Happy Thanksgiving !!!!

I hope you all had great one. We all have so many things to be thankful for. As I said in a post a few days ago this has been an unusual year for me and my family. We had highs and lows sometimes in the same days. But we've seen it through with Gods help and guidance.

We celebrated our blessings a little differently this year. Dad is still in the rehab center and not currently allowed to leave except for doctor visits. So we moved our family get together to my sisters home which is closest to where dad is. It started early yesterday and continued this morning as Kristie prepared a massive feast worthy of kings. We hauled it all down to sis where she added her own cooking delights. Needless to say no one went hungry. While things were done in a lower key style it still seemed like Thanksgiving for us except dad's absence at the table leading the charge to eat until you burst.


Quickly as soon as we all had our fill and dishes were cleared we all piled into our cars and dashed off to be with dad.

He is still restricted to a feeding tube. He's been that way for four weeks now, since his last close call at the hospital. But next week we hope he'll be green lighted by his doctors to return to eating. It'll build both his strength and his moral. Dad had a great day today and all enjoyed spending time together.

God has blessed this family, and honored our prayers concerning dad. This situation has taught me so many lessons. Most of all it has taught me NOT to take for granted things in life.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. And I pray that you remember the real reasons for the celebration.

"Thanksgiving dinners take 18 hours to prepare. They are consumed in 12 minutes. Halftimes take 12 minutes. This is not coincidence."
--Erma Bombeck

Last night while watching the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special an advertisement aired about the benefits of grape juice. They claimed their dark grape juice product had essential antioxidants that seek out attack and fight free radicals.

So I am thinking what is a "Free Radical " ?

It must be a radical who is not in jail... that is a terrorist that hasn't been captured yet.

And grape juice fights free radicals.

So here is my solution. Fill all the planes in the Middle East ( and else where needed ) with tanks of grape juice and spray the entire area where they are "Peace Keeping ".


So what if a few innocent people have to endure stained clothing. It would be worth the price to keep us safe.

Right?

I think this post should be titled using what you've got.

It's just past lunch time here and I was cleaning out the fridge
( Thanksgiving meals are coming ) I had a very small piece of leftover grilled chicken breast. About one inch square. I also had three left over flour tortillas . So I took the tortillas spread over them the final drops of sauce from a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. I then hand shredded the chicken and scattered it on the tortillas. Sprinkled liberally with grated cheese (American) finishing up that pack too. I then popped them into the toaster oven at 350 until the cheese was completely melted (about 2.5 minutes).

YUM !!

Turkey day is nearing.

I just gotta have one of those new 72 inch LCD-screen televisions. That had to be on the mind of a black bear in Colorado when he broke into a Circuit City store. While a security cam recorded his every move the bear strolled round the store. Obviously getting the munchies he didn’t stay too long. Leaving through the same door the bear ran out of the store then set off the alarm at the neighboring Italian restaurant.

Maybe a little pasta would be good while watching the game.
Old Yogi isn’t likely to face any charges, even if authorities can find him. Since the crime Yogi has taken to the hills.

Today I send out a special Birthday greeting for all things good
to my fellow blogger and Monk fan
"Cheese Monkey, Short Stuff, Thriver, !Ludicrous!, Taco Girl, Soul Skittles, the best human friend of Imperial Kitty".

May today be your best one ever
Happy Birthday
Eat all the cake you want

Mohammed Bello has a problem. And he may have to move, or get a divorce. You see Mohammed Bello has 86 wives. Along with One Hundred Seventy children, give or take a dozen.
In the town of Bida Nigeria said he has to leave or divorce all but four of the wives. They say that’s the maximum number allowed under Islamic Sharia law.
He’s filed a suit in court saying his rights are being violated. And the court has granted him a temporary reprieve.
Aside from the religious aspects of this case, could you imagine having 86 wives? Or ladies could you withstand picking-up after 86 husbands?
Well maybe you could get the trash taken out more often.
And around 170 kids, that’s a birthday party almost every other day. One Hundred seventy lunches every morning before school. And I wonder just how many bathrooms we’d need here in America for a family of 257 people?
I’ll have a big Mac extra value meal 49 fish sandwiches, 33 chicken nugget meals and four double burgers hold the pickle, and 170 kids meals please.

WOW

Yesterday I was involved in a unique and interesting experiment. A couple weeks ago I was chosen to be one of the subjects to participate in an aviation weather study. I am very committed to safety especially in and around airplanes. I believe education can make a difference in accident rates. I try to attend every flying related class and seminar I can, so I was thrilled to be involved.

Yesterday's session was held in one of the computer science labs at Clemson University. Oh my what a dream place for computer geeks. I guess I am one of those because I couldn't help grinning like a nerd. There were computers of every shape and description. Some were running the most stunning programming I've ever seen.

After filling out the basic forms answering simple questions I was placed in front of a really large very interesting monitor. It had tracking camera(s) mounted within its borders. Around the edges. The camera(s) were to track my eye movements as I looked at the images to be shown on the screen. You may have seen or used something like that before but I was amazed. (Btw I did not use the chin rest shown in the photo.)

In the first part I was shown a series of aerial photos all weather related and asked if I would continue my flight based on what I saw. The tracking would show which parts of the images I looked at and for how long before making my choice.

After that I was asked to take a computer based weather course. I had completed something like this before so it was a snap. Completing that I was then shown another set of images. Again tracking the area of my gaze. There were several more studies some computer based and some with a tutor. Finally I was shown the first set of photos again and my answers compared.

There will be more of this study in the coming weeks, but I admit it was a blast.




.

Yesterday at my church we covered one of my favorite stories. Let those without sin cast the first stone. I love the wisdom of Jesus in the face of an obvious trap. I believe accusers set the woman up in their attempt to back Jesus into an answer they wanted to hear. Another question ...where was the man? I mean they caught the woman in the act with a man but where was he, why was he not accused as well? Was he in on it, a part of the trap for Jesus? I like the answer Jesus gave while writing in the sand. Have you ever wondered what he wrote? I believe he was listing all the sins of the accusers. That's just my opinion, because the bible doesn't record the answer. What a fantastic example of wisdom. Funny how when confronted the would be, stone throwing cowards retreated back into the shadows.

Last night our homegroup met for our thanksgiving supper. Because we all have family obligations during the holidays we bumped it up a little. Celebrating Thanksgiving started me thinking about our blessings.

This has been an eventful year for Kristie and me. There have been tough challenges, and almost brutal hardships, but we have also seen some overwhelming rewards and truly the good far exceeds the bad. It was a hectic year filled with ups and downs. I am thankful for all of it. God has used even the hard times to teach me lessons and to show me his plan. Well at least a part of his plan. (I am not ready to see it all.) In the highs and the lows, the good and the bad he has always been right there. God is answering prayers, a lot of times almost quicker than I can pray them.

Our homegroup is another area where God has been showing me amazing things. Leading a group is well beyond anything I could do myself. But God has been opening my eyes to his word in ways I've never seen before. Our members have all developed into close friends, ones we can count on. That is one of the blessings that have come my way.

It's not yet Thanksgiving Day, but I am thankful for all these things. I can't wait to see what next year brings.

Today was sports filled with both the Clemson Tigers and the University of Georgia Bulldogs playing on national television. The bad part was that the UGA and CU games were on at the same times with only a few minutes starting time difference. My poor remote control got a workout. I suspect it'll need new batteries now. The good is Clemson under their interim head coach moved to two and two with a big victory ( 5-5 overall ) . The final in Death Valley was 31-7. Goooo Tigers! The Dogs also won but it was a nail biter down to one second left on the clock. The Georgia / Auburn rivalry is the oldest in the south at over 100 years. The Bulldogs came away with a win, but barely with only a four point margin. 17-13 was the final. Get 'em Dawgs sic 'em !!

As quickly as the final gun sounded in the UGA game Kris and I hopped into our car headed to Anderson University for the opening game of the boys basketball team. It's tough to switch gears from football to hoops so quickly. But Greg and the guys had a fiesta set up in the club box for us to dine on during the game. It was fantastic.

The boys look headed to a great season with a serious win tonight against Tusculum. The Trojans rolled to a 71-57 victory despite being the underdog to a ranked team. Way to go guys .. you made us proud!!!!

I was riding along today and tuning the radio in my truck when I ran across a radio preacher. You know the old school kind. The ones who nearly shout with every word and sound as if their mouth were filled with something wet. One of those type preachers who put an “ah” sound at the end of every sentence. I’m not making fun here just trying to set the stage clearly.

I listened for a few minutes as he “went off” on men with long hair. He told how it was unholy to have long hair and how it was an abomination in the eyes of God. His message was filled with harsh words bordering on hate.

I guess he never saw a picture of Jesus and other men of the Bible.

Condemned by hair style.

Never once in the 10 minutes I listened did he tell of Gods love for mankind. How Jesus gave his life so that ALL might be saved. At no time did he offer any hope for his audience. It is so sad.

Hair styles are a product of man, not God. In some places maybe long hair is not the style. In other worlds short hair is a weird look.

I worry about the potential harm a sermon like this could do. How many radio listeners were turned away or caused to harden their hearts? I don’t believe in tolerance to all things or all behaviors, but I do believe in Christian love for ALL people. And shouldn’t those people, the outcast, down trodden, the nobodies be the ones we welcome with “Arms Wide Open”? . Casting Crowns has a song that’s addressing this subject well. It speaks of a woman who is an out cast because of her life, her fashion or her past and made to feel unwelcome in church. How many people are lost and dying without Jesus within the “Shadow of Our Steeple”? Those “secondhand people”. A newspaper once ran a headline, Local Church Filled with Sinners. Imagine that.

John 3:16 says “whosoever”. That means everyone. Drunks, Junkies, Prostitutes, people of any color and every past …EVERYONE!! Even Long Haired men.

I have a 25 plus year tradition of watching the new James Bond movies on opening day. “Quantum of Solace” the 22nd or 23rd Bond Flick depending on your method of accounting. Some fans don't include "Never Say Never Again" which was made by a rival company yet still starred Sean Connery as James Bond.

“Quantum of Solace” is a direct sequel to the previous film Casino Royale, the first sequel ever for 007. It picks up just minutes after the final scene of Casino Royale and follows Bond who is on the trail of the organization and people behind the events of that story and the ones who are responsible for the death of Vesper.

As is my full tradition I always see the movie again within a few days. I plan to attend another screening next week. I'll hold off on a full review until then.

Ultimatum" was mired with this style and now it seems Bond has caught it too. Of course a lot of the people involved in But I do have one observation and comment. I know it is an action film, and action films require action, but why is it Hollywood is so fascinated with the fast-paced hand held filming with choppy edits? It's hard to watch and impossible to follow the action. The otherwise fantastic "BourneBourne were involved with “Quantum of Solace”. It did not ruin the movie but in my opinion it did not improve it. “Quantum of Solace” was a much faster paced 007 story. Some of that is understandable given the revengeful thoughts and rage Bond wrestles with. Still at only an hour and three quarters it clocks in as one of the shorter Bond movies. Maybe they should have made closer to the two hours and 15 minute Bond flick average and used the extra time with back story and fleshing out some of the excellent characters they created.

All in all I love it. Daniel Craig is a fantastic Bond and has both the action skills and the action look to pull off a true 007 adventure.

Go see it !!

Less than twelve hours remain


....UNTIL

DAD UPDATE

It started with a distorted cell call, dropping out badly. It was my sister on the road and calling about our dad. Through the distortions, drops and static I was able to make out that dad may have had a massive stroke and was in serious danger.

That was a total shock. We had moved dad to the hospital a few days previous when he was having labored breathing and a raspy cough. At that time the rehab center was concerned he had congestive heart failure. That turned out a false alarm and it was just the ordinary but severe congestion that comes with the change in seasons. He seemed to be recovering. Then this.

Immediately I called his hospital room and the nurse picked-up. Though she was busy she took the time to talk to me. There was obvious concern in her voice. I could hear other people working in the background. She told us the entire family needed to get there fast. We dropped everything and jumped into the car. We headed out in the middle of the night, wondering if dad would be ok when we got there.

It’s an hour and a half drive in the best of conditions. I’ll not tell you how long it took, but thankfully God was protecting us from possums, cows, deer and other night creatures. We arrived and finally found an open door (it was late night). In his regular room dad was sitting-up in the bed and talking. The early tests were ruling out a stroke. It was another false alarm. A prayer answered. But the danger was very real. Dad’s blood pressure had dropped so low that for a while they thought he would not make it. He did, the problems were a result of reactions to some meds.

Dad is more or less back on track after all this. There have been a couple other related setbacks but his outlook is good once again. But for almost two weeks it has required almost continuous monitoring. I have fallen well behind once again with everything, including my blogs. But I am now back home and will soon be catching up.

The good news is that we got dad placed in a much better rehab center. They have proven caring and are proactively involved in his recovery.

Please continue to remember my father in your prayers. Not only for his eventual return to a normal life, but that we as a family make the correct choices during his care.

Thank You so much.

DID YOU ?

What are you doing today?

How about joining me and taking time out to pray for our nation and it's leaders.

It's time to pray diligently, and ask God to continue to have mercy on this country, and cause the candidate who keeps closest to GOD'S values- to be the one elected into office.

God has blessed this nation And one of the reasons is because our founding fathers held HIS values. We were founded as one nation under God. Our Constitution was based on biblical principles, and our early laws after the ten commandments.

I believe that is the main reason our country has prospered and been showered in so many blessings.

But things are changing, because of how we are conducting ourselves; in business, economically, socially, and spiritually. Everything that the founding fathers stood for, has been "on the way out" even in our families.

Prayer was taken out of schools, and in some homes as well. Abominations are now taught to our children as "acceptable, normal and 'alternative' lifestyles". Our lives are surrounded by lust, greed and the quest for temporary pleasures. All that matters to many is self. How can I get more, be more, have more power. This is leading to a downfall.

We need to pray and pray hard about the tomorrows elections. Pray, specifically for our leaders. They need to guided by Godly principles and our laws need to follow those as well. We need to do only what is right for our nation and our people. We need to allow God back into every choice we make. Both on a national level in our country as well as on a personal basis within our lives.

Please pray for tomorrows outcome and when you vote keep the will of God for us in your mind.