KID TIME

Our community is fortunate to have a facility which offers an educational discovery experience for children. It’s called “Kid Time!”

It’s also a great place for Debra and I to do the “Papa and Nana” thing with our blended family of blended grandchildren. We have taken Weathersby grandchildren there. We have taken Moffit grandchildren there. Today, we took Vallo grandchildren there.

Since Debra did the driving, I really had nothing to do in the passenger seat but to take photos of her driving. After the first photo, she got annoyed.





After the second photo, she got a little more annoyed. But I couldn’t stop. Especially since her annoyance was coupled with laughter. How can you laugh and be annoyed at the same time? I just had to take more photos!




She lightened up considerably after the third photo. Some people might not think it’s a very good idea for a passenger to stick a camera in the face of the driver, and then snap a photo with the flash temporarily blinding the driver but, hey, I don't see what's the big deal!





As we pulled into the driveway of “Kid Time!” Josie was already there waiting for us with a van containing three grandchildren.







Before entering the building, Makiah spent some brief quality time in a wagon with a pumpkin.




Then Nana took a quick sit-down break on a hay bale with Rylie, Baylee and Makiah. I was pushing buttons on my camera at the time.




Once inside, Makiah exercised her climbing skills,




Rylie demonstrated her talent on the overhead ladder,




and Baylee slid down a long, steep, red tongue of a monkey.



Then we stepped outside into warm and sunny October air. Baylee and Rylie scaled the heights of a geodesic dome,






while Nana helped Makiah with a snack.






Baylee and Rylie both conquered a curved balance beam.






Afterwards, Rylie managed to walk across a few steps on poles,






and Baylee finished up a backhoe job.







Then it was time to go back inside. Baylee and Rylie found a stage to unleash their inner thespians

As the afternoon progressed, Rylie spent some time kicking back in a tube.

Baylee read to Nana.

and Makiah sat on a big chess board with Papa. Sitting on chess boards seems to have a way of making some people feel grumpy and other people feel happy.

As our time at “Kid Time!” began winding down, Baylee found a picture of a scarecrow to color,

Rylie made a mask,

And Makiah rode a, uh, whatever-it-was she rode.

Then we stopped at Dairy Queen for some health food and then we went home.

MY "BRUCE LEE" T-SHIRT

Sunday, October 21, 2001

Seven years ago, the singles Bible study group I had been leading for about a year-and-a-half got together, as usual, to fellowship and to study the Word. After this particular meeting, several hung around and visited. Debra and I had been dating for about three months by then, but didn’t make it known within the group. So, after this particular meeting, I noticed one of the men in the group visiting with Debra. Visiting for a long time. He seemed interested. I controlled my jealousy and went home. Soon after arriving home, the phone rang. It was Debra.

Debra was troubled because this guy had asked her out and we hadn’t made it known yet that we were “an item”. It was awkward for her.

Monday, October 22, 2001

The very next day after this Bible study, I left a message on Debra’s telephone answering machine asking her and Ashley to come over. I had a gift to offer each of them. But there was a catch. They could either have the gifts later or they could turn them down. But they could not have the gifts that evening.

Sunday, October 28, 2001

The following weekend, I had encouraged everyone from the singles Bible study group, about forty or fifty in number, to attend this particular meeting because I had a special announcement for them. I told them that my partner from work, Lee, would also be attending and that we would both be wearing our “Bruce Lee" T-shirts. All who attended heard my announcement. Those who were not able to attend that meeting received an email message that night.

The subject of that message was: IN CASE YOU MISSED MY “BRUCE LEE” T-SHIRT STORY.

Here is a copy of that message:

IN CASE YOU MISSED MY “BRUCE LEE” T-SHIRT STORY

(E-mailed to the Singles Bible Study Group on October 28, 2001)

So, what’s the story behind my “Bruce Lee” T-shirt?

Tonight at Bible study I introduced the group to my co-worker and fellow radiation therapist, Lee . I shared with the group how, when patients forget our names at work, Lee and I tell them to think of Bruce Lee. “I’m Bruce and he’s Lee.” One day Lee and I wore our Bruce Lee T-shirts to work as sort of a joke. When we were told that our T-shirts were not appropriate attire in our department, we took them home.

Well, one day last May, 2001, Lee did a treatment setup on a new patient--a lady who was being treated for breast cancer--and Lee, who occasionally expresses concern for my social well being, somehow thought that this lady and I would be a good match. I told Lee that, as a Christian, I would never consider pursuing a relationship with someone who didn’t share my faith. Lee, who I have never suspected of being a Christian, said that she was wearing a necklace with a cross on it. I told Lee that a cross on a necklace doesn’t mean anything. I also told him that since I lost my wife to breast cancer, I wasn’t interested in pursuing a lady who was battling the same disease. Lee said her type of cancer was “ductal carcinoma in situ”, a non-invasive lesion which, when treated, leaves the patient with an excellent prognosis. Lee also told me that she had no lymph node involvement and that she didn’t need any chemotherapy.

Still, I knew I could never involve myself in a relationship with a woman unless she was a true believer who was totally committed to Jesus Christ. Period. End of discussion.

So, in an attempt to put a quick halt to Lee’s matchmaking efforts, I spoke to this lady one day during her treatment and said, “I notice you have a cross on your necklace. Is that an expression of your faith or do you just like crosses?”

“It’s an expression of my faith,” she said.

As her six-week course of radiation treatments continued, I continued talking with her each day about her faith and her family and I soon realized that I had met a true woman of faith who was totally devoted to God. I also mentioned Table Rock Fellowship to her and one Sunday morning she arrived there to visit. I also told her about our singles Bible study group, and she attended a meeting one Sunday evening back in June.

When she attended that Bible study, her name and e-mail address were put into our directory just like everyone else’s who attends for the first time. And she, along with all the others in our group who have computers, received one of my many e-mails about upcoming activities and Bible studies. I was a bit surprised when her e-mail address appeared on my computer screen asking if I would be willing to be an “online buddy”. I wasn’t quite sure what that meant so I asked her about it the next day when she came into the clinic for her radiation treatment. She said it was her 11-year-old daughter who wanted me to be her online buddy. Her daughter apparently thought I was a “nice guy” because I showed her around the clinic when she would come in with her mom.

Then one evening a few days later, while I was online, a message appeared on my screen saying that this 11-year-old girl was also online. So that evening I learned how to do an online chat for the first time. Sadly, this young girl told me she was unhappy because her father was also online at the time, but he refused to chat with her. So I tried to cheer her up as we typed our conversation back and forth. In the course of trying to lift her spirits, I surprised myself by asking her, “What would you think if I wanted to take you and your mom to see Shrek at Tinseltown?” She was excited. Very excited. She checked with her mom, her mom said, “OK”, and the three of us went to see Shrek together at Tinseltown on the Fourth of July.

Ever since that afternoon, I have spent every Friday evening with her mom and every Saturday afternoon or evening with both of them. And over these past several months I have become a changed man. My heart has been stirred. And I have found myself growing to love both mother and daughter more and more with each passing day.

So, last Monday evening, October 22nd, I asked them to come over to my house because I had an “unusual” gift for each of them. The gifts were unusual, I told them, because the two of them could either turn the gifts down or have them later, but they couldn’t have them now.

I first took the daughter into an empty bedroom at the back of my house and left her mom waiting in the family room at the other end of the house. Then I told this little girl that I had grown to love her mom. I told her that I had grown to love her, too, and that I would now like to offer her the “unusual” gift. I then placed a sign on the bedroom door, which read “Ashley’s Room” and asked Ashley if she would like to have this as her very own bedroom (she currently shares a bedroom with her mom). She said, “Yes” (as in “YES!!!”). I asked her if she understood that in order for her to have this as her own room I would have to marry her mom. She said, “Yes” again. I then asked her if it would be OK with her if I went back out into the family room and asked her mom to marry me. She said, “Yes.” And when I told Ashley that my “unusual” gift for her mom was not a ring because I didn’t know yet if her mom would say “yes” to my question, Ashley said, “She will.”

So, I left Ashley in the back bedroom and returned to her curious mother in the family room with her “unusual” gift in my hand. When I handed her the box, she was thrilled when she noticed on the cover of the box that it was not only a Bible, but it was the exact Bible she wanted! And when Debra Merideth opened that box, there rested a beautiful, leather-bound, burgundy Bible, inscribed at the bottom with the words “Debra Perkins”. As she sat speechless with her eyes locked on that inscribed leather cover, I gave her a brief speech which I had prepared and practiced, and then I knelt before her, took her hand in mine, looked into the most beautiful brown eyes I have ever seen, and asked, “Debra, will you marry me?”

She said, “Yes!”

And that’s the story behind my Bruce Lee T-shirt.

It was exactly seven years ago today that Debra said “Yes”.

And Lee, of course, was best man at our wedding.

HOT TUB INTERCESSION

I exhort, therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.

- I Timothy 2:1

The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

-James 5:16

Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace.

-Hebrews 4:16



I have people. I have people who need prayer. I have people who need my prayer.

And when I need to pray, I have a quiet place to go. The hot tub.

Before the sun rises upon a new day, my warm, wet, steamy, bubbly place of prayer awaits my arrival. I boldly enter the throne room of grace and position myself before the throne. And with the righteousness that has been imparted to me, I fervently offer up intercessory prayers with the full expectation that they will be effectual.

A “prayer closet” of this type, however, must be entered with the wisdom and the knowledge provided by the hot tub manufacturer. The recommended maximum amount of time for any human body to spend in a 102-degree hot tub is fifteen minutes.

Then it’s time to get out.

Otherwise, the hot-tub-intercessor may potentially experience respiratory arrest or heart failure, thus making his effectual prayers a little less effectual.

Darkness gives way to light in this quiet place of prayer

Sweet quarter-hour of prayer.

I will, therefore, that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

- I Timothy 2:8

No wrath or doubting here

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

-Matthew 6:7

At this temperature, “vain repetitions” and “much speaking” are kept to a minimum.

How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.

-Romans 10:15

The proper prayer position provides a view that enhances the intercessory experience: The majestic blue spruce reaching to the heavens, the ivy-encased shade covering created by man who, in turn, was created by God in His own image, the TV satellite dish on the roof allowing televangelists to bring words of hope and encouragement into the home, and feet that are beautiful according to the Scripture.

DIRTY JOBS

I have crawled under the house four times in the past eight years, not counting today. The fourth time was about six years ago. The fifth time was today. Since the fourth time, we have had a pest control service cover all the dirt under the house with black plastic and spray for critters. It is now much dustier than before and the dust is orange. It is a dirty job. And this dirty territory is also home to a community of black widow spiders. So, anyone venturing into this space--their space--must crawl with careful caution, alert eyes, and catlike reflexes.

The reason for today’s trip under the house relates to our television. We have a satellite receiver for the TV in the family room, but not for the TV in the spare bedroom. The spare bedroom is where both Debra and I work out each morning on our elliptical exerciser. We like to pass the time exercising by watching the morning news on a small, thirteen-inch TV. We use a rabbit ear antenna on top of this TV.

Red arrow shows elliptical exerciser. Blue arrow shows rabbit ears

Since all television will be going digital early next year, we decided to pay the extra fee to have the spare bedroom wired for satellite TV, too. But our satellite provider requires a phone cable to be attached to the receiver unit above the TV in the family room.

The first time I crawled under the house, many years ago, I was checking drainage pipes in the bathroom.

The second time was to attach a phone cable from our existing phone jack in the kitchen to a phone jack, which I installed in the master bedroom, so I could have a phone in that room.

The third time was to run another phone line to a jack in the spare bedroom for a dial-up computer modem.

The fourth time was to run another phone line to a jack in the living room, again, for a dial-up modem. I had decided at that time to move my computer from the back bedroom to the living room. Eventually, the computer was moved one more time to its current location, in the spare bedroom where is had been once before.

And today, hopefully, will be the last time I will ever need to work under the house again.

Red arrow shows where I disconnected the phone jack from the living room.

Red arrow shows where I need to install the phone jack so I can hook it up to the satellite receiver

Red arrow shows another view of where I need to install the phone jack. Blue arrow shows the satellite receiver. When I complete the installation of the phone jack, a phone cable will attach the phone jack to the satellite receiver.

Before installing the jack, I need to drill a hole into the floor so I can pull the phone cable through the floor from under the house.

At the base of the steps to the hot tub deck is the opening to the crawl space.

The door is open

With flashlight in hand, I prepare to go in.

With knee pads in place, both my left buttock and my right buttock follow my upper body under the house.

Once under the house, I begin my crawl to the work area. The red arrow shows where the phone cable currently enters the living room. The blue arrow shows where the cable will be pulled through the floor into the family room through the hole I drilled.

Getting closer

Again, the red arrow shows the cable entering into the family room. The blue arrow shows where I have drilled the new hole. The white arrow shows the foundation beneath the fireplace.

After attaching the phone cable to a wire coat hanger and having Debra help me by pulling it into the family room, I have completed the dirty job and begin my crawl back to the opening. The red arrow shows the opening as well as the lattice which is attached to the hot tub deck.

All the previous photos under the house were taken with a flash. This photo shows just how dark it really was. The only light came through the crawl space opening and a few small vents.

Getting closer to my exit, the lattice is still visible.

Getting still closer.

Almost there. I can see the steps to the hot tub deck.

And now I can see the yard

Free at last! Free at last!

With the phone cable now coming through the floor in the family room, I am now ready to install the jack.

And with the jack finally installed (red arrow) the phone line is now hooked up to the satellite receiver. We are now ready to call our satellite provider and have them hook up our spare room TV to the satellite receiver. We are also ready to say “goodbye” to the rabbit ears. That was a dirty job!

BINGO

Actually, potluck and bingo.

Someone in the seniors group counted 35 among us who showed up last night to eat and to mark bingo cards. Debra and I were two of those seniors (chuckle, chuckle, Yeah, right! “Seniors.”).

After singing a half dozen songs, Jerre (pronounced “Jerry”), our bingo caller, addressed the group as his wife handed out the bingo cards and markers.

This was our annual October group event. Last year, Debra and I both won games and prizes. This year we both futilely marked numbers as they were called and we silently listened to other people shout “Bingo!" and win prizes.

HELPING A COLLEGE STUDENT WITH HOMEWORK

Ashley is taking a college course in geography. A few days ago she was given an assignment to find a few places in Ashland and to answer a few questions once she arrived at those places. She took a friend along with her as a navigator and Ashley did the driving. After five hours of driving around and finding more frustration than answers, she returned home with an unfinished assignment and a not-too-happy attitude toward her geography class.

Then she asked if I would help her with her assignment.

I said, “Yes”.

So, this morning I drove to Ashland with Ashley in the passenger seat as the navigator. Within two hours we completed the assignment plus completed a meal at Ashland’s fine Mexican dining house known as Taco Bell.

The first part of the task was to find the Civic Center and, once there, she was instructed to “note the large concrete block in the city yards near the Civic Center parking lot across from Garfield Park”.

Then her instructions were to follow a road up a steep hill into a residential area near government forestland. The drive took us to high elevations and dirt roads with steep sloping residential lots, canyons, and houses built on stilts.

Working on this project together took a fairly short amount of time and, while eating lunch and reviewing the assignment, we realized that the “large concrete block” that we found was not the same large concrete block described in the instructions. So, we returned to the Civic Center, found the correct block, and drove home.

I took this photo while entering a freeway onramp onto I-5. This might be the first photo I have ever taken while, at the same time, merging into freeway traffic.

This monument in front of the Civic Center was what we thought was the “large concrete block” mentioned in the assignment. We were wrong.

Ashley filled in the answers as we proceeded through the assignment.

Ashley stepped out of the truck to take a photo of a canyon, one of the places the assignment included. I stayed in the truck and took a photo of the side-view mirror.

Saying “cheese” while holding a camera with my left hand outside the window on the driver’s side.

With tummies full of stuff from Taco Bell, we found the correct “large concrete block” before heading home.