Self Defense, Stand your ground and Progressive agenda!!!!

Black, White, Asian, Hispanic! it does not matter.  The Death of Trayvon Martin is sad but not rasist!  I am tired of the idea that the government and press can manipulate a situation and create a charge when no evidence is there to support it.  As an American It feels as though my rights are being inched away little by little.

It seems all of this was done to promote an agenda of the progressive movement in our country.  The measured, deliberate and quite frankly scary current political culture will go to any means to infringe on my rights as a citizen of the USA.  Our government setting out through the prosecutors office to promote a LIE!  Thank God the jury system worked because jurors could only decide based on facts not the fiction of coulda, wooda, shoulda that the media and prosecutors office tried to present to them.

They say you have a right to defend yourself but if you do we will prosecute you and make your life even more miserable than it already is from taking a life.  I will continue to defend myself from all situations that threaten my life or my families.

By the way, for me if I can walk or run away from conforntation I will but quite frankly if my back is against the pavement and a person is stradled over me attacking, I will use whatever means available to protect myself.  Stand your ground sounds stupid for sure.  I will only stand there when I have no place else to go.  Im not a coward (I do not think) but I'm never looking for a fight so.....walking away sounds prudent to me.

It is clear that there is no crime in following someone because they look suspisious (stupid maybe but no crime).  I would not do it, .....some might *I shrug here*.  So be it!!

So in finality I say... don't trust the press, government or anyone who says you do not have right's.  It is healthy to question another's motive for doing what they do or say. Know your own limitations,  walk away when you can and do not let someone else think for you.

RAIN!!!!

As I sit here in my 5th Wheel listening to the rain fall I can't help but feel relaxed, the thumping of the rain as it hits the roof seems to mellow me out.  I'm sitting here drinking my coffee contemplating my navel....;o).

The only sad part of this day for me is that I will be back at the old grind again on Monday.  Retirement is looking better every day.  My cousin told me a few years back that I would know when I was ready to retire, it would just seem right.  Well I think I am nearing that apex.

Here is a question, why is it that 2 holes on the golf course can tilt your whole game?  I went from the low 40's to 50 , boom just like that :o( .  Oh well something to work on, I will see if I can perfect this before retirement.

The rain also makes me think of the days in my youth when we would set on the front porch of our home in Keego Harbor, Michigan and my mom would prattle on about her childhood days back in Southern Illinois.  I loved it!  I would also sit there and read a Hardy Boy book and let it transport me to places like Alaska, the Amazon, desert southwest.  Adventure after adventure whisked away by fantasy and the hope of the future.  The joy of reading!!!!  I still read and enjoy the adventure as it maps its way through my thoughts.  Building pictures of the impossible made possible by the landscape of your imagination.

I like the rain!!

Campground July 4th!!

Well I just got up to the Campground.  It will be an interesting 4 days of golf, campfires and of course, TRX and Kettelbell workouts ( promised myself and Marcin I would not take those days off). So you know we do not rough it ;O).... our fifth wheel has full hook-up, AC, surround sound, TV/w cable and two extended rooms with a full bath and queen size bed.  Oh, it is surrounded by a pretty nice golf course and were on a small lake.  We lease the site year round.

When I got here I noticed that the neighbor across the street burned there trailer to the ground.  The story is that they left candles burning while they went to take trash to the dumpster.  I can only say one thing......REALLY!!! Now that is pretty carless (note to self... don't do that!).

None of the Kids are coming up for the 4th so it is just Connie and me.  The kids and grandkids are staying home and doing their own thing for the 4th.  Four days without the kids.  The question is will Connie be able to tolerate me for four days without the kids distracting her? *humm*.

I hope you all have a great 4th of July!  God Bless America!!!!!  Remember the sacrificed our for fathers and military men have made to give us the freedoms that the socialist/progressives/liberals keep trying to take away from us.  Stand Strong!!!!

Workout!!!!!

I am getting ready to go workout with my trainer.  I've not been very dedicated in the last several months.  So today its time to starting a new push....back to 6 day workout routine and healthy eating.  Not sure why I lost my drive over the last several months but....,.  Several friends inspire me in different ways Kyle, Anthony and of course my good friend and trainer Marcin (the best trainer ever).  They never quit!!  I need to start pushing myself to succeed.  So no more moving backwards while heading toward retirement.  Push for the prize of fitness and health.

I hope that my efforts will inspire someone else who reads this post.  get to it.  Start today, start small but start!!!!!  Oh make sure you see a doctor first.  You don't want to start something if your health is on the edge.  Play safe ;o)....

What is Happening to America

What is happening?  Let me see.  The government is encroaching on our privacy.  It wants to disarm the citizens and take away our 2nd amendment rights.  They are attacking the press that oppose the way the government is acting.  They are taxing us out of existence (obamacare).  It is ok to be anything but a Christian.  The military is being systematically dismantled. We are a nation of aliens and we need to honor that melting pot ideal but we also need to protect our borders from those who would come in illegally while honoring those who do.  I have never felt so vulnerable in my 60 years of life (at least those years that I can remember of the 60).

I read an article recently that said a democracy cannot sustain itself forever because when a democracy finds out it can vote itself free items it will vote itself out of existence.  Tax itself to death as it is.  It went something like this: Oppression-fight for freedom-democracy (freedom)-dependency (voting to give yourself free stuff)-fall of democracy (taxed out of existence)-Oppression.....etc.  It happened to every great democracy in history.  Are we next?  I hope not!!

Maybe we truly are approaching the last days, the end of times, the second coming.  I hope so because the future is looking very bleak and going to heaven is a better alternative.  If it is not the end of days then I pray that the citizens of the United States of America will stand together to preserve our great country.  Vote out the politicians that want to promote a socialist republic.  Stand up for what is right.  Help the children, widows, sick and infirm of course but make those who can work, work.  

God Bless America!!!!!!!!!

Retirement closing in!

As I move closer to my scheduled date of retirement (less than 2 years), Im finding myself wondering what I will do with my time.  I will play golf (lord knows I need the practice) read and travel with my wife in my fifth wheel but we cannot do this 24/7.  There is a guitar sitting in the corner.  I'll try my hand at writing a novel (ha, ha).  Of course there is all the work that needs to be done around the house (hate it).  Of course it is important to continue my workouts and healthy life style (not always as healthy as it should be).  

Spend time doing some socially positive Godly work like helping people who need a hand (like my friend Mitch, who I am very proud of).  

So there is plenty to do!!  

Glen, if you read this thanks for shaking the tree!!

Humm..........

I wanted to write something today but to be honest, everything I thought of is so negative that when I put it on paper it seemed ......sort of pathetic.

A jumble of emotion!  My family, friends, associates all on my mind!   I feel that a change is coming.    What that will be I do not know.

So blah,blah, blah yada, yada, yada....

If this sounds unintelligent, it is only because it is!!!

Ill try to write something later when my thoughts clear up.

An Article I wrote for School Planning & Management Magazine

Below you will find a link to an article I wrote for School Planning and 
Management Magazine.  Read it and let me know what you think.
I think it is a pretty good templete for schools to follow these 
days!


http://www.peterli.com/spm/resources/articles/archive.php?article_id=2793  

The Cycle of Organization-Republican's now

I once listened to an old time preacher named B. R. Lakin who told a story about the cycle of Churches.  His statement rang true just by my own observations .  His statement was "Churches tend to start out as conservative in their mission and over time evolve to liberalism due to human nature".  He then pointed to several church organizations to prove his point.  I will not mention those organizations because I am sure they do not think they have changed their mission at all and perhaps they did not, really it is not for me to judge.

I brought this statement up to really challenge The Republican establishment over where they were and where they are today.   I am by no means an expert on Republicans.  I can only speak to what I see.  It seems to me that we have moved the ball in the political game.  We are no longer the party of Lincoln, Reagan or for that matter Eisenhower.  Some would consider this a good thing and if they do, so be it.  It seems to me people, in general, are moving to a more Liberal mind set.  From homosexuality is wrong to well it is OK.  Do not raise my taxes to don't touch my entitlements.  We seem to evolve to what we want rather than what  is good for everyone.

I am not saying at this time I know were it will end.  I am saying that people are evolving.  I am convinced it is a runaway train.  The end will probably be the destruction of the  Republican party as it stands.  This will lead to a vacuum or void that will need to be filled for conservative americans.

What will fill the void?  Libertarians?  The Conservative Party?  Who knows?  At first blush it would seem that whatever arises out of the ashes will be different perhaps "The New Republican Party".

The big question will be, can it stop a hedonistic society bent on Socialism?  I am not sure anymore.  Perhaps this is the beginning of the end.  The second coming of Christ or the fall of America like the fall of the Roman Empire.

Well those are my thoughts for today.  In a nut shell change is coming.  I WANT CHANGE, not for me though just for you.......;o)
 

Time passes by and waits for no one

I am sitting here wondering about the future.  I am nearing my retirement years.  I am healthy (so far), workout 5-6 times a week.  Lost 130 pounds.  Blood pressure, cholesterol, blood work is all good.  I do have a little arthritis in my hands but it is manageable.   For 60 years of age I am doing good.

I think back to friends I have worked with over the years who died before they were able to draw their first pension checks.  So sad that they did not get to enjoy there retirement years with family and friends.

God willing and the creek don't rise, I will start my retirement in December 2014.  Hope to see you all there!

Back at it!

I am going to update this more often just for the fun of it!!! See you all often!!

New Year Twenty-Ten

I thought I should at least do a post for the New Year so here we go! I am excited about the prospect of the new year. In the last year I have made several changes in my life that will impact my future. This was in no small part due to the help, encouragement and dedication of my friend and trainer Marcin. Now I know I did the work and that is true. The truth is it is not easy to make the life changes needed to have a healthy life style. People do not understand what it may take to loose 100+ lbs over a years time and then keep it off. That is were a trainer comes in for me.

I know that these things can be accomplished without help! but If I were to write down all the times that I have tried and failed to keep the weight off over the years it would be a very long blog! suffice it to say that commitment is hard. I will go out on a limb here and say that most people cannot make and keep those types of commitments. That is were a good Trainer can help motivate you to excel in this endeavor.

It is not just the 2-3 hours a week you work with your trainer. It is the whole picture of life change in eating habits, self control and dedication to the exercise regime that he/her designs for you. Not to mention the daily reinforcement that they provide with, text messages and phone calls as well as review and suggestions for your eating habits they see from your food logs. They spend allot of time on your behalf helping you make good well thought out changes for your life.

The main reason most people avoid trainers is the cost. I understand, but really can you put a price on health? In my case I have offset much of my cost with the doctor directed reduction in prescriptions that are no longer needed such as cholesterol, blood pressure, stomach medication to name a few, not to mention the future cost of Insulin for diabetes, which was a family issue due to weight problems. Cost avoidance so to speak.

So my trainer became a friend, confidant and motivator. I know that the future will require me to do this on my own and I will, but for now I will work with him to create habits that will be difficult to give up as they are ingrained into my daily routine.

I want to look back on these years when I am in my 90's (My family has some longevity in there jeans) and smile at my great grand kids and say thanks to my friend for helping me make the commitments needed to get here. I am 57 now and so that will mean another 30+ years of life (God willing) that will allow me to be apart of others lives and serve my creator in whatever he will have me do.

Join me!

My Mom and yodeling

My mother to say the least was a character! She would sit on the front porch in the summer and attract all the neighborhood friends in a heartbeat. They would sit and talk about the church and the school, quite frankly about anything that seemed interesting at the time. the porch was a focal point for our little community. Everyone loved her from the old to the young. She was such a sweet spirit. She loved her family, church and friends and they all new they could depend on Anna Mae.

One of the things that always amazed us was her ability to yodel. Now yodeling was an art. you had to be able to take a note from a song and as she explained it swallow it back and push it forward in the throat thus creating the western yodel sound of Roy Rodgers and Gene Autry. She worked hours as a teen perfecting the sounds we enjoyed when she would showcase her talent!

All the neighbors and family from grand kids to siblings would ask mother to perform. She would feign modesty for a while and then with perfect pitch and eloquence she would serenade us with her western renditions of good old country songs with a yodel.

To this day when we talk about our mother with others inevitably the yodel comes up.

Well in my mothers honor I can say that she taught me to yodel and sometime in the future I will serenade my grandchildren and their friends with the yodel stiling of my mother. Heaven help us..... Yodel-lady-Who.....move over Gene and Roy here I come.. Love you mom!

Work History

Jobs I have done since I started working:

1. Paper boy for Oakland press and Detroit News 1964
2. Stock boy for Kresge's department store 1968
3. Stock boy for Peoples food market 1968
4. clerk and then asst Manager for Dunhams sports 1972-73
5. sales for Rupp Campfitters 73 about 3 mo
6. Line worker for GM truck and bus 3 mo in 73
7. Custodian for West Bloomfield Schools 73-75
8. National Life Insurance sales 75-76
9. National Life Insurance sales 76-77
10. Car sales Hahn Motors 77
11. Pinkerton guard 77
12. Kelly and Company channel 7 ABC 77
13. Youth and Music Director Heritage Baptist Church 78-79
14. Youth and Music Director Lakeside Baptist Church 79-80
15. Youth Director Heritage Baptist Church 80-85
16. Teacher Heritage Baptist Schools 80-85
17. Bus driver Pontiac City Schools 79-85
18. Supervisor Custodial services Pontiac City Schools 85-95
19. Asst Supervisor Operations Van Dyke Public Schools 95-97
20. Director of Operations Maintenance and Transportation Fraser Public Schools 97-present

I also owned a business S and T Quality Printing and Advance Litho Printing from 83-87 and currently Own a consulting business called SE Michigan Facilities Management, LLC .

I also do seminars for Facilities Management at Oakland University, Saginaw Valley University, State of Michigan Department of Agriculture pest Management, Michigan School Business Officials and Schooldude.com

The New Me

Well I thought I would right a little about my journey over the last 8 month's. as you can see from the photo to the left I was one big boy. I weighed in at 318 lb's and had a 48 inch waist with a 54+ chest. I could not do 1 push-up or walk a long distance without hurting for the next three days. not only that but my blood pressure was through the roof with medication it was still at 134/85. cholesterol was in the 250 range. I was definitely on the road to being a statistic on a slab in a morgue somewhere (I know to dramatic). When I saw pictures of me I would cringe at what I saw. You know when I would buy clothing I would get the expand-o pants to make me feel better about getting a size smaller than I was around the waist. A little sad I know but that is what it was like. people always said no! your not that big you carry it well. To kind to say anything bad. My friends would call me "Heavy T" as a nice way of saying your fat. It was difficult to sit in a booth at a restaurant or a seat in a movie theater. Planes were also fun! you know "hay sir could I put my leg and arm in your space so I can be comfortable and annoying to you". I think you get the point.

So in December 2008 I decided this was going to be the end of this life style. I started going to Ballys ( I was a member for over 25 years but just having the card does not get you in shape ) and exercising a little 3 times a week. It helped but not a lot. I was still eating 3000-4000 calories a day or more. Grabbing a candy bar on the way home from work was not the way to loose weight and get in shape. I kept telling myself that I would not diet again because they do not work. Quite frankly I still feel this way. I new it would take more than the typical diet to get me on track. When I was 18 out of high school I weighed 155 pounds. less than half of what I weighed in at in December. I started looking at ways to get to my goal of loosing down to 220.

Now I have to tell you the idea of using a trainer scared me a little. Honestly some of these guys looked like they needed a trainer and they were going to train me? I do not think so. I checked out all of them. Some were good but their was one man who really looked like he had it together. I watched him work with other people and he seemed to know what he was doing and he was in good shape. So in March 2009 I asked Marcin to be my trainer. This was the start of something more different than I could have imagined. The first thing he said to me was "I do not want to work with you if you are going to quit". Wow he actually gave me an ultimatum. I will work with you if you commit!! I liked it and we started the journey to health.

So my weight at our first weigh in was 296 Lb's! my BFI was 36.6, way off the charts. Marcin was methodical. We started slow because I could not have done anything else. Push ups on an incline, rows, squats with a Swiss ball, balance on a BOSU ball, (a lot of exercises were done using a TRX device), light weights for muscle tone and then their was the meal log. Logging every thing I ate every week.

Every week at the start he would ask me questions like "why do you eat bread stix and pizza at the same time?" or Why do you not eat any fruit or vegetables? You know when you are answering to someone about your eating habits it is hard to explain why you do the things you do. I started changing my eating habits a little at a time. More fruits more vegetables less bread less pizza. I did not stop eating I started eating things that were more healthy. Guess what, I found that I loved them. Plus I was eating 3 meals and 1 to 2 snacks a day instead of skipping meals and eating a lot late at night. Lots of water and no carbonated beverages ( well a few cocktails from time to time but not every day or every weekend).

About two months into our training he ask me to do a 5K Marathon for Autism at Oakland University. I have not ran in years(or ever), but he thought I could do it so I did and low and behold I completed the race. He ran it with me along with our Bally friends. I was at about 275 Lb's at the time and thrilled to say the least. I run regularly now and completed a 5K in 42 minutes August 21, 2009. Not fast by any means but better than I ever thought I could in the past.

Every week has been an achievement. I average loosing 2.5 Lb's a week. right now I am weighing in at 239 Lb's with a 38 in waist and a 47 in chest and a BFI less than 27. I still have 19 Lb's to loose and already am smaller than I've been since I was in my 30's. My cholesterol is below 150 and my blood pressure is 120/75.This is a life change for sure. I now can do 50 push-ups, 50 squats, 50 rows, 50 lunges and a lot more and without my trainer leading me in the right direction it would not have happened.

Bailouts/spending package

Well here we go again. A bailout! What is the problem with the servants of the masses? They cannot seem to come to a conclusion as to what is best for the nation. Why do we need to put so many spending agendas in this rescue plan? It would seem to me (really uneducated as I am on the subject) that we would be better off with not giving money to sex education, condoms, water slides, veteran Filipino of WWII, and focus on supporting the banking industry, to get us to freeing up the cash flow issue.

This should not be an opportunity to stack the bill with pork items to make senators and representatives popular in their regions. Nor should it be used to forward your agenda for a “New America”. Let the vetting process set up in the legislative branch work its magic for large scale change. Don't try to subrogation the system under the false idea that your saving the economy of the USA.

By the way this idea that the USA gave the new government the right to whole sale change the American way just is not so. 49% of the us disagree with the liberal agenda. That is significant! Believe me if they do not get it right the next election could turn them out in the street. It is at best a fragile majority. Many were willing to vote for change, but not to spend our money indiscriminately to further a total liberal agenda. We are still a moderate nation. From New York to California, the middle of the nation still believes that we are better at spending our hard earned money than the government is.

Quit blaming President Bush (43) for governing during one of the most difficult times our nation has faced. 911 changed the face of his presidency. He made some mistakes for sure but we also faced some horrific situations that clouded the path for the future of America. Remember that many believed that their were weapons of mass destruction including many Democratic politicians and the united nations.

Lets pull together and make sound well thought out decisions not knee jerk decisions based on an agenda that does not work for all American's.

Well that is my 2 cents worth. For what its worth!

New for John

I am very pleased to say that I have been asked to present a program revolving around the "green roof" that we installed last year at the Operations building. The presentation will be at the www.Schooldude.com university in Myrtle Beach, SC March 28, 2009. This will be a great opportunity to show the usefulness of this energy saving/environmental initiative in a national forum. It does have many educational components.

I also will be working with MartinCompany devloping a protocal for the effeicent day to day operations of K-12 school districts and Community Colleges.

So my new company (SE Michigan Facilities Management, LLC) is starting to take off and giving me many opportunities to be productive. I will be presenting this new porgram at Crystal Mountain September, 2008.

Stay tuned for more on my new adventure.

RETIREMENT

Well, I retired from the schools as of June 30, 2008. As of July 1, 2008 I started my new Business, SE Michigan Facilities Management, LLC a consulting company. I also started working for Fraser Public Schools as an independent contractor. I will be working for them for 220 days a year. The contract is for three years until June 30, 2011. I also will be doing work for Martin MacElroy Company as a consultant.

I do not have to worry about as much; my pension will also start some time in August 2008. So even if my company does not work I still will have my pension to get me threw the tighter times.

Tuesday I will be teaching a seminar at Oakland University on Facilities Management and the school environment. This will also give me many new contacts for the new business.

So as things go I am pretty excited about the future. Maybe by 2011 I will completely retire and travel doing the things I like (golf, camp, travel). Connie does not want to stop working until our 62 birthdays. We shall see.

Salvation

Salvation

I thought I would write down my salvation experience from my earliest recollection of my need for salvation to acceptance.

You would think that growing up in a Baptist family that attended church at a minimum of 3 times a week that salvation would be a forgone conclusion. My first recollection of a need to be saved was first felt at 5-6 years old. I remember going forward at Keego Harbor Baptist Church to be saved and being told by the church worker that I was to young to get saved, that I needed to be 12 years old or in there mind the age of accountability. I left that meeting confused. I soon forgot about the need to be saved and spent the next several years going to church with my family but not enjoying being there very much.

During that time we went through many different pastors. Anderson, Kunnert, Garrett, Smith and Hott. During the Dave Hott years I became very disillusioned with the church. As a teen I lost interest. There was a great deal of infighting over the pastors and the vision that they had for the church. It seemed that the pastors that created growth were ran out by the ruling families. I will say here that my mom and subsequently my dad would always back the pastor which always put us at odds with the other church members. You can see why that at that time I focused on being involved in school activities. When I entered the 9^th grade I had little interest in church polity. That is not to say that I was not required to go to church, that was not an option in the Thompson family during my formative years. So many things swirled around life during those years that conflicted with my faith. Catholic friends, Jewish friends, apostate friends all had a profound impact on me.

In the 10^th grade I became very involved in theater and music with Mr. Smith and Mr. Asplin. I performed in plays and directed the choir as well as doing solos in the school plays and choir performances. I became very involved in school activities even going out for the wrestling team and making many “friends” who I would end up going to many after school parties with. Hanging out at HOJO’s (Howard Johnson’s) on Telegraph and Maple Rd drinking coffee till all hours of the mourning. We did this till my senior year.

The summer of my sophomore year I started working at Kressges in the Pontiac Mall. Eventually I was fired from their for eating candy from the candy bar (orange slices I still love those things). While working at Kressges I met a fellow teen, which was a senior at Waterford High School, his name was Jerry Unger. Jerry was a Christian and attended Sunnyvale Chapel, a fundamental bible believing church. He invited me to church with him and his friends Larry Armstrong and Dave Lawson. We hung around all summer; he sort of took me under his wing. He was so sure of himself and I wanted to be just like him. I read through my bible especially the books of John and Romans looking for answers to my needs and confusion. My high school friends were nowhere to be found during that summer. I decided that I would get saved that summer and went forward to profess Christ. I was baptized that summer and I wanted to be everything I could be in that church. Mom and Dad surprisingly allowed me to attend there and not Keego Baptist.

When school started back, in my 11th grade year, I started to get involved in sports and theater again. I took my bible to school and got the moniker of “bible thumper”. On some levels I was glad and sort of did the martyr thing. In January of that school year I went down to Longview, Texas to visit Jerry Unger with Larry Armstrong. That was interesting because I stayed for 2 weeks because of an automobile accident while traveling through Haiti, Missouri on the way to Longview. When I got back to school the play I was in “Arsenic and Old Lace” was to be performed in a couple of weeks. Mr. Smith was very upset with me for leaving for such a long time just before the play. I slowly slipped back into my old ways of party going and well, whatever I wanted. I lost track of the people from Sunnyvale Chapel and got caught up in the school life for the rest of the year.

My senior year was a whirlwind of events. I worked out with the baseball team. Became friends with Greg Lane and the rest of the ball players. I also performed in several plays that year. That summer we all played Connie Mac baseball in Farmington, MI and went to 20+ Tiger games. Greg’s dad got us in to so many home games (Ray Lane was a sportscaster for the Tigers). It was a fun year and summer.

After the summer Greg Lane and I went to work at Dunham’s sporting goods and I started college at Oakland Community College in the fall. Met several new friends, Sam and Stephen Manolackis and Tom Armor who worked for Dunham’s, we would go out every weekend and drink and spend time together, go on double dates; it was just a lot of fun.

After that year I decided that I wanted to continue in sporting goods and took a management job with Rupp Camp fitters to open ski shops in Lansing and Ann Arbor Michigan. I had not been to church since the summer of my junior year of high school. I was on the road 100’s of miles a day with the ski shops and getting kind of bored with the constant running but it was my job so off I went everyday.

Several times during that summer Donna and Tom Roberts kept asking me to come to a revival at their church Northside Baptist. I put them off time after time but finally they talked me into it. I had turned into quite the hippie looking guy, long beard and coveralls with cable knit sweaters. I do not think I have any pics of that time of my life. I wish I did because it was kind of cool, but I digress.

I went to Northside that first time and fell in love with the people and the church. I joined shortly after that service and became a fixture their for many years. Actually my whole family started going to Northside, Mom, Dad and sisters Julie and Pricilla with her Husband Dick and their kids.

The first year I attended Northside I became very conflicted with whether I had actually been saved or not. I fretted over my experience for months while attending that church and going to college at Midwestern Baptist Collage. Had I repented or not? I was so unsure and beset with so many conflicting thoughts that finally, while at work at West Bloomfield High School, I acknowledged my sin, repented of it and asked Jesus to forgive me and come into my heart. That was August 20, 1973. I was baptized shortly after. I used the pamphlet “Gods Simple Plan of Salvation” to guide me in the biblical path.

So that is the entire story of my salvation, a time and a place to remember. Many things happened around that decision that would take many pages to detail. Many things have happened since then that make for an interesting (to me) journey. Such is the story of many people’s lives. We grow, we change, we test our lives and form our standards based on what we believe. Thank God for the Gift.

Global Warming ?

Global Warming?

Winter, I remember the winters of my youth in Keego Harbor, MI. The snow seemed deeper, the winters seemed longer and in retrospect the summers seemed hotter. Is this the memory of an adolescent child? Sure it is but there also is some reality to it. The winter of 1963 comes to mind, the November when Kennedy was assassinated I was 11 years old and the one thing that stands out in my mind is the snow. Cold, desolate, dreadful weather sort of mirroring the events in U.S history. The winter of 1966 was so snow bound that I believe that it was the snowiest winter on record.

Now we hear the global warming rhetoric and quite frankly it for me is a little hard to swallow. I believe that the weather is somewhat cyclic and is really controlled by the sun. Sunspots and events that are far above my pay grade affect the weather. I understand that this winter of 2007-2008 has been equal or exceeds the winter of 1966. The .75 temperature gain the alarmist had been saying was going to start a global flooding event and melting of the polar ice pack has been wiped out by one single cold northern winter. Now we have 10 inches thicker ice pack than we have ever had in recorded history, according to scientist who do studies on such things. Eliminating the 40-year warming trend in one year. “An inconvenient truth” does not seem to be so inconvenient or true.

Are we now going to go back to the fear mongering folks who will tell us we are going into an ice age? Are we going to stay with the people saying we are in a global warming nightmare? I quite frankly will buy into the notion that we are using up our natural resources and need to conserve so that we do not run out of a finite supply. I will also buy into the idea that we need to not pollute our environment so that it is usable by future generations but please don’t try and tell me something that isn’t happening is happening.

So as I set on my porch with the Franklin stove flickering it’s warm flames and look out the window as snow swirls down on the lake one hundred yards from my door supporting the snowmobile and ice fishermen scurrying about I wonder “ will summer ever come”. Sure it will, some days warmer than others. 70, 80, 90-degree days lie ahead for us in Michigan. I say conserve what you can, protect the environment at every opportunity and hope that the environmentalist get there act together and come to a conclusion that we all can support.