Rantings of a Calvinist Drug Rep

Why We Question

2010-10-26T10:18:00.001-04:00

WHY WE QUESTION

Several years ago I heard an imam who had converted to Christianity being interviewed about the true nature of Islam. This interview caused me to find a Qur’an and discover for myself if what he said were true. He spoke of many things but the one idea that is emblazoned in my brain is that Muslims are allowed to lie to “unbelievers” under certain circumstances and to “believers” if it serves their purpose of smoothing over differences.

Today we hear much conversation about religious freedom and that anyone who opposes the mosque at Ground Zero is a religious bigot! I do not think I have heard of a Christian church being built on any Muslim land, but I have heard reports of Holy Bibles being ripped apart or even burned if they are discovered. I have found no examples of Muslim “tolerance” toward Christians.

Here is what I have discovered: There are two forms of lying to non-believers that are permitted – taqiyya and kitman. This is allowed to advance the cause of Islam by drawing out vulnerability in order to defeat the enemy.

Taqiyya means to say something that is not true.

Kitman is lying by omission.

Here are some examples of verses in the Qur’an:

Qur’an (16:106) – certain circumstances can “compel” a Muslim to tell a lie.

Qur’an (3:28) - warns Muslims not to take those outside the faith as friends, unless it is to “guard themselves.”

Qur’an(9:3) – “Allah and His Messenger are free from liability to the idolaters...”.

Qur’an 40:28) – A man is introduced as a believer, but one who must “hide his faith” among those who are not believers

Qur’an (2:225) – “Allah will not call you to account for thoughtlessness in your oaths, but for the intention in your hearts.”

Qur’an (66:2) – “Allah has already ordained for you, (O men), the dissolution of your oaths.”

From the Hadith:

Bukhari (49:857) – “He who makes peace between the people by inventing good information or saying good things is not a liar.”

Burhari (84:64-65) - Speaking from a position of power, Alah confirms that lying is permissible in order to deceive an “enemy.”

So any rationally thinking individual who has only a slight understanding of Islam would certainly wonder about the motives behind building this mosque at Ground Zero. Islam is spread by jihad and Christianity is spread by evangelism - one by fear and terror and the other by “renewing the mind”.

All I ask is for any Muslim to simply state clearly what he believes and why he believes it. If Islam is such a wonderful thing, then people will be attracted to it.

(published in Marietta Daily Journal - letters to editor - Sunday, September 5th, 2010)

Job Oppurtunities

2010-10-26T10:16:00.000-04:00

Now that the dust is settling after the passage of Obamacare and we are beginning to understand the financial implications for future generations this administration is imposing upon America, I now understand that there are some positive aspects to all of this.

There are jobs being created and we should recognize these opportunities where they exist. Our children and grandchildren, even with the financial burden they now shoulder, should be thankful to Obama for these opportunities for employment.

Taxation Brainstormer: These folks will be paid for their creativity in coming up with more adequate ways to extort money from productive, tax-paying citizens. After all, the cost of government is so massive that the present extortions are just not adequate .These folks will be busy!
Government Math Teacher: As many already know, in Obamacare, $500 billion was taken from Medicare and then spent in another program. This of course adds up to a $1 trillion savings! Explaining this to people with at least second grade math skills will certainly be an opportunity for employment.
IRS Agents: I have read that America, the land of the free, requires as many as 15 thousand more IRS agents to go out into the public with the “Sword of Statism” to make sure that all citizens are paying to the maximum. These agents, of course, will work hand-in-hand with the Taxation Brainstormers. They could have meetings at some of the many costal resort towns in our country. The old phrase that the Nazis used against the Jews in WWII could be reinstituted – “Your Papers Please”!
Printers: We will need someone to print the “Papers” that folks will present to the Statists and also, because we do not have nearly enough money, there is a dire need for more available cash. Printing money to pay the national debt will provide a long-term employment opportunity since the national debt grows faster than the money can be printed with our current presses.
Wealth/Asset Distributors: As we all know, there is certainly an uneven distribution of wealth in this country. Some folks have just won “life’s lottery” and are certainly not deserving of the riches bestowed upon them by good fortune. The fact that they have worked and saved all their lives and have lived beneath their means is not important – the important thing is that some folks because of life choices, just do not have enough money to be comfortable and it is unfair that those “blessed” folks enjoy their good fortune at the expense of the less fortunate.
Faith Healers: It only follows that adding millions of folks to the pool of patients needing health care will increase the need for health care providers. Because the process of becoming a physician is so expensive and time-demanding, why put oneself through this and pile up massive debt in order to graduate and make a modest salary in Obamacare. The quickest way to become a provider is to just be a faith healer and this would fill a vast need. After all, everyone knows that if one gets a terrible disease, he has but to “really believe” in healing and it will surely happen. Why waste all of that time and money on becoming a physician?
Law School Demolition: The passage of Obamacare has clearly shown us that the two-party system is outdated. The educated elite, who are thankfully in power, have shown us that their superior intellect is a thing that all citizens can trust to bring about the “change we can believe in”! The Constitution is most certainly outdated and their “progressive” thinking will provide the escape (from the confines of the Rule of Law) that this country needs and deserves. Since the Rule of Law no longer exists in this land, there is no need for law schools. The demolition of these hundreds of buildings throughout our land should keep many able-bodied folks busy for quite a while. Are these the “shovel- ready” jobs that your president so adroitly spoke about when he read the words from his teleprompter?
Courtroom Refurbisher: Because law schools will be no longer be needed and because the Rule of Law has been replaced with a Progressive Living Document there will no longer be a need for courthouses throughout our land. Local municipalities can simply refurbish these outdated buildings to be used as adequate housing for the homeless. Or they could be refurbished to be large day-care centers so that parents would be free to enjoy their lives while the Obama administration provides someone to take care of their children. This, in some small way, could assuage their feelings of unhappiness for making poor choices in life. Why not create a Statist Diner in one of these places – the possibilities are endless!
Self-Esteem Coaches: Since there is no such thing as right and wrong, it logically follows that there is not such thing as crime and punishment and therefore, no need for jails or prisons. People no longer would commit crimes but rather just make poor choices that cause pain to other people … like murder, rape, child molestation, robbery, assault and so on! If only these folks could learn to feel good about themselves there would be no more pain and suffering in the world. America would be a utopia and the world would live as ONE. Imagine!
Statue Carvers: Throughout our great land we would employ artisans to create statues of Karl Marx, Obama – the Annointed, and of course a giant one to the “Gullability of Americans” (this could be a large tube of Astroglide)! These would be reminders of what 320 million Americans (give or take a few) allowed about 535 folks in Washington to do to us. We need plenty of these!

I hope this has enlightened many to the opportunities that are before us. I am so grateful to the enlightened that have provided these possibilities of employment.

George Goddard

Kennesaw, Georgia

On The Talent of Others

2009-08-14T11:12:00.002-04:00

Since I retired, I get to spend a great amount of my time in the mountains. It is of utmost importance to me to have a place to worship on Sundays, but as we have visited around, I have found that most churches ARE surely involved in worship - the worship of themselves. The church in America (generally speaking) has gone mad.

Could you imagine going to a wedding because of your love of the bride and groom only to have the "service" interrupted by announcements, the singing of "Happy Birthday", special music (by grossly untalented singers), recognition of veterans, someone telling a funny story or maybe have someone stand up and give his or her "personal testimony"! Maybe one could come down front and tell about the latest "meeting" they had attended and what it meant to their "personal walk"! Could you? Certainly not! So why do we have to tolerate this crap in 99% of our churches. I had come to worship God - not to hear navel-gazers blab on about how wonderful they are.

Or maybe you're the type of person who loves for your spouse to talk on the telephone or watch television while you are engaged in the physical act of love! I don't think so.

We are a Narcissistic culture and our churches have taken the bait - hook, line and sinker. Look at me! Look at me! Look Mom - no hands!

Worship is about God through the mediation of Christ - not about us!

On the Lord's Day the church bell rings and calls His people together. There is a Holy dialog taking place: God speaks - we respond! God speaks - we respond! We do not speak - only respond! Then through the "foolishness of preaching", God speaks to us through the exegesis of the Word. Finally we hear the benediction - the Good Word - and we leave to go back into the world to do our callings - Vocations! We don't worship out of fear of punishment or hope of reward, but out of gratitude! The Word kills us with the Law and then gives us life through the Gospel. The Gospel IS NOT something we do. The Gospel is what Christ did. It is all about Him and not about us. Can we not see this?

This Narcissism epidemic has caused us to not see our sinful condition. If we are wonderful, then we don't need a Savior. We're really nice folks who just need a little advice to help us be better! We don't need the ugliness of the Cross, we need self-help programs or 3 easy steps to being better at doing something!

I wish I had the talent to express my disappointment with the "rot" of the American church, but I will have to borrow the writing talent of others to make my point.

First from Frederick Buechner in "Magnificent Defeat":

There is little that we can point to in our lives as deserving anything but God's wrath. Our best moments have been mostly grotesque parodies. Our best loves have been almost always blurred with selfishness and deceit. But there is something to which we can point. Not anything that we ever did or were, but something that was done for us by another. Not our own lives, but the life of one who died in our behalf and yet is still alive. This is our only glory and our only hope. And the sound that it makes is the sound of excitement and gladness and laughter that floats through the night air from a great banquet.

Secondly a quote from John Calvin:

In short, the name of Christ excludes all merit, and everything which men have of themselves; for when he says that we are chosen in Christ, it follows that in ourselves we are unworthy.

And finally - a few words from Martin Luther:

There is no such thing as merit; but all who are justified are justified for nothing (gratis), and this is credited to no one but to the grace of God ... For Christ alone is is proper to help and save others with His mercies and works.

A MOUNTAIN EPITHET

2009-05-23T14:32:00.003-04:00

A mountain epithet reads:

“Jacob Carpenter start colrado jul3 1888 com home Jan 1889”

His trip did not last long!

A friend of mine visited me at our mountain retreat a few years ago and gave me a used book he had found in an old book store in Florida. The book is: THE GREAT SMOKIES AND THE BLUE RIDGE by Roderick Peattie. It was published in 1944 by Vanguard Press. The author, Mr. Peattie, was a mountain lover and his book is a great description of the Smoky Mountains during the time of WWII. His writing style is quite noteworthy and entertaining, but the chapter about the mountain people in particular got my attention. He had found some old epithets and did some research about them. The point about the previously mentioned epithet was that one who has the mountains in his blood will never be able to really leave them.

Some folks have absolutely no understanding of this phenomenon!

My mountain-man buddy, Beau Brasington, and I often find ourselves sitting at “The Point” with an adult beverage and a fine cigar staring off into the serenity of the Smokies. During hours of conversations, we have never really been able to put our collective fingers on what it actually is that draws us to this place – one thing we have decided for sure is that we could never really leave for any long period of time.

Mr. Peattie has done an excellent job of capturing the thoughts that Beau and I have, so why not borrow his talent of descriptive writing (the following words are from pages 118 – 124 of his book and I have used his exact language where possible except for minor changes to update) and make an attempt to describe the “lure” of the mountains:

----------------------------------

Even though you are a mountaineer only by adoption, if ever you have once loved the ugliness of a small mountain village knocked up carelessly around a broad place in a bad road, you go back and back to it. And if ever you’ve gone camping or hiking in weather that would give you pneumonia if you had to be out in it in the city, you literally almost break your neck to go do the same fool thing again.

Weather somehow never seems to be a matter of slightest consideration in these camping parties. Somebody gets the idea for one – and the affair goes off with all the good and bad points of lack of planning. Everybody gathers whatever gear they think they can get away with without too much argument. The mood stays spontaneously high, but the food is apt to be uncertain. Refrigerators, grocery stores and bakeries are raided for whatever happens to be on hand. If it’s that time of year, there are roasting ears and tomatoes. It it’s later there are peaches and apples.

The crowd gathers at the store, and a harum-scarum check-up is made for whatever else might be needed. Then the party is off – in vehicles as haphazardly assembled as the other necessities. Any tired idea that nothing exciting would ever happen to you again departs speedily with the first half-mile.

You drive as far up the chosen mountain as you can, and farther than any outsider from the world of wide highways thinks possible. Finally, even the mountain driver agrees that he’s gone as far as his springs will take him, and everybody piles out, to park the car in oaks and boulders. Before you quite leave civilization altogether, some stalwart gathers up a little firewood to start the fire in case the wood gathered later is too wet or green to kindle quickly. He shoulders the load and leads the way.

Wind and mist and darkness, and mountains of white rock rising up out of the darkness. You go on climbing; clambering over an unannounced boulder in the path; by some miracle not slipping on pine needles off the narrow path down into a few thousand feet of fog before you’d hit the first treetop; coming finally to solid footing – a great rock not quite to the top. A stocky balsam, a wind-runted laurel, some huckleberries stand their ground in a crevice of the rock and the sound they make is single, lonely. But below, millions of trees are making the soft rainy noises that wind does in them when it blows the fog off leaves.

The mountain fog is not a dank fog that hangs heavy. It is swiftly moving, constantly changing – now revealing enough strange light to promise everything – the next instant wiping it out.

The fog in your face, not too cold. The smoke from the fire built is sweet to your nostrils. The night sky is stormy – but not so black, not so everlasting, not so almighty as the black peak.

Everything familiar and trite and tired is rolled up behind you some place. The world is new and raw and beautiful and there isn’t a mistake in it. You have come eagerly, needing this. You thought you had remembered. But you find you had forgotten. You had forgotten the power, the power and the peace; the uselessness of petty things. The freedom!

There are not always fogs in the heights. Sometimes the stars are near.

Nor do you have to climb to great heights. You can ascend the steeps of the mildest hill in sight – maybe the rise back of the village church, or by your lodge, which amounts only to a few steps. But, as the mountain woman said once when she had occasion to try to figure out all the sorry sense of the world, “A little height makes a sight of difference in the way a body sees things.” When you can get above the confusion and look to the quiet strength and calm beauty of the hills, with each going on into the next, and the next, and the next till they take on sureness and sweep – you grow somehow not afraid. It is as though you have ascended to some altitude of yourself, to some inner reserve of endurance you had forgotten about, or perhaps never knew was there.

And you can walk down a mountain road when the sky is glittering blue and the air is fresh or you can take a side road that leads by a creek with forget-me-nots along its banks – and you need not climb at all.

We know a man who, after looking the rest of the world over to the extent of two continents, came to the conclusion that the small part of the globe he would choose as his was back in the Blue Ridge in a place tourists don’t know they’ve gone through until the sign at the edge of the “town” tells them so. He has a farm he enjoys, but it doesn’t pay. He says he’s tried everything except hard work, and he’s thinking something of trying that next.

Sometimes you mourn the loss of people like that to the world of affairs. Then again, in those drained, weary moments when you stop long enough to wonder ironically just what it is you’re struggling toward – you think those others are the only sane people you know.

Perhaps it is a yearning of the mind and body for a temporary suspension of all thought and feeling that takes you back to the mountains. Over after-dinner coffee recently a man much involved and harassed with international affairs, said that when the war (WWII) was over there was just one thing he wanted to do. He wanted to sit and spit. Everyone in the room laughed, with a mixture of understanding and wistfulness

Mountains are one of the better places to sit – and spit if you wish; but at any rate to sit and stare off over a valley and not think of anything much, and have a very good time at it.

If you need people, there are people – friendly people, hospitably willing to put themselves out for you. If you like your outdoors hitched to a sport, they will show you which place in the rocky river that goes shouting and bawling and singing between the mountain cliffs is the best to send a fly flashing and pull in a big trout. Or which are the best hiking trails.

If it’s the small aesthetics that need revival, for color, there’s the squander of it from May through frost. And even in white winter twilights, there are the rose and purple peaks.

For smell, if you’ve ever known the spicy aromatic smell of the cool mountain woods – laurel and galax and teaberry and pine, and old logs with their sweetness still in them – then you can understand the utterance that came from the heart of a returned mountain man, who fervently declared, “I’d ruther be a knot on a log up hyur, than the mayor of a city down yonder.”

Mountain people come back. They get homesick for friendly faces. “I was just a lonely boy in the streets,” said another, who tried it. “Lots of faces, but none I knew. Everybody busy with themselves.”

They got homesick for the sight of the mountains. There is a poem by Lillian Mayfield Wright that tells about that. It begins:

“I think that something in a hill child dies
When he is taken to the level lands”

If they can, they come back. Especially if they have gone to the lowlands to work. It is one thing to obligingly go help somebody out – but it is quite another to work steadily for someone who gives them orders. They have never taken orders from anybody in their history, except in time of war. Ordinary servility is intolerable to them.

Moreover the idea of plugging along steadily at a job for the sole reason of getting enough money ahead to be able to quit someday, does not strike their sense of reason. It seems to them much more sensible to work, when there’s work to be done. But when a pretty day comes along, stop and enjoy it. Why strive frantically toward something ahead, when you can have it as you go along?

They come back for earnest reasons. Many of those who have gone away to school, come back to give the people at home who have not been so fortunate the advantages of what they have learned. Thus an increasing number of the teachers, doctors, nurses, dentists and preachers who are responsible for the raising of the intellectual and physical and moral standards of the mountains are of the mountains themselves. They have gone out, and have come back.

They have come back from wars – from all that war is, to the peace of the mountains.

They come back – those with their roots deep in mountain rock and earth; and those who happened once upon the mountains at some magic time or place that took quick hold upon their thoughts and upon their life.

George Goddard
May 23rd, 2009

THE ONLY THING LEFT NOT TAXABLE

2009-05-21T10:43:00.003-04:00

I begin every morning of my life with a pot of coffee and the Marietta Daily Journal. I love to read the opinion pages in the early part of the day before my brain is cluttered with the flotsam of the day’s activities and I applaud the MDJ for including articles that support both conservative and liberal thought.

As one who is losing interest in television news and the edited sound-bites, I see no purpose realized in having two people, whose images are placed side-by-side, barking their positions at each other as the moderator attempts to intervene and allows one or the other to have the “last word”! There is no debate – just shouting! Why not have each state his or her position and then attempt to show how that position is logical – at least that would cause the viewers to think!

In my years of reading, I have realized that our country’s citizens are consumed with a group mentality. Most folks tend to identify with a group ( blacks, whites, gays, straights, religious, non-religious, right to lifers and pro-lifers and etc.) and it seems that identifying oneself as an individual thinker is a relic of the past. Each group claims its legal or moral rights and then shouts those claims at each other either on television or in the print media.

Here is a thought to consider.

If one considers he has a right to commit a specific act, he should ask himself if his claim to that right is legal or moral. Dr. R.C. Sproull recently commented about legal versus moral rights and his words caused me to think.

If it is a legal claim, consider this! There was a time in this country when blacks were legally considered to be three-fifths of a person. It was legal to keep women and blacks from voting. If a white person boarded a bus and there was a black person sitting in the front, it was legal to force the black person to the rear of that bus. I could go on and one about our laws that made specific heinous acts LEGAL, but thank goodness, we the people had the common sense to CHANGE those laws – because they were WRONG! So it only logically follows that we should all realize that laws can be wrong.

Next, if it is a moral claim, then where does one get the “moral” right. Our Declaration of Independence informs us that, “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights …”!
I am amazed that today, very few people believe in a Creator, so from whence do these “moral” rights arise? Why do folks claim a “moral” right when they have no idea of the origin of that right?

If the "rights" that many are so quick to claim are not really based on any legal or moral certainty - then are we not all barbarians?

So, the next time someone writes about their rights – stop for a second and have another sip of coffee. Think! It is about the only thing left that isn’t taxable.

RIGHT WING RADICAL

2009-05-09T08:49:00.014-04:00

A few weeks ago, Janet Napolitano, director of homeland security, made a comment about the danger of our young men and women coming home from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq becoming involved with right wing extremist groups. She concluded that since they were trained in warfare, they could certainly be dangerous to the progressive thought to which she has subscribed and erroneously assumes that most Americans have subscribed to also.

Her comments first enraged me but after a little thought I just decided to vomit! How in the world did our country come to this?

This directed my thoughts to my father, Ed Goddard! According to this lady’s “progressive” and “superior” thought process, my deceased father would be classified as a right-wing radical.

Edward McCoy Goddard fell to this earth just a couple of years shy of 1920 ( February 7, 1918) and his first cries as new human being echoed through the winter cold of the middle Georgia town of Reynolds, Georgia. He was the second-born to George and Lucy Goddard.

Ed quickly grew up to be a strapping young lad who enjoyed life and spent a lot of time with his parents who instilled into him a joy of the outdoors – especially hunting and fishing. His father was an expert in both of these concerns and young Ed quickly followed suit.

After high school, Big Ed (or “Foots” to his friends) attended and graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia with a Bachelors degree in Psychology and his resulting employment sent him to south Florida on business. During his time in Fort Myers, Florida, Big Ed met and quickly fell in love with Naia Gonzalez, who was a receptionist for the local newspaper. He instantly knew that he wanted to spend his life with her. Naia’s mother, Mabel, had been widowed at a young age so Naia basically grew up without a father. Because of this, Mabel was not delighted with the idea of Big Ed’s marrying her daughter and carrying her off to wedded bliss in the middle Georgia sun, but as the years progressed, Mabel became Big Ed’s most passionate supporter – in other words – she worshipped the ground he walked on!

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Ed joined the Navy and went off to serve his country. His first son, Mac, was born a few months later and his family was with him during part of his training period. After a short while, however, Ed had to depart for the South Pacific on his ship and had to leave his family behind. During shore leave a few years later, his only daughter, Kikky, was conceived but he did not get to see her for a while. One can only imagine how much Big Ed longed to see his family, but especially his daughter, Kikky, whom he had never laid eyes upon. Imagine this young navy lieutenant’s thoughts on the evening before April 1, 1945 when he was given top secret information about the Invasion of Okinawa that was to begin the next morning.

Here was this big ‘ole country boy from Georgia with a wife, a young son and an infant daughter whom he had not seen who had just been told that as many as 85% to 90% of the brave Americans would be killed during the initial invasion of the beaches of Okinawa. Because Okinawa was only 340 miles from mainland Japan, they could expect that the Japanese would pull out all stops to block the success of this invasion. This last ditch effort of the emperor worshipers would be their most aggressive even compared to their previous efforts to stop other allied amphibious assaults. Big Ed piloted one of the landing crafts that took the marines to the island. Upon his first trip to shore, he was sure that he would not make it back alive. HE WENT ANYWAY – THIS RIGHT WING RADICAL!

Fortunately, things did not happen as expected. They landed without a shot being fired at them because the Japanese had fortified themselves in the mountains. It was a beautiful day and was truly a respite before the hell that was to follow a couple of days later and for a few months more. Between April 1st and June 23rd, it has been estimated that hundreds of thousands of people died as a result of this fighting. Two of Ed’s boyhood friends were in this assault and were killed in the fighting that followed. After the war, Ed, in his occupation as a funeral director, had the funerals for his friends. For the record: the allies (mostly U.S.) suffered over 50 thousand casualties and over 12 thousand deaths. The Japanese lost 100,000 troops and approximately one-fourth of the civilian population of Okinawa was killed as a result of this battle. The total number of deaths was somewhere between 200 to 300 thousand people.

After the atomic bombs were dropped in Japan, the Allied forces knew that no invasion of Japan would have to take place. Big Ed’s ship (the Mendocina) returned to the United States after a short while and Big Ed, the Right-Wing Radical, came back home to be with his family and friends and to get back to everyday life. I have all the letters that my father sent my mother from the war and every single one of them is signed, “all my love, all my life”! He meant what he wrote because they stayed married until my mother’s death on August 9, 1993 – 53 years! Ed died on January 9th, 1994 – of a broken heart!

During his time back in Reynolds, Ed was a pillar of the community as he went into the family business (grocery store and funeral home) with his father. He and Naia had 4 children: Mac, Kikky and after the war they were blessed with the births of George (me) in 1952 and Bruce in 1955.

Ed, the right wing radical, taught me how to hunt, fish and how to work. He told me that the world did not owe me a damn thing and that I would have to take care of myself. I never got an “allowance” but I was free to make all the money I wished bagging groceries at the family grocery store. He did not force me into the funeral business but introduced it to me – I went into pharmacy. He took me to “the country” with him when he went to work on some of the wells that he had installed for local families. Included in these families were kids who attended school with me that were not nearly as fortunate as I had been – he showed me that I should be thankful for my many blessings. He showed me how to be a friend to people! He showed me that being big and strong was a gift to me to be used as a source of protection for my loved ones and not for abuse. He showed me how to be a father and the proper use of a thundering velvet hand. He taught me how to take care of those the Lord had entrusted to me but mostly he showed me the richness of a life that is filled with laughter and the joy of being surrounded by family and friends. He showed me the value and meaning added to life by hard work. He taught me that life is a lot bigger than me – a lot bigger. He showed me what the fervent prayers of a big man can bring about. In his profession as a funeral director, he was truly a “mask for God” and instilled into me the desire to be a mask also.

I was in the second grade when my grandmother – his mother, Lucy, died! I remember vividly the scene of Big Ed, this rock of a man, sitting next to her casket and crying inconsolably for hours. I learned that day that mothers are pretty special, because I had never seen my father cry.

Because of his love for his mother, Big Ed did everything in his power so that we could have the kind of relationship with our mother the he enjoyed with his! He created the conditions needed for all of his kids to have the joy of a nurturing and loving mother

It worked! When my mother died in August of 1993, I cried inconsolably for hours also!

I do not know a thing about Janet Napolitano and have no desire to learn. She is totally clueless as far as I am concerned but of this one fact I am eternally grateful - she is not my mother!

On this Mothers’ Day in 2009, I thank the God of the Universe that He saw fit before time began to make Ed and Naia Goddard my parents. I am thankful that Ed Goddard was a Right-Wing Radical who created the family of which I was fortunate to be a part and I hope that I will always be a Right-Wing Radical also.

To my own family I would like to conclude with, “all my love, all my life”!

Happy Mothers’ Day!

CRISIS OF FAITH

2009-02-02T10:49:00.002-05:00

Crisis of Faith

In the August 23, 2007 issue of TIME, there appeared an article by David Van Biema that explained to an unaware (and shocked) public the crisis of faith that Mother Teresa experienced in her life. A new book, Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light (Doubleday), consisted primarily of correspondence between Teresa and her confessors and superiors. It was her wish that these letters be destroyed but her wish was overruled by her church. The book’s editor explains that for the last 50 years of her life she felt no presence of God whatsoever, “neither in her heart or in the eucharist”!

It seems this “absence” began at the time she began tending the poor and dying in Calcutta. While cheery in public, Teresa lived in a state of deep and abiding spiritual pain and in these letters she bemoans the “dryness”, “loneliness” and “torture” she experienced even comparing the experience to hell and at one point proclaiming it has driven her to doubt the existence of heaven and even of God. “The smile” is “a mask” or “a cloak that covers everything.”

After 17 years of teaching in Calcutta, she was traveling to a retreat in the Himalayas when she claimed she heard the voice of Christ speak to her. She was told to abandon teaching and work instead in “the slums” of the city, dealing with “the poorest of the poor”. “Come, Come, carry Me into the holes of the poor,” Christ told her. “Come be My light.” She was “to help them live their lives with dignity {and so} encounter God’s infinite love, and having come to know Him, to love and serve Him in return.”

As the mission work flourished and gained the attention of the world and her church, Teresa progressed from confessor to confessor the way some patients move through their psychoanalysts (words of Van Biema). She developed a kind of shorthand of pain, referring almost casually to “my darkness” and to Jesus as “the Absent One”.

AMERICA’S Martin says, “Who would have thought that the person who was considered the most faithful woman in the world struggled like that with her faith?” he asks? “And who would have thought that the one thought to be the most ardent of believers could be a saint to the skeptics?”

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As I read this TIME article, I was saddened by the fact that this lady who was the personification of “good works” felt the need to use her smile to hide her true feelings or to use her forced happy demeanor as a “cloak that covers everything”. I was reminded of a recent radio broadcast called THE WHITE HORSE INN that I tune in on a regular basis at www.whitehorseinn.org.! One of the members of the broadcast group went with microphone in hand to a “Christian” convention (I think it was Christian Booksellers) and asked numerous people: “If you die with unconfessed sin, will you go to heaven”? Not one single person that was interviewed had ANY assurance of their salvation. I heard comments like: “I’m a good person so I hope I will” or “I’ve tried to live for God so I hope the Lord will look favorably upon me”! Several were brutally honest and simply said, “I don’t know”! One often used comment was that “God looks at the heart” ( these folks had obviously overlooked Matthew 15:19-20: For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things that defile a man)! Believe me, the last thing any of us should desire is for God to look at the heart … that is terrible news!

These were “Christians” mind you and they were at a “Christian” convention.

Reading the story of Mother Teresa in TIME caused me to have the same sickening and sad feeling I had when I heard the broadcast of THE WHITE HORSE INN!

Mother Teresa was a Roman Catholic and the folks at the convention were Protestants yet when it all percolates down … there seems to be no difference! Each displays a crisis of faith or even more … a crisis of Biblical illiteracy. The symbol of the Roman Catholic faith is a cross with a dead Jesus still nailed upon it and the symbol of the Protestant faith is an empty cross because Jesus is resurrected. Catholic theology teaches that grace is infused by baptism and Protestants (at least some) understand that grace is imputed through faith. To a Catholic the instrumental means (causality) of salvation is baptism and to a Protestant the instrumental means (causality) of salvation is faith alone.

How could the net result of belief (either Roman or Protestant) be the exact same thing: hopelessness and meaninglessness and a feeling that one must “smile” or act happy in order to hide how miserable Christ has made you!

This is why I have a blog … so that I can write down what is on my mind in the hope that matters will be clarified to me or that those who read this will at least think!

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I realize that many who read this are not believers … and that is great. Just please bear with me as I try (for my own sake) to work through this thing and try to figure out how so many “believers” can be so empty and uninformed.

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THE HISTORICAL JESUS:

Jesus was a real person of history. There are probably more historical writings to verify his existence than any other person who every lived. These sources are not just “Christian” but “non-Christian” historians also, e.g. the works of Flavius Josephus.

He was seen by many after the resurrection as is stated in Matthew 15:19-20: After that He was seen by over 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. One may disagree as to what He was doing, but one cannot disagree as to whether He was a real person of history.

I recently had a conversation with a highly educated person about Christianity. He informed me that he was an “agnostic”. I told him that I appreciated his honesty, but then I asked him if he were agnostic about any other event or person of history other than Christ. He looked puzzled! I asked him if he were “agnostic” about the 1588 defeat of the Spanish Armada (I don’t know how I remembered this from my history classes) or if he were agnostic about Alexander the Great. I explained that there are no persons alive who were eyewitnesses nor are there any DVD’s available to rent with “actual” footage. The only thing we have to verify most of history is the written word, I reminded him. I further explained that if he were “agnostic” about the Christ of history, then he would also have to be agnostic about ALL OF HISTORY, to be intellectually honest.

Christ is not a myth or fable. He is a real person of history! The apostle Peter (an eyewitness) writes in 2 Peter 1:16: For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses to his majesty.

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Let’s look at the basics of Christianity.

SIN

The big problem we all face is sin, but this is a word that no one wants to talk about … we would rather say “dysfunction”. Scripture teaches that when Adam sinned, sin entered the world. When sin entered the world, disease and death also entered the world. As a result, we are all under the dominion of sin and death and we are helpless in and of ourselves to fight it or to stop it. Look at yourself in the mirror today and then look at a photograph of yourself taken about 10 years ago. Do you notice the difference? You are growing older and you will eventually die. This fact can cause one to be severely depressed, whether one is concerned with one’s own death or all of the death and destruction we see everyday through the media. In Scripture, death is a curse of God and it is not a celebration (I have left strict instructions that upon my death if anyone is caught celebrating they are to be drawn and quartered)! I want people to grieve when I die … not celebrate!

Sin is described by the Shorter Catechism as “any want of conformity to or transgression of the law of God”

Romans 14:23 says that: Everything that does not come from faith is sin.

Romans 3: 10-12 says: As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

The apostle Paul best describes the struggle a Christian faces with the power of sin: For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. And further: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice (Romans 7:15; 18-19).

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THE HOLINESS OF GOD

Here’s the part that no one likes to hear! God does not grade on a curve, he demands total righteousness and holiness. In the survey that I mentioned at the beginning, I think that all of the doubters knew this fact implicitly. Because of this, they were hesitant to say whether or not they would go to heaven if they died with unconfessed sin in their lives.

God says in His Word in 1 Peter1: 15-16: but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

One can see here that there is a major problem. God commands us to be holy and righteous (not just good) and we are helpless against our sin … even if we try to stop.

Keep reading, that bad news is worse than you thought!

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THE 10 COMMANDMENTS
(THE LAW OF GOD)

In Scripture there are two things that we must differentiate. We must know the difference between the INDICATIVE and the IMPERATIVE. Simply put, the indicative is a statement of fact or doctrine and the imperative is law or commands. One states and one commands! Get the picture? Because of our sin, we hate doctrine and we love law. Like Mike Horton of Westminster Seminary jokingly states, “Just give us 3 easy steps on how to be righteous … we want more law”!

In Exodus 20 one finds a listing of the 10 Commandments (which is imperative) and I am sure that anyone reading this has seen the 10 Commandments posted in all sorts of places, but have you ever wondered why the indicative before the list is always left off?

Exodus 20:1-2: And God spoke all these words saying: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

This indicative is the doctrine or statement of fact as to why God has the right to speak to the nation of Israel the commands He is about to list. He brought them out of bondage and out of the land of Egypt. They did not bring themselves. When I read this, I am always reminded of my younger years when my father would not allow me to do something that I really wanted to do. Upon my asking why I had to comply with his prohibition, he would simply say, “ Because I am your father”! Now that’s indicative!

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make for yourself any graven image.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.

Any sin you can think of is covered in these 10 commands. They are all inclusive!

But we’re right back to the same problem! How are we going to keep these commandments when we are helpless sinners? Good question!

God commands and demands total holiness for us to ever be in His presence, so the best I can figure is that we have two choices to ponder:
1. Our righteousness or
2. The righteousness of another.

If you plan to go before the Holy God of the Universe based upon your own righteousness, well then, good luck to you! Being a good person is not good enough. Being a nice guy is not good enough. Taking casseroles to widows is not good enough. Let’s look what Scripture says.

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Galatians 2:16 – Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW NO FLESH SHALL BE JUSTIFIED.

Even if you kept the Law (10 Commandments) perfectly, it is not good enough! By the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. Say this to yourself over and over so you will not forget it. In summary on this point, the purpose of the Law is to remove any pretense that you can earn your righteousness. Firstly, you cannot keep it AND, lastly, even if you COULD keep the Law (10 Commandments) perfectly, it is not good enough. Imagine the treadmill of a life that would be!

By now, I hope you see that choice #1 above (our righteousness) is the wrong answer and #2 is correct. The verse from Galatians 2:16 gave away the answer – faith in Christ! We cannot keep the law, but Christ DID it on our behalf. We are hidden in Christ (Colossians 3:3) and his righteousness is PERFECT and acceptable to God for He said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (2 Peter 1: 17). God sees Christ and not us!

So if you ever doubt that you are living the “Christian life”, you would be correct! That is why you should have doubt in yourself and your ability to be righteous. You are not and cannot be righteous before God except for the covering of Christ. It is Christ that is righteous, we are NOT! I am reminded of the young husband who was sulking around the house when his wife inquired as to what was the matter. He replied, “I feel like a failure!” She exclaimed, “But, Honey, you ARE a failure.” He then exclaimed, “Well, great then, now I’m cured.”

Remember, you are a failure! OK! Now you’re cured.

Remember … the Law (the 10 Commandments) removes all pretense that you can earn your salvation, but Moralism returns that pretense with a vengeance.

More verses to better clarify.

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Romans 3:21-23: BUT NOW the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:28: Therefore we conclude that a man is justified apart from the deeds of the law.

Romans 4: 5-8: But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

Romans 7:6 : But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

Romans 10:3-4: For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Romans 11:6: And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

Galatians 2: 21 : I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.

Galatians 3: 2 : This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Galatians 3:13 : Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.”)

Galatians 4: 4 : But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Galatians 5: 1: Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Galatians 6:14: But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Now, having read through all of these verses, I am sure that one would wonder what is the purpose of the law.

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THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW

Galatians 3: 21-25: Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

(When I was in grade school, my mother forced me to take piano lessons. My teacher, Miss Pendegrast, would sit next to me at the piano bench with a ruler in her hand. Whenever I made a mistake (which was frequently) she would slap my hand with the ruler and yell at me “get it right”! This is what I envision when I think of the law’s role as a tutor. It slaps our wrists with a ruler whenever we try to use the law as a tool to forge out our own righteousness.)

The reformers (John Calvin) crystallized for the church’s benefit the threefold use of the law: ( this comes from the New Geneva Study Bible, pg. 259)

1. Its first function is to be a mirror reflecting to us both the perfect righteousness of God and our own sinfulness and shortcomings. As Augustine wrote, “the law bids us, as we try to fulfill its requirements, and become wearied in our weakness under it, to know how to ask the help of grace.” The law gives knowledge of sin (Rom. 3:20; 4:15; 5:13; 7:7-11) and shows us our need of pardon and our danger of damnation in order to lead us to repentance and faith in Christ (Gal. 3:19-24)
2. A second function, the “civil use”, is to restrain evil. Though the law cannot change the heart, it can inhibit lawlessness by its threats of judgment, especially when backed by a civil code that administers punishment for proven offenses. It secures civil order, and serves to protect the righteous from the unjust.
3. The third function is to guide the regenerate into the good works that God has planned for them (Eph. 2:10). The Christian is free from the law as a system of salvation (as I have argued previously), but Christ was speaking of this third use when He said that those who become His disciples must be taught to do all that He had commanded (Matt.28:20), and that obedience to His commands will prove the reality of one’s love for Him (John 14:15).

The reformers have shown us that in Scripture we see “The Law” and “Gospel”. The law kills, demands, destroys, removes all pretense that we deserve anything and brings us to total helplessness. But everything that the law demands, God gives freely in the Gospel. The law is written on our hearts ( we know when we do wrong), but the Gospel has to be declared. It has to be preached into us every Lord’s Day because it is so contrary to our nature! The Law is imperative and the Gospel is indicative, but there are preachers everywhere who try to convince their congregations that the Gospel is law (in other words we have to do something)!

We do not need programs in our churches, all we need is Law and Gospel! The Law kills us (and has our attention because it is written on our hearts – Romans 2:15) and the Gospel gives life through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Law without the gospel is brutality and the Gospel without the Law is silliness. We must know why we need the Gospel. I am not fabricating all of this, this is what the Reformers taught when they protested the abuses of the Roman church and its sacerdotalism (priest worship).

We do not need to hear sermons on how we can use the Gospel to give us recovery from our dysfunction (law). We do not need to hear sermons with three easy steps to being a better daddy, a better husband, a better manager of our finances or a better employee (more law). We do not need to hear sermons that warn us not to “smoke, dip, drink or chew or hang around with girls that do” (even more law). We do not need cute little talks about how we can have “Our Best Life Now”! We need to hear Christ and Him crucified. Period!

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THE OLD TESTAMENT IS ABOUT JESUS

The Bible is about Christ. Adam got it wrong and failed to hold up his end of the covenant of works in the garden and all of the other examples of characters (Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, David) are just other Adams who got it wrong until the last Adam, Christ, finished what the Father sent Him to accomplish. We do not need to hear, therefore, sermons about how we should emulate these “characters”, but rather we need to hear sermons about Christ who is our Redeemer because of his life, death and resurrection and that He has ransomed us from our sin debt and has propitiated the wrath of the Father against us. His work was perfect and we rest in Him alone. “It is finished”!

It has been said that the New Testament is the world’s greatest commentary on the Old Testament. Christ is in the shadows in the OT but is brought to light in the NT. This is called the “type” and the “anti-type”! Whether one is reading in the OT or the NT, one should see Christ:

John 1:45 – Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
(Moses is Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy and the prophets are the rest of the OT). So in other words they were saying, “We have found Him of whom the Old Testament is about.”

Acts 9: 30-35 – So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the Scripture which he read was this:
“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He opened not his mouth.
In His humiliation His justice was taken away,
And who will declare His generation?
For His life is taken from the earth”
So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. (In other words, Philip explained that Isaiah 53: 7-8, part of the Old Testament, was about Christ.).

Luke 24:25-27 – Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! “Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. (On the road to Emmaus when Jesus walked up to some disciples after His resurrection and they did not recognize him, he finally revealed Himself to them and then explained that the OT [Moses and the Prophets] was about Him).

John 5:39 – You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life: and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. (Jesus in speaking to the Pharisees telling them that they are Bible centered but not Christ centered. Their Scripture was the Old Testament and Jesus explained to them that they failed to see Him in their Scripture, the OT).

These are but a few of the verses and prophesies of the Old Testament that show Christ. THE BIBLE IS ABOUT CHRIST. IT IS NOT CUTE LITTLE STORIES OF EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE THAT WE CAN USE IN OUR SEARCH FOR SELF-FULFILLMENT. If you see anything other than Christ … you have missed it!

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Polytheism

Have you ever heard it stated that “you need to choose Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior”? I heard this all my life as ministers in churches would work hard to manipulate the emotions of the congregation by singing dozens of verses of “Just As I Am” or “All To Jesus I Surrender”. They would keep on and on until finally someone came down front to “accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior”! I grew up thinking that this was the essence of Christianity and it wasn’t until I was much older that I came to a better understanding.

You see, America is very much like ancient Rome in that we are a polytheistic society and we are free to have our own “personal” gods. As a matter of fact, America is very much like ancient Rome in many other ways, but that is another story for another time! Many people in Rome had statues of gods in their homes … the more the merrier. Jesus (and the God of Abraham) was just another god to them. It wasn’t until they learned about the exclusivity of Christianity that things started heating up. For a while, Christianity was just a part of the religion of the Jews and did not seem to pose a problem, but later things got heated. Why do you think Paul was in chains for so long and wrote the majority of his work from prisons? The apostles died horrible deaths … not because they presented Jesus as just another deity from which to choose – as one of many ways, but because they preached that He was the ONLY way (Acts 4:12).

Before Me there was no God formed,
Nor shall there be after Me.
I, even I, am the Lord,
And besides Me there is no savior. ( Isaiah 43:10b)

Of idol worship He says:

Indeed you are nothing,
And your work is nothing;
He who chooses you is an abomination. (Isaiah 41:24)

I have been studying Scripture and being instructed by great teachers for a long time now and I do not see ANYWHERE IN SCRIPTURE any language that presents Jesus as a personal Lord and Savior, but I see PLENTY of language that speaks of Him as THE Lord and Savior.

If you present Jesus as just another choice ( like shopping for detergent at Wal-Mart) then no one will be angry with you and you can keep all your friends, but if you present the Jesus of Scripture as the only choice … then you will have a fight on your hands. Don’t believe me … try it!

People are always telling me that I am opinionated! To which I reply, “Oh, is that YOUR
opinion!”

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THE OFFENSE OF THE CROSS

My church recently had a missionary report to us that in a country in Africa where a Church had been planted, the Christians there are being heavily persecuted. After a service one Sunday morning, soldiers met them at the door and forced some of them to wear large baskets (that were used as portable toilets) on their heads and to march around in the hot sun. Others were placed in wooden crates in 100 plus degree heat and left in the heat for hours at the time. I asked myself why Christianity is so offensive to so many people around the world. These worshippers were then told that if they would just sign a statement stating that they would reject the name of Christ and never worship Him again, they would be allowed to go free and be left alone. Why, again I asked myself, do people hate Christianity so terribly much?

If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. (1 Peter 4:14)

First, I think, is the exclusivity of Christ. There is no other way to God except through the mediation of Christ. Because God is Holy and we are unholy (Rev. 3:17), we cannot approach Him based on our own righteousness. We are like gasoline and he is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29). The only way we are allowed to approach God is based on the righteousness of another (Christ)! Think about the difference in the words mediate vs. immediate (without mediation).

The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe in the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. (John 3:35-36).

Second, we Americans do not want to be told that we cannot do everything ourselves. We want to be responsible for our salvation – we want to “earn” our way into God’s presence. After all, we are all sweet, nice and basically good people and all we need is a little good advice to help us be better and then of course, God will have to accept us. We do not want to be told that we are “worms” or “sinners”!

And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. (Philippians 3:9)

Third, all of this Jesus stuff seems foolish to the enlightened minds of our age. We have college degrees and much understanding of scientific data. We are far too intelligent to fall for all these myths of Christ – like the Easter Bunny, Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy!

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (I Corinthians 1:18)

To the Greeks (pagans) the Cross was foolishness, to the Jews it is a stumbling block and to Americans it is both!

For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. (Romans 9:32)

This offense is not just exhibited in those protagonists of the Gospel, but even more so, I think, in those who are supposedly entrusted with delivering the Gospel … churches! As I have explained earlier, the Law is written on the hearts of mankind – so we know when we do wrong! We KNOW that we cannot keep the 10 commandments, so there is a tendency to create a set of laws that we know we can keep – such as the prohibition against drinking, smoking, playing cards and dancing! We even brag that we don’t “smoke, dip, drink or chew or hang around with girls that do”! This neo-nomianism is our way of snubbing the exclusivity of Christ, by once more thinking that our keeping of these new rules is what endears us to our Creator! We can stop smoking or drinking but we find it impossible to “love our neighbors as ourselves” (the summation of the Law)! I have seen many a so-called Christian boast of his or her “tea- totaler” righteousness. Of course, they can abuse prescription drugs like Valium, Xanax or hydrocodone, but they certainly do not drink or smoke. Are you getting the picture? We love law and are born opposed to Grace. We are forever opposed to anything that denies our fickle self-earned righteousness.

Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. (Colossians 1: 28)

You say, ‘ I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. (Rev. 3: 17)

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SAVED FROM WHAT

Have you ever been approached by someone who wants to “save” you? Next time this happens, simply ask the person “Saved from what?” and you will get a zillion different answers. I have often wondered why someone is trying to save me when they have not even taken the time to understand what they are trying to save me from. There are those who teach that Hell is the absence of God and Heaven is the presence of God for all eternity - don’t believe them! There will be many who will wish that they could be removed from the presence of God. The truth of Scripture is that we ALL have an eternal relationship with God – some will spend eternity in the face of God in His Wrath and others will spend eternity in the face of God in His Grace, but every person will spend eternity in the presence of God. You see, the truth of Scripture is that Satan is NOT your problem – God is your problem! If Christ did not bear on the Cross the penalty for YOUR sin, they YOU will bear it for all eternity. Read chapters 17 through 19 in the Gospel of John to get a good understanding of Christ and the Cross.

And he who does not believe in the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. (John 3:36)

Satan was cast from the presence of God and has no sovereign power so, as I stated, Satan is not your problem. Satan can only steal the joy of salvation but cannot take your salvation. God is your problem! At the end of time, Satan will be one’s brother in Hell – not one’s tormentor. He is a liar and the father of lies! He will be cast into the lake of fire like all other unbelievers.

Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20: 14-15)

Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth. (Galatians 4:16)

Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. (Proverbs 12:1)

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WORSHIP

Maybe, by now, the reader of this could be thinking that this is all serious stuff but when I go to a church all is hear is silly stuff. I see rock bands, protracted amateurish efforts at entertainment and pretty much the exact same thing I get in the culture. Sadly, this discovery is true. The church is filled with rot and it nauseates me. I get sick and tired of hearing self-help sermons on how I can be better at doing or being something … i.e. good advice! I don’t want ANY MORE ADVICE! I need a savior! Dysfunction and recovery is not my issue – it is much worse! My problem is my helplessness against sin. I agree with the apostle Paul when he said that the good he desired, he didn’t do and the evil that he abhorred, he did anyway. We are wretched people living in these bodies of death. Who will rescue us? Certainly not loud music or snow cones and pony rides!
The law is seared into my consciousness but the Gospel has to be preached into me every Lord’s day. Most churches do not do this because they are so involved with programs and giving advice. They are telling the masses what their itching ears want to hear and people will surround themselves with these false teachers.

Keep searching for a true Church where Word, Sacrament and Discipline are rightly administered. Where every Lord’s Day, God’s people are summoned together to hear the Good News (not advice) and where there is a diversity of folks not drawn together by their felt needs, but rather by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Man has been attempting to climb up to God since our creation but this is not possible. So God dressed up like one of us in Christ and came down to us. Every Lord’s day, in true worship services, the same thing happens again when the Word (Scripture) comes to us through the sinful lips of man (preacher) and we receive it. We do not DO ANYTHING, we just receive. And through this preaching, Christ is proclaimed through the exegesis of Scripture.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3: 16)

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10: 22-25)

Then,

We receive this Word and then rise and go back to our vocations where we are a mask for God. We do our good works for our fellow man – not for God, as if God needed anything! “God doesn’t need our good works – our neighbors do”, so says Luther. Do not get hung up on trying to find your personal ministry. It is your pastor’s vocation to serve to you Word and Sacrament and it is your job to receive it. Try not to gum things up by stopping the flow of Grace with your dam of personal ministry fulfillment. It has been said, “Don’t just do something, sit there!”

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. (Psalm 32:1-2)

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit. (Romans 8:1)

~

REDEDICATION

There will certainly come a time when the Evil One will have you convinced that the righteousness of Christ is not good enough for God and you must add some of your own efforts to His finished work. Christ’s suffering on the Cross was a great sacrifice but your added efforts are really what makes it all worthwhile, or so Satan will inform you! Once again, don’t believe this.

This guilt placement will not come to you through some ugly creature with horns and a big tail, but rather through a “minister”! He will convince you with soft-music, soft-lights and 50 verses of “Just As I Am” to come down front to rededicate your back-slidden life to God, because after all, you efforts are really what matters.

Here are two words of the Christian faith you must understand to avoid confusion on this issue: Justification and Sanctification! I will define these words from The Shorter Catechism.

Justification: Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardons all of our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.

In other words, God has declared believers to be righteous – not their own righteousness but rather the righteousness of Christ. Believers are forever freed from the PENALTY of sin. This is a declaration of God and we are not involved in ANY WAY!

Sanctification: Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.

This is telling us that we walk hand-in-hand with our Father and live the Christian life of gradually freeing ourselves from the POWER of sin. It is our desire to be more like Christ. It has been said that this is unanesthesized earthly surgery because it is so painful. We desire to live a life worthy of our calling! If you are a drug addict, alcoholic or whatever – you have been changed and your desire is now for the Lord. Mortifying our addictions and ruinous behaviors is hard work but it is the Christian life on earth. Sanctification is only what believers go through and in no way does this process nullify your justification. Remember, the work for your justification was done totally and completely by God through Christ and Christ is also the source of your sanctification process.

THERE IS NO NEED FOR YOU TO REDEDICATE YOUR FICKLE EFFORTS AT BEING RIGHTEOUS! When you go through these times, just focus on the Cross and remember that He was the perfect and complete payment for your sin.

In addition, The Shorter Catechism defines sin as any want of conformity unto, or transgression of the law of God. But remember, as a believer, your sin can no longer condemn you!

~

BACK TO TERESA

Also, in the Catechism is asked the question: What is the chief end of man? The answer is that man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. But most Christians spend more time glorifying themselves and their efforts and God becomes a tyrant instead of a source of enjoyment.

At the beginning of this writing, I explained that the article in TIME of August 23, 2007 about Mother Teresa’s crisis of faith was the motivating factor for my thoughts. I explained how she developed a kind of shorthand of pain and referred casually to “my darkness” and that Jesus was “the Absent One”!

As Martin stated, “Who would have thought that the person who was considered the most faithful woman in the world struggled like that with her faith? And who would have thought that the one thought to be the most ardent of believers could be a saint to skeptics?”

Teresa obviously did not understand the chief end of man (1 Corinthians 10:31) or (Psalm 73:25)!

Oh, that she could have had the Gospel preached into her every Lord’s Day and that she could have really known that we live in a fallen world and that we are helpless against the wages of sin.

NEVER-ENDING BS

2009-01-28T10:43:00.006-05:00

The super-intelligent Al Gore WAS scheduled to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday January 28th to testify about the urgent need to combat global warming. However, the appearance has been "put on ice" due to the recent snow storm in the Northeast! I, for one, am very disappointed that this bloated ignoramus will not get to show his recently cheeseburger-infused face on national TV. What a great loss for all of humanity!

Would this turn of events be classified as irony or coincidence?

Anyway, maybe soon the globe will heat up so we can get back to talking about global warming. Oh, I forgot - the new term is "climate change"! One has to be crafty when one hates capitalism ... gotta keep the debate going!

THE END OF A GREAT RIDE

2009-01-10T08:08:00.009-05:00

In 1986, I was working as a pharmacist when a customer, who happened to be a district manager for a large pharmaceutical company, asked me to come to work for him. He wanted to rescue me from the confines of the pharmacy and the constant phone-ringing and question-answering. In addition, to further entice me, he enlisted the aid of two pharmacist-friends of mine who were also working for that company. Realizing that I would take a cut in salary, this master salesman convinced me to go to work for him anyway. This process took a while, but I left the practice of pharmacy. Today, there are so many folks vying for positions in "pharmaceutical sales" that no one would ever be "begged" to accept employment ... much less would a company get friends of a prospective employee involved in the process.

It was not a mistake! It was one of the best decisions of my life ... not just financially, but for many other reasons as well ... the chief reason being the friends I have made during the past 23 years. These relationships have had a profound influence on my life and will continue to do so as long as I live.

I went to North Carolina to my sales training class after weeks of home study. Contrary to what I had presupposed, the training was excellent and in many ways was as intense as my Pharmacy training at UGA. Also, my classmates were the BEST! Today, I am still friends with many of the fine folks from my original training class. These folks were extremely outgoing, intelligent, educated and attractive ... especially the ladies. What I will always remember about these fellow trainees is their inteligence and their collective zest for life. I loved being there ... a new career and a whole lot of fun to boot! I thought I had won the lottery.

I came back to my territory and hit the ground running. Once again, I was struck dumb with gratitude for the newfound freedom I was given. Why, I didn't have to eat lunch leaning over a dirty sink ... I could actually sit down, relax and read the paper if I wished. There were no telephones ringing every few seconds, no one blowing cigarette smoke in my face from across the pharmacy counter and nobody forcing me to work on holidays or weekends.

I began building real and lasting relationships with my physician and pharmacist customers and little did I realize at the time, but I would call on many of the folks for the next 23 years of my life. I also became acquainted with all of the other pharmaceutical reps from other companies ... some were competitors, but it really didn't matter ... especially if she were good looking!

District meetings, regional meetings and national meetings were held frequently and I realized that these meetings really were a sensible alternative to actually working. We were allowed to play golf and we were taken out to eat in the evenings to really wonderful restaurants. What a great idea for a company to treat their employees like royalty. I would have gone to the wall for this great organization! Why, they even took me to Hawaii three times. I worked diligently and was rewarded many trips and prizes for my efforts. I loved the folks I worked with and not just my district counterparts either, but many in other states that I would meet at those national gatherings. Things were wonderful because we had the number 1 pharmaceutical in the world and we were paid to sell it ... paid well.

Bright lights, big cities, fancy hotels and great folks. I was on cloud nine to say the least.

Then somebody, somewhere in the industry decided that if we had more representatives (a lot more) then it would follow that we would have a lot more sales $$$! Physician offices were saturated with drug reps and doctors could not turn around without seeing another rep standing in the hall. Dumb-ass district managers on ride-alongs with reps would force these employees to be someone other than themselves. Offices began to close down and it became increasingly more difficult to gain access to these offices and to get any amount of selling time with these physician customers. We made them feel as if they had targets on their backs. In general, the companies began to see phyicians as things to be manipulated rather than as human beings.

Pharmaceutical companies became political punching bags. Since we took physicians out to eat we charged exorbitant prices for our products ... or so they reasoned! Congress began to threaten to regulate the industry and certainly did so through their watchdog ... the FDA (which is about as political an organization as exists in the world)!

We were given more and more rules about samples, detail pieces and promotional literature and corporate lawyers would inform us what we could or could not say. The fun was beginning to disipate and micro or even nano-management became the rule of the day. Quotas, quotas, quotas! We would spend countless hours sitting in Cracker Barrell restaurants making list of physicians, having strategy sessions and drinking coffee ... all on company time. Cost cutting measures were put into place in all facets of the business. No more fancy hotels and 5 star restaurants - from now on it would be Motel 6 and RUBY TUESDAYS.

In a word, the industry lost its collective mind and gave in to the politics and pressures of fat-ass congressman who, all the while, were kept occupied spending our country into oblivion, drinking liquor, going on free junkets and having sex with congressional interns. Is there any wonder that these morons have an approval rating of less than 10%!

Here is a fact: WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE DISEASES AND HUMAN MALADIES THAT CAUSE MUCH PAIN AND SUFFERING AND THE MEDICAL WORLD WILL NEVER LOOSE ITS DESIRE TO HAVE MORE INNOVATIVE AND SPECIFIC TREATMENTS FOR THESE ILLINESSES. Go to any funeral home and ask the relative of a deceased person about their current thoughts on better medical treatment.

Here's another fact: THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT PRODUCE THESE DRUGS - THEY COME FROM AMERICAN PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES WHO RISK THEIR CAPITAL.

You don't have to worry anymore because it is over! Don't look for better antibiotics, pain meds or any other treatments that could possibly have a side-effect, because attorneys are chomping at their collective bits to file suit against Big Pharma and pharmaceutical company-hating judges are lined up to make sure this defendant comes out on the losing end. You will see a shift towards more cancer treatments (which EVERYONE knows will certainly have side-effects)and vaccines.

If I sound bitter - it is because I am!

Today, an outsourced company representative came to do my final check-out ... not even an employee of the company! I gave her my computer and totally cleaned out my storage unit and put everything in the back of her car. I signed papers and went through check-lists to be sure nothing was forgotten. I even had to give back my OFFICE MAX discount card. I didn't tell her I still have a STARBUCKS card for free coffee ... I got away with one there.

The previous sales year, I won one of the "highest awards" the company gives. I was good - even great - at my job and I loved and still love my customers and my counterparts. I just couldn't take the stupidity anymore! We spent more time talking about working than we did actually working and the Lord only knows how much money has been wasted on things that have no bearing on ANYTHING.

The process became more important than the object of our work!

Intelligent people, great friends, great customers, bright lights, big cities, 12 company cars with an average of 80,000 miles each - almost a million miles of driving, 12 physician calls per day for 23 years, 5 zillion cups of coffee, great food and fun and 23 years of a fantastic ride came to an end today (January 9th, 2009)! I couldn't help but remember that this date is also the anniversary of my father's death.

All of this took place at the O'Storage storage facility near my home. The lady who checked me out was extremely pleasant and even volunteered to take these pictures you see here. As I told her my story she laughed so hard she cried. She wished me the best as she drove away. Maybe I'll get a Christmas (Oh I'm sorry - Holiday) card from her next year.

Now that I'm retired from this phase of my life ... what's next, huh?

I think I'll go to Cracker Barrell and get a cup of coffee. Maybe I'll even make a list of the specials for the week.

CRYSTAL BALL

2009-01-08T09:15:00.007-05:00

Every year about this time (the end of college football season), I think about the lunacy of anyone's attempting to predict the future. As I look at the Sports Illustrated preseason picks for the top 20 and compare it to the actual rankings at present, my skepticism is rewarded. (you can see this preseason ranking and many more at www.collegefootballpoll.com)

One would think that there is no reason to even play the season's games since so much confidence in placed in these preseason polls. Well, THE POLLS WERE WRONG! VERY WRONG! For your perusal here is the SI preseason list and after tonight ( 1-8-09) the BCS Championship Bowl will have been played and either Florida, Oklahoma or maybe Texas will be crowned champion.

1. UGA
2. Ohio State
3. USC
4. Missouri
5. Florida
6. Oklahoma
7. Auburn (what a disaster)
8. Texas Tech
9. LSU
10. Wisconsin
11. Clemson
12. Tennessee (ha! ha!)
13. Texas
14. West Virginia
15. Kansas
16. Arizona State
17. BYU
18. Ohio State
19. Pittsburgh
20. Oregon

In addition, almost every day I read about a stock that I should buy because it is going to rise to a certain price by a certain time in the year.

When the stock market was in the 13,000 range, I heard an analyst on FOX TV predict that there would be a correction in the market in 2008. The worst case scenario was that the market would correct as far down at 12,000. He was partially correct!

As of today, the hot news is the battle between Israel and Hamas in Palestine. Almost every newscaster has a prediction of what is going to happen.

Yesterday was predicted to be a nice day! Even the weather man with all of his satellites and stuff was WRONG!

Here's a suggestion for the new year... just enjoy you life. If you have a good day ... be thankful! If you find tomorrow that Israel and the Arabs have kissed and made up ... be thankful! If the stock market makes it to 10,000 in 2009 (as predicted) be thankful! If your favorite college football team defies all odds and wins most of their games ... again, be thankful!

Today I read in the paper that Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno have decided to enter this years NFL draft.

I predict that UGA fans will be disappointed.

UPDATE: HERE ARE THE ACTUAL POSTSEASON RANKINGS

AP TOP 25
1. FLORIDA
2. UTAH
3. USC
4. TEXAS
5. OKLAHOMA
6. ALABAMA
7. TCU
8. PENN STATE
9. OHIO STATE
10. OREGON
11. BOISE STATE
12. TEXAS TECH
13. GEORGIA
14. MISSISSIPPI
15.VIRGINIA TECH
16. OKLAHOMA STATE
17. CINCINNATI
18. OREGON STATE
19. MISSOURI
20. IOWA
21. FLORIDA STATE
22. GEORGIA TECH
23. WEST VIRGINIA
24. MICHIGAN STATE
25. BRIGHAM YOUNG

THERE YOU HAVE IT!

THE CALL

2008-12-10T08:26:00.007-05:00

As you may know, I have spent the past 23 years working for a large pharmaceutical company as a sales representative.

Several times in the last 10 years we have had re-organizations of the entire company. This usually takes place when a new CEO comes on board and puts his plan of action into effect. We recently (May 2008) had a new CEO take over and in light of the fact that anyone in this industry with half a brain knows that we are over-employed, we (employees)knew what was coming.

DOWNSIZING!

Our retirement formula is that when your age and years of service reach 75 (with at least 20 years with the company), employees can retire! I met this requirement several years ago, but in light of what we all expected, I patiently waited for the severance/retirement package that I knew this great company would offer to their employees who were eligible.

We were told to stay home on December 3rd, 2008 and wait for the call from our respective managers. I had opted out of the new company and waited excitedly for the phone to ring.

At noon my cell phone began to vibrate!

I got the package. Yeah Buddy!!!! I began to vibrate!

I am very grateful for this financial package I was given because there is no law that states my company HAS to do this. I am also grateful that I had the opportunity to work with so many fantastic folks that will be friends of mine for the remainder of my days. I am also grateful that I have been blessed with good health and a great family and a great wife (Jaye)to come home to.

I do not view retirement as sitting home watching "LIVE WRESTLING", but rather simply, a change in careers. One without the stress of before and being able to pick and choose what I will do.

Because I have kept my Georgia Pharmacist's license active, I have many opportunities.

Maybe I'll blog a little more than in the past.

Gotta go now because "WRESTLING" comes on in a few minutes.

THE MATCH

2008-11-18T18:36:00.002-05:00

THE MATCH - THE DAY THE GAME OF GOLF CHANGED FOREVER!

The title of this book says it all. Mark Frost has done an absolutely excellent job of immersing the reader into the moment of this event at Cypress Point Golf Club on a beautiful morning in 1956.

Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward - Nelson and Hogan (the professionals) vs. the amateurs, Venturi and Ward. The wager between Ed Lowrey and George Coleman. What began as an unannounced friendly game quickly became a spectacle as the news of "The Match" spread across the peninsula that morning.

Frost adroitly integrates the histories of the courses and the participants into a read that golf lovers will not be able to put down. Dr. Allister McKenzie, Marion Hollins (whose father's closest friends were William Vanderbilt and J.P. Morgan)and others involved in creating the golf mecca on the Monterey Peninsula were also introduced as part of a golf history lesson along-side the story of "The Match".

I enjoy "Googling" the names of the folks mentioned in this story as I read. It almost makes me feel as if I were there as I look at the pictures of these historic figures.

In the last paragraph of the book it is stated, "No four men will ever play such a match again. No four men like these."

What more needs to be said.

2 Out Of 68 Is Not Good

2008-11-07T20:33:00.011-05:00

Mesa State Mavericks

Of the 68 college and university newspapers to endorse a presidential candidate - all but 2 endorsed Obama.

Of the 66 college newspapers to endorse Obama, 44 were from public universities.

McCain fared better throughout the nation among professional newspapers, but most still endorsed the Democratic nominee.

My hat is off to the 2 bold college newspapers that endorsed Senator McCain: The University of Mississippi's Daily Mississippian and The Criterion at Mesa State College in Colorado.

Many of these college papers were in states that endorsed McCain in the election. In other words - conservative parents send their kids off to liberal universities and colleges only to have the skulls of mush of their offspring injected with the liberal drivel of the professors who cannot make it in the real world.

And all on the parents' dollar!

Is this a great country or what?

Do these youngsters realize that they will pay the bill for this! They will discover this soon enough.

The surest cure for liberalism is to get a job!

A Reason To Sleep

2008-11-07T20:09:00.006-05:00

Americans don't get enough sleep.

We all know how sleep deprivation makes us feel, but did you know that getting enough shut-eye could prevent heart disease.

That's right! Swedish researchers looked at 20 years of records and discovered a dip in the number of heart attacks on the Monday after clocks were set back an hour ... maybe getting that extra hour does more good than we know.

Dr. Lori Mosca says, "sleep - through a variety of mechanisms - affects our cardiovascular health". "Sleep not only impacts how we feel, but it may also affect whether we develop heart disease or not"!

These findings were published in the October 2008 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Mosca also said that "sleep can affect the heart through changes in blood pressure, inflammation, blood clotting, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood vessels".

So ... there you have it. Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, stay away from sugar, get plenty of exercise and sleep!

How simple is that.

I am looking forward to going to the mountains next week-end to get plenty of deep and restful sleep. It's part of my cardiovascular health routine.

GAME DAY EXPERIENCE

2008-09-06T13:38:00.015-04:00

EVEN THE CHEERLEADERS WERE GLAD TO SEE US

THE BOYS HAVE LANDED

DENNIS AND GEORGE READY TO ENTER GAME IF NEEDED

George takes breather in front of AC fan

Once again my friend, Dennis Parks, has given me another fantastic day.
It all started several months ago when Dennis played in a UGA golf tournament fundraiser. One of the packages that was auctioned off that day was a "Game Day Experience" for three. Dennis called our friend Joe Cole and me and asked if we'd like to join him. Obviously, we quickly answered yes.

We began in the player area of the Butts-Meher building and then boarded the team busses where we were taken to the Dog-Walk with the players. This was the highlight of the day ... it is quite an experience to walk between lines of fans, majorettes, cheer-leaders and band members to a deafening noise of constant cheers. We then entered the stadium and were free to roam around and watch the players warm up as we watched Sanford Stadium fill with 95,000 adoring fans (not adoring us but rather the Dawgs).

When the players returned to the locker room before bursting onto the field, we were taken into the tunnel to wait for the team. We were told to allow one or two players to break through the Big G and then we could quickly follow. I think I was about the third person out ... no wallflower am I. Running onto the field with the team is truly an amazing experience ... we'll be talking about this for quite a while.

Dennis Parks, Harry Dawg, Joe Cole, George Goddard

About to run onto field

After the game, we drove back to the Atlanta area where my wife and I loaded up the car and went on to our mountain home for the Labor Day weekend. As the sun set that evening, I was exhausted, but with the experience of the day fresh in my mind; I fell into an immediate and deep sleep.

A MONSTER BRINGS BACK A LEGEND

2008-08-12T20:25:00.013-04:00

This past week-end, I watched with great interest the last round of the 2008 PGA Golf Tournament held at Oakland Hills Country Club in Michigan. One reason I watched so intently is that I love golf and especially the "Majors" and since Tiger Woods is out for the season with a knee injury, the competition has gotten much more interesting. Another reason for my interest is my fascination with Oakland Hills Country Club and hence the reason for this little story. The tournament, by the way, was very exciting and Padraig Harrington won his second major in a row (he won the British Open a few weeks ago) by breaking the hearts of Sergio Garcia and Ben Curtis. That dude can play golf ... even if he is from Ireland! I don't think he even blinked his eyes for the last 3 holes.

Padraig Harrington wins 2008 PGA Tournament with score of 277

Why am I so interested in this golf course way up in Michigan one might ask? Well, that's the whole purpose of this blog. Please allow me to continue!

A good buddy of mine (and a golfing buddy) happened upon a cannister of film several years ago. He is a collector of "stuff" anyway and he talked a couple of "good old boys" into selling the cannister of film to him. He took this old cannister of 35mm film to an expert and had the film developed and the pictures printed. One Saturday morning he brought the prints by my house and that's when my mind became engaged in this process. The black and white prints looked as if they were shot yesterday, but obviously they were very dated as was evident from the dress of the people in the photographs. They were pictures of a golf tournament and on the vest of one of the caddies in a picture we could read the words "National Open" and "Oakland Hills Country Club" there was a date that we later determined to be "1937"!

A sports trivia nut friend was eating Easter lunch at my home one rainy Easter day, so I thought I'd pull out the pictures and give him a look. He quickly said the the National Open was the old name for the U.S.Open and that the guy in so many pictures was Ralph Guldahl who won the Open in 1937 and 1938 and the Masters in 1939 (more later on his career)! Guldahl was in fact one of only 5 people to win consecutive U.S. Opens.

The mystery was solved. The pictures were taken in 1937 at Oakland Hills Country Club at the Open Championship ... the first year that Ralph Guldahl won. We even know who took the pictures (obviously a great photographer), but we have decided to save that information for another time. I will give you one hint ... he was no stranger to golf courses!

Armed with this information, I began searching the internet (what a great invention of Al Gore) to discover more about Ralph Guldahl and Oakland Hills Country Club. What follows is a snyopsis of what I learned. Now you can see why I was so excited to watch the PGA Championship last Sunday as it was played at Oakland Hills.

----------------------------

OAKLAND HILLS COUNTRY CLUB

OHCC (the South Course) opened formally on July 13, 1918, but it already enjoyed a degree of prestige. It was designed by the foremost golf course architect of his day - Donald Ross. Also, Walter Hagen, its first professional, had already won the United States Open and an old chicken coop served as Hagen's pro shop! 140 memberships were sold at the price of $250.00 each.

The Clubhouse, which still stands today, formally opened in August, 1922 at a cost of $650,000.00 unfinished!.

Oakland Hills' South Course is now world-renowned and is consistently picked among the top ten tests of golf in the world.

Many tournaments have been held at Oakland Hills, but the one which gave it the reputation as "The Monster" was the 1951 Open. The result was a tournament in which only two subpar rounds were shot during the entire 72 hole affair. Comments from the pros about the difficulty of the course brought about the natural result that from that point on the USGA no longer permitted the host clubs to control the layout for an Open tournament.

PICTURES OF #18 GREEN FROM ALMOST THE SAME SPOT IN 1937 AND 2008

--------------------------------

RALPH GULDAHL
(B. Nov. 22, 1911 / D. June 11, 1987)

(Obituary of Ralph Guldahl,75, from The New York Times; June 14, 1987. Written by Robert Thomas,Jr.)

Ralph Guldahl, the tall self-taught Texan who dominated professional golf in the late 1930's only to give up the tour for lack of interest, died in his sleep early Thursday at his home in the Los Angeles suburb of Sherman Oaks. He was 75 years old and was the professional at the Braemar Country Club in Tarzana, California.

In a sport whose history is laced with such instantly recognizable names as Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, the name Ralph Guldahl is hardly a household word today. But in a span of four years he won the prestigious Western Open in 1936, 1937 and 1938; the United States Open in 1937 and 1938, and, after two straight second-place finishes, the Masters in 1939. He also played on three consecutive Ryder Cup teams, in 1937,1939 and 1941.

His consecutive victories in the United States Open have been matched by only four other men: Willie Anderson (1903,1904 and 1905), John McDermott (1911-1912), Bobby Jones (1929-1930) and Ben Hogan (1950-1951).

Mr. Guldahl was born in Dallas, where he developed an unorthodox swing with an explosive backswing and sledgehammer down stroke. It may not have looked pretty, but it worked. Mr. Guldahl, who at 6 feet 3 inches was taller than most champion golfers, turned professional in the middle of a tournament in 1930, and in January 1931, just two and a half months past his 19th birthday, won a tournament in Santa Monica, California, making him what is believed to be the youngest man ever to win a tournament on the pro tour. In his first United States Open, in 1933, he came in second.

Despite the auspicious beginning, Mr. Guldahl, who had a practice of combing his thick curly hair after almost every shot, quickly lost interest in competition. In 1935, after the birth of his son, Ralph Jr., he quit the tour.

The layoff apparently helped. When he returned a year and a half later he was almost invincible, much to the special chagrin of Sam Snead. In the final round of the 1937 Open, Guldahl was on the 10th tee when Snead, playing his first Open, eagled the 18th
hole and finished with a 283 and a seemingly certain victory. Guldahl finished with a 281, and Snead never won and Open.

In the 1939 Masters, Guldahl was again on the 10th tee when Snead holed out the 18th for a 280. A couple of birdies and an eagle later, Guldahl finished with a 279. Although he played sporadically in the late 1940's, Guldahl was never a serious contender on the tour after World War II. As he later explained, "I never did have a tremendous desire to win."

His achievements earned him induction into the American Golf Hall of Fame in 1972 and the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981.

In addition to his son, he is survived by his wife, Maydelle.

------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------

QUOTES

Sam Snead: "If Guldahl gave someone a blood transfusion, the patient would freeze to death."

Sam Snead: "When Ralph was at his peak, his clubhead came back on the line and went through on the line as near perfect as anyone I've ever seen."

Ralph Guldahl: "Behind my so called paker face, I'm burning up."

A MONUMENTAL WASTE OF TIME

2008-07-29T11:43:00.007-04:00

I took a great deal of interest in the Extreme Makeover home building in Clayton County, Georgia back in 2005! You see, my friend, Ian Grey, was one of the architects who designed this mini-castle with ancient beams brought in and many other amazing touches. Ian also designed our mountain home in North Carolina (no mini-castle), so, of course, we were excited about the airing of this TV show documenting the building of this home for this "needy" family.

They were a "needy family" for sure, but what they really "needed" were brains. Unfortunately, nobody could construct this!

This family was given a $450,000.00 home free of charge to replace the shack with backed up plumbing they previously occupied.

In addition, Beazer Homes' employees raised another $250,000.00 in contributions for this "needy" family, including scholarships for the couples 3 children.

AND a home maintenance fund!

And enough money to pay the taxes on the house for 25 years!

AND 1800 people volunteered (wasted) their time on this project!

AND it was all on national TV!

They obviously took out a line of credit on the home and used the money to start a contruction business ... these people who previously lived in a shack (who were experts at construction ... yeah, right)!

This 4-bedroom home with a 3-car garage is scheduled for auction on the Clayton County Courthouse steps on August 5th!

Mayor Willie Oswalt said, "It's aggravating. It just makes you mad. You do that much work and they just squander it." ( AJC qoute)

I guess the old adage still rings true. "One cannot make chicken salad out of chicken s**t"!

AND THE WHOLE NATION WONDERS WHY WE HAVE THIS MORTGAGE CRISIS! This was not about someone having tough luck and needing help during a difficult patch of life ... it is about the "I want everything now" mindset that permeates our culture.

I cannot help but quote Mayor Oswalt again when I think about the Great Society Welfare State our Progressive politicians have created at the expense of those who try hard and play by the rules. "It's aggravating. It just makes you mad. You do that much work and they just squander it."

A Great Day

2008-06-03T17:24:00.007-04:00

Today was June 9th, 2008 and it will go down in the story of my life as a great day.

My old pal Dennis Parks called me a couple of weeks ago and asked me to play in the Leeman Bennett Celebrity Golf Classic scheduled for today. I accepted at first and then later changed my mind because of things I had to do at work. Dennis's administrative assistant would not hear of it and quickly changed my mind for me ... and I am overjoyed that she did.

When I discovered that Dan Reeves would be our celebrity for the tournament, I realized that I would be missing out on a great treat if I cancelled.

Our team won first place in the tournament and all five of us were "gettin' it done" on the golf course today. Our combined score was 20 under par ... with 1 par, 14 birdies and 3 eagles. My back felt uncharacteristically "loose" today and I was striping my drives. On several occasions I even out-drove Brian Wallace and Rick Northen ... and that's saying a lot. Big Denny was sinking puts beyond description and Coach Reeves was like a machine with all of his drive going "straight down the middle" and his short-game was beyond compare. WE HAD FUN!

If you have never met Coach, then your life is not complete. He is the perfect gentleman and he loves to tell "stories" of his life on the gridiron. In addition, I will be stealing many of his jokes for my personal use in the future. He told us over and over that this was the best team on which he had ever played in a golf scramble. I think he had as much fun as we did and we look forward to doing this all over again ... maybe in next year's tourney.

Coach Bennett was his usual classy self and was a gracious host for the tourney and the folks at the Polo Golf and Country Club had the course in pristine condition.

Big thanks again to my ole' buddy Dennis Parks for being one of the sponsors of this tourney and for putting our foursome together.

pictured left to right: Dennis Parks, George Goddard, Dan Reeves, Rick Northen, Brian Wallace.

A Great Day Indeed.

The Mountains Come Alive

2008-05-19T21:22:00.007-04:00

This winter was especially bitter in the mountains. There seemed to be much more wind, freezing temperatures, ice and snow than usual ... or maybe I was just there more this winter than previous winters.

It is always such an amazing blessing to see the mountains come alive with greenery. The once bare trees begin to burst forth with the new forming leaves as I continue to clear the old ones off the roads and drainage ditches.

I just thought, since I haven't blogged in a while, that I would post a few pics I have taken this spring. The orange flowers are wild azaleas (these blooms don't last very long) that are most prolific on the upper stretches of our mountain, although there are some in the lower portions. The mountain laurel seems to bloom
everywhere and they last most of the summer.

As I have stated many times before ... this place is a great respite from the city.

The Malediction of Pastor Wright

2008-03-24T09:13:00.004-04:00

By now, we have all heard or read "pastor" Jeremiah Wright's malediction on the people of America! Barak's "uncle" did not scream these words from the village square (where he could be debated) but rather from the pulpit of a "church"!

This Easter Sunday, at the close of the service, my pastor pronounced the benediction (good word) to the people of Christ:

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."

This is quite the opposite of what "pastor" Wright pronounced upon the people (the bad word) ... invoking the damnation of God upon His people. It is as if he asked God to turn His face and grace from us and to give us strife.

True Christianity teaches that we are unable to keep the 10 Commandments and that our fickle efforts at establishing our own righteousness will fall far short. We begin to see who we really are - depraved men and women who cannot merit the Lord's forgivensss for "by the deeds of the Law will no one be declared righteous"! Scripture also teaches us that by believing through faith in the finished work of Christ, His righteousness is imputed to us ... not "infused"! Knowing this helps us to be merciful ... hence the benediction's pronouncement.

To "pastor" Wright, I would repeat the words of Paul to the Galatians: "But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?"

"The 10 Commandments are fulfilled on one word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

A true pastor would exhibit true fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

I recently read an article by Tom Ascol in "Tabletalk" and a few of his words are worth repeating:

"Self-deception is an insidious condition. You will never meet a person who knows that he is self-deceived. By definition, those ensnared are completely unaware that they are."

The Nicene Creed

2008-03-23T09:41:00.004-04:00

The Nicene Creed was drawn up in the face of Arianism (which denied the diety of Christ). Arius, an elder in Alexandria in Egypt in the 300's, taught that God CREATED Jesus and then the two of them together created the world. This resulted in making the Son a created being (like humans) and not God in any sense. Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria, finally sent for Arius and questioned him about his position, but Arius stuck to his belief and was excommunicated by a council of Egyptian bishops. He went to Nicomedia in Asia, where he continued to write letters defending his position. Emperor Constantine summoned a council of Bishops in Nicea and in 325 a majority of Bishops repudiated Arius and produced the first draft of the Nicene Creed. Athanasius, a successor to the aging Alexander, was the chief spokesman for the full diety of Christ. The Arian position continues to be espoused in our day by the Watchtower Society (the JW's) who count Arius as a great witness to the truth.

In churches today that use a liturgy, this creed is often repeated in order to show the continuity of the Church. It is a way that Christians can reach back in time to our brothers and sisters in the faith who fought for the truth. The purpose of having a liturgy is to keep man out of the worship, because if we get half a chance, we will certainly turn the worship inward.

So the point of history is this: The Nicene Creed was produced to combat the Arian heresy and repeating it often is a way to keep us from falling into error.

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of his Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father;
by whom all things were made;
who for us and for our salvation
came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary,
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried;
and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father;
and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son;
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified;
who spoke by the prophets;
and we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church;
we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;
and we look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen

CHANGE

2008-03-20T09:16:00.003-04:00

Everywhere one turns today, we hear the word "Change"! Barak is the candidate of change! Businesses go through change! Americans say that we must change the way we view things! People take classes because that have a desire to grow (change)! "I'm divorcing you, honey, because I need to experience more of life so that I can grow" is an oft uttered statement. No one is content where one is ... we must change! Change! Change! Change! Get on the wagon of change or you'll be left behind.

Two ancient philosophers had some thoughts about this:

1. Hericlitus: Whatever is, is changing! The only reality is change itself! One cannot step into the same river twice ... water and sand are moving ... it does not stay the same. If everything we interact with is constantly changing we can never know anything about it because once we learned anything about it, it would change and become something else.

2. Parmenides: Whatever is, IS! Of all the problems of philosophy truth is the most elusive because reasoning, to be of any value must begin with truth. It cannot create truth. What is could never be derived from what is not. That would be absurd. Therefore what is could never have not been. What is, also, could never become what is not, so what is can never not be in the future.

Confused!?

I work in pharmaceutical sales. A few years ago, one of the folks from "sales training" came to a sales meeting and explained that the sales training department had decided that we would be the "best trained sales force in the country"! There had been planned numerous on-line courses and seminars to help us reach this goal! I let him/her babble on for a while and finally asked him to explain exactly what being the "best trained sales force in the country" actually meant. Surely, I thought, with all of this planning, there had to be exact knowledge of our goal ... something concrete that could be clearly described. Like going on a trip and using map-quest to get exact directions. I explained to this person that since most people in the room were very intelligent and had Masters degrees or higher, we would be more than willing to expedite the reaching of this this goal, if he/she would only describe it to us! This person is no longer with the company!

I hear lots of folks today screaming at each other on talk radio about evolution, but I have never heard ANYONE say anything about what we are evolving to! If we intelligent human beings only knew what we were heading towards, we could speed up the process. Somebody just tell us please! And by the way, if we are constantly evolving how are "regressions" explained?

We cannot be changing into anything unless there is something that IS!

If there were ever a time when there was nothing ... there would still be nothing!

THE SHORTER CATECHISM is a great list of questions and answers about our ultimate reality. Three terms are brought up and defined in questions #33,#34 and #35. I will leave #33 and #34 for a later time but question #35 asks: What is sanctification? The answer is that Sanctification is the work of God's free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness. In other words, those who believe are being changed into the likeness of Christ ... not that we are little gods, but simply that we are being changed into something. He is the great "I Am"!

Sanctification is what makes life make sense! There are no cosmic accidents! Everything that happens to a believer in his life serves a purpose. We may not understand it at the time, but we know that it is for our good.

To an unbeliever, life cannot possibly make any sense at all. The unbeliever must simply grit his teeth and do everything in his power to make himself as comfortable as possible during his years on earth. But, life cannot make any sense if one has no understanding of where it is all heading ... DEATH!

To a believer, death is a portal to eternal life! To an unbeliever, there is no belief in a continuum. Get all the gusto you can, because this is your one shot before you become "worm food"! In the grave where you are going, all your plans and schemes come to an end! Hold your head high in your valiant stupor, you are fooling no one but yourself.

Once again, the only way that one can be changing is because there is something that IS.

It is our only hope in this life and the next! It is in Him that we live and move and have our being!

I Wouldn't Put It Off

2008-03-05T17:32:00.007-05:00

When I was a little boy, I remember vividly my paternal grandmother and my aunt making numerous trips to a cemetery near Columbus, Georgia. From their conversations, I realized , even as a child, that it was of utmost importance to them to keep this cemetery in pristine condition. The graves there were of family members and my grandmother obviously cared a great deal about those deceased persons. I think my aunt (Lydia) just went to help her mother in this task.

My two brothers, my sister and I have often spoken about this place and that we should plan to make a trip there to find this piece of hallowed ground. Finally, on a whim, the baby of our sibling group (Little Brucie) decided to find this place and he has also written about this experience on his blog at:

www.viewfromahearse.blogspot.com

Bruce began searching the internet (knowing that Juniper, Georgia was a town of interest) and before long not only did he find the location of this cemetery, but also a list of those buried there. When I say that he found the location ... well, I mean almost ... within Hollerin' Distance anyway!

Mac and Bruce arrived before me and did a little detective work with the aid of a few fine citizens of this area and after driving down a dirt road and treking through the woods and briars ... they found a cemetery. Bruce walked up and kicked off the leaves and debris from the first grave and lo and behold ... he had located the final resting place of our great-grandfather ... A. C. McCoy Jr.. Right next to him was the grave of his wife, who had died in her 30's. Our great-grandfather lived over 50 years after her death and never remarried. We wouldn't have known this fact had we not visited this cemetery. I have read letters that my grandmother Lucy wrote to other family members after her father's (A.C.McCoy) death. Her mood was melancholy and she spoke of him as a very "sweet" person. ("sweet" is a southern term if you didn't know). Now I think I know why it was so important to her to maintain this graveyard. In addition, Lucy's grandparents were buried there also.

It has now become important to Lucy's grandchildren (Mac, Kikky, George and Bruce) to maintain this family cemetery also. We'll have to find the present owner of the large piece of land and get his permission to come and go, but from what the locals tell us, we don't think that will be a problem. We gave it our best attempt to clean-up the place but quickly realized that we needed professional help. We are making plans for that also.

The grave markers for our great grandparents there were of first-class quality. My older brother, Mac, stated that he bet Lucy forced my grandfather, George, to spend the money and we noted that they are the exact same type of markers that are in another family cemetery in Macon. Understand, that our family has been in the funeral business for over 150 years.

Why is this event even worthy of a blog you might ask? Well, I'll tell you.

Whatever you plan to do with your life ... do it! Not a few weeks from now, but do it today! And if you think you are so important that the world will be devastated when you die ... get over it! And within a few years of passing, no one will even realize that you ever lived. Now if you are a very loving, giving and loyal person(like not remarrying after your young wife dies) then maybe that tacks on a few years of post-mordem "caring", but at the most, in one generation, the leaves start falling and no one comes to sweep them away. Then the bushes and trees overtake the landscape and some of the local kids find this special spot in the woods to secretly indulge themselves in the illicit pleasures of life.

King Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes, "for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going"! He was right!

That family that lies buried in the ground on the remnants of this plantation gave us our grandmother and our Daddy. He was a fantastic and loving Daddy who had a thundering, velvet hand, but he didn't learn to be a "Daddy" by reading a book ... this talent was passed through the generations.

This cemetery is not lost anymore.

Advice To Graduates

2008-02-10T09:27:00.000-05:00

The great thing about blogging is that one can write about anything one wishes!

During this past week, I was talking with a physician friend of mine during a work meeting and we got on the conversation of the expectations of our youth ... those graduating from high school and college ... and that most really have no clue as to how difficult it is to make a living and support a family in this present age. Their skulls of mush have been filled with all of the postmodern "crap" that the public (government) schools have forced into their collective craniums. Somehow, most kids have collectively come to the conclusion the the "right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" is a certainty that the world (or government) owes them. Boy will they be disappointed!

We remembered the high school graduation speech the Bill Gates gave a few years back giving advice to recent graduates. I decided to look it up and to share it with my physician friend and then I figured I might as well put it into the blog.

Bill Gate's speech is timeless and every recent graduate should read it! Gates talked about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule #1: Life is not fair ... get used to it!

Rule #2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule #3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car-phone until your earn both.

Rule #4: If you think you teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule #5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping ... they called it opportunity.

Rule #6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule #7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule #8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule #9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule #10: Television is NOT real life. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule #11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

(IF YOU CAN READ THIS, THANK A TEACHER! IF YOU ARE READING IT IN ENGLISH, THANK A SOLDIER)

Dear Abby's Readers And Postmodernity

2008-02-05T08:16:00.000-05:00

In today's paper (2/5/08) was an interesting Dear Abby column. Someone had written her in October and asked what she perceived to be the main problem in today's society. She responded but later she asked the readers to respond to this query. Abby exclaimed that the "roof fell in" with comments.

One, in particular, got my attention. It came from "Marilyn in the garden state".

I quote: "Society's greatest problem is intolerance. It breeds all the other problems. We're intolerant of other people's views, religions, looks, sexual orientation, languages, mode of dress, career choice, whether to parent - or not. We're in the business of NOT minding our own business".

Marilyn my dear, you are the poster-child for postmodernity. There should be pictures of you hanging all over America to remind our citizens of what has happened to our culture.

We live in a society that has no "tolerance" for transcendent truth; therefore, relativism has taken over our culture. Everyone does what is right in his own eyes with little concern for what is "right" in a transcendent sense. We have "value systems" instead of morals. We have "situational ethics" instead of virtue!

The result is a politically correct world where groups and sub-groups of people have backed into their respective corners and are demanding that everyone recognize their "rights"! This has caused our society to be more marginalized or "tribalized" than ever before. Our nation is more divided today than ever in history and the result of all of this "tribalization" is the opposite of the unity that these "tolerant" people sought to create.

All of this "tolerance" is certainly a harbinger of what is yet to come. Valuing "tolerance" would be great as long as those who espouse this view are "tolerant" of those who dissent ... such as Christians (as stated by Sir Arnold Toynbee).

If everyone does what is right in his own eyes, we will have anarchy ... not unity.

Obituaries

2008-02-03T14:52:00.000-05:00

I recently read in the opinion pages of the Asheville, NC paper a little article about obituaries and the interesting "facts" one can find in them. Carol Currie pointed out several things that make them so interesting to those of us who are moving on in age.

My mother-in-law LOVES reading obituaries! She subscribes to and reads six newspapers and then listens to the death reports on the local radio station. For a while, I sorta giggled at her, but now I have found myself thumbing through any newspaper I can get my hands on with some sense of macabre excitement to read all the details. Hanging around my mother-in-law for the past 17 years has even caused me to change my greeting to friends and co-workers that I see daily. "How are you?", they ask? "Well, I checked the obituaries this morning and mine wasn't there, so I guess I'm doing OK!"

Just a few years ago, obituaries used a somewhat standard format, but things have changed. An old friend of mine died a few months ago and his widow wrote an essay about him. I realized that I didn't know him as well as I should.

Some are short and to the point: "John Doe died at his home Thursday and arrangements are being made by "Digs, Graves and Bury Funeral Home".

Some folks pass away, some just pass, some are deceased and some have gone to be with the Lord. Some are in a better place???? ( I reckon that depends on where you were to begin with)! "We lost Grandma last week" someone said. I was wondering if they had been at a big sale at a Super WalMart ... I could certainly understand how Grandma could get lost there. "No", they exclaim. "She was sleeping in her bed and I went to get something to eat and when I got back ... she was GONE"! "Surely someone could find her if she is just wandering around", I thought! THE TRUTH IS THAT SHE IS DEAD! DEAD AS A HAMMER! But folks cannot bring themselves to say or write the word ... dead!

Some obituaries list the several churches where the deceased served his fellow man for years. "He was a member of Bedside Baptist Church for 40 years and served as a deacon for 30 of those years"! (sounds like the preacher found his liquor cabinet and fired him)! Some folks are religious but just nominally .... "He was a Methodist"! What does that mean? He was like the kamikazi pilot in WWII who went on 10 missions ... he was involved but not very committed! I pity the poor soul that has no preacher to direct the funeral service.

One has been employed by Williard's Widget Company for 45 years and was a "fixture in the community". Some are listed by trade ... "He was a carpenter."

The age is always listed ... "John Smith, 55, passed away suddenly at his home Saturday". What troubles me is when you see a picture of a young person and an age listed of 16 or 17. If the obituary tells us that a young person died, it should be a law that the cause of death be listed also.

Today, web sites are listed where friends can go to and leave their condolences ... it is a lot of trouble to take a shower, get dressed and actually go to a funeral home.

Some obituaries give thanks to the doctors and nurses at the hospital that gave such tender care. Some thank all of their friends who "gave so much of themselves during our time struggle"!

Well, now you see. My mother-in-law has caused me to get addicted also. With all of the nasty politics that fill the editorial pages today, the obituary section is a welcome respite in a world gone mad.

We are really hard-up for something to do.

God help us all.

Never To Early to Heed the Warning

2007-12-28T17:13:00.000-05:00

Lately, I have been ranting about what Christmas has become in this secularized culture, but there are other things on my mind also!

Many folks, when gathered with friends and family during the Christmas season, make plans for their summer vacations. It's a perfect time to get a handle on where everyone likes to go.

Caution:

If you prefer a vacation at the beach, PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO WEAR SUNCREEN!

This has been a public service announcement.

I hope it was useful.

Surveying the Wondrous Cross at Christmas

2007-12-24T10:25:00.000-05:00

Isaac Watts lived from 1674 till 1748 and during this time he wrote "WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS"! Charles Wesley reportedly said that he would give up all his other hymns to have written this one! Lowell Mason (1792 - 1872) put it to music around 1825 and it has since been one of the most beloved hymns of Christianity. Modern evangelicals, of course, do not sing this hymn because it is too old and it is now placed in the basket of relics along with exegetical preaching and the administration of the sacraments!

If you call yourself a Christian, when was the last time you surveyed the Wondrous Cross for a few moments or event a few seconds.

Take a few moments on this day before Christmas to read and ponder these words. This is the reason Christ came into the world. Once again, I don't think Isaac Watts was concerned about his personal journey of faith and how he could apply the teachings of Christ to his life. He was grateful for his salvation that was purchased at so great a cost.

WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o'er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted

2007-12-24T09:38:00.000-05:00

Thomas Kelly lived from 1769 till 1854. In 1804 he authored this hymm from the Scripture in Isaiah 53:3-5. As you read this, you will certainly notice that he was not concerned with his dysfunctional life. He was not concerned with how to be a better Daddy, a better employee or how to be more productive.His "felt needs" were the last thing on his mind. This passage in Scripture was a constant reminder to him of what his salvation cost and he did not take it lightly.

This hymm is in the Trinity Hymnal and we sing it often.

1. Stricken, smitten and afflicted,
See Him dying on the tree!
'Tis the Christ by man rejected;
Yes, my soul,'tis He! tis He!
"Tis the long-expected Prophet,
David's Son, yet David's Lord;
Proofs I see sufficient of it:
'Tis the true and faithful Word.

2. Tell me, ye who hear Him groaning,
Was there ever grief like His?
Friends through fear His cause disowning,
Foes insulting His distress;
Many hands were raised to wound Him,
None would interpose to save;
But the deepest stroke that pierced Him
Was the stroke that Justice gave.

3. Ye who think of sin but lightly,
Nor suppose the evil great,
Here may view its nature rightly,
Here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the Sacrifice appointed,
See who bears the awful load;
'Tis the WORD, the LORD'S ANNOINTED,
Son of Man and Son of God.

4. Here we have a firm foundation;
Here the refuge of the lost;
Christ's the Rock of our salvation,
His the name of which we boast.
Lamb of God, for sinners wounded,
Sacrifice to cancel guilt!
None shall ever be confounded
Who on Him their hope have built.

The War on Christmas

2007-12-23T09:48:00.000-05:00

This morning I read in the Marietta Daily Journal a letter sent to the editor about the Christmas season. The writer pointed out that Congress recently voted on three resolutions to recognize Ramadan (Islam), Diwali (Hindu) and Christmas (Christianity). These resolutions merely recognized the importance of these holidays to their respective faiths. The Christmas resolution was the only one that did not pass unanimously ... receiving 9 votes against it!

The "War on Christmas" is not a new thing, because what underlies this war is the hatred of Christianity. We humans, just like Adam and Eve in the garden, want to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We want to decide what is right and wrong. We will go to court in a heartbeat to sue a person who is not "politically correct" and has stepped on our "rights", while proclaiming from the rooftops that there is no such thing as "right and wrong"!

One may question why this is happening or one may question why some in the media are bringing this "War on Christmas" to light (Bill O'Reily).

The answer is very simple ... people, in general, hate Jesus Christ! They have been hating him for 2000 years! They hated him so much that they had Him crucified. Oh, He is OK as long as He is included as one in many. The Roman culture was polytheistic and some of its citizens even had statues of many of "the gods" in their homes. The more the merrier was the rule of the day. The problem emerged with a vengenance when He claimed to be the ONLY WAY. He claimed to be "Very God of Very God". Paul stated that "There is no other name under Heaven and Earth by which men may be saved". Even more, he who has the Son has eternal life and he who does not have the Son does not have eternal life.

Simply put, there is no other way to the ONLY God except through the mediation of Jesus Christ. We who are unholy cannot approach a Holy God based on our own fickle righteous acts. There is no God but THE God, Isaiah tells us. Scripture tells us that we are by nature "children of wrath"! We are born God-Haters! The late John Gerstner said that mankind hates God and if we could get our hands around His neck we would strangle him. The one chance we got ... we did kill him! So why are we shocked at the antics of those that hate Christmas and Christ so much, when we know that 2000 years ago when The Word became flesh and dwelt among us in grace and truth, that we killed HIM. If we killed him while jeering at Him on the cross, why are we so surprised that people still enjoy jeering at Him now.

There is a difference! He is no longer on the Cross. He is risen!

I hear so many "people of faith" (whatever that is) asking people: "Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal lord and savior?"! I can find no language like this in the Bible. Christ IS the Savior and the Lord whether you accept Him or not! A personal Jesus is not offensive, but a Jesus that is Lord over all ... the ONLY WAY ... is VERY offensive. If He is the Lord, then we have to be accountable and we hate to be accountable. If we can just get enough people to join in the war on Christmas and the war on Christianity, then maybe our guilt over our sin will go away.

Your guilt will not go away! The Law is written on your heart and will slap your wrist everytime you think you can be unaccountable!

Modern day evangelicalism, seemingly unknowingly, is one of the biggest offenders in this war on Christianity. So many churches have become "therapeutic" in their message ... it seems to be all about helping dysfunctional folks get recovery. There is nothing wrong with this, but it is not the Gospel and this should not be the chief focus of the Church. Our biggest problem is SIN! We are a fallen people and we are helpless to correct our problem. We cannot be in the presence of the Holy God based on our own merit. We must have the merit of another ... Jesus Christ ... in whom the Father is well-pleased. We are brought to this by the ministry of Word and Sacrament and our response should be to believe ... by faith. This faith is a gift of God so that no one can boast in his or her intellect.

I saw one church that had "Western Day", where folks dressed up like cowboys! There are Starbucks Coffee Houses, bookstores, snow cones and pony rides to entice folks to come.

All you need is your guilt before a Holy God. Find a church that has no programs and simply has a minister that serves you the Word and Sacrament. Then go back to whatever is your station in life and live a life worthy of your calling. If you're a plumber ... then be the best plumber in the world. Do a fantastic job for a fair price. You don't have to get a purple bus plastered with "Honk If You Love Jesus" stickers. Just go to your job, or school or wherever and live a life of gratitude for the finished work of Jesus Christ on your behalf.

Atheists have always been among us, but the biggest problem I see today is much more subtle. Paul wrote to Timothy about this in the 3rd chapter of 2 Timothy:

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having A FORM OF GODLINESS BUT DENYING ITS POWER. AND FROM SUCH PEOPLE TURN AWAY.

I have more respect for the atheist faction than I do for the religious faction in this War on Christmas. At least they are honest in their unbelief!

Don't be fooled! The War on Christmas is really a war against Christianity ... which is a war against accountability. We want to do whatever we want ... whenever we want!

Those who hate Christianity are looking for safety in numbers and the numbers are increasing, but they are fighting a battle they cannot win.

Remember, we are not in charge.

Thank goodness!

Christmas Time Is Here

2007-12-22T09:34:00.000-05:00

Work has ended for the year. My company has an end of year shut-down which when added to a few vacation days amounts to a desparately needed couple of weeks off till the new business year begins.

As I begin my shopping, I am confronted with what the reality of what Christmas has become ... a strange mixture of pseudo-spirituality, emotionalism, commercialism, sentimentalism, personal anxiety over rising credit card balances and the gathering of recipes from The Food Network.

I have seen numerous reminders on posters and emails to not forget that "Jesus is the reason for the season", but it is my experience in talking with folks that most people (and especially church people) really have no clue why Jesus (a true historical person), had to be born!

He did not come so that we could be happy, healthy and wealthy. He did not come to teach us how to be "good people" so that God would like us more. He did not come so that we could somehow, in Him, find recovery for our stressful and dysfunctional lives.

No! No! No!

He came to propitiate God's wrath against His own people for their SIN and to supercede any atonements that had been made prior. The previous sacrifices only pointed to Him. He did not consider it a loss to take upon Himself frail humanity and to live, suffer and die for the sake of His people.

True Christianity teaches (Genesis 3) the doctrine of "original sin" or "the fall of man". When sin entered the world disease and death entered the world and since that time ALL are under the dominion of sin and death. Proof of this is seen when we examine our lives in light of the 10 Commandments. We are guilty ... everyone ... including all preachers and the pope and Billy Graham! "For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God", Scripture teaches us. "There is no one who does good, no not one"! If we break any part of the Law (The 10 Commandments), then we have broken it all. We are guilty! Scripture teaches that "by the deeds of the law will no one be declared righteous" while simultaneously proclaiming the we must "be Holy as He is Holy"! Quite a dilemma, is it not? The Law was not given to us as a tool for us to use to forge out our own righteousness with our good works, but as an instrument to show us the Holiness of God and to totally remove any pretense that somehow we deserve God's grace because of our efforts.

Pick up a copy of today's paper. You will see evidence of "The Fall". War, murder, hatred, strife, crime, rape, mayhem, slander, lying, back-stabbing and that is just in your neighborhood not to mention the whole world. Our friends turn on us. We all know of those who forsake everything in order to get the buzz of alcohol or drugs. We are all one helpless bunch and there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Paul tells us in Romans 7: For I know that in me (in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

I thank God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Paul adds)

Christ did what we cannot do. He bore the wrath of God on our behalf. Through His finished work the Great Exchange took place. What should have come to us (God's wrath) went to Him and what should have come to Christ (God's grace) went to us. His righteousness is perfect and our righteousness before God is as filthy rags (used menstrual rags) according to Isaiah.

Never before had death been so unnatural because never before had death been so undeserved. The God-man, the Perfect Lamb, was taken outside the city and nailed to a cross over the town garbage dump. He was totally naked (not with a loin cloth as paintings depict) and bleeding from the scourging with whips laced with sharp pieces of bone to tear the skin into shreds. Covered with his own urine and feces that would be released as he died, he suffered on our behalf. Flies surrounded Him and sweat seeped from His pores while his foes jeered Him and gambled for His garments. His legs were not broken (as Scripture tells us) so his suffocation would take much longer than his two companions on either side of Him. He became increasingly weaker and weaker so that He was agonizingly less and less able to push up from his legs in order to inhale. A crown of thorns was pressed into his scalp and the blood rolled down His face. The God-Man, raised up between Heaven and Earth on that tree. The emblem of suffering and shame and lonliness as the Father turned His face from Him! "If it be Thy will, let this cup pass from me", He uttered! It did not pass from Him! He drank the cup of God's wrath and he drank it to the very last dregs. "The cup that makes me stagger"!

In the face of all of this he exclaimed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do"!

He remembers the words of His father, " I, Jehovah, will strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter"!

"IT IS FINISHED", the words flowed from his lips and He gave up his spirit and died.

"THIS IS MY SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED", the Father had exclaimed at the Son's baptism and I can certainly imagine that as the Father looked down from Heaven upon his beloved Son, He had to think, "That's my boy"! And all of Heaven rejoiced!

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus!

We continue to sin, to fall short of and to overstep God's Holy Law, but our sin can no longer condemn us. It causes us to run to the Cross and to worship Him!

By faith, BELIEVE! Not do, but believe. HE has done all of the doing and now we can rest in his finished work. The gospel is not imperative but indicative. It is doctrine not law.

"To God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen"

Now go to the mall!

Excellence Personified

2007-11-12T20:35:00.000-05:00

Just mention her name to anyone who attended Fort Valley High School (name later changed to Peach County High) over the last 60 years or so and you will hear nothing but the highest of accolades. Her name is Eleanor Bell!

When the Taylor County Schools consolidated in the mid 1960's, many of us Reynolds, Georgia folks went to Fort Valley High. I was a freshman at the time but I quickly heard the name, Eleanor Bell! She was deeply respected by students while simultaneously being feared and there were rumors (which later proved to be true) that she had eyes in the back of her head. She could stand facing the blackboard and see everything that took place in the class through those retro-fitted eyes. I personally witnessed this phenomenon thousands of times. I dreaded the day when I would have to enter her class and as I heard more and more students bemoan how difficult it was to pass her math classes ... my dread only intensified.

I recently received an email Tribute To Eleanor Bell from the Fort Valley Tribune which chronicled her life and her career at Fort Valley. At first I was heartbroken because the article appeared to be an obituary, but I quickly realized that she is very much "alive and kicking" and that the purpose of the email was to announce that December 3, 2007 will be declared Eleanor Bell day in Fort Valley. A fitting tribute to this remarkable lady. The article stated facts of which I was not aware: Miss Bell was born in Moultrie, Georgia in 1917 and moved with her family to Americus in 1922. She graduated Valedictorian from Anthony Hich School in Americus and soon began her training at Georgia Southwestern Normal School. She earned her BA degree from Oglethorpe University in 1941 followed by her masters's degree in 1943. She came to Fort Valley to teach mathematics in 1948 and closed out her stallar career in 2000. Her teaching career spanned 62 years: 10 years at Shiloh in Sumter County and followed by 52 years at FVHS and Peach County High where she was selected Star Teacher an unbelievable 15 times.

My senior year (1969-70) the dreaded moment finally arrived. I had Miss Bell first period for college algebra and then again at 4th period for Trigonometry and Analytical Geometry. My final year at FVHS would not be easy but would turn out to be one of the most rewarding times in my life. She taught me to think ... not just about mathematics but in any endeavor I would undertake. I soon found that I loved the challenge of a complex math problem. I had no fear of any math problem ... one just had to reason one's way through it. By the end of the year, I exempted the final in Trigonometry and Analytical Geometry ( but not college algebra)! She would often ask me why I seemed to have no trouble during 4th period but would sometimes struggle during first period College Algebra. ( this was well before the time that I discovered coffee)!

She had a profound influence on my life and during my college career I would have no trouble with mathematics and algebra. She gave me the confidence and the ability to reason through any problem. And if I couldn't, there was no shame ... the problem would simply become a challenge that I would enjoy even if I had to seek help.

Thank you Miss Bell for the gift you gave me! I didn't even know what the gift was until years later, but I will cherish it for the rest of my days.

By the way! I quickly lost my "fear" of Miss Bell. She had a great sense of humor and her students (including me) LOVED her. I always enjoyed trying to make her laugh and I cherish the times I sat in her classes at Fort Valley High School. What I would give to hear her familiar words: "George, what did you get for an answer to problem #7? Oh Really!!!! Why don't you come to the board and show the class how you arrived at that answer?"

You da bomb, Miss Bell!

Miss Bell continues to be active ... gardening, reading, solving crossword puzzles and preparing Sunday dinner for her family. December 3, 2007 will be her 90th birthday. If your life has been influenced by this remarkable lady, take the time to send her a birthday card:

Eleanor Bell
971 Shiloh Road
Americus, Georgia 31719

AMAZING NEW TECHNOLOGY

2007-11-06T18:26:00.000-05:00

I attended the Georgia-Florida game this year (as I had stated in a previous blog), but I was hesitant to admit that I had used some new space-age technology that I was introduced to by an engineer friend of mine. After much thought, I decided to go public with this and you will be the beneficiary. This technological advance allows one to place a micro-sized telescopic sound receiver on one's glasses and then one has but to face someone, no matter how far away, and dial in until the conversation is clear. In addition, the conversations are digitalized for recording purposes. The net result is that one can record virtually any conversation one wishes. So as not to draw attention to myself, I only used it two times ... before and after the game and here are the exact conversations with pictures.

"YOU SEE, WE'RE GONNA SCORE FIRST AND THEN WE'RE GONNA CELEBRATE RIGHT OVER THERE ... THE WHOLE TEAM! THEN WE'RE GONNA OPEN UP A CAN OF WHUP' ASS AND POUR IT ALL OVER YOU GATORS. WE'RE GONNA SACK YOUR HEISMAN QB SIX TIMES, THROW 2 BOMBS FOR TOUCHDOWNS AND GIVE THE BALL TO A FRESHMAN RB AND LET HIM RUN FOR ALMOST 200 YARDS ... AND WE'RE GONNA LAUGH AND DANCE THE ENTIRE TIME!"

"WIPE THAT SCOWL OFF YOUR FACE AND GET THAT UGLY BUNCH BACK ON THE BUS AND TAKE THEM TO SEA WORLD. AND TELL TEBOW TO STOP CRYING AFTER EVERY LOSS BECAUSE HE'S GONNA LOSE A LOT MORE ... THE BIG HOMESCHOOLED CRYBABY!"

Georgia-Florida Weekend

2007-10-29T20:57:00.000-04:00

Several years ago, we started the tradition of staying in St. Simons Island, Ga. for the Georgia-Florida football weekend. Having stayed in several places, we decided this year to rent a house with 3 bedrooms and a large kitchen and den. Our accommodations were great!

The game was the best college football game I have ever seen ... or even heard of! It thrills the soul of every Georgia fan to see the Florida gators get the crap kicked out of them and Saturday afternoon in Jacksonville, we witnessed an old fashioned ass-kicking. 42 to 30! Georgia has bragging rights for the next year.

The seafood was phenomenal: Sapelo Station in Eulonia on Thursday night, Dressner's for breakfast on Friday morning, Barbara Jean's for lunch Friday, Chelsea's for dinner Friday night and The Crab Trap for supper after the game Saturday night.

Jaye (my wife) and I have several friends who have either retired to St. Simons or who have built second homes there. This year, because the golf got rained out, we had the opportunity to visit a couple of our friends and see their new homes. We thoroughly enjoyed spending time with our old friends Steve and Anneliese Maddox. We haven't seen them in a while but whenever we get together ... it's just like we saw each other yesterday. True friends are just that. Next we went to see my childhood pal and my fellow Reynolds, Georgia native, Charlie Crawley and his lovely wife Susan. Charlie and I grew up together and his mother was my kindergarten teacher (I think) and for sure she taught Charlie's and my brothers when they were young (none of them were ever little). I could write forever about the exploits of his twin brothers,Will and Mike, but that is another story for another day. Charlie spend a career in the U. S. Army after graduating from UGA (where he met Susan) and they finally retired and built a beautiful home in St. Simons. Susan told us that during Charlie's career, they lived in 27 places. I am glad to see them finally settle down in such a beautiful place in their custom home. Being around Charlie causes my mind to take me down memory lane. It was simply fantastic to see him.

The Gang: Tom and Jan, George and Jaye, Scott and Tori

THE ASS WHIPPIN'

STEVE AND ANNELIESE MADDOX

CHARLIE AND SUSAN CRAWLEY

The War

2007-10-23T08:53:00.000-04:00

Ken Burns has done it again!

He has made documentaries about Jazz, Baseball and The War Between the States, but THE WAR is his crowning achievement!

There are literally thousands of stories that could be told about the events and the people of WWII, but Burns had to limit THE WAR's perspective to 4 towns and their people with their heartbreaks and celebrations.

This film expertly displays the timeline of events that were taking place all over the world with a war that was fought simultaneously in the Pacific and in Europe.

My father was in the South Pacific and served in the U.S. Navy and he often told his family about his experiences. He drove landing crafts during the invasion of Okinawa but he never stated much more than that fact. What I learned from THE WAR is that the invasion of Okinawa was the largest invasion of the war and that thousands of Americans died there. Okinawa was to be the last bastion for the Japanese because the next step was the invasion of Japan itself. In fact, the entire invasion force went ashore without a single shot being fired, BUT, they were told that military intelligence informed that Okinawa was heavily fortified and that less than 20% of our soldiers would make it off the beach. My father heard this warning and he drove the landing craft anyway. Big Ed was never afraid of anything and now I understand why! A few days after the landing all hell broke loose on this island.

If you have a relative who is a member of this Greatest Generation, you owe it to yourself to watch this documentary. I can promise that you will get a much greater understanding of what took place and why it had to happen.

It was shown in seven episodes and the total time is about 15 hours. Check it out at www.pbs.org.

Having It Your Way Ain't Just For Burger King

2007-09-26T19:30:00.000-04:00

My long time friend and buddy, Tom Lanier, loves to watch college football either live or on the tube ... it doesn't matter. The dude loves sports and he loves sports on TV! His wife, Jan, has often told me that when he dies (a long time from now I pray) we should prop him up in a chair and put a remote control in his hand with a video of the "run Lindsay run" Georgia-Florida game of 1975 playing on a TV in the background. The truth is that Jan really didn't say this, but I am sure that the thought has often crossed her mind. I always thought that something like this was a virtual impossibility ... but I have been proven wrong.

In addition, the words of my beloved and departed mother are ringing true once more.
She often commented upon hearing of a "different" sort of wedding or funeral that "There are two things you can have ANYWAY you wish ... your wedding and your funeral." There really are no hard and fast rules ... and these photos have proven it so.

Just imagine these pictures with the Pittsburg Steeler's blanket being replaced with a big ole' red Georgia Bulldog blanket and with Herschel Walker videos playing in the background. There should probably be a few pictures of UGA I,II,III,IV etc. and an autographed football signed by Larry Munson ... maybe a pair of Kevin Butler's shoes also. Now that would be a funeral!

I grew up in a family of funeral directors and I have never seen anything like this.

Yep, Mamma was right!

Whatever Your Hand Finds To Do

2007-09-17T20:58:00.000-04:00

The Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) has just published (September 12, 2207) their most recent data on U.S. life expectancy. A child born in the United States in 2005 can expect to live 78 (77.9) years - a new high.

This increase represents a continuation of a long-running trend. Life expectancy has increased from 75.8 years in 1995, and from 69.6 years in 1955.

Being the son of a funeral director, there is one thing that I can tell you with absolute certainty - you will die! I have been around death all my life and I can promise that you will not make it out of this life alive.

Get used to it!

Do the math here: 78 minus (your age) = the number of years you have left!

Have you got a number in your head? I'll use my age for an example. 78 - 55 = 23! That gives me (on average) 23 years to do whatever it is that I plan on doing in this life! This is assuming, of course, that for all of these 23 years I remain healthy. Throw in a few years of end-of-life illness, normal sick days, tooth decay, headaches, diarrhea and embarrassing jockey itch and now I only have around 20 good years left. What will I do with my life during these precious and few years? What level of "crap" (from work etc.) will I be willing to tolerate during this short time I have left on earth.

Have you finished the math on your life yet? Are you thinking about your life or will you continue to wander aimlessly for your remaining years? What do you believe and why do you believe it?

Listen to the words of King Solomon, the king of "been there, done that" found in Ecclesiastes 9:10,12:

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

For the man also does not know his time:
Like fish taken in a cruel net,
Like birds caught in a snare,
So the sons of men are snared in an evil time,
When it falls suddenly upon them.

A child born in the United States in 2005 can expect to live nearly 78 years. Yep, that was in the news today.

Systematic Theology

2007-09-12T08:48:00.000-04:00

If one were interested in joining a church, would it not be prudent to ask what the church believed? Surely, one might hear, we believe in Jesus. "We don't worry about doctrine and theology because all that stuff just divides people. We just love Jesus." Also, one might hear that they are non-denominational because denominations just cause divisions. Well, that is all well and good, but I still have not been told what the church believes? Jesus you say, well then, who is Jesus? Where is He now? Why did He come to earth? Is He coming back? What did He do while He was here? Sorry to disillusion you, but we are now talking theology and doctrine. I have a friend who attended a "non-denominational" church and upon hearing many conflicting thoughts coming from the pulpit, he went to the "officers" and asked if they could tell him exactly what the church believed. He asked them to put it in written form so he could look over it diligently and determine if Holy Scripture supported their beliefs. He was told, after several weeks, that they did not have a written document of their beliefs and they were not able to supply one. Needless to say, my friend no longer attends this "church"!

I am a confessional Christian. I attend a Church that adheres to the Westminster Confession of Faith. This document systematically states the beliefs of the Church. If the minister were to preach something contrary to this belief system, I could very easily ask a question of the Session (the governing body) and have an answer very quickly! The minister, before getting credentials to preach in the Church, is required to "subscribe" to the teachings of the Confession. If he ever broke this promise, he could lose his credentials. The purpose of all of this is to avoid divisions because everything is clearly written out for all to see. In addition, if the minister were to die or move, the Church could continue its ministry of Word and Sacrament because doctrine not "charisma" is the basis of the belief system and everything is clearly written ut for all to see. The confession is subordinate to Holy Scripture, of course, but it is a concise and clear explanation of what this "denomination" believes the Bible teaches. Elders and ministerss are required to adhere to the confession, but subscription is not a requirement for Church membership. There is no "easy believism"! It takes years of diligent study to come to an understanding. The gospel message is very simple (the perspicuity of Scripture as the Reformers stated), but Peter warns us that there are things in Scripture that are very difficult to understand and that "false teachers" will come along and twist these "teachings" to their own benefit (2 Peter 2:1;3:16). Remember that false teachers do not come from outside the Church but from within.

Because of these ideas stated here, Christians should demand a statement or a confession from their Church. How else could one possibly study their teachings if they are not written down for all to see? What do you believe? Is this a logical question? The Anglicans have the 39 Articles. The Lutherans have the Ausburg Confession. The Baptists have the 1689 London Confession (but I know very few Baptists that are aware of this fact). The Presbyterians have the Westminster Confession and the Belgic Confession. These are well thought out and are very clear and concise. There are no "smoke and mirrors" here, just plain and simple language.

Scripture has been divided into seven(7) subjects in the study of systematic theology. These 7 subjects are not located in one place in Scripture, but rather can be found all through its pages, hence the reason for systematically listing them. If you get a clear understanding of the 7 subjects, you will clearly know what you believe. Your "church" certainly should be able to clearly tell you what it believes about these 7 subjects:

1. The doctrine of God: What does the Bible teach about God and Scripture?

2. Christology: What does the Bible teach about Christ?

3. Pneumatology: What does the Bible teach about the Holy Spirit?

4. Anthropology: What does the Bible teach about man and his condition?

5. Soteriology: What does the Bible teach about salvation?

6. Ecclesiology: What does the Bible teach about the Church and the 2 Sacraments (Baptism and the Lord's Supper)?

7. Eschatology: What does the Bible teach about the end times? (hint: if you see the LEFT BEHIND books in the pastor's study ... RUN)! Premillennialism? Postmillennialism? Amillennialism? Contrary to what many may say, knowing the difference in these 3 is very important.

A denomination would clearly state what they believe about these subjects! A non-denominational church IS a denomination! Either they do not know what they believe on these matters or they are keeping it a secret or they just do not care. This denomination is lovingly called the "Happy-Clappy"! This would make is difficult for one to make a decision about joining. Would it not?

If no one can clearly tell you what they believe, what would you be joining?

KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE AND WHY YOU BELIEVE IT!

ON PIGS, PEACHES, SUNSHINE AND PRIDE

2007-08-15T20:51:00.000-04:00

WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS BLOG IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A FULL STOMACH!

On Saturday afternoon ( 8-11-07), I attended the Annual Pigs and Peaches BBQ contest held in downtown Kennesaw, Georgia. This was a serious contest because it was sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society! As a matter of fact, one has to be very serious in order to get your BBQ rig towed to the site with all the needed meats and then to sit up all night long to cook those meats to perfection. This all begins with the "Anything Butt" category on Friday afternoon. The registered contestants are given a "surprise" meat which is to be grilled and entered in the contest. No one knows ahead of time what the "surprise" is, so creativity is the most desired ingredient in this contest. The entries are judged on appearance, taste and tenderness. This year's "surprise" was "London Broil"! Then the "sho-nuff" grilling begins. The contestants have entries for chicken, pork ribs, pulled pork and beef brisket. Their cuts of meat are inspected by judges to assure that no prior preparation has taken place before the contest (marinating etc.)! The custom smokers are fired up with the secret mixes of hardwoods and charcoal and the smoking lasts all night. ( I figured out that the all night grilling is really a great excuse for beer drinking)!

Saturday morning at 12 noon the chicken is taken to the judges first, next the ribs, next the pulled pork and finally the brisket is delivered to the judges. Also, the contestants were told that if any sauce "pools" in the presentation, the entry would be disqualified.

I arrived on the scene of this contest about 11 AM Saturday morning, so I missed the "Anything Butt" contest and the all night beer drinking, but I didn't miss the chance to taste the entries. What I discovered is that several "recipes" of each cut are grilled so that the best tasting is turned over to the judges. I did my part to "taste" each one and give my opinion as to what should be entered.

By 2 PM, I was absolutely stuffed, but I was happily stuffed. After the entries are turned in, everyone packs up and the winners are announced that evening in front of the whole crowd. There was an all-female band from Nashville (broadBand) to entertain the crowd and the mayor read the results. Out of 39 teams in the contest (some of these are pros) my friends came in 16th place overall ... a very respectable showing considering they have only been competing about 3 years.

I absolutely LOVE BBQ and after seeing this contest and learning from my buddies, I am ready to come up with my own special "rub" and "basting sauces" and "BBQ Sauces"! For example, the recipe my friend used on the chicken was a raspberry chipotle rub and the result was out of sight! This chicken came in 6th place in the overall contest! My friends "maple ribs" didn't win first place, but if the first place ribs are truly better (according to the judges) then I plan to follow this first place team around for the rest of my life. It would be more than a human could stand.

You can't imagine how unbelievably delicious these grilled delights are!

I can't describe "taste, tenderness and appearance" but I can send pictures.

Like I said at the beginning, don't look at this if you are hungry! It would be the vilest of torture.

The members of the TNT team are Tim Thomas, Aaron Thomas and Nathan King. They are available for catered bbq cookouts. You won't be disappointed!!

I Guess It's In My Genes

2007-08-06T21:23:00.000-04:00

I don't remember the first time I caught a fish, but I do remember that my Daddy was with me because he had taught me what to do. He taught me how to put a cricket on a hook which is a little different from putting a worm on a hook.

In the attic of our family grocery store, my grandfather had set up 3 or 4 casket boxes (not caskets ... just the boxes that were shipped in) and lined them side by side. When one approached, you got the feeling you were entering a multiple-body funeral, but the loud chirping of the crickets gave it away. There was an electric light inside each box and it was always on, so when you raised the lid of the box there was an instant of sensory overload of light, odor and the now unmuffled sound of the crickets. Big Daddy (my grandfather) also raised worms but they were kept in the back yard of his house. He spent countless hours keeping his worms in the best of conditions by adding dirt and water whenever needed. He also fed them something but I don't remember what. That man loved to fish and if there ever lived a human being who caught more fish than he ... I would love to hear about him. He would put his precious worms in little white plastic containers and bring them to the store and place them in a refrigerator. Everyone in town knew that if you needed worms or crickets, Goddard's store was the place.

Big Daddy and his friends would march all through the Flint River Swamp and fish all of the special places. I remember that one of the places was called Chalky Hole because he took me there one afternoon where I caught the biggest bream I have ever caught. I could only have been 7 or 8 years old! He loved to fish and he taught my father, Big Ed, the love of fishing also. I don't know what the attraction is because I don't really like to eat fish, but there is something about hooking a bass, bream, catfish or later in my life ... trout and the feel of the fish trying to escape the grasp of the hook.

Also, some of my fondest childhood memories are of the hours spend fishing with my Father and my Grandfather (Big Daddy)! I guess it's just in my genes.

On many occasions, my grandmother, Lucy, would fish with my grandfather and I remember that they would often travel to places and return with strange, big fish! Fish that were far to big to have been caught in the local area. I was to learn that they came from the ocean. Later in my life, I became a fan of deep-sea fishing! I guess it's just in my genes. (this picture was taken in the early 50's)

Our family would vacation to south Florida every summer to Fort Myers to visit my mother's mother. We would rent a cottage at the beach and my father would be gone for several hours and return with several big fish called Snook. My mother would cook them and it seems like we had fish every single day of our vacation. As I got older he would teach me about snook fishing and we would rent small boats and go out for the day. I loved catching all of the strange and new types of fish. I loved coming back to the dock and watching the men with big knives clean those fish and throw the entrails to the pelicans. I also loved going to the numerous piers and fishing there all day. The birds, the smells, the ocean breezes ... I loved it all. I guess it's just in my genes.

This July (2007), my family and I went to Destin, Florida along with my old buddy Dennis Parks and his wife Zetta. We played a few rounds of golf, ate some seafood and of course we fished. This time we got into some King Mackeral. They are real fighters and it is a blast to catch them, Dennis had chartered a boat with captain and first mate just for us three: Dennis, me and my son Mitch! We had a ball and from the look on Mitch's face when he fought the mackeral, I believe it's in his genes also.

I reckon fishing is sorta like golf ... you just pass on the love of it to the next generations.

Sorta like its in one's genes!

Crime and Punishment

2007-07-11T17:46:00.000-04:00

Since my wife and I began building our house in North Carolina about 4 years ago, we have become re-acquainted with an old friend ... the CHIGGER! Also known as harvest mites or red-bugs, these little critters have the ability to drive a human being to the brink of insanity. Once you come into contact with them, you will surely seek all the info and help you can find to avoid any further reinfestation. I thought that I could help anyone who reads this blog by giving this info before you are attacked. So here is my first public-service blog!

Chiggers come out to play in warm weather (spring and summer) and they love to live in high-grassy areas. Unlike the bites of mosquitos or other varmits, one doesn't even realize one is bitten until 12 to 24 hours later when the maddening itch begins. They really don't bite in the normal sense ... they attach themselves to your skin, inject saliva with digestive enzymes that help to break down your skin cells which then becomes a palatable drink for them. These enzymes cause the itch and you won't realize it for a while. Chiggers look around for a good feeding place, which is usually a thin layer of skin ... they begin to feed if they reach a barrier such as a waistband, an armpit, behind a knee or the groin area.

Although chiggers can stay attached to your skin and continue eating for days, there is hope. They are easily brushed off by wiping with a towel, scratching or taking a shower or bath.

MYTHS: Chiggers don't burrow under the skin and drink your blood so there is no need to cover the bites with clear nail polish. Also, chiggers don't carry disease.

Chiggers provide a perfect example of the old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure! If you plan to be in a "wild area" you might follow this advice. Pretreat yourself with an insect repellant with D.E.E.T (ask your pharmacist) and wear a long-sleeved shirt and pants with a tight weave (such as jeans). Do not wear flip-flops or sandals with shorts, but wear high boots if possible and tuck your pants leg into the top of the boot. As soon as you finish your yard work or hike or whatever outside activities you enjoy ... take a hot shower with lots of soap (shampoo) and use a soft scrub brush if available. As I stated earlier, they are easily washed away before they do their damage.

After taking all these precautions one might still find himself with those horrible red itchy bumps and if so, here's some more advice from your Calvinist pharmacist: When the itching wakes you in the middle of the night, get up and take a hot shower and immediately after drying, apply a prescription strength steroid cream to each bite. Other anti-itch remedies such as calamine, oatmeal baths or OTC benzocaine creams are helpful, but not as good. Most reputable medical practitioners would not suggest keeping a hair brush handy for a couple of strokes of instant relief, but I have found it quite helpful; however, I would suggest using your spouse's brush instead of your own.

If you have ever experienced "CHIGGERS", then you are aware of the agony they can cause. I have often stated that in states where the death penalty is not legal, the chigger penalty should be instituted. These states could simply go to death row, gather the inmates, strip them naked and march them through the grassy hills of the North Carolina mountains in the summer. They would not be allowed to shower for about 5 days after. Once the itching and scratching starts, these murderers and other criminals would be reduced to stubble. The sheer possibility of having to go through this ordeal again would be ample reason to walk the straight and narrow. I would wager that most of these criminals would volunteer to go to the Congo for mission work ... just keep those chiggers awaw from me.

The Penalty of Leadership Revisited

2007-06-20T21:07:00.000-04:00

Back on December 12th, 2006, my brother published a blog about this Cadillac advertisement,but it is well worth the time to publish it again. The fact is that it should be published over and over so that we never forget it.

I work in the pharmaceutical industry and I just happen to sell the #1 pharmaceutical used for asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Advair is truly innovative, both in its pharmacology and in the delivery device and this causes the predicament which is so eloquently spoken about in this 1915 ad. You see, when our competitors come in to see a physician, usually the first words spoken are not about the features and benefits of their product, but rather are pejorative comments about Advair. After years of speaking ill of our product, now there are several companies coming out with "me-too" drugs in hopes of copying our success and once again ... their first efforts are to bad-mouth our product instead of speaking of the features of their own. THIS IS WHAT FOLLOWERS ALWAYS DO! It takes a ton or fortitude to be a leader, but any moron can be a follower!

I realize that my situation is duplicated numerous times throughout the business world ... jealousy's rearing her ugly head. The penalty of leadership is certainly not unique to the pharmaceutical industry, but is evident in every endeavor.

The advertisement you are about to read appeared in THE SATURDAY EVENING POST on January 2nd, 1915. It has been chosen as one of the greatest ads of all time. It was written by Theodore F. MacManus and is considered by some to be the GREATEST of all ads ever written. One will notice that there are no pictures or artwork ... just text! Packard was having a field day when a defect was discovered in Cadillac's new 1915 V8 Touring Model and this ad ran in response to the efforts by Packard to punish Cadillac for being a leader. Sales rebounded and as you know, Packard has been out of business for years.

This holds true not just in products but in personal leadership also. People do not follow someone unless that person has earned the privilege ... LEADERSHIP DOES NOT COME BY POSITION OR TITLE!

_________

THE PENALTY OF LEADERSHIP
In every field of human endeavor, he that is first must perpetually live in the white light of publicity. Whether the leadership be vested in a man or in a manufactured product, emulation and envy are ever at work.

In art, in literature, in music, in industry, the reward and the punishment are always the same. The reward is widespread recognition; the punishment, fierce denial and detraction. When a man's work becomes a standard for the whole world, it also becomes a target for the shafts of the envious few.

If his work be mediocre, he will be left severely alone - if he achieves a masterpiece, it will set a million tongues a-wagging. Jealousy does not protrude its forked tongue at the artist who produces a commonplace painting. Whatsoever you write, or paint, or play, or sing, or build, no one will strive to surpass or to slander you unless your work be stamped with the seal of genius.

Long, long after a great work or a good work has been done, those who are disappointed or envious, continue to cry out that it cannot be done. Spiteful little voices in the domain of art were raised against our own Whistler as a mountebank, long after the big world had acclaimed him its greatest artistic genius.

Multitudes flocked to Bayreuth to worship at the musical shrine of Wagner, while the little group of those whom he had dethroned and displaced argued angrily that he was no musician at all. The little world continued to protest that Fulton could never build a steamboat, while the big world flocked to the river banks to see his boat steam by.

The leader is assailed because he is a leader, and the effort to equal him is merely added proof of that leadership. Failing to equal or to excel, the follower seeks to depreciate and to destroy - but only confirms once more the superiority of that which he strives to supplant.

There is nothing new in this. It is as old as the world and as old as the human passions - envy, fear, greed, ambition, and the desire to surpass. And it all avails nothing. If the leader truly leads, he remains - the leader.

Master-poet, master-painter, master-workman, each in his turn is assailed, and each holds his laurels through the ages. That which is good or great makes itself known, no matter how loud the clamor of denial.

That which deserves to live - lives.

A Cooking Show! Are You Kidding Me?

2007-06-18T22:24:00.000-04:00

I had no idea!

What's The Difference

2007-06-18T20:46:00.000-04:00

The media is a powerful influence in American Culture! We see images on TV and they become engraved in our collective minds. Tonight, I have on my mind 2 young ladies whose images are constantly beamed into our living rooms and dens. They are the same age and gender and both come from "silver-spoon" backgrounds. One could learn much from the other and I will leave it to you to decide which.

Paris Hilton and Ivanka Trump!

Paris Hilton was born on February 17, 1981 and is an heiress to a share of the Hilton fortune ( app. 50 million $'s) as well as the real estate fortune of her father, Richard. Paris is the oldest of four children of Richard and Kathy Hilton. Her younger sister is Nicky and her younger brothers are Barron Hilton II and Conrad Hilton II. Paris moved between several exclusive homes in her youth ... Beverly Hills, the Hamptons and a suite in the Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan. She attended her freshman year of high school in Rancho Mirage, California at the Marywood-Palm Valley School and her sophomore and junior years of high school at the Dwight School in New York, but dropped out and eventually earned her GED. Paris rose to fame when a home-made sex tape of her was spread through the internet in late 2003. This video entitled, "l Night In Paris" attracted worldwide publicity and contributed to the success of the reality TV series, THE SIMPLE LIFE! As an actress she has appeared in several minor roles ... most notable ... HOUSE OF WAX (2005) and she released her album PARIS in 2006. Paris began modeling as a child and at the age of 19, she signed with the Trump Agency. Paris was arrested for DUI in September 2006 and was sentenced to 36 months probation and her license was suspended. After subesquent arrests for driving with a suspended license and speeding, she was charged with violating her probation and was sentenced to 45 days in jail. You have to know the rest ... it's on the news EVERY DAY!

Ivanka Trump was born October 30, 1981 in New York City, New York. She is best known as the daughter of Ivana and Donald Trump and is currently vice president of Real Estate Development and Acquisitions at the Trump Organization. Ivanka attended school at Choate Rosemary Hall, as well as Chapin. After graduation, she spent two years at Georgetown university, then transferred to and graduated MAGNA CUM LAUDE from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor of science in economics in 2004. Her modeling career began while in school because her mother would only pay for tuition and Ivanka needed money for other interests. Her first cover was a 1997 issue of SEVENTEEN. She has made her way down fashion runways for Versace, Marc Bouwer and Thierry Mugler. She once said, "I am a much more private person than my father - never loved the spotlight all that much. Except for my brief - perhaps a mistake - modeling stint to break up the monotony of boarding-school existence." After Ivanka's appearances on both THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO and THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, both Leno and Letterman commented that they could hear her father's influence and inflections in her. Before working for her father, Ivanka worked for Forest City Enterprises and she had been offered to appear in THE BACHELORETTE, but she declined. She does not consider herself as an heiress and does not like to be compared to Paris Hilton (excuse me for this blog Ivanka)! She was placed #83 in the 2007 MAXIM HOT 100!

There you have it ... Paris and Ivanka. Both born in 1981 to lives of privilege and celebrity parents. One could learn a great deal for the other.

What's the difference? You figure it out!

I Owe A Lot To The Game Of Golf

2007-06-04T21:07:00.000-04:00

There are FIVE crazy dudes in this picture and golf is just an excuse to get together! We are not easily fooled by the beauty of golf courses throughout the great state of Georgia. We view the landscape and see triple bogies masquerading as landscaping ... you can't fool us. Anyway, we don't need to be fooled. We have all long ago realized that we would not make a living playing golf. Left to right please let me introduce Dennis Parks, Bob Stanton, yours truly, Charley Shields and Joe Cole.

We met through the great game of golf. Years back I started the "Annual Chicken George Invitational Golf Tournament and Gnat Festival"! This was in my home town of Reynolds, Georgia and took place at the Reynolds Kiwanis Golf Course. It was only a 9 hole course and we had two eighteen hole shotgun starts each day of the special week-end. We usually would play about 150 players from around the country ... friends, friends of friends, fraternity brothers, etc.! I actually had this event for 14 consecutive years. The local townspeople would open their homes to the golfers for the week-end and the local Kiwanis Club would provide a BBQ Chicken dinner for a nominal fee. The town's restaurants looked forward to this yearly money-making time. It was truly a unique event, but as the local people starting getting older and less able to take care of visitors and as the grim reaper began to pass through town each year, I finally realized that the tournament had run its course. It was time to grab hold to all the memories and move on to the next thing. So goes life! But, this group came to know each other through the Chicken George Golf Tournament. Dennis and I were fraternity brothers at UGA and Joe Cole married a young lady with whom I had the pleasure of sharing my childhood. Joe asked me to invite his friend Bob Stanton and Bob asked me to invite his friend Charley Shields ... so I did! This took place over several years and there are many others that I came to know through this same process. I didn't realize it at the time, but golf was just the vehicle that brought all these people together so that life could happen.

It is always such fun when some of the participants from past Chicken George's get together. We know we aren't going to win the tournament but we also know that nobody will have more fun than us. Such was the case this day! It was non-stop laughter from the time we drove up to the club house. My cheek muscles ( in my face not my butt) still ache from laughing so much.

Maybe you're wondering why there are 5. You see, Bob Stanton (The Appliance Man) set up this gathering several months ago. He had a friend in a local high school booster club who needed support so Bob volunteered us. As luck would have it, about 3 weeks before the golf date, Bob suffered a heart attack and had by-pass surgery. He didn't want to miss the fun so he showed up anyway and walked around with us.

When it was all over, Charley invited us all back to his home in downtown Norcross for a Cinco de Mayo celebration dinner. Needless to say, his wife was surprised!

Just another great memory of a great day with a group of great guys. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

The older I get, the more amazed I am of the positives that the game of golf has added to my life. When I was a child, I cherished the times on Thursday afternoons when I got to play golf with my Daddy. As I grow older, I now cherish the times I got to spend 5 or 6 hours with my son on a golf course near our home in Kennesaw. Where else can a father and son spend 5 or 6 hours together? Certainly not cutting grass!

No doubt, I owe a lot to the game of golf! It's not just a game! Not to me!

A Promise Kept

2007-05-05T09:17:00.000-04:00

On April 22, 2007, my father-in-law died after a long and fruitful life at the age of 82. He and his wife Percy have reared 4 children and I happen to be married to one of them ... his daughter, Jaye. A quick synopsis of his life is but a poor attempt to describe him, but these words will have to suffice. Doyle has been in Monroe, Georgia since 1956, when he moved there to manage Deere Acres (a training school for John Deere employees). He attended the University of Georgia and served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Macleish during WWII. After the war he returned to his true love, farming, for the rest of his life. He was extremely active in the community serving as a member of the first Walton County Planning and Zoning Boards, later serving as chairman for many years. He served as a tax assessor for Walton County, was a director of Walton County Chamber of Commerce and was, at the time of his death, a Director of the Walton EMC. He was a director of the Farmer's Bank and later served on the Wachovia Bank Advisory Board. He was one of the original Trustees of George Walton Academy and served as a deacon at Mt. Creek Baptist Church for 45 years. He was a 50 year member of the Campton Lodge #566 F & A.M.! In addition, he was a life member of the Monroe VFW where he thoroughly enjoyed the Friday morning coffed gatherings. BUT, if you asked Doyle what he did, he would say that he was a farmer.

As you can probably discern, Doyle was a man who admired people who took care of their responsibilities. He would do anything for anyone, but he held little regard for those who thought that the world owed them a living. Responsibility, Hard Work, Character, Morality and Perseverance were just a few of his traits. Simply, he was a man who did not shirk his responsibilities!

About 25 years ago during the famous farmers' strike, he and several of his farming buddies were discussing the fact that as the government gets more involved in personal affairs of people, folks tend to get out of the way and let the government do it. This concept did not sit well with Doyle or his buddies! He reminded his friends that in days gone by, friends and neighbors even dug the grave when a member of the community died. He further reminded them that one cannot do this anymore because of government regulations and interference. During this conversation, one of his friends, David Thompson, latched onto the idea of friends digging the graves of their deceased buddies and promised Doyle that he would dig his grave when the time came.

On the day Doyle died, David Thompson, called Doyle's widow, Percy, and told her about the promise he had made to him some 25 years earlier. He was going to dig the grave! He met resistance from the management of the cemetery and the city, but he was undeterred. He had made a promise and he was going to keep it! Government intereference was not going to stop him! David put the word out and several folks showed up with their shovels( see picture)!

On the day before the funeral, Doyle's son Billy, Doyle's grandson (my son) Mitch and I headed for the cemetery to watch the event. The gentleman operating the backhoe was very helpful with the hard and crusted earth so it turned into a somewhat symbiotic affair and the task was completed. It seemed only fitting that a man of the soil was returning to the earth from whence he came with the help of his farmer friends.

My family has been in the funeral business for 5 generations, and my brothers do not recall a similar event taking place during their tenure. Keeping Promises! Taking care of our folks!

Thanks for reminding us David Thompson!

Gravediggers (l to r): Greg Souther, Billy Mitchell, Bernie Moody, Robby Thomas, Kevin Moody, DAVID THOMPSON, Adam Thompson, Luke Huff, Charles Whitley, Press Breedlove, Scott Cherry, Will Thompson, Mitch Goddard, Clay Thompson, Steve Poole

Selling Drugs

2007-04-07T21:30:00.000-04:00

IF you have read this blog at all, you will know that I have spent the past 21 years of my life employed by a large pharmaceutical company in the role of a sales representative. During this time, I have had the opportunity to get to know some great folks (and some not-so-great) and have spent much time with them. Since I have been in the same territory for all of these years, I have developed some strong friendships with many of my docs I call on and I have developed strong relationships with other representatives (both my company and others). I have previously written about my friend Bruce Sloman, but I figure it is high-time to tell you about my present co-workers! There are some fantastic folks working for pharmaceutical companies and as a rule they are highly educated, extremely motivated and extremely interesting. This does not just include those with my company, but other companies as well. One day, when I look back on my days is this business, the thing I will miss the most is the people. Truly, I will cherish the memories of all the places I have visited during my employment and most certainly I won't forget the bonuses ($) or the lack thereof. But the folks you work with day in and day out are what make it all count as a worthwhile venture.

Take a look at this picture! From back to front, left to right they are as follows: Dustin Raymond, Andy Bishop, yours truly, Stacy Hoblitzell, Tina Wallace and Julie Cochran.

Dustin Raymond is one interesting dude! One cannot even think of a famous person whose autograph Dustin does not have. I don't want to give away any of his trade secrets, but I will tell you that he goes to Augusta, Georgia the week before the Masters Golf Tournament and hangs out at the airport. No golfer is safe ... he will track them down and get their autograph! Professional baseball players! No problem! He has more autographs than Cooperstown. Obviously, he has no problem whatsoever getting physicians to sign his sample request forms. I'm old enough to be his father ( as a matter of fact I am older than his father), but we still have a unique relationship! Dustin's father died at a very young age, and in response to this terrible event, he has become a fantastic father himself! He thinks up places to go and things to do with his family, because he wants them to have the kind of life he was given. He works non-stop to fill his kids' lives with special and warm memories of a super childhood! Sometimes I wish I were his kid. Does anyone want a signed copy of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD? He once flew to Tokyo, Japan just to spend the night and flew back the next day.

Andy Bishop came from a family that didn't just have kids ... they had litters! There are triplets and twins in this family. His brother and his wife had 2 small children and then ... poof ... they had a set of quadruplets! Six small children to care for! Andy is a good uncle and actually changed a diaper one time! His brother and sister-in-law were certainly grateful. Andy is a runner! Not just a runner ... I'm talking about A RUNNER! I first met him when he was in high school and was on the track team with my god-daughter, Jessica Whatley. He and his twin brother came in first and second in almost every race they entered. Since I have known him, he entered a race in New York (I think) with 16,000 entries ... he only came in 6th place( or something outrageous like that). We were working a convention together one day and he left for lunch. He returned in a little over an hour having run 12 miles. I don't even know why he has a company car. He should just strap a bag of samples over his shoulder and take off. Just a few weeks ago, he ran a half marathon in Atlanta. Upon finishing,having barely broken a sweat, he was disappointed that his time was not up to his standards. A race official walked up to him and congratulated him on being the first person from Georgia to finish. He was given a trip for two to San Francisco and was entered in the marathon (or half marathon) there if he wishes to compete. He eats at the Krystal every day and consumes somewhere around 200 or 300 Krystals every week. I keep telling him that as he gets older, he will have to drop out of races because of his rotten bowels unless he starts to wear diapers ... sorta like that astronaut woman who didn't want to stop on her way to kill her boyfriend. Seriously, everybody in NW Georgia knows him because of his running fame and I love working with him. We talk every day and I never remember a time that we talked when were not both laughing. I thought I was a big eater, but this man puts me to shame! There are whole third-world countries that live for a year on less food than that which falls on the floor by his chair at one single Cracker Barrell meal. Andy and his wife have one little girl and I am sure that the next time they get pregnant, they will have either triplets or quadruplets. Andy lives in fear of this because he knows that if he has boys, they will eat like he does! I can't imagine how much that would cost.

Next is yours truly! What else can I say?

Notice the young lady at the left! This is the relative newcomer, Stacy Hoblitzell. Stacy is the mother of two small children and is a former elementary school teacher. When we have meetings in a restaurant, she makes us all line up and hold hands when walking to our table. Many times she will place a bite of food on a fork and then play "airplane" with it until you open your mouth, the "hangar", and let the airplane land on your tongue. I think she is having difficulty getting over being around children all the time, so Dustin, Andy and I are doing everything possible to make this transition as difficult as possible! Seriously, Stacy is married to a high school coach and is a super lady. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her and I have come to appreciate her selling "style". She went to high school with several of the physicians we call on and they all love her. How could one not love Stacy? She has such a pleasant demeanor that everyone loves to be around her and that is one of the reasons she is so successful in her job. She is very intelligent and has learned a lot of material over the past 5 or 6 years about the disease states and the treatments for which she has responsibility. She appears as meek as a kitten, but the truth is that she is a tiger. I wouldn't take a million dollars for my friendship with Stacy. She is a true gem!

Next we have Tina Wallace! Tina has been with the company almost as long as I and together we have about 40 years in out territory. I would venture to say that there is not another couple of reps in all of the company that have been together, in the same territory, as long as we. In all of our years, we have never had a cross word and we have been through each other's ups and downs of life together. I know not of any person that I respect more than Tina. She is married to a former pharmaceutical rep (a very ugly one I might add) and is a first class step-mother. In Webster's dictionary next to the definition of the word PROFESSIONAL there is a picture of Tina. We have often spoken about how this crazy thing called life put us together for so long, and we finally just learned to accept the fact that it was meant to be. I cannot imagine a time in my life when I couldn't talk to Tina every day. For almost 20 years we have spoken almost daily because of our job resposibilities and then we continue to talk about ... whatever! She is simply a part of my fiber. Years ago, when we first started work for the company, we went on a business trip to Hawaii. This was Tina's first time on an airplane and I recall fondly being around her during this trip. I have pictures of her from this meeting and she looks like a kid. She is not a kid anymore and has developed into an old pro. I consider it to be one of the biggest blessings of my life, that I got to spend a career with Tina. You 'da girl, Tina!

Last, but not least, is Julie Cochran! Julie was born in Canada and somehow made her way down to Georgia. In her previous life, she was a nurse, so being in the health care industry is not new to her. For folks that are new to being in physician offices, there is a time of transition. You just have to figure out how things work. But this was not the case for Julie. She has the misfortune of having the same birthday as me ... April 12th ... only mine was many years ahead of hers. Another factoid about Julie is that she is a cancer survivor! In our duties as pharmaceutical representatives, we come across many people who are stricken with this disease, but Julie has a unique insight because of her first hand knowledge. Before coming to our company, she was employed by another pharmaceutical giant, so she was not new to the industry. Julie and her husband live in Cartersville with their two kids.

So, the next time you run into this NW Georgia group of reps, you will know more about us. I must caution you to take special care if you see us at a restaurant, because you could be injured by all the flying debris around Andy Bishop's plate. It's sorta' like being near a buzz-saw cutting away at an old log.

The Way It Should Be Done

2007-04-01T21:12:00.000-04:00

I grew up in a little town not unlike Mayberry! There was a different store for every need of a family. Reynolds had a hardware store, a clothing store, a couple of restaurants, 2 grocery stores, 3 or 4 gas stations, a couple of funeral homes, a Chevrolet dealer, a florist, a post office, a city hall, 2 barber shops, a beauty nook, a baptist and a methodist church and a PHARMACY.

The pharmacy was started by Mr. Clay Whatley but when I was growing up, Mr. Clay had sold the store to Leonard Whatley. Because my father owned one of the grocery stores, I had to work there every other Saturday and every summer, but I knew that the grocery business was not for me. I loved visiting Reynolds Pharmacy and vividly remember the days of the soda fountain. There was a certain aroma that was ever-present in the pharmacy ... to let one know that this place was different. Leonard Whatley became my mentor in the pharmacy profession and even went to UGA School of Pharmacy to "beg" the dean to let me in. It worked and I was on my way to a career in this profession.

I graduated and went to work for a large chain because they had all the opportunity and benefits (so I thought) and after 11 years I went to work for a large pharmaceutical company where I have remained until this day. I never lost my love for the independent pharmacy and through the years I have had the opportunity to visit many throughout the state of Georgia. Several come to mind as I write this, but there is one in particular that I wish to describe.

If one travels up to Rome, Georgia and follows the highway past Berry College, one will eventually come to Summerville and the next town is Trion, Georgia. If you have never visited an old mill town, then this is the place. Things have changed a lot from the old mill town days as America is no longer a big manufacturer of textiles, but if you ever heard the song by Tennessee Ernie Ford , I OWE MY SOUL TO THE COMPANY STORE, then you will find Trion an interesting place.

Mt. Vernon Mills (formerly Riegel Textiles) furnished everything for their employees! They even furnished mill coins that could be used in the company store. They brought people into the world with company doctors in the company hospital. They were educated in company schools. Between birth and death they provided EVERYTHING that a human being could need. The "BIG FRIENDLY" store had 17 departments (and yes they had a pharmacy). The Mill even provided a funeral home! They brought you into the world, educated you, gave you a job and buried you when you died. Nobody complained ... it was a great life! But times changed in the USA and the mill changed along with it. The mill is still there today, but it is nothing like its heyday.

In 1961, after the demise of the "Big Friendly", the pharmacist at the mill went into the pharmacy business for himself. As you come into Trion, you can see the old store right on your left. In 1974 a young man name Tommy Lester Thompson from Murphy, North Carolina bought the store and began a prosperous business. When I was a pharmacist in Rome, I had the opportunity to speak with Tommy by phone on several occasions and later (1986) in my job as a representative for Glaxo Pharmaceuticals, I met Tommy and his brother Tim and began what has become a long and enduring friendship. Almost every trip to Trion I stop by to say hello. What I have discovered is that in 1983, Tommy developed some health problems and in 1984 sold the store to his brother Tim, but thankfully, Tommy is in great health today and both he and Tim enjoy the role of dual pharmacists at this delightful store.

Now, remember that I came to love independent pharmacies in my childhood in Reynolds, so when I walked into Trion Drugs for the first time I was instantly transported back to my childhood days. This pharmacy was full of life and personality. Tommy or Tim would always invite me back and we would visit for a while. They even had a DME (durable medical equipment) business that was added in 1986, so there was always something "buzzing" in this store. I watched the manner in which employees treated the customers and it reminded me of home. The customers (patients) were their friends and they treated them as such ... just like they treated me! They make you feel as if they are genuinely delighted that you came by! Unfortunately, today in most pharmacies, this is not the case! The store was well- lighted and was spotlessly clean and organized. I loved to go there.

The reason I use the past tense here is that they have built a new store right next door. The DME business uses the old store to warehouse the equipment, but their business office is located in the new building. Everything is linked by phone lines and cameras and the new pharmacy is absolutely beautiful. Tommy and Tim designed it themselves and one could notice that at every patient-contact point there is a computer terminal and a telephone. All the information they need is at an arms-length away and they never have to walk away from a customer. Simply put, this is the best pharmacy I have ever visited and if you are ever up Trion way, stop by and say hello to Tommy,Tim and all the gang.

They have 25 employees and 8 have been there over 10 years. Sarah Money has been there since 1983! Their staff is helpful and courteous and cheerful to a fault. You will notice to your right, as you stand in front of the prescription counter, a wall of pictures of the old mill days. It has created much interest and many locals are bringing in some old pictures (and stories) to add to the wall. Peruse these pictures for a while and then get Tim or Tommy to give you a little history lesson.

I have been in this business for a long time and I have been in more pharmacies than I can count. Believe me! If you want to see the practice of Pharmacy done The Way It Should Be Done, stop by and say hello to my buddies Tommy and Tim Thompson. And be sure to tell them that Chicken George says hello!

FIRE AND ICE

2007-03-26T22:26:00.000-04:00

One of the things I love about the mountains is the change of seasons! I once lived in the Virgin Islands where there was no change in temperature or length of days ... just perfect weather every day. I loved the winter in my Bryson City home although I was not able to do a lot outdoors, but being inside with a roaring fire, a good cup of coffee and a good book was a great pleasure ... for a season. I have waited in eager expectation for springtime with all the pleasant aromas and the perfect 70 degree days with a breeze or two. This spring however, has been quite dry and consequently has created a perfect condition for fire season. I had not counted on this.

I was doing the usual springtime work of clearing the remaining leaves from our road and from the ditches to insure good water flow for the hoped for April showers when all of a sudden I caught the certain odor of smoke and I wondered aloud ... "What fool is burning something on a day this dry and windy"? Two weeks prior the Swain County area had suffered the worst fire ever in the Western Carolina mountains and I was told that 9 homes and structures were lost. I could not imagine that someone would burn something in light of this recent tragic event.

I had just finished my work and went back to my house to relax with a bottle of water, when I noticed the smoke in the distance. It got worse very quickly and I was amazed how fierce this fire became. I could see flames as I looked down from my porch and I could hear its roar.

All of a sudden there were a couple of planes in the air circling to precisely locate the boundaries of the quickly enlarging fire. THANK GOD FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS! The firefighters from all areas around showed up and quickly did their work. Within 4 or 5 hours the fire was under control, but without these men, the results would have been horrible. As darkness fell and the smoke began to clear, I could see a ring of fire. It was a large oval shaped fire that lit up the night like Christmas lights. By morning it was all gone!

I reflected on the fact that just a few weeks earlier it had snowed so heavily that I could not get off the mountain and now today (March 24th, 2007) I couldn't get off the mountain because of the fire.

FIRE AND ICE! Summer! Fall! Winter! Spring!

Just another week-end in the mountains.

Maybe next week-end I'll go trout fishing!

Into The World

2007-02-25T09:25:00.000-05:00

On April 12th, 1952 in Reynolds, Georgia, Ed and Naia Goddard became the proud parents of a brand new, bouncing, happy, healthy and extremely handsome baby boy. He was named George after his paternal grandfather and uncle. He was also named Clyde after his maternal grandfather who had died as a young man, when little George's mother was about 11 years old. So, little George Clyde Goddard came into the world around 7PM in the operating room at Sams-Whatley hospital in Reynolds.

The doctor in charge of the delivery was Dr. Edwards C. Whatley ( who was also the next-door neighbor of the Goddards). Dr. Whatley would be a second father of little George because being next-door neighbors, little George would grow up in the back yards of the respective houses where all of the Whatley kids and the Goddard kids played together. Dr. Whatley already had a son, Jimmy, who was born a couple of years earlier, so little George, Jimmy and later George's little brother Bruce were destined to spend their childhoods together and would spend equal amounts of time in both houses. As the boys got older, they would often eat lunch at both houses if the menu was suitable or they would only eat at one home if the other's menu consisted of turnips.

Dr. Whatley grabbed little George by the ankles, slapped his butt and then handed him off to Marie Martin, R.N. who worked with Dr. Whatley. It was probably Marie Martin who then handed little George to the new mother, Naia. Naia often talked during her life of what a special moment this was, as George would become her favorite child! She did have deep affection for her other children (Mac, Kikky and Bruce), but NOTHING like the special bond she had with little Chicken George. Marie Martin would often remark to George, as he grew up in Reynolds, that she was honored to have been a part of this union.

So, as fate would have it, Little George (now big George) would meet with both Dr. E. C. Whatley and Marie Martin, R.N. at a funeral some 50 years later. It was a special moment and was forever captured in time by this photograph. Big George quizzed both of these remarkable people about that special day and the events that took place. Dr. Whatley and Mrs. Martin happily shared their memories with George.

Today is Sunday, February 25th, 2007! This week I purchased a copy of the DVD, FLAGS OF OUT FATHERS!

The movie centers around the famous photograph of the flag raising at Iwo Jima during WWII. This picture is certainly to be as famous.

"YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH"

2007-02-01T19:33:00.000-05:00

In the 1992 film entitled A FEW GOOD MEN, Tom Cruise's character, an attorney, was cross-examining Jack Nicholson's character (a military officer) and yelled at him to just tell him the truth. Nicholson yelled back, "You can't handle the truth"!

This line has been quoted countless times by writers and speakers everywhere ... and rightfully so. Our culture is in a postmodern nosedive ... it is as if the ground under us is constantly shifting and we're looking for a place to stand. We collectively have lost our set of values and are searching for another. Truth is relative we are told and there are no absolutes. Plainly stated, we are lost and confused! We just cannot handle the truth ... Nicholson was correct!

The election of 2006 has just ended and there is a power shift in Washington. The Democrats are in and the Republicans are out. The evening news, newspapers and all the daily radio talk-shows are filled with the vitriol of this governmental transformation and the everyday people, the masses, are caught in the no-man's land of this power struggle. And it makes me sick to my stomach! Most Americans are so oblivious to any truth that they are easily influenced by sound bites and easily fall victim to this verbal manipulation. No one really knows what is important anymore when every word that comes from the mouths of these politicians is meant to serve their own agendas.

I am convinced that many of our politicians (on both sides of the aisle) really desire that America would lose the war against the Islamic terrorists ... just so they could say, "I told you so"! All that matters is that their self-serving agendas are accomplished and they get their "power"! My heart sincerely aches for our soldiers who are treated as pawns in this dangerous game. There is a lot at stake here ... we were told it would be a long war (decades)! Bin-Laden's words that America doesn't have the stomach for this kind of fight will be proven correct. They saw us not finish the job in Viet Nam and they are sure we will do the same in Iraq!

The next time you hear someone spout the number of deaths in this war, please just question the motive behind the comment. If one is sincerely concerned about senseless or preventable deaths, please consider the following:

There are about 500,000 deaths from heart attacks in the US every year. (AHA)

5600 teens died in traffic deaths in the US in 2005! 7500 teens were driving cars that were involved in fatal accidents! About 90% of these teens were talking on cell phones while driving. (AP)

559,650 people will die from cancer in the year 2007. 30% of cancer deaths are caused by smoking and another third of these cancer deaths are linked to poor nutrition (eating junk) and lack of physical activity. (ACS)

17,011 people died from AIDS in 2005. (AVERT.org)

There were 4657 asthma deaths in the US in 1999 chiefly from incorrect treatment. (MMWR)

There have been 25,000 Americans killed by illegal aliens since 911. This comes to 12 murders per day and there are another 13 Americans killed daily in auto accidents by drunk illegal aliens, which comes to another 4745 citizens per year. (Rep. Steve King R. Iowa)

The United States and Great Britan invaded Iraq on March 21, 2003 ( approximately 48 months ago) and to date there have been 3000 soldiers killed. May God bless the families and loved ones of these brave Americans that keep us safe because ...

Since 911, there have not been any deaths of citizens caused by Islamic terrorists on our soil!

Folks ... that is ZERO (0)!

So, the next time one of the power hungry BS artists that we call Congressmen and Congresswomen start puking these war death numbers up ... just remember to think about the motive behind the numbers. If they really cared about deaths, their energy could be much more wisely spent elsewhere.

One of my son's teachers in high school ( who was a graduate of West Point) once expressed to the class that when the day comes that America's young men and women are no longer willing to go to distant lands and spill their blood for our cause ... the great American experiment will be over.

The rhetoric coming out of the halls of government of the United States is hastening the approach of that day.

I would just like to say to the United States Senate and to the House of Representatives ... you make me vomit! All of you!

Old Friends and Good BBQ

2006-12-25T10:34:00.000-05:00

When I was beginning junior high back in Reynolds, Georgia, the local high school consolidated with the other county school in Butler, Georgia and although I didn't realize it at the time, this was a pivotal event of my life. I think that it was my 8th grade year that my life-long friends, Scott and Julie Posey, were sent to the school in Fort Valley, Georgia rather than being put through all of the educational uncertainity of local events. This was a tumultuous time in Reynolds, because generational friends were split as to whether to send their children to the the consolidated high school or to send their kids elsewhere. There was a fairly large contingent of parents that elected the "elsewhere" option and that "elsewhere" was Fort Valley High School (about 14 miles away). The parents of the kids that were going to FVHS purchased a used school bus and hired a driver to make the round trip from Reynolds to Fort Valley every day. I was in that group even though my parents had a difficult time coming to that decision because of their loyalty to Taylor County. For reasons too numerous to mention here, it was the correct decision. Scott and Julie just made the switch one year early and Scott would come home and tell my brother and me about all of his new friends and experiences at the new school. One of his new friends was a kid named Chip McMinn and Scott introduced me to him at a gathering somewhere (birthday party ?)! This was the 1965 - 1966 school year and I was in the eighth grade. By the time my freshman year rolled around (1966-1967), I was on my way to FVHS and a whole new life, but I did have one friend there ... Chip McMinn.

Chip and his family treated Scott and me like they had known us all of their lives. We would go over to his house after school and eat snacks before we went to basketball practice. On game nights we would eat dinner (supper) with them, so we wouldn't have to make the trip back to Reynolds. They did everything they could to make our lives better and this family will always hold a special place in my heart.

Chip and I spent a lot of time together during my years at FVHS and he even started dating my next-door neighbor, Debbie Whatley. He was in Reynolds a lot and because Debbie's parents had a swimming pool, we spent week-ends together sitting around the pool drinking iced tea and eating Maryland Fried Chicken (remember that chain??). My mother always considered Chip "just one of my children"! Chip was the star quarterback of the football team and was a great basketball player and would have been a star baseball player, but FVHS didn't have a team. (he would have been a star Tiddly-Winks player if they had a team). He was/is a "natural"!

Finally, in 1970, we graduated and life took us in different directions. I went to the University of Georgia and Chip went to Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennesee on a football scholarship. Later, after several injuries, Chip transferred to UGA and joined the Chi Psi fraternity where he was in charge of their athletic program. I was a Lambda Chi Alpha and although our paths crossed frequently, we were really in separate worlds by then.

But one's best friend from high school is always a part of your life, no matter what the years bring about.

We both live in the Cobb County area, but for some stupid reason, we never really saw each other that much. He married his college sweetheart, Jan, and they have reared 4 children and have stayed together all these years.

At our class reunions, we would tell each other that we would do better, but we didn't. In June of 2005, we drove together to our 35th reunion and had a great, extended visit during the trip. We promised that this time, WE WOULD DO A BETTER JOB OF STAYING IN TOUCH, but we didn't. We have talked frequently, but our families have never really met (I know his wife and I met his kids when they were children)!

The number of classmates who attend the reunions dwindles dramatically each time and some of our classmates have had drastic changes in their lives, but Chip is still the same ole' guy and when we talk, it's like I just saw him yesterday. Since our last reunion, one of our classmates died and during conversations about her death, we decided that we just had to make the effort to get together. What better time than Christmas.

We set up the meeting at one of my favorite BBQ restaurants, BBQ Street, in Kennesaw and finally we got together. We arrived at 1 PM ( to miss the lunch crowd) and stayed till about 4:30 PM. We had a great visit and our whole collective lives flashed before our eyes as we talked. Although his and my parents are deceased, visiting with him makes all those memories of them come back to life.

Like we just saw each other yesterday and just took up where we left off!

There are two things that will always be in my life: Old Friends and Good BBQ!

We're gonna do better from now on. I promise!

A Man Who Measures Up

2006-12-22T11:40:00.000-05:00

I first met Don Jackson somewhere around 1985 and through the years our friendship has just been one of those that keeps on going. For some reason we just can't get out of each other's lives so it must be meant to be! I have dragged him kicking and screaming into more stuff than you could imagine, so maybe he just maintains our friendship in the hope that one day he can "get me back"!

Don was born in Newnan, Georgia on January 1st, 1925 (27 years before me) and graduated from Bremen High School in Bremen, Georgia in 1942. Like so many of his time, after Pearl Harbor he joined the armed forces to serve his country and Don chose the U.S. Navy. He served throughout the South Pacific on a destroyer escort (DE) called the Elden. He was in the Marshall Islands, Leyte Gulf, Guam, Okinawa and many other places, but most interestingly ... Iwo Jima! One has to search diligently today to find a veteran of Iwo Jima, but to you folks in Cartersville, Georgia just stop by Jax Supply Company at 19 Gilmer Street and meet one. Don is physically able to do anything that I can do and I have never even had a thought that he couldn't. As a matter of fact, he just opened this business last year (2006) at the age of 81. I challenge anyone to find a survivor of Iwo Jima that just opened a business!

After the war,Don attended college at Emory University where he earned a Bachelor's degree with a major in psychology. He was in the Navy Reserve and was called up again during the Korean Conflict but he fortunately served this time at the naval air station in Jacksonville, Florida. Don eventually wound up in the insurance business after a stint at General Motors Chevrolet plant in East Point, Georgia. At GM he refused to join the labor union, so they made his life miserable. He gave them the fickle finger of fate and was next employed by Hardware Mutuals (which later became Sentry Insurance) in outside sales but quickly realized that being a salesman was not his bag so he came inside to be the manager at the office at 5th and Peachtree in Atlanta.

While managing the office, he was in charge of contracts with cleaning service companies that maintained the building the insurance company occupied. He quickly noticed that this was his opportunity to work for himself and not have to answer to a boss. After making a decision to start his own janitorial services company, he went to his supervisor and asked for the contract to clean the insurance building. Being granted this contract, he was on his way to a long and successful career in the janitorial services business. A few years ago he retired, sold his home in Marietta and moved northward to the countryside of Bartow county. His retirement, however, didn't last very long and soon he was in negotiation for a lease on a building in downtown Cartersville to house his Jax Supply business (770-606-1996), which is a distributor for janitorial equipment and supplies. I'm glad he did this because now when I am working in Cartersville it is easy to drop by and take him to lunch and shoot the breeze for a while.

When Don and I attended the same church years ago, he was nominated to serve on the diaconate. For some reason he didn't think he measured up to the task, so I urged him to serve anyway and to remember that if any of us had "measured up", there would be no need for Christ. We serve out of gratitude because we don't measure up and yet God accepts us as righteous anyway because of the perfect righteousness of Christ. He did a fantastic job as a deacon!

Later I joined a barbershop chorus ( The Marietta Big Chicken Chorus) and was having a blast singing with this group of about 150 men. Don is a pretty good bass so I urged him to join. He told me he didn't think he measured up! "Here we go again", I thought, so I had to explain that nobody cared if he wasn't the best bass in the world but that he would surely miss out on having a great time if he didn't come sing with us. It wasn't long before he was standing on the risers just singing away! He went with the chorus to England and Scotland! We traveled all over the United States every 4th of July week to our international competitions and during this time Don became a leader in the chorus and was recognized for all of his hard work by his many friends. Believe me, he measured up and a whole lot more.

Don gets up early and stops by the gym to work-out almost every single day and is in better shape than most men I know that are half his age.

The girls at Doug's Restaurant in Cartersville love him and I love to take him by there and watch them make a fuss over him.

It always amazes me that Don still has a tendency to think that he doesn't measure up to something. The only thing that he doesn't measure up to is "liberals"! Stop by his shop and bring up the names John Kerry, Bill and Hillary Clinton or Ted Kennedy; then just sit back and watch the fireworks!

The truth is that I don't know of anyone who measures up to Don!

In my life I have had the good fortune to have some great friends and acquaintances, but I wouldn't trade my friendship with Don for any of them.

Don, you have enriched my life more than anybody I know and I look forward to many more lunches with you at Doug's!

If it makes you feel that you could measure up better ... you pay next time!

The New Crack Cocaine

2006-12-07T21:10:00.000-05:00

Our human depravity causes us to always seek the next big high. We just cannot be satisfied with the every day gifts of our lives ... we must always seek a new thrill, something different or a new escape.

A few weeks ago a friend introduced me to this substance. I have had a similar substance back in my younger days, but this was so much better than any substance I have ever experienced. She warned me that it was highly addictive and that if I were to use it one time, it would ruin my life ( like it has ruined hers). She gave me just a little a first but soon I was begging her to give me more. It only took a second. I should have known better! She tried to warn me but I would not listen.

Last night I found myself driving towards Publix supermarket in a blind stupor only to find that they had sold out of my new addictive passion. Sure they had other flavors made by the same company, but it is not the same! I forced the manager to call around to other Publix stores to see if my substance was in stock.

Finally my search was over! I don't even remember the drive but I DO remember running down the aisle to the ice cream freezer. It's expensive and full of calories, sugar and saturated fat, but I don't care. I used every ounce of my energy to drive home, run into the house, rip open the package, grab a spoon and jump to my usual seat on the sofa.

Relief at last!

Christmas in North Carolina

2006-12-03T19:40:00.000-05:00

I must admit that I get fed up with Christmas-time in the Atlanta area. The traffic, noise, confusion, attitudes and general mayhem tend to set my teeth on edge, so I am truly thankful that my wife and I have a respite in the North Carolina mountains to break-away to. This week-end was no exception and I was glad to escape the madness.

As we were getting ready to leave on Friday evening, my mountain friend called to inform me that there was no electricity on our mountain! It seems that the winds of Thursday evening had caused a few tree limbs to fall over some power lines and Duke power could not promise an exact time to restore our power. Because it's cold in the mountains, my wife and I decided it was better to wait and make an early Saturday morning drive than to risk getting to Bryson City in the night with no heat.

We arrived Saturday morning to find a beautiful day upon us and that our home had been restored to full power! We piddled for a while and then decided to visit a local restaurant for lunch. The cafe was packed and we quickly learned that the Annual Bryson City Christmas Parade was about to begin. Why not? We haven't been to a Christmas parade since who knows when. Let me tell you, these people take their Christmas parades ( and every other holiday parade) seriously. We stood right outside the restaurant door for at least an hour for the entire procession to pass. It was really great to see so much pride on display in this little town. We saw representatives from local businesses, high school bands, elementary school bands, youth league football teams and their cheerleaders, girl scouts, brownie scouts, fireman, rescue squads, motorcycle riders, horses (along with the poop), dignitaries, The Christmas Queen a.k.a. Miss Merry Christmas, the local high school homecoming queen and her court and floats from almost every church in town and one with the pastor at the pulpit with a congregation in the back of a truck. The most fun of all was to hear all the kids squeal with excitement as candy was thrown to them from the floats. It was truly a great parade and I was struck dumb with awe at the pride this little mountain town displays to each other and the many tourists who pass through.

My wife had informed me that she wanted to make the short trip over to Dillsboro that evening to see the Luminaries. I had no idea what the Luminaries were, but being a good husband, I was certainly going to find out! After darkness fell, we drove into the little town of Dillsboro only to find it packed full of visitors. You see, a few years ago, someone in this little town got the idea to line the streets of Dillsboro with little white bags with lighted candles inside. The idea is to have visitors walk along the sidewalks and visit the many shops and restaurants. Each store offers free cookies and cider. We even found out that there is a sort-of competition among the shopowners as to who has the best cookies. I would hate to be a judge! We didn't stay too long, but we visited bookstores, a Christmas decoration shop, art-stores, restaurants including the Jarrett House and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. There were no "thugs" to be found. Without exception, everyone we met was thoroughly delightful and made us feel that they were genuinely happy we were there.

Living in the big city has soured me! I need more Christmas in the mountains and less big city mess. It really did me so much good to have this experience.

A big thank-you to all you mountain folk who have held on to the real Christmas. May God bless you all and Merry Christmas!

THE GREAT CHEF and ray too!

2006-11-06T21:58:00.000-05:00

In my years on this ole' earth, I have discovered that life is a lot like good cooking ... you just mix a bunch of folks together with a little bit of this and a little bit of that and you never know what you might get. Sometimes it makes you nauseated, but sometimes it's so good you just want to stand up and yell.

The Great Chef whipped up one of His best recipes yet in out family and to extend this analogy a little further, He used a real-life chef to accomplish the task.

Confused? Let me explain!

Several years ago my sister's husband ,Joe Newton, died of cancer and a few months later a lady named Sandy Williams died from a stroke! So far this story doesn't sound too good does it? Hang on! Being the son of a funeral director and being from a family that has been in the funeral business for 5 generations, I have learned one thing for certain ... LIFE IS FOR THE LIVING! After the respective grief periods, living took over. To make a long story short, a few years later the Great Chef brought my sister, Kikky, and Ken Williams (Sandy's widower) together and mixed them up in a bowl, added a few spices, a little salt of the earth and a little red pepper. He baked them at 350 degrees for about 2 years and a wonderful new dish was born. Bam! Dr. and Mrs. Ken Williams!

Our family has had a blast getting to know the Williams clan. From youngest to oldest: Blaine, Erin, Jill and Gigi; Karen, Bobby and Angela; Bill, Paula, Will and Grant; and Ray and Kendra. Ray is a chef, and a great one, and hence the reason for this story.

On our yearly foray to the Georgia-Florida football game we stopped at the Sapelo Station restaurant in Eulonia, Georgia on Thursday evening. We had warned Ray and Kendra that we were coming ... there were 10 of us and Kendra bravely joined us at our table. None of us had any idea what we were about to experience.

We didn't just have seafood, we had SERIOUS seafood! I have never had anything like the Cajun Crawfish Egg-Rolls and the dipping sauce was out of this world. ( I am salivating as I write this). The Grouper Fingers were a close second followed by the Grilled Oysters and to top off the appetizer parade was the soup of the day ... Crab Stew! My friend Tommy Lanier and I love the She-Crab soup at the Crab Trap in St. Simons, but Ray's Crab Stew put it to shame. The best crab-anything I have ever had, period! By the time the entrees arrived, we were all stuffed, but we put up a gallant effort anyway as we demolished Kool's Voodoo Skillet, Crawfish Etouffee, Blackened Grouper with Mango Salsa and the McIntosh Mahi-Mahi. On the side we had Ray's Twice Baked Potatoes and Cole Slaw (with the dressing on top???). There were several offerings of Salad Dressings (all homemade) and the Key Lime Pie would make one slap his grandma! It was an interesting evening of conversation, great drink and taste-bud pleasing recipes from Chef Ray. In addition, Kendra sat with us and explained each dish to us.

This was the first time I had spend any amount of time around Ray and Kendra, but I assure you it won't be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit with them at their Sapelo Station Restaurant.

As I thought back on this wonderful evening, I came to an understanding of what had just transpired thanks to Chef Ray Jarreau. My senses and tastebuds were stimulated by his magic and I suddenly realized that in a world full of mediocre restaurants that cater to the masses, we had just experienced something quite unique and wonderful. And the Great Chef has cooked up a recipe that is even more unique and wonderful and it was all brought forth out of the stench of death. I like this new "family recipe"!

Kendra pointed out to me that because I am Kikky's brother ... that makes me her uncle. I suddenly realized that in this new "family recipe" I have suddenly become Uncle George to Ray, Kendra, Bill, Paula, Karen, Bobby, Blaine and Erin. I hope that entitles me to the "family discount"!

So the next time you're heading down I-95, get off the exit to Eulonia, Georgia. Turn left and go to the blinking light, turn left again and start looking to your right. Tell Ray and Kendra that Uncle George says hello.

www.sapelostation.com

The World's Largest Outdoor Something or Other

2006-11-05T20:57:00.000-05:00

It was the fall of 1970 that I attended my first Georgia-Florida football game. I was a freshman at UGA and the draw of the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" was more than I could bear. My sister and her husband lived in Waycross, Georgia so I had a good spend-the-night point to simplify matters ... and she would certainly feed me also! I piled in the car with some new friends of mine that just happened to hail from Waycross and away we went.

I had never seen anything like it! There was a difference in the attitude of the fans at this stadium in Jacksonville ( a neutral site for those who don't know) versus the attitude at home games in Athens. Fans from both sides came here to raise a little "Cain", eat a lot of seafood, drink some adult beverages and watch a little SEC football. Combine this with the fact that everyone was away from home and you had the makings of the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party"! And that is exactly what it was! The stadium has been upgraded to meet the increased demand, but the old stadium was known to rock back and forth with the weight of the Bulldog and Gator nations engaged in a Saturday afternoon ritual of good old fashioned hate.

I remember coach Erk Russell's bleeding forehead as he butted heads with Georgia players. I remember seeing people as drunk as one could possibly be and yet still manage to get to the game. I remember the gentle banter between Georgia fans and Florida fans. Yeah, Right!!! I remember the many "beach music" parties throughout Amelia Island, Jekyll Island, Brunswick and St. Simons Island. I even remember Emmeline and Hessie's restaurant. I cannot even remember how many times I have made the trip.

During the Georgia-Florida weeks, I have eaten untold amounts of fried shrimp and fried scallops and oysters. There was no place on earth where more drunks gathered, many having camped-out in vans, busses and trailers for days before the game. And the city of Jacksonville understood and let the festivities take place unless they really got out of hand.

The Georgia-Florida game has been the source of many pleasant memories (which are better made by younger folks) and just the mention of the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" causes me to smile even to this day.

But things have changed! For one thing, the students of today don't listen to "beach music"! The crowds today are much larger and the traffic ... my goodness the traffic! It took our group 3 hours to get from our St. Simons condo to the stadium. There are not nearly enough port-a-toilets and the atmosphere is not that of a "cocktail party" but rather that of a public lynching. Cocktail parties I have attended in my life were fun ... there was food and beverage with lots of conversation. I don't think that the word "fun" was mentioned my anyone in our group.

Don't get me wrong. I still enjoy getting together with my old friends and staying in a condo or hotel for 3 nights and I certainly enjoy the seafood and the beverages (if you can find a toilet)! But the experience of going to the game itself has lost its lustre. Maybe I'm just too old to have that much fun! Several years ago my friend Tom Lanier started the custom of Thursday night seafood on the trip down and then Friday morning golf. I love all of that and the excitement that goes with all of the fans gathering in St. Simons and other places for the game. But the actual experience of the game itself should no longer be considered the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

The city of Jacksonville, the University of Georgia and the University of Florida have been heavily quoted in all of the media that they collectively wish to shed this moniker, "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party"!

Mission accomplished. It should officially be called "The World's Largest Outdoor Something or Other"!

AWAY FROM THE CITY

2006-10-16T22:36:00.000-04:00

My wife and I invited some friends of ours for a week-end at our mountain house. Although they are not new to the mountains, they had not been introduced properly to Bryson City, North Carolina. Dave and Vicky and their 2 little girls, Ella and Jenna, were a delight to be around and we were blessed with absolutely perfect weather. It was cold enough both nights (mid 30's) to build a fire and the girls loved it. We watched football on TV, grilled steaks, drank wine and later made hot chocolate. The girls even roasted marshmellows over the fire.

Also, as always, we slept. The quiet and solitude of the mountain night is heaven-sent for slumber.

After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast with lots of coffee, it is only fitting to go for a hike. During our hikes, we talked about how so many people don't even know that places like this exist. Some people never get away from the city and I am sure they would flip-out in all of this solitude. Like the song by Mac McAnally says: "all this proximity blows their minds, now they're shootin' one another just to pass the time"! We need the quiet and majesty of the mountains. I soothes the soul.

I just wanted to share a few photos from our hike on a trail off the "road to nowhere". If you ever get to Bryson City, just ask. The drive is beautiful.

Enjoy.

IT NEEDS TO BE SAID

2006-10-03T23:23:00.000-04:00

My next birthday I will be 55 years old! It seems like just a few evenings ago that my wife had a surprise 40th birthday party for me, but when I look in the mirror every morning, reality sets in - I am reaching "maturity"! When one reaches this level of "maturity", one gets the right to make decisions about how he or she will spend their few week-ends left on this earth because this off-time becomes more precious. Week-ends are the time to enjoy the mountain house or a good SEC football game in the fall while relaxing on that special sofa. Some people love to fish or work in the garden. Others enjoy chasing a golf ball around a well-manicured cow pasture. There are others who must do all of their grocery shopping and errand running on week-ends because of the tyranny of their work schedules, but NOBODY enjoys going to weddings. They are usually scheduled right dab in the middle of a Saturday afternoon so that invitees cannot do anything before or after the ceremony. The week-end is ruined. Weddings are for the bride's mother! Family members and close personal friends should attend but PLEASE leave others out of this fandango. These words should bring silent cheers from those timid souls who would never broach this subject and that is why I have taken it upon myself to open this can of worms.

Firstly, there is not a snowman's chance in hell that the marriage will last! Most people today in America are practical atheists so if one does not believe that marriage serves something bigger than self, should we be surprised at the divorce rate. I have read that the divorce rate among Christians is just as high as among unbelievers, so would not a week-end be better spent shopping, fishing, playing golf or enjoying an adult beverage on the porch of a mountain house. In the 2 or 3 years right after I graduated from college, I was in about 20 weddings and had to rent a tux for each one. Today, I think about 1 or 2 of those couples are still married (to the same person anyway)! Do the math - that's 20 wasted week-ends in 2 or 3 short years.

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with my long-time buddy, confidant and mentor Mr. Ben Folk. I sought out his counsel on this subject because even during our time in college he was noted for his expertise in social discourse and was also noted for his innate grasp of the intricacies of the social graces. We even went as far as to place a call to the Captain of Charisma, Mr. Schuyler Floyd of Nashville, Tennessee. After hours of deliberation, we came up with a solution to this problem that people are too ashamed to discuss.

Since the wedding ceremony is for the bride's mother, the rest of the family should support this mother in her time of grief. This is why we decided, therefore, that only family members and extremely close personal friends should be invited. If it is absolutely necessary ( in rare circumstances) that others must be forced to attend, we suggest that the ceremony be planned for a Tuesday or Wednesday morning around the hour of 10 AM. This would give these unfortunate souls a valid excuse for regretting that they would not be able to attend, since most people (except Democrats) are at work on Tuesday and Wednesday morning at 10 AM. Also, we discovered that there is usually no problem whatsoever in securing that special chapel or auditorium for a week-day since most people get married on week-ends. Check this out for yourself and you will discover that popular places are booked for months in advance - but not on week-days. Airfares are also much less expensive if you look for late-night departures on week days.

So, there you have it. My friends, Ben Folk and Schuyler Floyd have done it again. They have taken a very complex issue and have come up with a simple solution. It is really this simple ... get married on Tuesday or Wednesday morning and catch a cheap flight out of town late that night for the honeymoon. And please - leave your friends alone! Ben Folk even suggested that there could be an "opt-out" clause in the invitation whereby invitees could simply send a check for $25.00 or have it charged to a credit card of their choice and in return for this fee, there would be no grudges held against the invitee for not attending. Do the math again ... $25.00 per invitee could really add up!

This needed to be said and I am happy to take up the torch for this cause! The truth is that you could have written this just as easily as me, but you are just too timid. We all know that you hate weddings also.

So the next time someone tells my wife that their son or daughter is getting married ( unless they are a family member or close personal friend), my wife knows exactly how to respond: "I would love to attend but my husband no longer attends weddings"!

You don't have to thank me. I just felt that I needed to do something for the betterment of mankind.

You are welcome!

Higher Education

2006-10-02T20:17:00.000-04:00

I attended the University of Georgia from 1970 thru 1975! During this time I saw the Great Streak Week and a whole lot of partying - students displaying their best efforts to fill the time between classes. When football season rolled around, the partying went into high gear. Every fraternity had bands and beer. Sometimes we would have a big party on Friday night and then again on Saturday night after the Dawgs played in Sanford Stadium. This was about the time I was introduced to the art of Tailgating. Often my parents would come to a game with friends and would bring lots of food and drink (non-alcoholic). This would be our time to "visit" and afterwards we would head to the stadium and smuggle in our beverage of the day (alcoholic)! Of course ( as all UGA alumni know), tailgating has now been declared illegal at UGA by president Michael Adams. The University of Georgia will not tolerate those who smoke, dip, drink or chew or those who hang around with girls that do! Period! It is illegal to have fun on the University of Georgia campus! They are hell-bent on converting UGA to a Harvard-type, ivy-league school. ( I might point out that the CEO of soon to be defunct Bristol Labs is a Harvard graduate and is generally known, by all their employees, as the biggest dumb-ass who ever lived - so much for being a Harvard grad). The University of Georgia will not tolerate any behavior other than that which is politically correct. Those who drink will not be tolerated, because is is not PC to wander back to one's tailgage after a Dawg's victory while yelling, "How 'bout them Dawgs"!

This past week-end (September 30th, 2006), I attended a Tailgating Bonanza at Oxford, Mississippi. The event was the UGA - Ole Miss game. ESPN decided to make it a late game (9 pm) so the tailgating lasted about 9 hours for most of the attendees. If you have never been to the Grove on a football Saturday, then your life is not complete. If you live in the South, it is an absolute necessity that you attend one of these events at some point before you "check-out" of life's hotel. Tailgating and Fun are perfectly legal at Ole Miss - fans are encouraged to have fun and they did!

Here is some of what you missed!

Beautiful Southern girls! As my friend and mentor, Tom Lanier, explained to me ... "Miss Americas have to be red-shirted on this campus"! These ladies are not just dressed up but I'm talking DRESSED UP ... high heels and all.

Tents as far as the eye can see! Full of food and beverage and people! People having fun!

Kids (friends of my son) who say "Yes M'am and No M'am" and guys wearing blazers and bow-ties.

A school spirit that is second to none ( even though their team is struggling). These folks were a blast to be around.

I did notice a lot of Georgia people in the Grove and this made the crowd far too large for the area, but one has to remember that UGA folks are starved for our old way of life and we thank all the Ole Miss folks who let us participate.

My friend, Dr. Tom Bevill and his wife Mary Jane, who hosted (along with their son, Ben) the best tailgate in the Grove. We had plenty of grilled turkey, roasted pork tenderloin, fried chicken, ham and cheese sandwiches, desserts, liquid refreshments, seating and even a television to watch the action of other college football games. The Bevills even invited us over to his son's home in Oxford on Friday night and grilled steaks (with all the trimmings) for about forty people. The Bevills literally worked themselves to death to insure that all would have a good time. They even went to the Grove in the middle of the night Friday to set up the tents. They were the GREATEST hosts one could imagine! No wonder our son has adopted them as his second set of parents!

Our son, Mitch, is in his third year at Ole Miss and lives in a brand, spanking new fraternity house that rivals ANY fraternity house on any campus in America! He is so proud to be at Ole Miss and to be a brother in the ATO fraternity. He doesn't just walk around campus - he bounces! His face beems when he introduces his friends to his mother and me! Of all the sights of the week-end, the greatest was the sight of our son becoming a man. His mom and I were absolutely blown away by how much he has matured. It is amazing what two years of college can do for a young man!

I hope he never allows school to interfere with his education!

Seeing your child so full of the joy of living makes it all worth it!

Go Rebels!

THE MAN

2006-08-29T18:10:00.000-04:00

I had recently graduated from UGA School of Pharmacy and now as a newly licensed pharmacist in the state of Georgia, I went to work for the K Mart Corporation. K Mart had made the decision to put pharmacies in all of their stores and I was assigned to the store in Rome, Georgia. The year was 1975! Back in those days, drug reps called on pharmacies and one of the first reps I met was a man named Bruce Sloman. He came in and introduced himself and started talking about the Georgia Bulldogs! We became instant friends and he stopped by on a regular basis to check on his business as a pharmaceutical rep for Bristol Labs. Little did I realize that those initial conversations would be the basis for a deep and lasting friendship - a friendship I shall cherish for the rest of my days. He was THE MAN!

I worked in Rome for a few years and then, like most young men, I just had to move to Atlanta - to be where the action was - bright lights, big city! What an idiot I was!

I continued in my working life as a pharmacist for about 5 or 6 more years and then by some stroke of fate, I became a pharmaceutical representative! I remembered my friend Bruce Sloman and how much he loved his job. Knowing him was one reason I was excited about this change of careers. As luck would have it, I found myself assigned to call on the physicians in Rome, Georgia (among other towns). When I arrived in Rome with my detail bag, one of the first reps I ran into was none other than my ole' buddy - THE MAN! It took us about 5 seconds to get re-acquainted and then he took me under his wing and showed me the ropes. He did everything he could to get me into the offices of hard-to-see physicians and taught me what I needed to know to be successful (which was far different from the corporate propaganda)! My life-long best friend, brother from another mother, Dr. Jim Whatley, had moved to town and set up practice during the time since I had left. Bruce and Jim had also become friends and Jim had often told me of conversations he had with Bruce where Bruce would ask about me. This life was totally new to me and I often felt like I had won the lottery. I was no longer confined to the small space of a pharmacy answering the phone and listening to people complain. I had a new career and I was learning from the best.

Our friendship continued to grow and one day I found myself having to compete with Bruce in the oral antibiotic market. I sold Ceftin and he sold Duricef - a lot of Duricef! What was I to do? Well, the answer came to me one day in a conversation I had with Bruce. He told me that he was in a position where he could retire from his company but he was certainly not ready to really RETIRE. Not this man! My company had some exciting prospects for future products! We did not make "me too" drugs - we brought innovative, life-changing products to the marketplace! I had died and gone to heaven and I told Bruce this! I was "selling" THE MAN. This prospect of what we offered excited THE MAN. I made a few phone calls and with very little effort (because of THE MAN'S reputation) on my part, Bruce Sloman was soon retired from Bristol and newly employed by my company, Glaxo Wellcome! My plan had worked. I no longer had to compete with THE MAN because we were now partners. Duricef sales dropped like "lead bloomers" and Ceftin sales skyrocketed. ( I must insert my condolences here to the multitude of marketing "gurus" who are so confident in their abilities to move markets - your "Madison Avenue sh**" had nothing to do with this)! No, this was sales at its finest! The best way to beat great competition is to get them to come to work for your company. I was born at night but it wasn't last night.

Bruce often spoke about his family because he was extremely proud of them. His wife, Judy, was not one to be in the spotlight - she was the quiet rock of his life. When I called Bruce's home, Judy would always answer and I enjoyed my conversations with her. She would most certainly tell me that Bruce was either working in the garden or jogging. Bruce loved the Atlanta Braves and on numerous occasions he would invite me to go with him to the Braves Stadium where we would meet his two sons, Todd and Jay. I don't think he ever missed a UGA home game! Every year Bruce would look over the top high school football prospects and where they might attend college. He knew their speed in the 40 yard dash, their weights and all of the essential stats on each player. I often saw him with a hand-made list of these players that he would take into his physicians' offices and discuss these prospects and the upcoming season with the docs. They loved him.

He was THE MAN because of the way he dressed. I never saw him when he wasn't impeccably attired and groomed. He was a true professional and people noticed.

He was THE MAN because of his habits. He would set his alarm clock for 4:30 AM so he could wake up and phone in an order of doughnuts for his "standing" breakfast appointments at certain offices. He did this EVERY week. He was THE MAN even to the bakery employees. The doctors in these offices looked forward to the fresh bakery goods and great conversation with Bruce. He had usually seen more doctors by 9AM than most reps saw all week.

He was THE MAN because of his work ethic. He often spoke of his childhood and how hard he had to work just to get by. He told us that chopping cotton was the hardest job he ever had. No matter how tough things got, he promised us that "it was better than chopping cotton"! He even worked in college and made the football team.

He was THE MAN because of his integrity. He never over-promised and under-delivered. Just the opposite - he under-promised and over-delivered. His Christian convictions were the foundation of that integrity. And people noticed!

He was THE MAN because of his commitment to his friends. One was very fortunate to have Bruce Sloman as a friend.

Bruce began having some lower back pain and went in for a checkup. It was determined that he had a malignant kidney tumor and surgery was planned. He was THE MAN during this ordeal and handled it like he did everything else. He would have regular check-ups and things were going great until one fateful day. A chest x-ray that was clear just a few weeks before now looked "like I had been shot in the chest with a shotgun"! The cancer had returned and had spread. THE MAN began to fight! Those of us who wallow in mediocrity would have gone home to our little "pity parties", but not THE MAN. He continued to work as if nothing had happened. He told me that he didn't want to just sit at home - he would much rather be working and doing what he enjoyed so much. Long before he told me that if a man loves what he does for a living, he would never go to "work" a day in his life. I guess those were not just meaningless words to him!

The chemotherapy took a toll on THE MAN but few people realized it. He lost a little weight and the hair that was not "gray" fell out but he kept on living his life. I could not believe how riled up he could get about something at work while he faced the end of his life.

In the first part of June 2004, Bruce and I were scheduled to work the Georgia Academy of Family Practice Physicians mid-summer convention at Amelia Island Plantation on the coast of Florida. This is not a high pressure affair and is a great time to spend some time with physicians in a more relaxed environment. Bruce would tell me that his "indigestion" had gotten much worse and that he had doubled his medicine. A side effect of chemotherapy is neuropathy ( nerve pain) and Bruce would tell me that his arms and hands were burning like they were on fire. Just before this convention, the oncologist had changed his treatment and had explained that the side effects might be worse. His wife was with him and my wife was with me, so we went out to eat every night. I was amazed at his appetite! We had a chance to sit down in a quiet little coffee shop and he expressed to me how he had not gone places and had done without things and saved his money. For what, he asked? I got the point he was making!

We planned to head back to Atlanta on Sunday morning and I waited till about 9AM to call him because I was hoping he was resting. When I dialed his cell phone, he answered and told me he was almost back in Atlanta (a six hour trip)! Because the pain in his arms and hands had gotten so bad (his only relief was to soak them in large trays of ice-water), he decided to leave early.

I never saw THE MAN again! Within a few days, he had taken a turn for the worse and was admitted to the ICU of the hospital. Friends gathered to comfort his wife and sons.

At the funeral home visitation, seemingly every doctor in town was in attendance. They would announce who they were to Judy and then she would relate a story back to them that Bruce had told her. It dawned on me as I overheard these conversations, that Bruce had told Judy about every little detail of his work experiences. She knew all of the names and much about each one. A physician would start an introductory story about himself and Judy would finish it. She knew everybody - though she'd never met them!

The next morning at the cemetery, we waited for the hearse and the family. THE MAN'S time on this earth was over. We had our umbrellas to deflect the rain that was certainly to burst forth from the dark clouds. Not one drop fell till we drove away!

There will never be another like him in our business. He was the last of a now extinct breed!

Years before I had heard several physicians talking about their favorite drug reps. Of course, Bruce Sloman's name was the most prominent. One doc said, "Bruce always made me feel like he really enjoyed being around me and spending time with me. I could never determine if he really did or if he just wanted me to write prescriptions for his products".

I told you, he was THE MAN!

HORACE KEPHART AND FEET OF CLAY

2006-08-26T20:53:00.000-04:00

Maybe I have come to the point that I take the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for granted. I fish in the streams, I explore the multitude of trails and I soak in the serenity and beauty of this place without remembering how it was preserved. Why is this place not "paved-over" like everything else? There are many who were influential in the development of the park, but one man in particular has captured my attention. He, like all of us, had feet of clay, but he was driven to preserve that which meant so much to him. These mountains have given me back the sanity that the city stole and I am writing this in appreciation of the life of this man. Horace Kephart was a true visionary who wished to preserve this area for future generations. He did not live to see it become a reality, but at the time of his death, he was assured that his work had been successful. Horace was an interesting character and the next time you come to the GSMNP, maybe this will cause you to "ponder" for a moment!

First of all let me give credit where credit is due. During my respites in Bryson City, I have read just about everything George Ellison has written about Horace Kephart and I owe the contents of this article to his research and writings. I will not attempt to footnote, but he deserves ALL of the credit. (George Ellison is the author of MOUNTAIN PASSAGES and the introduction to the revised edition of OUR SOUTHERN HIGHLANDERS. Mr. Ellison writes and lectures about the natural and human history of Western North Carolina and his work appears regularly in the ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES and THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS.)

Horace Kephart was well educated, well traveled and had broad work experience as a librarian. He was married and had 6 children with Laura Mack of Ithaca, New York. He entered college ( Western College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa) in 1875 at the age of 13 and in 1876 he enrolled in Lebanon Valley College and was graduated in 1879. He went to Boston university where he was exposed to and enjoyed the Boston Public Library. This pleasurable exposure eventually led him into a career as a librarian! He later worked at Cornell University with its first librarian, William Fiske, who became a personal friend and benefactor. Fiske moved to Italy with his vast book collection which included some of the world's finest holdings. Although Kephart was engaged at the time and after a salary dispute, he followed his friend Fiske to Italy. Horace arrived in Florence in early 1885 and worked in the elaborately appointed Villa Forini cataloging Fiske's collection of titles. He did work in the major libraries of Italy and the Royal Library at Munich. He learned to speak Italian and traveled a great deal but he loved long walking trips in the Apennines and the Alps - this penchant would later become an obsession! In late January 1886, he returned to Laura Mack and quickly accepted a position at Rutgers College in New Jersey in March 1886. By the last week of July, he was approved to be an assistant librarian at Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut.

Kephart married Laura Mack on April 12, 1887 and settled down for a brief time as a working, family man in New Haven. Because of his time in Italy and his resulting keen interest in foreign literature, he translated Italian, Finnish and French literature into English. Seeing little opportunity for advancement at Yale, he began to search for another job. He was offered the librarianship at Princeton University, be he temporarily accepted an assistant position at the Cornell University library. In 1890 he accepted the library directorship of the ST. LOUIS MERCANTILE LIBRARY. While in New Haven, Kephart's interest in the American frontier history developed. Because of this interest and his research in this area, St. Louis (the gateway city) was the natural place to live. Kephart ran this instituion exceptionally for 10 years. Clarence Miller, as assistant, described Kephart as : "the most brilliant man I have known, and, the least assuming. He was never introverted nor austere and was always accessible to the staff or the public".

Laura Kephart arrived in St. Louis in 1890 having remained in Ithaca after the birth of their second daughter, but by 1897 there were 6 children and during this time in St. Louis, the Kephart family settled into a "blessed rut". By the first of the 20th century, Horace had put together what was arguably the finest collection of Western Americana in existence. He was, however, very disappointed in their literary quality and said they were as "dry as a ship's log book". He planned to take over this task of writing the history of the West where Roosevelt had left off, but this endeavor was postponed for over a decade.

Soon, Horace became disenchanted with the demands of home life and a serious drinking problem arose. It was said that his personality could be altered by taking a single drink. Gradually, he drifted away from friends and companionship and developed a capacity for being alone. This, coupled with his love of the outdoors, evolved into his putting into practice the need for personal isolation by taking long wilderness trips. Some of the writings he collected during this time had the common theme of "the decadence of an overly civilized, material, urban life and the corressponding virtue of a more or less primitive style of existence". He wrote, " I love the wilderness because there are no shams in it." He alienated the library's directors with his frequent wilderness trips and in late 1903 he was forced to resign from the Mercantile Library. The family was broke and before Christmas, Laura took the children and returned to her family's home in Ithaca.

Kephart suffered a complete nervous collapse and in April 1904 his father came for him and took him to Dayton, Ohio where he quickly recovered. Horace became preoccupied with three interrelated concerns: 1) a desire to live a wilderness existence, 2) a desire for a literary career and 3) his interest in the early American frontier experience. The physical proximity and the lure of the Big Smoky Mountains in Western North Carolina seemed to meet all of his requirements and in the first week of August 1904, he arrived by train in Dillsboro, North Carolina and set up home in a tent until October 30, 1904. He then made an excursion by rail to Bryson City and the Snowbird Mountains, deciding to relocate to the Hazel Creek watershed. He was granted permission to us a cabin at an abandoned copper mine, which he refurbished and then had his things sent by rail to the little place called Bushnell. His original intention was to live here and write about his experiences with the land and its people, but he quickly was proccupied with the challenges of living in this rugged environment. He kept meticulous notes which he used in 1906 when he wrote CAMPING AND WOODCRAFT.

Late in 1907 he left the Hazel Creek area and traveled to other parts of the Appalachians in Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee and North Georgia (near Rome) in his efforts to avoid generalizing too much from his limited observations at Hazel Creek. He discovered that true mountain people were cut from the same cloth and returned in 1910. He was fascinated by the true mountaineers, the little farmers living in the branches and the steep hillsides. He kept copius notes of his observations mainly during the period from 1904 to 1907 and these notes would later become the foundation for OUR SOUTHERN HIGHLANDERS, which he wrote in 1913. George Ellison states, "Horace had exchanged an urban, settled, institutional world with a wife and 6 children for another world. This other world was an isolated existence in the Southern Appalachians. Whether this exchange was created by his drinking problem or a conscious desire and need to be alone in the wilderness is yet to be determined."

When he returned to the area, he chose to settle in Bryson City, which was a congregating point for a variety of mountain men and women and in addition, the Cherokee Indians, which were also a source of fascination for Kephart. He loved the quiet pace of mountain life in Bryson City and remained there until his death in an automobile wreck on April 2, 1931. His meticulous notes ,which he utilized in writing OUR SOUTHERN HIGHLANDERS, have been preserved along with many photos taken by his Japanese friend George Masa. The book was a success and has been reprinted - the latest edition in 1967. He was said to have been pleased with the success of the book and was pleased and moved by the way the mountain people responded to the accounts of their lives. After this, his most important writing was done on behalf of the movement that eventually culminated in the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. His role in the movement was considerable according to George Ellison. So Horace had his wishes: 1) a wilderness existence, 2) a literary career and 3) a living interest in the people of an American frontier experience (the mountain life).

His own explanation of his motivation behind his expenditure of time and energy on this project was: "I owe my life to these mountains and I want them preserved that others may profit by them as I have."

During my time in the mountains, I have met several interesting characters! All of them are older and have been "beaten-up" by life in one way or another or seem to be running from something. Upon making a new acquaintance, I always ask, "What's your story", because I love to hear their answers. After learning about Horace Kephart, I imagine I came to the mountains for some of the same reasons as he and to paraphrase his words - I was tired of the overly civilized, material, urban traffic and stress filled life and wanted a more primitive life (but not in a tent). I enjoy having friends and family visit, preparing meals together and having a glass of wine and a fine cigar on the front porch while watching the sun set. I enjoy hiking, fishing or just wandering around in the nearby little towns with all the festivals. Unlike Horace, I do love having my wife with me during this time of my life, since she has been there for all the other times.

So whenever I fish in a stream, stare off my porch at the scenic wonder of a sunset or hike one of the myriad trails in the Park, I will not forget those before me whose efforts have added so much to my life.

Horace Kephart might have had "feet of clay" but the efforts of his life have given my remaning years a "concrete" foundation.

I am truly grateful!

Now please excuse my while I get another glass of wine.

I NEED A NEW PLAN

2006-08-16T20:39:00.000-04:00

One of the few good things about working for a large corporation is that we are given access to expert financial tools and the best of financial planners. And this is a free service, I might add! I am amazed that so few employees take advantage of this service because of the value and because of the price. I have been told that most people spend more time thinking about what they will eat for supper this week or more time watching TV in a single day than they do planning for their retirement. Most people just think they when they retire there will just be plenty of money to live out their sunset years.

Some people don't worry because they expect to win the lottery! Some people pray for the perfect accident at a Wal-Mart and the massive payout from a retirement law suit! Others just expect the "government" will gladly take care of them.

Not me! I'm a planner and have been for years. I learned about the magic of compound interest years ago and have forced my wife to "get involved" with this process also. We have traditional IRA's, SEP IRA's, a 401(k), a 403(b), teachers' retirement, real estate and a company pension. So as I draw closer to my retirement days, I decided to take full advantage of the financial planning services that are offered by my company.

I picked up the phone and dialed the financial services company that my company has retained for the employees. The very knowledgeable, pleasant and helpful young man on the other end of the phone seemed to take an inordinate amount of time with me! I was shocked by this since everyone else tries to get you off the phone as quickly as possible. He informed me that he had the time to do a thorough job because so few people take advantage of this service. I answered a list of questions about my future objectives ... when do I wish to retire, how much money will my wife and I need per year in this projected retirement and what investment vehicles we would like to use (based on our investment risk philosophy) to get us there? We conversed for about an hour and he took my phone numbers and email address for follow up.

About 2 weeks have passed since this phone call took place, but as promised, the gentleman called me back today!

He told me that based on the information I submitted for my retirement plan, my wife and I would be completely out of money by age 74!

This evening I gave my wife the news ... our retirement plans are in great shape ... I just have to die before age 74! This retirement plan sucks! I either need to get another financial planning company or find a good "government program" to take care of me.

It raining outside tonight; maybe I'll go to Wal-Mart and slip down in a slippery aisle!

Or I could go to a doctor I've heard about! A patient came to this doc and was given 6 months to live. During this time he didn't pay a dime on his bill. When he returned for a final visit, the doctor gave him 6 more months!

I really have to go now. They're having the "Power-Ball" drawing tonight.

John Howard McRee Jr.

2006-08-06T23:18:00.000-04:00

I remember the evening vividly!

I was working in Reynolds Pharmacy in my hometown of Reynolds, Georgia on Wednesday, September 11, 1974! I had a terrible cold and I remember thinking that in less than a year I would graduate from the University of Georgia School of Pharmacy and I could start working for real. But this day I felt like warmed over you know what! I think that Leonard Whatley, the pharmacist-owner and friend, even told me that I needed to go home and get in the bed. My life-long friend, Johnny McRee, would stop by just about every day and we would make plans to go for a ride on his new motorcycle. He hurried in around closing time and was ready to make our plans. Not tonight ... I felt like ... well, you know what! He said that he had promised to take my friend and neighbor, Debbie Whatley, for a ride and this would be the perfect evening. Another hometown buddy of ours had just gotten married and was moved into his new home in the Crowell Community. Johnny would pick up Debbie and they would go to the McCrary's for supper. The plans were set! My plans were to go home, eat some of my Mama's cooking and go to bed as quickly as possible because I felt like ... you know what!

My family was in the funeral business, so it was not that much of an abnormal occurence for the phone to ring in the middle of the night. Tonight was no different. I heard the ringing and was glad that my father had answered it so I could go back to sleep. But tonight was different. I heard him say, "Is George with him"? This got my attention and I honed in on this conversation. As the sleep quickly left my brain, I determined that my older brother Mac was the person on the other end of the line. I heard that Johnny had been at David McCrary's with Debbie Whatley and had run out of cigarettes. Debbie suggested that she ride with him but Johnny refused her and said he could make a quicker trip by himself. He would ride to the store and would be back in a jiffy. He never returned and this was to be the last trip he would ever take. After a period of time and concern, phone calls were made and now my brother Mac was looking for Johnny between Reynolds and Crowell and was hoping for good news. Daddy hung up and I got up and went into my parents bedroom. Big Ed now remembered as he awakened that I did not go with Johnny this night and had decided to go to bed early due to my illness. He looked relieved. About this time Mac called again. He had found Johnny's body. Johnny had not been able to negotiate a curve in the road and had run through it, hit some soft gravel and lost control and sped through a little pine thicket. A small limb not bigger than an inch or so had broken his neck. The life of my boyhood friend was over.

I went with Daddy to the McRee's home out in the country. I had spent countless hours in this house as a boy, often spending weeks at the time there and then Johnny in turn would come to our home for a week or so. "Pill" McRee was like another mother to me and she and my father had grown up together so she made me feel like I was just one of her kids. When we walked up to the door of their darkened house in the middle of the night, Pill thought that Johnny was home and was wondering why he didn't just come in and go to bed as usual. She came to the door and saw Daddy and immediately new bad news was in store. Because he was the local funeral director, everyone knew that if Big Ed came to your door in the middle of the night, it was not to wish you a Merry Christmas. As almost in desparation, she asked if it were her mother, Nell. Daddy shook his head and then Pill collapsed. I then realized how upset my father was when I discovered that he had driven all the way out to the country without his glasses ... and he was blind as a bat! Big Ed loved Johnny like a son and he was visibly shaken and almost in a state of shock. I was thankful that we had not had a wreck driving out. Howard McRee, Johnny's dad, was a chain smoker of Home Run cigarettes and I remember his walking up with a Home Run hanging out of his mouth. It had to be around 2 am and I will never forget the pain I saw in Elizabeth "Pill" McRee's face that night. She and Johnny were not just mother and son, but best friends. Johnny was 23 years old! Pill had a wild and crazy sense of humor and is partly responsible for the development of my own love of laughing and pulling practical jokes. She was the master, but I never saw this in her again. She was never the same and carried this hurt with her to the grave in 1994!

We decided that early hour that a phone call to Johnny's sister, Linda, was not the thing to do, so Julian Whatley (Debbie's dad), Debbie and I drove to Linda's apartment in Atlanta to tell her the sad news. I remember that she lived somewhere near the Georgia Tech campus and we got there around 5 or 6 in the morning. She followed us home to Reynolds.

One thing about Johnny McRee was that he loved to drive anything fast! The boy loved speed! Even as a young boy, he would build ramps so that he could get his bike going as fast as possible to see how far he could jump. He was an early version of Evil Knevel! Learning to drive on dirt roads of his family's farm, he loved to make the car fish-tail. As he got older, he would often relate to me that he would drive his car over 100 miles per hour on the road to Butler. He actually dated the Sheriff's daughter in high school. I don't know if he really loved her or he just needed a way to keep from getting too many speeding tickets. This thrill-seeker side of him cost him his life. We determined that he had to be moving extremely fast coming into that curve that night.

Johnny was a natural athlete! He excelled in all sports: football, basketball, tennis, golf and track and field events. I think he came close to setting state records in several track events in high school. And the boy loved to hunt and fish. I remember so many dove shoots with Johnny, JimWhatley and I. Johnny and I were fishing in Rick's pond on the outskirts of Reynolds one summer afternoon and we caught so many fish that we ran out of crickets. Since we sold crickets and red wigglers at Goddard's store, I talked him into running back to town to replenish our bait supply. He agreed and in a few minutes, Big Ed and Johnny drove up with more bait. Daddy just had to see how many fish we had caught! One morning Johnny, Jim Whatley and I set out to the Reynolds Kiwanis Golf Club for a day of golf. Before the sun set (or as the sun set) we had played 72 holes. Johnny had the worst "hook" that I have ever seen on a golf course. There were times when I thought his golf ball would boomerang back to us.

In the summertime, I would go to the McRee's house for a couple of weeks and then he would come into town to our house for a couple of weeks. Those summer days in the country were spent playing around with the farm-hands and helping to pick some of the crops like watermelon and cantalope. For some reason, we loved helping to load watermelons onto a flatbed truck to take to market. We built forts, fished and went on dove shoots in the numerous fields and generally just had a ball. I thought Ms. Elizabeth, "Pill", was just another one of my mothers! It was great growing up in a community where I knew that all of my pals' moms loved me as much as their own children. She would cook bowls and bowls of fresh vegetables, corn on the cob, fried chicken, roast beef and then top everything off with Vidalia onions and home-grown tomatoes. Of course, corn bread was a staple! You must understand that this was a different time in America. Familes were friends for generations and their lives were interwoven in the fabric that was small-town life. The McRee's were an integral part of my upbringing. Of course, the biggest thrill of all was trying to do everything we could to drive Linda, the big sister, absolutely crazy! As I mentioned before, my father and "Pill" grew up together. Our grandparents grew up together and as a matter of fact, Miss Nell, Johnny's grandmother, lived across the street from my grandparents. Our great-grandparents were friends. Our friendship was just a natural progression of the way things were. We were the first generation that went off to college with the idea of moving away from home and going to where the action was!

You might be wondering why after all of these 32 years that I am writing about Johnny McRee today. Well, that night that he was killed, I went into the funeral home and told my father that I wanted to see Johnny. Big Ed let me go back. I took the watch off of his broken arm and got his wallet out of his pocket. I tried to give these to his mother, but she would not take them because it was too painful. She told me to keep them! Years later, I tried again to give them to her but she still did not want them so I have had this watch and wallet in my desk drawer all of these years. I open this drawer almost every day and I am reminded of my friend every time. Linda is married and lives in Carrollton, Georgia now with her family. Through a mutual friend, I tried several years ago to give the watch and wallet to her. She sent word back that I would have to deliver them in person. I think the time has come!

In this wallet I have Johnny's Georgia driver's license, his hunting and fishing license, his National Guard ID card, a typed list of invitees to a dove shoot, a prom picture of his sister Linda and her date, his warranty card for his Honda motorcycle, 2 crisp dollar bills which would have bought 4 packs of cigarettes in 1974 and various other reminders that my friend Johnny was involved up to his neck in the life that was so suddenly taken away that Wednesday night in the fall of 1974 on a country road just outside of Reynolds, Georgia.

I will never forget Johnny McRee! Never!

So tonight as you hurry to get the garbage can to the street for pick-up tomorrow or as you lay around on the sofa watching some mindless comedy on TV or as you try to get all the bills paid, I just wanted you to know that 32 years ago, a bunch of boys- becoming men lost a great friend in a freaking motorcycle wreck on a dirt road in rural Georgia!

I don't want the world to forget my friend, Johnny McRee!

And I haven't been on a motorcycle since that night!

Christmas Colonoscopy

2006-08-01T15:02:00.000-04:00

Today (August 1, 2006) I had my second colonoscopy and I am only 54! If you are over 40 with a history of colon cancer in your family or if you are over 50 ... why haven't you had this procedure done yet? Colon cancer is deadly and yet it is the most preventable so why not remove this means of departing from the earth from the many choices. Believe me! the worst thing about the whole ordeal is taking the laxative .. the first time I took "Go-Lightly", but this time I opted for the tablets (Visicol). The tablet route is simpler, but it would be difficult for anyone with an aversion to swallowing large "pills", but it still beats the heck out of drinking that half-gallon of liquid misery. I know you won't believe this, but the actual procedure is pleasant. You will be in twilight anesthesia (breathing on your own) and will wake up refreshed after what seemed to be only seconds. More about this later, but in December of 1999, I wrote a little poem about my first procedure which was done by my friend Dr. Bill Conner of Rome Gastroenterology of Rome, Georgia. Hope this helps you to make the decision to have this done.

CHRISTMAS COLONOSCOPY

'Twas three weeks before Christmas 1999,

I came to Rome Gastro to get a colonscope up my behind.

The reason I came is really no mystery,

I have colon cancer in my family history.

As I walked in the door, I saw all the crew.

They greeted me with smiles like they always do.

I walked in the room and the curtain was drawn,

As I got undressed, I was all alone.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

But my shirt, pants and underwear, I placed on a chair.

Out in the hallway, the gurney's wheels did clatter,

Dr. Conner wore a lab-coat 'cuz Go-Lightly makes you splatter.

Go-Lightly makes you go and makes you go fast,

When I find who named that stuff, I'm whuppin' his ass.

As the nurse injected the Demerol and Versed,

Visions of sugar-plums danced in my head.

Within a few seconds, I was out like a light.

I didn't scream and yell or put up a fight.

When my eyes opened, I was certainly glad.

I hoped the news from Dr. Conner would not be bad.

At my side was my wife, the love of my heart,

I was glad to see her, but I sure had to fart.

As sleep left my eyes, I began "Cuttin' Wind",

Then my friend, Dr. Conner, came walking in.

"Not a polyp, nor fissure; no hemorrhoid, nor mass,"

Dr Conner said, "George, you're a perfect ass."

Go Vixen, Go Rudolph, Go Lightly, Go Prancer,

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME! I DON'T HAVE CANCER.

INSIGNIFICANT

2006-07-16T10:13:00.000-04:00

We all jump out of bed every morning and head out to force our agendas on the world. We neglect our health and the relationships with friends and family because somehow we just know that the tasks set before us each day are more important than anything else. The "tyranny of the urgent" rules our lives. Being the son of a funeral director, I have always known that everyone will one day die and (unless you are cremated) you will be put in a casket and there will probably be a visitation by family and friends (which you neglected because of your important agenda) and as folks pass by your coffin, sooner or later, these three statements will be heard: 1) "He sure does look natural." 2) "I have never seen him look better." and 3) "He looks like he could just sit up and start talking!"

Don't get me wrong, there is certainly nothing wrong with having a purpose in life. Human beings can accomplish great things which often make life better for others long after their death. As a friend once told me, "There is nothing wrong with planting a tree whose shade you will never enjoy"! But, if everyone is running around wildly with their agendas, surely some of the agendas will clash. Just look around at the world situation today; personal agendas are clashing everywhere.

Let me just say a few things about how INSIGNIFICANT we really are. Hang in here with me for a few moments. Let's start by looking at a few facts of astronomy:

A "light year" is a measure of distance. If an object could travel at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second) for 1 year; the distance covered is one "light year". Do the math yourself: 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, 52 weeks in a year and so on! That's a lot of distance! Get the picture?

We live in the galaxy called the Milky Way and our solar system is situated well away from the center of our galaxy; about 30,000 light years from the galactic center to be somewhat exact. The body of our galaxy is shaped like a great disc (pancake) 300 light years thick and 100,000 light years across. Ours is a spiral galaxy and the Sun is about two-thirds of the way out from the center along one of several spiral arms. We HUMANS like to think that we are important; but in the vastness of the Milky Way, our earth is like a grain of sand on the beach and the Milky Way is only one of millions of galaxies whirling through space. The galactic corona, an enormous outer halo which is now believed to contain most of the mass of the galaxy, may extend as far as 300,000 light years in radius. Remember that two times the radius is the diameter. So if we measure the diameter by the galactic corona, then the Milky Way is 600,000 light years across. Once again! If we have an object traveling at 186,000 miles per second for 600,000 years, that distance would be the diameter of the Milky Way and THERE ARE MILLIONS OF OTHER GALAXIES! What was your agenda again?

In 1970, I was a freshman at the University of Georgia trying to figure out what I would be when I grew up. In the meantime, I decided to be a science major (eventually becoming a pharmacist) and found that I was spending an inordinate amount of time involved with labs. One of the first things any science major learns is the FIRST LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS. Of course, I had learned this in high school, but we had to "learn" it again anyway. It goes like this:

Energy can be changed from one form to another, but it cannot be created or destroyed. The total amount of energy and matter in the universe remains constant, merely changing from one form to another. Energy is always conserved; it cannot be created or destroyed.

Now that I had this "truth" placed in my mind, I went to an astronomy (not astrology) class and heard the professor say, "Fifteen billion years ago, the universe exploded into existence." Of course, one should not doubt this because it was taught in college and I had to state this stuff back on tests in order to pass, but even as a young man, my mind was churning thoughts like, "If matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed but 15 billion years ago the universe exploded into existence, then something doesn't add up here!"

Here's a truth for you that you will not hear often: IF THERE WERE EVER A TIME WHEN THERE WAS NOTHING, THERE WOULD STILL BE NOTHING!

So where did our Milky Way galaxy, our universe and all of the other millions of universes originate if energy and matter cannot be created or destroyed? You don't get something from nothing (even my grandmother knew this)!

This is why there are people who believe in God! Not those who have created a god they can control and manipulate, but those who are struck dumb with wonder at His Majesty. It is not illogical! Christianity is not about whether or not Jesus loves homosexuals! It is about God's becoming one of us and dwelling among us full of grace and truth. The Word made flesh! The only God we got to see was Christ and the truth of his life has been captured not only by the Scripture but by non-Christian historians as well (Josephus e.g.). Christ was a real person who lived and breathed just as we but at the same time He was fully God also (the hypostatic union: fully man but fully God). He was sent not to do a random act of kindness, but to propitiate the wrath of God against sinful man on behalf of His people (not everybody). His finished work was totally effective for the elect; those who are called out of the world through the gospel (the power of God unto salvation)!

In light of our insignificance in the overall scheme of things and the futility of our "purpose driven agendas", I am reminded of what the Psalmist stated:

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him? Psalm 8:3-4

George Goddard

To All Men Who Watch The Food Network

2006-07-14T21:16:00.000-04:00

Giada De Laurentis
I have been watching this beautiful lady on television for a couple of years! I had no idea that this was a COOKING show! Men everywhere should be more observant!

Koizumi Can't Help Falling In Love With Elvis

2006-07-13T20:30:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, the citizens of the United States witnessed one of the most profound events of world history! Students for years to come will most certainly be reading of this event that will surely change the way all wars are viewed. You know damn well about that which I speak! The Prime Minister of Japan, Junichiro Koizumi, while visiting America and George Bush, fulfilled his life-long dream to visit Graceland. We have pictures to prove it. He even sang a verse of "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You" for the press, Lisa Marie and Priscilla. Even though his voice sounds like fingernails on a blackboard, he was undaunted. He put on a pair of sunglasses and did the Elvis "moves" ( quite well I might add)! As I watched this, I couldn't help but wonder what my father would say if he saw this!

My father (Big Ed) drove landing crafts during the invasion of Okinawa and had a front row seat in the South Pacific for part of WWII. I wondered how Big Ed would have responded to the Prime Minister of Japan doing Elvis gyrations while his graying mane bounced freely in Graceland. In Okinawa over 200,000 died! Iwo Jima lasted 36 days and there were 25,851 casualties ( 1 in 3 killed or wounded). 6825 American boys killed and 22,000 Japanese. At Tarawa in 1943 the US Marines suffered nearly 3000 casualties. The toll was even higher for the Japanese. Of the 4700 defenders, only 17 survived. The atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki killed 150,000 and the bomb dropped on Hiroshima killed 140,000. What most people don't realize is that the atomic bombs didn't kill nearly as many as the napalm pounding Japan got before the "big bombs" were dropped. At Pearl Harbor there were 2117 navy and marine deaths, 228 army deaths and 57 civilians. These statistics are only a fraction of the total and these numbers do not even begin to reflect the hatred these two countries had for each other. History has not given us any reason that George Bush and Junichiro Koizumi would even speak to each other, much less go frolicking together through Graceland.

That's where Elvis comes in! What would The Greatest Generation have thought if they had known that about 10 years after the war, a young, wavy-haired, hip-gyrating, guitar strumming, rock and roll singer would rise up out of Tupelo, Mississippi and that his life would be the opiate that soothes the painful memories of war. Look at this picture and think about what this image forces us to see: either war is very stupid or Elvis is really good. I'm talkin' REAL GOOD!

If the "rock and roll" of Elvis was the catalyst for change after WWII; maybe "rap" will be the modern day equivalent. 50 years from now the Taliban Prime Minister could be visiting the President of the US and get a tour of the homes of Ludacris and Fitty Cent (national landmarks by then). The state-run press could report on all the excitement as the Prime Minister and the President toured the President's "crib". The Taliban Prime Minister could "bust-a-move" and lay down a little "rap"for the HDTV cameras!

Look at this picture again and think about what this represents. I have been to 3 world fairs and 2 goat ropings, but I ain't never seen anything like that.

Is this a crazy world or what?

Obituary

2006-07-13T19:08:00.000-04:00

Ray A. Nichols, 84, of Bryson City died Wednesday, June 14, 2006 at Memorial Mission Hospital in Asheville. I copied this straight out of The Smoky Mountain Times - Thursday, June 22, 2006. It also lists his wife of 59 years, Mary Evelyn, as a survivor.

I first met Ray Nichols while eating Sunday lunch at the Hemlock Inn a couple of years ago. I saw my friends, Dr. Rudy Shirley and his wife, Joann, sitting at the table with a couple of folks whom I would soon discover were Ray and Mary Nichols. Dr. Rudy and Ray struck up a conversation that would still be taking place if their respective wives hadn't forced them to separate. I just shook their hands, said hello and introduced myself as a newcomer to Bryson City. Later, my wife and I would run into them at various places all over town and our friendship blossomed. It was never difficult to get Ray involved in a conversation. We swapped phone numbers and exchanged the hopes for future dinner invitations. We made plans to play golf, plans to come sit on the Nichols' porch and chat, plans to have Ray and Mary come to our mountain house and general plans to spend more time together. But, like the Psalmist says, "In the grave where you are going, all your plans and schemes will come to an end."

Jaye (my wife) and I came into town for the week-end and I picked up a copy of the SMT at Ingles on the way up the mountain. I was so shocked to read the sad news, especially since I had just seen Ray at Everett Street Diner 2 weeks before.

During the 4th of July festivities this year, Jaye and I recalled how on the previous year's celebration, Ray and Mary came walking through town dressed like American flags. They were quite the handsome couple and I was especially impressed with the way Ray always loved being with his wife, Mary. This year, as I was waiting in the car for my wife to return, I heard a tap on my window. Much to my surprise, there was Mary with her ususal winsom smile and her daughter, Tammy. She gave me a big hug and introduced me to her daughter. I then expressed my condolences but Mary said that Ray died the way he would have chosen. Suddenly and without suffering. Mary is pure class.

My wife and I had the rare opportunity to be welcomed as newcomers to Bryson City by this delightful couple. I will selfishly miss my new friend Ray and his smiling face and his stylish manner of dress and I will do a better job being a friend to Mary.

Thank you, Ray. You will be missed.

Somewhere in the Peace and Quiet

2006-07-13T00:25:00.000-04:00

I have always dreamed of having a retreat. A place where I could go to get away from the daily grind. Maybe the mountains or maybe the ocean (Nah! No way with all her hurricanes and stuff). OK! The mountains then. That settles that! The problem was that I continued to dream and never actually did anything about it ... until 2004! I had no idea what I was in for so my ignorance was bliss as I set out to build a house on top of a mountain in Western North Carolina. I had become friends with a man who put a porch on my house in Kennesaw, Georgia. We had several conversations, then took our thoughts to an architect buddy and the next thing I know, we're staking off the footprint of the house. Simple!

ELECTRICITY: No problem! Not so fast. We had to dig a 900 foot-long trench through rocky soil and it had to be 4 feet deep. Duke Power told us that after the cable was placed, we would have to fill the ditch by hand because large machinery would drop rocks onto the cable and cause damage to the plastic coating. Did I mention that the 900 foot-long ditch was up an average 20-30 degree incline? In the summertime heat!

WATER: No problem! Just dig a well, right! Not so fast. We had to go 850 feet. At $11.00 per foot. And it cost $6500.00 to hook it to the house and we only got 2 gallons per minute. I learned one lesson quickly: Water is KING of the mountains!

Now that we had water and electricity, everything should be smooth sailing from here on in! Right! Not so fast again! We encountered stormy seas! I discovered that when turkey season, deer season, friday afternoon or just about anything else came up, laborers in the mountains ceased to labor. We had to bring in framers, carpenters, HVAC people, roofers and all the building materials from Atlanta. In addition, we had to give them room and board in this distant city. My dream home was turning into a nightmare! At least the big-city workers were competent and my builder had used them before and had a great relationship with them. We were able to find a great local bulldozer man, gutter man and plumber. But that's about all.

After 14 months and lots of money, we finally finished and moved in the weekend of the fourth of July, 2005. If I knew then what I know now, there would be no house, but the Lord takes care of little children and fools! Since I'm 54 years old, see if you can guess which category I'm in.

Now that it's all over, my wife and I can sit on the upper porch in our rockers and wonder out loud, "How in the world did we get this thing built?"

My experience on the mountain has verified the truthfullness of an old adage: Everybody wants to be on top of the mountain, but very few are willing to do what it takes to get there.

I have to be honest, I'm kinda' proud of myself.

The Happiest Man In America

2006-07-12T19:02:00.000-04:00

Freelin Woodard is a friend of mine! As a matter of fact, getting to know him has caused me to realize the real reason I love being in the Western Carolina mountains, and in particular, Bryson City!

You see, I notice people and I watch their demeanor. I never really thought a great deal about my garbage - just bag it up and take it to the trash dump; but there was a gentleman there who was always willing to help and the whole while wearing a smile from ear to ear. I came to actually ENJOY taking the garbage to the dumpster. I live most of the time in a suburb of Atlanta and gathering trash there is not a plesant experience. As a matter of fact, it is quite a chore and the trash-truck driver is not a plesant person!

It is not just my opinion regarding Freelin; my wife agrees with me and I have noticed on many occasions other people lingering to visit after they unloaded their cars and trucks of their household garbage. It doesn't look or smell like a trash dump! It is spotless, and my new buddy Freelin is always standing by. I love taking friends with me to the dump to introduce them to the "happiest man in America". Where else in the whole wide world could one actually look forward to taking out the garbage?

One recent day my curiosity got the best of me, so I had to ask Freelin the question: "What in the world are you taking that keeps you so happy"? (I am a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Pharmacy, so my natural inclination was to believe that biochemistry was at work here). His answer proved me wrong.

He said, "You know, I like to keep this place clean for all my customers, but we don't close the gate at night. People come in here during the evening hours and sometimes make a big mess because they spill their garbage all over the place. I always try to come in early to clean up the place and make it look good before customers start arriving and when I first started this job it made me mad that people would leave such a mess, but I got to thinking", he continued, "whether I'm mad or happy, I still have to clean it up, so I decided that I might as well be happy. And you know, it just makes the job more fun."

Until I met Freelin, I thought the chief reason for my being here in the mountains was to get away from all the pollution and traffic congestion and to enjoy a slower pace of life while being surrounded by the majestic splendor of the mountains. These are all secondary reasons now! The reason I built a home in Bryson City is because of how this place transforms a person. Not what it is but what it does to your soul.

Most big city people wake up each morning and fight their way through traffic to get to their jobs that are slowly killing them ... myself included! They can choose to be mad or happy, but either way, they still have to go to work. Most people are not like Freelin because they choose to be angry. Bryson City has changed me! When I start to feel a little angry about something at work, I just think about my buddy Freelin and his big ole' grin. And I decide that I might as well be happy.

But everybody doesn't have a home in Bryson City! God bless Freelin Woodard!

George Goddard

(published in Smoky Mountain Times, January 12,2006, Bryson City, NC.)

Everybody's Doing It

2006-07-12T08:28:00.000-04:00

It seems that everyone else has a blog space ... so why not me? As I ride throught NW Georgia on my regular call-cycle in my position as a senior rep in pharmaceutical sales, I encounter quite an array of ideas in conversations I have with health care providers. Since I have been in the same territory for 20 years, I have come to know some of my docs quite well and I really enjoy the time I get to spend with them. Yesterday, I had lunch with a doc who has officially "partly retired" and only comes back to the office when others are out for vacation or other reasons. Seeing him reminds me that in May of 2007, I could officially retire from my company. I really don't know where the time has gone but it sure has passed by quickly. It seems like yesterday that I began working as a sales rep, but in fact, it was 20 years ago. Being on the road so much is really taking a toll on my health! It is a fact that the towns I travel to have gotten much bigger and have traffic problems that did not exist 10 years ago. In addition, drivers have gotten much more aggressive and have no fear of driving right on your bumper. This is especially alarming considering that most of these drivers are in big-rigs heading to and fro on I-75.

If I do retire in May, I certainly won't miss the road, but I will miss my many fellow employee buddies and the conversations I have with my customers. One gets to know folks quite well in 20 years! I'm still too young to fully retire but maybe not to change careers. Thank goodness I have kept my Pharmacist's license current because that does open some doors. What to do??