"Party on dudes'"

What a great evening. My grand baby is 2 years old. We celebrated at the park this evening. Lots of people came out and helped. As I enjoyed myself I also took a moment to realize how incredibly lucky I am. I really don't have a real care in the world. I have concerns. Bills, relationships, crazy workplace, repairs here, repairs there,24/7 opening up in a week, and the everyday concerns of everyday life, but problems, naw, only solutions. Problems to me are things like my sins not covered. Now that's a problem, but with a simple solution. Acts 16:31 has Paul and Silas telling the Jailer that he should "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved..." It is really that easy. Now the word "believe" takes on a whole big responsibility that goes along with it. There is trust, rely upon and obey as the amplified version says. We must also be ready to repent. Acts 2:38, 3:19, 8:22, 17:30, 26:20 all talk of repentance. To turn away from our sins. Some are easier than others, but when it comes right down to it, salvation is easy, living it is a little harder, but problematic? (If Webster will forgive me) No way. At the point of conversion from a lost soul to a redeemed child of God the power to repent is within us. We just have to choose to utilize it.

So i really got away from what I was going to say. i was wanting to go to Psalm 32:1-5. " How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven. (ME) Whose sin is covered. (MINE) Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. (THE REPENTED ONES) When I kept quite about my sin, my body washed away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me. (CONVICTION) My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of the summer. I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord'; and You forgave the guilt of my sin."

Salvation, what a great thing. Lucky man, you better believe it. Why I was drawn to God by the Holy Spirit, why I was granted salvation for my sins, why a holy God thinks of ME at all, I will never really understand. All I know is that He loves me! He loves you, and that it is not His will"....that even one shall perish, but that all will come to repentance."

I started out about Sarala's B-day party. Great time, great friends, great spirit about the whole event. Like i said, I'm a lucky man, or at least that's how I see it.

Blast from the past...

Ever have something that's reminds you of the past so suddenly that you become instantly overwhelmed? So I'm sitting here at my computer at 12:50 am on a Sat morning thinking I should go to bed when I thought I'd check and see what the weather for Sat would be. So I went the the channel 5 website (KSDK) and noticed that one of the stories on line at that moment was that Brian Wilson had come out of retirement and had cut a new album. (CD) Who might Brian Wilson be, you might ask. (If your under 40). Brian was THE driving force behind the Beach Boys. A writing genius to say the least. But due to drugs and what nots of that era, had a tough time grasping life, fame and everyday living. Literally spent years in his room, secluding himself from everyone. Hence the song "In my Room".

Well they had some sample cuts from the CD and I just started clicking on them and discovered that there was a song called "Lucky Old Sun" on there. I was floored ! Suddenly floods of childhood memories poured into my heart as I remembered my mother walking through the house singing that very song many, many years ago. I was almost overwhelmed. My mother went to be with our Lord a little more than eight years ago. Sometimes you forget how much you miss someone until you are unexpectedly reminded of that someone not only with memories, but with memories accompanied with emotions. There is a saying around my house we use sometimes and it comes from an old M*A*S*H episode about a solider that was overcome with grief (Frank Burns) and some how Radar got a call to Burn's mom and she comforted him. When told what a good job he did Radar replied that ..."sometimes a guy just needs his mom." Very true statement. Sometimes a person just needs their mom. I miss my mom, raised 11 children and a husband. Never complained much. Tammy, my wife, says she never felt like a daughter in law around my mom, just a daughter. My two youngest, Abie and Ricky never met there grandma, she past away before Ricky was born and before Abie was sent out to us from San Fran. Although the day she past away, Feb 15, 2000, we had a picture that was sent to us from Abie's case worker and showed it to my mom in the hospital before her surgery and she said that she was the most beautiful baby she had ever seen and that she could not wait to see her. She never got the chance, she passed away later that day from complications from her surgery she had to try and relieve her airways from cancerous tumors that blocked her breathing. The point is that when she said that Abie was the most beautiful baby she'd ever seen, she would of said the same thing to the next picture of another grandchild or the next or the next and meant it every time.

I'm missing my mom very much right now. You know what they say, "Sometimes a guy just needs his mom." Not this time, but I will rely upon Christ who will provide the comfort for tonite.

My mom's name is Dorthy, that's her picture above, in her mid 30's I believe. She passed away in her late 60's. You have heard the saying that when we cross to Jordan Jesus will send a love one to help us across to the other side,I hope it's my mom.

Pretty silly, huh?

Thanks for listening.

What a great message this past Sunday. The only thing wrong with it was that I realized that i have fallen asleep on many occasions. Too many ! Got a call from a old friend of mine today, July 3rd, 2008, and she told me that "Jimbo" died today. Jimbo was a friend that I spent the better part of my late teen years clear up to the time I was 24 years old. I'm talking day and night, week after week, month after month from around 1972 till around 1981 or so and sporadically ever since. After Tammy and I was married, Jimbo was my #2 man, and he and Jane was married, I was Jimbos #2 man, we kinda drifted apart. Me to the Arcadia Valley and Him to Winfield. Last time I seen him was at his mother's funeral a couple of years ago.

Any hoo, Jimbo and me did everything together. Some good, some not so good. We were not in God at that time. We drank, smoked, ran around, used drugs, built Harley's from parts in a box and had each others backs. Jimbo was a bro, as we called ourselves in those days. Trusted to the very end.

After Tammy and I were saved in 1988, people did not come around that often any more, and to be honest we did not go around them that often either. So you just chalk it up to different strokes for different folks type thing.

Jimbo was 52 years old. Died of kidney failure and diabetes. He died as he walked out of his house to do his dyalislis this morning. I would love make this a happy ending and to say that Jimbo knew the Lord before he passed on, but unless he had a death bed conversion, he was not. I had fallen asleep, and his life slipped thru the cracks. Someone please help me to stay awake.

Jimbo was a good man. Loved his wife and children. Loved his mom and dad, sister and brother-in-law.(My best man, Derrick). He would give you anything. Do anything for you. Never hurt a person who didn't earn it. He was the defender of people that the world considered weak.Many times we had to "help" in in a bar room situation after Jimbo found a young lady or man who was being picked on by bullies or thugs. Jimbo hated people that picked on weaker people and was not afraid to let people know it.

I pray that when Jimbo walked out of his door this morning and felt the life leaving him that he cried out to Jesus and received Him.

Only eternity will tell.

No funeral for Jimbo, no wake, no visitation. He would of not wanted that. Just memories. With Winfield, Mo in the news so much lately Jimbo had been on my mind. I kept saying that I needed to call him and to say hello. I did not do it, I was asleep. God forgive me.

I guess I went long here, but I wanted to put something out there in honor of my friend, Jim Vernitte. I can here his voice telling me, as he did many times, " see you later turkey boy". So long, Jimbo, thanks for everything.

I love sunrises, but you have to get up so early now a days to see on. I took this picture about 2 days ago as I got up to go to work. I was thinking about friends today at work. Friends that I have know both in my younger days and today. I have met a large variety of friends in my days in all kinds of settings. I was wondering about heaven and my friends that are already there and the ones that will come after me. How will it be? Will I know them by name? By their spirit? By their faces? I do not know. It is interesting to think about such things. Then I thought of the One who made it possible for me and my friends to be together in heaven for all eternity. If you know me at all you know that I love music. I love to be ministered by it both with lyrics or just with instruments. Sometimes at church I just close my eyes and listen to the different instruments that are playing and I think of what God given talent that God has blessed the MH's family with. And I listen to all kinds of music. Mostly faith based music, but I do on a occasion dig back to my teen and early days for a bit of oldies music. I sometimes feel sorry for people who were born after the golden years of music ( 1964-1978 or so )because they missed out on some of the most clean, crisp music that we have ever had the opportunity to listen to. I know that several people would argue that point, and maybe win, but that's just how I See it. Now back to friends, there is a group that played in the late 90's and early 00's that was called PFR. They were originality called "Pray for Rain" but after their first album had to change it to PFR due to another band who already had that name. PFR was a great faith based band. I guess I liked their music so well was because of their awesome lyrics and their 1960-70's sound. The music was clean and crisp, allot going on and allot of changes in tempo and rhythm. I just loved it, but on their last CD they had a song called " Forever". Not knowing how to put music on a blog yet I would like to share the lyrics with you, so here goes.....

I'm remembering the Word inside my head, I heard them yesterday
A whisper, telling me that life waits up ahead, beyond the day to day
Though this world will hand me my fair share of pain and will leaves me broke and bruised,
I know, there's a Father and His Son who know my name, they will see me through, oh yeah, I know...
I believe He paid the price of sacrifice so we could be together, forever,
And I know that when I see Jesus's face all my tears will be erased, forever, forever.
Hidden in my heart, the day He called me friend, the day He set me free,
I found Him one summer day, or better said, Jesus You found me
I gave you my loneliness and broken heart, oh oh o You gave to me Your Love, Your Love..
I believe He paid the price of sacrifice so we could be together, forever,
And I know that when I see Jesus's face all my tears will be erased, forever, forever.
I come to know, I come to know Love, I come to know the truth, I come to know Love...
I believe He paid the price of sacrifice so that we could be together, forever,
I do believe I'll see the face of Jesus and we'll both embrace together, forever....

Forever by
PFR
From the CD " The Late, Great PFR "

What a great tune. It really don't matter how we will recognize each other, we will, c
'cause He paid the price to make it happen, any hoo that's how I see it.

Have a great day in our Lord !!

CLOUD WATCHING..........

Here is how I see it..... I think that we do not stop and watch the clouds any more. Remember when we were kids? We use to watch the clouds as they rolled by. Above is a picture of the sky and horizon from my front yard. Myself and my 5 year old son was sitting there and just watching the clouds. We seen trucks, trains, planes, lions, and everything else that a boy could see. The great part of it was that I seen them also. I also seen the glory of the Lord. In the clouds, the breeze, the grass and all of nature. The Bible says that all creation shouts out the Glory of the Lord. Sometimes we have to just stop, look and listen for it. What a great day this has been. I thank God for it all. Happy father's day to all you " dads " out there. We are lucky men. Of course that's just how I see it....

52

Well, as i see it... 52 years old this past week. Never really thought I'd make it this far. But I did, and I have so much to do yet. My oldest daughter and her husband and my grandchild was over this evening when i got home. We swam, bar b qed and ate alot of food. Ever tried grilled cabbage. Aughhh! not really. It was really good. I laughed at first and told Crystal, my oldest, that that was " girl food." A term I use to describe anything healthy or different. But like I said it was really good. My youngest boy and girl, as did my wife had nothing to do with such things.

My boy, Ricky is almost 6 and my youngest daughter Abie is almost 9. They are a real trip. They keep this 52 year old very young. My grandaughter, Sarala, (refer to my son in laws blog ) is the sweetest thing. She has just learned to speak, and when she says Pa Pa, it just melts me. I am a very lucky man. I have everything. A wonderful wife of almost 30 years, Tammy. My 3 children and son in law. I have aquired a couple of things in life. Home, cars friends, but the most precious thing I have aquired in salvation. God has seen it fit that I would be saved thru His Son, Jesus. How much more could I ask for. I attend a church, Meadow Heights, where religion and legalisim takes a back seat to Christ and presenting Him to the parkland and beyond. We are a commumity minded church. We step out of our comfort zones and take Christ out of the church and into the world. It is very exciting.

But back to my birthday. Got a E-Mail card from my brother. I will try and post it, but I have not had much luck yet. But I had a nice quite time with my family. That's what i like to do now a days.

The picture above is of my wife Tammy and my daughter Abie. It is several years old, but it is one of my favorites.

The other one is the E-Card from my brother.

Have a great day.

Reaching up....

Still practicing on this blog, but I think that I am ready to do more with it. This is one of my favorite songs of all thime. It talks about reaching up to God and reaching out to each other. About not being satisfied with a comfortable life. To step out and lose all of youself. No more comming up short....oh just check out the video.

Reach
Brian Hardin, Jill Parr

Step up, come over to the other side
Raise the bar higher
Live an adventurous life
Scale the mountains of faith
Feel the wind on our face
Hear destiny calling
See the wonder of grace

Reach up to God
Reach into one another
Reach out to the world
Reach for the future

I'm no longer comfortable
Living a harmless life
I'm standing counter to that
I'm not afraid of the fight
I'm tired of coming up short
I'm tired of losing the faith
This is a revolution
This is my revolution

I want to speak truer
I want to think purer
I want to walk straighter
I've got to know His love is deeper
I want to be kinder
I've got to press harder
I'm at the end of myself
I'm at the end of myself

I've got to let go
I've got to trust Him more complete
I've got to hold on to hope
I know His love is changing me
I feel the peace returning
I feel a fire burning
This is my revolution
This is our revolution
This is our future

©2006 Little China Music/sesac