callmeloublog

[callmeloublog]

Social Media can do positive things if you are responsible.

How do you use social media? I use social media to keep track of friends, especially ones I haven’t seen in many years. For instance I can keep up with the lives of high school and law school friends. Many of these people wouldn’t have interaction with me otherwise. I also have used social media to spread the word on new bogs as I publish them. I don’t like to get caught up in politics or…

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#dailyprompt #dailyprompt-1914

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Mom's Deafening Silence.

I had a law enforcement training officer many years ago who taught me when you stop an offender, you do one of two things. You either arrest them or warn them and chew them out for the offense… You never do both. Over the years I followed that advice, even into my present job as a municipal judge. When a defendant comes before and they are found guilty, I either lecture them and give them a…

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#alcohol #drunk #family #funny #methodist #mom #Preachers Kid #wedding #whiskey

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My House of Cards.

My House of Cards.

Mom was very old school as a Methodist minister’s wife. She had several strict rules which had been handed down or taught by Grandma Mitchell. One was that there was absolutely no alcohol allowed in the house or at family gatherings, or church events. This was because of her religious teachings in the Methodist church. It was Garrison Kealor who talked about those Methodists who even in the heat…

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#blog #cards #church #cowboys #methodsit #mother #preacher #Preachers Kid #punishment #sermon #whiskey

[callmeloublog]

What Deer?

The Kansas Fish and Game Commission did an outstanding job helping to bring the White-Tail Deer back to a healthy population in Kansas back in the 1960’s and 70’s. The animals had declined due to over hunting and loss of habitat among other things. 1941 overhunting The State of Kansas finally put some special protections on the animals and went to a lottery system for getting permits to hunt…

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#blog #fishing #hunting #jokes #parks #poaching #sheriff #tricks #white tail #wildlife

[callmeloublog]

My Principal Honor.

There was a path I was meant to travel. It started 40 years ago and ended last month. I had no idea that the Lord had something waiting for me all that time. The Lord waited patiently to lead me down that path to a point where I would fully appreciate an incident and a kindly soul that would affect the course of my life. I was the liturgist on May 30th at our local United Methodist Church in…

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#blogging #covid #family #father #first day #high school #memorial #Methodist Church #mother #principal #teacher #trauma

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But, I'm Not the Preacher.

But, I’m Not the Preacher.

He told me I could run away and pursue a different “calling”, but in the end God would have his way. I was still in college at the time and trying to figure out what I was going to do in life. All of my efforts since high school had gone toward wildlife conservation and law enforcement. I’d been intent on being a park ranger, game warden, or something along those lines. Unfortunately, I was…

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#blog #career #dad #death #education #father #loss #methodist #minister #Park Ranger #prayer #preacher

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A Kick in the Rear by God.

A Kick in the Rear by God.

I had dreaded reseeding the west side of the church ever since I volunteered to do it six months ago. I knew that I was going to have to lug that rota-tiller out of the garage and somehow lift it into the back of the truck without breaking my back or causing a hernia. The west side of the church was bare of grass in an area where a tree had kept the area in perpetual shade. We had gotten the…

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#anger #church #forgiveness #frustration #god #grass #holding a grudge #planting #teaching #wife

[callmeloublog]

Coffee Anyone?

I’ll always remember that evening, like it was yesterday. It was the early evening, about supper time, and I was headed home on my bike. I’d enjoyed a great time with my best friend, Kenny, and was looking forward to eating dinner. The bicycle I had was my good and reliable companion. Sort of like a good horse to a cowboy. It took me verywhere in town and ventured out into the country on…

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#ambulance #bicycle #birthday #blogging #broken ankle #child psychology #church #coffee #family #fear and anxiety #injury #mother #parents #Preachers Kid

[callmeloublog]

Is That Lizard Smiling?

It was a warm summer afternoon, so I was enjoying the air conditioning. July in Kansas can normally get well above 100F in the afternoon. This is when the lake is a prime destination for folks wanting to camp, swim, or boat in Kansas. We don’t have mountains or forrests, but we do have many lakes. I was hanging out in the visitors center which had a large room with a rather boring collection of…

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#animal attack #animal bite #animals #blogging #camping #children #education #injury #lakes #lizards #visitor center #wildlife

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Sitting Too Close to the Preacher.

Sitting Too Close to the Preacher.

After the Palm Sunday church service, our Pastor summoned me to the front of the sanctuary before we left. Our church is continuing to practice social distancing and masks in an effort to protect everyone as more people get vaccinated. We have marked off every other pew with home-made quilts. They are beautiful to look at and serving an important function. The very front 4 pews have been…

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#blogging #children #choir #dad #embarrassment #family #funeral #justice #Methodist Church #mom #preacher #punishment #sister #worship service

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Mirror, Mirror, On the wall...

Mirror, Mirror, On the wall…

Our battle was fierce and the winner in doubt, but in the end, vanity was his undoing. It was man versus bird, a Giant Bird. No, not a giant chicken, but a large emu. In the mid to mid 90’s a fad swept across America. It was the arts and crafts practice of taking the large emu eggs and decorating them as part of art projects. I’m told the eggs could fetch $50-$100 apiece if sold to the right art…

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#animals #arrest #art #bird eggs #birds #blogging #emu #fight #vanity #wildlife

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The Valentine Secret.

Mom had a sneaky side and I found out the hard way.

Sneaky and unpredictable were two words no one would ever have applied to my mother. Edith Purvis was the consumate example of a ministers wife. She was very aware that she and her family were always under the wary eyes of the church and community. Since we always lived in small communities, everyone knew who the preachers kids were. She tried to keep us inside a set of guidelines for…

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#affection #children #family #girlfriend #high school #love #minister #mom #school #secret #surprise #valentine #valentines Day

[callmeloublog]

The Valentine Secret.

Mom hade a real sneaky side, especially if she loved you.

Sneaky and unpredictable were two words no one would ever have applied to my mother. Edith Purvis was the consumate example of a ministers wife. She was very aware that she and her family were always under the wary eyes of the church and community. Since we always lived in small communities, everyone knew who the preachers kids were. She tried to keep us inside a set of guidelines for…

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#affection #children #family #girlfriend #high school #love #minister #mom #school #secret #surprise #valentine #valentines Day

[callmeloublog]

Call Me Chuck.

Charlie the cat thought he was in charge at our house. In fact, he preferred that we call him “Chuck”, because it sounded tougher to the neighborhood cats. He tried very hard to be the center of attention as much as he could. I remember bringing a new girlfriend over to the house and while we sat in the living room he walked along the kitchen counter knocking dishes onto the floor. He never…

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#birds #blog #cat #curiosity #dog #ecosystem #federal #owl #rehabilitate #state #veterinarian #warden #wildlife

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Momma is Listening.

My little sister Von and I grew up with an electronic device listening and monitoring our every move. No, we didn’t have computers, internet, or cellphones. There was no faceless faraway big-tech entity tracking us electronically. No it wasn’t a complex full of computer hackers working in a darkened room at some secret location. Rather, it was the early 70’s in the age of rotary-dial telephones…

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#blogging #cats #childcare #church #family #kids #methodist #mother #preacher #Preachers Kid #punishment #sister

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Just a Big Fish Story.

I spent much of my childhood looking for outdoor adventures. I didn’t grow up in a hunting and fishing family, but one that camped a lot. I spent as much time as I could in the woods, along the creek, and at the lake. I was more like Lewis and Clark than Daniel Boone because I was more of an explorer. If there was a path, I wanted to see where it went. If I encountered wildlife, I wanted to look…

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#biology #blogging #boats #camping #conservation #education #family #fish #hunting #minister #wildlife

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God's Sense of Humor.

God’s Sense of Humor.

I was taught that all I needed to do is ask to be forgiven and God will pardon my sins. I must be honest, though, and admit, I’m also hoping God has a good sense of humor. As I reflect on the past, it appears to me that God is probably whatever we as individuals need. For me, the use of humor and especially irony, seem to be tools he has used on numerous occasions to lead me to where I needed to…

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#blogging #christ #dad #Faith #family #fire #forgiveness #god #love #methodist #preacher #teach