Since not much is being done to improve the game of baseball, I’ve taken the time to design a brand new, start of the art, Pitchers mound. It is going to drop to B-flat which is only a half a step down. I’m sure this will improve the harmony of the basses performing in concert with the rhythmic beat of running feet. I’m also convinced that this minor key change will nudge our C-sharp umpires to really vocalize the perfect pitch!

Towing an associated, stacked photo genetically, isn’t extra baggage, it lightens up the effort expended on our memory recall. Just like walking with a walking stick softens our physical efforts instead of adding burden to the task.
Years ago I took a Dale Carnegie Course which to my recollection emphasized the idea of expanding our memory flow by adding extra baggage to our memory recall. In my own words, we should tow an associated, stacked photo genetically, along with our memory assignment to open the memory valve farther increasing the flow.
The associated for remembering a person’s name is their forehead, One is to mentally print their name across their forehead when introduced and the next time you look at that person, you will see their name written across their forehead, according to Carnegie.
The associated to remember a list of groceries is to mentally stackum. Picture this, butter at the bottom decorated with celery sprouts. On top of each sprout is an apple flaked with wheaties and frosted with peanut butter. Dangling from these globs of peanut butter are hamburgers bouncing into the milk and splashing it onto dish detergent which changes the box to look like corn meal. The corn meal is being poured over rice which is floating in syrup on a paper towel. Review this masterpiece once more and you won’t need a list. Let’s just see hpw god we can do without looking back.
1 – butter
2 - celery
3 – apples
4 – Wheaties
5 – peanut butter
6 – Hamburger
7 – milk
8 – Dish detergent
9 - corn meal
10 – rice
11 – syrup
12 – paper towels
.
I believe we scored 100!
If you haven’t towed an associated before, hitch onto one, your memory will stand astounded at it’s new found capacity.

As we journey through life, are we allowing our mind enough rest stops to focus on - a single strand of hair, a unique blade of grass, a pebble on the beach, the shape of a leaf, the bird on the branch, footprints in the sand, reflections in the lake, shadows from the sun, cows in green pastures, the rumble of a train, clouds in the skies, or are we trampling hurriedly through our forest of trees not minding our be where?

Years ago I had thirteen eighth grade boys in my Sunday School Class. This particular Sunday the theme verse was 2 Cor.9:13. I picked up on the idea of sharing. Sharing! What a challenging idea for this age group of boys.
In preparation I used the “hot spark” of setting a dish of little chocolate bars at one end of that long table. Surprisingly enough, all the boys had arrived and the little chocolate bars remained untouched. It felt as though all were waiting for the command to dig in.
I intentionally avoided mentioning the purpose for the little chocolate bars but, started the class by asking them to share what kind of inner feelings they experienced recently. I could sense that their attention was not focused on my question but riveted on the little chocolate bars. I got an answer or two and suddenly there was a hand in the little chocolate bars. I ignored it and asked what kind of inner feelings they would like to share that they feel today. Another hand in the little chocolate bars. This time, when they realized that “Good ole Teach” wasn’t saying anything about the little chocolate bars walking away, all hands and feet went into motion. Instant chaos! When the little chocolate bars dish was empty, “Good ole Teach said, “FREEZE! Everyone back in their chair with their hands in their lap. Take a moment to look around and to give your inner feelings a chance to catch up with the action.
The tabletop revealed a few very healthy stashes of the little chocolate bars, a few with just a few little chocolate bars and some with absolutely nothing. A brave hand quickly sent two little chocolate bars tabletop express to a friend at the far end who had not been able to reach these God given goodies.
After those two landed, I broke the silence by explaining that I had intended for those little chocolate bars to represent God’s generous little gifts to us to be shared with those a little out of reach with the gospel. Then I asked a face that was busily chewing on chocolates and who had his eyes glued to the heaping collection accumulated in the little chocolate bars scramble, to share his present feelings about the importance of sharing God’s gifts with those less fortunate.
Within seconds, tears started flowing as one of his hands came up and returned even more little chocolate bars to the pile already there in front of him.
Before that hour was spent, tears flowed intermittently as each participant had the opportunity to share feelings of both the have’s and of those left feeling empty and neglected because they situated themselves just a little out of reach of God’s little gifts to all peoples.
By the end of the lesson, all little chocolate bars had been distributed evenly by choice, while the boys left the room in silence.

I’m going to boldly step up and declare that when three out of four children are boys, the meaning of the simple phrase, “raising a family” can’t be contained in an ordinary three dimensional object.
“Dad, we did some research and we want to build a live trap to catch quail.” So, I parked the push mower and we fashioned a circle of hail screen into a dome shape. Then we cut another circle for the floor and braded it onto the dome. The floor piece had a 10” diameter hole cut out of dead center. We carried this structure into the woods, dug an inverted igloo shaped entrance (A ditch) into the ground long enough and deep enough so quail could follow the trail of grain in the ditch, making their way under the floor to the center hole and then jump up into the trap. The theory was that these pretty little birds aren’t smart enough to use that same entrance as an exit but instead, they will continuously race around just inside the outside edge of the dome to try to find an escape.
“Dad, that’s going to work, I can’t wait to see how many quail we’ll catch by tomorrow morning!”
How do you tell them not to build their hopes up too high without just plain saying, “Don’t build your hopes up too high.”
The next morning, low and behold, there were three quail racing around just inside the outside edge of the dome shaped hail screen and three excited boys dancing with joy just outside the outside edge of the dome shape of that same structure, “The Quail Trap!”. We took our catch home, fed and watered them, then that afternoon we gave back their freedom. We had proved to the whole world that we knew what we were doing!
High School age.
“Dad, we need a real project to work on.”
“Ok, here’s $500.00 go find an old pickup truck, bring it home, overhaul and restore it so it’s usable.”
They bought a completely faded out red junker for $15.00, towed it home and the very first necessity item they bought for it was an Aoooogaaah horn. This project was invaluable as a learning device. The motor had to be completely dismantled once and removed from the old pickup truck twice because when they had gotten it all put together the first time the input transmission shaft adapter spacer was still lying on the workbench. I don’t recall exactly but, I’m going to say that Including all the body building putty and the home squirted paint job, they had a pretty decent looking knock about that cost them somewhere around $478.54, a cheap price for the wealth of experience that they stored and are proportioning out while raising their own families today. Oh yes, there is one physical part remaining from that project. The almighty Aoooogaaah horn, in good working condition, is lying on a shelf in the garage!
While reminiscing a few years ago, one of the boys said, ”I’ll never forget how calm your voice was when you said ‘boys, the engine will have to come back out.”
I guess I hadn’t realized the depth of penetration my calm voice had carried in a very stormy atmosphere. I must have said it with the same emotion as I would have said, “don’t forget to shut the door on your way through this experience.” I really believe the door is still open.