MILEPOSTS OF LIFE----YES, IT IS AMAZINGL

Those readers of this Blog who have driven in Western Canada and/or Alaska are most likely familiar with a publication called the Milepost.

For those who have not yet taken this grand adventure, the Milepost is a detailed, I mean detailed, description of just about everything you will encounter along the road; hence the name.  

All of my immediate family made the long bumpy journey on the ALCAN from Montgomery, AL to Anchorage, AK. On the return trip our daughters elected to fly to our next duty assignment in Ohio.
Our son logged both directions with my wife and I. Yes, we fished a lot and yes, we caught some nice fish. 

On each end of our journey we went through the Milepost to review what we had seen and how we made it through some real nail biting adventures. (Can you say a black bear next to our tent?) 

A couple of lines in that great Gospel hymn of joy and hope---Amazing Grace --- sums up the difficulties we overcome in this life.

     Through many dangers, toils and snares
     We have already come  

{THIS MAY SOUND HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT I SWEAR IT IS TRUE: JUST AS I WAS TYPING THE LYRICS ABOVE, OUR MUSICAL CLOCK STARTED PLAYING AMAZING GRACE. WOW! HOW GREAT IS THAT?}

Glenn <><
Just West of Yesterday

WELCOME NEW BLOG READERS !!!!!!!

THE MINISTER AND THE MODEL---Part 5 (Conclusion)

Please read Parts 1,2,3, and 4 before reading this Post.

Mark was not in his room when Susan called because his afternoon light sandwich did not hold him through the night. He went to the Night Hawk Diner for a midnight snack and missed her call.

The following evening when he returned from the conference he was given a note by the desk clerk.
It read:

        My Dear Mark,

        I called you at midnight last night to
        let you know I returned Charlie's ring
       at dinner. He was more in love with the money 
      a movie star would make and less in love with me.

        Also, the screen test was less than                                                       overwhelming. The double out was
        too much for Charlie---he flew back to
        Chicago alone--- and looking for work.
         
        Hope your speech went well.

        Love always,
        Suzie Mac

        PS: Please call me @ 555-555-5555.
              I would like to come back to LA
              very soon to keep that dinner date
              you invited me to. In addition I
              have some questions about the
              expectations of a minister's wife.

Mark tossed the note into the air and yelled,
 "Praise the Lord!!" and everyone in the lobby
looked at him. Under his breath he prayed,"Thank you Lord for making me afraid of heights!"

The next day he called Susan and urged her to
come the very next weekend. She said, "I'll be
there." 

In addition, he told her he had been asked at the conference by the President of Pacific World Outreach University to prayerfully consider joining his staff as the Director of Church Growth Research and to coach the university baseball team.

                         THE END

THE MINISTER AND THE MODEL Part 4 v2.0

Please read Parts 1,2, and 3 before reading this Post

Only those who believe in the Divine Providence of a thrice Holy God or those who kept the novels of Charles Dickens near their bedside, appreciate the hardly believable events that were about to unfold in the lives of Susan and Mark.

Mark was scheduled to be the featured speaker at the National Church Growth Conference in LA. All of the platform personalities for the conference were staying at the Weston Regency on Wilshire Blvd. The conference paid all of their expenses.

The day before the conference was to begin, Mark had a late afternoon sandwich and took the elevator to the entrance of the upscale shops connected to the hotel. He planned a short walk before reviewing his sermon notes for tomorrow.

Just as he came to the entrance to Saks Fifth Avenue he bumped into a woman wearing sunglasses and she had a Saks shopping bag in each hand. 

Mark apologized for the collision and the woman removed her sunglasses and for a few seconds Mark and Susan stood speechless. What do you say after five years?

Both spoke at once and asked the same question, "What are you doing here?"

"Suzie Mac (Mark's pet name for Susan) you look great! Really great."

"Mark, I'm her in LA for a screen test tomorrow. It could be my ticket to the silver screen. What about you?"

"I am here for the National Church Growth Conference which starts tomorrow in a church near here."

Again each spoke at the same time with the same question? "Are you married?" 

Susan replied, "No."

Mark echoed the negative.

"Say Suzie Mac, how about having dinner with me
 tonight?"

"Mark, I can't. I'm having dinner with my agent to review the schedule for tomorrow. What say you join us at 8pm?"

Mark replied, "Suzie Mac, you have a date. I'll be in the lobby waiting for you."

This chance encounter, if it was chance, had an immediate effect on Mark. He felt ten feet tall and all of the good times with Susan came flooding back.

Mark offered verbal thanks to the Lord as he showered and shaved. All of the insurmountable issues that caused their separation did not seem to matter tonight. He was going to have dinner with the only girl he ever loved. 

At 7:30 pm Mark sank into one of the overstuffed, leather covered easy chairs in the hotel lobby. He tried to look through the current newspapers from LA, San Francisco, and New York. He turned the sheets of newsprint without reading anything but the cut lines below some of the photos. His mind was on Suzie Mac.  

Prompt as always, Susan and her agent came into the lobby exactly at 8 pm. She was wearing the always stylish LBD, with a diamond necklace.

Mark struggled to free himself from the grasp of the large chair and stood with his gaze centered on Susan. (She is as beautiful as I remember her thought Mark)

Susan spoke first, "Mark, this is Charlie Newton my manger and, as of this afternoon, my fiancee. Charlie, this a long time friend, a very good friend,
Mark Robertson

Mark was dumbfounded. He bravely shook Charlie's hand and knew it was useless to speak at that moment. He nodded as Charlie said, "Mark, I am happy to meet you."

Susan turned her ring so Mark could admire it. "While I was shopping in Saks, Charlie was picking out this gorgeous engagement diamond at Tiffany's. I knew Charlie was serious about me, but this ring is unreal. What a surprise?"

The diamond was so big it looked like a joke ring a junior high boy would buy at a novelty store---the ring that shoots a stream of water in an unsuspecting admirer's face . Mark's annual compensation package at his church had just recently been raised to 84k. That mammoth piece of former coal probably cost three or four times that much. Susan and Charlie were definitely in the financial big leagues.

Mark somehow regained some semblance of composure and said, "I hope you both will be happy. I will not be able to dine with you; I have last minute points to incorporate into my sermon."

Mark shook Charlie's hand and gave Susan a politically correct peck on the cheek and headed for the elevator door. (Dear God in Heaven, please do not let me cry or collapse on the floor.) God answered Mark's silent request.   

As Mark prepared to step into the elevator, he turned and saw Susan and Charlie walking out of the front door, holding hands.

It took three attempts for Mark to get the magnetic card strip key to open the door to 1407. He swiftly walked to his bed and fell on his knees, "God, please let me know why I am required to carry this burden of total love for Susan." Now the tears came.

Mark washed his face and dried it. He walked to the sliding windows and opened them and stepped out onto the small wrought iron porch that was attached to each room.

He looked down and saw the continuously busy traffic of honking, sometimes speeding cars. Perhaps all of them were happy. He was very sad.

At 11:45 pm Susan called Mark's phone and there was no answer. Same at 12 am and same at 12:15 am.

Part 5 ----The Conclusion----will be released soon

THE MINISTER AND THE MODEL Part 3 v2.0

PLEASE READ PARTS 1 AND 2 BEFORE READING PART 3

It was only the Grace of God and Time that enabled Mark and Susan to keep pursuing their respective careers in spite of the pain. Mark would often remember the admonition of his college baseball coach, "Gents, sometimes you have to play through pain."

Following graduation from seminary, Mark was called as an associate pastor at a small church in Redlands, CA. When the senior pastor retired, Mark was the unanimous choice to succeed him.

In two years, under Mark's leadership, a new worship center, daycare, gym, and education space was completed and the 200 members soon became 1,500 members.  

A staff of 15 helped Mark and the church to meet the spiritual needs of the local population, minister to the ballooning Hispanic community and to work with the many international students at the nearby Loma Linda University.

The phenomenal growth of the Mountain View Church made Mark a frequent speaker at church growth conferences. A hectic schedule of three preaching services on Sunday Morning, endless staff meetings, weddings, funerals, counseling, and hospital visitation ruined his feeble attempts at staying in shape. He was no longer the fleet footed center fielder that once seemed destined to be in the major leagues. He was paying the price of sacrificial service.

During this entire journey he never stopped missing Susan, but he did occasionally ask God if it was right for him to serve others yet hurt her and him so much.

Alone on his bed at night he often recalled the softness of her skin, her clear and cheery eyes, and the captivating fragrance of her flowing blond hair. He could almost hear her reassuring sweet voice that seemed coated with love and desire. He longed to see her again, smell her again, hear her again, and yes, kiss her and draw her close to him.

Mark was unaware that Susan's modeling career was on the fast track and getting faster. She was featured in the last two Sears summer catalogs, appeared in a ton of fashion shows, traveled to Rome, Paris, and London to judge several design contests, and she appeared in a half dozen info commercials. It was the info commercials that caught the eye of a production company's casting executive who would later invite her and her agent to Hollywood for a screen test.  

Susan worked very hard to win and maintain her ascent to the top. She went through three hard workouts each week; counted calories at each meal; and tried with modest success, to be in bed by 11 pm each night. Her skin remained flawless, even without makeup. Her posture was West Point correct and her eyes had the dual feature of compassion and competition glowing within them. Her toned figure remained a major selling point in the cut throat world of international class modeling.

She could model an evening gown to open a fashion show; change a dozen times; and bring the house down with the latest in the new line of fashionable beach wear. Susan was a genuine, smoke free, drug free, silicon free, head turner, both on the runway and the sidewalk.

After firing her first two agents who each had substance abuse issues, she found a tireless, likable  and reliable agent that located all of the modeling work she could handle. Good help has always been hard to find. 

Like Mark, she often reflected on their storybook romance together. Would she ever see him again?
Wonder if he ever married?

PART FOUR WILL BE RELEASED IN A FEW DAYS.

REVERSE MORTGAGE---The Cold Hard Facts !

Perhaps I was wrong in assuming all of the readers of this Blog were familiar with the term Reverse Mortgage. 

The dog and pony shows on TV about Reverse Mortgages are incorrect by omission. Actor Fred Thompson is the worst at omission. For example, they fail to mention that while the deed does remain in the owners name; so  too do the taxes, insurance, city or county fees and assessments, etc. The payback interest rate makes a pawn shop look legit! 

Here it is in a nutshell---A Reverse Mortgage is nothing more than a Home Equity loan with a much longer repayment time frame.. It is polished to look like something else but at the end of the day it is just a Home Equity loan with an enormous interest rate..

If any of our readers want to challenge that assertion, I'll print their response in full without any editing. 

I have been forced to learn more about this topic than I wanted to. Serving our church families requires many topics be explored. (I do not like what I am discovering on this topic!)

REVERSE MORTGAGE---A True Horror Story

A family in our church recently came to the knowledge their recently deceased father had, against all advice, taken out a Reverse Mortgage prior to his demise. 

Approximately 12K dollars was borrowed. Either through ignorance or intentional design, he paid nothing in the year following the loan. That same 12K has now ballooned to 28K AND the mortgage company is demanding either the 28K or the deed to the property---worth about 100K.


Some of the family members are still reluctant to see where their elderly father ("He was too smart") was scammed by a woman and her two adult daughters. Outside observers can see this clearly.

I am not making any financial advice or estate planning information. What I am stating is a true case where a Reverse Mortgage has created a major burden for a good family. Also, elderly relatives need a trusted family member to handle their financial affairs. 

THE MINISTER AND THE MODEL Part 2

Please read Part 1 and the story will make much more sense.


Susan did not immediately know what to do; but she knew her life long dream, from her first Barbie Doll to her graduation, to become a professional model was totally incompatible with being a pastor's wife.

The next 10 days for both Mark and Susan seemed trance like, neither believed in Zombies, yet they both seem to walk and talk in an numbed state of mind and body. They would briefly see each other when CDs and other items were located that belonged to the other. Both hated these necessary, but awkward, meetings. Neither mentioned the reason for the breakup.

Mark called baseball scouts from the Angels, Cubs, Giants, and Cards and told them of his decision to enter the ministry. Two of the scouts used language he had never heard before and probably never hear again. All expressed major disappointment. Only one wished him well in his career in the ministry. 

Susan had a job offer in Chicago at the Front Cover Modeling Agency even before she graduated. A phone call and a couple of emails later and the position was officially hers. 


Mark, on the other hand, was starting from scratch. His pastor in his hometown church made a couple of calls on his behalf. The necessary seminary paperwork arrived in an Overnight Delivery the next day.  It was completed that night and faxed back to the Gateway Seminary in San Francisco the next day.

In spite of the mental hygiene that comes with positive work, both had a dull pain that felt like a headache that would not go away: Perhaps it never would.

Susan and and Mark had a finally meeting in their favorite sit down sandwich place. Each ordered only a Coke. Neither said much. Their tearful eyes said everything for them. Outside, a third grade kiss on the lips and an embrace that seemed like minutes served as the official and  final good-bye. Driving was very difficult for both.

Someone has wisely observed that about 10 percent of our lives is what actually happens to us. The remaining 90 percent is how we react to the 10 percent. Would the hurt ever subside for both Mark and Susan?

PART THREE WILL BE RELEASED IN A FEW DAYS.  KEEP CHECKING BACK !

YA GOTTA SEE THIS !!!!

You will not believe these young dancers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCvYLQb-NDw 

I can watch this for a long, long time !


Glenn <><
Just West of Yesterday

THE MINISTER AND THE MODEL--- Part 1 v3.0

THIS POST IS FICTION. ANY RESEMBLANCE TO PERSONS LIVING OR DEAD IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL.

                     THE MINISTER AND THE MODEL

                                       

It took Mark Robertson two weeks to pray up enough courage to tell her.

It took Susan McElroy two weeks to stop crying after he told her.

In less than 60 seconds, Mark brought a four-year, white-hot relationship with Susan to a complete halt. Friends and family were equally stunned by the out-of-the-blue announcement by Mark. How could he do that?

Both had just graduated from State College, with highest honors. Mark was Mister Everything in baseball. He batted .407 for four years, led his conference three years in RBIs, Slugging Percentage, and Stolen Bases. He covered center field with gliding ease and had a powerful laser like arm. He led the nation for two straight, years in Put Out Assists from the outfield. 

He was a handsome specimen of very high intelligence and sound body, articulate, and steady boyfriend of the most beautiful girl on campus---Susan McElroy

Susan won so many beauty contests her father had to build a larger glass door cabinet to hold them all. In college she was elected Homecoming Queen, the

 Sweetheart of Sigma Chi, and a sure fire bet to win the State Miss America contest---the death of both grandparents on her mother’s side in a three car accident took her out of competition. She was a talented singer, tap dancer, and the top student in her professional modeling and fashion design class. She and Mark had it all figured out: His almost certain baseball career and her frequent out of town modeling appearances would fit together nearly perfectly. 

However, all of those plans evaporated when Mark announced he no longer could deny nor ignore the unmistakable Call from Almighty God to be a minister.

After all he was a frequent speaker for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes,  assistant Youth Director in both his local church and campus church, and a much sought after speaker at high schools throughout the state. His affirmative answer  to the Call of God meant his T-Ball through college dreams  to play in the major leagues was now a thing of the past.

Dreams can die in an instant but memories never do.

Susan now had a very difficult decision to make concerning her plans to be a professional model or forget about her altar-bound relationship with Mark. Mark was unmovable about his decision to enter seminary as soon as possible. He and Susan seemed destined to spend their lives together---what was she now to do ?  

Glenn  <>< 
Just West of Yesterday

Part 2 Will Appear Next Week 

  

GET THE PAIN KILLERS OUT !!!! Boogie Woogie Championship

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nvhL2sbZlM



WOW! What creative energy these young folks have.


Interestingly, no USA dancers in the finals. Lots of music from the good old US of A.


Many, many more dancers on You Tube. Check out Fred and Ginger.

++++++++++COMING SOON ++++++++THE MINISTER & THE MODEL ++++++++++++COMING SOON +++++++++++

A New Short Story Will  Be Posted Soon !!!!!!!!!!!

Successful careers cannot quench the desire of the heart for real love. A minister realizes the call of God on his life can result in sacrifice of his own happiness. A model who has stars in her eyes must choose between her career and her heart. Her decision will impact several lives and so will the minister.

Help spread the word that the Blog is back on the air and the future looks very, very bright !!!!!!!!! 

NEW SHORT STORY COMING !!! Minister & The Model

Preview--!

lovrl

Hard Luck Charlie

Some Have All The Luck---Hard Luck Chark

I THINK THIS WAS A COMPLIMENT. DO YOU?

I recently conducted a funeral of  a 
wealthy rancher in our community. The man had many friends from near and far.

Following the service, a lady visitor said to me,  "Your sermon was so earthy."

I think this was a compliment. Do you?

THE REAL COWBOY (Hint---Willie Nelson was wrong)

I recently met three generations of real cowboys. They reaffirmed my growing respect and admiration for the real cowboys in Oklahoma. In all fairness to Willie --there are probably a few cowboys he warned Mamas about.

The real cowboys I know:

• Wear ball caps when working. Stetsons for dress up.  
• Ride horses AND four 4-wheelers 
• Are soft spoken---lot like Gary Cooper
• Seldom smoke---some dip
• Are family oriented, many are church goers
• Few drink 
• Treat their employees as family
• Are politically conservative, but open minded
• Are not afraid of technology 
• Are happy and doing what they always wanted
• Work unbelievable long hours
• Keep cattle well fed regardless of the weather
• Treat their horses as best friends
• Are Very, Very Patriotic

Yes, these are the cowboys I know. Wish all of the readers of this Post could know them too.

"The Wild Side of Life" and "It Wasn't God Who made Honky Tonk Angels"

Back in the 50's there was a trend in Country Music to record a song and if was a big hit, another artist would record what was called in the trade as an "Answer Song"

Here is the best example I know of

Hank Thompson "The Wild Side of Life"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5y5jWv2xQw&list=RD6l7rLA9Jm1I


Later, Kitty Wells recorded the answer song ---It wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYij4OpOY6E

By the way, Hank Thompson was an Oklahoman!

IS THIS TRUE ABOUT YOU ????? V. 2

Added: I had hoped the word "minister" would imply the discussion of spiritual issues. For the record: Spiritual concerns are at the heart of what I am most often asked about and what I ask about. ETERNITY IS FOREVER !!!! 


The distinguished professor of history at Norte Dame, Thomas F. X. Noble, says that all of recorded history seeks to answer two questions:

• WHAT HAPPENED ?
•  WHAT WILL FUTURE GENERATIONS THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED? 

Now let's look at the question raised in the title of this Post?

Being doubly blessed to have a father alive as he nears 99 years of age, and to be in a capacity to be involved with many senior adults as they come face to face with their own mortality has given me a special opportunity to know and understand the personal histories of many, many people.

1. ORAL HISTORIES (What Happened)---All of us have an oral history. Most do not have a written history of our lives. Consequently, as people age they want  to be remembered.  Their "Story" is oft repeated to family, friends, and as Forrest Gump taught us, even to total strangers. 

An oral history is usually meant, without this being verbalized, to be transmitted to and through many generations. Most people want to try and connect the dots from their earliest memories to the present and beyond. Subjects covered include significant people who were involved in our lives, love and  marriages,jobs, places lived, education, hobbies, vacations, and the complete script of life itself.

As people age, long term memory outpaces short term memory and old stories are retold and new facts and events never revealed before, come to the forefront. 

2. CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT TOMORROW (What Will They Think)

Whether we like to admit it or not, all of us, from a very early age, are "Spin Doctors." That is, we try to influence how our listeners will respond to our "Story" Most of the time we seek to present our history in a positive light. 

Sometimes humor and the "Poor Boy" approach is employed. "When I was your age I had to walk ten miles, barefoot, to school!" No one believes that;but it says, "I had it rougher than you."

We tell of our mistakes in an effort to influence our listeners not to repeat them. 

Here's something I find most interesting: Oral histories of the elderly are often told in a Tell All fashion. Maybe this is confession that is long overdue or it is to set the record straight on what others may have told the listener. They reveal things in confidence.

Over the years I have heard many, many accounts of youthful indiscretions--- including minor crimes, drinking, detailed romantic encounters, lies, both big and small, anger, fights, and assorted other teen and young adult adventures.

Often, stories of affairs, serious addiction,  stealing, and a host of major wrongs come forth from the period of their early twenties to the present so as to clear a troubled conscience. 

It has been said that when a minister dies a thousand secrets go to the grave with him. I wonder if a thousand is a large enough number.

I would be remiss if I did not tell of a woman I once knew who had written multiple volumes of her family's lives. Truly, this is the exception rather than the norm. 

BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN AT A DOCTOR'S OFFICE

THE PERSON WHO TOLD THIS STORY MAY WATCH TOO MUCH TELEVISION!

• Sometimes people are afraid to see a doctor because they fear bad news.
• Others are afraid because the doctor might make their pain worse during the exam.
• Many are afraid to see a doctor because of a possible big bill.

What follows has just about made me afraid to see a doctor. Here's why:

This particular doctor had a number of exam rooms that were all in a row and separated only by a thin layer of sheet rock.

While awaiting the doctor to come in, all of a sudden a sledge hammer comes through the left wall and a person sticks his head through the hole and shouts, " !Viva de Mexico"

His heart nearly stops when another sledge hammer comes through the right wall and a person pokes his head through and yells, "Brazil!"

The nurse comes in and tells the patient that because of the chaotic disturbance there will be no bill.

The patient is somewhat relieved and replies, "That's generous." 

The elderly nurse says in her loudest outdoor voice, Crazy Generous!

I 'LL NOT BE GOING TO SEE THAT DOCTOR!