One of the best and most satisfying memories I have of my childhood comes from the time I began collecting! Around the tender age of 12 I 'caught the collecting bug', as it were, and the adventure was on. I spent many days after school and on Saturdays developing my hobby and amassing a sizeable collection of trading cards, diecast cars like Hot Wheels and Matchbox, train-sets and comic books. It was a passion for me from that time until now and remains just as vibrant a hobby in my middle-age as it ever was back then.
The enthusiasm for my hobby developed from watching my dad bring home items almost every day which he affectionately called "sidewalk specials" from the early morning paper route which was a second source of income for him. Dad was always a very hard worker and for nearly 30 years he
faithfully supported his family by working 2 jobs until he couldn't do it any longer because of fading health.
Living in the 70's there was quite a different atmosphere throughout society than that of today. As kids we could come home from school, report to mom, and then stay outside until just before dark. No fears of being kidnapped, no worries about some 'weirdo' lurking about, scoping out the neighborhood. We had an immense amount of freedom! It was the kind of freedom that most kids of that time-period took for granted. We were way too busy using our imaginations and having loads of fun! Wow, what a time to be a kid!
Watching my dad bring home some great treasures and other pieces that were probably questionable, to us anyway, I took this collecting thing to the next level. Knowing that my parents were born during the latter years of the 'great depression era', it was most likely the fact that he didn't have much while growing up, my dad collected things that caught his eye and he knew he could use. I respected that and learned from it. Dad was a great 'picker'!
For me today, the fun and excitement is primarily in 'the hunt'! What great fun it is to search for a certain comic book or hit the stores to score that Treasure Hunt Hot Wheel. I get so jacked up in the act of hunting that I often find myself getting a little too excited while other people are around. I have gotten some stares and rolling of the eyes on a few occasions. Maybe I'm crazy but its cool.
I believe I can 'safely' say that my collection has grown to the point of needing more space to store it. I hear that same story from fellow-collectors and in some cases some "not so happy remarks from wives" who often wonder just what their husband finds so appealing in his, uh..toys. All I can say is, for me, its a source of relief. You could call it, a 'release valve'. That doesn't always boil the water in my wife's case! Moving on!
Whether its books, trading cards, cars or stamps, whatever your passion is for the hobby of collecting or picking, count yourself blessed and be thankful that God put inside you a 'fire' and a 'drive' for something and, while God is all for us having fun, he also expects us to take that same passion and gear it towards helping others and encouraging them to "seek him out" and find the most exciting and lasting treasure of them all! You may quote me on that as well.
Until next blog...have fun folks and let your passion show through. Woooooooooo!
5/21/'16
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Thursday, May 19, 2016
It's no secret that we live in a world full of heartache, trouble and rejection! I Don't think any of us find that statement particularly surprising. Unless a person has been hiding under a rock or living underground, they are fully aware of their own difficulties! What's the solution to the struggles we all face? How can any of us feel like we can overcomer and confident in defeating these maladies? I believe the answer for any of us comes through a dynamic faith! Not faith in the action of faith but a true, no doubt about it, kind of belief. We tackle the situation with the assurance that the outcome is pre~determined and we are the victors. A dynamic faith sees the end result before it actually happens and directs our steps toward that result! This type of faith comes only through God almighty! What I'm referring to is not a system of human feelings or anecdotes or some uforic feeling. What I mean to say is simply this..it's a total and unwavering belief that what God has said in his word is exactly what he means to say and his promises are rock~solid. We take his word at face value and believe. That's it! Pretty simple, huh? For all our troubles and fears in this short life we have only one, true resource to cling to! God himself! And guess what. He is all we need! How does any of us acquire this faith? It's all there in the pages of scripture. From front to back, Genesis to Revelation, true faith is revealed and there for us to realize. It's that dynamic belief. That know~so belief and it will work for anyone who seeks it with a sincere heart! If your a person who does not enjoy reading, I would suggest listening to an audio version of the bible. Maybe your a `visual`learning but don't read much. Reading in short spurts could be right for you. To the man or woman who devours books like their next meal, I would remind you, kindly, that the bible is not just another book! It's words are holy~inspired by God himself through the ready~pin of ordinary men. There are many "self help" books available if you want to gain confidence, change your attitude or learn how to speak before an audience but none holds the answers to true and honest faith that the bible gives! It's just that plain folks! You won't find the life~altering, attitude~changing belief system anywhere else! So with that being said, I am hoping that this post will be encouraging to you and will help take that first step toward a dynamic faith that will forever make you the person you were designed to be!
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Beyond The Bridgewater Triangle With Kristen Good: The Mystery of The "Black Dog" of The Bridgewater ...
Beyond The Bridgewater Triangle With Kristen Good: The Mystery of The "Black Dog" of The Bridgewater ...: In the spring of 1976, the town of Abington went into lockdown mode when a huge throat-eating, "bullet-proof" dog myster...
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