Here it is MONDAY morning in the desert.  We are visiting my youngest son Todd in Henderson Nevada.  Yesterday was an AWESOME day at church.  For those following this blog, First Henderson United Methodist Church is where I spent 21 years of church development quality time and Pat and I were able to see the current Youth Group serve Youth Sunday Worship. It was a magnificent service!  The Youth group is an ongoing Honored tradition that FHUMC is well known for.  They have seveal STIX prsentations on UTube and have been asked to perform at the Desert SouthWest Annual Conference this year.  Really a great honor.  During our time at church yesterday Pat and I were so warmley welcomed by our dear church frinds. We are looking forward to seeing more of them thorugh the week and next Sunday. Pastor Jim gave us such a warm welcome we do appriceate his love and support.  He is a perfect fit for the folks of FHUMC as I can see.

Then spent time setting up a 20 gallon aquarium for the granddughters in a fairtale type fashion with pink and purple gravel and a castle, pink treasure chest, and assorted arificial plants.  We will be finishing up with the heater and filter system today and if everything is working properly, the fish come home tomorrow.  It sure helps having worked in the aquarium retail business years ago . . . the basics remain the same, technology improves. ha ha

Today my son Todd and I are visiting a very good FaceBook friend Doc, this morning.  The last trip here was so short and so much jammed in, I ran out of time to get to see him.  I vowed not to let that happen this time.

Not much has visually changed here in Henderson that we can see.  The trees and scrubs are larger, but that is about all. Traffic is horendous as I had expected it to be, as living in Rutherford for six years where rush hour is right after church lets lets out, and there are five cars on the road at the same time!

So we have a week of visiting friends, and playing with the family. What wonderful rehab this is.  Will try to write more in the morning.

Remember, keep singing, keep praying, keep smiling,

Blessings,
Gary

How many folks really see what's going on around you?  Are you focused on getting to where you are going to or are thinking about what is going on later, or just drifting in your own "thought pool"?

Pat and I have been doing some traveling westward on Interstate 40 which has a wonderful example of what I thought I would share with you today. There is a collection of history just laying along the freeway that really needs some photographer/writer/researcher to pick up the torch and find out about all the now delapitated and falling apart buildings.  You know . . .  the ones that in their hayday were being used for hotels, gas stations, homes, businesses, etc.  There is a lot of history of where we were and WHO we were that needs picture of the then and now.  What happened, that now shows abandonment?  Pat did a lot of driving this trip and I was seeing a bunch of those things and we talked about it to some extent.  So if you are looking for a project, these places are not just along Hwy 40, but all over our great country.  Feel free to make a dent in visiting our history and sharing it with us.

I am missing writing every day, but when I am on the road, it is more difficult to do than when I am home. We are in Henderson Nevada visiting our youngest child, Todd and his fantastic family.  We will be here for a while enjoying seeing our granddaughters, Shannon and Todd.  Catching up on what's going on, seeing the granddaughter and how grown up they are!  Then there are our friends at First Henderson United Methodist Church.  For you followers of my blog, you remember that is where I developed most of my church skills.  I hope they are still talking to me! ha ha  Another highlight is to visit Doc (Chuck)Williams from Facebook fame . . .  I missed seeing him last visit and will NOT pass up the opportunity this time.  We are fellow seafarers which is quite a forceful bond.  Of course Doc's sea duty encompased more exotic places than I, because of the size of his ships.  Mine were restricted to the larger ports, where he could see what the "real" people were like.  So, when we wear out our welcome here we are off to see our oldest son David to share Mother's Day, his wife Mischell's birthday and youngest daughters High School graduation and Going away party for the Navy...following her Mother, and Grandmother's Navy tradition. When we get back home to Tennessee, we will start prpeparing for our garage sale later on in the summer.  When we moved to Tennessee we moved about a 12 ft. square area of stuff to sell at a yard sale, and now with my physical constraints, I am sure there will be more in tools and stuff that I can't use anymore that will be available for cheap. 

So what is the point?  Major point is: Don't ignore our history. There is a wealth of interesting history out there to give us a clue on the WHO and WHY we, as American's are.  We have a rich history of industrial growth, human invention, overcoming obsticals and challenges.  That, believe it or not, is VERY important.  So pay attention to your family photos, labeling who or what it is, then scan it for your digital records.  I know, pretty high tech stuff huh?

I will try to be as consistant as I can until I get back to my regular routine at home, so please be patient until then. After that, all excuses are off. ha ha ha

Remember, Keep singing, keep laughing, keep smiling.

Blessings,
Gary

At this point I really don't remember what I was thinking when I accepted going in to the hospital for a Heart Cath..  The results were wonderful as they found a major artery with a 70% blockage which when they put a stint in the vein, it now prevented a heart attack.  THAT is a good thing.  However, my life has changed once again.  New things like blood thinners, not lifting much of anything for a while until the hole heals that they created to get into the circulatory system to begin with.

At the present time, my right arm hurts, I am very tired, my mouth is dry, nothing tastes all that great.  Can't carry my guitar to church let alone play it (right now).  I don't understand what is being said, as my hearing seems to warble in and out.  It is a good thing I am going to see my cardiologist tomorrow to ask questions and maybe get to feeling better.

I am hopeful for the future.  I do belong to Jesus and our Heavenly Father, so that is so great to know, it gives me assurance that this is only something I am passing through.  We will be visiting our boys and their families soon and are really excited about that.  It has been a long time since we saw the kids.

Today's "blog" is a touch different than normal....that's the way it goes sometimes, I guess.  I will try to be a little more positive next time but don't really know how regular I will be in the coming several weeks.  I DO appreciate your stopping in and your interest in reading what I have been doing, where I have traveled, and will continue to share my thoughts with you again, regularly.  Hoping it is of some value to you, the reader.  In all our tiredness, we ALWAYS have God to cling to.  Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and will provide comfort in knowing that our future is with Him and Father God in the Glory of Heaven, no matter how nasty it gets here on earth.  I know that's what I think and how I believe.  Hope you can come to that conclusion as well.  All is good in the Kingdom of God.

Praise be to God

Remember, keep singing, keep praying, keep smiling

til later....
Blessings,
Gary

Saturday FUNNIES!

Laugh loud and often!

Enjoy Your Weekend!

How many look forward to Medical Tests, RAISE YOUR HANDS!  I thought so.  Nobody.  This is a preparation day for me.  Years ago, after I returned from Desert Storm,  I had a heart Cath. test.  It was rather nerve wracking as I was not real sure what was going to happen or even what it was!  My cardiologist  had decided that this test was needed to find out the answers to some questions about my circulatory system.  Being a modest person, when I found out they were going to insert a device into my groin area, panic set in.  They have drugs to reduce that problem and after a bit I was ok to watch the TV monitor as the journey through my blood system commenced.  It was at the last part of the test that went a little amok.  As I was watching the monitor, suddenly everything went black...like middle of the night darkness.  Couldn't see a thing. No shadows, nothing.  And the nurse's voice was calling me saying "Breathe Gary, breathe" It sounded like she was a couple rooms down the hall. I remember thinking "I am breathing"  Then there was a horrible pain to my chest.  I found out later that it was from those little machines you see the medics on TV with, when they shout "CLEAR!" The victim bounces off the table a few inches, and dies.  I am glad to say, the last part did not happen, well, I didn't stay dead anyway.  I guess the line did not stay flat long enough to be considered dead.....thank GOD!  However, I had to put a gel on the outlines of the two paddle marks on my chest for several weeks.  It seems that I have an allergy to the trace material they use for this test, and it stopped my heart.  The doctor spoke to Pat (I am told) that "Gary has a strong heart muscle".  I think it is a good thing too!

I am telling you this as I am preparing for another one Friday morning. Am I scared?  A little.  Since my hospital visit a couple months ago, and the chemical stress test, the Pulmonary Function test, and all, they seem to want to double check my circulation system again . . . . just to rule out heart problems. I'm fine with that.  I am all for eliminating things to worry about.  What I have going on is so minor in comparison to what others are going through.  Look at the Boston Marathon casualties.  They have more to deal with than what I have to deal with.  What a disaster.  What hate.  We must keep everyone in prayer for their healing and peace of mind.  Their lives have indeed changed. In a way, it makes my challenges seem like a walk in the park.  IF we just look around, we realize that we are not alone in the worry department.  We are not alone when it comes to challenges in life.  There is ALWAYS someone who is suffering with pain or anxiety much more than we are.  Does knowing that help us any?  Most of the time not.  It may keep us more humble for a while though.

I am taking some medication today to counter the trace materials adverse effect on my heart, so it won't stop again.  I died once, it wasn't my time, I didn't like the shocking experience and don't want to repeat it.  No, there was no light at the end of the tunnel. I saw neither the light NOR the tunnel.  Just blackness and the audio distance. The procedures have improved over time, so I am hopeful there will not be a replay of the last time.

All of this is to say that no matter how firm a spiritual foundation we have, human fear creeps in to cause us some challenges.  I just finished the book written by Chris Kyle the Navy Seal, Sniper.  In comparison to the injuries and mayhem he dealt with and then to be killed after all that he endured, is another senseless loss of life.

So now that I have written my therapy for the day, Tomorrow I can stand tall, put a smile on my face and say a prayer for God to guide the doctors and staff, and suck it up.  The results will give everyone the knowledge needed to continue my journey in God's service.  AMEN


Remember, Keep singing, keep praying, keep smiling

Blessings,
Gary

Minneapolis, Minnesota is a beautiful city.  It is "the City of Lakes".  When I grew up in South Minneapolis, we had several lakes real close by that had swimming beaches and fishing from the banks available to us.  In the winter the lakes of course would be iced over, and skating rinks were cleared of snow.  For safety reasons I suppose, the stopped doing that and started flooding areas in the parks around the lakes for skating rinks.  They came with warming houses which were a wonderful time of taking the chill . . . . not lets rephrase that. . . .  the penetrating COLD, that would overtake whatever heat your body was trying to maintain while outside.  It would LOOK real nice out with the sun shining and all, but it was probably sub zero real temps.  They also had hockey rinks flooded for those with athletic skating abilities.  I was NOT one of those.  As I remember it, there were about 10 long blocks to a mile in Minneapolis.  At least that was the "Urban legend" of distance.  By that standard, I lived on 37th Street and Lake Hiawatha was about 44th or so.  It has been many years since I've been in Minneapolis, so forgive me. That would have been only a half mile walk. After an hour or two of skating and playing in the snow, that half mile walk home seemed a lot longer, I'll tell ya!

In the summer time, it was much nicer except for the mosquitoes.  I remember as a little kid, seeing jeeps driving down the streets spraying to kill those blood suckers.  What a fog they created.  EPA rules of course prevent that from happening now. Watching the 4th of July fireworks was always a two edged sword.  I love to see the display, but it came with a price.  That price was a body full of mosquito bite welts.  I was allergic to those critters.  But the rest of the seasons were pretty nice.  The Spring and the Fall were cooler, the colors in the fall were great.  For a while we even burned our raked leaves in the gutter of the street.  That was always fun. I had the fire watch to make sure it didn't spread.  Responsibility.  Made me feel grown up.

When I went over to Grandma and Grandpa Rockart's house I was allowed to explore the area close to the river that was like a jungle to me.  My imagination was pretty peaked in those years.  I loved following the barely visible trails that had been made, imagining all kinds of stories as I moved through "the wilds".  It was even more fun when we were able to get over to "the Falls", as there was a stream that went from Minnehaha Falls to the river and along the way were limestone caves and all kinds of neat places to explore.  So I guess I had a pretty active imagination to go along with the parks and trails that Minneapolis provided.

Minnehaha Falls, 1965

Now isn't that a pretty picture?  Some years it was pretty dry, but this is what I remember and that is just fine.  I think that we all have memories of our childhood that gives us a "worm fuzzy feeling".  In reality it could be something completely different though.  Have you ever had that happen?  Kind of a let down wasn't it.  I think that is why pictures are always good to have.  Since I have been writing this blog, it has gotten me off my butt and back to scanning family history through the media of film. I have a whole photo box full of "Gary's Memories".  Through the Photoshop program, I am able to easily restore the photos to near original tone values.  We all understand about those old colored pictures fade or turn yellowish brown.  That is what the Falls picture looked like before I clicked on "AUTO COLOR".  Makes me look like a computer guru or something! ha ha

I suggest to y'all, that you start (if not already) restoring your family memories and get them safely tucked away on several media....like a CD, flash drive, or even a DVD if you got lots and lots.  Then distribute them to your other family members so there is, hopefully, a copy that floats around in the future, for our descendants to look at and admire.  I wish I had done this years ago because some of the pictures were damaged over time.  I also wish I had asked my parents more family history questions before they left us.  If you still have your folks with you, ASK NOW!  Get it written down and get pictures if you can.  Family History is important. It gives you a foundation of information on how you got to where you came from.

I feel sorry for those that are not interested in family heritage.  It is almost too sad to think about.  I wish I knew more of where my grandparents came from.  Where were their parents and grandparents from? What did they do?  What part of the world did they come from?  We are not alone in this world.  We did not all of a sudden appear.  Even if there are no "famous" folks in our lineage, isn't it interesting to know what  kind of folks came before us?  This is one reason (among many as it turns out) that I am doing what I am doing now with this journey through my like via blog.  There is a Saffell, Arkansas.  Someday, I will go there to do a little more digging and see what I can find about family.  They have a family reunion (or used to according to my Mom) every year.  Some year I will take a short trip and see what can be seen and learn what can be learned.

Point of this story is:  To show Sue a picture of Minnehaha Falls.  In addition, some more family history and thoughts from me on why I think family history is so important.  God's plan from the beginning was based on FAMILY.  It is our support system. I is our life blood.  It is where we learn how to interact with other people and their families (sometimes).  Then thinking even further, we are part of God's family, through our relationships that we develop, we are able to have extended families. All these parts and pieces teach us how to share, get along, learn skills . . . both people skills and other necessary skills of life.  It is so amazing how it all fits together when we consider where our ancestors came from, why they did things the way they did, believed the way they did, and were the way they were.   Putting all that together then makes a bit more sense, and most the time, we can be proud of that.
So take pictures, label them with NAMES, write down some important facts that happened during their life that you found out.  Write down things that you have lived through and have done along with pictures.  It's all important . . . for those that come after you.  Do it now.

Remember, Keep singing, keep praying, keep smiling.


Blessings,
Gary

Growing up in the church was something kids did when I was one.  It was what we did as a social event, learning, moulding, and was a comfort zone for a lot of us '60's kids.  We went to church on Sunday morning with our parents.  We sat with our parents during worship.  Our pew was the third one from the front, right hand side.  We were ALWAYS there.  It wasn't an unordinary thing for any of us. It was what was expected. IF it was Sunday morning, you could find us at church.  We all went to Sunday School and Worship in the morning, and we were at MYF . . . in those days it was Methodist Youth Fellowship.  .  . today it is UMYF — United Methodist Youth Fellowship, ever since 1968 when we became united with  the Evangelical United Brethren Church.

I remember Mr. Sears after church would meet to talk to Dad and always had a stick of Blackjack gum for me. Our congregation was about 600 at that time.  My Brother Guy still goes there.  Minnehaha United Methodist Church in South Minneapolis.

We had some pretty neat counselors in our sizeable youth group.  They were college students and really cool.  Our church had a basement and it was equipped with a really big commercial style kitchen that the parents fixed the most AWESOME meals for the MYF group every Sunday afternoon.  Both Jr. and Sr. High gathered for the meal, and recreation, like Basketball on our indoor court!  I hadn't realized how blessed we were.  Our numbers were always high in attendance.  That didn't seem to be a concern for anyone to fuss over.  Below are several pictures of a winter retreat we all went on in Feb. 1964.

Sr. Hi. Discussion group

Every one....lets go to the Retreat!

Rev. and Mrs. Nyberg supporting the Youth

Everybody gets involved

Gary singing something...can't remember
that far back!

First Class Entertainment too!

Havin' a Hootenanny!

What gave us all a sense of belonging, is that we all had a common bond in Jesus.  We were not afraid to be ourselves, because the love of Jesus was so thick among us, that we were actually brothers and sisters in Christ.  We learned together, ate together, worshiped together, played together.  New kids were always welcomed to the group.  I can't remember anyone ever not being welcomed.  It sounds like a mythical town around Lake Wobegon doesn't it?  Where the men are all strong, the women are all good looking and the children are all above average.  

What saddens me is the youth numbers are way down these days in most churches.  Maybe the Youth groups have a lot of kids, if food is provided,  but they don't show up for worship.  In the '60's those that were in Youth Group were in Church on Sunday morning as well.  Some churches like the one Pat and I attend and are proud members of, has a FANTASTIC youth group.  There are young adults all the way down to grade school youth. They take care of each other and remind me so much of MYF of my youth.  Pat and I are really proud of the Gibson Wells United Methodist Youth.  They are so active.  One of the reasons is that the adults support them and their activities.  They are there for them with encouragement, assistance and guidance when needed.  We attend their programs and everyone has fun.

Point of this story:  If your church has an active youth group that attends both Youth meetings AND Worship, you are fortunate and you need to keep doing what you are doing.  For those with no youth, you need to be doing something to get them to your church. It is NOT the Pastor's job to attract the kids.  It is the CONGREGATION that needs to provide the resources, facilities atmosphere and programing that will allow the youth to WANT to come to the church family.  Look at those pictures of yesteryear above.  There is something there that attracted us to associate with each other. It was productive as well as foundational in all our growing up.  If you are an older adult, please support the youth of your church. Guess what?  We adults lead by example. If we don't encourage them positively, keep your mouth shut.  If we embarrass them with critical public comments, they will quit coming around.  If there is something that you think is not right (perhaps relationships or something) voice your concern to a counselor or adult with the group, to deal with.  Public disapproval is a quick way to kill a youth group or any group for that matter.  If you are a younger married adult, support the youth of your church.  If you are a youth and aren't attending church or youth group....get moving and start attending.  It is the best thing going.

Remember, Keep singing, keep praying, keep smiling

Blessings,

Gary