On the range

borrowed from the bank to buy this 4 horse trailer (credit building). Can squeeze about 8-10 head in here.

Curt is steadily pushing toward his vision of being a modest cattleman.
Here are the most recent photos of his Charolais and horses Easter Day.
I suppose he will get there, he just turned 19 yesterday.

Excursions

Years ago, I wanted to buy what was known as a "Party Barge" , which were selling for around $5,500 at the time and now over $16,000. Two of our boys have purchased a pontoon boat, and after a few minor repairs and painting, they invited me for a late evening trip up the Tensas, which runs behind our properties.
This was way too fun, and I can hardly wait to go on the next fishing expedition. I live vicariously :-)

The Nothing Box

On Being Poor

http://dantcer.multiply.com/item/share/dantcer:journal:498?xurl=%2Fjournal%2Fitem%2F498

its me backup

It's about me

I hurt my child again today, but that's all right you see, she was talking very loudly, and irritating me.
So I whacked her pretty smartly, across the arm or face, it doesn't really matter, to me it's no disgrace.
I've done this so many times, it just comes naturally, just like my mother raised me, it's the fool in me, you see.
I've told her not to spill her milk, about a hundred times, never mind the floor is filthy, I don't have to make it shine.
So I slapped her very smoothly, and made her cry once more, I'm immune to her whining, she makes it such a bore.
You've gotten ketchup on your shirt again, don't look at me and pout. I don't know how to get it off, I can always throw it out.
Washing clothes is not important, I have better things to do, if you weren't such a messy eater, if you would only chew.
There'll be no more food for you today, I'm really bothered see? Can't you understand simple English? I said get away from me!
I care about my child, I do, and I'll prove it in a minute, why just last week a playmate pushed her, and skinned her little knees, and boy I was so upset, I put my two cents in it!
I was yelling and screaming, it's the teacher's fault, you see?
She didn't watch the other kids, all much bigger than she is, she can't take care of herself because she's not yet three.
Don't let the children hurt her, that's reserved especially for me.
I hurt my child more than anyone, but it never dawns on me,
I'm hitting my own children, I'm the mother, can't you see?
She cries when she is hungry, or if she's cold or wet, I swear she's getting on my nerves, I'll have to beat her yet.
Sometimes she reaches out her little arms, begging to be held, but since I mustn't spoil her, a slap is what she'll get.
I'll put her in her little crib, she can't get out of there, and I'll just turn out the lights and leave her crying there,
when she's too tired of crying, we won't hear her anymore, if she wakes up again, I'll have to close the door.
Spare not the rod and spoil the child, is what my mother said, I think God made her an expert, I must listen to what she says.
It must be right, just look at me, it doesn't hurt a bit, this is the way that I was raised, and nothings wrong with it.
I am immune to those weak cries, and surely God don't care, I was also beaten as a child, and no one raised a prayer.
One day when social service comes knocking at my door, I'll make up some excuses, it's the neighbors, nothing more.
They spoil my child, they pick her up, they give her what she wants, she laughs too loud and plays too long, she's happy all at once.
They just can't stand my discipline, I can see it in their face, every time that I hit her, while we're over at their place.
Somehow it gives me pleasure, to be in such control, its perversion at it's finest, I'm enjoying this I know,
they better not say anything, we'll just get up and go.
I wont let them visit her, that'll teach them, yes it will, then they'll start to see things my way, it's my way or the hills.
Who are these people anyway, who raise their kids so kind, and do they think that they are perfect, that their children always mind?
They've never spanked their children, or maybe once or twice, all of their kids are well behaved, their son is very nice
He hasn't ever hit me, I wish he would sometimes, then I could get attention, and this would be just fine.
I may have Munchausen by proxy, sometimes my child is ill,
if another child has fallen sick, mine will too as well, but I don't know how to fix it, its a very bitter pill.
I'll have to call my mother, she'll answer right away, doesn't matter if I call her, thirty times a day.
I wouldn't have to call so much, every time I try, if only she had picked me up, and held me when I cried.
My child hit a teacher, and I spanked him very hard, I yelled you can't hit people, this is what I said.
My child then hit a playmate, just like I showed him to, I then had to hit him, and remind him what to do.
I don't know where they're learning this, it's from the other kids, I said you can't hit people, you're not people, don't you know?
You're just my little angel, and now it's time to go.
This poem as I have read it, has made me very mad, they're sick the ones that read it, and are smitten very sad.
There is only one thing more, that's left for me to do, I must stop that incessant whining, they don't have a clue.
Although the sun's still shining, I can see it through the door, I must put my child to bed, because my hands are sore. It's about me.

 Its about me, a poem©Copyright Dec 2005, byron c, All rights reserved.

it's about me, a poem div

It's about me

I hurt my child again today, but that's all right you see, she was talking very loudly, and irritating me. So I whacked her pretty smartly, across the arm or face, it doesn't really matter, to me it's no disgrace. I've done this so many times, it just comes naturally, just like my mother raised me, it's the fool in
me, you see. I've told her not to spill her milk, about a hundred times, never mind the floor is filthy, I don't have to make it shine. So I slapped her very smoothly, and
made her cry once more, I'm immune to her whining, she makes it such a bore.
You've gotten ketchup on your shirt again, don't look at me and pout. I don't know how to get it off, I can always throw it out. Washing clothes is not important, I have better things to do, if you weren't such a messy eater, if you would only chew. There'll be no more food for you today, I'm really bothered see? Can't you understand simple English? I said get away from me! I care about my child, I do, and I'll prove it in a minute, why just last week a playmate pushed her, and skinned her little knees, and boy I was so upset, I put my two cents in it!
I was yelling and screaming, it's the teacher's fault, you see?
She didn't watch the other kids, all much bigger than she is, she can't take care of herself because she's not yet three.
Don't let the children hurt her, that's reserved especially for me.
I hurt my child more than anyone, but it never dawns on me,
I'm hitting my own children, I'm the mother, can't you see?
She cries when she is hungry, or if she's cold or wet, I swear she's getting on my nerves, I'll have to beat her yet.
Sometimes she reaches out her little arms, begging to be held, but since I mustn't spoil her, a slap is what she'll get.
I'll put her in her little crib, she can't get out of there, and I'll just turn out the lights and leave her crying there,
when she's too tired of crying, we won't hear her anymore, if she wakes up again, I'll have to close the door.
Spare not the rod and spoil the child, is what my mother said, I think God made her an expert, I must listen to what she says.
It must be right, just look at me, it doesn't hurt a bit, this is the way that I was raised, and nothings wrong with it.
I am immune to those weak cries, and surely God don't care, I was also beaten as a child, and no one raised a prayer.
One day when social service comes knocking at my door, I'll make up some excuses, it's the neighbors, nothing more.
They spoil my child, they pick her up, they give her what she wants, she laughs too loud and plays too long, she's happy all at once.
They just can't stand my discipline, I can see it in their face, every time that I hit her, while we're over at their place.
Somehow it gives me pleasure, to be in such control, its perversion at it's finest, I'm enjoying this I know,
they better not say anything, we'll just get up and go.
I wont let them visit her, that'll teach them, yes it will, then they'll start to see things my way, it's my way or the hills.
Who are these people anyway, who raise their kids so kind, and do they think that they are perfect, that their children always mind?
They've never spanked their children, or maybe once or twice, all of their kids are well behaved, their son is very nice
He hasn't ever hit me, I wish he would sometimes, then I could get attention, and this would be just fine.
I may have Munchausen by proxy, sometimes my child is ill,
if another child has fallen sick, mine will too as well, but I don't know how to fix it, its a very bitter pill.
I'll have to call my mother, she'll answer right away, doesn't matter if I call her, thirty times a day.
I wouldn't have to call so much, every time I try, if only she had picked me up, and held me when I cried.
My child hit a teacher, and I spanked him very hard, I yelled you can't hit people, this is what I said.
My child then hit a playmate, just like I showed him to, I then had to hit him, and remind him what to do.
I don't know where they're learning this, it's from the other kids, I said you can't hit people, you're not people, don't you know?
You're just my little angel, and now it's time to go.
This poem as I have read it, has made me very mad, they're sick the ones that read it, and are smitten very sad.
There is only one thing more, that's left for me to do, I must stop that incessant whining, they don't have a clue.
Although the sun's still shining, I can see it through the door, I must put my child to bed, because my hands are sore. It's about me.

Its about me, a poem©Copyright Dec 2005, byron c, All rights reserved.

New Images 09

miscellaneous

Children

Last night I held a lovely hand,
A hand so small and sweet,

I thought my heart would burst with joy,
So wildly did it beat.

No other hand unto my heart,
Could greater pleasure bring.

Than the dear one that I held last night--
To my baby's hand I cling.
- Author Unknown 

Of Cows and Gold Ñ

For most of my adult years, I've been chasing the American Dream of having a good job, owning one's own home, and being affluent, or at least comfortable. Instead, what I've figured out, and passed along to a co-worker, I'm sharing with you here.
The co-worker was spouting visions of grandor, and non-sensical tales of money making endevors, and pretty much grasping at delusions.

er go:
You've heard of the goose that laid the golden egg, right? Well, for the last 50 odd years I've been  chasing  cows waiting for them to lay a golden turd. I've been following very closely and paying attention to all the rules, but all that ever came out was what? Yep, cow turds. So you've got to stay grounded in reality, sure, keep your vision, but just understand that all cows don't lay gold.


Moral of this story: Don't follow the wrong cow.

Ok, dog, let's see the pictures...

hound dog, or buttercup, depending on who's introducing him.
Darrell rescued this one starving from an abandoned shack.

Took me 2 1/2 months from start to finish, Kay called it my experimental room, but it turned out well. Much of the material used here is scraps, discarded, and leftovers, saved with a vision. The marble tile is over ten years old, some of the paint is about 8, Trim, pieces of the past.
Borrowed heavily from my experiences in the antiquities, It's a one-of-a-kind teaster tub, as in teaster bed.
Curt's old blue bedroom gets the overflow as the new guest room.

Master Bedroom renovations

always find a helper ready to lend a willing hand with those difficult projects.
Last thing to do, pull in a cat5 for an internet connection. All I could hear when I was under the house was pull it!, pull it!, pull it! Sounded so familiar.

Ridgecrest

http://natchezdemocrat.com/news/2008/nov/11/resident-attacked-break-/
Home invasion in Ridgecrest. Weeks circle is across hwy 84 opposite what we think of as Ridgecrest, but also known as Ridgecrest.

Coffee Table Book

Album purchased here with their create a photo album feature.
I hope this one turns out well. April 21 is Kailani's birthday.

Sneak Peek

What do I do on my day off? Here's a hint: elbow grease required.

Adding a few pictures to show (some of) this long winded project, now completed.

First Colt

Curtis' mare had her first colt a few days ago. In these pictures she is not more than 2 days old. Mama 'Dottie' is reluctant at first to let anyone approach and runs off. As you can see, the colt quickly tires and falls out. After a bit she was rested enough to get up again. Mama Dottie, Curtis' mare since she was a yearling, eventually let Curt pet the little guy. Dottie was broke and trained by the cowboy in these pictures, who will no doubt train this little one too.

How's that roof coming?

We are almost done with the reworking of the carport. As I expected there was more rot that could be seen without uncovering it. Rafters, headers, decking, soffit, eaves, ceiling, and several layers of felt, tar, and pea gravel later, we are nearing the finish line. The rain has fought back, my unrelenting job has fought back, we've had two hurricanes. We are winning. With Kay's help, the roof looks very much like a professional torch down modified bitumen flat roof (we used cold process) Best part, it doesn't leak.
previously homeowner

Work, and FEMA water

  Just getting in this evening as I was called in around 9:30 (Sept 1st) because the generator had died and they were sitting in the dark (they think I am 911). Overheating, due to a design flaw I am familiar with, was the problem. Seems the engineer(s) have the radiator heat exchanger cooled by the cooling tower water, which in theory, sounds good, but fails the test miserably as when the power fails, so do the cooling tower circulating pumps. Took longer to get to work than it did for me to get them lights.

Anyway, about the r.c. water...
On my way home, seems I got caught up in a slow moving traffic jam.  As we crawled forward, past the few blinking yellow lights, I wondered what the circus was about. Hillbilly's took it seriously when they announced that a non-working light meant 4-way stop and it would be enforced? Wreck? Rush hour worse than I remember? Escaped convict? Drivers license check? Turns out, me and my expired inspection sticker with the huge 8 08 was in a parade alright, all the way from downtown to the convention center and through the convention center parking lot, and these policemen directing traffic weren't taking no for an answer, they were dead serious. My radio decided that today was the day to blow a fuse, or perhaps I would be better informed.
I was in my first ever Red Cross water and ice give-a-way for the MS folks still without power, and there was no escape. I spent 40 minutes in a traffic circle, idled $2 worth of gas, and my LA tag and bad sticker wasn't helping. Only a couple of officers looked curious, but I must have looked desperate. I  thankfully picked up my six bags of ice, and two cases of bottled water, and was finally on my way.

Seems the storm wreaked havoc on the city of Natchez, and it seemed especially bent on taking vengeance on the Eola Hotel once again.
(Click me pics)

I joked that's because we are a gambling town now as yet a third casino announced it's intentions to open its doors. http://natchezdemocrat.com/news/2007/jul/22/natchez-hitting-casino-jackpot/
There are some other local images here: natchezdemocrat.com/photos/galleries/2008/sep/01/hurricane

These pictures do nothing to show the actual work involved in a storm's aftermath, the 25x30 foot slab of  mortar and stucco probably easily weighs over two tons, and all had to be picked up by hand. The window in the third picture was blown in, and is propped up with a 2x4 nailed to the floor. The guest in 710, that's the window seen next to the hole in the wall, said they heard and saw a twisting funnel that was spinning this slab in the air before it slammed back into the building and dropped to the ground. Not shown is the other hole that is punched below this larger one. As some of you know, we recently had a lay-off and as I am the only one left, this was somewhat dismaying. Curtis came and helped me pick this up. May God bless him and his good heart. I saw to it that he was paid a decent wage.
There are numerous leaks from the 15+ inches of rain that we have gotten, the  insulation from this wall has plugged every roof and gutter drain and the water finds the weak spots, or it makes new ones. The damages inside are  many. I have much to do, and here, my carport is still not unfinished, with tarps keeping off much of the rain, I have a large Bradford Pear limb down, and a lot of clean-up. Life is full of surprises, and we are thankful.

Homeowner

kay likes the open look, unfortunately, I can't work this look in

Completely bored, and having so much free time on my hands, I wandered around the place on my day off looking for something to do. Sure enough, in being homeowners, there seemed to be a little thing here and there to occupy our "free" time.....
Carport rotten and leaking...
Tree down in the backyard...
Lean-to shed rotten & leaking...
It is set-in raining cats & dogs so I get an unwanted delay in taking care of things here.

Oh the joy...

When work is too much...

A fellow supervisor who has recently experienced a tragedy can't tell you, she is probably still at work. A single Mom who has worked long hours trying to provide the best she can for her two boys, has worked 10, 12, even 16 hour shifts, and every weekend as long as I've known her. Probably the least paid, yet hardest working supervisor we have, our housekeeping overseer has remained a visible presence for all of the 12, moving on 13 years, I have been with this company. She started out as a housekeeper, and was promoted through her diligence nearly 18 years ago.
I've watched her children grow up, and ever dependent on their mom for advice and support, they have called daily to the point of annoyance to our desk clerks, they have visited often almost every day, as this seems to be the only place they can find their Mom. Even as this story unfolded, with the arrest of her youngest boy, who just turned 18, around 2 A.M. on a Tuesday morning, this workaholic Mom almost predictably came to work at 8 A.M., after a sleepless night.
Needless to say, she is stunned and in shock, but she knows work, and finds comfort in passing time there. She is easily brought to tears, and going through grief as much as anyone can without the finality of death. Afraid to go home, she stays with her brother, the child's father no where to be found, he is a product of the ravages of an addiction that is unknowing, and unconcerned. Knowing that her boy is in the hands of the law, and feeling the consequences of being black in America, she knows that the penal system is full of boys just like hers, and she is filled with fear, and sorrow. She says she has cried for the victims mother, and she has cried for her boy, who is only a child to her.
I don't know why I am relating this story, but feel I should.
They say this is in retaliation for another young man who's life was taken a little over one year ago, and street talk is there will be another, a brother for a brother, and so the fear. This is life in the trenches, sometimes it touches us, sometimes it touches our friends. Senseless, yet all too commonplace. I can't think of a person who is more undeserving of this, that their life is suddenly changed for the worst, but it makes me further understand a thought I have been having lately, that there are more important things than provisions, sometimes, we should be at home with our families,... work can wait.
You can read more on this story here: http://natchezdemocrat.com/news/2008/aug/13/man-murdered-roselawn/

Yard

Been rather preoccupied lately, in my absence, Kay took these few snaps.
Mostly have let the last couple years plantings do as they may.
The potato vine taking over the beds again, hiding most of the other plantings.
The plantings by the carport struggling with the creosote toxins which leech into the soil, what survives, is stunted and doesn't flower much. Not complaining, just making a recommendation so the rest of you don't get any thoughts about using old crossties for flower bed containers. Only suitable for berms and such.

Winter Soltice 2012

On the winter solstice of 2012, the noonday Sun exactly conjuncts
the crossing point of the sun's ecliptic with the galactic plane,
while also closely conjuncting the exact the center of the galaxy.
The place where the December solstice sun crosses the Milky Way
is precisely the location of the "dark-rift in the Milky Way
...'xibalba be' - the road to the underworld."

I have heard these and similar stories since I was a child, and have a particular interest due to some purported/imagined Mayan ancestry. So.., I was wondering if any of you historians could shed some light on the origins of the ancient Mayan prophesies of Dec 21, 2012. My interest is in knowing whether these beliefs are rooted in astrology, mysticism, or religion. Of course, astrology as a religion does exist, but I am looking more for a separatism or narrowing to a historical period, if possible. With thousands of places to research and read, I am hoping that someone has an actual historical account of the beginnings of this belief that is widely attributed to the Mayans, although I have learned that this belief existed within many different cultures as well; to wit:

As avid stargazers, the ancient Maya were keen to an astrological cycle we call the Precession of the Equinoxes. This is close to a 26,000 year cycle in which Earth transits through each of the 12 signs of the zodiac for about 2152 years each. Each of these astrological ages represents one month of the grand, Cosmic Year. Sumerians, Tibetans, Egyptians, Cherokees, Hopi, and Mayans refer to this same 26,000 year cycle in their mystical belief systems and each have developed calendars based on this great cycle.
http://www.13moon.com/prophecy%20page.htm

The date December 21st, 2012 A.D. (13.0.0.0.0 in the Long Count), represents an extremely close conjunction of the Winter Solstice Sun with the crossing point of the Galactic Equator (Equator of the Milky Way) and the Ecliptic (path of the Sun), what that ancient Maya recognized as the Sacred Tree. This is an event that has been coming to
resonance very slowly over thousands and thousands of years. It will come to resolution at exactly 11:11 am GMT.
Mayan scholars have been attempting to correlate the Long Count with our Western Gregorian calendar, since the beginning of this century. There has been massive variation in the suggested correlations, but as early as 1905, Goodman suggested a correlation only 3 days from the most popular one today. Known as the GMT correlation, or "correlation # 584283", this was finalized in 1950, and puts the start of the Great Cycle ( day 0.0.0.0.0) on 11th August 3114 BC, and the end-date (known as 13.0.0.0.0.) as 21st December 2012.

In the mythology of the Aztecs, the first age of mankind ended with the animals devouring humans. The second age was finished by wind, the third by fire, and the fourth by water. The present fifth epoch is called Nahui-Olin (Sun of Earthquake), which began in 3113 BC and will end on December 24, 2011. It will be the last destruction of human existence on Earth. The date coincides closely with that determined by the brothers McKenna in The Invisible Landscape as the end of history indicated by their computer analysis of the ancient Chinese oracle-calendar, the I Ching. We also have some researchers such as Terence Mc Kenna who claim that Earth comes into alignment with the center of the Milky Way Galaxy at this date, and that linear time breaks down at that point. world.http://www.greatdreams.com/end-world.htm
The Maya believed that time was cyclical instead of the western conception of linear time. This means that they thought that time repeated itself, so therefore, if they knew the past they could predict the future. By understanding time, they Maya could gain power over their world. Another important calendar for the Maya was the Venus cycle. The Maya were excellent astronomers, and could calculate the Venus cycle with only a two-hour margin of error.
http://www.armageddononline.org/mayan_calendar.php

On Sunspots:
Adrian Gilbert and Maurice Cotterell, in their book the Mayan Prophecies, say that the end of the Great Cycle is the culmination of a series of long-term sunspot cycles which will flip the sun’s magnetic field, causing earthquakes and flooding on earth. Moreover, the changing magnetic field will alter the endocrine production of the pineal gland.
Note: Real science is predicting the next/current sun cycle to be the worst in 50 years. The first two sunspot's of 2006 are moving in reverse direction.
Generally speaking, scientifically accepted records of sunspot activity do seem to be heading for a climax in the near future. From: http://www.diagnosis2012.co.uk/
August 15, 2006: On July 31st, a tiny sunspot was born. It popped up from the sun's interior, floated around a bit, and vanished again in a few hours. On the sun this sort of thing happens all the time and, ordinarily, it wouldn't be worth mentioning. But this sunspot was special: It was backward.

The Milky Way connection:
"The Milky Way is observed as a bright, wide band of stars arching through the sky. In the clear skies of ancient Mesoamerica, many dark, blotchy areas could be observed along the Milky Way's length. These are "dark cloud" formations caused by interstellar dust. The most prominent of these is called the "dark-rift" or the "Great Cleft" of the Milky Way. It looks like a dark road running along the Milky Way, and it points right at the cosmic crossing point, the center of the Maya Sacred Tree, right where the sun will be in 2012! The Maya called this dark-rift the Black Road, or the Road to the Underworld. They seem to have imagined it as a portal to another world, and the December solstice sun can enter it only in A.D. 2012. http://www.greatdreams.com/2012.htm
recent picture of the milky way:

This photo was taken in Southern France by Laurent Laveder on 7-28-08

kailani2.mov

grainy, as the uploader doesn't want to work properly with quicktimes .mov files:(

New yard work

cleaning the shed out. I needed somewhere to put an unused stack of bricks.

Everyone remembers the extraordinary skill I displayed here: http://tejasmidget.multiply.com/photos/album/145/landscapes
So, not to be outdone by older brother, here is some more insight into my never ending productivity. My imagination is only exceeded by my lack of deneiro.

Graduation '08

This is my last baby boy, all grown up. Maybe.
Anyway, I'm proud to see him reach this important step in his life, and my wish is to see him make many more.

screens

what i see

Clip1.AVI

my two, before they drove real cars or trucks

Early Years

Doing some file transfers and thought I would share a few of these early photos from Levens Addition. There should be some other interesting pictures and avis
from that period I may post up.

la rednecks

What do country boys do in their spare time? well, this is one of them. gator hunting.

Carpentry102

The maintenance where kay works told her to return this to the store because some screws and parts were missing (he also chipped a corner on one piece) Here, a four year old makes an instructional video for maintenance people everywhere.



Very simple;Begin by READING THE INSTRUCTIONS.Then you can proceed with assembly:


Find a good helper to steady stuff for you:


Always make sure it is sturdy enough to use as you have planned, books, art supplies, etc.:


Get your helper to check for bending:


Pose with your work so you can get credit for it:



Get rewarded:


Remember to reward your helper:


Not shown here are the final pictures showing the completed cabinet, replete with two shelves, doors, and hinges. Hope this helps!  

carpententry102

The maintenance where kay works told her to return this to the store because some screws and parts were missing (he also chipped a corner on one piece) Here, a four year old makes an instructional video for maintenance people everywhere.

Misc

Think it's only you?

Converts decline.

The number of people baptized in Southern Baptist churches in the United States fell for the third straight year in 2007 to the denomination's lowest level since 1987, and membership dipped as well.

The president of the Southern Baptist Convention blamed the decline in part on a perception that its followers are "mean-spirited, hurtful and angry."

The dropping number of followers in the United States' largest Protestant denomination reflects a trend in other mainline Protestant churches, while non-denominational churches are gaining and the ranks of the unaffiliated are growing.

But for a denomination that places winning converts at the heart of its mission, the continued slide is troubling and disappointing, said the Rev. Frank Page, the convention's president.

Part of the blame can be placed on a notion that Baptists have been known too much in recent years for "what we're against" than "what we're for," Page said.

"Our culture is increasingly antagonistic and sometimes adverse to a conversation about a faith in Christ," he said. "Sometimes that's our fault because we have not always presented a winsome Christian life that would engender trust and a desire on the part of many people to engage in a conversation on the Gospel.

David Key, director of Baptist studies at Emory University's Candler School of Theology, attributes the declining numbers to Baptist parents having fewer children than in years past. He also believes Baptist leaders haven't been aggressive enough in attracting nonwhite members.

"It's not just about parents not having enough children, we also haven't adjusted our youth programs to target multicultural youth," he said. "It's still a very white Southern experience as opposed to incorporating African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians."


http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/25/america/NA-GEN-US-Baptists-Decline.php

  “For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person
—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”
Ephesians 5:5 (NIV)

The ideal of a believers’ church consistently appears in Baptist confessions of faith. Baptist theologians, pastors and other leaders through the centuries have held up no other model than that of a born-again church fellowship. That’s the ideal. But is this the reality?

Is There Evidence of a Decline in Regenerate Church Membership?

The distinguished Baptist historian William R. Estep stated, “Baptists in the United States are perilously close to losing their insistence upon a regenerate church membership.”

Other observers of Baptist life agree with Estep and cite as evidence for this conclusion such factors as the huge number of non-resident Baptist church members and the characteristics of many resident members with their lack of involvement in church life, a low level of financial support, little commitment to evangelism, missions and ministry, and a life style obviously contrary to the teachings of Jesus.

Of course, some of these factors may be the result of conditions other than an unregenerate condition, such as being “backslidden” or perhaps immature as a Christian (1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Ephesians 4:11-16). And certainly, numerous church members are wonderfully dedicated followers of Christ. Yet it would seem that these factors would not exist in such abundance if members of churches were truly born again.  Achieving a truly born-again church is a formidable challenge. Nevertheless, some things can be done, making prayer a primary ingredient in all that is done.

A church should emphasize the importance of a born-again church membership, stressing that a salvation experience ought always to precede church membership. Each person should assume responsibility for evaluating his or her spiritual condition, answering questions such as, “Have I truly experienced salvation by faith in Christ?” and “Am I growing as a Christian?” Persons should be urged to seek spiritual council if the answers are “no.”http://www.baptistdistinctives.org/textonly10.html

A counterpoint:

The cover of the November issue of US News & World Report announces an article about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, popularly known as the Mormons. One of the article’s main points is the remarkable growth of the Utah-based religion, and the interesting observation that the emergence of Mormonism represents the first world-wide invention of a new religion since the prophet Mohamed gave the world Islam. Among the article’s more remarkable statements is a prediction about the growth in Church membership. It says: "If current trends hold, experts say Latter-day Saints could number 265 million worldwide by 2080, second only to Roman Catholics among Christian bodies. Mormonism, says Rodney Stark, professor of sociology and religion at the University of Washington, "stands on the threshold of becoming the first major faith to appear on Earth since the prophet Mohammed rode out of the desert."

This is a truly remarkable prediction. To put it in perspective, it says that worldwide Church membership, at about 11 million members today (2000), will grow to almost the population of the United States within a lifetime.
http://tinyurl.com/3qrvwp



test line breaks

Think it's only you?

Converts decline.

The number of people baptized in Southern Baptist churches in the United States fell for the third straight year in 2007 to the denomination's lowest level since 1987, and membership dipped as well.

The president of the Southern Baptist Convention blamed the decline in part on a perception that its followers are "mean-spirited, hurtful and angry."

The dropping number of followers in the United States' largest Protestant denomination reflects a trend in other mainline Protestant churches, while non-denominational churches are gaining and the ranks of the unaffiliated are growing.

But for a denomination that places winning converts at the heart of its mission, the continued slide is troubling and disappointing, said the Rev. Frank Page, the convention's president.

Part of the blame can be placed on a notion that Baptists have been known too much in recent years for "what we're against" than "what we're for," Page said.

"Our culture is increasingly antagonistic and sometimes adverse to a conversation about a faith in Christ," he said. "Sometimes that's our fault because we have not always presented a winsome Christian life that would engender trust and a desire on the part of many people to engage in a conversation on the Gospel.

David Key, director of Baptist studies at Emory University's Candler School of Theology, attributes the declining numbers to Baptist parents having fewer children than in years past. He also believes Baptist leaders haven't been aggressive enough in attracting nonwhite members.

"It's not just about parents not having enough children, we also haven't adjusted our youth programs to target multicultural youth," he said. "It's still a very white Southern experience as opposed to incorporating African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians."


http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/25/america/NA-GEN-US-Baptists-Decline.php

“For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person
—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”
Ephesians 5:5 (NIV)

The ideal of a believers’ church consistently appears in Baptist confessions of faith. Baptist theologians, pastors and other leaders through the centuries have held up no other model than that of a born-again church fellowship. That’s the ideal. But is this the reality?

Is There Evidence of a Decline in Regenerate Church Membership?

The distinguished Baptist historian William R. Estep stated, “Baptists in the United States are perilously close to losing their insistence upon a regenerate church membership.”

Other observers of Baptist life agree with Estep and cite as evidence for this conclusion such factors as the huge number of non-resident Baptist church members and the characteristics of many resident members with their lack of involvement in church life, a low level of financial support, little commitment to evangelism, missions and ministry, and a life style obviously contrary to the teachings of Jesus.

Of course, some of these factors may be the result of conditions other than an unregenerate condition, such as being “backslidden” or perhaps immature as a Christian (1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Ephesians 4:11-16). And certainly, numerous church members are wonderfully dedicated followers of Christ. Yet it would seem that these factors would not exist in such abundance if members of churches were truly born again. Achieving a truly born-again church is a formidable challenge. Nevertheless, some things can be done, making prayer a primary ingredient in all that is done.

A church should emphasize the importance of a born-again church membership, stressing that a salvation experience ought always to precede church membership. Each person should assume responsibility for evaluating his or her spiritual condition, answering questions such as, “Have I truly experienced salvation by faith in Christ?” and “Am I growing as a Christian?” Persons should be urged to seek spiritual council if the answers are “no.”http://www.baptistdistinctives.org/textonly10.html

A counterpoint:

The cover of the November issue of US News & World Report announces an article about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, popularly known as the Mormons. One of the article’s main points is the remarkable growth of the Utah-based religion, and the interesting observation that the emergence of Mormonism represents the first world-wide invention of a new religion since the prophet Mohamed gave the world Islam. Among the article’s more remarkable statements is a prediction about the growth in Church membership. It says: "If current trends hold, experts say Latter-day Saints could number 265 million worldwide by 2080, second only to Roman Catholics among Christian bodies. Mormonism, says Rodney Stark, professor of sociology and religion at the University of Washington, "stands on the threshold of becoming the first major faith to appear on Earth since the prophet Mohammed rode out of the desert."

This is a truly remarkable prediction. To put it in perspective, it says that worldwide Church membership, at about 11 million members today (2000), will grow to almost the population of the United States within a lifetime.
http://tinyurl.com/3qrvwp

Plumbing

doesn't look like that much but here are some pics. a long way getting here...

Darrells Jobsite #2

in the link to the other thread you should see a pickup truck parked under this tree

The Mississippi river indicator stood at 56.9 feet & falling today as I came through and was predicted to crest and finally began to fall. He is foreman here but works as hard as anyone, I should show him how to be lazy. They also have another facility that is operating at another port on the other (high) side of the river. Darrell says that they are deliberately posting the lower levels to keep people from worrying as he watched it rise another 4 inches today. hmm...
For comparison, there are earlier pictures here:
http://darrellcirilo.multiply.com/photos/album/8/Darrell_Work#3.JPG
and here:
http://tejasmidget.multiply.com/photos/album/13/Work#3.jpg

The Boss & Family

Mr Ron and Hayden

I have discovered something new today that I have always suspected. The boss is not from another planet! Here is proof that they are indeed human (just kidding boss), as they enjoy a brief visit with their first grandchild at the Eola. This is the first time I've seen this Grandbaby up close and had the luck to have my camera with me today.
Congrats to them and I know they will enjoy this little guy, he is going to keep them busy for a while. Such is the magic of life and grandbabies

What is God?

I deliberately titled this 'what is God', rather than 'who is God', because I believe that it is important in a discussion about God, to understand what your concept of God is. To know who God is, one has to have an understanding of what God is, and what God  means to you as an individual. Feel free to debunk any of my theories, or help me to understand why I may have arrived at some very wrong hypothosis, which are not conclusions, but rather a search for a better statement of what I take for granted.
Perhaps it is a given, and we do not need to know these things to partake of his goodness, I believe this too. We overcomplicate by analysis what was really meant to be simple, that is, believing by faith. We learn disbelief and distrust later in life. 

Merriam-Webster:
Omnipotent: having virtually unlimited authority or influence
Omnipresent: : present in all places at all times
 
Ever wondered what is God? Ever wondered how God can be everywhere, see all, and hear all, all at once? If this sounds like a simple question, it probably is.Too simple to understand most of the time, that is why there is so much debate and different ideology, so many religions and doctrines. So many Gods.

In the beginning, before there was, there was God. Where? Everywhere, anywhere, there was no place that God was(is) not.
Genesis 1:2 said that God's spirit moved upon the face of the waters. Is this the image that we have in our minds from the paintings and artists renderings? No, it isn't.
We are limited in our imaginations to what we can see and touch, that is why dreams can be so vivid sometimes. We are witnessing in our sleep what our minds have seen throughout the day(s), and we put images that we can understand in the place of things that we can't. God encompasses everything, and therefore is so great that he cannot be seen, but this does not mean that he cannot be touched.
Is God in nature, is God in the trees that we see swaying in the breeze? Is he the wind? No, he is not the wind, God created these.  Is he in these? Of course.

God created all things, the creatures that we will never see because they lie so deep in the oceans, and on this note, possibly the creatures we may never see beyond our horizons. Is God in his creations? Of course, God is everywhere.Why did God choose to become flesh? Why was he born as a baby and called Jesus? Why does this cause confusion between the oneness and trinity doctrines?

God became flesh because he was not embodied in a vessel, he had no fleshly body that he could just appear here and be seen by men, this body(vessel) had to be produced, or born, because God was too great to be contained. Remember, he is everywhere. Of course, men like to quote the bible as saying that god created man in his own likeness, therefore man was fashioned after what God looks like. Not true. Think of it like this, an image of something can be a painting, or a portrait, or a dream, as I explored above.
Genesis 1:27 tells us; So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. This doesn't tell us that he looked in the mirror, liked what he saw, and duplicated himself and his feminine look-a-like. On the contrary, it tells us that he created us from his image (visualization/imagination) ¿soul, spirit, ghost?. Colossians 3:10 says; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. This sounds like it is talking about his spirit, (this is the Holy Ghost part) or to the word, as I'll go into below.
The word image 'belem' is a difficult one for scholars to translate, going back to it's earliest roots describe it as to cut off, or as a cutting. Others say it is closely aligned with another Hebrew root word, 'ßlm' which translated means 'to be dark'. The suggestion here is that rather than "image" being attached to an animate object that we can understand, such as a shadow, silhouette or shadowy-outline, that it simply means 'to be dark'.
Clearly the most satisfactory translation of ßelem, to provide a parallelism with ÿlôm, is 'dream-images'. It is probable that ßelem has the same meaning also in Ps. 39.7. http://www.shef.ac.uk/bibs/DJACcurrres/Postmodern2/Selem.html Most, if not all, of the research for this article was done as an afterthought, or during compilation of this entry, so I will leave the suppositions up to you. 

Is the holy bible the complete and total philosophy of God and his entire word and are we to take these written passages as an absolute interpretation of God's will? Are you kidding? Haven't we established that God is omnipresent and can't be contained/confined to a space, much less one as limited as a book? This is the passage I've heard most often quoted;  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."   John 1:1-5
John 1:14  Goes on to tell us "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
The bible is a guide, much as our present day laws are guides. This is what the bible tells us about itself:
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."    2 Timothy 3:16-17

There are scientists, intellectuals, and other people (atheists, agnostics, philosophers) that consider themselves too learned to believe in such ignorance/myth as a God, or deity, but according to Psalms 53:1 ; The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.Even if I had some doubt or did not believe in God at all, based on this one verse alone, I would not utter these words. Why make an unprovable statement that may make me look like a fool?

As I've stated many times before, I believe in God, I believe in rainbows (God's promises), I believe there is an afterlife, and I believe that if God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that he is going to be much more lenient in judgement than we give him credit for. Does this mean everybody gets to go to heaven? Will people be going to hell? Unfortunately, there are some people that have been so corrupt, and committed such egregious acts, the bible states that hell has enlarged itself, in anticipation of the crowd. Isaiah 5:14; Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it. Isaiah 5:15; And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.
Ok, so modern translators think that Hebrew words like 'sheol', simply meant the grave to the original inspired writers of the Scriptures. "Therefore SHEOL has enlarged itself" Either way, Job said he cried out from the belly of "sheol" (do we think he was alive in there?), this would be a miserable way to spend eternity, confined to a grave, all the while being aware of where we are, and in pain:
 Peter in Acts 2:24; speaking on the day of pentecost said:
Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 2:26; Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 2:27; Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

When I happen to catch the news, and some of the horror stories that they sling out at us about the ongoing cruelty that humans commit, I am also glad there is judgement reserved for the worst of us, and we will reap what we sow.
 

I will stop with this passage from Proverbs 30:1-5; ... Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell? Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.  

What is God?

I deliberately titled this 'what is God', rather than 'who is God', because I believe that it is important in a discussion about God, to understand what your concept of God is. To know who God is, one has to have an understanding of what God is, and what God means to you as an individual. Feel free to debunk any of my theories, or help me to understand why I may have arrived at some very wrong hypothosis, which are not conclusions, but rather a search for a better statement of what I take for granted.
Perhaps it is a given, and we do not need to know these things to partake of his goodness, I believe this too. We overcomplicate by analysis what was really meant to be simple, that is, believing by faith. We learn disbelief and distrust later in life.

Merriam-Webster:
Omnipotent: having virtually unlimited authority or influence
Omnipresent: : present in all places at all times

Ever wondered what is God? Ever wondered how God can be everywhere, see all, and hear all, all at once? If this sounds like a simple question, it probably is.Too simple to understand most of the time, that is why there is so much debate and different ideology, so many religions and doctrines. So many Gods.

In the beginning, before there was, there was God. Where? Everywhere, anywhere, there was no place that God was(is) not.
Genesis 1:2 said that God's spirit moved upon the face of the waters. Is this the image that we have in our minds from the paintings and artists renderings? No, it isn't.
We are limited in our imaginations to what we can see and touch, that is why dreams can be so vivid sometimes. We are witnessing in our sleep what our minds have seen throughout the day(s), and we put images that we can understand in the place of things that we can't. God encompasses everything, and therefore is so great that he cannot be seen, but this does not mean that he cannot be touched.
Is God in nature, is God in the trees that we see swaying in the breeze? Is he the wind? No, he is not the wind, God created these. Is he in these? Of course.

God created all things, the creatures that we will never see because they lie so deep in the oceans, and on this note, possibly the creatures we may never see beyond our horizons. Is God in his creations? Of course, God is everywhere.Why did God choose to become flesh? Why was he born as a baby and called Jesus? Why does this cause confusion between the oneness and trinity doctrines?

God became flesh because he was not embodied in a vessel, he had no fleshly body that he could just appear here and be seen by men, this body(vessel) had to be produced, or born, because God was too great to be contained. Remember, he is everywhere. Of course, men like to quote the bible as saying that god created man in his own likeness, therefore man was fashioned after what God looks like. Not true. Think of it like this, an image of something can be a painting, or a portrait, or a dream, as I explored above.
Genesis 1:27 tells us; So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. This doesn't tell us that he looked in the mirror, liked what he saw, and duplicated himself and his feminine look-a-like. On the contrary, it tells us that he created us from his image (visualization/imagination) ¿soul, spirit, ghost?. Colossians 3:10 says; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. This sounds like it is talking about his spirit, (this is the Holy Ghost part) or to the word, as I'll go into below.
The word image 'belem' is a difficult one for scholars to translate, going back to it's earliest roots describe it as to cut off, or as a cutting. Others say it is closely aligned with another Hebrew root word, 'ßlm' which translated means 'to be dark'. The suggestion here is that rather than "image" being attached to an animate object that we can understand, such as a shadow, silhouette or shadowy-outline, that it simply means 'to be dark'.
Clearly the most satisfactory translation of ßelem, to provide a parallelism with ÿlôm, is 'dream-images'. It is probable that ßelem has the same meaning also in Ps. 39.7. http://www.shef.ac.uk/bibs/DJACcurrres/Postmodern2/Selem.html Most, if not all, of the research for this article was done as an afterthought, or during compilation of this entry, so I will leave the suppositions up to you.

Is the holy bible the complete and total philosophy of God and his entire word and are we to take these written passages as an absolute interpretation of God's will? Are you kidding? Haven't we established that God is omnipresent and can't be contained/confined to a space, much less one as limited as a book? This is the passage I've heard most often quoted; "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." John 1:1-5
John 1:14 Goes on to tell us "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
The bible is a guide, much as our present day laws are guides. This is what the bible tells us about itself:
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

There are scientists, intellectuals, and other people (atheists, agnostics, philosophers) that consider themselves too learned to believe in such ignorance/myth as a God, or deity, but according to Psalms 53:1 ; The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.Even if I had some doubt or did not believe in God at all, based on this one verse alone, I would not utter these words. Why make an unprovable statement that may make me look like a fool?

As I've stated many times before, I believe in God, I believe in rainbows (God's promises), I believe there is an afterlife, and I believe that if God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that he is going to be much more lenient in judgement than we give him credit for. Does this mean everybody gets to go to heaven? Will people be going to hell? Unfortunately, there are some people that have been so corrupt, and committed such egregious acts, the bible states that hell has enlarged itself, in anticipation of the crowd. Isaiah 5:14; Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it. Isaiah 5:15; And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.
Ok, so modern translators think that Hebrew words like 'sheol', simply meant the grave to the original inspired writers of the Scriptures. "Therefore SHEOL has enlarged itself" Either way, Job said he cried out from the belly of "sheol" (do we think he was alive in there?), this would be a miserable way to spend eternity, confined to a grave, all the while being aware of where we are, and in pain:
Peter in Acts 2:24; speaking on the day of pentecost said:
Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 2:26; Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 2:27; Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

When I happen to catch the news, and some of the horror stories that they sling out at us about the ongoing cruelty that humans commit, I am also glad there is judgement reserved for the worst of us, and we will reap what we sow.

I will stop with this passage from Proverbs 30:1-5; ... Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell? Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

florist2_

Move over Lotus & LeeAnn, there is a new game in town.
Here she demonstrates her passion for flowers and creating things,
a vision her paw-paw shares.

100_0946.MOV

uploaded as a mov, to see what happens

image files

Description * English: Schrödinger's cat
Permission
(Reusing this image)
Public domain This image has been (or is hereby) released into the public domain by its author, Sloyment at the German Wikipedia project. This applies worldwide.

In case this is not legally possible:
Sloyment grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.

Time

A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door. It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams.
There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him. Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days. "Jack, did you hear me?" "Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said. "Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him. "I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said. "You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said "He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said. As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown.
Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away. The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time. Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly. "What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked. "The box is gone," he said "What box?" Mom asked. "There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said. It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it. "Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom." It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.
Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside. "Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life."
A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."

"The thing he valued most was...my time"

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked. "I need some time to spend with my son," he said. "Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away,"
Think about this.
1. At least 2 people in this world love you so much they would die for you.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
4. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
5. You mean the world to someone.
6. If not for you, someone may not be living.
7. You are special and unique.
8. When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you trust God to do what's best, and wait on His time, sooner or later, you will get it or something better.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good can still come from it.
10. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most likely turned your back on the world.
11. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
12. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.
13 Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better when they know and you'll both be happy
14. If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great. Send this letter to all the people you care about, if you do so, you will certainly brighten someones day and might change their perspective on life...for the better.
To everyone;  Thanks for your time!

Time

A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door. It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams.
There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him. Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days. "Jack, did you hear me?" "Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said. "Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were d oing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him. "I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said. "You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said "He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said. As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown.
Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away. The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time. Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly. "What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked. "The box is gone," he said "What box?" Mom asked. "There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said. It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it. "Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom." It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.
Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside. "Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life."
A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."

"The thing he valued most was...my time"

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked. "I need some time to spend with my son," he said. "Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away,"
Think about this.
1. At least 2 people in this world love you so much they would die for you.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
4. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
5. You mean the world to someone.
6. If not for you, someone may not be living.
7. You are special and unique.
8. When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you trust God to do what's best, and wait on His time, sooner or later, you will get it or something better. 9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good can still come from it.
10. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most likely turned your back on the world.
11. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
12. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.
13 Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better when they know and you'll both be happy
14. If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great. Send this letter to all the people you care about, if you do so, you will certainly brighten someones day and might change their perspective on life...for the better.
To everyone; Thanks for your time!