Proud papa observations #1

Yes, I'll be getting back to gospel music topics at this little corner of the web soon...but if you'll pardon the indulgences of a proud new father, I'd like to share something very cute my new youngest daughter, six year old Jessica said yesterday when asked what first grade felt like after a year of half school days in kindergarten.

"It's all right, but sometimes it feels like two whole days of kindergarten with no night in between."

Old Art Linkletter was right, wasn't he, when he said, "Kids say the darndest things."?

The joy of knowing the Couriers

With apologies to original Courier Neil Enloe, who's song "The Joy Of Knowing Jesus" was among the most beloved of all Couriers' songs, I wanted to share a recent anecdote involving that group and my new older daughter Amanda, who no doubt is now a lifelong Couriers fan.

It happened this past November 7th, when my wife and I went to see the original Couriers(Dave, Duane, and Neil)in Puyallup, WA. Since the following day marked Amanda's eighth birthday, we chose to take her there for her birthday present. As I noted in my last entry here, Amanda is a budding musician, learning the piano and the violin, and already has written four songs of her own...so I felt she would love to meet some of the best Christian men and musicians around.

When we entered the church and told Dave Kyllonen it would be Amanda's eighth birthday, Dave pulled out a $20 bill and gave it to Amanda as a birthday present. Amanda has never had a $20 bill before, and certainly not an American $20...to say she was thrilled would be an understatement. She was glued to Dave the rest of the evening, and was excited to learn of the special CD offer the group had that night...their two latest CDs [;us their Christmas CD(a 2-album set)for $20.

Amanda was determined to spend her birthday $20 on the package. I tried to convince her she didn't need to buy them, but her heart was set. So when Amanda made it up to the front of the line to see Dave, she told him her intentions. Dave just told her, "You can't do that", when Amanda offered her $20 to buy the CDs. Dave just gave them to her, reminding her that the $20 was her birthday present, and could not be spent that night. I put the bill in my pocket for safekeeping as a delighted Amanda clutched her CDs from her new favorite group.

And Amanda has played them ever since, her favorites being Neil Enloe's "Euroclydon" and "The Next Time I Get Married" from their latest CD.

Just another story of how the original Couriers minister to all lives, young and old.

The $20? It's still in that same pocket of mine, waiting for Amanda's instruction on how I'm to distribute it.

History repeating itself?

One of the many books I read early on in my life was a classic historical piece by a man named Edward Gibbon called "The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire"

Gibbon studied that great civilization for somw 20 years in hopes of determining how such a powerful and influential civilization could fall apart from within and collapse in such a relatively short time.

I was always a history buff, and I read books of that nature rather than things like fiction, which was more popular with many of my friends.

In any case, eventually Gibbon in his book isolated five main reasons for that famous culture to have disappeared.

I'll list them below...as you read them, check to see if any of these look or sound familiar to you.

Five reasons for the fall of the great dynasty.

* First: Rapid increase of divorce, with the undermining of the sanctity of the home, which is the basis of society.
* Second: Higher and higher taxes; the spending of money for bread and celebrations.
* Third: The mad craze for pleasure, sports becoming every year more exciting and more brutal.
* Fourth: The building of gigantic armaments, when the real enemy was within; the decadence of the people.
* Fifth: The decay of religion; faith fading into mere form, losing touch with life, and becoming impotent to guide it.

Look familiar?

It is said that those who don't learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat them...are we so doomed?

I pray not.

Just pondering

Every once in a while I just ask myself questions, and ponder over the answers to them...I imagine most of you do exactly the same thing.

Without going into all the reasons I bring this up, I'll simply share this one question with all of you, and not elaborate to much on it for now(although I could).

Is anyone else besides me old enough to remember when the adherents to Islam were called Moslems, and not "Muslims", a corruption of the name Moslems popularized by a Islamic cult which developed in the first half of the 20th Century here in the United States?

Islam is not understood well in this part of the world, not even by many of those who follow it here.

I'm just askin'.

Challenging days…

For the better part of my life, regardless of whatever has happened there, the presence of gospel music has always been a balm and a comfort...a soothing ocean of stability, direction, and inspiration in an otherwise stormy sea of life(boy, I sound like a gospel song, don't I?).

It got me through my college years, and those rough first post college years, when I actually had to start supporting myself financially.

And it got me through my first years in my chosen career field, even played a big role in that!

And it got me through the tense times around September 11, 2001, when no doubt all of us had a LITTLE uncertainty about our futures.

Now, though, the challenges are greater than ever.

The current economy is depressing, people are angry and contentious, the future seems so uncertain, and I am now entering the most topsy turvy, challenging, and potentially the most thrilling, exciting, and rewarding time of my life.

And, as always(because if it ain't broke, why try and fix it?), I'll have the sounds of gospel music as my life soundtrack as I enter this most exciting and challenging part of my life.

Some of my best friends are really concerned about how I'll manage all this...but, as has always been the case, I think I'll be just fine.

Keep those posts, comments, and most of all prayers, coming!

I'll be just fine!

Getting out my crystal ball

I don't normally make sports predictions(it's like life itself...who knows WHAT'S going to happen?), but as of this moment...2:32P(PST), Tuesday, July 6, 2010...I can guarantee one "for sure", not gonna fail prediction regarding the current World Cup soccer championship.

The tournament winner will be from Europe! Carve it in stone!

We’re ALL Americans!

I suppose you could consider this post one of my "get it out of your system" posts.

This time of year, however, really brings this subject to the forefront of my consciousness.

Some of you may know by now that the object of my earthly affections is Canadian. That being the case, you can imagine all the references to Canadians as opposed to "Americans" in our conversations.

Now a lot of you also know that I try to be as precise as possible in my use of language. At some point, I'll post further as to why I feel precision is necessary in our communication...because that's a key element in my personal life philosophy. For now, though, just know I tend to be on the "picky" side when it comes to words...and the uses of them.

Anyway, it occurs to me that our Canadian brethren are getting a raw deal in this whole use of the term "Americans".

For the continent that both of our great nations share is called "North America"...and there are TWO continents called "America"...one North, and one South. And Canada and the United States take up most of what is called North America.

Now I know that the official name of my country is the United States of America. But does that give us ownership rights to the entire continent, simply because we are the wealthiest and most prosperous nation on this continent? I don't think so.

After all, on the basis of our common origins and geography, the people of Canada have as much right to refer to themselves as "Americans" as people in the United States do...so why the distinction?

I know that the people of Canada are proud of their homeland and heritage, and don't mind at all being referrred to as "Canadians". And since the designations have existed for so long, it's not likely that people will wise up and stop referring to residents of the United States as simply "Americans", as if Canadians and Mexicans(not to mention Brazilians and Argentinians, among other residents of South AMERICA)are not entitled to such recognition.

Am I serious about this? Well, to a degree...if only because there isn't much difference between Canada and the United States if one looks at the lifestyles each country lives closely. Yes, there ARE cultural differences, but heck, that's all we hear about anymore within the United States, it seems!

My sweetheart and I have our own terminology to be more precise...residents of Canada are Canadians, and residents of the U.S. are "United Statesians".

I don't expect our terminology to catch on, but at least we're trying to be fair...and accurate!

After all, both Canada AND the United States are great nations, and they should be recognized for both their individuality and collective heritage! After all, they have shared the world's longest common border for almost 150 years, and(for the most part)been at peace for that entire time...no mean feat in this violent, sinful world!

Here's to Canada...AND the United States...of America!!

Can weekends be overrated?

One of my very dearest friends in this world has declared that weekends "...can never be overrated!"

As wonderful a person as this friend is, and for as much as she can teach me about enjoying life properly(and still does daily), I thought I'd turn her declaration into a question and examine it a little closer.

You see, there has become a whole subculture in our society that tends to view the weekend as an inherent refuge from the drudgery of a 9-to-5 world, and the workweek as an all-too-necessary drain upon a life we would otherwise be enjoying to the fullest!

If you think that is a bit of a stretch, perhaps it is....slightly. But how often do we meet people on a Monday, ask how they are, and get an answer like, "Well, what can I say, it's Monday!"...as if the first day of the workweek is inherently a drag, and not to be thankful for or appreciated?

Feel free to correct me if I'm mistaken, but where is it written...or evident in the day itself...which statistically is just as likely to be as sunny and nice as any other day of the week...that Mondays by virtue of their position on our calendars are inherently cursed?

The answer is...of course Monday can be as nice as any other day of the week if we allow it to be...after all, the people we work with and our job are the same as they are the rest of the week...and the weather can be just as nice...I know of no "Monday weather disasters" that have affected the earth to date. In short, there is no significant difference between Monday and any other day on our calendar in reality! It's in our minds...and we people who put our trust in the Creator of this Monday-filled world know that our Mondays can be as great as the rest of our days if we allow Him to be Lord over them.

And what's with the saying "T.G.I.F."? Are we saying that simply because Fridays are the end of our workweeks that somehow they are inherently "better" than the rest of our hopelessly drab workweeks? (For those that say "yes" to that, explain what the big deal is about Friday the 13th then...go ahead, I'll wait.)

After all, it's still the same job with the same tasks that we do all week...and we have to come BACK to it in two more days...how then is Friday that much of a liberating factor? And what entitles us to automatically feel better because of what it says on the calendar about today? Statistically, calamities are just as likely to occur on Friday as they are on any other day of the week.

Of course, the answer is obvious. Fridays are no better or worse than Mondays in God's domain.

Which leads us to the weekends. Now most of the world does most of its' work on the Monday-Friday cycle, using Saturdays and Sundays to rest, relax, worship, or otherwise "take a break" from work for a couple of days. And doctors agree that such rest is essential for a healthy lifestyle. I don't have a problem with any of that in any way.

But we all are still alive and functioning all seven days of a week. And there are many who need to be working on the weekends so that our world can function as it is intended to. People like...oh, doctors, nurses, law enforcement officials, truck drivers, recreational workers, media people(well, I can't leave myself out of this completely, can I?:-)...and most of all, parents(ESPECIALLY mothers!)...parents NEVER get time off, formal lunch breaks, vacations, or anything!

But the people who do get a break from work on the weekends like to use the extra time to take in some of the wonderful sights of this world, and the many beautiful things in it...and I salute them for doing so. I'd do it more myself if I could(yes, and I know it's a choice I make to have a job in which I work on the weekends!)!

But let me ask, is Yosemite or Yellowstone or Mt. Rainier or any other natural wonder more attractive on Saturday and Sunday than it is, say, Monday or Tuesday? Is there less litter or noise or air pollution on the weekends than during the work week? Did God create those days to be superior to the others, or have we made them what they are to us by the choices WE make as a society to elevate "the weekend" into a special societal status? I think you can already answer this question without me having to do it for you.

One final example...I had the time of my life on June 18th, a Friday, when I watched my friends Dave, Duane, and Neil sing here in Fresno. I even had quality fellowship time with these three men, my friends. To me, there is NOTHING that can be enjoyed more than fellowship with brothers in Christ whom I admire greatly. Now others might enjoy seeing a beautiful coastline more, or a field in bloom...nothing wrong with that. But can a better time than I had be had? No!

I was doing what I enjoy more than anything in the world. Now, it was on a Friday...some might say because it was the evening, it was already part of the weekend. But that didn't matter one bit to me...I would have enjoyed that time as much if it had been on a Tuesday or a Wednesday as I did on that Friday.

Conclusion: We get out of life what we put into it...when we put it in...whether it's on a Monday, a Friday, a Saturday, or a Sunday.

The weekend has no binding authority on our joy or happiness...it is our relationship to God, and how we allow Him to be Lord of our lives, that matters most.

I love Him, and I love my friends...I'm a happy man...more to the point, I am content. I am no martyr with a chip on my shoulder because I don't get to do what other people do on Saturdays or Sundays.

I am His...and He is mine. Amen.

Psalm 23:1

A solution to a potential international crisis(tongue in cheek)

The disclaimer in the title is for any humor-challenged readers who may think the following post is serious, or that I really believe it should be implemented. Try to go along with me here, folks.

If any of you have been following the World Cup soccer tournament down in South Africa and the plight of the U.S. team, you're aware that possibly one goal they scored early in the tournament was taken away from them due to an incredibly bad call from an official. Today, at the 19:00 mark of the first half of their game with Algeria, another goal was taken away from the U.S., the reason for it in this case being that in the opinion of yet another official from Belgium, the U.S. was offside when the goal was scored.

Now I didn't see the play, but those who were watching the game on television were virtually certain that the U.S. was NOT offside, and that out soccer warriors were "ripped off" again.

So, is there some sort of conspiracy working against the U.S. in this tournament?

I don't tend to believe in conspiracy theories...it's easier for me to accept the idea that an official simply made a mistake than it is to imagine some deep, dark plot to keep a spirited U.S. soccer team from continuing on in what is arguably the most watched sporting event in the world.

But if there IS some resentment against the United States, perhaps the U.S. can circumvent any further officiating controversies by simply giving the sport IT created and loves so much a new name. After all, the non-North American world calls the sport being played in the World Cup "football", and the U.S. game of that name hardly resembles soccer.

Maybe world "football" fans just want the U.S. to "get with the program", and stop calling their game "football", when the rest of the world knows what real football is, and the U.S. game ain't it.

Or, on the other hand, it could just be that European officiating could be the worst in the world...what say you?

Again, just kidding, folks...

G-o-o-d v-i-e-w-i-n-g t-h-i-s w-e-e-k-e-n-d

Anyone who has ever read this little corner of the web for any significant amount of time since I launched it just over four years ago MUST be aware that I like to use this space to occasionally toot the horns of some of my friends for doing what they do to make this world a special place.

And I'm going to do it again here...now, this tribute is long overdue...I meant to write it some time back. But hey, better late than never, right?

I don't know how many of you watch ESPN...but for the past half dozen years or so, they and their parent network, ABC, have treated national audiences to one of the most encouraging and quietly entertaining annual events in the land.

And starting tomorrow morning about 7ish, the annual Scripps-Howard Spelling Bee will once again commence.

And for the sixth year, one of my very best friends and colleagues, Paul Loeffler, will provide "expert" analysis for it.

How does one become an "expert" in the art of the spelling bee, you ask?

In Paul's case, in 1990, as a student in school in his native Los Banos, he managed to make the national finals in the event. He finished 13th overall, and years later, when the event was picked up for telecast by ESPN/ABC, they needed a former participant who happened to also be able to do TV work, and since Paul by then had become a sports anchor for the Fresno CBS affilliate, he more than qualified for the task.

Since then, Paul has gone on to be the primary voice for Fresno State sports events for my station, KMJ...the radio home in this area of the Bulldogs since 1969.

Paul was the man behind the mic when the 2008 Fresno State baseball team won the College World Series, and his book about the event, "From Underdogs to Wonderdogs" is the definitive account of that team's marvelous story. Like me, Paul enjoys telling the stories of people who achieve notable tasks...and his story virtually puts you in the Bulldogs' dugout all season long, as that team rose from mediocrity during that season all the way to the very top of the heap.

Paul also has produced a TV and radio series honoring the heroes of wars gone by...and telling more stories of more people that have sacrificed their lives to make our lives better.

Entitled "Hometown Heroes(because it primarily focuses on local such folk)", the series is Paul's labor of love. It is his way of taking a divine calling(yes, Paul is a Christian, and a very devoted one), and putting the results out there, for all to see and hear.

Paul keeps getting invited back to do the Spelling Bee every year with such ESPN stalwarts as Robin Roberts and Erin Andrews, because he understands how important it is to be able to use and communicate our language effectively, and he can also put his past achievements in that vein out there for all to see and hear, in hopes that it may entertain and inspire others to do likewise.

And after all, isn't that kind fo thing what we're ALL supposed to do with our talents?

So if you're tired of watching the tales of people like the Kardashians, and tired of watching the constant knockdown drag-out political fighting on TV, and you're tired of seeing how bad our economy has become, watch this weekend's Spelling Bee on ESPN/ABC. You'll watch the youth of America and the world show some REAL skill and achievement, and you'll hear a good friend of mine and brother in Christ who knows how to tell a good story do just that, and maybe you can learn how to spell words better yourself!

Hey, it can't hurt! But Paul will be doing God's work on a national stage, and he deserves your time and attention. Check him out.

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