Jason is Playing Beautifully on the Piano

Tales from Sunday School teachers

I "borrowed" these from an online forum, because they made me smile. I thought some of you would enjoy them as well.

LOT'S WIFE:
The Sunday School teacher was describing how Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, "My Mummy looked back once, while she was driving," he announced triumphantly, "and she turned into a telephone pole!"

GOOD SAMARITAN:
A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan, in which a man was beaten, robbed and left for dead. She described the situation in vivid detail so her students would catch the drama. Then, she asked the class, "If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?" A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, "I think I'd throw up."

DID NOAH FISH?:
A Sunday school teacher asked, "Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark ?" "No," replied David. "How could he, with just two worms?"

Rowen's 50th Birthday

Every year on January 21st, people remind me of my progress on the path of life, and this year was no different. My wonderful family members purchased an exercise stepper machine for me, so that I might slow my progress toward my final resting place. My advanced age, my diabetes, my diet for diabetes treatment, and the cold, snowy winter that we've had, have all led to me not being able maintain a youthful physique this winter; hopefully this machine and the 5 lb weight in each hand will partially restore what has been lost.

The only thing that I actually requested for my birthday was a replacement apron, which some of you know I am fond of wearing when they let me help around the kitchen, and when grilling. My mother had made the one I have been wearing, but that was over 30 years ago - and I really do wear it often! It is not as pretty as it once was...So, my talented seamstress wife made me a wonderful new one! As I ceremoniously transferred my aging body out of the old apron, and into the new one, we sang the old Sunday School song, "The best thing in my life I ever did do was take off the old [apron] robe and put on the new!" Now you are invited to come and share a meal with us, so that you can see my new kitchen garb in use!

I am so very grateful to God, my family, and many others who have helped me to live a good and meaningful life these 50 years! I trust that I will continue, by God's grace, to be able to be a husband, a dad, and yes - even a grandpa, that can be a righteous influence in this world, and help people to be ready for the next! Remember, "God is good - all the time"!

Just a note to express my great frustration with the printer shown below. I worked for Eastman Kodak Company for 29 years, and I am very embarrassed that they have their name on this ridiculous piece of equipment.

As you see below, the specs on this printer are awesome. The MSRP of $299 kept me away, even with the claims of cheap ink. Then last week I was in Sam's Club, and saw these printers for $99! So, I decided to go ahead and get one, which I did. It looked real pretty, and it printed one real pretty color 4x6, and copied one document. Then it went crazy, and I never got it to print again! I spent >8 hours studying, calling, downloading, etc. to try to fix it, but it was no use. If you go to amazon.com or many other sites that have real-people reviews, you'll find that the majority of these printers are like this one, and have some type of problem that makes them inoperable. I hope Sam's Club got them really cheap! Thankfully, they gave my money back, and I hope that I learned a lesson, again, that if it seems too good to be true - it probably is!!

KODAK EASYSHARE 5500 All-in-One Printer
The most advance printer (also read expensive) in the Kodak line up is the KODAK EASYSHARE 5500 All-in-One Printer ($299.99 US MSRP) and this builds up on the 5100 and 5300 printers. The 5500 AiO Printer has all the features found on the the 5100 and 5300 printers, in addition to some more.
The KODAK EASYSHARE 5500 has fax functionality and one also comes across an automatic document feeder and a duplexer attachment. It has been equipped with a 2.4-inch color LCD display which helps in photo viewing and cropping directly from the printer. The printer can copy up to 32 pages per minute in black and 22 pages per minute in color, and print photos from PICTBRIDGE-enabled cameras without involving a PC.
The EASYSHARE 5500 uses KODACOLOR Technology, a combination of four key element pigment-based inks, micro-porous photo papers, color and image science, and the Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) print head. It also includes memory card slots and uses Kodak’s premium, pigment-based ink, priced at $9.99 for a cartridge of black ink and $14.99 for a five-ink color cartridge (US MSRP).

Want List for 2008

Bill Hunt, a dear friend of ours in Overland Park, KS recently compiled this list of things that he really wants. I thought that it was a good list, and worthy of sharing with you all. Are there things that you want more than these things he has listed? I trust not . . .

My "Want List" for 2008 from Jesus is to understand more about:

• His-Forgiveness
• His-Transforming power
• His-Pardon
• His-Mercy
• His-Grace
• His-Blessings
• His-Cleansing power in my every day life
• His-Smile on my life
• His-Will and pleasure for my life
• His-Presence with me
• His-Bible
• His-Laws
• His-Peace in my heart
• His-Love abounding in my whole being
• His-Compassion for sinners
• His-Long-suffering to all people
• His-Wisdom

Janet is looking and feeling quite grandmotherly

I just found this picture of Janet, enjoying some 'quality time' with our precious grandson. Aren't they cute together?

Snow!

Last week it snowed, but when Emily and I tried to play in it, we discovered that it was too powdery. Yesterday, we decided to try again, and got slightly different results. The snow had been melting off and on, and therefore stuck together quite well.

<--Our snowman, Fred. Emily insists on calling him "Fredrick"

I rolled the bottom ball and Emily rolled the second one. We used a board for a ramp to get the second ball on top, as the melted snow was extremely hefty. I then rolled the top ball and set it on top, where Emily and I made modifications to him as needed. I chose to rub out the snow in his head to create eyes, because I think that if something has rocks for eyes, you can't get to know him. The same is true with the mouth, ears, and nose. A creature needs to be made of the same material all over to appear realistic.

Emily and I proudly standing by our creation.

Today we played in the snow some more, starting the production of an igloo, of which we have no pictures.

Jason