Christmas In Connecticut

"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."-Albert Einstein

  I'm not even going to try to explain the school shooting tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut which occurred on Friday, December 14, 2012.  I'm not ashamed to admit that I am absolutely clueless as to what would motivate an individual to illegally enter an elementary school with automatic and semi-automatic weapons, kill six adults and 20 first grade children. After hearing of this, I waited with baited breath for my son to come home from school in a few hours. I just wanted to hold him.

  The television coverage of the shooting is painful to watch and listen to and I find myself switching the channel to find something less painful to watch; but the thoughts won't go away.

  I put up our Christmas tree last Tuesday. In Connecticut I can imagine many families taking their trees down. Anything to help assuage the unthinkable pain of having your precious child ripped from your life by an unconscionable act of evil.  For me and my house, it further emphasises what is important in life. 

Throughout all of this, some have asked "Where is God"? 
Newspaper columnist and lawyer Michael Johnson once stated "Taking God out of school leaves a vacuum something will replace".  The well-known saying is much more than a fact of science which states that "Two things cannot occupy the same space at the same time."  When something is taken out, something else will take its place.

  I pray for this poor and mean old world in which we live. I pray that those who are concerned enough, capable enough, brave enough, convicted enough and fed up enough will take part in conversations, community actions, exercising neighborhood vigilance, and deterring acts of evil whenever possible.  I am going to David's school on Monday to discuss security measures with his principal.

"Be of sober {in spirit,} be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour".
- New American Standard Version (1995)

  God Bless Us All.
  Dennis

     

 

 

The End Of The World

"When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it's always twenty years behind the times." -Mark Twain

  The ancient Mayan calendar has predicted the world will end on December 21, 2012. Already there is talk of a global panic, some people are purchasing expensive "Dooms Day" shelters located deep underground, others have decided to spend all they have, sell their homes, and not pay any bills because they say "What would be the purpose?". And without a doubt the overly eccentric and fanatically religious will compel their sheep to give their all to the church and/or perhaps enter into a suicide pact. (Remember Jim Jones, David Koresch and cult leader Marshall Applewhite of the Heaven's Gate UFO cult?)

  Here are a few quotes from some of your fellow Americans:

• If the world ends in 2012 I have wasted my whole life in school.
• Before you marry someone ask yourself, 'Will they be a good killing partner during the zombie Apocalypse?'.
• A lot of people think 'the end of the world is coming; let's go party', but God commanded us to warn people and I would rather be safe.
• Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's always tomorrow in Australia.
• (Harold) Camping of Family Radio has predicted the world will end May 21, 2011, but this reporter has learned he first predicted the world will end September 6, 1994.
• An extreme optimist is a man who believes that humanity will probably survive even if it doesn't take his advice. - John McCarthy
• This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but with a whimper. -T.S. Eliot

  Of course I could ambush you with a cavalcade of Nostradamus references to the end times, a plethora of prolific preacher's predictions, and mathematical computations from some of the world's brightest minds but how would that be of any benefit to you?  My sincere desire is that people everywhere will remain civil from day-to-day and live peaceably within your own heart by striving to please only God alone. 

  Please do not do anything rash or impulsive as December 21, 2012 nears. Enjoy your loved ones today, seek out only those things that are truly important, don't allow your blessing(s) to be taken from your life because everyone but you can recognize what you have. Go into the New Year with a renewed outlook on your life. Also, it may be time to scrutinize your list of friends; some of them have been holding you back because they are jealous of you or they may simply be beneath you so latch on to people who will inspire your dreams and who have far-reaching goals.  (I say this because some of your relationships do not have the drive to have anything beyond their noses).

  Have a great Christmas and a wonderful 2013. 
  Dennis  

 
 

Cardboard Boxes For Christmas

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”― Confucius

 

 

  Christmas is right around the corner and the spending frenzy has been outrageous since Thanksgiving day. I was browsing through the toy department at Toys R Us the other day with my son, David. As I looked at the wide array of super hero action figures, game systems, bicycles, electronics and more, I recall thinking to myself; "Oh, that I were a child again".  

 

  As with all things pertaining to progress, nothing today is the same as it was 'yesterday', so actually it is unfair for me to go off on a tirade about how when I was a child my super hero costume consisted of a bath towel tied around my neck. (Even though that is the truth).  But I will say that in our day we, (those of us over the age of 50, give or take a few years) did have to employ a bit more imagination when it came to our playtime. I can remember how even a rainy day couldn't interfere with our having fun. It was then we would get Popsicle sticks and race them along the curbside as they were carried by the rushing rainwater. Other than trying to be the winner, the real trick was to catch your stick before it went down the sewer drain.  My good friend, Alex, and I would spend countless hours every week drawing comics and inventing story after story. Watching my sisters and the other neighborhood girls jump rope and do Double-Dutch was always so amazing to me and sometimes we boys would try to get in on the act but the girls were always superior at jump rope. Other familiar sounds which resounded throughout the neighborhood  were football games and baseball games easily played in the streets or an open field, girls playing Hop Scotch and Jacks on the sidewalks and the quick hand-slapping of younger girls while singing "Oh, Mary Mack, Mack, Mack all dressed in black, black, black".  And I believe that my older brothers loved collecting marbles more than actually playing the game.

 

  Recently in Ohio a preschool teacher named Pete Kaser removed all of the toys and learning materials from his classroom and replaced them with raw materials, such as boxes and egg cartons. To his surprise the kids did not ask for their toys back or even inquired as to where they were, but instead, immediately began exploring the materials and working together to build a variety of creations they dreamed up on their own; an igloo, a pirate ship, a rocket ship, a hotel and houses with makeshift kitchens.  
"I just spent so many years looking at all my teaching materials and thinking that so much of them have a preassigned value to them," Kaser said. "I wasn’t getting the imagination out of the children that I wanted."

 

A toy phone, for example, is going to look like a toy phone and function as a toy phone to most children, Kaser explained. The same goes for a cash register, or a train. But if you ask a child what he or she sees with a cardboard box, you might get 10 different answers and thus, more creativity, he argued.
Kaser said he plans to continue with the box experiment until the children no longer show interest, but so far, he said, the students are still engaged. In addition, several of the shyer children have come out of their shells and taken to leading some of the projects.

   

  So what is the moral of this story? I gently urge you to remember that after Christmas life will still go on so spend wisely; you have all year to get the things you want. I shy away from instructing others on how to run their own homes, but I never hesitate to compel others to remember the less fortunate. Do you always have to give gifts of hand-me-downs? I dare you to bless someone outside of your home in a manner unheard of. And above all, remember the lesson of the cardboard boxes. Sometimes simple really is better.

 

  I love you all,

  Dennis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Holding On To Family

"There is no such thing as the perfect family. Every family is unique with its own combination of strengths and weaknesses." -Unknown

"Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” -Matthew 12:49-50

  Another Thanksgiving has passed and we all now move into the next phase of holiday; Christmas. It's always about this time that many choose to display acts of kindness, charity, and goodwill to their fellow man which has, for the most part, been absent throughout the year. I always say that it will be a terrible thing if Jesus returns in June. By this I simply am inferring that the time of the year or season should not be what compels one to love their neighbor without boundaries. I am cognizant of the many charitable deeds that have been, and still are being, performed for the families in New York who have suffered such a devastating loss as a result of hurricane Sandy, but in truth, there were many in New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Seattle, (and wherever you now live), who have been in need of a helping hand long before any monumental tragedy occured.

  It's something how we see children wearing ragged clothes or shoes that are noticeably too small for their feet and all we do is shake our heads in pity. Some justify the withholding of a gift because the parents of those needy children may be smokers or drinkers and they say " If they don't care, why should I?"; but if they would realize that a person's addiction usually takes precedence over their common sense then they would believe that the children should not suffer.  And then there are those who needed our help last month and now it appears that they still need a helping hand this month. I ask you, is it in your power to do it?  I also ask you, have you ever been in a valley, and if so, how long did it take for you to reach your horizon or to see daylight?

  I believe the attitude of selfishness largely comes from the fact that people have forgotten just who family is. Too often we see family as only those who have been born from the same womb you came from, or who, in some way, share your bloodline. When in truth many of us can say that we have encountered people who have been closer than our family of origin in so many ways. 

  Some will beg to differ, but I believe that God blesses others through those who have. Yes, it is easier to say "I will keep you and your situation in prayer" rather than reach into your wallet or purse and give something more substantial than coffee change. I know I have spoken on this subject before and I know it will not be the last time because the hardest thing for people to do is to loosen their grip to help someone else, when in reality this is how we receive our blessings. 

  It would be nice if the Spirit of Christmas began in January and continued through December and on again, but sadly, this is not always true for so many. So I will continue to pray and do what I can to help those who are in need, knowing that there is always someone worse off than me.  I've had friends in my life who were so dear to me that if I had $5.00 I would give them half, if needed, and they did the same for me. 
How long will this message be preached? How long will it continue to be easier for a camel to pass through a needle's eye than for a rich man to enter into heaven?
The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.
 
May the true meaning of life and love be endowed upon us all.
I love you all,
Dennis

The Journey Through

 

"Will it ever end"?
   Have you asked yourself this question lately?  It could have been in regards to a number of things; Relationships, finances, health issues, family issues, car trouble, situations on the job, situations in the home. Perhaps, for some, it's all of these things and we wonder will we ever get any peace?   "People are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire."  (Job 5:7) Knowing this is reason to always keep a positive tune in our heart and a mindful thought of the good things occurring in our lives, as opposed to always thinking on the negative. 
 
  How do we do this? By remembering that last month we had to borrow money from a friend in order to make it to payday but not this month. We recall how we complained about the high price of gasoline but we forgot how we were able to fill up our tank and still have money left over to do other things. Some were asked to usher up prayers for someone who had fallen ill to cancer and if they would have done a follow-up they would have learned that their prayers did indeed work for the person is miraculously healed and living well.  There was a time in my young life when I was having extreme financial problems due to bad stewardship of my money. I remember how I would stress out so badly on pay day because it was time to run about town and figure out a way to pay Peter while robbing Paul. (Some of you know exactly what I'm talking about while some have become too proud to admit where they have come from). i would become so depressed by the end of the day because of the little money I had left in my pockets. My stress did not stop until one day I slowed down enough to realize a very clear truth; At least I had the money to pay my bills! There were others I knew who were not able to do even that. I soon began to examine what else was better in my life than I may have overlooked.  You would be surprised at the long list of things I was able to draft up. My life, health and strength were but the beginning of my blessings.

  So when troubles fly up as sparks from a fire will naturally do, I will remember that my light afflictions have not caused me to shed one drop of blood. Being forever mindful of the One who gave all for me...the world, am I not able to bear my trials brought upon me by the sin of my father, Adam?

  You cannot bring everyone into this mode of thinking but you can be an example of thankfulness to those around you.

  Love your life today.
  Dennis

My Band Of Brothers

 

"There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother."

Proverbs 18:24 (New Living Translation)

 

  Concerning the posted photo of the sharp Army soldier; we call him Q-Dawg but his real name is Hector. He was my driver during my tour of duty in Operation Desert Storm; an unforgettable war in the Middle East which kicked into full gear in January, 1991. I will write more of him at a later time but it is because of Q-Dawg, (and many other soldiers in my past), that I am now awake.

 

  It is presently November 13, 2012. The hour is 2:24 A.M. and I am very much awake. I anticipated such but, as usual, I strove to overcome it this time.  Yesterday was Veteran's Day; one of several military observances which always provokes memories within my subconscious which are normally dormant during my waking hours or not readily re-visited aside from my dreams and certain triggers. I have lain awake since going to bed at 9:40 P.M. thinking about my soldiers, our journeys and adventures together, and how much I love them all even today.  

 

 My wife had long drifted off into a deep sleep and I convinced myself that I, too, was exhausted. Earlier, she had made the holiday a very special day for me from the moment I had awakened. After years of living with a career soldier she has learned much about being a military wife and subsequently earned her own stripes which she wears with strength and honour.  As I reflect back on the events of the day; going out to breakfast, shopping, a new wrist watch for me, a seafood lunch and later how she sat in my "man cave" with me for hours watching television, (even a bit of Monday Night Football), until she was ready for bed, I now believe she purposely saw to it that my day was peaceful and without incident. On these particular holidays she has seen me somberly travel back to certain military times; especially the war, and has learned of my disdain for that war and any war, and has come to understand my frequent insomnia. She knows of my love for my own "Band of Brothers" from my Army life. I still remain in contact with several of my Desert Storm troops and my pre-war soldiers through Facebook. Hector, Michael, Frank, Smitty, Roger, Donald, William, Nestor, Adrian, Greg and Edward; to name a few.  We do not talk much but we check in on one another frequently. And should the need arise for either of us to express a thought and a distant memory or to share an incident which suddenly came alive in our hearts, or perhaps to simply say, "Hey, man. I remember the time...and I just want to let you know how much you meant to me both then and now", it will be expressed openly and without shame or fear of being considered unmanly for we all came through the same fire and we know who we have become. 

 

  I will always love my soldiers; both from peace-time and war-time. Serving alongside of them was not like going to work at a grocery store or some factory; where once you clock-out you do not think of your co-workers until the next working day.  We were, and still are, a family. We knew more about each other than our own families of origin and we proved, more than once, that we would do anything for the other.  As for me, my soldiers were my friends, my peers, my support group and my most dear and trusted allies.  I feel sorry for anyone who has never known such friends during their lifetime.

 

  I bid each of them, alive and dead, a Happy Veteran's Day and a sincere "Thank you" for being my friend and brother.

 

Sleep good, soldiers. I'm up on perimeter.

I love you all.

Dennis   

 

 

 

 

Veteran's Day, 2012

 

  Someone once said the older you get, the faster time seems to go by. I find this to be very true. Appointments on my calendar come almost before I can prepare for them and a month appears to be only two or three weeks long.  I have done so much over the past few weeks including driving to Cincinnati to bury my wife's sister, Vanessa, as well as her aunt, Ruth.  In spite of his having autism, our son, David, continues to advance both mentally and physically; which makes us so very thankful and proud.  And I still find it painful to see New York, a city that has seen so much heartbreak in such a short time, still reeling from the devastation caused by Super storm Sandy.  The presidential election is over and our country remains divided. I pray for better days ahead. Today is Veteran's Day and the wife has taken David out for some activities around town and has lovingly left me to lounge in bed or watch all of the NFL I desire.  So why am I showered, dressed and ready to get out and about?  Probably because it's nice and sunny outside and the Mustang is calling my name. Maybe it's because the Carolina Panthers are not faring too well against the Broncos and it's the third quarter, or perhaps I am just restless and want to do it all.  Whatever I decide to do it will be a good thing.  I am happy to be alive today. I leave you with this inspiring poem:

“Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing
can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel
that there is something in them
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you.”
― Christian D. Larson, Your Forces and How to Use Them

  I pray you all enjoy each other, your weekend, and your holiday.   
  I love you all.
  Dennis