A Very Lucky Man.

Many years ago as a young man I worked at a "state school" attending to the needs of the "boys"
. 
These were people who had been sent to, given to, awarded to or sentenced to live a life in a place that is not often spoke of nor recognized by many members of our society.

I once asked a member of this community who had lived there from the age of 11 to at that time 86 if he ever thought of leaving it?

He answered this way...

"Why would I ever want to? Everyone, Everything I know are within these walls. 

All my friends are in here, those
who care for me and love me are here.

My enemys are out there, those who don't want me, don't understand me or even try to care..

Why would I ever want to go outside these walls?   These walls are not my boundries, these walls are my guardians. And I would have it no other way."

I sat and thought about what he said and I started to say "But it's so much better out there! But as I sat there and watched him look out his window enjoying life as he had always  known it, I got to thinking and I asked myself.  Just What is out "there" that makes it so Great?" Distrust, Stealing, Murder, Wars, Hatred, Bigotry, Racism and many, many people who put themselves before others.  A world where what is expected of a person in many cases are guaged by their "worth".

Later our government decided that we could not "afford" the cost of keeping these institutions open.  It didn't matter what was the "best" for these people who had depended on us to take care of them.  Now it was the needs and wants of "us" not "them" that was more important. So we sent many of  them out into the streets of "our" world to fend for themselves.

Years later I watched a man walking aimlessly down a street in the city where that State School had been and for a second I thought it was him.  I circled the block and by the time I got around to the place the man had been,  he was gone.

I realized then I had to know. I went back out to the school grounds and
wandered the cemetary until I found him.

He was still home... He was still safe.. Within his walls of protection... A very lucky man.

Someone Kept His Promise.. Now I'll Keep Mine...

After thirteen years my daughter has been given a new outlook on life.  Yesterday at the Children's Hospitol in New Orleans, LA a amazing group of Doctors were able to reverse a terrible wrong that should have never had to have been.

Samantha and her Brother Clint both had a rare liver disorder which didn't allow the bile that their bodies produces leave their bodies in the normal way. 

Thirteen years ago I held in my arms a baby who was in agony from the itching that the disease produced.  At that time I felt so helpless and angry that she was having to go through this.  I even asked at that time that if need be for God to let me take that agony from her and that if he would I could find ways to endure it so that she would not have to. 

Fortunately, the doctors found an alternative by attaching a stoma just abovet he liver which would release the bile into a bag attached just above her waistline like what her brother had done. The itiching stopped immediately but brought with it the need for the bag to be ever present.  For thirteen years she has endured this need and all of the tribulations that it brought with it.

Even though it was the doctors who physically made this happen, I know that a miracle was given to us from above.

Now my Grand Daughter who is now my Daughter has been allowed the chance to live a "normal" life. 

So now I will fulfill a promise I made thirteen years ago.

Lord,  I am Yours... Show Me Your Way.  

 

  Some, will see a raindrop under the leaf....
  Others, will see a hole within the leaf...
  Then both will look at the picture again...
  And hopefully will see....
  What the others saw...
 
  It all depends....
  On how you look at things...
  And be willing to look at them...
  In a different way.....

  Thus the the 'Power of Suggestion'....



Photo by me....

There is truth in the old belief that if you tell a teenager that something is not possible, they will do everything they can do, to show you wrong.
 
What is sad is that they don't realize and we tend to forget is that we once had that same determination.

And they have every right to do so.... just as we believed we did.

I met a man yesterday for the second time. 

 The first time, we hardly spoke as I drove him to pick up a rental car from us while his car was being worked on. He had sat quiety reading his bible as I drove and it was I who started the conversation by asking his proffession, being the nosey old cuss that I am. He just said "Oh, I work for God, I have a small church and a little ministry over here on this side of town" and had given me his card, and that was that,  or so I thought. 

For some reason that night at home I looked up his Church's website.

 

This man and his wife, for over the last 45 years has served as Ministers for the Lord... Within that time for the last 20 years they have ran a program for the homeless and less unfortunate. Each day they opens their doors and their hearts for those they don't even know.

He funds much of this by traveling throughout Louisiana and Mississippi teaching programs in small seminarys of these areas taking hm away from his own usually three to five days a week up to three weeks a month.

Yesterday, as he climbed back into my car, after being away for 2 weeks he asked me "So John, how have you been?" and we talked all the way back to where he was to pick up his car.  

 As we got out of the car he took my hand and looked me in the eye and said "John, you have a Blessed Day".

And I knew I had already had one.

I have a new friend in Lake Charles, Louisiana now... A friendship that I know will last a very long time.

And I think I know where I'm going to church this coming Sunday.
 Lord...Show me your way.

Ageless

With age.. tender memories tend to come back even more often. 

Thoughts of the good times visit you and as you think of them, you smile.

Memories are your own little reward to yourself for living a good life....

I had a dream last night or maybe a subconsious memory.

In it we were all sitting on their front porch while Grandma shelled her peas and Granddaddy read his paper.

A car went by and Daddy questioned who it was because he didn't recognize the car, so Bob and Bud jumped up and ran out to the road to see where it was going.

Wayne scooted on his belly over to Tippy and climbed up on top of him. 

Mom yelled at the boys asking them if they saw where the car went?

Richard and Bill were out by the old gas pump throwing rocks at a wasp nest on the side of the garage.

It all happened in just a second seems like,  but thats the way dreams work.

Like a flash in the pan.

Miss you all very much....See More