Jesus Loves Me

Things change, people change, programs change, seasons change, life is full of changes. Once thing that has not changed is the promise and fact that Jesus Loves You. He loves you so much he died for you. (John 3:16) You cannot change that. He is coming back; No matter who sings this or how it is sung, I love to hear it again. This song was written in 1860 to cheer up a dying child.  Let me say it again as plainly as I can; "Jesus Loves You"

"What Is Success" by Ralph Waldo Emerson

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics & endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived;
This is to have succeeded.

Anna Bartlett Warner (1827-1915)"Jesus Loves Me" Jesus loves me! This I know For the Bible tells me so Little ones to Him belong They are weak, but He is strong.

Anna Bartlett Warner and her sister Susan were the unmarried daughters of a prominent New York lawyer who lost his fortune during the 1837 depression. After Mr. Warner moved the family to an old house across the Hudson River from West Point, the sisters opened their home to the cadets and held Sunday school classes. Anna loved writing hymns and she wrote a fresh one each month for her students.

Eager to supplement the family income, the sisters turned to writing novels and children's books. Among the 18 books that they wrote together was Say and Seal, the book in which "Jesus Loves Me," written by Anna, first appeared in 1859. In the story, one of the characters comforted a dying child by singing "Jesus Loves Me." In that context, there is another stanza not commonly found in hymnals:

Jesus loves me! Loves me still
Tho' I'm very weak and ill
That I might from sin be free
Bled and died upon the tree.

Later Anna (whose writings are sometimes listed under her pseudonym, Amy Lothrop) published "Jesus Loves Me" as a hymn in her first hymnbook, Original Hymns. In 1862, William B. Bradbury stumbled across the song's words and wrote his own tune, the one we sing today. He also added his own chorus: "Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus loves me … " Within months, this song raced across North America, and eventually all the continents of the world.

In 1971 the song was further revised when Anglican priest David R. McGuire rewrote stanzas 2 and 3 to reflect the story in Matt. 19:13-14, where Jesus gathers the children around him:

Jesus loves me! This I know
As He loved so long ago
Taking children on His knee
Saying, Let them come to Me.

After over a century of evolution, "Jesus Loves Me" became the number one spiritual song in the world. It has been translated into more languages than any other song. Missionaries favor its simple and easy-to-remember chorus as a means of explaining the gospel in a clear, simple way.

Remarkably, a poem from an obscure novel is now one of the best-known hymns in the world.
Copyright � 2004 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today's Christian magazine.

More Than Anyone Can

Children are so precious! They give us hope and opportunity to change this world. We have been blessed with six wonderful grandchildren and three children who are now grown up. I actually made this video several years ago to the Peter, Paul and Mary song called "More Than Anyone Can." At least I think that is the name of the song.

Reasons why children can brighten our day....

1) NUDITY

I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening when a woman in the convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old shout from the back seat, 'Mummy, that lady isn't wearing a seat belt!'

2) OPINIONS

On the first day of school, a reception class child handed his teacher a note from his mum. The note read, 'The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents ..'

3) KETCHUP

A woman was trying hard to get the tomato ketchup out of the jar. During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her 4-year-old daughter to answer the phone.. 'Mummy can't come to the phone to talk to you right now. She's hitting the bottle.'

4) MORE NUDITY

A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's changing room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, 'What's the matter, haven't you ever seen a little boy before?'

5) POLICE : 1

While taking a routine vandalism report at a primary school, the constable was interrupted by a little girl about 6 years old. Looking up and down at the officer's uniform, she asked, 'Are you a policewoman? Yes,' was the answer, whilst she continued writing the report. 'My mother said if I ever needed help I should ask the police. Is that right?' 'Yes, that's right,' was the reply. 'Well, then,' she said as she extended her foot forward, 'would you please tie my shoe?'

6) POLICE : 2

It was the end of the day when I parked my police van in front of the station. As I gathered my equipment, my canine partner, Johnson, was barking, and I saw a little boy staring in at me. 'Is that a dog you got back there?' he asked.

'It sure is,' I replied.

Puzzled, the boy looked at me and then towards the back of the van. Finally he said, 'What did he do?'

7) ELDERLY

While working for an organization that delivers lunches to elderly house-bound residents, I used to take my 4-year-old daughter on my afternoon rounds. She was unfailingly intrigued by the various appliances of old age, particularly the canes, walking frames and wheelchairs. One day I found her staring at a pair of false teeth soaking in a glass. As I braced myself for the inevitable barrage of questions, she merely turned and whispered, 'The tooth fairy will never believe this!'

8) DRESS-UP

A little girl was watching her parents dress for a party. When she saw her dad donning his tuxedo, she warned, 'Daddy, you shouldn't wear that suit.'

'And why not, darling?'

'You know that it always gives you a headache the next morning.'

9) DEATH

While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his 5-year-old son and his playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton wool then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased.

The minister's son was chosen to say the appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he thought his father always said: 'Glory be unto the Father, and unto the Son, and into the hole he goes.' (I want this line used at my funeral!)

10) SCHOOL

A little girl had just finished her first week of school. 'I'm just wasting my time,' she said to her mother. 'I can't read, I can't write, and they won't let me talk!'

11) BIBLE

A little boy opened the big family Bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages.

'Mummy, mummy, look what I found!' he called out in a voice full of wonderment.

'What is it darling?', I asked.

With astonishment in his voice, he answered, 'I think it's Adam's underwear!

Happy Birthday Gene Domsten

Happy Birthday to my Uncle Gene Domsten. Wish I could join him for some cake today. They have made several trips out to visit us and we so cherish the visit with them in Minnesota with our children. The last visit was on the Lady of The Lake, to Stehekin on Lake Chelan a couple years ago.  Gene and Liz have been married over 50 years. I pray Gods Blessings on another year and Hope it is another enjoyable trip around the Sun many more times. Happy Birthday Gene.

Still The One

Ruth Graham once said she was glad God did not answer all her prayer requests, or she would have married the wrong man. I really thought God had it wrong when I was being sent to Heavenworth after 21 winters in Wenatchee- I even gave my boss 7 reasons why I should not;  but its really been a blessing and good experience to work in Heavenworth this winter.-  in fact its been one of the best winters even though I have had to work Sundays.  This video was made several years ago and shows some of the people I get to work with and some of the jobs done since you cannot come to work with me.

That's Why I Love You Like I Do

Love is great! Someone once said, "When I thought I could never fall in love again, then I became a Grandpa". I love being a grandparent- it seems babies accept us for who we are- no strings attatched and are so quick to forgive when we ask them to. They also are so trusting. I just wish I could spend more time with each of my grandkids- what gifts from God. This video was made several years ago to the tune of "Thats Why I love You Like I Do" by Roger Miller. Roger Miller died in 1992 from Lung Cancer. (smoking) I welcome any suggested songs to make more videos of my grandkids- I have over 50 videos already just of our grandkids. This one was made before Billy was born.

Someone sent me these beautiful words. One must read and try to understand the deep meanings in them. Had to share them with you today.

1] Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble; it is a "steering wheel" that directs us in the right path throughout life.

2] Do you know why a car's WINDSHIELD is so large & the rear view mirror is so small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, look ahead and move on.

3] Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.

4] All things in life are temporary. If going well enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong don’t worry, they can't last long either.

5] Old friends are like Gold! New friends are Diamonds! If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a base of Gold!

6] Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end!

7] When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.

8] A blind person asked St. Anthony: "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?" He replied: "Yes, losing your vision."

9] When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them; and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

10] WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES; it takes away today’s PEACE

2014 Real Men of Genius

I worked with a great crew in Striping this year and I felt bad I did not make a video, since I have made a video since 2005. It is hard to find new songs, and I refused to use "Hiway to Hell" for this years song. I have used "Real Men of Genius" six times; as well as "On the Road Again", Life is A Highway", "White Line Fever", I Walk The Line", Draggin The Line, "Forever Young" as well as Driving A Truck and Mr. Gasser Passer. Well, for 2014 it is a one minute song called "Real Men Of Genius"again. I really have enjoyed working on the Striping crew and am looking forward to where they assign me this summer. If you missed any other striping videos, simply click on "work-WSDOT" label on right.

My boss called me into his office today.
“We both know you’re not the brightest spark here, Simon,” he said, “but over the last 5 years you’ve never been sick or late and I think you deserve a reward. So, how does a brand new car sound?”
“Vrooom! Vrooooom!” I replied.

Who'll Buy My Memories (Dennis)

Willie Nelson recently redid a song called "Who'll Buy My Memories" with his sister- its a catchy song that I could fill with so many photos of my life.  I have been so blessed- I started to make a video of others for this song, after all, "Who would buy my Memories"?- but then I decided to add photos of mine as each photo means so much to me. I hope you  can recall memories you have as you listen to the song or perhaps recall some memories we had together as you take a couple minutes to recall. And by the way, the videos and memories are free today! (plus tax of coarse)

KNOW YOU’RE GETTING OLD WHEN . . .
Your spine goes out more than you do.
You’re asleep, and your family keep checking to see that you’re still alive.
You have a party and the people next door don’t even notice.
You are cautioned to slow down, not by the police but by your doctor.
You turn down the lights to be economical instead of romantic.

Really Big News

I love to hear news- especially good news. I hate teaser headlines and I get tired of hearing the same story a dozen times over and over.  I always enjoy looking back at the top news stories of previous year. Sometimes it is too easy to forget what is really  important in life. Most of the things I dealt with this past week will not make a difference in ten years- other thing will last long after I am gone. I made this video several years ago- maybe its a reminder to me to think of what will matter when I am gone and what I am doing today with my time today?

LITTLE EYES SEE A LOT

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that little things can be the special things in life.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking."
Little eyes see a lot!
-- Anonymous

Walking In The Sunshine

My First Blog for 2015! I actually started this blog on May 8th, 2009.  In 2011 my goal was one a day, which I failed to make, and last year it was 25 a month which I did make. This years goal is probably 10 Per month (2 per week?)- partly due to the blog acting funny when I get over 800 blogs and partly so I can spend less time in front of computer and more with family and friends. I would like to focus more on videos I make myself;  as facebook posts many youtube videos already and you can log on to youtube yourself just as easy. This is a video  I made several years ago- but a good reminder and prayer that you will Walk in the Sunshine everyday this year. It also reminds me how fast my grandchildren are growing up. Roger Miller wrote/sang this song in 1967- before many of you were even born.  I hope you will make suggestions/comments on how I can do better as well as take time to visit my blog and the 60 labeled categories already posted. So far as of today, I have had a total of 290,950 hits. Happy New Year!

“Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve. Middle age is when you’re forced to. “

I can't believe it's been a year since I didn't become a better person

“May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions!”