Act and react!

I don't know how you will act or react to this "It's Saturday'.  There is a 50/50 chance that 90% of what I say is 100% accurate! 

I went to the watch Kirby Dreyer play in the Futures (i.e. a step down of the LPGA) in Marion last weekend.  Remember I met her in AZ and we played some golf together.  ANYWAY I pulled into the parking lot of Hunters Ridge and was stopped by a police officer.  He asked it I was a VIP--I said I sure was--Great, I need to see your VIP badge--I don't have a VIP badge--Then you're not a VIP in this lot; you need to park down the street in the public lot!  I'm still a VIP now matter what he says (i.e. at least I think I am).  It was an act and react situation.  We both had a good laugh.  Such is life.

Act and react!  Oh ya.  Matthew Wicks, a junior in our community, did this film and won the national first prize (i.e. got $3,000)  It's about the FEMA (i.e. how they act and react) related to the tornado in Parkersburg.  It's excellent (i.e. my opinion).
 http://studentcam.viddler.com/videos/watch.php?id=20b8f9f9

A friend told me once again the other day that her father is her hero.  They are celebrating his 90th birthday this weekend.  ANYWAY one of the reasons she thinks he is her hero is that he just accepts things.  His faith is an accepting faith.  He doesn't question stuff or get mad at stuff that happens but just accepts stuff with a secure faith in God.  Wow!  That is how he acts and reacts folks. 

Act and react!  This is a reprint with permission from Rick Vesley, a friend who has Lou Gehrig's disease.  ~  List the five most important things/people in your life.  Your lists may have included family, children, spouse, parents, house, investments, health, friends, social life, sports (you have seen the t-shirts-baseball is life') among a few. In the message I used this illustration of making the list I first had people cross out number 5 the least important on the list and later number 4 the so on till you have one left. The message was as some people grow old they often to begin to experience loss of some things once valued as being very important. You may have or have had a parent or grandparent is going through or went through stages of life as they lose one after another the important things in life. Friends, mobility, house (independent living) spouse, parents, even children/grandchildren I'm not thinking that these loses are blessings. Maybe when we have loss something important we really start to appreciate what we do have.You may have seen where a person loss a secure job only to then begin following a dream of the past. An illness or accident that awakens one to embrace what they so long took for granted. Too often the tragedy is some have to lose something important before they final live. If we look at our list most likely they are all temporary things. The real hope is that we may have for our number one is our relationship with our Lord.  Not that we wake every day wondering what we might lose but what we can do to embrace what we have. We know tragedy strikes -look at the tornado victims in matter of minutes life changed as they knew it. My folks went to bed one summer night to awaken to the sudden death of their 15 yr old son. A young teacher died after a tree fell on her this past weekend. Life is fragile and our lists of important 'Things" are as well.  your thoughts--- what is really important in life. people-things-relationships-I know my list is ever changing----Blessing Rick Vesley

I don't know how the neighbors acted or reacted but...I took 3 church buddies to the Iowa Cubs game last night.  I had some free tickets from of of our insurance companies (i.e. you think I would pay $12 per ticket for those guys!--actually I would).  The Iowa Cubs are the Triple A of the Chicago Cubs and play in Des Moines.  It's about a hour and 45 minute drive.  Friday night is a fun night to go to a game as the crowd is usually larger and happier as they don't have to go to work in the morning (i.e. act and react).  They also have fireworks after the game (i.e. a fun night at the old ball park).  So I dropped off our minister and my mentor (i.e. 85 years old) at about 12:30.  God only knows what the neighbors are thinking (i.e. acting and reacting--can you imagine some of the stories Saturday morning on the phone and at the coffee shop).  Such is life.

Act and react!  We are active members in our local Presbyterian Church (i.e. we really like this church--the church is the folks who love the Lord).  It is of the Presbyterian USA denomination.  This denomination recently approved  the ordination of gay and homosexual pastors.  Probably 70% of our members don't know about it and probably don't care.  But the other probably 30% do know and do care.  We also could call our local church Aplington Community Church and 90% of the folks wouldn't care.  We want to worship God and not mess around with all this negative stuff.  Sooooooo we are having an informational meeting after our service this Sunday (i.e. it will be interesting to see how many care enough to show up).  How will folks in our church act and react?  How will leadership in our church act and react?  I don't know for sure (i.e. maybe I might be surprised but I don't think sooooo).  It will be interested.  Arlene and I sorta kinda know how we feel at this minute.  I read what one middle management personnel of the denomination wrote--"For Joe and Sally Pewstitter worship is still at 10:30 on Sunday AM. For those in leadership positions all the change may fuel some anxiety. Above all else I trust you will go on with your significant ministry in your significant church."  I guess we sometimes talk the way the folks who pay us decide we need to talk (i.e. many times it's about money folks).  Think about the pastors--how will they act and react?  They might not be able maximise their retirement plans; they might have spits in their church, they might have to take a stand as to what they believe; they might lose their job; it could be ugly!  To think that life will be the same and nutten is going to happen, is like putting your head in the sand on this issue folks (i.e. my opinion).  There will be action and reactions if we like it or not.  Such is life. 

My mentor says--Nutten is as good as it looks and nutten is as bad as it looks!  Do we every over react?  Do we ever under react folks?  Do we always know how we will react to a massive huge challenge in our life?  Well, we all have massive huge challenges in our lives.  We all act and react differently to challenges based on much impute in our life (e.g. faith, way we were trained, past experiences, genetically, people we are around, etc).  Some of those challenges are ugly and we what to say what my friend said to me about a challenge in my life--TheOldViking said--excuse my french   awwww shit!  We have no choice, we will act and react.  Such is life.

Act and react.  Joesixpack says--Between the great things we cannot do and the small things we will not do,
the danger is that we shall do nothing. Initiative is the willingness to begin and follow through.  GeorgeTheCrook says--Joexixpack, it's easier to do nutten! One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat.

Gettin' back to going to the Futures Tourney last week end. I brought my bike along with the idea of stopping in Waterloo/Ceder Falls and ride some bike on the Cedar Valley Trails. Well after 6 hours in the wind and sun, I stopped for an ice cream cone at Mc Donald's and skipped the bike ride. When I got home I fell in my recliner and fell asleep. Act and react folks! Such is life.

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans.  (-:

swervin'ervin

MyFriendJean says--God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with.