The Most Important Decision You Can Make

Life is all about decisions or sometimes about those decisions you don’t make and hence that  becomes a decision.

You may want to have desert after dinner and have trouble what to choose.  There maybe ice cream, or any of your other favorite deserts to choose from.  So many options and so little time to enjoy them all.  You debate and think about it only to choose the ice cream that now has melted into a softened puddle.  Hence, in taking your time deciding the choice to have ice cream or not was settled for you.

So it is with other decisions in our life.  Our indifference or procrastination concerning our eternal destiny will ultimately decide our final destination for us just by not making a decision in the first place.  You may believe there is no Heaven, and pray there is no Hell (Blood, Sweat, and Tears).  You may sincerely believe that there is no Heaven and no Hell or afterlife for any of us when we die, however being sincere does not replace the truth if you are sincerely wrong.

Consider this about this, if I am sincerely right and there is no Heaven and on Hell then I have lost nothing in my sincere belief.  However if by the chance you are sincerely wrong and there is a Heaven to gain and a Hell to avoid you have now gambled away your eternal destiny.  Sounds like a big gamble to me and the losing proposition looks like one that you and I would want to avoid.

However you may say Hell is not so bad a place after all I will have a lots of company there with my friends and all and they say that beer is served in Hell after all.  Hey that does not sound so bad.  Well it is really a good question that can be asked about what Hell is like, and it can be debated for a long time, so long for some they never make a decision and end up there anyway.  I would offer you some information on what Hell is like and you can decide for yourself.  There are two credible sources for this information, the Bible and those who have died and returned to tell us about it.  In both cases Hell is not a pleasant place for anyone much less for eternity. 

To start with Hell is a place of eternity.  What is eternity like, consider all the sand on the shore of the Pacific Ocean reaching from Alaska to the tip of South America.  Then take an individual gain of sand and place it on the back of a seagull and send it to the sun and have it drop it into the flames and return to earth for the next grain.  Continue this until all the grains of sand have been deposited into the sun and then realize that only the first millisecond of eternity has passed.  Hence eternity has only just begun to pass.  Consider that eternity is a long time, like forever!

Also Hell is a place of terror and torment.  Take all your fears, take all your worries, take all the misery you have seen or experienced and add your worst nightmare and that will be only a small fraction of how eternity in Hell will be.  You will hope with the rich man in Matthew 16:22 -24 (The rich man also died and was buried.  In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ NIV) that Jesus told us about Hell being a place of suffering and hoping for a cool drop of water.

Finally you may say that God is good and God is loving and would not send anyone there and you are so right.  He will not make the decision for you, it is a decision that you will make just as you make (or not make) your decisions each day.  It is your choice to choose the gift of Heaven or settle for Hell.  He only allows you the opportunity to choose.

WoW What a Surprise by My Family

Just wanted to share how wonderful my family is to those who may follow/read my blog. 

Just last weekend my family held a surprise party for me at a restaurant in GR.  I thought I was going to have a quiet dinner with my lovely spouse and our daughter Jennifer* and her husband Ryan.  But to my surprise in walks our two sons (Joshua & Jonathan) and their wifes (Kristin & Ashley*).  Then to top it all off my daughter Carrie and her husband Jesse (after a very busy day with little league and soccer games) came for desert!  This was all to celebrate my retirement and new job (so much for retirement).  I was and am so overwhelmed that my family cares so much about me and supports me so well.  I am a very blessed man to have such a wonderful family.  It is not every mans blessing to have his family’s love and I really thank them for all their support.  I owe it all to my wonderful and caring heavenly Father that has been my guiding light and focus through all my years, and to my spouse for the last 35 years who not only loves me but holds me accountable to be the best husband and father I can be.

* Thank you for organizing this great evening!

Coal Miner Red or Who’d Believe I Would Be Here!

Well it has been a while since I’ve made a new post to my Red’s Corner blog and a lot has happened since the first of the year.   After working at Pfizer / Pharmacia / Pharmacia & Upjohn / Upjohn for 33 years I took an early retirement package. Overall it has been a great place to work and I have received a lot of experience that has been very interesting.

After a couple of months for working around the house and spending time with my sweetie and family, I was offered a contracting consultant position with a nation reliability consulting group.  The engagement that I have been assignent to would be at a major energy supplier (coal) in the very southern end of Ill.

At the site they have a huge above ground strip mining operation that effectively goes from green grass to the removal of all the upper levels of coal, and back to a state of green grass that is just a bit lower then it was before.  Overall you’d never know then anything occurred where the mining was done after several years!    They operate a large fleet of huge mining equipment: Dozers, Earth movers, hydraulic Excavators, Shovels, and a vast array of support equipment.  It is just like an old time sand box except they are definitely not playing arround. 

They also have two below ground mines that have a large amount of very interesting equipment that supports that process. Along the way I will be taking a trip down and seeing the equipment and how it is operated!  That will be interesting for sure.  I’ve only been in a couple of caves over the years and this will be much more confined and a whole lot deeeeeeeeper.  I will be planning of sharing some of the details of this experience along the way so stay tuned.

My job will be to help them implement work processes and equipment care procedures that will help them have more reliable equipment and increase their profitability along the way.  Which is very similiar to the work I was doing for Pfizer / Upjohn.

If you have any questions send them along.

Coal Miner Red signing off for today and God Bless.

Merry Christmas 2010

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.*

What is Christmas all about, what is that Christmas feeling, what is the true meaning of Christmas?  

Is it to be found in gifts under the Christmas tree?

Is it to be found a time with family, around the dinner table?

Is it to be found with friends, with drinks raised high?

Is it be be found spending time with your sweetheart enjoying time together?

Or, may I suggest that it is really about a gift.  A gift that we don’t begin to deserve.  A gift that is beyond our comprehension that God with consider us at all.  A stiff necked, willful, and disobedient people.  Well my friend it is fantastic that God sent His Son to help us, and bring us back to Him.

This Christmas season may I suggest we remember the real reason for the season and be so very thankful for the Gift God gave to us in providing a way back to Him and eternal life.

Merry Christmas from Red and his family and “God bless us every one!” (said Tiny Tim, the last of all).

* Isaiah 9:6

My Life Has Exceeded My Expectations – Family

Well to start my new blogging entry’s I have thought about how much my life has been blessed and how my life has exceeded the expectations I held as a child.  One area has been my family.

I was raised as an only and lonely child.  I don’t remember having any interaction with other children except on rare occasions.  And when it came time for me to go to school, I really was clueless on how to behave and interact with other children.  Hence, I spent most of Kindergarten in the corner with my nose forming a V.  So one of my dreams was to imagine having 7 cousins to play with, to laugh with, and to just hang around, that would be fantastic.  I think the basis was that I had a set of cousins on my father’s side (mostly boys) and it was a blast to visit them and possibly spend the night over.  It was pure joy to have others to do things with.  At home it was a life of TV and my toys (much like Toy Story), and building things, but most of the time I was alone except for the interaction with my Mother.

 Well fast forward to meeting Diane my sweetheart.  She was one of eight sisters and brothers, a super mom and dad, and there was always something going on that their house.  I was and still am very proud to be apart of her happy family and cherish the love and acceptance they have shown.  Well moving along . . . we have raised what we think is a large family too.  Two fantastic daughters (Carrie & Jennifer) and two awesome sons (Joshua & Jonathan) and with them we have two additional sons (Jesse & Ryan) and daughters (Kristin & Ashley) too.  Then to make it all even better we have six grandchildren (Jonah, Lauren, Brayden, Landon, Rylee, and Kloey).  I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would have 16 in my family!  All of our children have excelled had their work and family roles and have been a blessing to Diane and I everyday.  And best we enjoy being together and celebrate the holidays, birthdays, and the even just everyone coming over for no particular reason at all.

All this has been vastly beyond my comprehension and expectations, and am very blessed by God to have such a fantastic family that I can call my own this is a gift from Diane and our loving and true Heavenly Father.

Billy’s Wish

I often do not forward many emails that cross my desk, but this one really touched me and caused me to pause and thing about the things in life that are the most important.  Our God is great and mighty and He cares for all His sheep from the greatest to the least.  Enjoy and let me know if it touched you too.

In Phoenix, Arizona, a 26-year-old mother stared down at her 6 year old son, who was dying of terminal leukemia.

Although her heart was filled with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of determination.  Like any parent, she wanted her son to grow up & fulfill all his dreams.  Now that was no longer possible, the leukemia would see to that.  But she still wanted her son’s dream to come true. 

She took her son’s hand and asked, ‘Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be once you grew up?  Did you ever dream and wish what you would do with your life?’

Mommy, ‘I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up.’  Mom smiled back and said, ‘Let’s see if we can make your wish come true.’

Later that day she went to her local fire department in Phoenix, Arizona, where she met Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Phoenix.

She explained her son’s final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her 6 year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine.

Fireman Bob said, ‘Look, we can do better than that.  If you’ll have your son ready at seven o’clock Wednesday morning, we’ll make him an honorary Fireman for the whole day.  He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards!

And if you’ll give us his sizes, we’ll get a real fire uniform for him, with a real fire hat – not a toy – one-with the emblem of the Phoenix Fire Department on it, and a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots.’

‘They’re all manufactured right here in Phoenix, So we can get them fast.’

Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy, dressed him in his uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck.

Billy got to sit on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire station. 

He was in heaven.  There were three fire calls in Phoenix that day and Billy got to go out on all three calls. 

He rode in the different fire engines, the Paramedic’s’ van, and even the fire chief’s car.  He was also videotaped for the local news program. 

Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched, Billy lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible.

One night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in the hospice concept – that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital.

Then she remembered the day Billy had spent as a Fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he made his transition.

The chief replied, ‘We can do better than that…we’ll be there in five minutes, will you please do me a favor?

When you hear the sirens screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that there is not a fire?’

‘It’s the department coming to see one of its finest members one more time.  And will you open the window to his room?’

About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital and extended its ladder up to Billy’s third floor open window——–

16 fire-fighters climbed up the ladder into Billy’s room with his mother’s permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they LOVED him.  With his dying breath, Billy looked up at the fire chief and said, ‘Chief am I really a fireman now?’  ‘Billy, you are, and The Head Chief, Jesus, is holding your hand,’ the chief said with those words, Billy smiled and said, ‘I know, He’s been holding my hand all day, and The angels have been singing’.  He closed his eyes one last time.

My instructions were to send this to at least four people that I wanted God to bless and I picked you. 

This story is powerful and there is nothing attached.

Uplifting stories are one of the best gifts we receive.  There is no cost, but a lot of rewards, let’s continue to uplift one another!  

Memorial Day 2010: My Hero, Private Larry

Joshua 1:9  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. 

 My father in-law was one of many brave young men that served our country in World War II.  He was like many of the young men willing to serve his country and do his part. Let me share an event that was pivotal in the war the he was a part of. 

 General Patton’s offensive, came to a screeching halt on August 31, 1944, as the Third Army literally ran out of gas near the Moselle River, just outside of Metz, France.   What follows is the daring rescue that he participated in (this event was in the 1970 movie Patton) in his own words. 

 While we were still in France heading for the German border, along came General Patton, “the blood and guts general”.  He just pushed us aside and got very deep behind German lines, but then they closed on behind him.  He was trapped and his tanks were all out of gas.  Patton couldn’t even move for two weeks.  He had to be rescued, so it was all planned.  The Air Corp. bombed the Germans for a couple of days, and the fighter planes strafed them.  We could see it all because we were right there in the front lines.  Then our artillery would lay a heavy barrage down for one full day.  This was to soften the Germans up.  Finally we could attack in full force.  All this was well timed and planned.  But before it could happen, we had to get a message to the General.  This was the first patrol I was on.  There was a Lt. Colonel, a Major and five of us.  We had to get through the German lines at night and make contact with Patton.  I was really scared that night.  We were always saying little prayers to God.  It took us just about all night, but we got through.  Patton was told the exact time that all this would take place.  Just before we would break through to rescue him, he was told the C47 plans would fly over and drop gas to him.  He was to have one tank running and to pull another tank behind him. 

 Dad was to continue to serve bravely fighting in Germany and eventually to Austria and Switzerland before being honorably discharged. 

 We remember and honor him this day and thank God for the love and wonderful impact he had on our lives.  Dad was strong and courageous and God was with him wherever he went.