Tuesday, May 24, 2011

You Deserve A Laugh Today

If This Won't Make You Laugh, Check Your Pulse

My wife was cleaning out some file folders the other day and ran across the following.  I am sure I had read it before but just like a movie I watched last week, this was brand new to me.  Hope it gives you an emotional break from whatever is weighing you down at the current time.

This is an article submitted to a 1999 Louisville Sentinel contest to find out who had the wildest Christmas dinner.  It won first prize.

"Christmas with Louise"

As a joke, my brother used to hang a pair of pantyhose over his fireplace before Christmas.  He said all he wanted was for Santa to fill them.  What they say about Santa checking the list twice must be true because every Christmas morning, although Jay's kids stockings were overflowed, his poor pantyhose hung sadly empty.

One year I decided to make his dream come true.  I put on sunglasses and went in search of an inflatable love doll.  They don't sell those things at Wal-Mart.

I had to go to an adult bookstore downtown.  If you've never been in a X-rated store, don't go.  You'll only confuse yourself.  I was there an hour saying things like, "What does this do?" "You're kidding me!" "Who would buy that?"  Finally, I made it to the inflatable doll section.  I wanted to buy a standard, uncomplicated doll that could also substitute as a passenger in my truck so I could use the car pool lane during rush hour.

Finding what I wanted was difficult.  Love dolls come in many different models.  The top of the line, according to the side of the box, could do things I'd only seen in a book on animal husbandry.  I settled for "Lovable Louise."  She was at the bottom of the price scale.  To call Louise a "doll" took a huge leap of imagination.

On Christmas Eve, with the help of an old bicycle pump, Louise came to life.  My sister-in-law was in on the plan and let me in during the wee morning hours.  Long after Santa had come and gone, I filled the dangling pantyhose with Louise's pliant legs and bottom.  I also ate some cookies and drank what remained of a glass of milk on a nearby tray.  I went home, and giggled for a couple of hours.

The next morning my brother called to say that Santa had been to his house and left a present that had made him VERY happy but had left the dog confused.  She would bark, start to walk away, then come back and bark some more.  We all agreed that Louise should remain in her pantyhose so the rest of the family could admire her when they came over for the traditional Christmas dinner.

My grandmother noticed Louise the moment she walked in the door.  "What the hell is that?" she asked.  My brother quickly explained, "It's a doll."  "Who would play with something like that?" Granny snapped.  I had several candidates in mind, but kept my mouth shut.  "Where are her clothes?" Granny continued.  "Boy, that turkey sure smells nice, Gran," Jay said, trying to steer her into the dining room.  But Granny was relentless.  "Why doesn't she have any teeth?"  Again, I could have answered, but why would I?  It was Christmas and no one wanted to ride in the back of the ambulance saying, "Hang on Granny Hang on!"

My grandfather, a delightful old man with poor eyesight, sidled up to me and said, "Hey, who's the naked gal by the fireplace?"  I told him she was Jay's friend.  A few minutes later I noticed Grandpa by the mantel, talking to Louise.  Not just talking, but actually flirting.  It was then we realized this might be Grandpa's last Christmas at home.

The dinner went well.  We made the usual small talk about who had died, who was dying, and who should be killed, when suddenly Louise made a noise that sounded a lot like my father in the bathroom in the morning.  Then she lurched from the pantyhose, flew around the room twice, and fell in a heap in front of the sofa.  The cat screamed,  I passed cranberry sauce through my nose, and Grandpa ran across the room, fell to his knees, and began administering mouth to mouth resuscitation.  My brother fell back over his chair and wet his pants and Granny threw down her napkin, stomped out of the room, and sat in the car.

It was indeed a Christmas to treasure and remember.  Later in my brother's garage, we conducted a thorough examination to decide the cause of Louise's collapse.  We discovered that Louise had suffered from a hot ember to the back of her right thigh.   Fortunately, thanks to a wonder drug called duct tape, we restored her to perfect health.

Louise went on to star in several bachelor party movies.  I think Grandpa still calls her whenever he can get out of the house.

May your next Christmas be memorable as you celebrate the Savior's birth. Later..................

Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease
 
Below are excepts from an article provided by the Mayo Clinic that discusses one of the most debilitating diseases of our day.
 
Definition - Alzheimer's disease causes brain changes that gradually get worse. It's the most common cause of dementia — a group of brain disorders that cause progressive loss of intellectual and social skills, severe enough to interfere with day-to-day life. In Alzheimer's disease, brain cells degenerate and die, causing a steady decline in memory and mental function.  Current Alzheimer's disease medications and management strategies can temporarily improve symptoms, maximize function and maintain independence. It's also important to seek social services and tap into your support network to make life better. Research efforts aim to discover treatments that prevent Alzheimer's or slow its progression.

Symptoms
The first symptoms of Alzheimer's disease you may notice are increasing forgetfulness and mild confusion. Over time, the disease has a growing impact on your memory, your ability to speak and write coherently, and your judgment and problem solving. If you have Alzheimer's, you may be the first to notice that you're having unusual difficulty remembering things and organizing your thoughts. Or you may not recognize that anything is wrong, even when changes are noticeable to your family members, close friends or co-workers.

Brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease lead to growing trouble with:
Memory - Disorientation and misinterpreting spatial relationships - Speaking and writing - Thinking and reasoning - Making judgments and decisions - Planning and performing familiar tasks - Changes in personality and behavior
Brain changes that occur in Alzheimer's disease can affect the way you act and how you feel. People with Alzheimer's may experience:
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Social withdrawal
  • Mood swings
  • Distrust in others
  • Increased stubbornness
  • Irritability and aggressiveness
  • Changes in sleeping habits
  • Wandering

You may wonder why I am discussing this.  Joyce's mother, Bonnie Ratliff who turned 90 in January, has been diagnosed by one doctor as being in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's.  Joyce and I had noticed gradual changes over the past few months and two trips to the emergency room within one week led to further testing.  Physically, Bonnie is in excellent health for someone who is 90 but her mental abilities are deteriorating.  Joyce and her brother have made the decision to move Bonnie to an assisted living facility around June 1 and the packing has begun.  She will not be able to move all of her belongings due to space limitations and our children, Mike and Sheri, are going to be getting some of the furniture and other non-essentials.  Bonnie's attitude has been remarkable thus far and Joyce took her over to see her new apartment at Jefferson's Garden last week.

When she found out that she could have a cat, the deal was cinched and that is all that she can talk about.  Her cat of 17 years, Beasley, was put down about seven moths ago and it almost appears that the deterioration began shortly after that.  Bonnie spends a lot of her time alone in her apartment and that cannot improve one's mental attitude.  Joyce and I have also been cleaning out closets and drawers lately and the following was in Joyce's "Keep This Stuff' folder.  I thought it was very well written.  I hope that you agree.

Remember Me

When you forget your own address
and find yourself on strange streets,,
we'll sell your car, and I'll drive you
to all the places you need to go,
like you did for me
when I was a child.

When you forget how to dress
and end up with three sweaters,
two sets of panty hose, and a
slip on over your dress,
I'll help you to look proper
when you go out,
like you did for me
when I was a child.

When the words on the menu
don't match the pictures in your mind,
and you keep ordering things you won't eat,
then I'll order the food
that I know you'll enjoy,
like you did for me
when I was a child.

When finding your way at church is frightening,
I'll take you to your class and pick you up
and let you sit with me in big church.
If the sermon seems long and you get sleepy,
I'll let you put your head on my shoulder,
like you did for me
when I was a child.

When hot and cold faucets confuse you,
I'll put you in a tub of warm water
and give you a bath,
like you did for me
when I was a child.

When you forget who people are
and can't tell your family
from total strangers,
I'll be your memory
and tell you their names,
like you did for me
when I was a child.

When they're having a party
for all the residents,
and you want to go
but don't know what to wear,
I'll make you a costume
that everyone will envy,
like you did for me
when I was a child.

When you forget who I am,
not just my name or my birthday,
but that you ever had children,
then there isn't much I can do
but go somewhere and cry,
like I sometimes did
when I was a child.

By Kenneth Chafin

Please pray for Bonnie, Joyce, and me and the other family members as we travel through the unknown while knowing that the following scripture from the Living Bible will be our comfort.

2 Cor 4:16-18 


Church History - Part V

Church History - Part V


As mentioned in Part IV, Joyce and I returned to Faith Bible Church in November, 1998.  With the passing of five years, much had changed but we both agreed that if we returned to FBC, we would never be divisive and keep our complaints to ourselves.  There was still a nucleus of the 'old-timers' but they were definitely in the minority.  Scott Overbey had come on board in 1994 and is now the Executive Pastor.  Mark Hitchcock is an excellent Bible expositor and has focused on Biblical Prophecy (not the kind of prophecy that caused the split) while working with Tim LaHaye and Tommie Ice.  He has written several books on the end times and is a much in demand speaker in the end-times circles.  I don't recall the Sunday School class that we attended at first but in July, 2000, David Cotten came on board as the Pastor-Senior Adults.  Anthropomorphically, the group or class was known as the 50+ group but most of us were a little ways noth of 50.

We had known David Cotten from the late 1970's at Metropolitan Baptist Church and came to love him dearly.  His teaching style would be best defined as 'repeat-repeat-repeat' and we learned much about the life of Jesus Christ.  Periodically, social groups would be formed to try to incorporate some type of body-life that would strengthen the bonds of the members and let us become more deeply involved in each others lives.  These were, indeed, fun times but did not meet spiritual needs on a deeper plane, at least, not to the level that I desired.  Part of the problem was me but Joyce and I found ourselves longing for the closeness of the original FBC which will probably never be found this side of glory.  Mark and I discussed the lack of body-life but nothing was done to try to improve it.  FBC became more and more traditional and this was very disheartening.  We were seeking a spiritual closeness in 1981 when we first came to FBC but it was obvious that we would never experience that again .

I wrote letters and even attended elder meetings more that once to discuss the lack of body-life but I felt that my message fell on deaf ears.  The 'open-meeting' died a slow death after Mark came and totally disappeared after the church split due to a lack of support.  Small groups were discussed but never pursued vigorously.  Over the years, other staff was added:  Todd Lance as Worship Pastor in June, 2003; Jay Risner as the first Youth Pastor in 2003 (now serving as Associate Pastor); John Frawley as the Student Ministries Pastor in September; 2008, and Ron Morrow as the Venue Worship Pastor in September, 2010.  I bought too deeply into Russ' teaching that there was no biblical basis for the separation of the clergy and the laity in the local church and am of the opinion (along with several others who still attend FBC) that it is a dangerous thing to give too much power to the 'clergy'.

All of that being said, Faith Bible Church has been a significant part of any spiritual growth that has occurred in my life over the past 30 years and God has used FBC to reach many unbelievers and to hasten the sanctification of his elect.  I strongly believe that the ruling body of a local assembly is a multiplicity of elders and we are to submit to their authority.  One point that I tried to make during my time with the elders was that it was difficult to submit to someone with whom you were not acquainted and I urged more elder involvement with the 'laity'.  Again, my opinion is that this fell on deaf ears. 

Since October of 2010, we have been attending another church that I am convinced God led us to by his Holy Spirit.  Is it perfect? No, there is no perfect church but the word is taught biblically and the church is much smaller.  It is difficult to get to know people but we are making the effort and have peace about our decision.  We do terribly miss many at FBC and still have some contact with them and will spend eternity with those whom God has chosen for himself since before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4)  My church history is still being written and will be until God calls me home.  Much more could be said but I am desirous to keep the promise that Joyce and I made of never causing division within the body of Christ.  Pray for us.

Psalm 90:14
Satisfy us in the morning with your lovingkindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

My Friend, The Shanster

It is nearing the one year anniversary of the death of my friend, The Shanster aka Mark Shannon aka Mark Jackson Fullerton.  He was a descendant of Andrew Jackson, you know.  Rarely a day passes that I don't think of him and when golf time rolls around, he is everywhere.  Not a great golfer but an avid golfer.  Best round was at Kickingbird several years ago - 71 (one over par) and I had the privilege to be there.  Below are some videos that were taken on my new Ipod during the last week of Mark's life on earth. Reminisce with me and rejoice that Mark is free from pain and suffering and safe in the arms of Jesus.


April 30, 2010 Baptist Hospital

May 3, 2010 Baptist Hospital



May 5, 2010 Baptist Hospital 




May 6, 2010 Baptist Hospital

The last video was the last time that I saw Mark alive.  However, I do plan to see him again in Heaven because our sins were paid for by the death on the cross of Jesus Christ.  I visit the cemetery now and then and talk to Mark and in memory of one year since his home-going, I have penned another infamous verse.  It may sound corny but, hey, I ain't got much gray matter left to work with.  Here goes.
 
      Missing the Shanster
How time flies, it’s been one year
But oh how often, you still feel near
Life’s not the same without you, pal
I still feel your spirit, so does your gal
I listen sometimes to the Eggman at night
But without your voice, it doesn’t seem right

Every so often I drive through  Gracelawn
Just to remind me,  the Shanster really is gone
Roger, Daryl, Louis, others and me
Still tee it up, Saturday  even saw Duffy
That grey Infiniti seems to be everywhere
Perhaps it’s a sign telling me you’re there

Experiencing streets of gold and gates of pearl
What a comfort! You’re in the real world
When first we met, at Russ’ Bible study
I’m sure you thought, what a fuddy-duddy
I thought who is this loud-mouthed guy?
Just shut your trap and give God a try.

Slowly the Spirit began to shape and mold
Your witness for the Savior was new and bold
Far-right, far-left, and neither of the two
The committee had members, was one of them you?
No matter the rant, no matter the rave
You let others know only Jesus can save

I admired your motto, not middle of the road
You joined the tea-party, musta been a load
I still see you there, Bosox baseball cap and all
That cap is on my desk, almost makes me bawl
Since I’ve been a Yankee fan for life,
Looking at that cap sorta causes me strife.

The country is in trouble same as it was
Obama’s is wrong, no matter what he does
Republicans won the house because of our debt
Bush added a few trillion, let’s don’t forget
Government keeps growing, how long can it last
Gas and grocery prices may cause us to fast

Just answered the door, old lady of blonde
Jehovah Witness she was, said Jesus ain’t God
Only 144,000 going to heaven according to her
Said God is love, no hell could ever occur
Told her she was wrong, would be her home
Christ is God, so she’ll spend eternity alone

Guess you heard the latest about Osama
Who’s taking all the credit? Right, Obama
Guess you’ve recently seen Juanita Rice,
Think of her when I see the adjective – nice
Sure you’ve seen others including Russ
Probably talking doctrine, making a fuss

When will be rest of us be joining you?
Sure it will be like a bolt from the blue
Then we’ll all be perfect and set free
Our joy will be complete, we’ll be full of glee
Until that happens, we mustn’t hurry
We must abide and reflect his glory

I love you pal and long for that day
When another round of golf we’ll play
Hole one’s par will equal eternity
And number eighteen will be infinity
Wonders unimaginable, but this I see
Jesus Christ, the church, and you and me


Drano