The Cracker Barrel Episode

Back at home after a two-day business trip to New Jersey. On the way home last night, I became hungry and decided to stop for dinner at one of my favorite restaurants – Cracker Barrel! I pulled off I-95 and drove into the crowded parking lot just before 8pm. I had never eaten at this particular Cracker Barrel before, but I was looking forward to a nice plate of meatloaf as I parked my car and walked up to the front porch with all the rocking chairs out front. As I opened the door to enter the restaurant, I was stopped by two CB employees, a young man and a woman in an official Cracker Barrel apron.
“I’m sorry sir, but we close at 8pm tonight for our Christmas Party, we can’t let you in,” the gent informed me.
It must have been obvious to him that I was disappointed, because I don’t think I said anything to him, but I looked at him with a blank stare and open mouth. He went on, “we’ll be opening again at six.”
“Oh,” I said, “That's fine, I’ll just wait then.” And I moved to find myself a rocker on the front porch.
The two employees didn’t know what to make of this and they looked at each other with a puzzled expression.
“Six o’clock in the morning, sir. We open at six in the morning!” the young man explained.
“Oh, I see” said I, (making as if I was just beginning to understand) and I headed back to my car and drove away.

Can you guess where I went for dinner after this disappointment? (Hint: I had a double patty melt sandwich on Texas Toast with a side of hash browns – don’t be alarmed, I had a salad for lunch, so I didn’t have an immediate cardiac arrest.)

Loving Life in VA

As Dorothy once said, "there's no place like home." Life is good here in VA these days. Had a bit of a wild ride this summer, but things are smoothing over now.
Did you have high winds and pouring rain last weekend where you live? We sure did! The only difference is that I was camping with a group of nine 11-year-old cub scouts during that weather. Despite the conditions, a good time was had by all. Friday was Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. Teddy would have loved camping in that weather. He seemed to get a kick out of overcoming obstacles. That's one of the things I admire about that man. As Teddy would have said, "it was bully!"
Well, if I don't post again before election day, let me urge you, gentle reader, to VOTE next Tuesday! (unless you plan on voting for the Dems).

Random Thoughts

Life is beginning to return to normal (if anything can be described as normal anymore).
I returned from Colorado Springs on Wednesday night. My project there is winding down.
The Feast was simply wonderful. Too short -- I didn't like having to leave early to fly to Colorado, but I'm really glad I was able to spend some time at Fairwood. Next time I must make it a longer stay! The highlight was Andrea's testimony Sunday morning (report about the meeting at her house on Saturday night).
So... life goes on. Tomorrow morning I head to the campground for an overnight campout with the Cub Scouts of Pack 21. Should be a fun adventure, especially if it stops raining.
My daughter turned 16 this week. One of us is getting old. We had a fun family celebration at Olive Garden, followed by chocolate cheesecake at home.
I can't seem to find time to keep this blog up-to-date. Should I retire it?

It's been a busy summer...

Been a while since I've done anything with this Blog. I find that life is very busy these days. Between work, family, and church responsibilities, I have precious little spare time for going on-line at all, to say nothing of actually composing a blog that anyone might find remotely interesting.
So, that is why, if anyone cares, there has been a dearth of posts on this blog.
Here are some of the things that have kept me extraordinarily busy lately:
I had a fantastic summer of trips to New England and to California -- I took more vacation time (real family vacation time) than I have in years, and I really enjoyed it immensely. In addition to our annual trip to the family convention, we enjoyed a brief visit with the H family in The Hills.
Then it was off to California for the wedding of Frances the niece. Tremendously splendid visit there with family and friends. The wedding was beautiful, and my dear niece couldn't have married a nicer fella -- I'm thrilled for them both. Someday maybe I'll post pictures of Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks. I fullfilled one of my lifelong dreams of actually visiting Yosemite, now I want to go back there and do some hiking and backpacking -- if I have to wait another 48 years to get back there, then I don't think I'll be in proper shape for the hike. But then, I still have to finish my hike of the Appalachian Trail. So much to do, so little time! Advice to my younger friends in the blogosphere -- pack in as much adventure as you can while you're young and free. Life gets very busy, good but busy, later on.
What else has been happening. Oh yeah, I did my annual two-week reserve active duty immediately after my vacation, so when I did finally get back to work, the backlog of stuff on my desk was enormous! Then, the bomb dropped. I was handed a consulting task for a customer I'd done some work for a few years ago. They wanted some new work done, and needed the job done in six weeks. It was a job that normally should take 3-4 months, and they wanted it done in six weeks. I would have passed on it, except for the fact that this is a customer that I have such deep appreciation for, and the job is one that has significant impact on our national security. So I said -- gulp-- I would do it.
I'm halfway through the project now, and I haven't worked this hard since I was on sea duty back in the old days. I've been working 12-18 hour days for the past two weeks.
Oh yes, in the midst of all of this, our (home)school year has begun. This year we've started a new system, called HomeSat, that involves beaming classes into the home via a satellite dish. We're not doing all our courses this way, but about half the subjects will be "beamed in." So far, so good, but the saga of "John installs the satellite dish" is one that deserves a full blog unto itself. Suffice to say, it was a bigger job than I expected, full of frustrations that come from trying to do something you've never done before. Redoing work because you messed up an important step the first time, driving back and forth to Lowe's/Home Depot six times in one day to pick up or return something that you needed but didn't realize you'd need. You get the idea. I was up till 2am on that little project.
And then there are all the sundry responsibilities that come with being an active member of one's church. I won't go into the details. Those of you who care about that part of my life already know the score. It's not so much the workload as it is the weight of responsibility and the concern that I have for my dear brothers and sisters. Yet, it is a burden I gladly bear, and without complaint. I love my extended "family" in KCM, and I will walk beside you through all the joys and all the trials that we face together -- may the joys be many and trials be few.
That's it for now from Mr. Busy.

P.S. I've had a couple of calls from folks who wanted to know how we fared through Tropical Storm Ernesto. We came through completely unscathed, thank the Lord. Lost power at the office for half the day, but our home never lost electricity and we suffered no damage. Received several inches of much needed rain, for which I am grateful.

The Last Few Days...

Monday was Memorial Day, and our family recognized it in a special way. After dinner, we gathered together as a family and I took a little time to explain the meaning of chivalry and sacrifice, and the important role men have in protecting and defending women and children. Sometimes this duty means that men must fight in wars, and some of these men don’t come home. They lay down their lives to protect their families, so that their enemies will not be able to inflict harm on their wives and children, and so that their homes will be secure.
After this little discussion, we watched a video called “The League of Grateful Sons.” This is a documentary film produced last year by Vision Forum to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the battle of Iwo Jima. The video tells the story of several dozen veterans of that battle who traveled back to Iwo last year with their sons and grandsons to tell them about what they did in the war, and to show them the battleground on which they fought.
The underlying theme of the film was the importance of remembering God’s Providences and the necessity of fathers having a relationship with their children, particularly their sons, and to train them to be strong men. The video also did a good job of developing Psalm 78 as a text for encouraging men to communicate with their children and to instill in them a sense of history.
While I was in Florida for THE WEDDING (about which, more later) I took advantage of the fitness center at the beautiful “hotel with the water.” As I was running on the treadmill there one afternoon, the TV in the fitness center was playing the first part of Saving Private Ryan. Watching the first twenty minutes of that movie while running on a treadmill made my workout seem easy! It is a frighteningly realistic portrayal of the D-Day landing at Normandy – very intense and graphic, not for the faint of heart, and definitely not for small children. Yet, the film, like none other I’ve seen, really makes a person appreciate the sacrifice of those who lived through and too often died in truly horrific fighting conditions, all for the defense of their homes and their way of life.
On a happier note, THE W was really special. I don’t know that I can add anything more to what has already been said, but I will say I was very grateful for the opportunity to be there last weekend. Daughter M accompanied me, and we had a great time! Here are just a couple of pictures. (Maybe M will post some more on her blog.)

Why I like Rush Limbaugh

I don't get to listen to Rush as much as I'd like, but I do enjoy listening to his radio program. One of the things I like best about him is that he is the eternal Optimist! He never lets himself be dragged down by life's circumstances. Thoreau wrote that "the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." I've always thought that was a pretty sad assessment of the human condition. Rush proves that it is possible to break out of that cycle of desperation, even the face of political reversals and the madness of the culture wars.
Thanks Rush.

A Feast Report

I had such a wonderful time at Fairwood this past weekend! Daniel and I travelled north to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost and we had a great time. There was a little worry at first when the airline misplaced Daniel's suitcase, but they were kind enough to deliver it to the Main House at 10:30pm that night.
The Lodge was quiet and restful, the weather beautiful, and the fellowship delightful! The meetings were rich with various nuggets mined from Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law." I came away with a fresh insight into the ministry of the Holy Spirit -- we need Him because none of the fine character traits listed above come naturally to mankind (not to me, anyway). It is the Holy Spirit's fruit that bears these good results in us, if we let Him.
I was especially encouraged by the bright countenances of the Bible School students. I'm sorry I won't be able to return next weekend for the Graduation exercises, but my thoughts and prayers are with them as they venture forth into the next phase of life's adventure.

Two Men From Virgnia

Today is the anniversary of two separate, but notable, events in the lives of two men from Virgina. On this date in 1863, General Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded in the battle of Chancellorsville.
On a happier note, on this date in 1998, ten miles from Chancellorsville, Timothy L was born. Happy 8th birthday Timothy!!

Happy Easter!!

Hope you all enjoyed a glorious Resurrection Sunday with your families and friends.
He is Risen!

A special shout out to my future nephew-in-law Jonathan, who was baptized today! (I guess that's the technical term for someone who's engaged to your niece?)

Humor Break

Here's a joke I came across recently :-)

There was a man who was the sole survivor of a shipwreck. For 20 years he lived alone on an uncharted island in the Pacific. Finally, one day a ship happened upon the island and rescuers came ashore for him. Noticing that the man had built three buildings, the rescuers asked about them.
"Well," the man replied, "this is my house, and that building over there is my church. It's a wonderful church and I hate to leave it." "And what is the third building over there?" a rescuer asked.
"Oh, that is the church I used to go to," the man replied.

My Convictions

In 1985, at the age of 26, I experienced an awakening of my soul. It wasn’t anything as dramatic as a “road to Damascus” experience, but I came to realize that if I really believed that there is a God in heaven, that He really exists, and that His word is True, then this belief should be reflected in my faith, my actions, and my attitude. I realized that I had been living according to the world’s expectations, and not according to God’s. The words of the Bible became very real to me at that time. Jesus said, “what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

Those words began to resonate with me.

Yet all I found around me were people who seemed perfectly content to compromise with “the world.” I wanted to be real with God and look to him and not to the “flesh” for my heart's desire. (1) I wondered if there were any people left who were willing to really “buy the whole field” so to speak.(2)

I knew, of course, that such people existed. I witnessed the devotion of my brother, a Franciscan, who sacrificed much to follow the Lord. Yet I firmly believed there was a path, as yet undiscovered, that would lead me through life in this world while remaining fully devoted to the Kingdom of God.

My attitudes and interests began to evolve. Television, which had once been such an important part of my life, now seemed putrid to my senses. Most of what it aired was shallow, licentious, sensual, or distorted. I began to turn away from it. My tastes in literature and music began to change. Before long I was in a deep pursuit of spiritual and intellectual truth.

Above all, I began to realize what eternity really means. It seemed hypocritical for me to expect to enjoy eternity with God, while at the same time living this mortal life on Earth seeking to please only myself and pushing God to the side. If God Lives, then that Means Something!

So there I was -- wandering around this frontier between the world and Kingdom of God. I wondered if there was any place to set up a little homestead in this crazy wilderness of 80 years or so that we call “life.”

One day, I found that I was not alone, that there were other sojourners with whom I could find fellowship. And with them I decided that I would “stake my claim.”

• I stake my claim with those who behave as though there is a living God, and who take the Bible seriously;
• I stake my claim with those who aren’t content to live according to the World’s standards and values;
• I stake my claim with those who dare to believe that there is hope for the Children of Israel and for the Restoration of the Land of Promise;
• I stake my claim with those who believe the kingdom of God truly will fill the whole Earth and that the knowledge of God will cover the world as the waters cover the sea; and,
• I stake my claim with those who pray and pray and pray, and are willing to let God use them, forsaking all to follow Jesus.
  

I do not assert that the way I and my fellow pilgrims have discovered is the only way to live a sanctified life, devoted to the Lord. Far from it! But it is my calling, and I will live it, by the Grace of God, until the day when I meet Him face to face.

Notes:
(1) 1John2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

(2) Mat 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Photos new and old

A day-trip to DC with the Cubs

Today I had the interesting experience of visiting Washington DC with a group of six 10-year old Cub Scouts. Our destination -- the Building Museum. Oh, you've never heard of the Building Museum? You're not alone. It is a beautiful building, but not much of a museum, in my opinion.

The museum is housed in an ornate 19th century structure typical of government buildings in DC from that era. Inside is a massive central lobby that rises four stories to the vaulted roof and its skylights. The lobby is surrounded by balconies which provide access to rooms along the perimeter of the building. Astonishingly huge stone columns support the roof and arches. I wondered what great and holy work of government could have inspired the construction of such an impressive edifice over 100 years ago. Can you believe it, the building was designed and built to house the offices of the US Pension Bureau!

Well, today it is "The Building Museum."

Caleb's den visited the museum because it was host today for a special kid-oriented exhibition on Engineering. There were booths all throughout the lobby manned by volunteers from professional engineering and scientific organizations. At these booths, kids were given the opportunity to perform simple experiments that illustrated scientific principles of one sort or another. It was a little bit exhausting, but interesting. I learned, or re-learned, a few things myself. The boys were mostly okay with the whole adventure. I think they probably liked the "Lego Room" the best. This simple exhibit consisted of a small auditorium, whose carpeted floor was strewn with thousands upon thousands of legos. The kids could sit on the floor and build lego creations with a virtually unlimited and diversified supply of lego bricks. For some 10-year old boys, it just doesn't get any better than this. (Actually, some 40+ year-old boys enjoyed it too.)
If you actually want to learn something about the Building Museum here's the link:
http://www.nbm.org/

Theodore Roosevelt

For the last couple of years I've been fascinated with Theodore Roosevelt. There are so many things about him that I find appealing -- his courage, determination, zest for life, devotion to his family. There are, of course, other things less admirable about him, but overall I am really impressed with the man.

It all started when I picked a copy of "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" at the local library. It took me quite a long while to get through this hefty biography -- only to realize that the book ends when Teddy rises to the presidency! So, of course, I had to go on to read Edmund Morris' sequel "Theodore Rex," which covers the presidential years. Then for Christmas last year I received "The River of Doubt -- Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey." Wow, what a great book! This one should be made into a movie. Now I'm reading "Bully Father: Theodore Roosevelt's Letters to His Children." When will it end?

When you read about TR, it takes you back to a time when the country was younger and more vigorous. TR personified all the virtues of bold exploration and American vigor that helped make ours a great nation. We have become soft and dull today by comparison, and I don't think TR would be at all happy with the country's present condition. Here's a great TR quote:

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

The Mysterious Los Lunas Inscription

Maybe some of you have heard of the mysterious rock pictured above, but I only recently learned of it. This rock is located on a remote mountainside in New Mexico, near the village of Los Lunas. Local Indians were aware of the inscription, but were unable to read the mysterious characters. Settlers in the 1850s knew about the site, but were likewise baffled by the apparently ancient writing. Scholars who have examined the rock have agreed that the inscription could easily date back to the period between 1100BC and 600BC. For years, the rock's remote location discouraged tourists and few academics attempted the journey to examine the rock.

Finally, in 1949, a professor from Harvard University made a study of the site. Using his expert knowledge of ancient languages and alphabets, he was able to render the first accurate translation of the mysterious 3000-year -old inscription. The characters were of a style used in ancient Hebrew carvings. And what was the meaning of the mystery message? It is a nearly flawless inscription in the Hebrew language of ... The Ten Commandments.

This is not an urban legend, but a real fact. To read more about the Los Lunas inscription, Click Here.

End of the Spear

[I decided to delete my original post on this topic, since the film is mostly out of circulation now. I stand by my original post, but I don't think it needs a permanent place on my blog. I would refer my readers to Doug Phillips' blog and his excellent analysis. I agree with almost every aspect of his article on the subject.]

Rippling Biceps

As part of my New Year's Resolution -- I have joined the YMCA! Today completed my first full week of daily workouts. So far I've only fallen off the treadmill once, and pulled only one muscle (in my shoulder).
When I was younger, I was more conscientious about staying in shape. The last few years have been more of a challenge. And last month I think I gained five pounds at least over the Christmas Holidays.
When I signed up at the YMCA, I got the family membership, so now we can all use the facilities -- a great pool, playground, gym, weight room, etc. Should be interesting.

A Pleasant Sabbath Evening at Home

A delicious candlelight dinner at home with my family. Yummy fish chowder (why don't we have this more often?) Singing hymns after dinner. Timothy and I sing duets while the rest of the family gets ready for meeting. Thankful testimonies. Email from David M. (I liked the story about the man who preached in an evil city -- he tried to convince his wicked neighbors to change their ways and repent, then finding them recalcitrant, he realized he needed to continue the good fight if only to keep himself from being worn down and compromised by his neighbors).

Then, S.T. -- Brownies with ice cream. Super good!!

After treats, the kids wanted to break open their Christmas present -- a boxed set of DVDs of the old "Lone Ranger" tv program from the 1960's. I hadn't seen this program since I was a little boy, but now that I have boys of my own, I thought it might make some good wholesome family viewing. We popped in the first disk in the set and watched an episode together. Wow, I can't believe they used to actually make stuff like this for TV! We really enjoyed it. Technical quality is definitely primitive by today's standards, but it is full of good messages and role models. In one scene, the Lone Ranger and Tonto (his Indian companion) are leaving a ranch where they have just met a family of homesteaders. The wife/mother is a prototype of the ideal, strong, virtuous wife and mother. She loves her husband, for all his faults, and doesn't allow anyone to speak ill of him. As they ride off together LR says to Tonto, "A fella could put a fence around the whole world and make it his ranch, but without a woman like that at his side he'd be a poor man."
The boys begged to watch another episode. Perhaps tomorrow...

Here is a little poem that is pinned to the bulletin board above my desk. Perhaps you've seen it before, but it's one of my favorites (even though it doesn't exactly rhyme).

VICTORY

When your good is evil spoken of,

when your wishes are crossed,

your taste offended, your advice disregarded,

your opinions ridiculed,

and you take it all in patient, loving silence

– that is victory.

When you never care to refer
to yourself in conversation
or to record your own good works,

or itch after commendation,

when you can truly "love to be unknown"

– that is victory.

When you are content with any
food, any raiment,

any climate, any society, any solitude,

and any interruption

– that is victory.

When you can bear with any disorder,

any irregularity, any unpunctuality,

any annoyance

– that is victory.

Author Unknown

Back from the frozen North

Yesterday I returned from a refreshing and quite truly divine weekend of fellowship, Bible study, prayer and worship. I wish all my co-religionists could have been there to soak in the truths that were delivered from the pulpit and the love that shone from the faces of those who gathered to welcome the new year together. I told my wife that I was really encouraged by the vitality and enthusiasm of the young men who spoke and the twenty-somethings, teenagers, and youngsters who filled the corridors of the Main House with their joy, laughter, and light. She wept as I told her how encouraging it was to be a part of this lively and committed company of believers . Thank you to all the young and not so young people who helped make the weekend a great success and who brought such encouragement to those of us who shared the time with you.

One of the most pleasant hours of the weekend was my final hour in New Hampshire, riding to the airport. I had the company of two really impressive young men who I enjoyed getting to know better as we rode along the snowy roads together. It is a measure of the confidence I had in these guys that I wasn't the least nervous while being chauferred along by a young man who had only six months earlier received his driver's license!

Now, of course, it's time to go back to the dreaded j-o-b. Well, I don't really dread it, but it does seem awfully dull after all the spiritual energy of the past few days.