A Single Can of Soup

Posted on April 28, 2012 by Jake

Life continues no matter what your schedule is.

Life goes on.

And on and on.

Being able to see life and its effects on others, offers opportunities to observe how people around us, manage and survive the day to day struggles.

Recognizing the struggles of others, sometimes turns into a blessing you were not expecting to see,

Or be a part of.

Thanking God everyday for what HE has provided for me and my family, sometimes seems redundant, but we are told to give thanks in all things.

Good and bad.

A recent Friday night out for supper; as we call it here in Texas, would include a trip to the grocery store with a mental list of needs.

I mainly wanted a selection of fruits to snack on at work, but was quickly drawn into the flow of carts up and down the aisles, adding things that came to mind we needed or wanted.

While making our way through the various shelved offerings, I noted a single family with a young son about 5 or 6 years of age. The dad was leading and selecting specific items as the  mom followed along with the cart.

Selecting items with discount pricing when purchased along with the house brands of other goods.

Making their dollar stretch as far as possible.

As we filled our shopping cart with our choices, we would find our way to the checkout lanes only to find that a few limited ones were open for a Friday night.

Opting for the one with the shortest line is always the goal, and as fate would have it, we found ourselves behind an older gentleman on one of those motorized shopping carts with about 12 or 13 items.

As he moved through the checkout, he was assisted by the young woman who was bagging the goods that night, as a young man scanned all the items she put on the checkout conveyor belt.

It was soon discovered that the choices of orange juice the gentleman had selected were not the same ones on the coupon offering a freebie for another item.

By this time, we had all of our items out of our shopping cart and on the conveyor belt waiting our turn to check out.

Remember the family with the 5 or 6 year old son. They had opted in line behind us.

As with many check out lines, the extras are offered along both sides of the line to induce you to pick and select. Special offers for the eyes of a child.

I would estimate the wingspan of this young boy to have been between 5 or 6 feet…as he had no problem reaching through and over our items for gum, candy, gift cards and other various puzzle books.

Only to be replaced by his mom each time he presented them to her for authorization.

Meanwhile, the older gentleman was in discussion with the young man who had been ringing up his purchases only to find that the freebie item was out of stock and he couldn’t have the item he opted for…for free.

It was right about here where I noticed the two employees were patiently working with the older gentleman, explaining the dilemma.

Several minutes passed and it was becoming a bit ‘awkward‘ for all the folks in checkout lane #12.

The moment of truth unveiled itself when the older gentleman began placing items, one by one, back to the checker for reducing his total bill.

A single can of soup, would be the difference for this trip to the store.

The difference for an individual on a fixed income, that appeared to be zeroed in on a $20 dollar limit on this particular grocery trip.

Standing within arms reach of the young man pushing all the buttons to remove a selection from the total tally… I got his attention as quickly and quietly as I could.

“Young man, stop what you are doing. I want to cover his bill…”

“Sir??”

“I’ve got it. I will pay for his groceries…..and make sure he gets his can of soup!”

I leaned towards the older gentleman who was still on the motorized cart with his back towards me…with my empty shopping cart between us and simply told him …’ take your money sir, I’ve got you covered.’

The young man handed the gentleman all of his cash back, and as he was busy putting it away, he waved a thank you towards us.

We never made good eye contact but watched him motor out of the store and into the night.

A single can of soup…

Reminded me of the countless blessings God has given me.

Thank You God, for the reminder of Your Blessings…ALL Your Blessings.

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Easter Sunday

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Jake

Between writers block, long hours at work, and personal family priorities, my writing has taken a hit for the most part.

I do have a few ideas for posting here and will most likely be showing up in the near future.

Do you know how Easter Sunday is determined each year? Did you ever wonder why it is always on a different weekend year after year? I finally found out this past week.

Easter is always on the 1st Sunday following the 1st full moon after the Vernal Equinox or in laymen’s terms, the Sunday after 1st full moon after the 1st day of Spring. Which just so happens to be April 8, 2012… today.

It always amazes me where I stumble across ideas or a lead to a decent sharing of words. Many times, it’s harder to find the time to write than it is to actually find a story.

Today is Easter Sunday.

A most significant day in the history of Christianity.

The day … death was defeated.

Jesus, the Son of God, arose from the Tomb.

The basis of my belief. The foundation of our nation.

It’s where my faith begins. It can be the same for you.

God is awesome. Always has been, always will be.

The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit.

The Trinity.

…got Jesus? it’s hell without Him.

 

it is what it is

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Songs, Smells, and Surroundings

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Jake

Seems like forever.

Almost… a time forgotten.

But then, a time from the past comes rushing back and runs across the screen of your life.

Vivid memories from years gone by.

People and places suddenly blend together from times of both good and not so good.

Just last week, unexpected as it was, I stumbled across a bucket full of those on the back waters of the river that runs through my corner of Texas.

I had launched the boat with the idea of just running the boat, using up the ‘old’ gas, and getting the kinks out in the open that might cause me misery once on the water for more serious business.

It would not be a song nor an array of aromas to trigger the flood of ‘remember whens’, but the simple surroundings I encountered that triggered those days from some 35 years ago.

Join me on a brief journey of facts and memories.

These same surroundings had to withstand the onslaught of two major hurricanes within a 3 year time span.

In 2005, Hurricane Rita paid us a visit and upon making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120 mph recorded at Sabine Pass, Texas. Hurricane Rita worked her way up and over our corner of Texas, being tracked as the ‘Eye’ passed over the dam of Sam Rayburn reservoir near Jasper, Texas as she paraded north.

I mention Sam Rayburn reservoir only because I consider that lake to be my favorite body of water to fish and the dam that was crossed by the ‘Eye’ of Hurricane Rita, is estimated to be about 8 miles from where our ‘lake-house-on-wheels’ is located. Fortunately, of all the RV’s that were positioned there in the area, only one sustained any damage and that was due to a limb taking out a tail-light.

In 2008, Hurricane Ike, a Category 2 storm, made believers out of everyone that lives on or near the Gulf Coast when storm forecasts include ‘storm surge’ warnings. Entire coastal communities were wiped out and washed away. Even with Hurricane Ike making landfall on the eastern end Galveston Island, the record level storm surge at Sabine Pass, Texas was recorded at 22 feet.

From my hometown of Beaumont, Texas to Galveston is approximately 70 miles to the southwest. The distance from Beaumont to Sabine Pass, Texas is about 20 miles to the south. Needless to say, blows from both record setting storms to our area made impacts on everyone’s lives and homes in some shape, form, or fashion.

Knowing this, I have assumed that the damage to the back water areas of the river that borders my hometown on the east side, were most likely heavy with limited access to those once navigable fishing holes.

While running the river, I encountered several areas of floating logs and limbs large enough to damage most boats of the unwary; which are completely a part of any day of being on the river so I decided to visit the old area of back water fishing holes since both storms paid their visits.

Thinking back and realizing that it was most likely in 2004, that marked the last time I had ventured back into these old canals and waterways…not knowing but expecting the area to be a wasteland.

My ultimate goal was to reach an area known as Lake Bayou.

Take all the cuts to the left except the second one after leaving the river… was the first thought that steered me in.

Easing through the dark waters, keeping an eye open for fallen trees, jutting from the higher banks down and into the water.

Watching and admiring the beauty of the barren and leafless trees that lined the canals and ditches.

Seeing the first of only a couple of mullets that jump and splash along the way….brings a memory of a time when my brother Ray and I were heading back into Lake Bayou.

Enter memory #1:

Seeing a single mullet jump about 3 or 4 times as we skimmed along in my small aluminum flat bottom rig, only to have the mullet clear the bow of the boat, hitting my brother sitting on the first seat up front and then me at the tiller of the 20hp Mercury outboard.

What were the odds of the timing being perfect to come in contact with a kamikaze mullet that day…so many years ago?

On this day of memories, the tide was really moving in. Not sure how much effect the southerly wind played in this, but the water was moving in at a noted rate.

Still making my way and passing the second cut to the left I realized that I had not encountered any other boaters while on my quest…not a total surprise but just a bit of information; ‘note to self’ about being careful and not getting myself stranded.

Enter memory #2:

Much like the time, with the same aluminum flat bottom rig on the waters of Sam Rayburn reservoir and Hanks Creek Marina. A weekend event with good friends that would ultimately end up ‘adopting’ me into their world of hunting and fishing. Nothing but good memories from the times I spent with Mom, Pop, and Wesley Holst both on the water and afield.

The area was loaded with timber.

Timber means stumps. Stumps demand attention. Period.

My good friend, mentor of steak grilling, and all around fishing buddy of those days was supposed to be watching for the infamous stumps to avoid, but somehow had been distracted with other needs of the moment.

Not sure exactly, but most likely both Wesley and myself would agree that less consumption of adult beverages that particular afternoon, might have eased the next chain of events.

Coming to an abrupt stop…atop a tree stump just inches below the water surface, proved to be the anchor we would use to fish out the area. To those not familiar with the term of ‘fishing out an area’, it simply means throwing everything you got at ‘em to see if you can get a bite before moving on.

As darkness becomes apparent and beginning to fall all around us, we realize that we must remove ourselves and the boat from the ‘anchor’ tree stump, so as not to be forced to spend the night on the lake.

Back to the main attempt to reach Lake Bayou, I encounter a motion on the waters surface up ahead. This submerged limb served as a warning to its presence and also the neighboring tree that had fallen out into my chosen path. Not knowing how much trouble it presented and I had not seen any other boaters, I turned around only to find another boater that was following me.

Warning him  of what I had found, he seemed unconcerned and idled on past me. I watched and when he had maneuvered past the apparent ‘water hazard’ on the back side of the course, I joined in and made it past and ultimately into Lake Bayou.

The other boater opted for the last ditch to the right giving me free range into Lake Bayou which I gladly took as good sign for future fishing adventures.

Turning around and easing back to the ‘water hazard’ and easing past it; I was able to put an eyeball on the first warning sign of something under the surface which triggered yet another ‘remember when’ …. seeing those surface ripples.

Enter memory #3:

Years ago, in the same area of back waters, I witnessed an event that only anglers could appreciate. Fishing alone in my flat bottom aluminum boat, between me and the shoreline, something broke the surface and was swimming towards the dry land, creating ripples of a wake while propelling towards the shore.

Watching and waiting to see what it was that had all of my attention, would end up being a snake that had snagged itself a fish. Removing itself and its prey up and onto the dry land and commenced to do its best impersonation of a giant anaconda from the Amazon. Biting and twisting and rolling around, trying to put the squeeze of death on an already dead fish.

Realizing the task would never be completed, the snake left the fish and slithered on off to parts only of interest to snakes. Probably to brag to his little snake friends how he alone had captured and removed to shore for devouring the largest known fish between them… starting to sound like a fish tale isn’t it…??

After clearing the ‘water hazard’, I felt comfortable enough to motor up to approximately quarter throttle and ease along the once again familiar back waters, back to the main body of the river and back to life outside the neighborhood of an old friend.

My old friend seems to be doing just fine and ready for some more memory making.

It is what it is.

Posted in Family & Friends, Musings, Outdoors, Personal | 1 Comment

Short Division

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Jake

Our nation said good-bye to an icon this week.

Amid adversity, personal feelings, patriotism, and religion.

I too, am guilty as charged. I admit to harboring those emotions as well, but was selective in sharing my personal feelings, unlike many others that bared theirs openly… across the online social medias and local news outlets.

All respectively acknowledged and accepted.

From the flying of the Stars and Stripes at half mast in the home state of New Jersey, the public acknowledgement of a recording artist’s death in comparison to our soldiers that gave their lives for freedom, and obvious lifestyle choices and opportunities.

This division of our nation will be short lived.

The interruption to our daily lives will be short lived.

Our memory of Whitney Houston will be revisited each time a certain song plays or a movie watched, reminding us of her time on this rock we call earth.

Watching the ‘homegoing’ or funeral as commonly referred to, the love of family and friends was obvious with the numerous speakers standing before the crowd and sharing their memories.

The main message presented yesterday, sadly would be missed by many. An option, a choice, a personal decision that only you yourself can make.

The acceptance of Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior, would always be a defining part of who Whitney Houston is.

True, she passed from this world under questionable lifestyle circumstances and the results from those choices,… but she was safe in her final destination into Eternity. Her choice, her decision to accept Jesus as her personal Savior would carry her to the foot of the Throne in Heaven.

In my humble and personal belief, the decision to either accept or deny Jesus as your Savior is your Only ticket to Heaven.

Many will argue and question the why, the what ifs, the how comes, and the yeah buts; I believe….this, not that theory you speak of.

Some will argue and stand firmly on the belief that … ‘you just didn’t pray hard enough‘, to keep a loved one from dying, passing from this world, from OUR world to the other side, into eternity. We only have and are given so many days or years here on this earth…and that my friend will only change, should God Himself decide it to change.

You ever heard about God’s Will?

Really..? You really think that someone can out pray others? Someone has the ‘ear’ of God or is closer to God than other believers..??

Go back to the night when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane with his disciples, and He himself prayed a total of 3 times to God the Father;  Matthew 26:39 …”My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as Thou will”  only to be betrayed by Judas, arrested and led away.

If any one person in history could possibly have access to God’s immediate attention through prayer, my guess is that Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, would be first in line.

It was God’s Will. Period.

God still answers prayers. There are only 3 answers as well… yes, no, and not yet.

I find solace in asking for comfort, understanding, feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit in those times of darkness and uncertainty, and praying for God’s Will to be done.

Here’s another perspective for you to consider. Aside from the tragic loss of talent in the death of Whitney Houston, the decision to have her ‘homegoing’ at the church where she grew up and found her voice in the church choir, allowed the world to hear the message.

No matter which side you were on this past week, the world did in fact go to church for a few hours and heard the message. The invitation for a meeting of divine importance to those who heard the message was offered. The choice is theirs and theirs alone.

As Kevin Costner paid his tribute to Whitney; who co-starred with him in the movie ‘The Bodyguard’,  he shared the similarities that both he and Whitney owned. Who knew that he too had been raised in a Baptist church and professed his Christian belief beginning in early childhood. He told of a childhood full of common antics I related to, all while bringing back good memories of mine as well.

His closing words to the congregation still ring in my ears as he bid farewell to a dear friend and American entertainment icon.

“Off you go Whitney, off you go.”

I hope today, there is closure and peace in the lives of Americans across our great nation. I hope the recent division is just as I described it in the title… short.

It Is What It Is.

 

 

 


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Tines or Times

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Jake

Another Valentines Day is behind us and the merchants are probably still counting the money  they pulled in.

With a little effort, one could most likely do an internet search and find estimates of how much was spent across geographical areas and plot them on some sort of running scale of this year compared to last year or even decades ago…but I will leave that to some bean counter.

Want to share with you a couple of experiences I witnessed on the night of Valentines Day from this past week.

While finding myself at the local supermarket, I spied a few of my male humanoid bipeds searching the floral department for that just right flower or arrangement of flowers for their beloved.

The looks on their faces were almost blank and automatic, only turning to a recognizable sign of relief once their fingers and opposing thumbs wrapped around the natural floral specimen they had zeroed in on…with the hope that their offering would be enough to prove their undying love.

Only to move from the floral area to the already picked over selection of sweets or that bag of favorite snacks, pickles, or chips to prove they know what the love of their life would accept as a token of manly love.

Yeah, right. 

The temporary tent on the corner of the parking lot was a bevy of activity for those wanting a better guarantee of whatever they were afraid of missing out on…should they had completely forgotten Valentines Day, 2012.

Leaving the parking lot with my specific choice of household items, I spotted the epitome of a man who was minutes away from totally screwing up the day or the night with items clinched in both fists and a bag of stuff hanging off one elbow… trying to remember which pocket held his car keys and forcing himself to set something on top of his car. All this by looking at his eyes…I know, I’ve been there.

Do you ever watch the television interviews of those brave enough to answer questions to the newsperson in front of the camera and catch their pronunciation of Valentines Day?

Did you ever notice many call it Valen-times Day…?

This has been a running joke in our family, which I believe my father in law was the main perpetrator from years ago. So in his memory, and in honor of him, I keep it going at least a couple of times each year this hallowed day rolls around.

There was highlight to this whole day. A co-worker of mine decided that that he needed to make a change in his lifestyle, which could be argued a couple of different ways, considering he did it all while being of sound and mostly sober mind.

On a night of celebration, 5 years of companionship with the same individual and in the very place where they met, he decided to change the course of his future…and hers.

Now mind you, the decor of this establishment caused a change in plans for the big moment since most of the seating involved bar stools and should he had kneeled down, she most likely would have missed seeing him or possibly even hearing what he was asking.

It was upon finishing their selections of quaffs and chicken wings, removing themselves from the selected seating choices, he quickly dropped to a single knee, which quickly turns several heads in the restaurant and the obvious statements…”he’s gonna propose..are you proposing…??”

And before losing it completely, he popped the question, she said yes, and the crowd erupted with applause….and he still had to pay the tab.

Happy Valentines Day.

It Is What It Is.

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You look familiar, aren’t you…

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Jake

Being mistaken for someone else isn’t all that odd.

It has been said we all have a twin somewhere in this big old world, and as I grow older, no make that more mature, I have to agree that many  people I see throughout my community do in fact look familiar.

It’s either familiar looking or my memory slipping and I just can’t remember their names.

I bet that one day as I get more and more mature, some of my old acquaintances will become ‘new’ friends altogether… now where was I going with this, oh yeah.

Yesterday being a Saturday which generally ends with a Saturday night and as luck would have it, you could have found me and my wife Cindy at a local eatery.

We visited a local establishment with options of eating IN or taking OUT…which really doesn’t make sense to me. You have to get OUT to go IN to get it, in order to take it home, to get IN from being in the OUT…when in fact you could have just gone OUT and enjoyed it while being IN at the OUT…

Being a family type of person, the times of sitting alone with my spousal unit have been rare and seldom events. There have been those awkward moments when we simply sit and stare at each other, and finally one of us will comment on how we are not talking.

Realizing that the conversations are usually generated with our kids and what is going on in their lives, but with our daughter being up and out on her own, in the early throes of family, and the remaining son at home with obvious interests in the opposing forces of nature and hormones, generally finds a way to avoid being seen with …. ‘the parents’, unless it’s something we have and he needs.

I did spend a grueling 2 hours earlier in the day at a local retail outlet Saturday afternoon, which some refer to as a walking zoo and those who patronize this facility have been glorified on the world wide web as “The People of Wal-Mart”…. trying to have the oil changed in my truck.

Not sure exactly what I was thinking, other than the last time I was there and had my oil changed, it was reasonably priced and thought … just how bad could it be?

For the record, I will find another place to take my wife’s car.

While standing in line to check out in the automotive area which had only 1 register out of 2 in working order, the man with a basket full of ‘stuff’ just in front of me quizzed me about my line of work.

“Are you a coach at Lamar?”

Taken aback by the inquisition I thought I understood him to say, I had to ask him to repeat to make sure I had heard him correctly.

“Are you a coach at Lamar?”

Isn’t it funny how fast your mind works in deciphering how or what basis would cause someone to wonder if I was a coach at our area’s largest secondary educational university would / could develop from the simple choice of shirts I had opted for earlier that day?

I simply stated that I only supported Lamar University by attending sporting events…which leads to the recent football season being brought back since being absent from the university for about 20 years and how I wasn’t a big fan of college basketball until March Madness bounces in, and my favorite collegiate sport would have to be baseball.

But none the less, the question as to whether or not my being a coach just settled in on a shelf I would retrieve later.

Flashing back to Saturday night at the local eatery where my wife and I were enjoying the quiet company of each other, I began one of my favorite outdoor activities, people watching.

Directly across from us was a grandmother, her daughter, and her 4 or 5 kids all spread out in two booths. Nothing extraordinary about the group, other than the one son that had leaned over and fallen asleep with only his chin keeping his head above the table…who was quickly awakened by his sister in her movement from the other side of the table that jarred his jaw enough to spring his eyes open.

One other individual caught our eye as well. This particular person was an employee that bused the tables and kept the dining area clear of debris and checked with the customers for anything they might need to further their dining experience while there.

We had only seen this one other time at another local eatery we visited from time to time. Not the boy that fell asleep with his chin on the table, but the employee that circled the dining room doing what he felt was necessary to aide the customers.

After finishing our meal, we needed a ‘to-go’ box to carry out our leftovers and on the way to retrieve the Styrofoam container, my wife encountered the helpful employee who promptly returned it to our table.

Upon standing to leave, this most helpful employee appeared and wanted to know if I had ever coached a basketball team that was associated with another local eatery?

Twice in one day someone thought I was a coach. Not sure about you, but it just struck me as odd…almost weird, and the only connection was the Lamar University logo shirt I sported yesterday.

Had to tell him that I had not ever coached basketball… only Little League baseball, but then asked him if he had ever worked at Geo-Burrito?

As a matter of fact, he did work there when it first opened for business but moved on after a while. My wife informed him that his working there is what made our first visit the most memorable.

You look familiar, aren’t you…?

It Is What It Is

 

 

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Warm Fuzzy’s

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Jake

Unexpected but accepted with a dose of humility.

Surprising? Most always.

Appreciative? You better know it.

Whatever your passion is or wherever it lies within you, when you zero in on it, get your hand on it, focus on it, and make it breathe; you’re going to grow the relationship.

The relationship between yourself and your passion becomes a driving force to reckon with especially if you offer it up for others to weigh in on.

If I had to put a specific time in my life as to when I realized that writing and sharing of stories was a little something more than what it appeared at the time, would have to be during my American History class in high school. Circa 1971-72

Cannot remember the subject other than American History, but I do remember a few trips to my teacher’s desk for some guidance in getting the point across in the assignment.

It would be years later and during an evacuation from Hurricane Ike in 2008, when I finally decided to take an online writing course offered through the local university where we lived.

My writing would begin as an outlet for me, but would progress to a personal blog where I am able to spin my thoughts, ideas, and tales of personal experiences.

I admit there is a certain amount of self gratification upon checking to see who the visitors are and where they are located, but that’s just a small part of it.

Often times, the geographical locations amaze me and cause me to wonder how that individual came to find my blog and continues to visit regularly. I have no idea who the individual is in Mountain View, California.

Others are more obvious as social network friends and will openly admit to visiting my blog  and actually encourage others to check it out.

Just last week, an old friend of mine called and shared with me his desire for me to pen his fabrication of a long time dream safari. The only true facts in the story would be him as the hunter and his choice of big game animal…and since the particular game animal is still one that is available on specialty ranches in our home state, I told him I would love to put my spin on his hunting trip.

This is the same dear friend that still keeps count of which one of us actually dialed the phone to reach the other for initiation of our conversation. He claims that he values our friendship more than I do since he has several more notches on his call stick than I do on mine.

Growing up and entering the same field of work a lifetime ago, we roomed together, went to trade school together, hunted together, fished together, and almost matured together.

The maturity issue itself… is still considered to be up for discussion, but I would give him the edge simply because he is older than me and he taught me how to cook a steak.

Still he encourages others to visit my blog site and upon realizing the most recent offer was to another one of our co-worker friends, I reminded him that being able to read was a requirement; otherwise I would have to learn how to write a bit  s-l-o-w-e-r  for those like this one individual.

Reading the comments left on the blog are encouraging and heartwarming to say the least. Phone calls from old friends that I didn’t initiate are always good for the soul and a boost to the morale. Even the casual mention of my limited abilities as in…”the boy can write” makes me feel special. Not to mention the bigger words like poignant can cause me to reach for the dictionary to see what it means.

I love the warm fuzzy feeling I get from writing.

I love the warm fuzzy feeling from friendly banter and comments.

I love the warm fuzzy feeling from hearing, ‘Hey, read your blog the other day…’

I love the warm fuzzy feeling checking and finding visitors from across the United States and the global community as well.

Thanks for being one of the generators of my warm fuzzy’s.

It Is What It Is

 

 

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Pages Of Life

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Jake

Life brings us stories.

Stories that will cause you to experience the full range of human emotions.

Rolling laughter, tears of happiness, side splitting aches, and a few knee slapping good times with friends and family to name a few.

One can hope and pray that the good times out weigh the sorrow and tribulations that everyone faces over the course of your story line.

Trying to avoid the sobs of grief, the ache of a broken heart, or those things that God allows into our lives that temper and strengthen us, are not chosen but what I consider to be the Will of God.

The older I get, the more I realize that God in Heaven, our Creator designed us for this type of journey… like it or not.

It is what it is. We know it as life.

Pages of Life.

Some of the stories consist of a few pages or a couple of chapters, depending on the impact of the event.

Back in 1988, the opportunity to share my birthday with our second child was presented to  me. How cool was that I thought. Shoot yeah, sign me up. My wife Cindy reminded me that any future birthdays, I would most likely be the ‘forgotten-one’ and asked me if I would be okay with that….Yep, count me in.

Which leads me to this…as I remember that Monday in February when our son made his grand entrance and began his story, his moment in time, on those few pages in our life.

                      Jacob Colin Chambers

‘Tonkers’

2/1/88 – 4/12/89 

                                You came to us simply, as an answer to a prayer,

Presented as a blessing, an example of God’s care.

To fill a space in time, we all know as life,

A joy, a thrill, a shining ray of light.

 

Little did we know the short time we would share,

I can still see you with your perfect head of hair.

The smiles and the tears would show us how much,

A blessing from Heaven, oh you were just such.

 

Your day of birth was a celebration of sorts,

Life with a beginning, big plans for all kinds of sports.

We had the chance to share the same birthday that year,

I thought..hey why not, let’s do it. It had a nice ring to the ear.

 

Troubles arose and our feelings exposed,

Fears and doubts were present, normal reactions I suppose.

Wouldn’t cast the problems on anyone we knew,

Not really sure why, but we questioned God too.

 

A blessing from Heaven, a gift from above,

You came and you left, like the flight of a dove.

You touched our lives in many different ways,

And your memory will live with us throughout all our days.

 

Your name, it was chosen, we knew it from the start,

We would call you Jacob Colin, but ‘Tonkers’ in our heart.

Now you stay busy, by playing at God’s feet,

Making friends with the angels, oh so sweet.

 

Our days on earth are numbered for sure,

Time’s up today, tomorrow, or one day in November.

One thing I do know, and it’s a sure thing,

We’ll be together again, when God calls and it’s my ring.

  

                                   Jake Chambers /  May – 2001

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Texas Style Trivia

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Jake

I Love Texas, everything about Texas, and Texas Trivia.

World’s first rodeo was in Pecos, Texas on July 4, 1883.

The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the
first full-time coach for Rice University in Houston.

Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North
America.

Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America’s only remaining flock of whooping cranes.

Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978. (which is Brazoria County!!!)

The worst natural disaster in U.S. history was in 1900 caused by a
hurricane in which over 8000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.

The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was “Houston.”

King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island.

Tropical Storm Claudette brought a US. rainfall record of 43″ in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July 1979.

Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by TREATY, (known as Constitution of 1845 by Republic of Texas to enter the union) and may divide into 4 States.

Texas has had six capital cities:

Washington-on-the-Brazos
Harrisburg
Galveston
Velasco
West Columbia
Austin

The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. (by 7 feet).

The name Texas comes from the Hasini Indian word “tejas” meaning friends. Tejas is not Spanish for Texas.

The State animal is the Armadillo. (An interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies! They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females. Well, I thought it was interesting anyway!)

The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astrodome in Houston.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – TEXAS STYLE People here in Texas have trouble
with all those “shalls” and “shall nots” in the ten Commandments. Folks
here just aren’t used to talking in those terms. So, I offer up to you a version of those Sacred Commands and are known to be posted on the wall at Cross Trails Church in Fairlie, Texas.

(1) Just one God.
(2) Put nothin’ before God.
(3) Watch yer mouth.
(4) Git yourself to Sunday meeting.
(5) Honor yer Ma & Pa
(6) No killin’.
(7) No foolin’ around with another fellow’s gal.
(8) Don’t take what ain’t yers.
(9) No telling tales or gossipin’.
(10) Don’t be hankerin’ for yer buddy’s stuff

Now that’s kinda plain an’ simple don’t ya think?

And for you few folks out there that are a wondering and for clarity on these Commandments, I have added just a little of my own interpretation.

1.  Just One God. Period.

2.  No Idols. Not even fishin’, huntin’, or football.

3.  God’s middle name ain’t…. dammit!

4.  Get together with other Believers. Regularly…ok, I struggle with this so pray for me.

5.  Don’t do nothing that would embarrass your parents.

6.  Don’t be a shooting something that you can’t eat or ain’t a threat to you.

7.  Don’t screw around. Period.

8.  Don’t take it if you didn’t pay for it. Period.

9.  Tell the truth. Always.

10. Admire from a distance and appreciate what God gave you…

It Is What It Is…Ya’ll

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It’s Just Another Day

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Jake

January 17th.

This year it happens to fall on a Tuesday.

There is one year in particular that resonates in my memory.

It was in that particular year, the 17th of January aligned within a weekend and presented itself as the most obvious of choices.

Choices I waded through, opting for the perfect day. After weighing all the possible and probable reasons for deciding on this particular weekend, it seemed so…. obvious.

It was after all the holidays from the previous year and not a lot was going on during the first part of the year made it a good option.

Thanksgiving and Christmas were already past and the dust had settled from celebrations of ringing in the New Year.

Self inflicted hangovers were recovered from, vague memories and unexplained photographs were surfacing with scatterings of people you barely remember.

Not to mention, the one factor that stood out to me was that ‘this’ particular weekend was after deer season. Yes, you read correctly…after deer season.

Who would set a day of such importance to take place in the throes of deer season? January 17th seemed the perfect day to schedule the big day.

Yes; the verdict is in, guilty as charged. It’s a fact that deer season would be over… AND did play a part in the decision as to when and what date Cindy and I would get married on.

I had all the authority I needed to make this decision. Cindy told me to pick the date and I did.

This year we will celebrate 31 years of wedded bliss together.

When you look up the word bliss, you get a couple of other words that define the wedded union as well.

One that jumps out at me was Paradise…and its definition describes a place or state of bliss or delight.

Of the 31 years  together, there has definitely been more good times than the … not so good times. Not at all near paradise as one would prefer, but more along the lines of let’s just say…tolerable.

There have been some really rough spots….and I will tell you this, there isn’t another person on this rock we call Earth, that I would even attempt to have gone through what we have faced together.

Cindy grounds me in more ways than I can count on both of my hands. I just hope that I offer to her a portion of the unconditional love she pours out to me.

This is just one of many things that occurred in the year of 1981. I have listed a few other items you may or may not remember from that year in history…

Lady Di marries Prince Charles

MTV is launched

Justin Timberlake was born

Iran releases 52 American hostages after being held for 444 days

First flight of the U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia

The term Internet was mentioned

Post-It Notes launched by 3M Corp

MS-DOS released by Microsoft

On a Saturday afternoon, on January 17th,  1981, in the witness of friends, family, and before God Almighty who placed these two souls together; a ceremony was held to lawfully join the hearts, souls, and minds of two into one.

After a honeymoon to Houston and a night at Gilley’s in Pasadena, we returned home only to spend the first week of our marriage in bed… sick with the flu.

Happy Anniversary Cindy. I love you more today than I did when I first told you.

It Is What It Is

 

 

 

 

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