I used to sing it as a duet and the words always ministered to me.  They did again this time.  In case you've never heard it, here are the words.

The timeless theme, Earth and Heaven will pass away
Its not a dream, God will make all things new that day
Gone is the curse from which I stumbled and fell
Evil is banished to eternal hell
No more night, no more pain
No more tears, never crying again

And praises to the great, "I AM"
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb

See all around, now the nations bow down to sing
The only sound is the praises to Christ, our King
Slowly the names from the book are read
I know the King, so there's no need to dread
No more night, no more pain
No more tears, never crying again
And praises to the great, "I AM"
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb

See over there, there's a mansion
Oh, that's prepared just for me
Where I will live with my Savior eternally
No more night, no more pain
No more tears, never crying again
And praises to the great, "I AM"
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb
All praises to the great, "I AM"
Were gonna live in the light of the risen Lamb

Here ia a great version of this song sung by David Phelps.  LISTEN.   May the truth and power of these words minister to you as they have done to me.

Great Memories

          The end of February and beginning of March bring back many great memories of things that were an exciting part of my life during these months in my earlier years - and I'm not talking about things like shoveling snow.
          The special memories all started during a late afternoon administrative meeting at school.  At the close of the meeting I was with the Assistant Superintendent who was also the Chief Administrator of the PIAA District 3.  He was sharing with some of the other men that he had just learned that he needed a time keeper to run the scoreboard and clock at a basketball playoff doubleheader that night at the Farm Show in Harrisburg.  He turned to me and asked me if I would be able to help him out.  Now I had never done that before but I quickly volunteered.  It wasn't long until a team of five of us from the administrative unit were on our way to the Farm Show to run the doubleheader - a scorer, a timer, an announcer, a ticket taker and the game director.
        What I didn't realize then was that this would be the start of about a 30 year experience.  During those early years we had games at the "Barn", as we called it, almost every night - sometimes even triple headers and often four on Saturdays.  It was fun to watch the games, although some, especially girls games in those days, were very boring and at times it was even hard to keep awake especially after a long day of teaching.  And that was dangerous especially since I was responsible for running the game clock - I may have even missed a few seconds here and there.  I especially enjoyed watching Carlisle and York Catholic teams play during their great years when they both won several district and state championships.  Jeff Lebo and Billy Owens were two of my favorite players.

          One night I had to fill in as scorekeeper for a regional elimination game.  Actually I preferred that job.  Before the game the officials came to me and asked me if I knew that with two technicals a player would be eliminated from the game.  I never knew that and thought it was strange that they would tell me that.  In those years hanging on the rim was an automatic technical foul.  Would you believe that twice Lebanon's seven foot future NBA player Sam Bowie hung on the rim and was charged with a technical.  I had to summon the officials that he had to leave the game.  We got booed and had things, including soda, thrown at us.  Not a fun experience that night.
         But my worst experience came during a District 3 elimination game between Red Lion and Steelton-Highspire.  At the close of the game Steel-High was leading by one point when a Red Lion player went to shoot and was fouled just as the time ran out and the horn sounded.  Good officials quickly make the call at the end of the game, but these officials didn't.  Instead they came to the table and asked me if the foul was before or after time ran out.  That never should have been my call.  I finally said I thought the foul was before the horn sounded and that was the call they then made.  It was actually a one and one foul situation and the Red Lion player went to the foul line and calmly sank both free throws to win the game and eliminate Steel High from the play-offs.  The Steel- High crowd behind me was angry and things were thrown at us and on the floor.  We were escorted out for our safety.  Then the next day in the Harrisburg Patriot News the sports writer said the decision was made by Barry Kauffman of Millersville and not the officials.  I expected the worst was yet to come from those fans who now knew my name and where I lived, but thankfully nothing more ever did happen.
          However, one good thing did come out of that experience.  The Executive Director of the PIAA was there that night.  Later he came to me and said that I made the correct call.  He was impressed with my work and asked if I would consider being the official statistician for the state basketball championships at Hershey.  I was thrilled to do that and readily accepted.  And so for 25 years I filled that position at both the Hershey Arena and the Giant Center for eight state finals each March.  I was also allowed to hire an assistant whose main job was to work with the press.  So for most of those years one of my sons worked with me and these are memories that will never be forgotten.  Often my wife and others saw us on television. We saw great games, famous college coaches who were there to scout, and great players.  We saw future NBA players such as Kobe Bryant.  And we were treated royally by the PIAA and Hershey.  It was a first class operation.  
         Unfortunately this ended when Penn State decided to donate its facilities and staff at State College and the PIAA saw a way to cut expenses.  And so for me that was the end after 25 years.  But the timing may have been good because it was getting harder for me to do all the stats and the stress was increasing.  It is interesting that the move to State College only lasted a few years until the PIAA realized that Hershey was actually a better location and moved back.  But by that time the PIAA leadership had also changed and I was not invited back.
          But I do miss the excitement.  I also miss the friendships that I had with the team of men who traveled and worked many games together.  Actually I lasted longer doing games than any of the others.  Two of them have now passed away, one has dementia and the third moved away.  Even though it has now been at least 16 years since being involved, each February and March the memories stir and my mind goes back to those fun times.

          

Anxiety

         Anxiety - a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome,  a nervous disorder characterized by a state of excessive uneasiness and apprehension.
          Anxiety is something that we all experience at one time or another.  Sometimes it is actually a good thing, often it is not.  But some of us experience it more often than others and it can wear on us and even affect things like our attitude and our health.  Sometimes it is hard for some of us to control.
         I will admit, as many of you already know, it is something that I battle with regularly in my life, even though I know it is wrong.  And it has been an extra tough battle for me the last several months as I've gone through surgeries and faced some very serious health problems.  It is my problem and I won't blame my mother, but maybe we shared the same worry gene, if that even exists.
          Besides talking to my doctors about it, the best help that I receive is talking to the Lord and spending time in his Word.  In case you experience the same problem, here are some scripture reminders that can be a great help in times of anxiety.
        *  "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."   Philippians 4:6-7.
          * "O my people, trust in him at all times.  Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge."   Psalm 62:8.
         *  "Look at the birds.  They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them.  And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?"  Matthew 6:26-27.
         * "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you."  1 Peter 5:7.
         * "Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.   Take my yoke upon you.  Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.'"  Matthew 11:28-30.
         Many years ago our Pastor, Rudy Gehman, died suddenly.  At his funeral the Pastor's Quartet sang a song that I had never heard before and have seldom heard since.  But it has become one of my personal favorites.

(1)   Is there a heart o'erbound by sorrow?
Is there a life weighed down by care?
Come to the cross, each burden bearing—
All your anxiety, leave it there.

Refrain:

All your anxiety, all your care,

Bring to the mercy seat, leave it there;

Never a burden He cannot bear,

Never a friend like Jesus!

(2)   No other friend so keen to help you,

No other friend so quick to hear;

No other place to leave your burden,

No other one to hear your prayer.    Refrain

(3)    Come then at once, delay no longer!

Heed His entreaty kind and sweet;

You need not fear a disappointment,

You shall find peace at the mercy seat.   Refrain

If you don't know it, you can listen to it here.   LISTEN

        I'm not sure why I wrote this particular blog, but if you, too, have a problem with anxiety, maybe these verses and this hymn will be a help and encouragement to you as well.

Cards of Encouragement

        Sending greeting cards by snail mail is a lost art.  It can be expensive.  But it is a ministry that my wife has maintained over the years.  She sends dozens of birthday, get well, sympathy and encouragement cards on a regular basis throughout the year.  And people are so appreciative of this personal attention and they often go out of their way to thank us.          
          Now I've never really looked for cards for myself, but after my recent surgery and ten day stay in the hospital, I have really enjoyed receiving them, especially those which have included personal messages.  Actually I received over 50 of them and some of the messages were really encouraging.  Here are some of the card messages that stood out to me.          
         "A quiet heart, a little rest, a lot of getting well.  It's just what the Father ordered!  Praying you'll soon be well.         
          "Relax, Nap, Recharge, Sleep, Let God renew you today."  I have been doing that.  "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak"  Isaiah 40:29 (NIV).          "There's no safer place than the palm of God's hand; with peace as our shelter, we rest in His plan.  Though trials may try us we've learned what is true - with wisdom and grace He will carry us through."         
          "Is there a prayer my heart can say for someone who's in need today?  I'll ask for grace before His throne, for this is how God keeps His own."  "Let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive His mercy and to find grace in our times of need."  Hebrews 4:16.          
          "May the hands that formed the earth touch your body and heal it.  May the breath that moved over the waters fill your soul with life.  May the heart that sacrificed to save you surround your heart with comfort.  May knowing that you are in the hands of an all-powerful, all-loving God bring you peace."  "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."  Isaiah 40:29  (NIV)
          "The One who created you, knit you together, who knows you and all of your ways '... will surely be near with His healing and love as you go through these difficult days.  May God heal your body and lift your spirit as only He can."          
          Now while most of my cards had serious messages like these, there were a few which made me smile - and I needed that.  Here is one.  "I told your doctor you'd recover faster in Maui.  I'm pretty sure he's considering it.  Get well soon."  Now that would be a great idea.
          Then I really appreciated five cards that I received from our five Awana clubs.  Most had messages of clubbers praying for me and missing me. But there were two that made me chuckle.  One Chum wrote "Don't give up, I'll pray for you!  God is with you."   At times it is easy to think about giving up, but I'm not.  The other cute one came from one of the Guards.  "My friend had a hole in his heart, He got better and I know you will get better too!"   Now that is encouraging.  I guess a hole in your heart is much worse than what I have experienced.          
          Now I appreciated all the cards but the one that I loved the most was the first one which I received from my granddaughter, Lexie.  She loves to make cards and she delivered one to me in the hospital.    On the outside it says "Get Well Soon".  On the inside it says "Dear Pop Pop, I'm praying for you.  Get well soon.  Love, Lexie"  And that card I will keep and treasure.          
           Now I don't know about others, but I have learned to appreciate the prepared messages and especially the personal comments.  For two weeks I looked forward to getting mail each day and opening my cards.  But then, alas,  they've stopped coming.  I just hope the prayers didn't stop as well.