After our trip to Florida, we drove to the Church beach retreat. We had a nice time. We met new friends and got to know others better. We also had a great theme about baptism and the journey after we are dunked.
Below is a slide show of the landscape on Fort Caswell. I also have some pictures of people/activities:
It has been a long week. We drove down to Florida for Granny Snelgrove's funeral. I was amazed to find out the number of people she touched in her life. I know she touched mine with a great sense of humor, love, and a few pinches for the heck of it. I loved going to her house to visit. We would look at all the old family pictures, talk politics & religion, remember the farm days, and sometimes just sit and be...
Kathi spent a lot of time with her growing up and I know Granny made a big impression on her life. Talking to everyone at the funeral and dinner, I am amazed that the little old lady from Fort White made such a big impact on so many people's lives. I hope my life can be lived as full and if I impact even a small percentage of what she did, it would be an honor.
We love you Granny....
Well my boy is getting older. He woke up and discovered a large soccer net in the backyard. We played soccer really early in the morning. What I enjoyed was the unexpected hug while we were playing. He told me he loved me and the soccer goal was the best.
I also lugged 8 bags of sand to the sandbox, that no one played with. But, at least I got a new fancy 4 wheel garden cart to use out of the deal.
This was his first real birthday party that did not only consist of family and neighbors.
He was easy going about it, just happy to have a party. He did not care about a theme or specifics.
He had about 5 kids over and they had a wonderful time. We played hide and seek, soccer, ate hot dogs and cake, open presents, ran around wild...
Click here to see the birthday party pictures. It was a really nice time and we enjoyed everyone. I hope he has these friends for a lifetime. My wife talks about relationships like that and it amazes me. I think that would be really cool.
OK, so I just realized all the videos I took with my 35 mm camera where never uploaded. I planned to incorporate them into one movie with music, but do not have time.
Click on the Family Videos link listed in the top right of this page to view them. They are listed as Christmas 2007. From Chloe dancing, Lisa singing, to electric shock treatment.
Below is one I plan to show Caitlyn's boyfriends... Check out Grandma Jill, not knowing the words does not stop her!
I have seen a few sites similar to http://glassbooth.org/, but this site not only lets you see what candidate your most aligned with, but allows you to compare many of the issues in detail, including quotes and votes on issues. It displays your rank vs. theirs.
This man has been my hero all my life. I remember as a kid getting picked on because I was a white kid who talked about MLK. Few years back I marched in a MLK parade and was one of a handful of white people that was not in a political position. I had a black gentlemen ask why I was there...
I read a lot about MLK through the years. I discovered towards the end of his life, he pushed other social justice issues like Antiwar, poverty, and women rights. Many whites and blacks told him to keep to his "black agenda".
I read a book titled "Where Do We Go from Here" and this statement haunts me, because it can fit today:
"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." Martin Luther King Jr.
I read on MSN that King was working on a sermon the day he was killed. I don't think much of the sermon was documented. But, here is a portion found:
"If America does not use her vast resources of wealth to end poverty, to make it possible for all of God's children to have the basic necessities of life, she too will go to Hell"
As the MSN story mentions, it sounds like a few comments Dr. Wright has made.
I listened to the clips shown on TV and also did my own research online.
I don't think I like how he presented some of his comments, but the content had meaning & merit for the audience.
Recently, there has been conversation and I am glad because I thought I was the only white person that did not want to kick Dr. Wright and Obama out of the country.
Somewhat related, I got an email from Sojourners Magazine that was interesting, it is posted below:
"Forty years later, and the media is still re-hashing racial fears and polarization.
Tell them to live up to King's dream.
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King Jr. - a tragic end to a life spent moving the nation towards racial justice and reconciliation. But in the last few weeks, instead of building on his legacy, the news media have been in a feeding frenzy that plays on our worst fears and demeans the prophetic tradition of the black church.
Tell the television networks to honor King's legacy by covering racial issues in a way worthy of his dream.
Rev. Jeremiah Wright has preached for more than 3,000 hours in the course of his career, but the cable news networks have used a handful of 30-second clips, often taken completely out of context, to exploit racial fears.
Fox News has set the tone for much of this coverage. Even after Barack Obama rejected Rev. Wright's most incendiary comments, on-air host Sean Hannity asked whether Obama's candidacy was "dangerous for this country," saying, "if he agreed with Wright, and I don't know that he does, but if he did, that would mean a racist and an anti-Semite would be president of the United States."
Martin Luther King Jr. didn't endorse political candidates (and neither does Sojourners), but he knew something about attracting controversy from the pulpit. In fact, the week before his death, he was planning a sermon for that Sunday titled "Why America May Go to Hell."
But when King spoke difficult truths, he did so in the pursuit of what he called "the beloved community," believing the nation could overcome racial divisions not by ignoring them, but by coming together in the spirit of nonviolence to pursue the common good.
Click here to tell the media to use this anniversary for racial dialogue and reconciliation, not fear and division.
And please join us in praying that we all might have the courage to continue in King's mission to "redeem the soul of America."
Tuesday night I volunteered to help out an organization called Reino Hoy. They are trying to develop leaders in the Hispanic/Latino community.
This particular event is a computer class. Parents with their kids take the 6 week class, where they learn about computers. During the class children work with the parents to create a journal. By the end of the class they learn how to operate a computer and MS Office. They also leave with a family journal that documents their past, present, and future dreams. It is a neat way to learn and provides a great bonding tool for the family. At the end of the session, they get a computer and chance to take a internet class as well.
I worked in the kids session and they all seemed excited. All of them were bilingual and smart kids. I think the classes benefited many of the parents who spoke little English. It was a neat experience and I plan to help out each Tuesday in April
I created the logo you see here and am developing a website for them as well. I have two version but I am having trouble with the WCMS install, so I created a version on Google Pages for now. Check it out at http://reinohoync.googlepages.com/.
