This time of year is one that calls for us to consider the good things in life that we experience, and to appreciate them.  How many good things can you think about that have happened in your life?  Pausing to think about these things can be a good way to refocus, and not let the negative parts of this life consume you.

Some things we often take for granted are where we may need to start.  God, who made all of us and everything in nature, and who often works behind the scenes (He usually deserves more credit than He gets). Waking up this morning is another blessing.  Being able to breathe, move, and function in a reasonably good state of mind are also worth considering.  Having a good job or career, enabling one to support oneself – and in some cases, a family – is also worth considering.

The people in our lives are also worth considering.  Family, friends, classmates, co-workers, others who bring out the best in us, who watch out for us, protect us, support us, and love us unconditionally.  Have we thanked them? Can we ever thank them enough?

I have chosen to focus on having an attitude of gratitude this season. It helps to have that frame of mind every day, and not just because it’s the season for Thanksgiving. So what can I say that I am thankful for? Here goes.

I have an awesome family, made of parents and siblings and nieces I grew up with, great-nieces and nephews since we all grew up, a wonderful wife, fantastic children and grandchildren, and in-laws as well. I’m thankful for my church family also, many who watched me grow up, and others who have been around since I have grown.

I’m thankful for my home, although it’s small, it’s where I live, and it’s reasonably maintained. I’m thankful for my teachers who contributed towards my education, and some who encouraged me when times were difficult. I’m thankful for my job, and the jobs I have done in my career – varied as they were – and I look forward to new opportunities that approach.

I’m also thankful for my friends and family who connect with me through social media, whether on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or others. I’m thankful for first responders who really care about protecting all of us, regardless of what differences we have individually. I sincerely appreciate the veterans who served and contributed to defending our country. I’m also thankful for the person reading this post.

Happy Thanksgiving!  Praying God’s blessings for you and your family; wishing you all the best and more.

Many technological innovations have proven helpful in how we drive our cars.  Cruise control can allow us to maintain acceleration at a certain level for long trips, traction control can help with difficult road conditions, GPS navigation and synching with our cell phones can help with navigation or even other parts of the ride (like playing music or audiobooks), and eventually, cars may be able to drive themselves.  Some have the feature, but it has yet to be perfected.

But what about the memories of the great road trip we like to share?  What about those  pesky parts that slip our minds until later, and by then the party’s over and the guests have gone home already.  And who wants to call them up and say, “Hey, I just remembered this one part I forgot to mention about our trip …”?  I didn’t think so.

Well, some day we may be able to have a helping hand with that as well.  No more trying to remember the best parts of the journey, or having lapses in memory, or having the difficult time describing the most fantastic parts of the road trip.  Another technological innovation can enhance the relationship between human and automobile.

Imagine having road buddies that can key in the pertinent information about the pothole you dodged on the interstate, or the rest stop with the restaurants and shops to die for, or even the breathtaking views of the woods where you stopped to grab a breath of fresh air.  Imagine being able to project these personal memories on your television, computer screen, laptop, tablet or phone as you recount the tale of your cool adventure.  Soon all of this can become a reality.  The newer generation of our four-wheeled friends may have them rolling at various rotations per minute, covering all four points of contact, and recording every detail so you won’t miss a beat.

Jet Lag Technologies will soon introduce the next innovation from Snore Story Labs: Scrapbook Tires.  These marvelous, ingenious little cushions for your wheels will come equipped with microphones and gyroscopically mountable cameras that can catch every detail of the open roads on which you travel, adding the details that you don’t want to miss when you share your road trip with your friends and loved ones.  Imagine being the hit of the party, and not having to go through those annoying callbacks that get you unfriended in social media, and put on the do not call list, or have people blocking you on their cell phones.

The Scrapbook Model XTs will come equipped with this nanotechnology that makes it all possible.  After it undergoes testing to improve durability in various weather and road conditions, they will be able to capture as much information as needed to tell the road trip story that will rival your peers.  These will be great for scrapbookers, hence the catchy name.

No substantial dates can be given as the project is not past the development stages yet. In order for such technology to be brought about would call for a lot of committed designing, lab testing, supremely technological materials, years of research and development, and countless sums of money invested to cover it all.  Further updates may follow on a fake news outlet near you.  April Fool.

J. Michael Finley gives a stunning performance as Bart Millard, the lead singer of Mercy Me who wrote the chart-topping hit, I Can Only Imagine.  The movie tells the story behind the song.

Starting with his childhood, growing up with a love for music, and an abusive father, Bart leaves to start working with a band and writing songs.  He receives counsel from Scott Brickle, played by Trace Adkins, who encourages Bart to dig in and write about his true feelings.

Along the way, Bart is introduced to recording artists Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant, who takes interest in his song, and wanted to sing it to introduce her comeback effort.  The way it plays out is a starting point for Bart and the band Mercy Me, that causes their career to take off in an amazing way.

This movie is rated PG, and is a great film for the whole family.  You will laugh, you may cry, and you’ll be cheering in the aisles at the end.

There are many versions of Charles Dickens’ story, A Christmas Carol, performed on stage and on screen in plays and movies respectively, and although I haven’t seen every single one, I am often amazed at how they tell the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and how his heart was changed after being visited by the spirits of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future.  I hope to revisit the story very soon, as it seems like I can relate in a small way to the main character.

There are some considerable differences that I need to mention first.  Scrooge made a profitable living and maintained a business he had as a partnership with his late partner, Jacob Marley, whose spirit introduced the three Christmas spirits that would visit him.  As a graduate of college and a trade school, and a husband and father, and having to take on any work I could find to provide, I haven’t been able to develop a career more profitable than my current line of work, and I haven’t found substantial profit in secondary ventures yet.  Scrooge’s treasure, early on, existed in the wealth he amassed and his prestigious estate.  My riches are in the family and friends that I am surrounded with, the associates I work with daily, the church members I often meet weekly, and others I come in contact with, at times on social media, like my Facebook friends and LinkedIn contacts.

As time passes, there seems to be less focus on the genuine meaning of the holiday.  So much emphasis is on getting gifts from – or seeking to get gifts for – family and friends that we often lose sight of the greatest gift ever given: the gift of the only begotten Son that God gave to the world, the Seed that brought redemption in His later sacrifice to relieve the world from the burden of sin and guilt, and the condemnation that follows after death.  In this continuing trend, we’re losing sight of the hope we can have in accepting the gift that He gives, freely, to all willing to accept and believe.

I have decided not to be mean-spirited as some around me choose to be, or feel they must for whatever reason.  I hope to find some depth in the messages conveyed by the spirits as they ministered to Ebenezer, and hopefully they will help all of us to see that there are greater riches than material wealth.  In having compassion on others and sharing with family, friends and neighbors – even by the means of gentle fellowship, sharing a laugh over a cup of coffee, a dance to a good song, or even joining a good holiday sing-a-long – perhaps we can reacquaint ourselves in the true joy this holiday season can bring.

Take care this time, and may this holiday season be a happy, blessed and safe one for all.

I once thought that I knew it all, but in time I found I had so much more to learn.  The good news is that I gained some understanding about what my faith really meant. It’s my hope that in reading more, you will see the hope that I have, and maybe want the same.

I was baptized when I was 9 years old, by my father, in a church where he pastored.  It was a blessing having a father who was also in ministry, as I could ask him questions and get answers.  Later, as I grew up, there weren’t many easy answers.

After being in college for almost four years and not getting anywhere, I became depressed.  I felt like I had no purpose.  In that one moment in crying out to God, then I learned what it meant to invite Jesus Christ into my life.

My new life in Him had trials, but there was also hope.  I eventually graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Communication.  I later married into a family at the start of my career.  I continued on into different occupations to take care of family, and had some setbacks along the way, but God has been faithful in keeping us in the midst of all that we went through and go through now.

So how can I sum it all up?  Before Christ, I was down without much hope for the future, much less the next day.  After having invited Christ into my heart, I have the hope of heaven after this life ends, and I hope to see many others who made the same choice.  If you have tried everything you could to handle life on your own, and found that you couldn’t, try letting Jesus Christ into your life, as He stands at the door of your heart knocking.  Letting Him in will be the best decision you can make in your life.

“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned to be content with whatever I have.” – Philippians 4:11, NLT

One solid lesson that is taught is to be content with what we have, and this is important to our well-being.  In my situation, I struggle with this because there are so many things going on that I can’t be content with.   Continue reading →

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The story is true, although it rarely happens.  There was a call made to 911 about a girl trapped in a sofa.   Continue reading →

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Fire breaks out at the Perkins Restaurant in Brooklyn on Tiedeman Road Monday night.  Fortunately no one was hurt, but employees are concerned about their jobs as the restaurant will now be closed until further notice.  Click here for the whole story.

Perkins recently became a part of my weekend routine.  On Sunday morning, I would stop in on the way to church with my father.  I tried cooking breakfast on my own previously, but I think he got tired of just scrambled eggs and bacon, and he wanted the bacon to be crisp.  Going to Perkins on Sunday morning was the viable solution, where we had a chance to sit down and share a meal, and were always greeted by the friendly staff.

There were some dishes I came to enjoy there.  Dad usually gets the Belgian Waffle Platter, and I would order a pancake platter, but last time I had the Lemon Pie Blueberry Pancake Platter.  Sometimes I would change up with the Big Country Smasher, loaded with potatoes, vegetables, sausage and scrambled eggs.  We always enjoyed Sunday breakfast at Perkins, so this coming weekend will be a challenge.

As mentioned in the story brought by Fox 8’s Maia Belay, the cause of the fire was a lit cigarette that landed on some mulch outside the front of the restaurant.  The careless act has many of us shaking our heads.  How could something like that happen with talk about forest fires starting the same way?  Maybe it will help to bring back Smokey Bear to remind us that only we can prevent forest fires.  Check out the website here.

Thankfully, the restaurant had some damage, but the fire was contained so that the restaurant could reopen again.  In time, we shall see if it does, and what changes may happen to help everyone stay safe, in case such an incident happens again.   Hopefully it won’t happen for a long time.  My big challenge this weekend will be how to get breakfast in order, and tell Dad we can’t eat at Perkins this weekend; but we look forward to returning there soon, and seeing the same friendly faces we’re used to seeing every week.

For more information about fire prevention, check out the website at smokeybear.com.

My wife often told me when special days like Valentine’s Day and Sweetest Day came around that I have two women to share love with: her and our daughter.  This Valentine’s Day I decided to change the game plan in a good way.

Continue reading →