Closet Christian

I've often thought about my life as an early Christian, and I know that I have grown since then. God said that we will be known by our fruit, or in other words the things that we do.

HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION: If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? I would hope that there would be plenty today, but earlier in my life the evidence would have been hard to find. I know that we are saved according to John 3: 16 on Romans 10:9, or several other Scriptures. The Bible also says that faith without works is dead. I don't believe that means you can't enter into heaven without good works, but I do think that the good things that we do after confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior are a sign to others that we are maturing in our walk with the Lord. I know that there are many that warm a church pew every Sunday but do not bear any fruit in between Sundays. I know that God says that when we do things (with the right motive) to others it is just like we do them for Him. Some people believe that it is the job of the Pastor to visit the sick, feed the hungry, give to the poor or minister to those in prison. I know that it is the job of the Church (each of us is equipped to do certain things), collectively to make sure that these things are done. Some of the most joyful times in my life have been when I was helping others and I knew that was pleasing to the Lord. Things are different now, and I believe that I am here to tell others about my Lord Jesus and how he wants us to be joyful while on this earth, no matter what our circumstances. With that in mind, I'd like you to read this script and then watch the short video about someone who I would call a closet Christian.

I'm Christian because I have confessed Jesus as my Lord and I believe that God has raised him from the dead. Romans 10: verse nine.
I see people who are hungry and I wished that someone would feed them.
I know about some who are cold and I want someone to give them a coat and a blanket.
Some were sick or new in town and I asked the hospitality committee to visit them and give them a place to stay. Isn't that how it works?  

 
This is only meant as a humorous example. I do know that there have been times in my life when I thought, why doesn't somebody do something to help them. The sad part is that the "somebody" should have been me

Much love, Dennis

Silent Monks Singing Halleluia

I received this in an e-mail from my mother. It is, in a nutshell, what I think defines God's plan for me at this point in my life. It's my job to spread Gospel, let people know that circumstances do not define you, and joy is a decision. This is a song praising the Lord, using humor to do it and with just a touch of cornball for good measure.

Check out the way the cards of the first three are raised at their feet, corny right. Slight possibility of a pun :-)

Much love, Dennis

Please Don't Send Me To Africa

REPENT AND SIN NO MORE

I'm well aware of all of the tragic events throughout this earth lately. If you are interested, I like the way Pastor Wade Burleson spoke concerning Sandy Hook in his blog.

http://www.wadeburleson.org/2012/12/gun-control-and-tragedy-at-sandy-hook.html
I honestly feel like my purpose is to bring a smile with The Gospel. I have several posts in a row with very little humor. Some might say that all of my posts fall into that category :-)
I have decided to put a twist on something that I put up some years ago. To eliminate any doubt is a fabrication.
http://youtu.be/Qp3C6ddRkPE?t=40s

Kris Ewbank and I have been friends since the third grade. Kris has been a committed Christian much longer than I have. Last week we were in Africa where Kris, ( Pastor Kris as he is known there) and I were trying to finish a church building that his ministry team had started. The building was up and finished except for painting the steeple. Since we are not as young as we used to be, climbing up and down the ladder was somewhat of a chore. We were however committed to getting the steeple painted.
It was a large church, so it had a large steeple. We made it slowly to the steeple and put on the first coat of paint. It was a much harder chore than we had expected, and knowing that it would require three coats of paint to sufficiently protect the wood from the harsh African elements was not a pleasant thought.
Just before we started the climb with the second coat of paint, I knocked over one of the 2 gallons of paint that we had left. I could tell Kris was upset, but he said, "I guess we'll add water to this last gallon and maybe it will be okay. The last two coats of paint were applied and we were exhausted.
The next morning we got up and walked over to the church only to see a terrible paint job. There were dark blotches and streaks everywhere. I felt really bad for spilling the paint. Kris calmly said "Let's Just pray about this and see what God wants us to do". So we prayed and almost immediately we heard a booming voice from above that said "REPAINT AND THIN NO MORE"
Much love, Dennis

　

　

　

Thank you

I just saw this video posted to a group on Facebook. It brought a tear to my eye. I can tell you that what my wife does is nothing short of miraculous. I'm so glad that God allowed me to have her in my life. She's not my only care giver, but without her…


http://youtu.be/EIpEM5ht3oo
Much LoveDennis





Much love

Mulligan

I'm reposting due to some of the very small print and the incorrect links on yesterday's text. I know that it was very hard to read on a smartphone.
This time of year is often confused by most of the population of the world. They consider it a holiday mainly for children, who are asked to believe that Santa Claus will bring them gifts if they have been good all year. :-)
The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

This is not just a holiday it is actually a "Christian Holy Day". I'm not angry about all the good that happens outside of a Christian influence during this season, but I would really like for credit to be given where credit is due. God gave the world a gift through his son Jesus. We celebrate his birth on December 25, more than likely not the actual anniversary but a day that we have selected to celebrate.

Another Christian influence that goes unnoticed by most is the way we date our existence on this earth. BC = Before Christ (the anointed one)
AD =An abbreviation used with a date, indicating how many years have passed since the birth of Jesus Christ. The abbreviation may appear before the date (a.d. 1988), or it may appear after the date (1988 a.d.). It stands for anno Domini, a Latin phrase meaning "in the year of our Lord."

Many know the symbol represents the medical profession. The rod or staff with wings and two snakes circling it. There are different theories of its origin, but the one that I believe to be true is this. Numbers 21 verse 8-9
The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
Jesus later explained (see John 3:14 & 15) that just as the Israelites were healed of their sickness by looking at the snake on the pole, all believers today can be saved from the sickness of sin by looking to Jesus’ death and resurrection. It wasn’t the snake on pole that healed the people, but their belief that God could heal them.
Goodbye,
No I'm not done. This also has a Christian origin.
Word History: No doubt more than one reader has wondered exactly how goodbye is derived from the phrase "God be with you." To understand this, it is helpful to see earlier forms of the expression, such as God be wy you, god b'w'y, godbwye, god buy' ye, and good-b'wy. The first word of the expression is now good and not God, for good replaced God by analogy with such expressions as good day, perhaps after people no longer had a clear idea of the original sense of the expression.
Now for the usual joke; since this turned out to be longer than my normal post I'm just going to say that when it comes to Jesus, there is no joke!
Much love Dennis

Merry Christmas

This time of year is often confused by most of the population of the world. They consider it a holiday mainly for children, who are asked to believe that Santa Claus will bring them gifts if they have been good all year. :-)
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/who-is-st-nicholas/


　

The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

This is not just a holiday it is actually a "Christian Holy Day". I'm not angry about all the good that happens outside of a Christian influence during this season, but I would really like for credit to be given where credit is due. God gave the world a gift through his son Jesus. We celebrate his birth on December 25, more than likely not the actual anniversary but a day that we have selected to celebrate.

Another Christian influence that goes unnoticed by most is the way we date our existence on this earth. BC = Before Christ (the anointed one)

AD =anno DominiAn abbreviation used with a date, indicating how many years have passed since the birth of Jesus Christ. The abbreviation may appear before the date (a.d. 1988), or it may appear after the date (1988 a.d.). It stands for anno Domini, a Latin phrase meaning "in the year of our Lord."
 

Many know the symbol represents the medical profession. There are different theories of its origin, but the one that I believe to be true is this.

  The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
Jesus later explained (see John 3:14 & 15) that just as the Israelites were healed of their sickness by looking at the snake on the pole, all believers today can be saved from the sickness of sin by looking to Jesus’ death and resurrection. It wasn’t the snake on pole that healed the people, but their belief that God could heal them.



Goodbye, no I'm not done. This also has a Christian origin.
Word History:
No doubt more than one reader has wondered exactly how goodbye is derived from the phrase "God be with you." To understand this, it is helpful to see earlier forms of the expression, such as God be wy you, god b'w'y, godbwye, god buy' ye, and good-b'wy. The first word of the expression is now good and not God, for good replaced God by analogy with such expressions as good day, perhaps after people no longer had a clear idea of the original sense of the expression.



Now for the usual joke; since this turned out to be longer than my normal post I'm just going to say that when it comes to Jesus, there is no joke!

Much love Dennis



　

　

　

　

　

Elf Bowling

Does anybody remember Elf Bowling? It came out in 1999 originally and several variations were soon to follow. It is still available online for free. I can remember playing it and laughing out loud at the different reactions that you would get from the elves. Yesterday, I learned about a new type of bowling. This bowling is done from a wheelchair and is the brainchild of William A. Miller. It's called an IkanBowler. Here is a link to his website

http://www.IkanBowler.com

 

I learned about this from my wife. She has a blogger friend, Dana Brown Ritter who started a group on Facebook called "Love Like This Life Group". It is for SCI patients and their caregivers. I can tell after just two days it is going to be very informative and inspirational for everyone involved.

Now that I'm posting on this format I can now put videos right on with the text I thought it was time for the lawnmower. There was more video, but I managed to mess it up. When I get to the corners, I lift my legs causing the mower to raise up then I turn, lower the mower and take off again. Hope you enjoy it and be sure to check out Mr. Miller's bowler.

Much love, Dennis

　

　

Today at Church

Today's church service was really good. After some praise and worship music, pastor Rich called down the kids for a short lesson. We normally run about 12-16 little ones, but I counted 30 today +1 at the piano that will be making his/her debut soon. Rich's lesson was about a person trying to help an ant find a piece of sugar on the ground. No matter how much help the person offered, the ant with his tiny brain would still go his own way. This is much like us with our limited knowledge trying to do everything our way and not taking advice from God whose knowledge has no limit. I must admit, I've been trying to learn that lesson for years.

Our sermon dealt with God's wisdom and Paul praying about his "thorn in the flesh". 2 Corinthians chapter 12

even though Paul wanted God to take away the thing that was affecting him, he was told by God  "My grace is all you need. My power works best works best in weakness" .

Rich was preaching from first-person experience, and I say this because, he told us that. I'm sure that his sermon probably hit home for many people. I personally cling to 1 Corinthians 1: 26-31

　

God chose the foolish things of this world to shame the wise. He chose the weak things of this world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things and the despised things and the things that are not so that no one may boast before him. It is because of Him that we are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God, that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, may the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.


Much Love, Dennis

Thanksgiving

This video I believe is a good representation of the evolution of the Thanksgiving holiday tradition. I've watched it a few times now and have noticed that they emphasize being thankful for many things, mainly getting through that first tough winter. After that, God allowed them to find favor with the local Wampanoag Indian tribe who taught them about living in this new land. Things went so well that the next harvest the pilgrims invited the Indians to join them in giving thanks to God for the abundance.
I have many things to be thankful for not only this time of year but every day. I have people around me who love me enough to sacrifice much of their time each day to do what it takes to allow me to live a comfortable life. I have access to television, the Internet, books on the computer, " including the Bible" and audio books. There are people all over the world who have none of these things. I know there are people who spend much of their time hoping for their next meal to come soon. I will make sure that I give credit where credit is due. Romans 8:28 I know that it is God who causes all things to work together for good to those of us who love him and who are called according to his purpose.

Thank you Lord for all that you have done, most of all, thank you for your son, Jesus who has made it possible for me to join you in heaven.
Much Love, Dennis

Mr Magoo

After my last post, I promised a lighthearted posting soon. This is something that I thought about several times, but never really felt a way to glue a few thoughts together. I drive a power chair and all of the controls are accessed by different movements of my head. Most of these are very slight and if you're not looking in the right spot you can't tell that I'm actually doing anything at all. A few months ago at St. Mary's Hospital in Enid I had the Dr. and two others "almost" convinced that the chair operated telepathically.  I just had to concentrate on what to do and it would do it. Others have asked me if I used the drinking straw as a control stick. In the pictures it near the left side of my mouth, and it is connected to a drinking cup behind me. They do actually make controls called-- Sip And Puff -- that will operate several different types of devices.

When all of the controls are set up just right, I can drive with precision. But just due to the nature of this set up, the controls are rarely perfect. That's when things can get interesting. There are places throughout our house where I have left my mark or marks because of less than adequate control. I have told Cheri that it is similar to the way our dogs mark their territory in the backyard, but with only visual marks. I'm not sure how many people actually know this, but I have even marked my spot in the sanctuary at our church, more than once.

I've noticed on television commercials that they sell brand-new furniture that is made to look old or weathered. I'm just trying to create that weathered look on a few things around the house.

Last week I thought of a comparison that might be a little funny to those who grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons in the 60's. Does anybody remember Mr. Magoo?

Much Love, Dennis

Veterans Day

This month the United States celebrate Veterans Day on the 11th. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day that are celebrated in other parts of the world as it marks the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. WWI was formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1919 with the German signing of the Armistice. FYI-this is not something that I pulled off the top of my head, I used Wikipedia.

In the United States, Veterans Day differs from Memorial Day in that it celebrates the service of all U.S. Military veterans, while Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving.

If it were not for the efforts of those who fought for freedom before I was born, we would not be able to go through the process of voting as we did on Tuesday. I know that many were disappointed and many were elated about the outcome of this election. I can tell you as a conservative, I was not happy with the outcome. I feel like our government is going beyond what is was created to do. I can tell you that I have benefited greatly from government funding through Medicare. However, I only believe that I'm here because of the grace of God. As a Christian I believe that the Bible addresses the issues that are going on throughout the world. I guess that some may consider me a Doomsdayer. I'm looking forward to the time when pain, suffering, and agony are no longer an issue for anyone; Anyone who has been Saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. I realize this may sound a little unlike my usual postings, but I feel like I'm here with this ability to reach out to those who read this to consider Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their life. I'm not talking about only those who consider themselves conservatives. I'm talking about anyone living here on this earth at this time.

I'm not ready to give up, I want God's best for everyone. There are people all over the world living in conditions much worse than I am. Some of them right here In The United States, the greatest nation on earth. The Bible tells me to pray for our leaders, and I will do that.

I do promise that my next post will be soon and it will be about "THE HAPPY BOY"-remember the song.

Thank you Veterans for the ability to express my views and opinions about politics and religion without any fear of repercussions. May God bless all of those who have served and all of those who are serving now.

Much Love, Dennis

　

Training

I received some sad news today. My friends Sterling and Lori Krysler will not be able to return to Fairview anytime soon. We met through a computer software course. Sterling and Lori have been doing these types of things for over 20 years. They teach alternative computer skills such as "Dragon Naturally Speaking", Magic Cursor, and Tracker Pro-mouse controller.  

Lori and Sterling have become much more than teachers, they are friends and Brothers and Sisters in Christ. We will continue to stay in touch through Facebook, e-mail, and probably some Skype. These two have been a tremendous boost to my faith and a great example of how to deal with adversity in this life. They are on my prayer list, and will continually be there. Sterling is always up for a good joke, I am hoping these will work :-)
　 　

Fixing broken computer

An office technician got a call from a user. The user told the tech that her computer was not working. She described the problem and the tech concluded that the computer needed to be brought in and serviced.

He told her to "Unplug the power cord and bring it up here and I will fix it."

About fifteen minutes later she shows up at his door with the power cord in her hand.

Much Love, Dennis

 

 

 

Encouraging

Sometimes, when it seems like I'm ready for the rapture, God reminds me that I'm still here on this Earth for a reason. I received a telephone call from a former coworker, just to check up on me. I was on speakerphone with Tim and his wife. I haven't talked to Tim in several months. It was just a reminder that even though I don't see a lot of different people, I have not been forgotten.

I made a new friend last week. While Cheri was mowing the lawn I was cruising around the driveway and the front yard, 2 gradeschool girls stopped in to visit me. I recognized one neighborhood girl right away, knowing her mother and father. The other girl also lived down the street, but was fairly new to the neighborhood. We talked about their schoolteachers, their principal, and one of their favorite teachers, Mrs. Redinger. Mrs. Redinger also happens to be married to our preacher Rich. Since it's hard for me to be a wallflower, one of them remembered seeing me at church on a Wednesday evening. I've seen them riding up and down the street most every evening, and when they see me they wave. Just a few minutes ago our doorbell rang and one of the girls brought me a flower. I'm normally not an overly emotional guy, but that was very touching.

It's awesome the way that God knows how to encourage me when I need it. The Word (Romans 8: 26-39) says that it is God who causes all things to work together for good, to those of us who love him and who are called according to his purpose.

Much love, Dennis

Prime parking spot

Over the last few years I have had the opportunity to watch people park in large parking lots. First of all, many times Cheri and I do not use the handicapped parking spaces. On occasion we will, because I have to have enough room for the ramp to extend out the side door. On a smooth parking lot, I can switch to fourth gear and run about 6 mph. So we leave some of the prime handicapped parking spots to someone who really needs them.

 

 

For the most part it's very easy to tell who needs these spots and who doesn't. On one occasion I thought that I was going to intervene between my daughter and two young men. They whipped into a handicapped spot right in front of the main doors and jogged up to the entrance and disappeared in a few seconds. Whitney grabbed her cell phone and was going to take a picture of their car (without a handicapped tag or sticker) and wait outside to video them on the way out. I know that Whitney was upset on my behalf, but she was persuaded to let it go. After all, I know that her attitude was probably something that she had learned from me, back in the day. Hopefully she learned a new lesson about representing her heavenly father. We both were 99% sure those boys did not qualify for parking in a handicapped spot, but there may come a time when they learn that lesson the hard way.
Much Love Dennis


PS



　

Last night, my husband and I were sitting in the living room and I said

to him, "I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine

and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug."

He got up, unplugged the computer, and threw out my wine.

3-D glasses

Thanks to my eye doctor for the new 3-D glasses. Almost everything I look at-except the television-appears in 3-D. When I went outside it was just like I could reach out and touch the bark on the trees.
Much love, Dennis :-)

The favor of God

I've been spending time reading and listening to teaching concerning "the favor of God". Basically Romans 4. Abraham believed what God told him concerning his children, even though he and Sarah were both past the normal age of childbirth. God told him that his offspring would also receive favor, not only those who were of the law (legally of the same bloodline) but also those of us who believe as Abraham believes. You'll probably have to read Romans 4 to follow my train of thought.

The reason for this is because of the many times that I have prayed for others and myself to receive favor here on earth. I can't testify for others specifically, but I can tell you about a particular set of circumstances that I'm going through.

I am seeing Dr. Charles Shields concerning the pain in my abdomen. I have seen him before, but it's been several years and that was for my neck. About three months ago one of my doctors referred me to him and at that time there was no clear diagnosis for the source of my pain. I met with him and after 20 min. of discussion he said he really could not do anything until a couple of the things were ruled out. He told me that it was good to see me again and that there would be no charge because he considered this to be just a reunion of a couple of friends. What a guy!

After  other organs were ruled out I was once again referred to Dr. Shields. His schedule was full for over a month, but he overheard his receptionist mention my name and came to the phone to talk with my dad. After a short discussion, my dad said that sounds great, we will see you then. He had agreed to meet me later that week after hours. Cheri and I went to the appointment, we discussed some procedures and medications. Dr. Shields also asked for my e-mail and wanted to know if I would be interested in using Skype to make it easier for me to connect with him. We have been e-mailing, but we haven't done a Skype session yet.

Here is my point, Dr. Shields is a great guy, a great Doctor and God is using him to show me favor. I HAVE NO DOUBT.

Thank you Lord for using Dr. Shields

Much Love, Dennis

PS

An old dollar bill and an even older $20 arrive at a Federal Reserve Bank to be retired.
"I've had a pretty good life," the $20 says. "I've been to Vegas, the finest restaurants in New York, and even on a Caribbean cruise."
"You did have an exciting life!" the dollar says.
"Where have you been?" the $20 asks.
"Oh, I've been to the Methodist church, the Baptist church, spent some time with the Lutherans..."
"Wait," the $20 interrupts. "What's a church?"

Bible Verses

I believe the that the words in the Bible are true and when we read them, meditate on them, and/or speak them, in belief, they release spiritual power. On Earth, just as they do in Heaven.

I can remember at times after my accident meditating on Bible verses, especially when I could not sleep. At that point in my life I only had a few Scriptures memorized along with some songs based on Bible verses. When I finally made it back to Fairview, my friend Ed Scott persuaded me to memorize more verses. Thank you Ed. I now have more ammunition at my disposal when my enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. I also know that I could never have enough ammo (Scripture). I can tell you from experience that you should not procrastinate when it comes to learning Scripture. Bad things do happen to good people, I've heard this said too many times "I never thought it would happen to me".

It's kind of like having a flashlight with dead batteries. You know that you can use fresh batteries but you keep putting it off. Then when you least expect it the electricity goes out and you have a flashlight handy, but no power to eliminate the darkness.

This was inspired by a joke from my friend Gina Patee :-)

　

A woman had just returned to her home from an evening of church services, when she was startled by an intruder.

She caught the man in the act of robbing her home of its valuables and yelled: 'Stop! Acts 2:38!' (Repent and be Baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven.)

The burglar stopped in his tracks. The woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done.

As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar: 'Why did you just stand there? All the old lady did was yell a scripture to you.'

'Scripture?' replied the burglar. 'She said she had an Ax and Two 38s!'

Send this to someone who needs a laugh today and remember. Knowing scripture can save your life - in more ways than one!

In God we trust

Much Love, Dennis

I have avoided talking about this, but Cheri said that my blog should be like my journal and that I should let you know what is going on in my life. For quite some time I've been dealing with some pain. At first, it was annoying and intermittent, but it has been escalating lately and a few times has been very, very, hard to handle. I've been to several different doctors looking for the cause and no one has been able to pinpoint anything. I also understand that SCI patients can have phantom pain.  Phantom pain is is usually associated with amputees, but nevertheless it is still being interpreted as pain.
I'm unable to spend more than a few minutes at a time sitting at the computer. I did find out Tuesday that what I'm feeling may be muscular pain in my abdomen, and not due to my stomach or diaphragm.
I do have several scriptures committed to memory that I try to concentrate on when the pain shows up.
1st Peter 5: vs. 8-10 is my first one to go to. I have several others, but I would like some advice from you about others because I know that everyone has gone through  trying times at some point.

I've already spent too much time whining, it's time for "A Merry Heart"

A man was walking along a California beach and stumbled across an old lamp. He picked it up and rubbed it and out popped a genie.
The genie said "OK, OK. You released me from the lamp, blah blah blah. This is the fourth time this month and I'm getting a little sick of these wishes so you can forget about three. You only get one wish!"
The man sat and thought about it for a while and said, "I've always wanted to go to Hawaii but I'm scared to fly and I get very seasick. Could you build me a bridge to Hawaii so I can drive over there to visit?"
The genie laughed and said, "That's impossible. Think of the logistics of that! How would the supports ever reach the bottom of the Pacific? Think of how much concrete...how much steel!! No-think of another wish."
The man said OK and tried to think of a really good wish. Finally,he said, "I've been married and divorced four times. My wives always said that I don't care and that I'm insensitive. So, I wish that I could understand women.... know how they feel inside and what they're thinking when they give me the silent treatment.... know why they're crying, know what they really want when they say 'nothing'.... know how to make them truly happy...."
The genie said, "You want that bridge two lanes or four?"
Much Love, Dennis

I been able to take advantage of the cooler weather to spend some time outside in the mornings. I can sit on the deck, dwell on some Scriptures that I have memorized and just enjoy God's creation. In the evenings Cheri and I have been able to spend some time on the deck visiting and going over devotions. I've really been enjoying these times.

School is back in session and I don't see as many of kids running up and down the street as usual. Last week while I was out with my dad one afternoon I bumped into my high school English teacher, Geraldine Burns. She remembered me after one small hint. She is an outstanding teacher and I really appreciate what I learned in her class even though if I had put out a little effort, I would've learned much more.
I thought this might be a good time for a joke about school.

A mom and dad were worried about their son not wanting to learn math at the school he was in, so they decided to send him to a Catholic school. After the first day of school, their son comes racing into the house, goes straight into his room and slams the door shut. Mom and dad are a little worried about this and go to his room to see if he is okay. They find him sitting at his desk doing his homework. The boy keeps doing that for the rest of the year. At the end of the year the son brings home his report card and gives it to his mom and dad. Looking at it they see under math an A+.
Mom and dad are very happy and ask the son, "What changed your mind about learning math?"
The son looked at mom and dad and said, "Well, on the first day when I walked into the classroom, I saw a guy nailed to the plus sign at the back of the room behind the teacher's desk and I knew they meant business."

Much Love, Dennis

Happy Boy Song

This is something that is pretty funny to me, although it seems to be a touchy subject to others. Most people know my circumstances, but not everyone knows me. I don't see myself as less than normal, just different. When I'm in public some people are leery or even afraid to approach me because of what they see. The old adage "Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover" is applicable for me. I have noticed that some people will look at me and then realize that I am making eye contact with them and they will look away as if they're embarrassed or unsure as to what to do. Those who know me will go ahead and smile and wave even though I don't wave back. I usually just smile and nod my head in acknowledgment. I understand where they're coming from and in some situations it may be that ignoring the obvious might be the best move. That's not how I roll, PUN INTENDED. If you come up and say hi, be sure to wait a few seconds before expecting an answer because my diaphragm pacer pulses every 5 seconds. If I happen to be inhaling and you're expecting a reply, I have to wait until the exhale cycle begins. It's not painful, just a part of the process that I deal with. I'm not fragile mentally, as a matter of fact I probably have thicker skin than most. Mainly because I understand what it's like to be in your shoes. That's why I thought I would write this, to let you know what it's like from my point of view. Sometimes it can actually be pretty funny. I've had people come up to me and give me sign language or speak very loud because they thought that my ears may not work well. I can tell you that I can hear as well or better than most people my age :-)



So here's the deal. When you see me smile and wave and if possible wait for a reply. I'm a happy boy.



Much love, Dennis

How Great Thou Art - HD - Barbershop Multitrack

I received this song through e-mail and it's been in my head a lot.  It  is the one that I would like everyone to listen for at least a minute.

Much Love, Dennis

Mercy Me- I can only imagine with lyrics

I still like all of that old music, but today much of the music I listen to has a spiritual connection to it, like I ONLY IMAGINE


Much love, Dennis

Sing Your Praise To The Lord - Amy Grant (HQ)

The first Christian song that really caught my ear was by Amy Grant, called SING YOUR PRAISE TO THE LORD

It starts off slow and gradually builds over 1 min. 10 seconds. The lyrics are the reason why I continue to love it.
Much love, Dennis

Music #3

I have an enlarged  funnybone. Here's the proof.

Music #2

When I got my first car I would listen to HOTEL CALIFORNIA


It has an acoustic guitar beginning that I really like. Some of my other favorite artists are Bob Seeger, Styx, CCR, Ted Nugent, Boston, Kansas, and many others from the 70s and 80s. In the early 80s, I started listening to some Christian music. It wasn't necessarily the lyrics, it started out because of the sound. I found some songs that would really sound great on my car stereo. After several run-of-the-mill car stereos I found a set up for a 1978 Camaro that would really kick. It had a Craig receiver and amplifier/equalizer and four Jensen speakers. I thought I was on top of the world. I look back now and think that maybe God was using music to get me interested in him.
Much love, Dennis

Music #1

This is number 1 of a six part post. The others should be following daily. I am separating them to avoid one long posting. My theme is music and how my preferences have changed over the years. You may want to just listen to part of the music video to get a taste of it. I would hope that you would listen to the last one for at least a minute. When you get there, you'll understand why.


Music has been a big part of my life for many years. I don't have a God given gift of music like my mother-in-law or my daughter. They can sit down with a guitar or a piano and just start playing. I can play the radio really well. I do have two good ears and I can really appreciate a good music system. Today I have a nice sound bar with a powered subwoofer system for my computer.


I can remember in junior high listening to Dr. Demento on Sunday nights. One of my favorite songs was SPAM
I have matured "a little bit" since then.
Much love, Dennis

Grand Lake- now and then

Grand Lake vacation was awesome this year. This is Tyler, with his child. I think Tyler was 5 yrs. old the first time we met him. He is Max Tillman's (the owner) oldest son.

This time next year there will be two more grandchildren on the Carlisle side. Grant and his wife Dianna are expecting as well as Blake and Haley Wedel.

Starting at the left Jami McAdoo --Cheri Boyer--Charlotte Webb--Kourtney Childers--Debbie Carlisle--Haley Wedel--Dianna Carlisle. It's kind of fun to think back to the first few years at Grand Lake. Whitney, Grant, Blake C. were all preteens and I think that Haley was 13 or 14. Blake, the youngest of these 4 is now 25 and has a daughter of his own, Ava.

One of the things that I remember from the early years at Honey Creek is Haley marching up to the cabins and with a very stern look on her face. She exclaimed: "I'm going to ring the necks of two little boys on the dock! They have been calling Blakey FOUR EYES." Back then Blake wore glasses. From the look on her face, I think she was serious.

I was a little sad that Whitney couldn't make it this year as well as Dan and Gwen Willits, but there's always next year.

Much love, Dennis

Wednesday

I am so thankful for the wonderful weather and good health that I'm experiencing this year. It brings to mind Romans 8:28. It is God who causes all things to work together for good to those of us who love him and who are called according to his purpose. Wednesday was a typical morning, relaxing around the cabins and picnic table for a while and then heading down to the dock. I don't know exactly why it is, but the dock is my "HAPPY PLACE". Maybe it's because it is close to part of the 23rd Psalm where it talks about green pastures, still waters, restoring my soul, no fear and a banquet table.

Blake Wedel arrived in the afternoon. I think that brought the total of our group to 17. This was not the first time for Haley's husband Blake to join us at Grand Lake. Many years ago, I'm not exactly sure how many, Haley and Blake were dating and Blake spent a couple days at Honey Creek.

There is always a lot of joking around, trash talking and an occasional practical joke at the lake. It has become a tradition. For several years Cheri and Grant Carlisle had a running joke. Grant would tell Cheri that he needed a sandwich or something to drink and Cheri would reply "Do I have MAID tattooed on my forhead?" Occasionally somebody still brings that up and it gave me an idea. Here's a picture Of Grant and Diana Carlisle at the Lazy Parrot Restaurant.

HEY CHERI, CAN I GET YOU A SANDWICH? Since Grant has been known to occasionally misspell a word or two I thought that maybe two versions might be good.

You know I love you, Grant I also had something else in mind when we were at the Lazy Parrot restaurant.

Much Love, Dennis

The Feast

The picnic table is to the right of the Philips 66 sign.

Tuesday afternoon our group numbered, 16. We weren't sure just yet about our new chef - Blake Carlisle. He brought his outdoor wok and began preparing what turned out to be the best meal "in my opinion" of the whole vacation. We gathered at the picnic table and watched, listened, and smelled the preliminary steps to a feast. I'm not sure about everyone else, but I definitely pigged out!

Before anyone was allowed to dig in, Kaiser led us in prayer.

We also had a member of the group celebrate a sixth birthday. I'll let you guess which one.

If you guessed Kaiser, try again.

Preston Webb celebrating 6.  He also became a member of the Honey Creek Wakeboard Team. Way to go Preston!

I am so thankful to GOD for the pleasant weather and my continued healing. I know that  sometime soon I will be enjoying life from an upright position.

Much love, Dennis

delay

I am having some upgrades on my computer, I'll be posting soon.

Dennis

Tuesday: A typical beginning at our Grove getaway. Down to the picnic table for some coffee and deep thinking. :-), Today we started out shorthanded with Kaiser, Tyler, and Preston at the Shangri-La golf course. Max and Ryan Webb rolled me down to the dock. A few hours later, Blake, Bethaney, and Ava Carlisle arrived and brought Haley back. Later that afternoon, the guys headed out for some wake boarding and surfing. I've never experienced surfing, yet, but I think that it will be fun.

Over the years we have experienced many mechanical breakdowns. I can remember 2 flat tires on the on the pontoon trailer, 1-300 hp outboard playing dead all week, a broken windshield, numerous breakdowns on the standup jet skis and WaveRunners, and a few bumps, bruises, and pulled muscles. Many years ago those small problems seemed like mountains, I have personally let a few of those things ruin several days of vacation. Today I know better! Over the years I've learned that "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." I also know that " God causes ALL things to work together for good to those of us who love Him and who are called according to his purpose." What used to look like a mountain, is actually several small problems congregated in one particular place. There is an old saying that I like to use as an illustration for conquering mountains. Question: How do you eat an elephant? Answer: One bite at a time.

This year there were some molehills (small problems), but it really isn't that hard to overcome a molehill. Much love, Dennis

Honey Creek Resort Vacation day #1

This was also posted on the Care Pages website.

Grand Lake vacation: Day one

Cheri and I were the first to arrive at Honey Creek. We picked up the key from the front desk and right away I saw Tyler and Marcus, two of the owner's sons.

We pulled up to the cabin and within a couple of minutes our friend and owner of Honey Creek, Max Tillman II, showed up asking if he could help Cheri to unload. I'm a firm believer that God puts people in our path to ease some of our burdens. Max T. on many occasions has donned wings and a halo.

The Carlisles and the Webbs were just a short time behind us. We settled in, and I headed down to the picnic table next to cabin five. This is the place where we make all of the decisions about what we're going to do each and every minute of the next day-NOT!!  We do make some plans, but for the most part we play it by ear every day. It's kind of like when we allow God to light the path that we're on, and being comfortable only able to see one step ahead.

Around seven o'clock the rumblings of thunder became apparent and we were soon chased indoors because of the lightning. The electricity flickered a few times and then quit completely. Fortunately it was only off for about 30 min. The cabins that we stay in are made of cinderblock and tend to warm up pretty fast without the air-conditioner running.

Cheri and I turned off the lights at about 10:30 PM and I'm not sure how well she slept, because I fell asleep at approximately 10:32 PM. And that was day one.

Much love, Dennis

Vacation 2012

Sunday, July 8:

Cheri and I, along with Max and Debbie Carlisle, and Haley Wedel left Fairview headed to Honey Creek resort in Grove, Oklahoma. We were meeting the Webb’s at Grove, but this year our daughter Whitney didn’t get to go and the Willits’s did not get to go.  The skies were overcast and occasionally leaking a few scattered raindrops. We had perfect weather for a leisurely drive. For most of the many years that Cheri and I made this trip, I was driving my pickup and pulling our pontoon boat. Sometimes there were even a couple of stand up jet skis strapped on. The boat was loaded with wake boards, trick skis, air chair, fishing poles, air mattresses and lawn chairs. We used to play hard and then go to the dock and rest before moving on to a different activity. I'll have those memories forever.

Last year we made the trip to Grand Lake, but my health was not good. I was miserable 90% the time and I'm sure that affected everyone else in our group. I'm in much better health this year and I am determined to enjoy every possible minute of this vacation.

Unlike the past, Cheri is the driver and I ride shotgun. I've seen things today that I never saw when my attention was focused on the road. It was a much more leisurely drive. I will elaborate some other time about each day of the vacation, but today I want everyone to know that I enjoyed each and every minute of my 2012 vacation at Honey Creek resort. Honey Creek is a very special place with some very special people, but for the most part what makes for good times are the people that you are with.

AND A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL!

Much love, Dennis