Funkyjimmer's Blog

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

IT'S GOING WELL

Someone (or several "someones") must be praying. Last week and so far this week have gone extremely well, work-wise. I have enjoyed my traveling around the State of Indiana. I have had a nice rental car--a new Nissan Altima. It is one of those new keyless start. Just push a button while stepping on the brake and it starts! Pretty cool! They started it for me when I picked it up Monday and I drove to the post office. When I got back in the car, I couldn't figure out how to start it. So I called the car rental place and with their instruction, I got it started. It was telling me to put on the brake but I thought it was telling me the brake was on!

The weather has been great for traveling and although I have seen several automobile/truck accidents I haven't been involved in any! My meetings have gone well and I'm actually getting to think that I know a little bit about what I'm presenting! I have been well received.

Except for tomorrow, when I am attending a Trustees' meeting, and except for one other day, I'll continue traveling every work day until Thanksgiving week. I hope the weather holds!

I thank God daily for His many, many blessings. Among His many blessings is my health. I am grateful that I feel well and am able to do what is required of me--both at work and home responsibilities. I do get tired but a good night's sleep takes care of that.

I've been asked to take a new "job" at church. I currently serve in rotation at the main entrance Welcome Center second service. I'll know more about my additional responsibility at church after a meeting I'll attend Sunday morning. All I know now is that because our Minister of Outreach is going to plant a couple of new churches in Miami, Florida, I'll be a special greeter at the main entrance. We have a Corp of greeters at each door but my responsibility is to especially look for first-time visitors. Our minister of Outreach has been at our church for 31 years. We're going to miss him. I'm wondering about this new ministry but I'm trying to withhold judgement until I learn more details Sunday.

But I know that God has been so absolutely awesome that I am thankful for any opportunity to serve Him and His church.

More later,

Jim

posted by jim 10:24 PM 0 comments

Friday, October 26, 2007

BACK, GONE, AND BACK AGAIN!

The past two weeks since I lasted posted I have been home and then gone again. Last weekend I visited a great Christian couple in Iowa. It was a blessed weekend from start to finish. I had a new KIA Optima rental to drive on the trip. The weather was great--again. (I sure picked great weather for all of my trips.)

The weekend was very relaxing and enjoyable. My friends are just terrific people. They will never understand what they did for me during that visit. For the first time in nearly 19 years I was slightly "bombed out" about my secular job. The reason is because I'm having to work with some types of things that I've really never had any training on and don't know much about. And I'm having to make a lot of presentations about things I know very little about and understand even less.

BUT--my weekend with my wonderful, dedicated, loving Christian friends completely changed my attitude and restored my excitement, joy and the love for my job. I came home with renewed enthusiasm and anticipation for my job. And this week has been wonderful! I've been at a different location every day doing presentations and they have gone very well. I don't think I've "messed up" too much. And best of all, I really enjoy again what I am doing! (Thanks April and Nathan!)

Even getting notice when I returned that the Internal Revenue Service is questioning my charitable giving reported on my 2005 income tax return hasn't dampened my spirit! The letter said they had to have copies of all my checks--front and back--of my charitable contributions plus other documentation. That was going to be a lot of copying. And some banks don't return your checks.

But I got good news from the IRS when I called today. They don't have to have copies of the checks, just the receipts from churches and organizations to which I have contributed. So that won't be so bad. I have to have it all submitted by November 15th. Then they will let me know if they need anything else.

Enough whining! Things are good and God is so wonderful. There are issues with which I struggle. I need prayer for all that but I'll not list all that here. People who want to join me in prayer can email me.

Work is so busy. I am traveling every work day to a different location. A couple of trips will be an "overnigter". This will go on until Thanksgiving week. I have another weekend trip coming up the middle of November. I'm going to Alabama to watch the Crimson Tide play (and hopefully win) another game.

As time passes since Karon's death some things might be a bit easier but some are definitely more difficult. St. Vincent Hospital is having a memorial service Sunday afternoon for all who passed away at the hospital May, June, July and August. The girls and I are going to attend. I hope it is helpful. We all still struggle and grieve greatly even though we know Karon is at home with the Lord.

Thanks again for all your prayers. Until I get around to Posting again......

Jim

posted by jim 6:20 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

To Quote the Song Title: "BACK HOME AGAIN IN INDIANA"

I made it home last night (Monday) at 8:15 p. m. It was a near-perfect trip. The car was great (a 2007 Nissan Maxima with only 20,000 miles when I started the trip and it got really good mileage. I was safe and never got sleepy the whole time--which is unusual for me.

The only "bobble" was yesterday--the last day (wouldn't you know?!) I came as far as Grayson, Kentucky, and stayed at a Holiday Inn Express Sunday night. Monday I packed up, loaded the car and drove a short distance to see the campus of Kentucky Christian University at Grayson. Then I headed for home.

I had gotten as far as Georgetown, Kentucky, just north of Lexington. I had checked my voice messages at home once or twice before. This time I checked and had a message from the Holiday Inn in Grayson. I had left all my hanging clothes in the room closet. There were three bags--clothes for 11 or 12 days!

So--what to do? I decided it was worthwhile to go back after them. I turned around and headed back--106 miles; got the clothes, gassed up the car and started back again. But at least I have my clothes.

I don't know why the hotel personnel chose to take all the clothes out of the bags--unless they were searching the pockets for valuables. But at least I got all my clothes back.

Now I'm back at work facing a very busy fall at work with quite a bit of travel.

Until the next Post...

Jim

posted by jim 12:06 PM 0 comments

Friday, October 05, 2007

ON THE MOVE AGAIN

This afternoon I'm "moving on". I'll leave Winston-Salem and head to Raleigh, North Carolina, where I will have the extreme pleasure and privilege of visiting some very special friends. My plans are to visit there until Sunday afternoon. After church and lunch I'll start back to Indiana. My plan is to go part way Sunday and the rest of the way on Monday. I'm due back to work Tuesday.

Saturday evening my friends and I will watch N.C. State and Wake Forest girls' volleyball teams play. One of the players is from Countryside Christian Fellowship, the church I served part time for 5 years, until last Easter.

I may not be able to Post again until I get home, depending on what kind of computer set-up I find at the hotel in Raleigh.

Until next time...

Jim

posted by jim 9:34 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

A STRANGE EXPERIENCE

Today, after meeting my hostess for lunch on the Campus of Wake Forest University where she teaches, I drove out to the location of a Bible College I have heard about for years but never had visited (since I've never been in this area before). It was started in 1945 by a Caucasian man and an Afro-American man to train male and female blacks and Caucasians for ministry to the urban areas of our country.

When I found the location I noticed that there was a "FOR SALE" sign out front. On the College's sign were the words, "RELOCATING" but no indication as to when or where the relocation would occur or to where the College was relocating. I was very surprised because there was nothing about this on their web site--only that they had changed their name to Carolina Christian College. There were no parked cars except two vehicles in back of what looked like the main Administration Building--a pick up truck and a Van with the college's old name printed on the side. Behind the Administration building were two other buildings that looked like housing units for students. They seemed to be deserted.

After driving around I parked in front and went up to the front door. I was shocked when it was unlocked. I was able to go in and look around all three floors of the building--except for the third floor. When I entered the third floor sign said that was the men's dorm and all doors to that floor were locked.

But all the doors on the second and first floor were not only unlocked but most of them were wide open! I looked in each room. It was an erie feeling. I felt like the Rapture had occurred because everything was left as though people had been working. On a couple of large conference tables there were open books, notepads and open pens where someone had been studying and had just suddenly left everything. Brief cases were left open by professors' desks and everything was left spread out on what looked like an Administrative Assistant's desk in a Common Area outside the professors' offices and some of the classrooms. You could tell that people had been using the College Library because books and study materials were spread out on the library tables.

I'll never know what happened but it was an erie, unsettling experience. I picked up some literature about the College and left.

I'll always wonder about that experience.

Jim

posted by jim 4:16 PM 0 comments

Monday, October 01, 2007

AN UPDATE

As I said in my previous entry, my trip to North Carolina was great. I'm having a good time here. Saturday my friends took me up to Mount Airy, North Carolina, the home town of Andy Griffith, of the old-time Andy Griffith Show, and more recently the Matlock Series. They had a lot going on. It is an annual 4-day celebration--Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Lots of stores where you can buy all sorts of Mayberry/Andy Griffith "stuff"; museums, etc. It was a lot of fun. We watched some Cloggers and listened to some Blue Grass music also.

Saturday evening we went to a great play, "Smoke On The Mountain", presented by a local community theatre group. They were excellent and the play was outstanding. It was about a Saturday night "sing" in a country Baptist church, set in 1938. I loved hearing a lot of old-time Gospel songs that I haven't heard for a long time.

Sunday (yesterday) was a great day. A fine worship service at a congregation about the size of my home church, approximately 1,500 in attendance. In the afternoon I got a tour of the Wake Forest University Campus and some faculty offices and classrooms. I also got to see where I will be speaking Wednesday night.

Today I hope to do some reading and other things. I may venture out into the community of Wake Forest some also. The weather here is still sunny but VERY COOL!

More as the week progresses!

Jim

posted by jim 9:55 AM 0 comments