My friend and best selling author, James Pratt, has a great post on his blog where he relates the story of a homeless man he met and befriended. Go to the link above or to www.jmprattcom.blogspot.com and read 'About Life and Camelot, Cory and You'.
Then, go to my pastor and friend, Jimmy Chalmers' blog and read about his experiences as he helps families in New Orleans. Jimmy chronicles a month out of his life that he's devoted to helping victims of Katrina. www.jchalmers.blogspot.com.
Both James Pratt and James Chalmers lead lives of significance, and the world is a better place because of them. These men are the sort of citizens our Founding Fathers envisioned Americans would be.
Born Again American
Here's where I am politically right now. Click on the link above to hear the song and make the pledge.
Just a workin’ man without a job
It got shipped off to China via Washington, D.C.
And I know I’m nothin’ special, there are plenty more like me
Just the same
I thought I knew the rules of the game
I stood up for this country that I love
I came back from the desert to a wife and kids to feed
I’m not sayin’ Uncle Sam should give me what I need
My offer stands
I’ll pull my weight you give me half a chance
I went up to a congressman and said to him “you know
Our government is letting people down”
He said he’d need a lot of help to buck the status-quo
I said there was a bunch of us around
I’m a Born Again American, conceived in Liberty
My Bible and the Bill of Rights, my creed’s equality
I’m a Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream from sea to shining sea
My brother’s welding chassis at the plant
He’s earning what our granddad did in 1948
While CEOs count bonuses behind the castle gates
How can they see
When all they care about’s the do re mi
It’s getting where there’s nowhere left to turn
Not since the crash of twenty-nine have things been so unfair
So many of our citizens are living in despair
The time has come
To reaffirm that hope’s not just for some
The promise of America’s surrendering to greed
The rule is just look out for number one
But brace yourself ‘cause some of us have sown a different seed
A harvest of the spirit has begun
I’m a Born Again American conceived in liberty
My Bible and The Bill Of Rights
My creed’s equality
A Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream from sea to shining sea
It’s clear my country’s soul is on the line
She’s hungering for something that she lost along the way
The principle the framers called upon us to obey
That in this land
The people’s will must have the upper hand
I felt the calling once before and took a sacred vow
And faithful to that vow I have remained
I hear the calling once again, my country needs me now
And to her cause I have been re-ordained
I’m a Born Again American conceived in liberty
My Bible and the Bill Of Rights, all people living free
A Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream
From sea to shining sea
And everyone who shares the dream
From sea to shining sea
A M E R I C A
Just a workin’ man without a job
It got shipped off to China via Washington, D.C.
And I know I’m nothin’ special, there are plenty more like me
Just the same
I thought I knew the rules of the game
I stood up for this country that I love
I came back from the desert to a wife and kids to feed
I’m not sayin’ Uncle Sam should give me what I need
My offer stands
I’ll pull my weight you give me half a chance
I went up to a congressman and said to him “you know
Our government is letting people down”
He said he’d need a lot of help to buck the status-quo
I said there was a bunch of us around
I’m a Born Again American, conceived in Liberty
My Bible and the Bill of Rights, my creed’s equality
I’m a Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream from sea to shining sea
My brother’s welding chassis at the plant
He’s earning what our granddad did in 1948
While CEOs count bonuses behind the castle gates
How can they see
When all they care about’s the do re mi
It’s getting where there’s nowhere left to turn
Not since the crash of twenty-nine have things been so unfair
So many of our citizens are living in despair
The time has come
To reaffirm that hope’s not just for some
The promise of America’s surrendering to greed
The rule is just look out for number one
But brace yourself ‘cause some of us have sown a different seed
A harvest of the spirit has begun
I’m a Born Again American conceived in liberty
My Bible and The Bill Of Rights
My creed’s equality
A Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream from sea to shining sea
It’s clear my country’s soul is on the line
She’s hungering for something that she lost along the way
The principle the framers called upon us to obey
That in this land
The people’s will must have the upper hand
I felt the calling once before and took a sacred vow
And faithful to that vow I have remained
I hear the calling once again, my country needs me now
And to her cause I have been re-ordained
I’m a Born Again American conceived in liberty
My Bible and the Bill Of Rights, all people living free
A Born Again American, my country ‘tis of me
And everyone who shares the dream
From sea to shining sea
And everyone who shares the dream
From sea to shining sea
A M E R I C A
My Grandson
That cute baby in the photo on the right is my 9 month old grandson Mikil Lucus McGarr. (Don't blame me for the spelling of his name - it sounds like some sort of disease if spoken quickly). He's the son of my daughter who is battling cancer.
Mikil is what we consider a miracle baby. Perhaps a more appropriate name would have been Miracle...but I got no sayso in the naming department. Mikil is a miracle baby because he endured nine months of chemo and radiation treatments. Two injections intended to cause a miscarriage failed as the doctors tried to protect my daughter's life. On top of all that, his mom smoked the entire pregnancy - for her nerves. He wasn't given much of a chance by the doctors; and those who thought he could make it to full term suspected that he would be born retarded (such a nasty word - only fit for liberals).
Mikil was born with jaundice and with undeveloped lungs. He stayed at the Duke neonatal ICU for two weeks before they could take him off oxygen and allow him to go home. He's a fighter though and is doing extremely well now. He wants to be held by his mom most of the time, and he's not too thrilled around males, but the family is very happy he's made it into our world. God has plans for little Mikil and we're blessed to have such a beautiful child in our lives.
Mikil is what we consider a miracle baby. Perhaps a more appropriate name would have been Miracle...but I got no sayso in the naming department. Mikil is a miracle baby because he endured nine months of chemo and radiation treatments. Two injections intended to cause a miscarriage failed as the doctors tried to protect my daughter's life. On top of all that, his mom smoked the entire pregnancy - for her nerves. He wasn't given much of a chance by the doctors; and those who thought he could make it to full term suspected that he would be born retarded (such a nasty word - only fit for liberals).
Mikil was born with jaundice and with undeveloped lungs. He stayed at the Duke neonatal ICU for two weeks before they could take him off oxygen and allow him to go home. He's a fighter though and is doing extremely well now. He wants to be held by his mom most of the time, and he's not too thrilled around males, but the family is very happy he's made it into our world. God has plans for little Mikil and we're blessed to have such a beautiful child in our lives.
News To Kick off the New Year
The year is young and most of the news is about the poor economy, failing automakers, the uproar over "Barack the Magic Negro" song, and Al Franken becoming a Senator. You know our country is messed up when people like Franken are in office.
In the past couple of days I've learned that the same people who predicted in June that the ice caps in the North Pole would melt are now startled that the ice there is thicker now than it was in the 1970s - just six months later. After visiting Nebraska at Christmas, I can tell you first hand that there's no global warming there.
The state of Washington is having a hard time clearing snow from the roads because they've decided that salt and brine are too corrosive and might endanger the Pugeot Sound. Meanwhile, police cars and garbage trucks are having a hard time climbing the hills - so much so that the trash sitting on the curbs and sides of the roads now makes parts of Washington state look like our third-world neighbors to the south.
A bit of funny news today comes from Wicomico Church, Virginia, where a six year old boy who missed his school bus went back inside the house and grabbed the keys to the family's 2005 Taurus. He drove about six miles, passing cars and making a couple of 90 degree turns before running off the road and hitting a light pole. Rather than cry about his boo-boos, the boy got out of the car and started walking to school - he didn't want to miss breakfast and PE. Police report that the boy learned to drive by playing Grand Theft Auto and Monster Truck Jam. Now that's funny. Perhaps not to the parents who were charged with child endangerment, but compared to the stupidity of our government, it's down right patriotic. The boy took responsibility for himself; he didn't call the school and demand the bus turn around to pick him up; nor did he expect someone from the school to bring him his breakfast that his parents had already paid for. Who says kids can't benefit from video games?
A couple of weeks ago, WPTF talk show host Bill Lumaye reported that North Carolina is considering using GPS devices in automobiles to track our mileage so they can tax us at the end of the year for the use of our roads....as if we didn't already contribute when we bought gas at the pumps and paid for our license tags. Not only would these GPS devices keep track of our miles, but if we were to speed a little bit, the person monitoring the GPS system could send us a speeding ticket in the mail. Talk about Big Brother! The other alternative being kicked around is to use the mileage from the previous year's inspection to the new year's inspection and tax us on that. How many of us drive out of state sometime during the year? Should we pay for the miles we drive on somebody else's roads?...or don't North Carolinians already pay more than most other states when it comes to gas taxes? I'm liking that kid's spunk more and more. He'll make a great governor some day.
I think I'm going to start collecting all the stupid news and put them in my book. I should have enough material by February at this rate.
In the past couple of days I've learned that the same people who predicted in June that the ice caps in the North Pole would melt are now startled that the ice there is thicker now than it was in the 1970s - just six months later. After visiting Nebraska at Christmas, I can tell you first hand that there's no global warming there.
The state of Washington is having a hard time clearing snow from the roads because they've decided that salt and brine are too corrosive and might endanger the Pugeot Sound. Meanwhile, police cars and garbage trucks are having a hard time climbing the hills - so much so that the trash sitting on the curbs and sides of the roads now makes parts of Washington state look like our third-world neighbors to the south.
A bit of funny news today comes from Wicomico Church, Virginia, where a six year old boy who missed his school bus went back inside the house and grabbed the keys to the family's 2005 Taurus. He drove about six miles, passing cars and making a couple of 90 degree turns before running off the road and hitting a light pole. Rather than cry about his boo-boos, the boy got out of the car and started walking to school - he didn't want to miss breakfast and PE. Police report that the boy learned to drive by playing Grand Theft Auto and Monster Truck Jam. Now that's funny. Perhaps not to the parents who were charged with child endangerment, but compared to the stupidity of our government, it's down right patriotic. The boy took responsibility for himself; he didn't call the school and demand the bus turn around to pick him up; nor did he expect someone from the school to bring him his breakfast that his parents had already paid for. Who says kids can't benefit from video games?
A couple of weeks ago, WPTF talk show host Bill Lumaye reported that North Carolina is considering using GPS devices in automobiles to track our mileage so they can tax us at the end of the year for the use of our roads....as if we didn't already contribute when we bought gas at the pumps and paid for our license tags. Not only would these GPS devices keep track of our miles, but if we were to speed a little bit, the person monitoring the GPS system could send us a speeding ticket in the mail. Talk about Big Brother! The other alternative being kicked around is to use the mileage from the previous year's inspection to the new year's inspection and tax us on that. How many of us drive out of state sometime during the year? Should we pay for the miles we drive on somebody else's roads?...or don't North Carolinians already pay more than most other states when it comes to gas taxes? I'm liking that kid's spunk more and more. He'll make a great governor some day.
I think I'm going to start collecting all the stupid news and put them in my book. I should have enough material by February at this rate.
PowerThink
My friend James Pratt is a best-selling author who has written several novels as well as some nonfiction. James is also very passionate about America's history and its future. Recently James launched PowerThink.com with his friend Mark Kastleman, author of "Success Through Power Thinking". Their goal is to empower their readers with access to some of the world's greatest collected works.
I ordered "American Freedom Collection" recently and was overwhelmed by the inclusion of so much historical fact in one place. Here's a sample of what I received in the American Freedom Collection: Over 60,000 works including:
Presidential Papers (120,000+ pages, Over 100 Volumes) Supreme Court Collection, 1000 decisions (1793 - 1997) U.S. Congress Collection (17 works) Documents and Histories (42 volumes - 16,000 pages) National Party Platforms (1840 - 1996) Constitution Reference (19 works) Western Civilization (11 works) Founding Fathers (12 volumes) Quotes Collection (12,000 quotations).
James and I both share a love of our country and we want to preserve our freedoms for our children and grandchildren. The best way to preserve our freedoms is to be educated about what our founding fathers intended for America. You're not going to find this information in public school today. Our kids are being taught revisionist history that leaves out much of the information included in the American Freedom Collection. Unless we teach them the way our government is supposed to work for us, they are going to grow up thinking it's wise to exchange freedom for government control over their lives.
Every parent, college student - every American citizen - should have access to the information in the American Freedom Collection. James has put it together on CD for only $15.95 - less than a third the cost of a text book. Scripture says that 'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge'. The same could be said of our democracy unless people become knowledgeable and act responsibly for America's future.
Check out the "American Freedom Collection" and other works at James' website: http://PowerThink.com. Parents and students may also want to purchase "The World's Definitive eBook Collection" or the "Absolute Principles for Raising Successful Children" series.
I ordered "American Freedom Collection" recently and was overwhelmed by the inclusion of so much historical fact in one place. Here's a sample of what I received in the American Freedom Collection: Over 60,000 works including:
Presidential Papers (120,000+ pages, Over 100 Volumes) Supreme Court Collection, 1000 decisions (1793 - 1997) U.S. Congress Collection (17 works) Documents and Histories (42 volumes - 16,000 pages) National Party Platforms (1840 - 1996) Constitution Reference (19 works) Western Civilization (11 works) Founding Fathers (12 volumes) Quotes Collection (12,000 quotations).
James and I both share a love of our country and we want to preserve our freedoms for our children and grandchildren. The best way to preserve our freedoms is to be educated about what our founding fathers intended for America. You're not going to find this information in public school today. Our kids are being taught revisionist history that leaves out much of the information included in the American Freedom Collection. Unless we teach them the way our government is supposed to work for us, they are going to grow up thinking it's wise to exchange freedom for government control over their lives.
Every parent, college student - every American citizen - should have access to the information in the American Freedom Collection. James has put it together on CD for only $15.95 - less than a third the cost of a text book. Scripture says that 'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge'. The same could be said of our democracy unless people become knowledgeable and act responsibly for America's future.
Check out the "American Freedom Collection" and other works at James' website: http://PowerThink.com. Parents and students may also want to purchase "The World's Definitive eBook Collection" or the "Absolute Principles for Raising Successful Children" series.
I Hate Haters of Hate Speech
The recent flap at NCSU over 'hate-speech' graffitti on the Freedom of Expression Wall is causing me to put on my bigot hat...again. And that's OK, I'm comfortable as a bigot. It's a lot less stressful than pretending to like or care about miserable people with fragile egos.
Sure, what the students wrote on the wall on election night is hate speech. But so is Jeremiah Wright's sermons for the past twenty years. If anyone hates, he does. I'm just as bothered over his 'Not God bless America - God damn America' remarks. The Reverend William Barber, the state's NAACP president, wants the students expelled from school and charged with hate crimes. What crime? Are our thoughts now illegal - whether they're spoken or written?
The only difference between the NAACP and the KKK is that the former wear suits, the latter wear sheets. The NAACP is led by hateful, past-dwelling ministers and the KKK is led by Democratic Senators and Congressmen. There is more racism today that there was in the 50's when I was growing up. The reason is that black 'leaders' keep their citizens focussed on the past and coming up with excuses for their failures; and the government wants to keep an entire segment of our citizens in poverty so they can stay in power.
A recent episode on TV focused on the difficulties that a trans-gender female-to-male had finding acceptance in his community. Why do we have to accept people simply because they are different from us? Does a parent in that (wo)man's community have to teach her kids that it's OK to hang out with someone who doesn't know who he/she is, simply because the law says we can't discrimiate against she/he?
Can any hate speech, non-discrimination, equal rights law override my feelings of discomfort and distrust when I have to sit beside a Koran-toting Middle Easterner on the airplane or ride the subway with a gang of Bloods or Crips in my car? At what point do I stop trusting my instincts and give anyone who has ever been victimized by someone else the right to blow me up, shoot me, stab me, rob me and threaten my family and my country?
Common sense and reason are fast becoming a thing of the past; as is our freedoms. The next generations are being brainwashed into believing wrong is right, good is bad, truth is irelevant and justice is only for the whiners and losers?
For examply, did you know that the dictionary has changed the definition of n****r? It used to be someone who was shiftless and lazy, mean and stingy. Now the word means: Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a. a black person.
b. a member of any dark-skinned people.
2. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a person of any race or origin regarded as contemptible, inferior, ignorant, etc.
3. a victim of prejudice similar to that suffered by blacks; a person who is economically, politically, or socially disenfranchised."
Excuses, excuses, excuses. I long for the day when people said what they meant, even if it meant a fist in the face for your remark. Today they want to destroy you for exercising your freedom of speech.
Sure, what the students wrote on the wall on election night is hate speech. But so is Jeremiah Wright's sermons for the past twenty years. If anyone hates, he does. I'm just as bothered over his 'Not God bless America - God damn America' remarks. The Reverend William Barber, the state's NAACP president, wants the students expelled from school and charged with hate crimes. What crime? Are our thoughts now illegal - whether they're spoken or written?
The only difference between the NAACP and the KKK is that the former wear suits, the latter wear sheets. The NAACP is led by hateful, past-dwelling ministers and the KKK is led by Democratic Senators and Congressmen. There is more racism today that there was in the 50's when I was growing up. The reason is that black 'leaders' keep their citizens focussed on the past and coming up with excuses for their failures; and the government wants to keep an entire segment of our citizens in poverty so they can stay in power.
A recent episode on TV focused on the difficulties that a trans-gender female-to-male had finding acceptance in his community. Why do we have to accept people simply because they are different from us? Does a parent in that (wo)man's community have to teach her kids that it's OK to hang out with someone who doesn't know who he/she is, simply because the law says we can't discrimiate against she/he?
Can any hate speech, non-discrimination, equal rights law override my feelings of discomfort and distrust when I have to sit beside a Koran-toting Middle Easterner on the airplane or ride the subway with a gang of Bloods or Crips in my car? At what point do I stop trusting my instincts and give anyone who has ever been victimized by someone else the right to blow me up, shoot me, stab me, rob me and threaten my family and my country?
Common sense and reason are fast becoming a thing of the past; as is our freedoms. The next generations are being brainwashed into believing wrong is right, good is bad, truth is irelevant and justice is only for the whiners and losers?
For examply, did you know that the dictionary has changed the definition of n****r? It used to be someone who was shiftless and lazy, mean and stingy. Now the word means: Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a. a black person.
b. a member of any dark-skinned people.
2. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a person of any race or origin regarded as contemptible, inferior, ignorant, etc.
3. a victim of prejudice similar to that suffered by blacks; a person who is economically, politically, or socially disenfranchised."
Excuses, excuses, excuses. I long for the day when people said what they meant, even if it meant a fist in the face for your remark. Today they want to destroy you for exercising your freedom of speech.
Now on Facebook
OK, I'm now on Facebook. Maybe I'll get on Twitter once I figure this one out.
Been married about two and a half weeks and still happily married!!
The Honeymoon In a Nutshell
Pam and I were married on Sunday, November 2nd, 2008. We spent the night at the Crystal Key B&B in Newman Grove, Nebraska. On Monday morning, we got up early, packed the car and met Bernice (I love this lady) at the bowling alley for breakfast. After breakfast, we went by Pam's house to clean it before leaving. The plumber came by to winterize the pipes while we wait for the house to sell.
I was sad as we drove out of Newman Grove. The people there are really special. They had done so much for us preparing for the wedding and wishing us well. I'll especially miss Bernice and Alta. As hard as it was for me, I can only imagine what leaving was like for Pam. Her family, everyone she knows and loves is in Nebraska.
Most of the day was spent driving to Hannibal, Missouri. We stayed downtown in an old brothel - the Lula Belle B&B, right next to the Mississippi River and a train track where every hour a train would pass and blow it's whistle outside our room. I'm sure they thought it was funny, but we were not amused. Our room was above a restaurant and boasted a heart-shaped jaccuzzi tub and a toilet separated from the bed by one narrow partition. We had to turn up the TV volume when we had to use the toilet - but we did have a good view of the train track from the window next to the toilet...and the tub was nice, if loud and powerful. It shot jets of water two feet higher than the tub.
On Tuesday morning we toured the town, climbing to the top of the hill Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer played on in Mark Twain's stories about the Mississippi River. We also visited Molly Brown's birthplace (closed). She was the feisty millionaire aboard the Titanic when it went down (played by Kathy Bates in one movie).
The weather was perfect our entire honeymoon. After leaving Hannibal, we drove south to St. Louis where we toured the St. Louis Arch and the museum under the arch, Gateway to the West. Around dusk we headed out of town and stopped at a Best Western - the nicest motel we stayed at on our trip. That night we talked and decided that it was too ambitious to try to include Memphis, TN in our trip. The next morning we woke up and ate breakfast at Crackle Barrel (for the second time), consulted our atlas, and chose a route southest towards Nashville. Little did we know it would take most of the day to get there.
We drove through Missouri and entered the lower part of Illinois in the town of Chester. Chester is known as the home town of Popeye the Sailor Man. It was a cute town. Being the home state of our new President-elect, we were surprised to see a lot of McCain/Palin signs in yards. A tiny building in downtown Chester was the local Republican headquarters...a sad place the day after the election.
From Chester we drove further into Illinois and came to Metropolis - home town to SuperMan. A giant steel replica of Superman stood at the back of the courthouse, so Pam and I paused for pictures and to visit the Superman museum/souvenir shop. After leaving Metropolis, we passed through Kentucky and made it just outside of Nashville after dark.
Thursday morning we visited the Opryland Hotel and Conference Center in Nashville. It was decorated for Christmas and looked beautiful. The place is huge! Opryland Hotel is the largest non-casino hotel in the world. We're going back to stay at the hotel at our first opportunity. Lunch was at Finney's Pub, an Irish pub inside the convention center. We also took the riverboat tour of the hotel and learned about the Presidential suite where Dolly Parton likes to plop down $3,500 a night to stay there.
We wanted to see the Grand Ole Opry auditorium and museum, but it was closed. So was the General Jackson paddlewheel boat. Just our luck. We got married at the wrong time...
We did visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rhyman Auditorium where the Grand Ole Opry got it's start. I wasn't too impressed with the Hall of Fame, but the Rhyman was great. We had our picture taken at the microphone where Minnie Pearl and Johnny Cash once stood. After touring the Rhyman, we had ice cream in a downtown Nashville store and walked past dozens of bars with loud bands and the occasional street performer.
We left Nashville around dusk and drove to Sevierville before stopping for the night at another Best Western. The following day we drove out to the Odom farm - original settlers in the Gatlinburg area. We spent most of the day walking up and down Gatlinburg streets, enjoying lunch at an Italian restaurant and fudge from one of the many fudge shops in town. We also visited two Thomas Kinkaid galleries. After that we drove back to Pigeon Forge and located Dollywood after driving around forever looking for it. Dollywood was closed - no surprise - but we drove around the ticket booth and followed the road to the front gate where employees were decorating the park for Christmas. Pam and I snuck in and took photos. It would be nice to go back and see the Christmas shows, including a 4D version of Polar Express.
Late Friday afternoon we drove up on the Gatlinburg bypass and took photos of Mt. Leconte rising above the town. Then we drove the scenic route from Gatlinburg to Cherokee. Clouds were low by the time we reached Newfound Gap and we drove down the back side of the mountains in a cold drizzle.
Cherokee was dead. We stopped at one of the cheezy souvenier shops and I wondered what my parents thought when they brought my brother and I there when we were kids. Cherokee is a fairly depressing tourist trap, surviving mostly on Harrah's casino on the east side of town.
We continued on Friday night to Maggie Valley. I had hoped to stay at the Heart of the Valley motel, but it was - you guessed it, closed. My dad had intended to buy the motel when I was about 10 years old, but someone got there first with a down payment. It was a dream of mine to grow up in the mountains, playing in the streams and exploring caves. Heart of the Valley was a cool place to have grown up. Instead we stayed at some place I forget and had dinner at Logan's Bar next door. The 12 oz ribeye steaks were good and they were only $9.99.
Saturday morning we rose early and headed to Asheville to visit the Biltmore. The place was already crowded and we had a timed entry into the house of 10:45, an hour wait. We took photos outside and then spent the next two hours tourning the house. It was just decorated for Christmas and there were probably about 30 Christmas trees scattered throughout the house. Down in the old kitchen area, the staff had built a cale model gingerbread Biltmore. The windows were opened, allowing the delicious smell of the gingerbread to filter throughout the basement. I've always liked the staff quarters and kitchen/laundry areas best.
We had lunch at the stables next to the mansion and later visited the winery for a wine tasting. Actually we stood in line for an hour, took one sip of wine from the first glass, and decided to leave. The line waiting outside the winery was probably three hours long by then. I'm conservatively estimating that the Biltmore took in over a million dollars last Saturday. The staff is very efficient, passing 180 visitors through the front doors every 15 minutes at $54 a pop for adults.
We left Asheville and headed east for home. It took us six days to cover the 1400 miles from Newman Grove, Nebraska to Creedmoor, NC. The weather was perfect, the country in between is beautiful, and now we're trying to settle two households into one home; making adjustments for my kids and for Pam's furniture due to arrive tomorrow.
I'll find a way to post more pictures online. You have to see to appreciate how wonderful our honeymoon was. Pray for us as we start our lives and build our dreams together. It's going to be a wonderful journey.
I was sad as we drove out of Newman Grove. The people there are really special. They had done so much for us preparing for the wedding and wishing us well. I'll especially miss Bernice and Alta. As hard as it was for me, I can only imagine what leaving was like for Pam. Her family, everyone she knows and loves is in Nebraska.
Most of the day was spent driving to Hannibal, Missouri. We stayed downtown in an old brothel - the Lula Belle B&B, right next to the Mississippi River and a train track where every hour a train would pass and blow it's whistle outside our room. I'm sure they thought it was funny, but we were not amused. Our room was above a restaurant and boasted a heart-shaped jaccuzzi tub and a toilet separated from the bed by one narrow partition. We had to turn up the TV volume when we had to use the toilet - but we did have a good view of the train track from the window next to the toilet...and the tub was nice, if loud and powerful. It shot jets of water two feet higher than the tub.
On Tuesday morning we toured the town, climbing to the top of the hill Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer played on in Mark Twain's stories about the Mississippi River. We also visited Molly Brown's birthplace (closed). She was the feisty millionaire aboard the Titanic when it went down (played by Kathy Bates in one movie).
The weather was perfect our entire honeymoon. After leaving Hannibal, we drove south to St. Louis where we toured the St. Louis Arch and the museum under the arch, Gateway to the West. Around dusk we headed out of town and stopped at a Best Western - the nicest motel we stayed at on our trip. That night we talked and decided that it was too ambitious to try to include Memphis, TN in our trip. The next morning we woke up and ate breakfast at Crackle Barrel (for the second time), consulted our atlas, and chose a route southest towards Nashville. Little did we know it would take most of the day to get there.
We drove through Missouri and entered the lower part of Illinois in the town of Chester. Chester is known as the home town of Popeye the Sailor Man. It was a cute town. Being the home state of our new President-elect, we were surprised to see a lot of McCain/Palin signs in yards. A tiny building in downtown Chester was the local Republican headquarters...a sad place the day after the election.
From Chester we drove further into Illinois and came to Metropolis - home town to SuperMan. A giant steel replica of Superman stood at the back of the courthouse, so Pam and I paused for pictures and to visit the Superman museum/souvenir shop. After leaving Metropolis, we passed through Kentucky and made it just outside of Nashville after dark.
Thursday morning we visited the Opryland Hotel and Conference Center in Nashville. It was decorated for Christmas and looked beautiful. The place is huge! Opryland Hotel is the largest non-casino hotel in the world. We're going back to stay at the hotel at our first opportunity. Lunch was at Finney's Pub, an Irish pub inside the convention center. We also took the riverboat tour of the hotel and learned about the Presidential suite where Dolly Parton likes to plop down $3,500 a night to stay there.
We wanted to see the Grand Ole Opry auditorium and museum, but it was closed. So was the General Jackson paddlewheel boat. Just our luck. We got married at the wrong time...
We did visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rhyman Auditorium where the Grand Ole Opry got it's start. I wasn't too impressed with the Hall of Fame, but the Rhyman was great. We had our picture taken at the microphone where Minnie Pearl and Johnny Cash once stood. After touring the Rhyman, we had ice cream in a downtown Nashville store and walked past dozens of bars with loud bands and the occasional street performer.
We left Nashville around dusk and drove to Sevierville before stopping for the night at another Best Western. The following day we drove out to the Odom farm - original settlers in the Gatlinburg area. We spent most of the day walking up and down Gatlinburg streets, enjoying lunch at an Italian restaurant and fudge from one of the many fudge shops in town. We also visited two Thomas Kinkaid galleries. After that we drove back to Pigeon Forge and located Dollywood after driving around forever looking for it. Dollywood was closed - no surprise - but we drove around the ticket booth and followed the road to the front gate where employees were decorating the park for Christmas. Pam and I snuck in and took photos. It would be nice to go back and see the Christmas shows, including a 4D version of Polar Express.
Late Friday afternoon we drove up on the Gatlinburg bypass and took photos of Mt. Leconte rising above the town. Then we drove the scenic route from Gatlinburg to Cherokee. Clouds were low by the time we reached Newfound Gap and we drove down the back side of the mountains in a cold drizzle.
Cherokee was dead. We stopped at one of the cheezy souvenier shops and I wondered what my parents thought when they brought my brother and I there when we were kids. Cherokee is a fairly depressing tourist trap, surviving mostly on Harrah's casino on the east side of town.
We continued on Friday night to Maggie Valley. I had hoped to stay at the Heart of the Valley motel, but it was - you guessed it, closed. My dad had intended to buy the motel when I was about 10 years old, but someone got there first with a down payment. It was a dream of mine to grow up in the mountains, playing in the streams and exploring caves. Heart of the Valley was a cool place to have grown up. Instead we stayed at some place I forget and had dinner at Logan's Bar next door. The 12 oz ribeye steaks were good and they were only $9.99.
Saturday morning we rose early and headed to Asheville to visit the Biltmore. The place was already crowded and we had a timed entry into the house of 10:45, an hour wait. We took photos outside and then spent the next two hours tourning the house. It was just decorated for Christmas and there were probably about 30 Christmas trees scattered throughout the house. Down in the old kitchen area, the staff had built a cale model gingerbread Biltmore. The windows were opened, allowing the delicious smell of the gingerbread to filter throughout the basement. I've always liked the staff quarters and kitchen/laundry areas best.
We had lunch at the stables next to the mansion and later visited the winery for a wine tasting. Actually we stood in line for an hour, took one sip of wine from the first glass, and decided to leave. The line waiting outside the winery was probably three hours long by then. I'm conservatively estimating that the Biltmore took in over a million dollars last Saturday. The staff is very efficient, passing 180 visitors through the front doors every 15 minutes at $54 a pop for adults.
We left Asheville and headed east for home. It took us six days to cover the 1400 miles from Newman Grove, Nebraska to Creedmoor, NC. The weather was perfect, the country in between is beautiful, and now we're trying to settle two households into one home; making adjustments for my kids and for Pam's furniture due to arrive tomorrow.
I'll find a way to post more pictures online. You have to see to appreciate how wonderful our honeymoon was. Pray for us as we start our lives and build our dreams together. It's going to be a wonderful journey.
It's Official
Our wedding cake! 11/2/2008
Friends in Nebraska
No rice...but plenty of leaves!
Bed & Breakfast in Newman Grove, Nebraska
The happy couple - appearing live on stage at Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN.
Obama's Legacy
Should Barack Obama win the election this November, I will not lose any sleep over it. In fact, I will pray for him and for our other elected officials. Most of all I will pray for America, because regardless of politics, we do live in the best country on God's earth.
I'm a staunch conservative politically, but there is little to be excited over this election - other than Governor Sarah Palin. But if polls are right, Obama will squeak by McCain and become America's first black President. Obama may not want to be labeled as a 'black' President, but indeed if he's elected it won't be because of his qualifications but because of his color. He is a novelty to some, a hopeful change in Washington for many, a cause for millions. Some in his own party won't vote for him because he's black; most of his party is black, so they will. (89% of black Americans supported John Kerry in the 2004 elections).
The way he performs his duties as President will be filtered through many lenses. Should Barack Obama perceive himself as a servant of all Americans, he will become a sell-out to many Afro-Americans and at the same time ensure that the Democratic Party remains the largest political party in America. However, if he caters to his biggest supporters, the legacy that Obama leaves will reflect not only on himself, but on blacks as a race.
How we process our identity says a lot about who we are. Obama claims that he was led to the Lord and discipled by Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Disciple means 'reproduce yourself'. What did Jeremiah Wright reproduce in Barack Obama? Martin Luther King dreamed that some day a person would not be judged on the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I don't know if America is there yet. Black 'leaders' and the Democratic party have much to lose if that day ever comes. Obama can either be an inspiration to black Americans, or he can be like his mentor and flame racial hatred and further divide our nation.
I do believe that Barack Obama is concerned what kind of legacy he will leave behind, both personally, and as America's first black President. I think he will not risk being treated poorly by history. At the same time, Barack Obama - a professed follower of Christ - has repeatedly voted contrary to biblical mandates. He will give an account to God some day for the way he led the greatest nation on Earth. And as voters, we must give an account for how we entrust our future to leaders who oppose those mandates.
Our faith, if we have faith, cannot be entrusted to political parties but to Godly leaders who value His values, who love His people. There is no place in America for racial hatred, especially in churches and in the offices of our elected officials. America needs change, and I pray that Obama will at least begin the process of reuniting our nation. It is a difficult task for any man or woman, regardless of race. His legacy can be greatness or failure, divinely led or spiritually dead. We should all pray for divine greatness. His term will either unite America or insure that a true conservative wins the next election.
Go Palin/Gingrich in 2012!
I'm a staunch conservative politically, but there is little to be excited over this election - other than Governor Sarah Palin. But if polls are right, Obama will squeak by McCain and become America's first black President. Obama may not want to be labeled as a 'black' President, but indeed if he's elected it won't be because of his qualifications but because of his color. He is a novelty to some, a hopeful change in Washington for many, a cause for millions. Some in his own party won't vote for him because he's black; most of his party is black, so they will. (89% of black Americans supported John Kerry in the 2004 elections).
The way he performs his duties as President will be filtered through many lenses. Should Barack Obama perceive himself as a servant of all Americans, he will become a sell-out to many Afro-Americans and at the same time ensure that the Democratic Party remains the largest political party in America. However, if he caters to his biggest supporters, the legacy that Obama leaves will reflect not only on himself, but on blacks as a race.
How we process our identity says a lot about who we are. Obama claims that he was led to the Lord and discipled by Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Disciple means 'reproduce yourself'. What did Jeremiah Wright reproduce in Barack Obama? Martin Luther King dreamed that some day a person would not be judged on the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I don't know if America is there yet. Black 'leaders' and the Democratic party have much to lose if that day ever comes. Obama can either be an inspiration to black Americans, or he can be like his mentor and flame racial hatred and further divide our nation.
I do believe that Barack Obama is concerned what kind of legacy he will leave behind, both personally, and as America's first black President. I think he will not risk being treated poorly by history. At the same time, Barack Obama - a professed follower of Christ - has repeatedly voted contrary to biblical mandates. He will give an account to God some day for the way he led the greatest nation on Earth. And as voters, we must give an account for how we entrust our future to leaders who oppose those mandates.
Our faith, if we have faith, cannot be entrusted to political parties but to Godly leaders who value His values, who love His people. There is no place in America for racial hatred, especially in churches and in the offices of our elected officials. America needs change, and I pray that Obama will at least begin the process of reuniting our nation. It is a difficult task for any man or woman, regardless of race. His legacy can be greatness or failure, divinely led or spiritually dead. We should all pray for divine greatness. His term will either unite America or insure that a true conservative wins the next election.
Go Palin/Gingrich in 2012!
Prayer Request from Pastor Rick Warren
Below is an email I received from Pastor Rick Warren about his daughter-in-law Jaime who's battling cancer. Her story is much like my own 25 year old daughter's battle. Please pray for Jaime and for Kay, Rick's wife who also has cancer.
October 17, 2008
Dear Saddleback Family,
Kay and I, and our entire family are deeply grateful for your prayers for Jaime and her battle with a brain tumor. Below is a brief report of this past week along with the scripture verse I've focused on each day. Thanks for sharing this burden with us. You might want to save these verses for when YOU need them.
SATURDAY
Jaime was hospitalized for blurred vision, instability, and headaches. A CT Scan revealed a massive tumor at the base of her brain.
"Lord, when doubts fill my mind, when my heart is in turmoil, quiet me and give me renewed hope and cheer." Psalm 94:19 (Living)
SUNDAY
My 25 year old daughter-in-law, Jaime, (Josh's wife) is facing her second life-threatening health crisis in less than two months. Seven weeks ago, Jaime went into labor five weeks early. They discovered the baby was in the breech position and an emergency C-section was ordered because the baby's heart rate began to drop. Cole was not breathing when he was born, and it took great skill from the medical personnel to resuscitate him.
MONDAY
A day for testing. The MRI revealed a very serious and complex vascular tumor and hydrocephalus. There is debate about the type of tumor and much concern about the best procedure to use.
"God will shield you with his wings! They will shelter you. His faithful promises are your armor. Now you don't need to be afraid of the dark any more, nor fear the dangers of the day; nor dread the plagues of darkness, nor disasters in the morning." Psalm 91:4-6 (Living)
TUESDAY
After getting 3 professional opinions on the nature of the tumor, we've moved Jaime to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. The UCLA chief of neurosurgery has taken Jaime's case because of its risk and complexity. An angiogram today provided more information but because of the tumor's location and connection to vital blood supply, doctors are unable to perform a procedure they hoped to do before the surgery.
"The righteous do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly." Psalm 112:6-8 (NLT)
WEDNESDAY 10 AM
Jaime was just rolled into the operating room for her 16 hour brain surgery. We now know the premature birth and emergency C-section of Cole likely saved Jaime's life. She could have died pushing in a normal delivery. What we often think is a problem (at that moment) is often a protection.
"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord is the one who goes before you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor forsake you." Deut. 31:8 (NLT)
WEDNESDAY NIGHT 11 pm
Hour 13 of Jaime's surgery. We are told the tumor is tangled with all of the nerves on the left side of her brain, pushing its way into the brain. We are praying that Jaime's life will be spared, the tumor will be successfully removed, and there will be no damage to her eyesight or permanent loss of movement.
"The prayer that is said with faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will heal that person." James 5:15 (NCV)
THURSDAY 6 AM
After almost 20 hours, Jaime leaves the operating room. She'll now be in recovery for several hours. She may sleep for a couple of days due to the strong anesthesia given.
"When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you." Isaiah 43:2 (NLT)
THURSDAY 10:30 AM
VERY BAD NEWS. A post-op CT Scan shows that Jaime is bleeding internally and building pressure on her brain. This is life-threatening, so doctors must go back to the operating room, reopen the wound, find the cause of the bleeding, and stop it. This will take another 4 ½ hours.
"We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help." 2 Chron. 20:12 (NLT)
THURSDAY 3 PM
The second surgery stops two areas of internal bleeding. The doctor frankly discusses the possible long term damage.
"Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them. Psalm 10:17 (NLT)
THURSDAY 5 PM
Josh just got to see Jaime for the first time in 32 hours. It was only 30 seconds but she opened her eyes. She is on a breathing machine and can't speak but can move all four of her extremities. The next 24 hours will be extremely critical. Our family is all worn out too.
Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (NLT)
FRIDAY AM
Please pray that Jaime will have a full recovery, with no long-term complications. Pray that her life will be an example of the truth that God's purpose for our lives is greater than any problem we face. Pray the doctors and nurses will be touched by the witness of her life.
"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:22
"Pray that our Lord will make us strong and give us peace." Psalm 29:11
"Pray for us that God will give us an opportunity to tell people his message." Colossians 4:3
"I pray that God will take care of all your needs with the wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus!" Phil. 4:19
"As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you." 1 Samuel 12:23
"This is my prayer for you: that your love will grow more and more; that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love." Philippians. 1:9
I love you and I'm grateful for you.
Rick Warren
Saddleback Church
Purpose Driven Network
October 17, 2008
Dear Saddleback Family,
Kay and I, and our entire family are deeply grateful for your prayers for Jaime and her battle with a brain tumor. Below is a brief report of this past week along with the scripture verse I've focused on each day. Thanks for sharing this burden with us. You might want to save these verses for when YOU need them.
SATURDAY
Jaime was hospitalized for blurred vision, instability, and headaches. A CT Scan revealed a massive tumor at the base of her brain.
"Lord, when doubts fill my mind, when my heart is in turmoil, quiet me and give me renewed hope and cheer." Psalm 94:19 (Living)
SUNDAY
My 25 year old daughter-in-law, Jaime, (Josh's wife) is facing her second life-threatening health crisis in less than two months. Seven weeks ago, Jaime went into labor five weeks early. They discovered the baby was in the breech position and an emergency C-section was ordered because the baby's heart rate began to drop. Cole was not breathing when he was born, and it took great skill from the medical personnel to resuscitate him.
MONDAY
A day for testing. The MRI revealed a very serious and complex vascular tumor and hydrocephalus. There is debate about the type of tumor and much concern about the best procedure to use.
"God will shield you with his wings! They will shelter you. His faithful promises are your armor. Now you don't need to be afraid of the dark any more, nor fear the dangers of the day; nor dread the plagues of darkness, nor disasters in the morning." Psalm 91:4-6 (Living)
TUESDAY
After getting 3 professional opinions on the nature of the tumor, we've moved Jaime to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. The UCLA chief of neurosurgery has taken Jaime's case because of its risk and complexity. An angiogram today provided more information but because of the tumor's location and connection to vital blood supply, doctors are unable to perform a procedure they hoped to do before the surgery.
"The righteous do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly." Psalm 112:6-8 (NLT)
WEDNESDAY 10 AM
Jaime was just rolled into the operating room for her 16 hour brain surgery. We now know the premature birth and emergency C-section of Cole likely saved Jaime's life. She could have died pushing in a normal delivery. What we often think is a problem (at that moment) is often a protection.
"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord is the one who goes before you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor forsake you." Deut. 31:8 (NLT)
WEDNESDAY NIGHT 11 pm
Hour 13 of Jaime's surgery. We are told the tumor is tangled with all of the nerves on the left side of her brain, pushing its way into the brain. We are praying that Jaime's life will be spared, the tumor will be successfully removed, and there will be no damage to her eyesight or permanent loss of movement.
"The prayer that is said with faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will heal that person." James 5:15 (NCV)
THURSDAY 6 AM
After almost 20 hours, Jaime leaves the operating room. She'll now be in recovery for several hours. She may sleep for a couple of days due to the strong anesthesia given.
"When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you." Isaiah 43:2 (NLT)
THURSDAY 10:30 AM
VERY BAD NEWS. A post-op CT Scan shows that Jaime is bleeding internally and building pressure on her brain. This is life-threatening, so doctors must go back to the operating room, reopen the wound, find the cause of the bleeding, and stop it. This will take another 4 ½ hours.
"We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help." 2 Chron. 20:12 (NLT)
THURSDAY 3 PM
The second surgery stops two areas of internal bleeding. The doctor frankly discusses the possible long term damage.
"Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them. Psalm 10:17 (NLT)
THURSDAY 5 PM
Josh just got to see Jaime for the first time in 32 hours. It was only 30 seconds but she opened her eyes. She is on a breathing machine and can't speak but can move all four of her extremities. The next 24 hours will be extremely critical. Our family is all worn out too.
Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (NLT)
FRIDAY AM
Please pray that Jaime will have a full recovery, with no long-term complications. Pray that her life will be an example of the truth that God's purpose for our lives is greater than any problem we face. Pray the doctors and nurses will be touched by the witness of her life.
"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:22
"Pray that our Lord will make us strong and give us peace." Psalm 29:11
"Pray for us that God will give us an opportunity to tell people his message." Colossians 4:3
"I pray that God will take care of all your needs with the wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus!" Phil. 4:19
"As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you." 1 Samuel 12:23
"This is my prayer for you: that your love will grow more and more; that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love." Philippians. 1:9
I love you and I'm grateful for you.
Rick Warren
Saddleback Church
Purpose Driven Network
Early Voting
Today is the first day for One-Stop Voting in North Carolina. I went by the Creedmoor City Hall on the way to work this morning to cast my votes. I'll be on my honeymoon on election day and will have other things on my mind.
I was surprised at how many people were standing in line waiting for the doors to open. In a way, it's a good thing that people are more involved this election than they have in the past. I'm not too thrilled with either candidate for the Presidency, so this election for me is more about our leaders closer to home than Washington D.C.
If what I saw this morning continues throughout the election cycle, Barack Obama will have succeeded at getting out the votes in my state. John McCain seems to be losing support as the 'moderate' Republicans go over to Obama because Sarah Palin is more conservative than they like. I like conservatism. I like Sarah Palin. In four years, she's getting my vote; and I think she will win - because with either McCain or Obama, we're getting four more years of the same mess. People will be ready for a real change in 2012.
I've decided not to buy into the doom and gloom this year. I'm getting married and we've determined that our future is going to be bright in spite of talk radio and CNN.
Regardless of who's in office, I've done my civic duty and voted. Most importantly, my faith is not in a political party, but in God. If Christians will call on Him, regardless of which political party they belong to, our nation will become better than we've ever been.
Get out and vote - it's the least you can do. Just remember, it's "In God We Trust". God bless America.
I was surprised at how many people were standing in line waiting for the doors to open. In a way, it's a good thing that people are more involved this election than they have in the past. I'm not too thrilled with either candidate for the Presidency, so this election for me is more about our leaders closer to home than Washington D.C.
If what I saw this morning continues throughout the election cycle, Barack Obama will have succeeded at getting out the votes in my state. John McCain seems to be losing support as the 'moderate' Republicans go over to Obama because Sarah Palin is more conservative than they like. I like conservatism. I like Sarah Palin. In four years, she's getting my vote; and I think she will win - because with either McCain or Obama, we're getting four more years of the same mess. People will be ready for a real change in 2012.
I've decided not to buy into the doom and gloom this year. I'm getting married and we've determined that our future is going to be bright in spite of talk radio and CNN.
Regardless of who's in office, I've done my civic duty and voted. Most importantly, my faith is not in a political party, but in God. If Christians will call on Him, regardless of which political party they belong to, our nation will become better than we've ever been.
Get out and vote - it's the least you can do. Just remember, it's "In God We Trust". God bless America.
Weekend Trip
My daughter Laura and I took a trip to the mountains this past weekend. It was a chance to reconnect and do what we used to do before I started working two jobs. Laura needed some time with her dad and we both needed a break.
Saturday was a washout. We went to Blowing Rock,
http://i33.tinypic.com/2s94pic.jpg
before heading on to Boone and then on to Grandfather Mountain.
On Sunday the skies were sunny so we went to Chimney Rock and Lake Lure.
It was at Lake Lure that we enjoyed a boat tour of the lake and learned some of the history and lore of the area. The guide stopped our boat in the middle of the lake and pointed out an island in front of us, nicknamed "Millionaire Row". It was named not because the properties cost over a million dollars - all of the lakefront lots are over $1M. The island was called "Millionaire Row" because of the million dollar view the owners enjoyed.
While sitting there in the middle of the lake the guide informed us that there was 85 feet of water beneath us. Directly beneath us was a church and a cemetery in a community once known as Buffalo, North Carolina. It seems that when the dam was constructed back in the early 1900s, the small farming community near Buffalo Mountain was inundated. Divers went down several years back and reported that many of the windows in the church still have their glass, and that the bell is still in the bellfry. The water is below freezing at 85 feet and everything is preserved the way it was back almost 100 years ago. The divers did find an old truck, called an REO Speedwagon (I thought it was a rock band). They used baloons to float the truck to the surface. The upholstery was shot, but only one tire was flat. When they hooked a battery up to the engine, the magneto fired; so they decided to restore the vehicle to working order. The truck was painted fire engine red and "Buffalo Fire Dept" was stenciled on its side. It was really a farm truck, but they thought it was cooler to turn it into an old fashioned fire truck. It now appears in local parades.
Another legend has it that some nights residents claim to hear the sound of a church bell ringing. The guide pointed out the first house built on the lake, long before the dam was built and the water level was known. The owner guessed where the water would rise and built a small house and dock. Today the water sits at the bottom of the dock. Back then there was nothing within miles of the settler. He rowed supplies in by canoe and walked up the hill to construct his house. I'm sure there were many evenings where there was nothing but dark sky, dark mountains, and dark water surrounding him. It must have been chilling to sit on his porch at night and hear the sound of a distant church bell.
Chimney Rock park and Lake Lure are about 3 hours from Raleigh; about 22 miles south of Asheville, NC. It is a beautiful area. Someday, when I've struck it rich in the lottery, I'm going to build a house on that lake and sit in my boat in the middle of the lake listening for that church bell.
Saturday was a washout. We went to Blowing Rock,
http://i33.tinypic.com/2s94pic.jpg
before heading on to Boone and then on to Grandfather Mountain.
On Sunday the skies were sunny so we went to Chimney Rock and Lake Lure.
It was at Lake Lure that we enjoyed a boat tour of the lake and learned some of the history and lore of the area. The guide stopped our boat in the middle of the lake and pointed out an island in front of us, nicknamed "Millionaire Row". It was named not because the properties cost over a million dollars - all of the lakefront lots are over $1M. The island was called "Millionaire Row" because of the million dollar view the owners enjoyed.
While sitting there in the middle of the lake the guide informed us that there was 85 feet of water beneath us. Directly beneath us was a church and a cemetery in a community once known as Buffalo, North Carolina. It seems that when the dam was constructed back in the early 1900s, the small farming community near Buffalo Mountain was inundated. Divers went down several years back and reported that many of the windows in the church still have their glass, and that the bell is still in the bellfry. The water is below freezing at 85 feet and everything is preserved the way it was back almost 100 years ago. The divers did find an old truck, called an REO Speedwagon (I thought it was a rock band). They used baloons to float the truck to the surface. The upholstery was shot, but only one tire was flat. When they hooked a battery up to the engine, the magneto fired; so they decided to restore the vehicle to working order. The truck was painted fire engine red and "Buffalo Fire Dept" was stenciled on its side. It was really a farm truck, but they thought it was cooler to turn it into an old fashioned fire truck. It now appears in local parades.
Another legend has it that some nights residents claim to hear the sound of a church bell ringing. The guide pointed out the first house built on the lake, long before the dam was built and the water level was known. The owner guessed where the water would rise and built a small house and dock. Today the water sits at the bottom of the dock. Back then there was nothing within miles of the settler. He rowed supplies in by canoe and walked up the hill to construct his house. I'm sure there were many evenings where there was nothing but dark sky, dark mountains, and dark water surrounding him. It must have been chilling to sit on his porch at night and hear the sound of a distant church bell.
Chimney Rock park and Lake Lure are about 3 hours from Raleigh; about 22 miles south of Asheville, NC. It is a beautiful area. Someday, when I've struck it rich in the lottery, I'm going to build a house on that lake and sit in my boat in the middle of the lake listening for that church bell.
The Preacher and Satan
He's wearing a long-sleeve blue shirt with white tab, black pants, and a baseball cap. Above his heavy beard, his skin is bright red from sitting in the sun all day. It's the same place he's sat for the past two weekends - the intersection of Ten-Ten Rd and US Hwy 401 in Garner. He sits in a folding chair, surrounded by cardboard and plywood signs, the most prominent - the one he wants everyone to see if they read none of the others - reads, "Preacher. Need job to help family survive. NOW!" On a sheet of plywood he's taped pictures of his family, the reason he's willing to make himself a spectacle if that's what it takes to support them.
Around his neck is a large wooden cross. It usually hangs on the bedroom wall, but scripture tells him to take up his cross and follow Jesus. That's why he's here. He knows he's called to preach the Word to the lost. People are dying and going to hell; someone has to tell them about Jesus.
A couple of months ago he was laid off from a job that barely supported his family. After the initial shock, he perceived it was a move of God preparing him to enter into the ministry and fulfill his life's purpose...but that was weeks ago. The rent hasn't been paid, there's practically nothing in the house to feed his family of six, and if he doesn't come up with some money soon they're going to turn off his electricity.
He's put out all the feelers at churches in the area; none need an associate pastor or there's no room in the budget to pay for one. God must want him to plant a new church...but where are the people coming from? Maybe if he stands on the corner of a busy highway, God will send the people to him. So he stands there in the late summer sun, sipping on a large sweet tea he bought at the McDonalds directly behind him. Maybe today is the day. He's not hearing God speak specifically, but this is just God's way of testing him to see if he's faithful. "I'll show Him how serious I am about serving Him." the preacher thinks. "I can suffer this heat; and when God does show up with my reward I'll have a story to tell my grandkids about." That's what he thinks at 10 in the morning, before the temperature starts creeping up and hundreds of cars pass him with barely a glance; and those that look stare at him like he's a freak. "A Jesus freak, that's me." be tells himself.
By mid-afternoon the doubts begin to creep in. He tries to rebuke them, but they keep coming. Unseen, Satan has stopped by to revel in the man's misery. "Maybe I should help him come to his senses." Satan muses. Leaning in to whisper in the preacher's ear Satan speaks in a voice that sounds remarkably like the preacher's own. "Did God really say that I was going to preach, or did I miss Him somewhere along the way?"
"Of course I'm called to preach. It's what I've wanted to do since I was saved. People need to hear my story so they will have faith and trust Him for salvation."
"But what if I'm supposed to go out and find the people instead of waiting on God to lead the people to me?"
"I don't have time to build relationships. My family is going to starve if I don't get a job soon!"
"Maybe it's not about me. Surely God will take care of my family even if I can't."
"No! God gave me my wife and He gave me our children. I'm the man. It's my job to provide! As long as I'm seeking the Lord with all my heart, He's going to take care of us. I just need to wait on God's timing."
"Maybe I missed God's timing. Maybe I should have applied for some jobs just in case."
"But if I'm working, I don't have time to find a job as a preacher. I'll end up in the same situation I was in before - depending on man rather than on God."
"But look at all these people driving past me. Surely some of them are Christians. Maybe even a pastor or a deacon. Somebody has to be tuned in to what God is doing and will stop. Not one soul has even offered me money....not that I'd accept it. God will provide."
"Times are tough for everyone. I know people care. They're bound to be praying for me, even if they don't stop and help."
"But why did God have to send Hurricane Gustav at this time and drive up the price of gas so that people who might have helped now have to use that money to fill their gas tanks. Doesn't He care about me and my family? Couldn't He have done this later?"
"There are some people who are in a lot worse shape than me."
"But there are many, many more who are better off. Godless people who have stolen my inheritance. Damn them!"
"I wonder what people think when they see me? Can't they see I'm on fire for God?"
"Or do they see me as some wierdo with a stupid wooden cross hanging around my neck, wearing the same clothes I've worn every time I've been out here. And what kind of people would be attracted to me? Probably the ultra conservatives, less educated, someone older; people who live frugally. They probably don't earn a lot and they won't want their pastor living high on the hog if they can't live that way."
"But all I want is a living wage. I've got a big family to take care of."
"This isn't what I promised my wife when we got married. I'm not setting a good example for the kids, especially if I can't buy them clothes and shoes. If my wife wasn't home schooling, things would be far worse."
"God! What am I supposed to do? I'm trying to listen and obey. Please God. Have mercy on me and my family. Please don't make them suffer for my sins God. Tell me what I've done wrong so I can repent and be forgiven. Please help God!"
The afternoon sun sinks behind the trees on the other side of the road. Less than a quarter of a mile away in either direction are two thriving churches; but the preacher is all alone. God is silent. The preacher looks at his watch and sees that it's time to leave. He promised his wife he'd be home by seven thirty and that he would bring the family something for dinner. The preacher folds his chair and grabs a sign and takes them to his car, then returns and gathers the other two. They fill the back seat of his old car. He reaches into his pockets and pulls out his money. Six dollars. Not near enough to feed his family; so he searches under the seats and in the glove box for loose change. Nothing.
The preacher collapses into the front seat of his car. "I'll have to go home empty handed." he ponders.
"But I promised my wife something for dinner. I was sure someone would stop and help me on a Sunday of all days!"
"I can't go home without something for the family. I wish I'd never bought that drink earlier. I could have brought a jug of water from home. That was $2.00 that was wasted. No wonder God isn't speaking to me. I can't even steward the little I have."
Satan grins. "He sounds just like me now." he thinks. Seeing the agony in the preacher's face, Satan knows he's got the preacher where he wants him. Just one more push. Leaning very close and imitating the preacher in the most pitiful of voices, he whispers, "I guess I will have to beg and see if someone will give me food for tonight."
The preacher's eyes swell with tears as he attempts to hold back his emotions, but they come anyway. "God, why are you doing this to me? I'd don't know what else to do. How am I going to share the Good News if all I do is struggle all my life? Where's the victory you promised Lord? I don't mind sacrifice, but where's the peace you promised? Do you really know what we're going through. Do you care? I've staked everything on you because I thought you loved me; but now I'm not so sure."
The preacher weeps until he can't cry any longer. Satan sits back and laughs at the pathetic creature. "Go beg, you dog!" he shouts. He laughs again as the preacher opens his car door. "Go ahead and beg. I'll be here when you get back so I can rub it in some more."
Preacher walks slowly, hoping that God will perform some miracle at the last minute so he doesn't have to beg for food. There's only two people in line, but the preacher waits until they've gotten their food and sat down before approaching the cashier.
"Yes sir. What can I get for you today?" she asks cheerily. Easy for her to be cheerful, she's got a paycheck the preacher thinks.
"Uh, is your manager in?" he asks. "I can't believe I'm doing this." he thinks at the same time.
"Yes sir. I'll get her for you."
"Lord, give me the words to say because I've never begged before." the preacher prays.
The manager walks up and asks what she can do to help the customer. The preacher explains how he's lost his job and that he's been looking but nothing is working. He tells her that his family is hungry and asks if she can give him some food - any thing extra that they might be ready to throw out - that he can take to his family. She sees the pain in the man's eyes, his sunburned skin, the sweat stains on his blue shirt from where the cross has hung. Normally she would say she's sorry but she can't help him. Regulations prohibit her from giving away leftovers. But he's a man of God. How can she deny him? What would that say about her?
"You just tell me what you want and it's on the house." she offers.
Preacher tries to protest. His pride still battles against his need to take care of his family. He offers her the six dollars. At first she tries to get him to keep it, but he insists so she relents and tells the cashier to take care of the customer. He orders from the value menu and the total comes to a little over seventeen dollars. He declines the offer of sodas. They can drink water at home, he tells them.
"Thank you so much for this. May God bless you. I'm going to come back tomorrow and repay you by working this expense off." he promises.
"That won't be necessary, sir." the manager replies.
"No. I'm not a pan-handler. I pay my debts." the preacher argues.
"There's nothing wrong with mercy and grace is there?" the manager asks; though she has no idea where that came from.
The preacher hesitates for a moment; his eyes fill with tears again. "No, nothing wrong with that. Thank you so much!" he says.
Leaving the restaurant, the preacher is torn by shame and gratitude. He places the food on the front seat, starts his car and heads home.
Unseen is the passenger in who's lap the bags of food sit. It's not the same passenger who was there earlier. This passenger rides along quietly for awhile, looking lovingly at the man. "I know you can't hear me." He says. "The enemy has you so confused you wouldn't recognize my voice if you could. But that's OK. I'm here. I know. I care. You don't have to hear me or beg me to keep my promises. Everything is in hand. What I've started, I'll finish - even if it's nothing like what you think I'm doing. I love you Preacher. I'm not going anywhere."
Around his neck is a large wooden cross. It usually hangs on the bedroom wall, but scripture tells him to take up his cross and follow Jesus. That's why he's here. He knows he's called to preach the Word to the lost. People are dying and going to hell; someone has to tell them about Jesus.
A couple of months ago he was laid off from a job that barely supported his family. After the initial shock, he perceived it was a move of God preparing him to enter into the ministry and fulfill his life's purpose...but that was weeks ago. The rent hasn't been paid, there's practically nothing in the house to feed his family of six, and if he doesn't come up with some money soon they're going to turn off his electricity.
He's put out all the feelers at churches in the area; none need an associate pastor or there's no room in the budget to pay for one. God must want him to plant a new church...but where are the people coming from? Maybe if he stands on the corner of a busy highway, God will send the people to him. So he stands there in the late summer sun, sipping on a large sweet tea he bought at the McDonalds directly behind him. Maybe today is the day. He's not hearing God speak specifically, but this is just God's way of testing him to see if he's faithful. "I'll show Him how serious I am about serving Him." the preacher thinks. "I can suffer this heat; and when God does show up with my reward I'll have a story to tell my grandkids about." That's what he thinks at 10 in the morning, before the temperature starts creeping up and hundreds of cars pass him with barely a glance; and those that look stare at him like he's a freak. "A Jesus freak, that's me." be tells himself.
By mid-afternoon the doubts begin to creep in. He tries to rebuke them, but they keep coming. Unseen, Satan has stopped by to revel in the man's misery. "Maybe I should help him come to his senses." Satan muses. Leaning in to whisper in the preacher's ear Satan speaks in a voice that sounds remarkably like the preacher's own. "Did God really say that I was going to preach, or did I miss Him somewhere along the way?"
"Of course I'm called to preach. It's what I've wanted to do since I was saved. People need to hear my story so they will have faith and trust Him for salvation."
"But what if I'm supposed to go out and find the people instead of waiting on God to lead the people to me?"
"I don't have time to build relationships. My family is going to starve if I don't get a job soon!"
"Maybe it's not about me. Surely God will take care of my family even if I can't."
"No! God gave me my wife and He gave me our children. I'm the man. It's my job to provide! As long as I'm seeking the Lord with all my heart, He's going to take care of us. I just need to wait on God's timing."
"Maybe I missed God's timing. Maybe I should have applied for some jobs just in case."
"But if I'm working, I don't have time to find a job as a preacher. I'll end up in the same situation I was in before - depending on man rather than on God."
"But look at all these people driving past me. Surely some of them are Christians. Maybe even a pastor or a deacon. Somebody has to be tuned in to what God is doing and will stop. Not one soul has even offered me money....not that I'd accept it. God will provide."
"Times are tough for everyone. I know people care. They're bound to be praying for me, even if they don't stop and help."
"But why did God have to send Hurricane Gustav at this time and drive up the price of gas so that people who might have helped now have to use that money to fill their gas tanks. Doesn't He care about me and my family? Couldn't He have done this later?"
"There are some people who are in a lot worse shape than me."
"But there are many, many more who are better off. Godless people who have stolen my inheritance. Damn them!"
"I wonder what people think when they see me? Can't they see I'm on fire for God?"
"Or do they see me as some wierdo with a stupid wooden cross hanging around my neck, wearing the same clothes I've worn every time I've been out here. And what kind of people would be attracted to me? Probably the ultra conservatives, less educated, someone older; people who live frugally. They probably don't earn a lot and they won't want their pastor living high on the hog if they can't live that way."
"But all I want is a living wage. I've got a big family to take care of."
"This isn't what I promised my wife when we got married. I'm not setting a good example for the kids, especially if I can't buy them clothes and shoes. If my wife wasn't home schooling, things would be far worse."
"God! What am I supposed to do? I'm trying to listen and obey. Please God. Have mercy on me and my family. Please don't make them suffer for my sins God. Tell me what I've done wrong so I can repent and be forgiven. Please help God!"
The afternoon sun sinks behind the trees on the other side of the road. Less than a quarter of a mile away in either direction are two thriving churches; but the preacher is all alone. God is silent. The preacher looks at his watch and sees that it's time to leave. He promised his wife he'd be home by seven thirty and that he would bring the family something for dinner. The preacher folds his chair and grabs a sign and takes them to his car, then returns and gathers the other two. They fill the back seat of his old car. He reaches into his pockets and pulls out his money. Six dollars. Not near enough to feed his family; so he searches under the seats and in the glove box for loose change. Nothing.
The preacher collapses into the front seat of his car. "I'll have to go home empty handed." he ponders.
"But I promised my wife something for dinner. I was sure someone would stop and help me on a Sunday of all days!"
"I can't go home without something for the family. I wish I'd never bought that drink earlier. I could have brought a jug of water from home. That was $2.00 that was wasted. No wonder God isn't speaking to me. I can't even steward the little I have."
Satan grins. "He sounds just like me now." he thinks. Seeing the agony in the preacher's face, Satan knows he's got the preacher where he wants him. Just one more push. Leaning very close and imitating the preacher in the most pitiful of voices, he whispers, "I guess I will have to beg and see if someone will give me food for tonight."
The preacher's eyes swell with tears as he attempts to hold back his emotions, but they come anyway. "God, why are you doing this to me? I'd don't know what else to do. How am I going to share the Good News if all I do is struggle all my life? Where's the victory you promised Lord? I don't mind sacrifice, but where's the peace you promised? Do you really know what we're going through. Do you care? I've staked everything on you because I thought you loved me; but now I'm not so sure."
The preacher weeps until he can't cry any longer. Satan sits back and laughs at the pathetic creature. "Go beg, you dog!" he shouts. He laughs again as the preacher opens his car door. "Go ahead and beg. I'll be here when you get back so I can rub it in some more."
Preacher walks slowly, hoping that God will perform some miracle at the last minute so he doesn't have to beg for food. There's only two people in line, but the preacher waits until they've gotten their food and sat down before approaching the cashier.
"Yes sir. What can I get for you today?" she asks cheerily. Easy for her to be cheerful, she's got a paycheck the preacher thinks.
"Uh, is your manager in?" he asks. "I can't believe I'm doing this." he thinks at the same time.
"Yes sir. I'll get her for you."
"Lord, give me the words to say because I've never begged before." the preacher prays.
The manager walks up and asks what she can do to help the customer. The preacher explains how he's lost his job and that he's been looking but nothing is working. He tells her that his family is hungry and asks if she can give him some food - any thing extra that they might be ready to throw out - that he can take to his family. She sees the pain in the man's eyes, his sunburned skin, the sweat stains on his blue shirt from where the cross has hung. Normally she would say she's sorry but she can't help him. Regulations prohibit her from giving away leftovers. But he's a man of God. How can she deny him? What would that say about her?
"You just tell me what you want and it's on the house." she offers.
Preacher tries to protest. His pride still battles against his need to take care of his family. He offers her the six dollars. At first she tries to get him to keep it, but he insists so she relents and tells the cashier to take care of the customer. He orders from the value menu and the total comes to a little over seventeen dollars. He declines the offer of sodas. They can drink water at home, he tells them.
"Thank you so much for this. May God bless you. I'm going to come back tomorrow and repay you by working this expense off." he promises.
"That won't be necessary, sir." the manager replies.
"No. I'm not a pan-handler. I pay my debts." the preacher argues.
"There's nothing wrong with mercy and grace is there?" the manager asks; though she has no idea where that came from.
The preacher hesitates for a moment; his eyes fill with tears again. "No, nothing wrong with that. Thank you so much!" he says.
Leaving the restaurant, the preacher is torn by shame and gratitude. He places the food on the front seat, starts his car and heads home.
Unseen is the passenger in who's lap the bags of food sit. It's not the same passenger who was there earlier. This passenger rides along quietly for awhile, looking lovingly at the man. "I know you can't hear me." He says. "The enemy has you so confused you wouldn't recognize my voice if you could. But that's OK. I'm here. I know. I care. You don't have to hear me or beg me to keep my promises. Everything is in hand. What I've started, I'll finish - even if it's nothing like what you think I'm doing. I love you Preacher. I'm not going anywhere."
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