6 Years Ago ...

What ELSE would I be thinking about today?
Today my first grandson is 6 years old.  That is a bigger milestone than normal.
Just after noon the 29th I'm delivering propane when my phone rings.  I have a grandson.  1 pound 3.7 ounces. That was the last call from my Sue's cell phone as well, because she lost it in the toilet at the hospital.  But that is another story.
Contrary to what the laws of physics and the State of Indiana seem to dictate, you can drive the 90 miles or so to Riley Children's Hospital in just over an hour, but you are passing things going fast. God is Good.  I made it without causing or being involved in an accident.  Riley Children's Hospital is a scary and wonderful place, largely for the same reasons. If not for Riley I really doubt we would have gone from this

to this

That's David taking a picture with Aunt Jill's iPhone, taken by his little brother on Papaw's cell phone.  Isn't technology something?

Does God answer prayer?  All I have to do is look at this red headed little man and I know the answer to that.  As I understand it, today my grandson is taking a girl out to lunch ... his idea.
edit:  Here is a photo from lunch

Sorry if this has typos.  Papaw just got a phone call from David.  He wanted to call and tell me he was six years old.  I can barely see the keyboard.

God is good

Jesus Laughing

Brent Olson has been blogging since before the term was invented.  He writes regularly for Successful Farming's online site. http://www.agriculture.com/talk/views/humor  They put him in the humor section but he gets a bit deep at times.  His most recent column caused me to stop and ponder a bit.  Here's an excerpt:

The other night we went out to dinner with about a dozen friends.  As is often the case, there were a couple of conversations going on simultaneously.  At my end of the table, I was looking for a little help. “I still have to write a Christmas column.  Anyone have any ideas?”

There was a brief moment of silence and then from the other end of the table, from another conversation, someone said, brightly, “I always eat olives when I drink beer.”

Everybody laughed.

Then someone else looked at me and said, “Olives grow in the Holy Land.”

Everybody laughed again.

Well, yeah, I suppose that’s true, but not even I am likely to try to write a column tying together olives, beer, and Jesus.  I don’t know who could write that column, but I’d be willing to bet they never taught Sunday school in a Methodist church.

He goes on to talk about  Christmas:

That part of Christmas can slip my mind.  ...  – I already had the instructions.

“…I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people…”

Can’t get much clearer than that.

More from Brent:

it’s the shortest verse in the Bible, and maybe that means something.  Maybe we aren’t meant to weep all that much.

I’m sure Jesus did weep.  But I bet he laughed even more.

And he probably ate olives.

Everyone knows the shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept."   But like Brent, I think we often miss the other side of it.  I am certain Jesus laughed, maybe a lot.

I even found a web site: http://www.jesuslaughing.com  That's where the print above came from.


That is one of the things I have heard mentioned by folks visiting Chilton's.  The food is good, the service is OK, but folks don't go many places where they hear laughter like you often do there.  I think that is the difference between a good and a not so good family gathering.  Laughter is a sign it is good.

Amazing Grace

In the fire and emergency service it is called a Line Of Duty Death.  It means someone died during or because of responding to help others.  I'd never been to an LODD funeral until this fall.  I've been to a couple since the first of October, and there is another Monday at Sullivan, Indiana. I can't say it is something I enjoy, but at the same time I am honored to be involved.

As I understand it the firefighter/paramedic from Sullivan had finished a run, sat down, and fell over dead.   The firefighter from Brocton the Oakland funeral was for had jumped in the firetruck to move it on scene and collapsed.  Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but I seem to be hearing more about these kinds of things lately.

The Illinois Fire Chiefs Association gets really involved.  They have funeral guidelines (see http://www.illinoisfirechiefs.org/service.asp?id=25), offer assistance, and it doesn't matter if your department is a member of their association or not. I was at a funeral in Oakland and parked beside a Fire Chief from north of Chicago.

I know it sound like I am a bit morbid pondering on this today.    I got on this train of thought because someone linked me to a youtube video of Andre' Rieu leading in playing Amazing Grace.  It seems to be a standard at one of these funerals for someone to play Amazing Grace on the bagpipes. Crank up the volume and listen to this
(NOTE to Mom and anyone else without a fast internet connection.  Click the play button then pause it and let it load a while before touching play again)

A search of YouTube for Amazing Grace gives 490,000 hits!  it has been called the most popular song in history

Here are 3 of the best vocal renditions:

Wintley Phipps offers some background I found interesting and his performance is outstanding

 Hayley Westerna gives a marvelous version  She has a fantastic voice

  But I think Rhema Marvanne does the best job of singing Amazing Grace I've ever heard:

Amazing Grace

John Newton (1725-1807)
Stanza 6 anon.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.

And Grace, my fears relieved.

How precious did that Grace appear

The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares

I have already come;

'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far

and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.

His word my hope secures.

He will my shield and portion be,

As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease,

I shall possess within the veil,

A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years

Bright shining as the sun.

We've no less days to sing God's praise

Than when we've first begun.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

I think I made the right choice this evening

It's been a beautiful week down here on the prairie.  I didn't realize how beautiful until today hit. WOW! did winter make it's presence known.  We went from what would have been a pretty nice
 March day to a "let's go to Florida" December storm almost overnight.

I replaced the Fire Department's Automatic Electronic Defibrolator today.  We got it under a state grant a couple years ago.  We were notified this fall it had been recalled.  Friday we got a new one in the mail.

So I have to box up the old one and send it back to them.  We have never needed it and I'll be happy if we never do.  Because if WE are using it that means the EMT's were busy elsewhere.

But anyway, I mentioned making the right choice.  We had the church Christmas party scheduled for this evening.  I came home, pulled the truck in the barn ... and couldn't see the house for the blowing snow.  I told Sue we weren't going anyplace that wasn't absolutely necessary.  
I called the preacher, one of the elders, and one of the deacons and expressed my opinion that this would be a good night not to have it.

Setting here I've been listening the the police radio.  Westbound I-70 between Martinsville and the county line has one 5 semi truck plus 1 or 2 passenger car pileup, with another 2 truck/minivan wreck east of that and a jackknifed semi in the passing lane east of that.  Cars setting in line are running out of gas.

It sounds like dispatch has gone into major incident mode.  You don't hear any radio traffic that isn't related to this incident or something major.  Kind of like I used to tell the kids: If you scream like that someone better be bleeding.  If it doesn't involve personal injury I think dispatch it telling folks to take a number and call in the morning.

Yep, last week was beautiful.  I should have enjoyed it more.

It's What ?!!!

Yes kids, don't faint, your folks have their Christmas Tree up and decorated and Becky didn't have to do it.  Sue had Kinsey come over and spend the afternoon decorating.

 Here are a few photos to get you in the spirit of things: