My First Chrstmas in Heaven

I first published this poem in the Corbin Times Tribune in December 1998. Each year after the column is published I appreciate the cards, notes, and the emails you send. Your stories and comments of how this poem impacts yours memories and thoughts our loved ones is such an encouragement personally. A friend reached out to minister to me by sending me this poem after the passing of my grandfather, C. Hobert Mills, and for the past 12 years I have reflected not only about his first Christmas in Heaven, but that of family and friends who have passed this year. My prayer is that during this time of the year you will find a reason to smile through faith, hope and love, found in Jesus.

My First Christmas in Heaven

I see the countless Christmas Trees around the world below
With tiny lights, like Heaven’s stars, reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so spectacular; please wipe away the tear
For I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear
But the sounds of music can’t compare with the Christmas choir up here.

I have no words to tell you, the joy their voices bring,
For it is beyond description to hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heart
But I am not so far away, we really aren’t apart.

So be happy for me, dear ones, you know I hold you dear
And be glad I’m spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I sent you each a special gift, from my heavenly home above.
I sent you each a memory of my undying love.

After all, love is a gift more precious than pure gold.
It was always most important in the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other, as my Father said to do.
For I can’t count the blessing or love He has for each of you.

So have a Merry Christmas and wipe away that tear.
Remember, I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

Until then

Thanksgiving - a deliberate action; Scott Thomas; Gary Minton; Jimmy Leach; Dennis Goodman;

My practice during the Season of Thanks is to write my personal expressions of thanks to individuals who have made a difference in my life, because they gave. I began this practice simply through an effort one year to share my appreciation through the action of honor and remembrance. Over the years I have been humbled by the responses from those I have mention, their families and even folks who never knew them but some how through this column they thought and remember others who had touched their lives. For all of those I want to say thanks. Your encouragement has made a difference in my life. Your actions were unexpected and today I must say thanks as I write this column of thanks, beginning with you.
The different periods of my life I have attempted to mark with no order or system in place. Simply remembering each year folks from childhood to adulthood is the only plan. Regrets I have a few. Helen Martin was an individual I would have loved to have seen before she passed. She was a lady of Catholic faith that gave me my first cross of memory. I always wanted to say thanks and compare my childhood reflections with an adult perspective but she died before that opportunity ever availed itself. My regret is not being able to say thanks for the memories she created that I’ve cherished all these years.
In college I had many different stages and periods from which to reflect. Judge Pleas Jones from Williamsburg, Ky., is one individual I am grateful for. Having been diagnosed with Sero-Negative Arthritis at 21 years of age was not in my plans, but Judge Jones was a friend in deed because he helped a person in need-me. A wheel chair is not the way one wants to get around, and thanks I owe to many. Jimmy Leach from Middlesboro, Ky was a willing hand to push a guy around. Scott Thomas in Florence and Gary Minton in Somerset, Ky make my Hall of Thanks too. There is no doubt that you can discover real friendships from the struggles and battles of life. Fighting to live may seem like an over aggregated given my current ability to walk and run today, but had you been there back then you could understand my commitment to thanks now.
Dennis Goodman served as a Youth Extension Specialist with the University of Kentucky and served thousands of youth through Kentucky 4-H. Dennis was an adult who believed that youths had ideas, opinions, and he valued their considerations just as important as his own. He believed in enabling youths to explore both their skills and talents. That desire to help young people success is a unique characteristic that embodied Dennis totally. He impacted students in all 120 counties of Kentucky. He was raised Episcopalian, lived as a Methodist and I joked at his funeral he expected a Baptist to get him all the way into Heaven. I am most grateful for his influence and I credit him as one of those adults who shaped my life into who I am and what I believe. If your child was a part of the Kentucky State 4-H Teen Council then Dennis Goodman is a name you too appreciate.
Thanksgiving is a most special time of the year and the author of thanks has provided each of us with this opportunity to highlight the lives of others by saying thanks to those that have molded us and given of themselves. Now it is time for us to give of ourselves to the benefit of others.

Until then

Thanksgiving - A Season to Appreciate

I have written for the past several years during this season what I have entitled my season of thanks. Thanksgiving has long been my favorite time of the year because of the changing of the colors outside, the cold wind that begins to blow and the ever green that highlights the trees that are bear of leaves. I enjoy pumpkins and seeds. I love the idea of thanks and the reflection of things given by others, like time, advice and friendship. The holiday season of Thanksgiving is short lived in the market place, surrounded by Halloween and Christmas, but I refuse to short change a season that allows me a change to honor individuals, show respect for times past, and say thanks to the influence of many in my life.
For those shorting changing Thanksgiving Season, it could be described as a “quick meal before the rush of Christmas and the arrival of the new year.” As a baby boomer I’m young enough and old enough to remember the way things once were compared to the present celebration of the season. Thanksgiving was always big around my family home. It was a time for sitting on the porch, rocking in an old green rocking chair at my grandparents, observing and participating in the killing of a hog that would be covered with salt and then placed in the smokehouse to season as just a few of the old memories I cherish today. I’m young enough to have witnessed the changing of the guard from then to now too. I never remember a Black Friday sale growing up. That was something for the big cities. In our small towns and communities stores were always closed during Thanksgiving as families were together. It was a time for going to the woods to a favorite tree stand looking for the perfect buck to pass. Of course when I was growing up, the great Cumberland Gap Parkway was know simply as 25e back then and the four lane was only from Corbin to Turkey Creek. You will not hear anyone saying thanks to Governor Julian Carroll for that effort, but one section at a time is progress for a region that is slow to change. Pineville had the Golden Bell and Martin’s for shopping, and Barbourville had the best men’s clothing store in southeastern Kentucky, Sowder’s Men’s Store. You could buy the best suit and a hat all right here at home.
Traveling to Corbin met going to the biggest showing center around. Belks, JC Penney’s, who could have asked for more back then? Don’t forget Corbin had the movie theater and a Pizza Hut too. Ok, for those reading who young and believe I just had a misprint I didn’t. I remember very well the day Pizza Hut arrived in Pineville and Barbourville. Of course, Pizza Hut in Middlesboro has been around forever but traveling to Middlesboro over Log Mountain before 25e was like going to Corbin. Just not something you did unless you just had to.
Change is an interesting event in our beloved mountains and thanks is a corner stone of our character as mountain people. Remember those who once walked among us giving and sharing of their time, talents and energies is a trademark of our people too. Today we have stores in all of our towns from Williamsburg to Middlesboro, with malls and strip malls dotting our landscapes and before Halloween was even here, Christmas items and markdowns were hitting the shelves eliminating Thanksgiving almost all together except for a Thanksgiving Meal Deal that allows for the choice of a turkey or a ham.
All I know is that the Season of Thanksgiving is far to important to be delegated to a single moment of our lives that includes a meal and a couple hours of family time. It maybe you will not see your family at all on Thanksgiving Day, but that doesn’t mean the reason for the season is missed in the least

Until then.

Larry D Hammonds - "we were blessed"

During this election season it seems most appropriate to ask what drives an individual to run for political office. A thought to consider of equal importance is what values do we cherish in those that we vote for and work to elect? Honesty should be at the top of our list as voters, but that trait seems not to be in the action of many elected officials. Straight answers are seldom heard today from the courthouse to the White House. Most politicians struggle to address issues that require compromise, working with others, and ethics that treat everyone with respect. Character should be a value we look for in those seeking public office but it can be a difficult find. The best way to discover character is to look at the local community where an individual lives and see what they have been involved with, the activities they have participated in, and the effort they have given to serving others. Family is another key to review. Observing the work ethic of their spouse and children is a good way to determine what values they were able to see in others, their ability to make decisions and what they have been able to instill by example and relationship.
I would like to write that it is easy to find individuals to serve the public, but it is not. It is hard to find individuals that are not a part of some political machine, and most importantly that wants to serve and understands sacrificing a part of their self to make a difference for the benefit of others is a part of leadership. Finding those types of servants is difficult. Those individuals are rare, but they do exist and Larry Hammonds, Jailer of Knox County, Kentucky was one we seek to find. Larry Hammonds was a policy maker, so yes he was a politician, but his political manners came from a heart that was based on a life filled with service, respectful thoughts and considerations of others, with a genuine handshake and smile.
His decision to seek public office was a good personal decision and the residences of Knox County were well served. Larry served all the people of Knox County with dignity and he treated those incarcerated and their family with every courtesy the comes from a lifetime of seeing value in people. Credit for that leadership goes to his parents who lived and taught Christian values and credit to Larry who through his personal relationship with Jesus Christ practice Christian virtues. As a volunteer fire fighter, sacrifice and responsibility are a part of the call to duty that requires a response to help, that he answered. His commitment as a church member was witnessed by his church in his election as a Deacon at Turkey Creek Baptist Church. His friendships from childhood to adulthood earned him respect and his election as a law enforcement official serving the Office of Jailer.
Mary, thanks for sharing your husband with all of us. Jennifer and Jamirae, your father gave his very best to you, and now you have the honor of continuing his tradition by sharing his influence with your families and continuing the rich history your parents have provided to each of you. My prayer is that during this season of election we will each elect to allow Jesus to touch our lives as He did your fathers.

Until then

The challenge of errors and mistakes

Of all the challenges we each face, the biggest challenge to overcome is correcting the errors or mistakes we’ve each made in life. If you happen to be the sort of person that has never made a mistake then this column will not have much meaning. I assume to you, it will be just an interesting opinion that was written for everyone else. Self realization can be a difficult challenge in and of itself. Admitting our short comings is not the type of thing we grow up having conversations about. You will not attend a conference or a workshop sponsored by your employer the helps individuals to talk about their mistakes. Thus the difficulty at hand is how we deal with our errors-or the wrong decisions we’ve made.
For the record, there are some organizations that talk about mistakes and issues individuals face but these are all confidential settings and those sponsoring organizations are groups like AA which is the biggest that comes to my mind. For those that have never made a mistake, it is easy to judge individuals who would attend such a group and consider those participating to be a sub-type that doesn’t comparing to you. The Bible has some great advice for those willing to step up to the challenge and over overcome their individual mistakes. I personally have always been challenged with the Bible recommendation to remember that any fault I see another person facing, that could just as easy be me. When you realize that the only difference between you and others is the answers we accepted or gave this is a start. I have shared with individuals many times in counseling conferences that I understand what drugs are and when I was asked if I wanted any I always said no. That decision doesn’t make me any better then those that said yes, but my answer provided me greater opportunity instead of limiting my options because of my decision. Remembering that the situation we witness others in could just as easily by yourself creates a sense of understanding and a taste of mercy that makes you want to share it with others.
The next step in correcting our errors and mistakes is to learn from those situations. The desire to experience mercy and understanding is something most folks don’t have any problem with requesting. We want judges in district and circuit courts to dismiss our tickets and to forgive or mistakes. We want teachers and professors allow us to turn our papers in late and not on time. We want our parents to help us, and if they punish us, we want them to change the discipline after we serves some of our “time out”. Forgiveness once, we can easily agree with as a good practice but what about request, 3, 4, and 5? If we are continuing to repeat these types of moments, it’s pretty clear that we are not learning from our mistakes how to correct them; we are only learning to keep asking for another chance.
Correcting the errors in choices we’ve made or decisions we elected are neither always easy nor fun. One thing is for certain. If we remember and learn as we go we are miles ahead in reaching the ultimate destination and Jesus is a great friend for the journey.

Until then

The Art of Conversation

The value of conversation could almost be considered a lost practice today in this age of emails, voice mail, text messages, and instant messages. Many things are changing around us. There was a time individuals had to pick up the mail everyday from the post office if you expected to receive your bills and more especially receive payroll checks or maybe benefits from the government. Well those days are almost gone as companies use direct deposit to pay employees; even the government uses debit and credit card systems for benefits. Those monthly bills that once grew into a stack on desk and tables in our homes have been replaced by green friendly billing. Who imagined that we would go to an inbox and not a mail box to receive monthly statements and invoices? Even more imagination would have been needed thinking that just 20 years ago we would be paying our bills on-line from internet banking systems much less just going to individual website and placing our personal and sensitive information out there in the air waves of the untamed internet?
Lots of changes have been occurring. I’m not saying that any of these mentioned and bad or not useful, I’m only saying “wow, things are really different from just a few years ago and the pace of new arrivals in methods and techniques are at flood stage.” There is one art that we must recapture and that is the art of conversation. When I think about the problems that are faced by some families and individuals it is easy to ask the question have you spoken with anyone about this? The shock is in the answer that most have not talked with anyone about possible answers or solutions and thus the art of conversation and the value of listening and observing others is slipping quickly from a practice that is fundamental to interpersonal development.
Having helped and worked with individuals facing the issue of drug abuse, listening is vital to hearing the truth, and for many individuals finding folks to just talk—yes, small talk is a difficult task. In our pace as movers and shakers it is sad to see folks not willing to spend any length of time in just hearing someone out, or listening to their position on a subject. I would encourage everyone to find someone to talk with, someone to express ideas to, and someone to share moments with that build and strengthen relationship, all because of time shared talking.
It could be that you are reading this column and thinking, I don’t know anyone to just sit and talk with. Could be you have discovered a silent period in your life where no one is engaging you in questions which makes for a guaranteed time of loneliness and quite. I would suggest there is a friend who listens well. I’ve discovered in Jesus Christ that someone. Not only does he listen well but He speaks back in profound ways that make a real impression and sometimes shake me to my inner core. The art of conversation is a treasure that needs to be recaptured in our lives and if you have no one to talk with please allow me to recommend my friend Jesus. You will discover strength and courage from sharing and listening, give it a try today.

Until then