CNG Conversion Pictures

Looking at the tank from the tailgate view

Tank looking from the opposite view

Where we refuel

Under the hood

Change over to gasoline on "the fly"

Last Night At Our Church...

Last night at our church one of the youth pastors was speaking. His sermon was on activating the power of the Holy Spirit within us. He told of being at a conference of some kind and a couple came up for prayer because they wanted to have children and couldn't. He said he and his wife laid hands on the woman and prayed. He said at the time he did not feel anything spectacular happen but they prayed in faith and never thought much about it afterwards. He said this same church had called them back to do something else in their church about 5 months later and this same woman came running up to them holding up 2 xrays. When she held them up she said this one was before my hysterectomy and this one is now. In the last one you could see a baby. How cool is that?! God had replaced the female parts and the couple was now pregnant. Praise God!

Marriage...

"Do not marry a person that you know you can live with:
only marry someone that you can not live without!"

Brian Shul ... Veitnam Vet Concerning 9/11

Brian Shul... A Vietnam era USAF fighter pilot, 212 combat missions, shot down near the end of the war and was so badly burned that he was given next to no chance to live. Did live, went on to fly SR-71s and completed a 20 year career in the Air Force.


It is not often that a fighter pilot is asked to be the keynote speaker. There is a rumor that they are unable to put two sentences together coherently. I'd like to dispel that rumor today by saying that I can do that, and in fact that I have written several books. I always wanted to be an author, and I ARE one now.

I'm a pretty lucky person really. I'm like the little boy who tells his father that when he grows up he wants to be a jet pilot, and his father replies, "Sorry son, you can't do both". I made that choice a long time ago and flew the jets.

I was fortunate to live my dream, and then some. I survived something I shouldn't have, and today, tell people that I am 28 years old, as it has been that long since I was released from the hospital. It was like I received a second life, and in the past 28 years, I have gotten to see and do much, so much that I would not have thought possible. Returning to fly jets in the Air Force, flying the SR-71 on spy missions, spending a year with the Blue Angels, running my own photo studio.... and so much more. And now, seeing our country attacked in such a heinous way.

Some of you here today have heard me speak before, and know that I enjoy sharing my aviation slide show. I have brought no slides to show you, as I feel compelled today, to address different issues concerning this very difficult time in our nation's history.

I stand before you today, not as some famous person, or war hero. I am far from that. You know, they say a good landing is one you can walk away from, and a really great one is when you can use the airplane again. Well, I did neither.........and I speak to you today as simply a fellow American citizen.

Like you, I was horrified at the events of September 11th. But I was not totally surprised that such a thing could happen, or that there were people in the world who would perpetrate such deeds, willingly, against us. Having sat through many classified briefings while in the Air Force, I was all too aware of the threat, and I can assure you, it has always been there in one form or another. And those of you who have served in the defense of this nation, know all too well the response that is needed. In every fighter squadron I was in, there was a saying that we knew to be true, that said, when there was a true enemy, you negotiate with that enemy with your knee in his chest and your knife at his throat.

Many people are unfamiliar with this way of thinking, and shrink from its ramifications. War is such a messy business, and there are many who want no part of it, but rush to bask in the security blanket of its victory.

I spent an entire military career fighting Communism, and was very proud to do so. We won that war, we beat one of the worst scourges to humankind the world has known. But it took a great effort, over many years of sustained vigilance and much sacrifice by so many whose names you will never know. And perhaps our nation, so weary from so long a cold war, relaxed too much and felt the world was a safer place with the demise of the Soviet Union. We indulged ourselves in our own lives, and gave little thought to the threats to our national security.

You know, normally my talks are laced with numerous jokes as I share my stories, but I have very few jokes to tell this afternoon. These murdering fanatics came into our land, lived amongst our people, flew on our planes, crashed them into our buildings, and killed thousands of our citizens. And nowhere along their gruesome path were they questioned or stopped. The joke is on us. We allowed this country to become soft.

We shouldn't really be too surprised that this could happen. Did we really think that we could keep electing officials who put self above nation and this would make us stronger? Did we really think that a strong economy adequately replaced a strong intelligence community? Did we imagine that a President who practically gave away the store on his watch, was insuring national security? While our country was mired in the wasted excess of a White House sex scandal, the drums of war beat loudly in foreign lands, and we were deaf. Our response was to give the man two terms in office, and even then barely half the American public exercised their right to vote. We have only ourselves to blame. Our elected officials are merely a reflection of our own values and what we deem important.

Did we not realize that America had become a laughing stock around the world? We had lost credibility, even amongst our allies. To our enemies we had no resolve. We made a lot of money, watched a lot of TV, and understood little about what was happening beyond our shores. We were, simply, an easy target.

But we are a country awakened now. We have been attacked in our homeland. We have now felt the reality of what an unstable and dangerous world it truly is. And still, in the face of this unprecedented carnage in our most prominent city, there are those who choose to take this opportunity to protest, and even burn the flag.

If I were the regents or alumni of certain large universities in this county, I would be embarrassed to be producing students of such ignorance and naïve notions. Like mindless sheep, they march with painted faces and trite sayings on signs, blissfully ignorant of the world they live in, and the system that protects them, hoping maybe to make the evening news. Perhaps if they had spent more time in class they would have learned that those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. They might have learned that all it takes for evil to succeed in the world, is for good people to stand by and do nothing. If they had simply gone back in history as recently as the Viet Nam War, they would have learned that an enemy that knows it can never defeat us militarily, will persist as long as there is dissention and disruption in our land. Their ignorance can be understood, as their young empty minds have been filled with the re-written history tripe that tenured leftist professors can spew out with no fear of removal. But the unwitting aid they provide the enemy, in disrupting the national resolve, is unforgivable.

I think this is wonderful country, though, that gives everyone their voice of dissention. I am all for people expressing their views publicly because it makes it much easier for us to identify the truly foolish, and to know who cannot be counted on in times of crisis. These are the weak and cowardly who, when the enemy is crashing through the front door, will cower in the back room, counting on better men than themselves to make and keep them free. Well, the enemy is at our front door, and isn't it interesting those who cry loudest and most often for their rights, are usually those least willing to defend it.

I heard a student on TV the other day say that this war just wasn't in his plans and he would simply head to Canada if a draft occurred. Just wasn't in his plans.

I wonder what plans the young men at the beaches of Normandy had that they never got to live. I wonder if it was in the plans of 19-year-old boys in Viet Nam to lie dying in a jungle far from home. I guess the men and women at Pearl Harbor one morning had their plans slightly rearranged too. Gee, I hope we haven't inconvenienced this student. Those people in the World Trade Center have no more plans. It is up to us to have a plan now. And it isn't going to be easy. Who ever said it would? Just what part of our history spoke of how easy it was to form a free nation? It has never been easy and has always required vigilance and sacrifice, and sometimes war, to preserve this union. If it were easy, everyone would have done it. But no one else has, and we stand alone as the most unique country on earth.

And isn't it amazing that we have spent a generation stamping God out of our schools and government, and now as a nation, have collectively turned to God in memorial services, prayer vigils and churches around this country.

I am also very disturbed to hear that there are people in this country, at this particular time, who feel it inappropriate to wear the flag on their lapel because they are on the news or in a public job, and school officials who want to remove pro-American stickers so as not to offend foreign students. Well I am offended that these people call themselves Americans. I am offended that innocent people were killed in a mass attack of unthinkable proportions. And I am offended at listening to TV broadcasters speak to me condescendingly, with a bias that screams of their drowning in a cesspool of political correctness. I pity the person who thinks they are going to remove this flag from my lapel.

This flag of ours is the symbol of all that is good about this country. America is an idea. It is an idea lived, and fought for, by a people. We are America, and this is our symbol. We are imperfect in many ways, but we continue to strive toward the ideal our forefathers laid down for us over 225 years ago. I could never imagine desecrating that symbol. Perhaps there are many people in this nation who have never been abroad, or in harms way, and seen the flag upon their return. Those poor souls can never know the deep pride and honor one feels to see it wave, to know that there is still a good ol' USA. With all our warts we are still the greatest nation on earth, and the flag is the most powerful symbol of that greatness. When I was in grade school, we used to say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning. It is something I never forgot. I wonder how many children even know that pledge today.

This flag is our history, our dreams, our accomplishments, indelibly expressed in bright red, white, and blue. This flag was carried in our Revolutionary War, although it had many less stars. But it persevered and evolved throughout a war we had no right to believe we could win. But we did, and built a country around it. This flag, tattered and battle worn, waved proudly from the mast, as John Paul Jones showed the enemy what true resolve was. This banner was raised by the hands of brave men on a godforsaken island called Iwo Jima, and became a part of the most famous photo of the 20th Century. Those men are all dead now, but their legacy lives on in the Marine Memorial in Washington, DC. Those of you who have seen it will recall that inscribed within the stone monument are the words-When Uncommon Valor, Was A Common Virtue- I don't believe you'll see the words, "it was easy", anywhere on it. This flag has even been to the moon, planted there for all time by men with a vision, and the courage to see it through.

I personally know what it is to see the flag, and feel something deep inside that makes you feel you are a part of something much bigger than yourself. Laying in a hospital bed, I can vividly recall looking out the only window in the room and on Sundays, seeing that big garrison flag flying proudly in the breeze. It filled the entire window, and filled my heart with a motivation that helped me leave that bed, and enabled me to be standing here today. And many years later, while fighting another terrorist over Libya, my backseater and I outraced Khaddafi's missiles in our SR-71 as we headed for the Mediterranean, and I can still clearly see that American flag patch on the shoulder of my space suit, staring at me in the rear view mirror as we headed west, and it was a good feeling. Now don't ask me why we had rear view mirrors in the world's fastest jet, I can assure you, no one was gaining on us that day.

I am so happy to see so many flags out here today. Long may it wave.

History will judge us. How we confront this chapter of American history will be important for the future of this great nation. This will be a war like none other we have endured. The combatants will not just be the soldier on the battlefront, but will be fought by us the citizens. We are on the battlefield now; the war has been brought to us. We will determine the outcome of this war by how well we remain vigilant, how patient we are with tightened security, how well we support the economy, and most importantly, in the resolve we show the enemy. There are some things worth fighting for, and this country is one of them.

I pray for our leaders at this time. In the Pacific, during WW II, Admiral Bull Halsey said, "There are no great men, just great circumstances, and how they handle those circumstances will determine the outcome of history". Our future and the future of coming generations are in our hands. Wars are not won just on military fronts, but by the resolve of the people. We must remain tenaciously strong in the pursuit of this enemy that threatens free people everywhere.

I am encouraged that we will win this war. Even before the first shot was finished being fired, there were brave Americans on Flight 93, fighting back. These people were the first true heroes of this conflict, and gave their lives to save their fellow countrymen.

This nation, this melting pot of humanity, this free republic, must be preserved. This idea that is America is important enough to be defended. Fought for. Even die for. The enemy fears what you have, for if their people ever become liberated into a free society, tyrannical dictatorships will cease and he will lose power.

How can they ever understand this country of ours, so self-indulgent and diverse, yet when attacked, so united in the defense of its principals. This is the greatest country in the world because brave people sacrificed to make it that way. We are a collective mix of greatness and greed, hi-tech and heartland. We are the country of Mickey Mouse and Mickey Mantle; from John Smith and Pocahontas to John Glen and an Atlas booster; from Charles Lindbergh to Charley Brown; from Moby Dick to Microsoft; we are a nation that went from Kitty Hawk to Tranquility Base in less than 70 years; we are rock and roll, and the Bill of Rights; we are where everyone else wants to be, the greatest nation in the world.

The enemy does not understand the dichotomy of our society, but they should understand this; we will bandage our wounds, we will bury our dead; and then we will come for you.......and we will destroy you and all you stand for.

I read this quote recently and would like to share it with you:

We are pressed on every side, but not crushed,

Perplexed, but not in despair,

Persecuted, but not abandoned,

Struck down, but not destroyed.

That is from II Corinthians. Not too long ago it would have been politically incorrect to quote from the Bible. I am so happy to be politically INCORRECT. And I am so proud to be an American.

Thank you all for showing your support for your government, and your nation. You are the true patriots, you are the soldiers of this war, you are the strength of America.

© Brian Shul
Taken from here
It is true

Running On CNG

Officially as of Thursday May 14 we are now running CNG in our truck instead of gasoline. There is no difference in driving. The only thing is it is half the capacity as the gasoline tank which means I can go only about 150 miles on the tank of CNG. The gasoline tank is 30 gallons. But... the price makes all the difference. Gasoline at the present time that I wrote this is $3.59 a gallon. CNG is about 90 cents a gallon. So I think filling up more often is ok at that price. Also, CNG is a cleaner running than gasoline. Its only inconvenience is you have to fill up more often. And if I run out of CNG before I get to the pump... I just flip a switch and I am back to gasoline. But don't see that happening. There is a pump not far from us and then one right by where Ken works so not a problem. I will post pictures later since Ken took my truck today.

Reynolds Wrap and Saran Wrap... did you know?

I've been using aluminum foil for more years than I care to remember. Great stuff, but sometimes it can be a pain. You know, like when you are in the middle of doing something and you try to pull some foil out and the roll comes out of the box. Then you have to put the roll back in the box and start over.

Written on the end of the box it says, "Press here to lock end". Right there on the end of the box is a tab to lock the roll in place. The generic brands of aluminum foil have it too. So does Saran wrap!

Laminin... got to see this is so cool!

Pause the music on the side of the blog or you will not be able to hear the video.
This is a pretty neat story and an interesting thing that few of us know. It's brief, so please read on. A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio...and I was BLOWN AWAY! I want to share what I learned.....but I fear not being able to convey it as well as I want. I will share anyway.

He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is...how He spoke the universe into being...how He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire...etc. etc. Then He went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know.) .....and I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking....'How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this???'

Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart...how our loving Creator is also our sustainer.

And then I lost my breath. And it wasn't because I was running my treadmill, either!!! It was because he started talking about laminin. I knew about laminin. Here is how wikipedia describes them :'Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue.' You see....laminins are what hold us together....LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what laminin LOOKED LIKE..

But now I do. And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already)..... Here is what the structure of laminin looks like...AND THIS IS NOT a 'Christian portrayal' of it....if you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see...

Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!!! Amazing. The glue that holds us together.....ALL of us....is in the shape of the cross. Immediately Colossians 1:15-17 comes to mind.

'He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth , visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things HOLD TOGETHER.. ' Colossians 1:15-17


Call me crazy. I just think that is very, very, very cool. Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together....one cell to another.....by the cross.

You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin 'glue' would look like long before Adam even breathed his first breath!!




Thanks Dean for sharing this with me!

We Got Another Troop!

I am always excited when a troop goes home! We started out with the maximum number of troops they allow you on Adoptaplatoon. Since then 3 have gone home. At first when this happened I thought well we will just keep only 2 but then I could not rest about it and I felt like the Lord was urging me to keep up the four. So now every time one goes home we immediately ask for another one. Sometimes you never hear back from one of them but that is ok. We are not in it for the reason to hear back. We are in it for the morale of the troops. It takes so little time to just send a card once a week. Since then, I started writing letters and putting in pictures of things that was going on around here. Maybe it will bore them maybe not but it is sharing our lives with them and for a moment taking them some place other than where they are right now. We are back up to 4 again. We got our newest one yesterday and he is stationed in Japan. We are excited! Out of the soldiers we have had we have had 2 of them contact us back. We feel so blessed to get to know them! I encourage you to join in and support our soldiers! There are many ways you can do this. On the right side of this blog are just a few links you can go to to find out how you can help. You won't be sorry you will be blessed!

Don't Let Our Troops Down!

We have been doing this since September.  It has been a wonderful experience for our family!  I encourage you to do this and tell others about it too.  Sending a card once a week to a soldier cost so little but means so much!

The following came from the Adoptaplatoon Organization:
Now that the holidays are over, support has dropped considerably, but our Troops continue to be deployed and they continue to serve on our behalf.  PLEASE consider supporting a Soldier or two.  Mail is so important to these men and women who serve so proudly and it truly has a positive effect on their morale when they know they have not been forgotten!  If you can pen-pal with a soldier and send letters, cards and news from home contact the Apoptaplatoon orgainzation.  If you chose the option to adopt a soldier and send a MONTHLY CARE PACKAGE, please know that what you send does not have to be expensive....Gum, candy, toiletries, a pair of socks, plus a letter or card means more to a soldier than words could ever describe.  Again, just knowing they stand for "Mail Call" and have their named called for mail is valuable to them

Also, please spread the news about AdoptaPlatoon and ask friends, family, co-workers to visit our website and join in our efforts to "stand behind our nation's Heroes".  Call your family, friends, co-workers, community leaders, your neighbors and let them know that our Troops need them!  Guide everyone to the AAP website at the Adopt A Platoon web site and ask them to sign up using our application process.  Contact everyone you know and tell them that Our Troops sacrifice everything in their service to our Nation... Let's make sure that we never let our Troops down!

Parable of Three Trees

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, 'Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty.'

Then the second tree said, 'Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take Kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull.'

Finally the third tree said, 'I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest Tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me.'

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, 'This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter, 'and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree the woodsman said, 'This looks like a strong tree. I should be able to sell it to the shipyard.' The second tree was happy Because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, 'I don't need anything special from my tree, I 'll take this one,' and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.

The third tree was cut into large pieces, and left alone in the dark.
The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.
Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said 'Peace' and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, God will give you great gifts.

Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.

We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His Ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

National Anthem by 5 young girls

Texas Tech University Basketball game, Feb 9th, National Anthem sung by 5 very talented young ladies. An entire arena remains completely silent Throughout the entire song. You could hear a pin drop

PAUSE THE MUSIC PLAYER BEFORE STARTING!

You make a difference!

The Church of Oprah Exposed

This woman is a blasphemy to the name of Jesus Christ!
Pause the music on the right side of my blog before starting the video.

Saving Any File As A PDF

This is a really neat program. It is called Primo PDF.
It will make any file (images, word files etc...) into a PDF. If you can print the file you can make a PDF out of it. To get this program it is in the LINKS section of the E-Group or go here.

Here is how it works...

With the file open Select PRINT

OR

With the file just an ICON
(an Icon is what it looks like before you open it and you right click on it to select to Print without actually opening the file to print it)
Choose the Print Option

When you go to print you have the option to choose which printer.

Choose Primo PDF

You will then have an option to choose your preferences.

Click ADVANCED



Choose your Print Quality settings here (DPI)

Then click OK



Then it will take you to what you normally see during your printing process....



This window will pop up.
This is where you can tell where to save it to.


Then Click SAVE


Then this screen will pop up.
Select SCREEN for plain documents
And *PREPRESS * for photos
Then Click OK


Now it will open up like any other PDF
Now your file is just been converted to a PDF.

Kathy Griffin Tells Jesus to Suck It

At the Emmy awards, Kathy Griffin's acceptance speech said, "A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus." She went on to say,"Suck it, Jesus. This is my God now!" referring to the Emmy.

As a Christian, I am offended by her hate speech. What do you think might have happened if she had made the hate speech against Muhammed??? Kathy Griffin has the right as an American to say what she thinks. As a Christian-American, so do I.

Today I will refuse to watch any show that she may be on or purchase tickets to any event at which she would perform. What will you do? If you delete this, nothing bad will happen to you, but if you pass this on, you will truly have stood up for Jesus Christ.

As Executive Producer and star of the series, Kathy Griffin accepted the Emmy won by the show. Her remarks upon receiving the award were: "Now, look, a lot of people come up here and they thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus. He didn't help me a bit. If it was up to him, Cesar Millan would be up here with that *beep* dog. So all I can say is suck it Jesus, this award is my God now."

The E! Network airing of the awards ceremony removed Griffin's remarks from the broadcast. Griffin herself appears proud of her comments, labeling them on her web site as "what will go down as one of the best quotes in Emmy history."

Others were less taken with them. The members of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee's, Miracle Theater spent $100,000 on an ad in USA Today chastising the comic.


Griffin said she was simply parodying rappers, starlets, and athletes who thank Jesus for the recognitions they receive "as if Jesus doesn't have anything better to do than make sure that someone got their People's Choice Award or whatever."

Regarding her reaction to the criticism her remarks have fetched, Griffin told CNN's Larry King that: "I just am loving it. It's in the newspapers around the world and every article starts with, 'Emmy winner Kathy Griffin' and then the letters all just blur after that."


Read this article here

Thank You To ALL Our Soldiers

This is to thank all our soldiers serving. We appreciate you!
As always pause the music on the right before you start the video.

The Tank Comes Out Of The Truck

The tank gets pulled out of the truck today. We lifted it out with an engine lift. That thing is heavy!!!

Compressed Natural Gas Conversions

With gas prices soaring higher and higher Ken decided to convert our Avalanche. He just bought the tank for the truck today. Within a month our truck will have this capability.

Lord Give Me Strength!

I thought this was a cool picture!

Cute Story

A school teacher was helping one of her kindergarten students put on his snow boots. Even with her pulling and him pushing, the little boots didn't want to go on. After getting the second boot on, the little boy said, "They're on the wrong feet."

She looked, and sure enough, they were. It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on but she managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots on the right feet.

He then announced, "These aren't my boots." She bit her tongue rather than scream, "Why didn't you say so?" Once again, she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off his little feet.

No sooner had they gotten the boots off when he said, "They're my brother's boots. My Mom made me wear 'em." Now she didn't know if she should laugh or cry. She mustered up what grace and courage she had left to wrestle the boots on his feet again.

Helping him into his coat, she asked, "Now, where are your mittens?" He said, "I stuffed 'em in the toes of my boots."

Take My Son

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.

He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out this package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.'

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. 'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.'

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.

On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?'

There was silence.

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.'

But the auctioneer persisted. 'Will somebody bid for this painting. Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?'

Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!'

But still the auctioneer continued. 'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting.' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

'We have $10, who will bid $20?'

'Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters.'

'$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?'

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.

They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!'

A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!'

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.'

'What about the paintings?'

I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.

The man who took the son gets everything!'

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is:

'The son, the son, who'll take the son?'

Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

Sad News...

A friend sent this to me and I thought it was cute.
Thanks Christy!
SAD NEWS...
Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly.

He was 71. Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins,

Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours. Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions. Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes. If this made you smile for even a brief second, please rise to the occasion and take time to pass it on and share that smile with someone else who may be having a crumby day and kneads a lift.

Parenting Tip... Should I Change My Mind?

When parents say no, sometimes children choose to argue and plead their case. In the interaction parents can learn new information that persuades them to change their minds. Unfortunately during the dialogue children may treat parents with disrespect and be downright mean. Parents then must decide whether to change their mind or not.

Changing your mind isn't always bad but you need to make a distinction for your child between the new information and the process of how you got it, "I would like to change my mind here, but I'm feeling uncomfortable with the way you're talking to me. Your arguing is not helpful in our relationship and I don't want to encourage it by changing my mind. You have a good point but your exasperated tone of voice is demanding and disrespectful."

You may choose to stick to a no answer in spite of new and persuasive information. As a parent you're not just making a decision based on information, but you're also looking at how your child presents that information, and how this child treats you and your relationship in the process. After all, character is more important than the decision.

This tip was taken from chapter five in the book, "Good and Angry: Exchanging Frustration for Character in You and Your Kids." by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.

Day of Silence Alert

If your child's school observes the homosexual sponsored "Day of Silence," keep your child at home April 25.

Thanks Ruben and Tina for the heads up!

Cpl Chris Mason