Gone Fishin’!! I like to fish! At the Beach I’m in the surf, fishing. In the mountains its fly fishing chasing elusive trout. On the lake (any lake) the old Bass boat allows casting into any cove. It is fun, relaxing and exciting. The key to success is bait selection. Each location and fish species has its own special food. The fisherman’s job is to present the bait in the right way at the right time and with the right finesse. A recent Sunday School lesson on faith included a story about Jimmy Houston, famous champion bass fisherman, who turned down an invitation to fish in a “Tournament of Champions”, because a major sponsor was a beer company. Jimmy, who is a popular TV personality and a Baptist Deacon, chose to stand firm in his faith rather than wear the beer company logo on his shirt. When asked if he had prayed about the decision, he said there was nothing to pray about. He already knew what he had to do to preserve his Christian testimony.
In the bible Daniel continued to pray openly when he knew he would be thrown in the Lion’s den. God rewarded his faith. (Dan. 6:22) Standing firm in our faith is difficult for ordinary people. Turning down an opportunity to win big money in a major event, or continuing to pray when the Government says it is against the law, may be difficult decisions. I asked some Christian friends about it. My Sunday school teacher said he refused to bowl on a team that required wearing a local tavern’s logo. A member of the class said as much as he loves to fish, he would never go fishing on Sunday and miss church. Ordinary people can stand firm in their faith. I’m sure you can recall recent examples where Christians have lost their lives for standing firm. Non-Christians are watching us, to see if we stumble. Each one will need to hear the right message, like different fish need different bait. As we continue to be “fishers of men”, are you ready to make a stand? Will you join your Deacons and staff, to be bold in witness to others. Will you make your faith shine so that as a Christian you stand out in your daily walk? And as you go fishing (for fish or men) be sure to use the right bait. Grandpa Dick

                                                                                                        Grandpa Dick Finally Keeps a New Year’s Resolution!! Shout it from the house tops. Bev and I have lost
over 50 pounds together and still counting. How did you do that, you might ask. It all started on the last day of December. Bev and I were watching the New Year’s celebration on TV about 10:00 pm, struggling to stay awake until 11. As I finished off a big bowl of Ice Cream with chocolate syrup, I can clearly remember saying to myself: “2005 would be a good year to lose some weight”. So, we decided to make it a plan for the new year. Since we rarely seem to be able to follow through on resolutions, we made it more of a commitment, and knowing we would need help, on January 20 we went to our first Weight Watchers meeting. (You notice it took almost three weeks to get up the courage.) The room was filled with Women (no men but me) who were mostly overweight but some veterans that had lost their excess and are now on what they call “maintenance”. We listened to their stories. One lady had lost 66 pounds in 20 weeks. Another lady was starting over, having lost and gained 20 pounds for the 7th time. The concept is simple, eat anything you want, just eat smaller portions and keep track of it all in a daily log. Then go in to the support meetings once a week and face the “accountability” step – weighing in. Your losses (and gains, if any) are recorded and awards are given at 5 pound loss victory marks. Each food type has a point value and you are urged to only eat 22 to 26 worth of points each day, depending on your weight. Counting the food points is fun and it is especially gratifying to work together as a team on the project. The first task was to set goals. I thought 25 pounds sounded like a nice round number, and Bev said she would shoot at 20. They said no, we set the initial goals for you. When you reach that, then they help you decide on a final weight that’s right for you, considering age, height, and health. As of this writing, we have both reached our start goals, and would you believe, Bev has lost more than me. The pounds are coming off slowly, as we march one week at a time toward our goals. Goals are good for everyone. Jesus went about doing good. Many of us are just going about. What about you? What are you doing to help mankind? What are you doing to further God’s work? What are you doing to improve your health? How about your relationships with others? I know, I know! One finger pointing at you means four pointing back at me. Well, give me some time, and while I get this weight goal thing fixed, I’ll be working on the others till Jesus comes. Won’t you join me? Grandpa Dick

                                                                                                                       Checklist for Coping with Aging!! Hey Seniors - As we enter into the golden years and reflect on the changes in our kids, grandkids, our elderly parents, health and jobs, it is not all peaches and cream. Care must be taken to tell it like it is, and not sugar coat our new existence. We experience joy, love, happiness, anxiety, apprehension, and yes, sadness. For some, our homes get too hard to manage, forcing a move to more suitable housing. Others are coping with the loss of loved ones. We might as well face the fact that death and dying are significant events during these years. Now, having said all that, I think it is important to enjoy the good parts of what will be the best years of our lives. To help us do that, I have compiled a top ten list of things to do to make growing older more graceful. Once again, Grandpa Dick is coming to the rescue with a readiness guide. 1. Get right with God. Make sure you are saved, baptized and your membership is in your current church. 2. Keep your tithe current. God loves a cheerful giver. 3. Make or update your will. Don’t let the State decide how your estate is divided up. Give part of your estate to charity. 4. Make lists of your assets and your debts. 5. Arrange for “Long term care”. Don’t be a burden to your kids.
6. Make a “Power of Attorney” for health care. 7. Think healthy. Eat foods right for you and exercise daily. 8. Spend time with your kids and grandkids. Savor every minute. 9. Don’t lose your sense of humor. Laugh out loud every day. 10. And lastly, stay busy in a ministry serving Him, and keep on praising God daily. God will continue to bless us as we navigate the golden highways of life. Grandpa Dick