Happy New Year--2012

As I write this the New Year is less than five minutes old. 


This New Year may be the most Important in our life time.Our voting will not only be about four years, but the next forty years as well.


May God Bless you and your family in 2012!


Glenn <><

HAPPY NEW YEAR----2012

I Cannot Recall So Much Excitement, Anxiety, and Worry About An Up Coming New Year As 2012.


I am not a prophet or the son of a prophet. However, I will share some of the concerns that many have:


1. Middle East---Iran may be just days away from detonating a crude nuclear weapon. Permitting the Iranians to construct such a weapon is like giving a four old child a full clip, loaded 9MM, to play with.


Our hasty withdrawal from  Iraq has made an Israeli air attack much more difficult because it is doubtful over flight permission will be granted. Extending inbound and outbound flight times impacts every aspect of war planning: Exposure
to defensive air and ground assets is greatly increased. Aerial refueling resources are stretched. Ditto aerial command and control assets. Recon and bomb damage assessment is considerably longer and harder. Regenerating aerial resources for future sorties becomes a commander's worst nightmare.    

NORTH POLE Reality Show Causes Marriage Breakup!

THE UNTHINKABLE HAS HAPPENED: Santa & Mrs. Claus have Split !!! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2011!

This past week I listened to a very compelling radio evangelist who said something that froze me in my tracks:

"Between the end of the Old Testament (Book of Malachi) to the start of the New Testament( Book of Mathew) 400 years had passed without God speaking to His people and that streak of silence was broken with a little baby's cry!" 

WOW!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Our Music: When Elvis Came To PCHS---Well, Sort of

In our Sophomore year the Tupelo, MS Flash was already making a big splash. 

I received a first hand report by one of our Sophomore classmates who had his driver's license and saw Elvis in concert in Louisville, KY.

He was a big Elvis fan, he even had wanna be sideburns to prove it, and said the concert was a wild scene. He said the music was great; Elvis put on quite a show; and the females in the audience never stopped screaming.

I do not want to embarrass or offend any readers of this blog by my next few comments. However, at almost 70 years of age, I think I can speak openly, especially to my classmates.. Our classmate said Elvis was signing autographs on the bras of some his adoring fans. I had no corroborating information, only this one student's testimony. 
 
I have heard the late J.D.Sumner of the Stamps Quartet, who backed up Elvis at Vegas, say many times that following the last show of the night, Elvis would sing Southern Gospel music with them until the wee hours of the morning. Elvis' gospel recordings rank among my favorites. Especially, How Great Thou Art.

Interestingly, while in seminary, one of my classmates was Rick Stanley, a half-brother to Elvis.  After Elvis' Mom died, Vernon, Elvis' Dad, married Rick's Mom and they moved into Graceland. Rick said he knew he was living in a different world when he was in the basement watching his half-brother play pool with The Beetles!

Rick is now an evangelist and as far as I know he has never attempted to glorify Elvis or his lifestyle. See: www.rickstanleyministries.com/journal.html

"Willie Boy"---Town Drunk

THIS IS A FICTITIOUS STORY. I WROTE IT SOME TIME AGO FOR A CHRISTIAN BLOG THAT IS NO LONGER ACTIVE. THE MOTIVATION CAME FROM A REAL WORLD EVENT THAT OCCURRED WHILE I WAS SELLING CEMETERY PROPERTY. A DAD WITH A BROKEN HEART CAME TO HIS TEENAGE SON'S GRAVE EVERYDAY---RAIN OR SHINE. THE SON HAD DIED IN A CAR WRECK MANY YEARS AGO. SOMETIME HE WOULD STAND FOR JUST A FEW MINUTES---SOMETIMES FOR MANY MINUTES.

Every small town has at least one, sometimes two or three town drunks. Your Town had just one---“Willie Boy” Rigby.

“Willie Boy” was hardly your stereotypical town drunk. He never begged; never got belligerent; never passed out in public and only frequented one of Your Town’s three bars.

What then qualified “Willie Boy” as the town drunk?

His journey toward that dubious title started when William Rigby, wife Susan and 19 year old son Carl moved from Cleveland, Ohio to Your Town in 1968.

William was a prominent and very successful investment broker in Cleveland and brought his considerable fortune to Your Town because Susan wanted to be near her father and ailing mother.

Within a year the wheels started to come off William’s life: His mother-in-law dies; Susan rekindles a relationship with her high school sweetheart; and Carl is drafted into the Army.

The next year was even worse. Susan divorced him and Carl was killed in the Tet Offensive in Viet Nam.

William became very depressed and took early retirement. He sold their big, new home on the east side of Your Town and moved into an apartment downtown. His drinking migrated from the weekends, to three times a week, to every day in just a matter of a few weeks.

He was often seen standing with arms folded and head bowed at Carl’s grave. His clothes soon smelled like he washed them in liquor and he always looked like he needed about seven shaves.

The moniker of “Willie Boy” stuck after some mean-spirited teenage boys saw him walking to the cemetery and yelled from a car, “Hey, Willie you goin’ to see your dead boy?”   In an instant “Willie Boy” was born and soon the entire town called him by that name. He hated it but was powerless to change it.

Years passed and “Willie Boy” continued to drink heavily and make his daily journey to the cemetery.

One rainy morning he was struck by a hit-and-run driver. He lived for two days in ICU and was only able to utter a few intelligible words. He asked that his journal be brought to his bedside.

A policeman and a hospital social worker went to his apartment to retrieve his large, dog-eared, and smelly journal. He died clutching the journal.

At his graveside service the Captain of the Your Town Salvation Army read his obituary and some Bible verses and spoke of his search for peace. The Captain then opened the journal and shocked the small crowd when he read a statement that appeared at the top of each page: “Dear God, please send someone to help me today.”

On the inside of the back cover was penned something of a Will. “Whatever is left, divide equally among the five churches in town. Maybe they will try and help people like me. I miss Carl so much. I am very sad and so lonely---William Rigby.”

                                                                Glenn C. Peck, Pastor

HAPPY THANKSGIVING----2011

MAY ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!


Out on the Prairie,


Glenn <><

Two Old Friends From PCHS Came By To See Me Last Night!

IMPORTANT Addition to my" Water Cooler Bliss" Post

I feel compelled to follow-up on my Water Cooler Bliss Post. 


DISCLAIMER: The real examples were outside the realm of my pastoral duties. No Clergy-Parishioner breaches of Confidentiality have been committed. 


I am not a Poor Man's Dr. Phil, although we both have the same hair style, or a licensed public counselor. My comments are Descriptive not Prescriptive. Local professionals should always be consulted to assist with marital situations.


Finally, while the thrust of my Post dealt with fidelity,it is not a commendation for spouses/children to remain in an abusive/dangerous relationship. Flee to a safe and secure facility!


Immediately seek local, competent, professional assistance!

Water Cooler Bliss

Experts on marriage generally agree that workplace romances are an increasing factor in divorce.

This fact was a topic of discussion I had with a person I have known many years. This Post is a brief summary of that discussion:

Specific cases:

1. A woman, with two teenage sons, had a well known affair with her boss. The affair was terminated when her husband was transferred to another location. She went with him, but a divorce quickly followed.

2. A woman with two teenage sons and a grade school son left her husband to marry a man who worked for her husband. They had many social contacts as a result of the work performed by her husband and her new suiter.

3. A woman with grown children carried on a long affair with a person at work. The affair terminated and the couple was reconciled and today have a strong, healthy marriage.

Please Note: While these examples all represent women, men are equally prone to toss years of marriage away for a new love located at the workplace.

My discussion simply asked the question: "Why do these things happen?"

The person with whom I aked the question had an interesting answer: "Economic independence brings with it the ability for women to make independent decisions in every area of her life---including matters of the heart."

I promptly replied,"If fidelity can be sold for a dollar, it was never worth a dime to start with!"

Upon Further Review (to borrow an NFL replay term) I later looked beyond my knee jerk response and tried to look a bit deeper. What follows is a result of that introspection:

1. An office environment shows people at their best. Clothes, manners, hair styles, and all kinds of attention getting perfumes and body sprays and after shave lotions that are guaranteed to start a sexual feeding frenzy.
Work is like an 8 hour date in your best clothes.

2. For some people getting older is a daily road trip to denial and every effort must be made to display desirability or to even pretend the clock of time can be reversed.

3. There are no children or in-laws to vie for your time and attention. This is a beautifully constructed world of well dressed and good smelling people.

4. Many people are looking for someone to confirm their "victim" status at home. There are lots of listening ears and understanding people at the workplace. "At last, someone will listen and take my side."

5. For others, a workplace romance is much easier than attempting to get counselling and strive for reconciliation. The ME generation is alive and well!

6. And for others, Lust is the same as Love. some will try Lust until Love comes along.

Many people today worry about violence by disgruntled employees. A far greater danger is for marriages to be destroyed by real or imagined affairs of the heart at the workplace.

Oklahoma: Is This A Great State Or What?

Kentucky holds the legal papers of my birth; Indiana holds my early education and coming of age memories; but it is Oklahoma that holds my heart!


In the past couple days we have had several tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, flash flooding, large hail, snow in our Panhandle, and many aftershocks to the record 5.6 magnitude earthquake experienced Saturday night. One student at a local college, he is from Georgia, said of our weather," You have Bi-Polar weather here!"


We had over 50 days of 100 degrees or higher weather this past summer, experienced the worst drought since the "Dust Bowl" days, (many ranchers had to sell their herds), had many wild fires that destroyed thousands of acres and many houses and out buildings, had the largest snowfall ever recorded in the state, and several ice storms that took out lots of power lines and closed many schools. 


With wild bizarre weather like that, why would anyone voluntarily want to live here?


Just a few days in Oklahoma will provide the answer. It's the people! Oklahomans are caring, helping people.  Maybe it's the shared hardships that creates such a strong bond; maybe it's still the Frontier Spirit--we are just over 100 years as a State;  and maybe it's the varied topography and diverse population. Regardless,  people still look you the eyes  and say "Howdy".  (The BBQ and Mexican food ain't bad either.) People will pray for you and with you. Faith, Family and Freedom are still prized. 


I was once asked if I would ever return to Indiana or Kentucky to live? My reply: "Not unless God sends me an autographed message!"


Come experience the best kept secret in America!

ARCHIVE CLEAN UP

To save some space on the Blog, I will periodically remove some older Posts to provide greater ease of navigation and to save some space on the old hard drive. A few have just been removed.

'BLESS THEIR HEARTS' --Oklahoma Secret Revealed

Out here on the Prairie you can say anything you want about someone IF you preface the ugly remark with "Bless their heart....."


Examples: "Bless her heart, she has jealous eyes: One eye keeps watching the other eye!"


"Bless his heart, he married her not for love, but for her money. He sure would love to get her daddy's money!"


"Bless their hearts, those kids are so dumb they think  Men in Black was a documentary!"


You have the general idea. Try it. It works every time!

"Farther Along"---Great Hymn of the Faith

I recently told a close friend that turning 70 was a very revealing time for me. I described the event as like climbing a mountain and stopping to take a glance toward the valley below. My life was pictured in the valley and I was struck by how remarkably short it was. In addition, I saw that I was not nearly as important as I thought I was. (Please Note: All of us are important to other people and God Almighty who thought we were important enough to send His Son Jesus to die for us!) 


While I no longer struggle with Passion, I still struggle with Pride. Turning 70, let a whole lot of hot air out of my Pride ballon! Each of us face innumerable trials and temptations and some day we will know all about it.


The wonderful, always appropriate, gospel hymn by W. B. Stevens says so very well what I am attempting to say:


                            FARTHER ALONG

1. Tempted and tried, we’re oft made to wonder
   Why it should be thus all the day long;
   While there are others living about us,
   Never molested, though in the wrong.
   • Refrain:
     Farther along we’ll know more about it,
     Farther along we’ll understand why;
     Cheer up, my brother, live in the sunshine,
     We’ll understand it all by and by.
2. Sometimes I wonder why I must suffer,
   Go in the rain, the cold, and the snow,
   When there are many living in comfort,
   Giving no heed to all I can do.
3. Tempted and tried, how often we question
   Why we must suffer year after year,
   Being accused by those of our loved ones,
   E’en though we’ve walked in God’s holy fear.
4. Often when death has taken our loved ones,
   Leaving our home so lone and so drear,
   Then do we wonder why others prosper,
   Living so wicked year after year.
5. “Faithful till death,” saith our loving Master;
   Short is our time to labor and wait;
   Then will our toiling seem to be nothing,
   When we shall pass the heavenly gate.
6. Soon we will see our dear, loving Savior,
   Hear the last trumpet sound through the sky;
   Then we will meet those gone on before us,
   Then we shall know and understand why.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU & MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: The Class of 1959

Today, I reached the biblical three score and ten birthday. This Blog and this birthday have created  a greater appreciation for classmates who helped shape and mold my early life


Admittedly, I am an unrepentant sentimentalist. My shortcomings notwithstanding, I have sought to find a single word to describe our class. "Friendly", "Funny", or "Zany", and others, did not make the final cut. The word I selected is RESPECT.   (The late Rodney Dangerfield---a really funny guy---- never got any respect!)


We had respect for each other in spite of differences in income, athletic ability, academic achievement, and many other differences.

Respect is like humility----you don't have to tell people you have it.


Today, gang members kill each other if they even suspect you don't have respect for them. The Class of 1959 had many imperfections but lack of respect was not one of them.

"Teenage Life in the 1950's" *

THIS ARTICLE BY ERIKA COX IS PROVIDED FOR ALL BLOG READERS. IT IS A GOOD SUMMARY STATEMENT
                          

Teenage Life in the 1950’s   

by Erika Cox
The word Teenager was created in the 1950’s due to the tremendous population of those in this age category and because teenagers started gaining more independence and freedoms. Teenagers were able to buy more things like food, clothes and music because of an increase in spending money.

Teenagers were also becoming more independent in the type of music they preferred to listen to, no more listening to what their parents liked, teens flocked to the new music of the decade, which was rock and roll.
Growing up as a teenager prior to World War II, teenagers were expected to take life seriously. Males were expected to join the military or go out and get a job in order to help bring in money for their family or to take care of their future family.

Females were taught how to take care of the household and prepare themselves to be a dutiful wife and take care of children. Marriage and preparing for a family, more than education or a career, was seen as a definite in the lives of teenagers. Also, teens had very little economic freedom, independence, and input into decision making prior to WWII.

However, in the 1950’s, expectations changed for the teenager. The economy started booming and families experienced a great deal of economic power, freedom and independence, including teenagers.

New medians were created like television and AM radio that attracted teenagers. Also they were able to attend high school dances, create clothing trends, dance fads, and hairstyles to name a few.

Things were starting to change. In the 1950’s, teenagers where more inclined and encouraged to attend college, find a skill, and seek a successful career. Their parents had more than likely gone through the depression and a number of wars, and now wanted something more for their children. 
This resulted in teenagers receiving spending money and having more time to socialize with other teenagers. Of course, this newly found independence would often result in conflict between the parents and the child.

The media played on these emotions and often portrayed teenagers as juvenile delinquents. Peers easily influence teenagers, often at that stage in life what peers think and do becomes more important than what parents think and say.

Perhaps, some would say looking at society in general that the first indication or act of teenage rebellion began in the 1950’s.

Before the 1950’s, teenagers listened to the music of their parents, but when rock and roll came on the scene teens swarmed to it. Even though teens were able to purchase rock and roll records because they were receiving extra spending money, their parents were opposed to rock and roll music, they despised it, and thought of it as corrupting their children.

This sometimes caused friction, it seemed as if teenagers were becoming more rebellious, defensive, and at times, disrespectful, and that listening to rock and roll was the root cause of all this rebellion.

However, this belief was often exaggerated because parents didn’t understand the newfound independence and freedom that they never experienced. Yet, rock and roll was something new and parents thought it was shocking and terrible. They felt if their children were listening to this dreadful music that the end must be right around the corner.

Although, this wasn’t the case in every household it was in a large number of them. Because parents had never experienced this they thought their children were doomed never realizing it was just a phase and it would be over with once the teen reached adulthood.

Later on this clash became known as the generation gap. Nevertheless, with the help of adults, radio, rock shows, concerts, and TV shows like American Bandstand opened doors for teens in the 1950’s to experience things teenagers of the past never experienced. Despite all of the uproar, teenagers in the 1950’s played a huge part in the rise of rock and roll music. 

* (From Rewind The Fifties Web Site)

"They Can't Take That Away From Me"

I love Ginger Rogers and Fred Astair movies! Probably have seen all of them. The plots in their movies were predictable--Boy finds girl--Boy loses girl---Boy finds girl. The plots never mattered. It was the singing and dancing that captivates me. What talent. It shall never pass this way again. 


The song referenced in the title of this Post came from one of their many movies. The best and most romantic version, very sensual in the best of tastes, can be found at the following You Tube site. 


                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_OCayMN9JA&feature=related


This, in my view, is one of the great moments in the careers of two gifted and talented performers. I tried to get a grandson to take tap dancing, but he selected football---well, this is Oklahoma.


This song was sung by the aspiring broadway high school girl in the wonderful "Mr. Holland's Opus."  Fred's version is still the best.


I'm a sucker for most musicals. The song writing is unparalleled. Throw in the choreography and you have me hooked. 


Personal confession time: I was so impressed with Meredith Wilson's "Music Man" I saw it two nights in a row in the same  theater  ---with different dates!

Caught In The Middle

During our senior year at an evening school function, a female classmate, who I had the most incredible feelings for, came to me and said an underclassman female, "Wants to be with you!" 


What was I to do? Say "No" and try to express my affection for the messenger or should I go talk to the underclassman who sought my company.   


I was then, and remained convinced now, the messenger was not attempting to derail my feelings for her and send me to an alternate girl. Rather, she was simply conveying a message from a girl who sought a go between.


Sometimes things happen that do not permit a time out to reason out a response. Out of courtesy to the messenger, I went and talked to the underclassman. We had a few dates, even a couple after I went to Purdue, but we decided to go our separate ways.


Some readers of this Post will question the truthfulness of this account. Some will say, "Who cares?" I am within days of my 70th birthday and realize the chilly waters of Jordan are closer now than ever before. As a result, I simply want to give an account of events that remain part of my shrinking data base. I have no ax to grind. Just to report how I remember those wonderful days of passage to adulthood. Readers may question the content, but not my motivation. It is real.