LIfe

It is interesting to me that the average baby is around 19 inches at birth, but is already around 17 inches at 7 months. So they don't grow much longer the last two months, just fill out with more weight.

I'm so looking forward to what will probably be the highlight of 2009....
By the way -- HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My daughter, Ashley, is serving as an incubator for my first granddaughter. She was home for Christmas and one of my priceless gifts was the privilege of frequently touching her stomach to feel the moving, kicking, shoving, stretching, hiccuping, twisting, somersaulting (okay, maybe not somersaulting) body of life that is in her body. As I felt that child, only millimeters of skin away from being able to see and touch her, I had to ask myself, " How......How could ANYBODY not think that was a living person. To think that terminating them should not be considered murder and wrong....

I'll never understand that. I'm not a real political activist, or seldom get on a soap box. But I would have to state my case loud and clear if there was a decision to be made regarding MY granddaughter.

Okay, I guess I'll get off the box before I trip, fall and hurt myself.

Reason For The Season

I hope you had a great Christmas. I haven't sat down at my "blog desk" for awhile, due to enjoying the food, friends and family. What a great opportunity to enjoy some time off, and put on 10 pounds......
I hope, after putting up the tree, stringing the outside lights, getting the shopping done, filling the stockings, sending out Christmas cards, ripping through the presents, etc.... you didn't forget about the reason for the season.

Last week I attended a nice Christmas/Birthday party at a neighbor's house with some good friends. Those friends included primarily Catholics, and one lone Jewish man, Bob. Bob is a piece of work, making comments about not getting too close to the oven in the kitchen when we Christians are around..... He is pretty tongue in cheek, and has a great sense of humor. It was helpful that night. Bob asked me one of his tongue in cheek questions at the dinner table that I couldn't leave alone. He said, "Terry, just answer me one question. Why did you guys feel like you had to add something to our bible?" What an appropriate question at Christmas time.

What an open door to share with that group the importance of the New Testament. I was able to share how the story had to be finished......how we now had HOPE that was not available to us with just an Old Testament.
I hope you remember that Jesus came to earth to finish the story. He came to earth to give us the hope we need. Praise God for allowing his Son (God in human form) to come to earth and give us the greatest Christmas gift ever..... eternal life.

Christmas season

Does it get any better than Christmas time? Really....especially in Florida. We had upper 70's today and perfect golf weather. I guess you could miss the snow and cold if you REALLY thought that was important to make the season what it should be. I've adapted....no longer do I need to go to Iowa to enjoy Christmas.
Just for the record, I did have a pickup of firewood delivered today....should last me 2-3 years probably. I make quite a few fires when you consider the temperatures they're being made in. (Sometimes I just have to drop the A/C a little lower....)
Enjoy the season, whatever and wherever you are this year. We have so much to be thankful for. All we have to do is start thinking about our family and friends, and go from there. I got to play golf with a best friend, my wife made a great supper, I got a good workout at the gym, and watched a movie tonight....and did very little work. What a great day. I could get use to that.
Be a reminder for somebody today that they are truly blessed.

O Holy Night

Christmas is a great time of year....but, as usual, we get so busy we don't take the time to really enjoy it. Not to mention, we forget what the real reason for the celebration is all about.
Do your best this year to take an evening to sit by the fire with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, listen to some Christmas music and watch the tree twinkle at you with it's many colors and ornaments.
Share with each other your Christmas memories, and what it must have been like back in Bethlehem on that one special night. It's fun to consider each person involved and think about what they were thinking and feeling....
I'll start you off tonight by giving you a link below to a sample Christmas song on You Tube to listen too. You can take it from there. (Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk4woNRD7NQ

Merry Christmas~!

"If it doesn't serve, don't say it"

Remember Rolling Thunder, the American Indian medicine man?...... Me neither, but I read a quote of his today --
"People have to be responsible for their thoughts, so they have to learn to control them. It may not be easy, but it can be done. First of all, if we don't want to think certain things we don't say them. We don't have to eat everything we see, and we don't have to say everything we think. So we begin by watching our words and speaking with good purpose only."

In other words, "If it doesn't serve, don't say it." If it doesn't serve a positive or constructive purpose, don't say it. Make sure it serves a good purpose.

Remember Proverbs 17:28? "Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent...."

I know, I know, some people would be mistaken for a mute.....a relative of the mime family..... which begs the question, "If a mime commited murder, would he have to put a silencer on the gun?" But I digress....

Just a thought for the day....consider making the effort to control your thoughts and your speech. See if anybody will notice. Put $2 in a jar everytime you catch yourself speaking something that is not constructive. Who knows, you might get to take the Fifi vacation after all.

As for me, I'm going to start praising my wife, even if it frightens her at first.....

Women.....

Where does a guy begin. There are two theories to arguing with women......neither one works. Just kidding....kind of.

For instance, I don't condone the wedding vows of a friend of mine -- "Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me, either. Just pretty much leave me alone."

Actually, I have a great wife, very supportive, gives of herself and always wants me to be happy. We spend most of our day together and seem to make this work pretty well.
However, I'm still trying to figure her out, even after 31 years.....
For instance, Karen has said for years, and more frequently as of late, that she insists on being the first "to go". (I'm assuming she means die, not calling "first dibs" on the bathroom...) So, if she wants to be the first to go, why would she make such a big deal about driving the car with the bad windshield wipers...... sometimes I just don't get her.

I'm taking this!

Remember the scene in the movie Liar, Liar, where Jim Carrey has to pay, like $1,000 to get his car out of a holding lot? He was so mad, he saw a 98 cent air freshner hanging on the wall. He grabbed it, and said, "I'm taking this"..... it made him feel better.....was pretty funny too.

I was at the dry cleaners the other day to pick up a few shirts and two pants. $27 !!!! I wanted to say what Jim did in the movie before he took the airfreshner, "How can you live with yourself?" BUT, I did the next best thing. I pulled the "I'm taking this" part.

When the lady turned to run my credit card through the machine, I reached in to the candy basket and took EIGHT pieces and stuffed 'em in my pocket!

I felt better..... 4 butterscotch and 4 strawberry.

Have a great day today.