The media these days are consumed by the tax situation, specifically, the expiration of the Bush tax cuts at the end of the year. After hearing the "umpteenth" report on the present tax bill in the Congress, my mind began to randomly wander down the "tax road" of my life.
1. Began working and paying federal income taxes on what I EARNED.
2. Also, paying taxes to support those presently retired (social security).
3. Oops, also from the same paycheck I pay Medicare taxes.
4. Nuts, forgot about state income taxes coming out of that same check.
5. Oh, and if you happen to live in St. Louis City, you have to pay city taxes as well.
6. Enough on the paycheck. Now I go to the store and make a purchase. SALES TAX.
7. My purchase was an automobile. Registration fee (isn't that really like a tax?).
8. Must buy gas to run that car. I take what money is left from my already taxed paycheck and buy gas. Of course I must also pay a gas tax.
9. Every year I get a bill from the city: Personal Property Tax! More of my paycheck for owning a vehicle on which I already have paid taxes on.
10. Must have a place to stay so I purchase a home. Not only must I pay sales tax, I now must pay REAL ESTATE TAXES every year I own the home. Why must I pay more taxes each year on property I already bought and paid taxes on?
11. Part of the tax bill under consideration includes a reduction in the Estate Tax from 55% to 35%. That means that WHEN I DIE, my heirs must take whatever I have left from my previous paychecks and send 35% of that already taxed money to the government. Of course, the Estate Tax is actually a Death Tax.
I really haven't put much thought into this but I am certain there are taxes I am overlooking. But, after writing the above 11 points, I've come to the conclusion that the party getting rich in this country is not me; its UNCLE SAM!
To think our founding fathers started a revolution over things like a stamp tax and a tea tax. Even King George never put an income tax or death tax on their backs!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Why Illegals Should Not Receive Amnesty
While cleaning out my files this morning, I stumbled onto a newspaper article I clipped out of some paper back in 2006/2007. The editor is Roland Wetzel and the article carries the same title as this post. Mr. Wetzel references Iowa Congressman Steve King and lists some reasons for not granting amnesty to illegal aliens. The following is quoted from the article:
- 12 Americans are murdered every day by illegal aliens.
- That's 4,380 per year or more than 21,000 murders by illegal aliens since September 11, 2001.
- According to the same report, 13 people per day are killed by illegal alien drunk drivers.
- That's an additional 4,745 premature deaths every year.
- Eight American children are molested by illegal aliens every day.
- That's 2,920 innocent children annually whose lives are ruined each year--by scum who wouldn't be prowling for American kids if the federal government enforced our immigration laws.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Christmas Gift Exchange
Here is our gift exchange list for Christmas 2010. Gifts should be in the $10-$20 price range.
Friday, November 12, 2010
President Obama at the Bat
A friend sent me a link to this video today and I thought it was well done and quite funny. Yes, it does make a statement against political liberalism. But, no matter on what end of the political spectrum you might be, if you enjoy baseball, I believe you can chuckle a bit at this.
Check it out HERE.
Check it out HERE.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Saved By Faith Youth Challenge (SBFYC)
Check out the SBFYC site here for next year's conference info.
Conference #25: Paul Washer is speaking.
Mark your calendars and save your money!
Conference #25: Paul Washer is speaking.
Mark your calendars and save your money!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
"No Doubt We Are Moving in the Right Direction"
Some folks are, evidently, confused about many of my Facebook posts in recent days. They think I am simply reposting the same information over and over again. I am not.
For the past few weeks, I have frequently posted updates to Facebook which begin with the statement recently made by Vice President Biden concerning our economy: "No doubt we are moving in the right direction". I have included, with each post, a link to an article providing testimony which clearly refutes what the Vice President has said. Over and over again, various articles have appeared which present clear evidence that our economy is on the wrong track and continuing on that wrong track. The President and the Vice President either are out of touch with reality, deceiving themselves, or intentionally misleading the public with their "positive" economic outlook.
The administration believes the correct approach is to take additional federal monies and throw it at various projects to stir the job market. They did this 18 months ago with the stimulus bill and the economy has gotten worse. More money is not the answer, Mr. President. Besides, that money being thrown around is our money. More precisely, it is my grandchildren's money for the government is driving us deeper and deeper into debt. NO ONE AND NO ORGANIZATION CAN SPEND MORE THAN IT TAKES IN AND SURVIVE. At some point we will collapse. To cover the cost of all your programs (enacted and on the table) will require additional income which means more taxes. More taxes further stifle the job market and the purchasing power of the consumer. Your solution will be to throw out more money. That means more taxes. It is a vicious cycle. Can't our leaders see this? Are we truly moving in the right direction?
I am not an economic wiz but I do believe there are some things the President and his administration COULD do to address the problem. Here they are in no particular order. This is certainly not an exhaustive list.
1. CUT ALL TAXES - Yes, even on the "wealthiest" Americans. You see, its those wealthiest Americans who invest and produce the jobs which fuel this economy. They won't do so if you continue to take more and more of their money. No investments, no new jobs. Cutting taxes also frees up money for consumer purchases which drives merchandising, etc. When I say cut all taxes, I do not simply mean extend the Bush tax custs for everyone (which the administration MUST do). No, I mean CUT ALL TAXES.
2. CUT ALL TAXES - I'm repeating myself only to make certain the administration includes cutting capital gains taxes as well.
3. PULL BACK STIMULUS MONEY - Last I heard, over $300 billion of the 2009 stimulus funds had not been spent. DON'T SPEND IT!
4. REPEAL HEALTHCARE - Mr. President, the nation cannot afford it. The American people do not want it. The entire program passed last year must go. There are plenty of ways to fix what ails the health care industry without spending ourselves into oblivion.
5. NO CAP AND TRADE - The global warming nonsense has finally wound down a bit. Putting additional taxes onto energy will only translate into higher costs to consumers. It is totally unnecessary.
6. STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION - For years we have been told "illegals do the jobs Americans won't do". Maybe that's true sometimes. But what is also true is that "Illegals are doing jobs Americans could do and probably would do in this economic situation if those jobs were available". Illegal immigrants are just that: illegal. They should not be here and should not be permitted to remain. The problem must be addressed because it impacts our economic status. For starters, (1) Secure the border (seriously) (2) Heavily fine businesses who employ illegal immigrants (3) deport any illegal immigrant who is found (this does not require "looking" for them, rather, simply deporting those who are found).
7. GET OUT OF OUR LIVES - No more bailouts. If a company fails, it fails. We should strive to help those who truly need help but we can not do this for everyone over extended periods of time. Significantly reduce the length of time unemployment benefits are extended. Let the free market work. Eliminate government bureaucracy which will reduce the amount of money needed to run the government. Americans do not want a LARGE Federal government constantly intruding into our lives. Instead, reread the Constitution and limit yourselves to the powers enumerated therein. All the other powers belong to the states (check the 10th Amendment please).
Those are my thoughts.
Oh, and Mr. Vice President, we are NOT moving in the right direction!
For the past few weeks, I have frequently posted updates to Facebook which begin with the statement recently made by Vice President Biden concerning our economy: "No doubt we are moving in the right direction". I have included, with each post, a link to an article providing testimony which clearly refutes what the Vice President has said. Over and over again, various articles have appeared which present clear evidence that our economy is on the wrong track and continuing on that wrong track. The President and the Vice President either are out of touch with reality, deceiving themselves, or intentionally misleading the public with their "positive" economic outlook.
The administration believes the correct approach is to take additional federal monies and throw it at various projects to stir the job market. They did this 18 months ago with the stimulus bill and the economy has gotten worse. More money is not the answer, Mr. President. Besides, that money being thrown around is our money. More precisely, it is my grandchildren's money for the government is driving us deeper and deeper into debt. NO ONE AND NO ORGANIZATION CAN SPEND MORE THAN IT TAKES IN AND SURVIVE. At some point we will collapse. To cover the cost of all your programs (enacted and on the table) will require additional income which means more taxes. More taxes further stifle the job market and the purchasing power of the consumer. Your solution will be to throw out more money. That means more taxes. It is a vicious cycle. Can't our leaders see this? Are we truly moving in the right direction?
I am not an economic wiz but I do believe there are some things the President and his administration COULD do to address the problem. Here they are in no particular order. This is certainly not an exhaustive list.
1. CUT ALL TAXES - Yes, even on the "wealthiest" Americans. You see, its those wealthiest Americans who invest and produce the jobs which fuel this economy. They won't do so if you continue to take more and more of their money. No investments, no new jobs. Cutting taxes also frees up money for consumer purchases which drives merchandising, etc. When I say cut all taxes, I do not simply mean extend the Bush tax custs for everyone (which the administration MUST do). No, I mean CUT ALL TAXES.
2. CUT ALL TAXES - I'm repeating myself only to make certain the administration includes cutting capital gains taxes as well.
3. PULL BACK STIMULUS MONEY - Last I heard, over $300 billion of the 2009 stimulus funds had not been spent. DON'T SPEND IT!
4. REPEAL HEALTHCARE - Mr. President, the nation cannot afford it. The American people do not want it. The entire program passed last year must go. There are plenty of ways to fix what ails the health care industry without spending ourselves into oblivion.
5. NO CAP AND TRADE - The global warming nonsense has finally wound down a bit. Putting additional taxes onto energy will only translate into higher costs to consumers. It is totally unnecessary.
6. STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION - For years we have been told "illegals do the jobs Americans won't do". Maybe that's true sometimes. But what is also true is that "Illegals are doing jobs Americans could do and probably would do in this economic situation if those jobs were available". Illegal immigrants are just that: illegal. They should not be here and should not be permitted to remain. The problem must be addressed because it impacts our economic status. For starters, (1) Secure the border (seriously) (2) Heavily fine businesses who employ illegal immigrants (3) deport any illegal immigrant who is found (this does not require "looking" for them, rather, simply deporting those who are found).
7. GET OUT OF OUR LIVES - No more bailouts. If a company fails, it fails. We should strive to help those who truly need help but we can not do this for everyone over extended periods of time. Significantly reduce the length of time unemployment benefits are extended. Let the free market work. Eliminate government bureaucracy which will reduce the amount of money needed to run the government. Americans do not want a LARGE Federal government constantly intruding into our lives. Instead, reread the Constitution and limit yourselves to the powers enumerated therein. All the other powers belong to the states (check the 10th Amendment please).
Those are my thoughts.
Oh, and Mr. Vice President, we are NOT moving in the right direction!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
September Newsletter
The September edition of "Wild Walker World" has been mailed. There is some information in the newsletter about our Wild Walker Weekend scheduled for this weekend. If you have additional questions concerning the facilities, I suggest you talk with Jeremy and Lisa who have visited the site.
Friday, August 20, 2010
The Grass is Always Greener...
... in someone else's lawn!
I freely admit my lawn is not the most well manicured property on our street. Many of our neighbors have immaculate lawns requiring many hours of work in the evenings and weekends as well as constant reminders to their children (and others) to stay off the grass. I resolved years ago not to be one of those parents.
I do appreciate the property the Lord has given me and understand I am to be a good steward of this gift. But I also believe the Lord intends for me to do more with it than simply have it looking as pretty as a picture. I'm not a big outdoors person (and both my physican and dermitologist are glad about that) but I also wanted my children to have a place to play. So, when we moved here years ago, I forfeited any idea of a perfect looking lawn in order to give my kids a place to play.
And we have! Basketball, wiffle ball, lawn hockey and many other outdoor activities right there on our front lawn. We have played in sunshine, snow, and rain; the lawn has paid the price. Furthermore, over the years our lawn activities have included the children of those neighbors who would not permit anyone on their grass.
For years my children have taken turns mowing our lawn to earn some spending money. Again, that's great for them and for me. This is especially true today since my body does not tolerate the heat well at all.
On Wednesday, I received a letter from the City of Saint Chares entitled "Code Enforcement". My property is listed as case number 10-00003942. There, in bold print, all caps, and underlined, are the words:
NOTICE OF GRASS/WEED VIOLATION AND HEARING DATE
In part, the text reads "The above mentioned property was inspected by this Department and the following violation(s) were found: Grass/Weeds in excess of eight (8) inches in height." I'm given 4 days to correct this violation. I also have an optional hearing on Monday in case I want to defend my long grass.
Well, I will not argue that, as of this past Monday, my grass was long. We mowed on Friday, July 30 and then left for a week long mission trip in Kentucky on August 2. Upon returning home, the temperatures in our area reached the upper 90s and 100 every day the following week with heat indices upwards of 110 or higher. Obviously, being out of town prevented us from mowing one week and the high temps prevented us from mowing the next week. There is no way I could have mowed in this heat and I did not feel my children should have to do so either.
On this past Monday, the temperature broke and my girls mowed the lawn. The letter arrived on Wednesday. So, I guess we "complied" with the mandate.
Now I understand perfectly well well why the city has such a code. Tall grass and weeds on a property do nothing to enhance the value of neighboring homes, especially those on the marketplace. Furthermore, while I do not maintain my lawn with the care and precision of others, I also do not like tall grass. So, yes, I was in violation and for that I am sorry. There have been periods in the past when my lawn has gone 3 or 4 weeks without mowing (e.g., our mower was being repaired) and nothing was said.
What I am curious about, though, is what prompted this "inspection" of my property. Does the city have someone driving around town checking on lawns? Do they actually get out and use a ruler to measure the length of the grass? If so, that seems like a terrible use of tax money. But, deep in my gut, I suspect someone in my neighborhood called an authority to report my tall grass. If that is the case then it is a perfect example of a serious problem with our society: take no responsibility and let the government resolve your problem.
If I found the lack of care given to one of my neighbor's lawns to be bugging me, I would go to that neighbor and simply request that he do something about his lawn. Who knows? Perhaps that neighbor has a broken mower and needs help. Who knows? Perhaps that neighbor is ill or caring for an ailing loved one and cannot take time to work on their lawn. Who knows? Perhaps I could offer to mow their lawn for them.
Now if my neighbor simply refused to do anything then I might call the authorities. Knowing my attitude towards lawns, probably not.
Again, I am making the assumption someone turned us in. If that is true then what we have is some neighbor who is upset at me for not taking care of my lawn. But they don't want to get involved and take the initiative to check with me on why I am not mowing. No, heaven forbid they check in on me and offer to help. No, there's an easy way out: call the government!
The note from the city is interesting in 2 other respects:
1. Our case number is 10-00003942. Does that mean we are the 3,942nd household cited in 2010 for long grass? Wow, if so, then maybe there are more people around here who have the same outlook on their grass as I do! Let's all ditch our mowers, save on gas and air pollution, and use goats again.
2. The note also indicates if the grass/weeds grow on the same property and result in a second violation during the same growing season, "the City may without further notification" have the weeds removed. Does that mean that I can let my grass grow more than 8 inches again and the city will mow it for me? Will they do it at no charge? Will they come back if I violate the ordinance a 3rd or 4th time? Wow, maybe I could get my lawn mowed by the city for free (i.e., on the tax payers nickel) every couple of weeks!
If you are reading this post and happen to be the person who "turned us in", please, come visit me the next time before calling the authorities. My goal is to keep my lawn looking as nice as I can (1) without jeopardizing my family's health in maintaining it and (2) without preventing my children and grandchildren from using it to have fun. I'm sure we can reach a compromise (e.g., you can mow my lawn).
I freely admit my lawn is not the most well manicured property on our street. Many of our neighbors have immaculate lawns requiring many hours of work in the evenings and weekends as well as constant reminders to their children (and others) to stay off the grass. I resolved years ago not to be one of those parents.
I do appreciate the property the Lord has given me and understand I am to be a good steward of this gift. But I also believe the Lord intends for me to do more with it than simply have it looking as pretty as a picture. I'm not a big outdoors person (and both my physican and dermitologist are glad about that) but I also wanted my children to have a place to play. So, when we moved here years ago, I forfeited any idea of a perfect looking lawn in order to give my kids a place to play.
And we have! Basketball, wiffle ball, lawn hockey and many other outdoor activities right there on our front lawn. We have played in sunshine, snow, and rain; the lawn has paid the price. Furthermore, over the years our lawn activities have included the children of those neighbors who would not permit anyone on their grass.
For years my children have taken turns mowing our lawn to earn some spending money. Again, that's great for them and for me. This is especially true today since my body does not tolerate the heat well at all.
On Wednesday, I received a letter from the City of Saint Chares entitled "Code Enforcement". My property is listed as case number 10-00003942. There, in bold print, all caps, and underlined, are the words:
NOTICE OF GRASS/WEED VIOLATION AND HEARING DATE
In part, the text reads "The above mentioned property was inspected by this Department and the following violation(s) were found: Grass/Weeds in excess of eight (8) inches in height." I'm given 4 days to correct this violation. I also have an optional hearing on Monday in case I want to defend my long grass.
Well, I will not argue that, as of this past Monday, my grass was long. We mowed on Friday, July 30 and then left for a week long mission trip in Kentucky on August 2. Upon returning home, the temperatures in our area reached the upper 90s and 100 every day the following week with heat indices upwards of 110 or higher. Obviously, being out of town prevented us from mowing one week and the high temps prevented us from mowing the next week. There is no way I could have mowed in this heat and I did not feel my children should have to do so either.
On this past Monday, the temperature broke and my girls mowed the lawn. The letter arrived on Wednesday. So, I guess we "complied" with the mandate.
Now I understand perfectly well well why the city has such a code. Tall grass and weeds on a property do nothing to enhance the value of neighboring homes, especially those on the marketplace. Furthermore, while I do not maintain my lawn with the care and precision of others, I also do not like tall grass. So, yes, I was in violation and for that I am sorry. There have been periods in the past when my lawn has gone 3 or 4 weeks without mowing (e.g., our mower was being repaired) and nothing was said.
What I am curious about, though, is what prompted this "inspection" of my property. Does the city have someone driving around town checking on lawns? Do they actually get out and use a ruler to measure the length of the grass? If so, that seems like a terrible use of tax money. But, deep in my gut, I suspect someone in my neighborhood called an authority to report my tall grass. If that is the case then it is a perfect example of a serious problem with our society: take no responsibility and let the government resolve your problem.
If I found the lack of care given to one of my neighbor's lawns to be bugging me, I would go to that neighbor and simply request that he do something about his lawn. Who knows? Perhaps that neighbor has a broken mower and needs help. Who knows? Perhaps that neighbor is ill or caring for an ailing loved one and cannot take time to work on their lawn. Who knows? Perhaps I could offer to mow their lawn for them.
Now if my neighbor simply refused to do anything then I might call the authorities. Knowing my attitude towards lawns, probably not.
Again, I am making the assumption someone turned us in. If that is true then what we have is some neighbor who is upset at me for not taking care of my lawn. But they don't want to get involved and take the initiative to check with me on why I am not mowing. No, heaven forbid they check in on me and offer to help. No, there's an easy way out: call the government!
The note from the city is interesting in 2 other respects:
1. Our case number is 10-00003942. Does that mean we are the 3,942nd household cited in 2010 for long grass? Wow, if so, then maybe there are more people around here who have the same outlook on their grass as I do! Let's all ditch our mowers, save on gas and air pollution, and use goats again.
2. The note also indicates if the grass/weeds grow on the same property and result in a second violation during the same growing season, "the City may without further notification" have the weeds removed. Does that mean that I can let my grass grow more than 8 inches again and the city will mow it for me? Will they do it at no charge? Will they come back if I violate the ordinance a 3rd or 4th time? Wow, maybe I could get my lawn mowed by the city for free (i.e., on the tax payers nickel) every couple of weeks!
If you are reading this post and happen to be the person who "turned us in", please, come visit me the next time before calling the authorities. My goal is to keep my lawn looking as nice as I can (1) without jeopardizing my family's health in maintaining it and (2) without preventing my children and grandchildren from using it to have fun. I'm sure we can reach a compromise (e.g., you can mow my lawn).
Monday, May 31, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
60 Years
Today is my 60th birthday. Thanks to Facebook, I have received numerous birthday wishes and I appreciate each one.
I am NOT a believer in numerology but, for fun, I decided to jot down some things for each year of life the Lord has given me. Many of these will change from year to year but, again, this is just for fun. Here we go:
1 - number of sisters I have (she is older!); number of sons I have; number of wives I have (and she is awesome!)
2 - number of brothers I have (they are younger)
3 - jersey number of the greatest baseball player of all time (and my favorite), George Herman ("Babe") Ruth
4 - number of pets presently in my house (I could quickly change this number to 1)
5 - number of years employed by HODA (House of Decorative Accessories)
6 - number of years (almost) as pastor of Silex Baptist Church; number of DAYS I worked for Eckert's Market one summer
7 - number of sermons I preached from Isaiah 9:1-7 in 2009
8 - number of daughters I have; number or years I have had a bad big toe (thanks grandson!)
9 - number of children God has given to us!
10 - number of grandchildren from the Lord (including the one due in September)!
11 - total number of years (almost) employed by McDonnell Douglas
12 - number of sermons I preached from Malachi in 2001; number of pills I presently take each day
13 - age I received my first pair of glasses; # of the highway running through my home town
14 - age when I saw a 3-0 Giants victory over the Braves at Candlestick Park in San Francisco: Braves had one hit and the Giants 3 (solo homers by Mays, McCovey, and Cepeda)
15 - birthday when I received my first Strat-O-Matic Baseball game ("3-5!")
16 - number of New Testament History classes I have taught at Missouri Baptist University
17 - number of years I have been a grandfather (as of this Saturday!); age when I became champion in the New Athens High School Chess Club
18 - total physical descendants of Debbie and me born to date
19 - total physical descendants of Debbie and me born after September of this year
20 - Total years employed by IBM
21 - number of days YOUNGER I am than one of my closest friends ("the Pawhuska Prophet"!); number of Old Testament History classes taught at Missouri Baptist University
22 - Age when I received my B. A. in math, was born again by God's Holy Spirit, and married to my terrific wife (that was quite a year!)
23 - number of sermons I preached from 1 John in 2001
24 - age when I earned my M. S. in Computer Science and began my IBM career. Also, number of letters in the Greek alphabet (love that Greek! Thank you, Dr. Metts!).
25 - total number of sermons preached in my exposition of Galatians in 2000 (in hindsight, not enough!)
26 - number of sermons preached in my exposition of Colossians in 2009. Also, my age when our IBM softball team won the IBM league championship.
27 - day of the month of May on which I was born; also my age when God called me into the ministry
28 - number of years we have lived in our present home (as of July)
29 - a prime number (love those primes!); # of pages in my thesis for an M.S. in Computer Science ("On the Minimization of Incompletely Specified Sequential Machines"; I'm not even sure what that means any more!)
30 - number of years since I graduated from Criswell College and was ordained to the Gospel ministry; number of sermons I preached from Ecclesiastes in 2004 (that was a struggle!)
31 - Day in the month of October on which we celebrate the Protestant Reformation (you rock, Martin!); also the Trinity number ("3" in "1")
32 - number of pieces on the board at the beginning of a chess match; number of months remaining in the worse Presidency of our country's history
33 - Atomic number of Arsenic (reminds me of "Arsenic and Old Lace"); supposed age of Jesus when he died (likely closer to 35); number of years I have struggled studying Biblical Hebrew!
34 - number of years I have had the pleasure of studying Biblical Greek
35 - number of giraffes I can see while sitting at my desk
36 - number of years I have been a father
37 - number of years I have been married to the greatest woman I know (you rock, Debs!)
38 - number of years since I graduated with my first college degree
39 - Stonewall Jackson's age at his death; number of signers of the United States Constitution; number of sermons I preached from 1 Peter in 2005.
40 - approximate number of Big Macs I will consume this year
41 - years since I watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon
42 - average number of hours I sleep each week; number of years since I graduated from high school
43 - age when my first grandchild AND my last child were born
44 - age when I broke my arm at second base playing softball; uniform number of my favorite childhood contemporary ball player, Hank Aaron
45 - total years I had with my father (who would have been 99 yesterday)
46 - my age on the Mother's Day when I preached to a Pinckneyville congregation from Obadiah 15-17 a sermon entitled "Judgment!" (Happy Mother's Day to all)
47 - age when Debbie and I had a blast in Germany and Switzerland
48 - number of years since I first saw "Lawrence of Arabia" on the big screen
49 - my age when I became the pastor of Silex Baptist Church; number of years (almost) I had with my mother
50 - my birthday party when Debbie bought me my last bicycle; I rode it once and decided not to do so again for safety reasons. Took it back to the store, got our money back, and bought stuff for her instead. I loved and rode bikes all the time when I was a kid. But that was in a previous life...
51 - number of books (including Bibles) presently setting on my desk (and not my bookshelves) at home
52 - number of cards in a regular card deck (how many games of "15" have I played over the years?)
53 - The Babe's age when he died.
54 - number of home runs hit by the Babe in 1920, shattering his own record of 29 from the year before. He did this in only 142 games.
55 - Debbie's current age; I pray she has another 55 to go!
56 - my age at the first Wild Walker Week held in Myrtle Beach; number of signers to the Declaration of Independence; number of short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle on Sherlock Holmes.
57 - number of varieties advertised by Henry Heinz though he actually had more than 60 at the time
58 - number of classes I have taught at Missouri Baptist University through the Spring 2010 semester
59 - my age when I began the pastorate at Bethesda Baptist; number of sermons I have preached to date at Bethesda Baptist.
and, finally,
60 - the number of home runs the Babe hit in 1927 (154 games - I still consider it the record since Maris had 162 games and the modern era players used steroids!); the number of years the Lord has graciously given me to date!
I am NOT a believer in numerology but, for fun, I decided to jot down some things for each year of life the Lord has given me. Many of these will change from year to year but, again, this is just for fun. Here we go:
1 - number of sisters I have (she is older!); number of sons I have; number of wives I have (and she is awesome!)
2 - number of brothers I have (they are younger)
3 - jersey number of the greatest baseball player of all time (and my favorite), George Herman ("Babe") Ruth
4 - number of pets presently in my house (I could quickly change this number to 1)
5 - number of years employed by HODA (House of Decorative Accessories)
6 - number of years (almost) as pastor of Silex Baptist Church; number of DAYS I worked for Eckert's Market one summer
7 - number of sermons I preached from Isaiah 9:1-7 in 2009
8 - number of daughters I have; number or years I have had a bad big toe (thanks grandson!)
9 - number of children God has given to us!
10 - number of grandchildren from the Lord (including the one due in September)!
11 - total number of years (almost) employed by McDonnell Douglas
12 - number of sermons I preached from Malachi in 2001; number of pills I presently take each day
13 - age I received my first pair of glasses; # of the highway running through my home town
14 - age when I saw a 3-0 Giants victory over the Braves at Candlestick Park in San Francisco: Braves had one hit and the Giants 3 (solo homers by Mays, McCovey, and Cepeda)
15 - birthday when I received my first Strat-O-Matic Baseball game ("3-5!")
16 - number of New Testament History classes I have taught at Missouri Baptist University
17 - number of years I have been a grandfather (as of this Saturday!); age when I became champion in the New Athens High School Chess Club
18 - total physical descendants of Debbie and me born to date
19 - total physical descendants of Debbie and me born after September of this year
20 - Total years employed by IBM
21 - number of days YOUNGER I am than one of my closest friends ("the Pawhuska Prophet"!); number of Old Testament History classes taught at Missouri Baptist University
22 - Age when I received my B. A. in math, was born again by God's Holy Spirit, and married to my terrific wife (that was quite a year!)
23 - number of sermons I preached from 1 John in 2001
24 - age when I earned my M. S. in Computer Science and began my IBM career. Also, number of letters in the Greek alphabet (love that Greek! Thank you, Dr. Metts!).
25 - total number of sermons preached in my exposition of Galatians in 2000 (in hindsight, not enough!)
26 - number of sermons preached in my exposition of Colossians in 2009. Also, my age when our IBM softball team won the IBM league championship.
27 - day of the month of May on which I was born; also my age when God called me into the ministry
28 - number of years we have lived in our present home (as of July)
29 - a prime number (love those primes!); # of pages in my thesis for an M.S. in Computer Science ("On the Minimization of Incompletely Specified Sequential Machines"; I'm not even sure what that means any more!)
30 - number of years since I graduated from Criswell College and was ordained to the Gospel ministry; number of sermons I preached from Ecclesiastes in 2004 (that was a struggle!)
31 - Day in the month of October on which we celebrate the Protestant Reformation (you rock, Martin!); also the Trinity number ("3" in "1")
32 - number of pieces on the board at the beginning of a chess match; number of months remaining in the worse Presidency of our country's history
33 - Atomic number of Arsenic (reminds me of "Arsenic and Old Lace"); supposed age of Jesus when he died (likely closer to 35); number of years I have struggled studying Biblical Hebrew!
34 - number of years I have had the pleasure of studying Biblical Greek
35 - number of giraffes I can see while sitting at my desk
36 - number of years I have been a father
37 - number of years I have been married to the greatest woman I know (you rock, Debs!)
38 - number of years since I graduated with my first college degree
39 - Stonewall Jackson's age at his death; number of signers of the United States Constitution; number of sermons I preached from 1 Peter in 2005.
40 - approximate number of Big Macs I will consume this year
41 - years since I watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon
42 - average number of hours I sleep each week; number of years since I graduated from high school
43 - age when my first grandchild AND my last child were born
44 - age when I broke my arm at second base playing softball; uniform number of my favorite childhood contemporary ball player, Hank Aaron
45 - total years I had with my father (who would have been 99 yesterday)
46 - my age on the Mother's Day when I preached to a Pinckneyville congregation from Obadiah 15-17 a sermon entitled "Judgment!" (Happy Mother's Day to all)
47 - age when Debbie and I had a blast in Germany and Switzerland
48 - number of years since I first saw "Lawrence of Arabia" on the big screen
49 - my age when I became the pastor of Silex Baptist Church; number of years (almost) I had with my mother
50 - my birthday party when Debbie bought me my last bicycle; I rode it once and decided not to do so again for safety reasons. Took it back to the store, got our money back, and bought stuff for her instead. I loved and rode bikes all the time when I was a kid. But that was in a previous life...
51 - number of books (including Bibles) presently setting on my desk (and not my bookshelves) at home
52 - number of cards in a regular card deck (how many games of "15" have I played over the years?)
53 - The Babe's age when he died.
54 - number of home runs hit by the Babe in 1920, shattering his own record of 29 from the year before. He did this in only 142 games.
55 - Debbie's current age; I pray she has another 55 to go!
56 - my age at the first Wild Walker Week held in Myrtle Beach; number of signers to the Declaration of Independence; number of short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle on Sherlock Holmes.
57 - number of varieties advertised by Henry Heinz though he actually had more than 60 at the time
58 - number of classes I have taught at Missouri Baptist University through the Spring 2010 semester
59 - my age when I began the pastorate at Bethesda Baptist; number of sermons I have preached to date at Bethesda Baptist.
and, finally,
60 - the number of home runs the Babe hit in 1927 (154 games - I still consider it the record since Maris had 162 games and the modern era players used steroids!); the number of years the Lord has graciously given me to date!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
How to Fail a Test: Part 1
I received these (and others) today and thought I would share them over a set of posts. They are examples of how to fail a test.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wild Walker Weekend 2010
Last week, Lisa and I volunteered to take charge of this year’s Wild Walker Weekend and are ready to start getting things planned. At Thanksgiving last year, Lisa and I joined her family at Washington State Park and stayed in a cabin. We immediately thought of using the park as a place to host this event. Since other possibilities for a weekend retreat have not been promoted, this is exactly what we are going to do.
It took Lisa and I under an hour and a half to get to the Cabin from our doorstep, so it is pretty convenient for those of us in the STL area. You can read about the park at the link below.
Washington State Park
There are three types of cabins available to rent at the park. There is a large 3 bedroom cabin that is ideal for hosting the meals and gathering times. It is set apart from all the other cabins and campsites and provides plenty of room to goof off outside undisturbed. This cabin is not marked on the map below, but it is near the swimming pool.
There are both one and two bedroom cabins set in groupings also available. We stayed in a two bedroom cabin, which was very nice and we enjoyed it very much. These cabins are marked on the map below. It would be a 2-3 minute car ride to the larger cabin, or a 10-15 minute walk.
Cole: $240
Golfway: $80
Gant: $120
Green: $240
Kaatman: $80
Livingstons – We are assuming you will not be able to make it, but if any of these weekends work for you, let us know! If you came, we would add another 2 bedroom cabin and the cost would drop to $17 person per night.
Camping Option
If the cost is too much for your family, there is always the option of camping in the park for a much cheaper cost. A campsite would cost something like $34 for the entire weekend. There is a set of campsites between the two sets of cabins, so it would be quite close. You’d be able to shower and use the restroom at any of the cabins, so basically you would be using the tents for sleeping in only. If anyone would like to use this option, Lisa and I have a tent you can borrow. If a family camps, they would pay their campsite cost and the others would split the cabin costs. The difference in price for the cabin dwellers would be less than $2 per night per person.
Here’s what we need you to do:
Check the following weekends on your calendars and let us know which weekends you are not available and any preference you may have:
July 16-18
August 20-22 ; 27-29
September 3-5 ; 10-12
Let us know your availability and preference by Friday, 26MAR10. We need to book the cabins as soon as possible.
It took Lisa and I under an hour and a half to get to the Cabin from our doorstep, so it is pretty convenient for those of us in the STL area. You can read about the park at the link below.
Washington State Park
There are three types of cabins available to rent at the park. There is a large 3 bedroom cabin that is ideal for hosting the meals and gathering times. It is set apart from all the other cabins and campsites and provides plenty of room to goof off outside undisturbed. This cabin is not marked on the map below, but it is near the swimming pool.
There are both one and two bedroom cabins set in groupings also available. We stayed in a two bedroom cabin, which was very nice and we enjoyed it very much. These cabins are marked on the map below. It would be a 2-3 minute car ride to the larger cabin, or a 10-15 minute walk.
Here is what we are proposing:
Rent the 3 bedroom cabin and 2 of the 2 bedroom cabins. This would give us the meeting space needed for meals and such and would allow each family to have their own bedroom space. We’ve run the numbers and have figured that this would put the cost per person at $20 per night. So that would mean the following cost for each family:Cole: $240
Golfway: $80
Gant: $120
Green: $240
Kaatman: $80
Livingstons – We are assuming you will not be able to make it, but if any of these weekends work for you, let us know! If you came, we would add another 2 bedroom cabin and the cost would drop to $17 person per night.
Camping Option
If the cost is too much for your family, there is always the option of camping in the park for a much cheaper cost. A campsite would cost something like $34 for the entire weekend. There is a set of campsites between the two sets of cabins, so it would be quite close. You’d be able to shower and use the restroom at any of the cabins, so basically you would be using the tents for sleeping in only. If anyone would like to use this option, Lisa and I have a tent you can borrow. If a family camps, they would pay their campsite cost and the others would split the cabin costs. The difference in price for the cabin dwellers would be less than $2 per night per person.
Here’s what we need you to do:
Check the following weekends on your calendars and let us know which weekends you are not available and any preference you may have:
July 16-18
August 20-22 ; 27-29
September 3-5 ; 10-12
Let us know your availability and preference by Friday, 26MAR10. We need to book the cabins as soon as possible.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Hot Air Balloon
A short story sent to me by Sarah....
A woman in a hot-air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."
The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude."
She rolled her eyes and said, "You must be a Republican."
"I am," replied the man. "How did you know?"
"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct. But I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help to me."
The man smiled and responded, "You must be a Democrat."
"I am," replied the balloonist. "How did you know?"
"Well," said the man, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You've risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but somehow, now it's my fault."
A woman in a hot-air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."
The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude."
She rolled her eyes and said, "You must be a Republican."
"I am," replied the man. "How did you know?"
"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct. But I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help to me."
The man smiled and responded, "You must be a Democrat."
"I am," replied the balloonist. "How did you know?"
"Well," said the man, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You've risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but somehow, now it's my fault."
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