Buckshots

             The Texas theatre in downtown Sherman presented the movie, “The 10 Commandments”, starring Charleston Heston and Yul Brynner when it came out came out in 1956.   It was the greatest motion picture I had ever seen in my few years.   It was chock full of special effects such as the Red Sea parting, pillars of fire, water turned into blood and the green cloud of death, coming down to kill the Egyptian’s first born.     Further, the Texas theatre seemed to be showing it on a regular basis.   By watching the church page notices, different denominations were sponsoring their children's Sunday School classes to see the movie for free.     All one had to do was show up with the group from the church and they let you in.   I claimed to be a   Baptist, Methodist, Church of Christ, Catholic and Presbyterian to be allowed in with the other young believers.   I LOVED that movie and saw it at leas...

      By the time the 4th grade rolled around at Bryant Elementary in 1959, I had turned into an insecure, paranoid whack-o.   I was afraid of everything...this included my father, who I thought might kill me in my sleep; burglars who would enter our simple, non-assuming home and kill me in my sleep; school yard bullies, who would kill me while I was wide awake; and lightening, which I heard could come right down the antenna wire and blow you up while you watched TV.      I had so much on my mind I was constantly in a state of distraction, knowing there were a number of factors that could lead to my instant destruction.  I was an 8 year old Woody Allen character.      I started the 4th grade with a newly graduated, extremely high strung teacher who found me hopeless.  She did not hesitate to dress me down in front of the class over my many shortcomings and preoccupations.  We turned into mortal enemies.   ...

      When I entered the 7th grade at the Sherman, Texas, Piner Junior High School in the fall of 1962, it presented a entirely new page of worldliness and sophistication.   I was no longer in a grade school of freshly-scrubbed students with pre-adolescent voices, where boys and girls had roughly the same physique.   This was a new world of “almost” young adults, puberty was rampant and it was extremely intimidating.       We showered after P.E. with 9th graders, some who were haired-over, well- endowed men and the rest of us resembled pudgy babies.  There was a core of 9th grade male students who looked like they may have been held back a few grades over the years.  Most of them were shaving, smoked regularly and a couple even drove cars to school!  Their girlfriends looked like grown women, quite buxom, with a lot of make up and reeking of sexuality.  This was an overwhelming onslaught of sophistication a...

      I realized the other day, I do not look into a mirror that often.   When shaving, I study a portion of my face but do not take in the entire picture.   It is only when getting a haircut, when the barber turns the chair to the mirror upon completion and I take in the entire effect.   My haircuts take very little time and when I see my reflection, I again realize I am REAL bald and getting seriously older by the minute.   I have crinkly eyes, a grey mustache, and hair appears on and in my ears.          I still have a mental image that I am around 20 years old and am astonished how much older those around me are getting.   My bride and I went to see the band CHICAGO some time back and I was surprised how many “old folks” were in attendance.   Nancy pointed out they looked exactly like us!   WHAT!   I look like a 67 year old grandpa?        I have never been a good judge of ...

      I have always been comforted by the scripture in Hebrews 13:2…”Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it.”   I DO believe there are angels and spirits all around us.   We do not always see them, but they are here and I believe they are   placed by the grace of God to look after us.   I know this to be true because I have encountered them and have felt their presence in my life.      Throughout my life I have prayed for intersession and have received help.  My first marriage was very difficult and my wife insisted on a divorce.  We had two young children and I was desperate about the impact this would have on them.  With Christmas approaching, I was alone in my apartment bed, despondent, teary and praying, when I literally felt a strong, reassuring hand press down on my chest, and rub…like you would reassure a small child.  I felt a pre...

      This time of year I always remember the stifling heat of summer in north Texas during the 50’s & 60’s.   No one had air conditioning and it was torture to attempt to go to sleep in a hot bed and wake up in warm, sweaty sheets.   I read recently the human body dispenses north of 25 gallons of sweat annually into our beds.   (The point being, change the sheets weekly.)   In Sherman, Texas, that number had to be considerably higher in the summer months.        One source of relief from the summer inferno was the Sherman municipal swimming pool.  It seemed anytime I was at the pool, my late childhood hero Judd Bell was present.  Judd was about 3-4 years older than me and always seemed to be in the midst of an adventure.  I witnessed someone finding a bottle rocket and Judd placed it down the back of his swim suit,  bent over and lit the fuse.  The rocket shot off his butt and into hot blue sky ...

      Today, July 7th, is a pretty important birth date for me.   My daughter in law, Emily, celebrates her 35th birthday today.   I am awfully glad she was born…she makes my son extremely happy, is a joy to be around and has presented me with two wonderful grandchildren, including my only grandson, who happens to share my middle name!   (Tough thing to do for a little guy.)          It has made us all very happy for Emily to be in our family and I have been impressed with her zeal to do the right thing.  She works hard at being a good mama, wife and partner, while maintaining her sense of humor and making us all feel loved.  I thank God she and Jacob found one another and this has been a blessing in all our lives.      Today would also have been the 64th birthday of my little brother Bob.  He was killed in December 1967 in a bicycle accident, when he was only 14.  It is hard to imagine ...