GRANDPA'S HANDS

Even though FATHERS DAY has past, I got this email this week and wanted to share it.

Grandpa, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. He didn't move, just sat with his head down staring at his hands. When I sat down beside him he didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if he was OK. Finally, not really wanting to disturb him but wanting to check on him at the same time, I asked him if he was OK.
He raised his head and looked at me and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking," he said in a clear strong voice. I didn't mean to disturb you, Grandpa, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK," I explained to him.

Have you ever looked at your hands," he asked. "I mean really looked at your hands?"I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point he was making Grandpa smiled and related this story:

Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled, shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life. They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child my Mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They held my rifle and wiped my tears when I went off to war. They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent. They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special. They wrote the letters home and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse and walked my daughter down the aisle. Yet, they were strong and sure when I dug my buddy out of a foxhole and lifted a plow off of my best friend's foot. They have held children, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand. They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer. These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of my life.
But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ.

"I will never look at my hands the same again. But I remember God reached out and took my Grandpa's hands and led him home. When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and wife I think of Grandpa. I know he has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God. I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face.

Thanks Betty Jane for sharing.

TRAVELING

Since we have lived in OHIO for almost 8 yrs now, we have been on the road alot going back and forth to VA. One of the memorable trips was our first one after Christmas in '99 when we were in SLOOWW moving and detoured traffic on I-70 because of a tremendous snow storm. We had another incident in 2000. This past Thursday was the third...trificta...so to speak. We had just gone through the tolls just outside of Charleston when the traffic started to slow and then came to a stop. It was 82 degrees, and a tractor trailer overturned and dumped his steel load. We sat or walked the turnpike for 2 hours. I am so thankful that we had just stopped for our normal "pit" stop in Marmet, and got something to drink!! There were lots of people walking on the turnpike. We did not go to the wreck site, even though we were probably only 10-20 cars behind it. Being so close to the front we were there when the rescue vehicles and wrecker trucks drove on the shoulder and parked until they could clear the traffic. They had to bring other rescues vehicles up the down ramp in order to get to the wreck.

Needless to say, we were happy to get rolling again!!!

PAN/CAN TEAM HOPE

CONGRATS TO JACKIE AND HER TEAM!! SHE EXCEEDED HER GOAL!! THANKS TO ALL WHO CONTRIBUTED!!!!!!!!!

Many of you know we lost a dear friend, Dave Gordon, to pancreatic cancer in Dec.

On June 16, almost 6 months since Dave died, Jackie, Sarah and Dave's nephew Chris, will be running in TEAM HOPE 5K race in Cleveland, to help raise monies for a cure. If you would like to donate to Jackie's fund raising you can do so by going to www.pancan.org/clevelandrace , and click on donate to a participant, or on her name on the right. I know Jackie would appreciate it.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Looks like Allison and Quinn had a great time in NEW YORK celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary. This was taken from the top of the EMPIRE STATE BUILDING.

Thanks for sharing all the pictures Quinn!!

SEASON FINALES

Because I am such an avid TV watcher (don’t tell anyone), this time of year drives my crazy as I try to watch, tivo and rewatch the season and series finales. The series finales are always the worse, because I know all the questions of the series will not be answered. I have already looked ahead to the fall season for all 4 of the major networks. Some of my favorites are gone, some have moved their time slots, but most are back. After looking over the schedules..looks like NBC will not be getting much viewing time from me this fall.

When I am in the HOUSE for more than 24, I wonder about a GHOST WHISPERER who leaves WITHOUT A TRACE. Although it might be a COLD CASE, NCIS can locate any CRIMINAL MINDS with the help of THE UNIT. Once the criminals are found, CSI, whether in LAS VEGAS, NY or MIAMI can solve the case. Then it is time to call in the lawyers, and who better than, of course, SHARK. Once all the NUMBERS are in, I know that good prevails over evil.

So while I stay CLOSE TO HOME (canceled), my BONES ache (maybe I need GREYS ANATOMY) for the beginning of the FALL SEASON OF TV!!

And of course with that brings COLLEGE FOOTBALL.!!
LETS GO HOKIES..and GO BLUE!!!

But for now, I guess I will blow the dust off my library card and read my 2-4 books a week, to keep my mind focused on the judicial system, because like my TV watching I like mysteries, FBI thrillers, any type of suspend filled story lines. Donnie has always said if I read educational books like I do fiction, I would probably be a genius..NOT.

Good news on the movie front.. This summer brings the third movie to the BOURNE IDENTITY series, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM. That will be worth going to see if it is like the other two. And of course, SPIDERMAN 3, and THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 3, are already playing.

Even though the summer is filled with reruns, I usually don’t watch. I move to HGTV, TLC, DISCOVERY HOME and THE FOOD NETWORK. Never take a poll at my house about how much the TV is watched, we would break the poll. Most people would have mush for brains from watching so much ..hey, maybe that IS my problem!!!!!

HAPPY SUMMER!!! LET THE FUN BEGIN!

MEMORIAL DAY!

FREEDOM ISN'T REALLY FREE!!

THANK A VETERAN!

THANK OUR TROOPS!

FORGET ME NOT

Remember rockets red glare
bombs bursting in air
gave threw the night that our flag is still there.

Our forefathers reminder of a price to be paid and responsibility to inherit the United States.
Rockets red glare bombs bursting in air
Words fallen on ears unwilling to hear.
Deaf no more we all know now the price of freedom the price of war.

Freeborn children listen and see a new generation paying for you and me
Don't be so blind or so deaf to the sights and sounds Americans have left,
Let freedom scream in our ears and minds never forget those left behind.
Freeborn children stand tall and see!
Does the banner old glory yet wave for thee.

God bless America.

Bill Chance 2001

SCHOOL YARD/LANDING PAD

Since we have been showing our home we have gotten several comments saying they do not like the fact it backs up to a middle school. I wonder what they would have thought yesterday when a Black hawk landed for career day. It was exciting to see and even more so when it became disabled and another one was flown in to bring parts, which didn't work, and a 3rd one landed to pick up the crew!! The black hawk "spent the night" in the school yard, guarded by a Fairfield County sheriff. It was fixed and left around 9:15AM.

We did have a showing late yesterday, anxious to see if they thought the neighborhood was safe or unsafe!!!!

BIRD FEEDERS

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I received this in an email.......

I bought a bird feeder. I hung it on my back porch and filled it with seed. Within a week we had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the continuous flow of free and easily accessible food. But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue.
Then came the poop. It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the table...everywhere. Then some of the birds turned mean: They would dive bomb me and try to peck me even though I had fed them out of my own pocket. And others birds were boisterous and loud: They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and night and demanded that I fill it when it got low on food.
After a while, I couldn't even sit on my own back porch anymore. I took down the bird feeder and in three days the birds were gone. I cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over the patio. Soon, the back yard was like it used to be...quite, serene and no one demanding their rights to a free meal.

Now lets see...our government gives out free food, subsidized housing, free medical care, free education and allows anyone born here to be a automatic citizen. Then the illegals came by the tens of thousands. Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for free services; small apartments are housing 5 families: you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by an emergency room doctor: you child's 2nd grade class is behind other schools because over half the class doesn't speak English: Corn Flakes now come in a bilingual box; I have to press "one" to hear my bank talk to me in English, and people waving flags other than "Old Glory" are squawking and screaming in the streets, demanding more rights and free liberties.

Maybe it's time for the government to take down the bird feeder.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

A Precious Mother

You've given me so much,
Love from your heart and the warmth of your touch.

The gift of life and you're a friend to me.
We have a very Special Bond
which only comes from God...I'm sure you agree.

As a child I would say Mommy I Love You,
Now you're my Mother so dear I love you even more
with each and every new year.

If I could had chosen,I would have picked no other.
Than for you...
to be my lifelong friend and Precious Mother.

Unknown

MAY 11, 2007

HAPPY 5TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY ALLISON AND QUINN!!

HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME CELEBRATING IN NEW YORK, NEW YORK!!

LOVE YOU!

GOD'S AWESOME PICTURES

HIS HANDS

HIS CROCODILE
EXPRESSING HIS LOVE

HIS SLEEPING CAT

THANKS JEAN FOR SHARING THESE PICTURES!!

MEET THE PARENTS

Well, here it is on SUNDAY morning, April 22, in ROANOKE. Mom and Dad ready to go to church.

PRAYERS FOR VT

I received this through my email.

WE WOULD LIKE TO SEND OUR PRAYERS OUT TO ALL THOSE EFFECTED IN THIS TRAGEDY AT VA TECH.

LORD, WE KNOW THROUGH YOUR WORD THAT THOSE WHO GRIEVE OR MOURN WILL BE COMFORTED AND THOSE WHO ARE HURT OR SICK MAY BE HEALED. LORD, WE PRAY THAT YOU COMFORT THOSE WHO HAVE LOST LOVED ONES IN THIS TRAGEDY AND TO HEAL THOSE INJURED. WE ASK ALSO THAT YOU HEAL THE HEART AND SOULS OF ALL AFFECTED BY THIS. LORD, HELP OUR COUNTRY, IT'S LEADERS AND IT'S CITIZENS TO FIND THE WISDOM, STRENGTH AND COURAGE TO KNOW AND TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO PREVENT SUCH A TRAGEDY FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. HELP US LORD TO REMEMBER THAT LIFE IS VERY SHORT AND TO USE THE TIME WE HAVE TO LET OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY KNOW HOW MUCH WE DO LOVE AND APPRECIATE THEM. LET THIS REMIND US TO BE KIND TO OTHERS, TO COMFORT OTHERS TO TREAT OTHERS AS WE WOULD WANT TO BE TREATED TO GIVE TO THOSE IN NEED AND TO FORGIVE AS WE WOULD WISH TO BE FORGIVEN.

MAY WE REMEMBER THAT ABOVE ALL YOU ARE THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE; AND NO ONE COMETH UNTO THE FATHER , EXCEPT THROUGH YOU.

IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.

WE STILL MOURN