notinKansasanymore

Sooo nice to see a miracle every now and then. Glad you're okay. I'd take this to mean that you're still supposed to be here. :) Now you need to figure out what it is that God wanted you to learn by this, and not lose the lesson. Whatever that is. You're probably the only one who will know. love, niKa

I saw Mark in the Autumn, down in the Houston area, while I was visiting someone else. He and Holly are doing fine. PM me, and give me your name and phone #, and I'll pass them along to my friend, who is in close contact with them.

The HVAC Jim Gregory was definitely into hunting and fishing. Taught me to run a trot-line for catfish, out at Leiniger's place in Indiana. I know that he married Karol Freeborn, and I think that they had at least one child. Someone ran into him a few years after we had all left the ministry, and he was doing fine. I have no idea where, though. Jim and Karol, I hope you're still catching the big ones!

Oh, Weout. What a thing. Your writing of it just floors me; you should be a writer. But what a thing for you and your mudda to have to go through. God rest his soul, and God bless you. Thank you for sharing it with us. love, niKa ((((((Weout))))))

My aunt was involved in some aspects of Native American religions, but I'm not sure which ones. I've had an Osage student who is a very religious person, and completely devoted to their religion, but they're also Christians. I've also heard from an extremely reliable witness (my completely skeptical sister) of one incident when a Native American shaman affected the weather quite forcefully (on a dead-calm day, caused a very strong wind at the moment he lifted his arms, which stopped the moment he lowered his arms, while he was giving the eulogy at another Shaman's funeral service). These people are not kidding; they really do have a connection to the natural realm that the rest of us just don't "get." My take on it is that the religion is heavily involved with being peaceful and listening. Listening to the natural universe, and what it's trying to tell us, and listening to the spirit guides. If your brother was that incensed, I don't think that it came from the purity of the Native American religions. Could it be that he has such strong feelings because he feels guilt over the way 31/32's of his heritage treated the other 1/32? My advice would be to let things calm down before you try to discuss this with him. Let him know that you love him. Ask him to sit with you and explain his beliefs to you. Have a quiet conversation with him, and really listen. This doesn't mean that you have to agree, but you don't have to shove disagreement at him, either. Just let him know that you care to know and understand what he believes, because you care about him. You aren't going to change his beliefs; don't try. Just let him know that you're interested in hearing his views because he is very important to you. Give his beliefs respect. If he changes what he believes later, or if he doesn't, that has to be only his decision. Your goal, as I believe I read in your post, is not to lose your brother. Since he got so angry with you, he could be harboring a real or a perceived hurt that you gave him during your experiences in the ministry (notice I said "may"; I have no idea if you ever came off as conceited and spiritually arrogant to your family; I just know that that's how I occasionally treated MY natural family). You may (or may not; I don't know you) have apologies of your own to make, that have been years in the coming. If so, that could be a good beginning to your conversation with your brother. There's not much in the world of competing religions that's worth losing a brother over. Let him know that you love him. He will probably come around to apologizing for sniping at you and your wife like that. May take a few decades. Don't ask me how I know!

Most of the snow is gone here; there are white patches amid the muddy patches, and lots of wet ground and sloggy sidewalks. The remains of the snowmen and snowforts stud the backyard with memories of glorious snowball fights. The children are back in school, there is peace in the house, and I am spending the day quietly grading papers. How's everybody doing? Rhino, did you get your truck? Tommy, did you get the sand out from between your toes? Fellowshipper, are you planting a garden? Excie, are you ready for the Christmas break from LittleExcie's school? The coffe-drinking lamp is lit.

Say, we haven't heard from Rhino in a few days, and CNN says that some parts of Illinois have been without power, and will continue to be so for a few days. Anybody know if he's okay?

Tom: Thank you. It's been a difficult year for our team, what with losing two of the best players the week before the season began, loosing a key game to the Pac-10 referrees, and losing the best running back in the country to a broken collarbone. But you wouldn't hear a whiney sentence like that coming from any of the team or the coaches. They refuse to make excuses; they just put their heads into the team and work as hard as they can. I have to say that some of the finest people ever to come through my classes have been some of the kids on Bob Stoops's football teams. Some day, I think he's going to be Bear Bryant famous, and Woody Hayes famous. I think that he and his brothers are in the forefront of a collegiate football character reawakening. One of the guys announced a few weeks ago that he's gotten an academic scholarship for grad school, and is quitting football to have more time to raise his little brother. He's a key player, but the whole team wants him to do what's best for his family. That kind of love and respect for one another, and true caring about one another's lives, doesn't happen overnight, and I get the feeling that it doesn't exist in all programs. Anyway, thanks. The team member that I just mentioned is Carl Pendleton. Another player, Jacob Gutierrez, was Norman's Volunteer of the Year last year, because he spends so much time helping out an one of the local elementary schools. The football team kind of adopted that school, and hangs out there a lot. None of this is privileged information; Pendleton's decision was written about on SI.com, and Gutierrez was on the front page of the paper. I only mention them as examples; they happen to be two who came through my classes. There is something cool happening here. It's very neat to see young people stay inside the system, and work it to the good of others.

Hmmm - part paternity is like being a little pregnant . . . that's . . . no deal. It was only three inches of snow on top of the ice; it just looked like six from the window! Two snow forts and two and a half snowmen later, we've done the research, and we've seen it in the original. But there were drifts that were higher. There was an ice drift in front of the shed that was 2-1/5 inches. Worst storm in Oklahoma in about twelve years, or maybe eighteen, depending upon which storm one is using for comparison. I listened to Simon's beach seagulls in my mind, for a moment. It was one of those "Spring is coming" moments. Is that like having bats in the belfry? Spring is coming, Spring is coming, Spring is coming.

School and work called off again tomorrow. There's half a foot of snow on top of a 3/4 inch sheet of clear ice. On everything. We are warm, and praying for the stray animals. Everybody keep snuggly. Tom, I hope that you slip your toes into the surf for the rest of us; I'm smelling the shore and the waves vicariously, through you!

No school or work today or tomorrow; everything's locked in sheet ice. As of this evening, there are several inches of snow on top of it. It's pretty out there. Tomorrow, we'll go out and make a snowman. I have a carrot.

The uncle's brother would not be another uncle if the individual speaking were the offspring of the brother or sister of the uncle's wife. Or, maybe that's when you're your own grandpa; I forget. I went back to mainstream Christianity when my children were old enough to go to church. After a year or two, we switched churches, to the denomination in which I was brought up (in another state) because our current church has a fabulous children's ministry. I'm not that involved in what the church actually believes; I want my kids around sweet people who love God. I do still find myself singing "woo-ooo" instead of saying 'God in three Persons, Blessed Trinity" in the doxology, and probably always will. I enjoy the acquaintanceship of several very nice people there. I have become exactly what I looked down my nose at, during my time in TWI: I go to church for social reasons. Sure, it's the socialization of my children into a healthy lifestyle of service and joy; it now seems to me that I went to a whole lot of trouble in my youth. Maybe I should have just learned to go "woo-ooo."

WaHOOOOOO! No school for the kids, no work for me, leg much better, got the plants in before the blizzard hit, SNOW DAY!!!

Happy Birthday, to an old :blink: friend with a sweet heart and a quick mind. May your day be beautiful. love, niKa

But . . . I love to dance! I remember one Happy Household Holiday banquet at HQ; I was wearing a long, skinny, maroon velvet skirt, and a shiny gold tube top with a shiny gold ruffle at the waist. Kurt Rocco, the dancer, took me on such a wild polka around the whole dancefloor that when I looked down, the whole top was down at the ruffle. Things here at the moment are no better, but no worse either, and I'm able to work and keep things moving. We simply moved the classes all to one building, so that I don't need to hike all over campus. Different antibiotics added to the mix today. Should be back at top speed shortly. This is dangerous, but has not turned out to be a scary sidelining thing, like the last one. I'm grateful for your prayers and good wishes. Sooo, what's everybody else been up to? love, niKa

Thanks, man. Going to work this morning - that's a good sign. This is me in a few days.

Hey, keeeeds. Need you to circle the wagons of prayer. More cellulitis, other leg, not as bad as the first time, didn't come on as quickly. Already on medicine for it, not in the hospital, and planning to go to work tomorrow. Hoping, anyhow. Doctor thinks that it was still around, on the surface of the skin, and just got in again. A lot will depend on how it feels in the morning, and on whether it improves significantly within about 48 hours. Thanks buckets, niKa

Happy, joyous birthday! My little boy is also a Thanksgiving-time baby. I am very thankful for you and your life, Pawtucket, though we only met once, in a world long ago and far away. Thank you for your heart for these people. You minister to the ministers. love, niKa

I'm soooooo fuuuuuuuullllll. It's that "in-between" time on Thanksgiving, between the meal and the kitchen cleanup. Mr.niKa is asleep on the sofa, the kids are playing upstairs, and I just had a piece of pumpin pie with whipped cream on the top - the cats are all purring, the sun is shining, and I stopped by the cafe to say "hey." Happy Thanksgiving!

What - - ??? We were fourth on the list??? Incontheeeivable. Got all the essays graded. Gave 'em back. Took up thirty more. "That's what you call ironic." Happy Thanksgiving to all of you Usual Suspects. I'm very, very thankful for you.

Let them grade their own essays? I'm afraid that would be a recession, instead of a digression. But they'd surely appreciate your intercession. In fact, I'm sure that kind of concession would alleviate their depression, but would definitely impede the progression of my participation in my chosen profession. Oh, no. I've done it again. :blink: back to work

Aaaack! Too many papers to grade tonight. Could I give you a raincheck? Raincheck for dancing - - Raindance! Oh, no. It's another digression. :blink: Back to work for me!

Yup. The right side of the grass is a great place to be. I'm not talkin' about sixties subculture, either. Just saw the second "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. Laughed a lot. Not for little kids, though. But I digress. I do that sometimes. Could lead to dancing . . .

I've always heard that age is just a state of mind. Now that I'm starting to go there, I think that if we're healthy, "Being Old" is just a red herring. Key is to dance. More often than you think you really need to.

Just tryin' to keep mah young people awake . . . that means you, too, Simon; put down that Geritol and get back to your keyboard! It's late . . .