Journey to Somewhere

Benny's Bite Out of the Big Apple

2011-04-03T15:44:00.005-05:00

It was Benny's first time in the Big Apple, and didn't know how to act. As he rushed out of the airport, boy did he see a long line of yellow cabs lined up all over the place. Sticking his fingers in his mouth, he blew really hard to whistle. Up pulled a cabbie named Orin in a brand new bright yellow cab. Benny said I'd like to go to 361 Crossroads Lane. Can you get me there? Orin said sure. Hop on in. We'll be there in a minute. While Benny sat gazing at all those sights, he notice Orin missing his turn. Without thinking, Benny grabbed Orin on the shoulder, but Orin went crazy. As Benny lunged forward he grabbed the wheel as he fought Orin off as he was being bitten, scratched, and hit. With one hand on the wheel and another in the glove box, Benny looked for Orin's seizure medicine. When Orin finally did calm down, Benny said what just happened? I'm sure sorry that I touched you. Orin said no problem, but I've been driving for a funeral parlor for 15 years, and for a moment I just forgot where I was. When you touched me, I thought that you might be a zombie. I've never been grabbed by a customer before. (from a joke told by Chris Hodges)

Owen, the Ostrich, and the Desert Oasis

2011-04-03T14:55:00.004-05:00

A dirty, dusty solder named Owen wandered into a desert oasis on the edge of Afganistan. As he stumbled into an Arabian Cantina, he was approached by its owner Abdul. What made this solder so different was not his desert camouflage, but a tall slender Ostrich bringing up his rear. As the solder studied the menu, he ordered a fried egg sandwich, bacon, and a side of coffee. There that tall slender Ostrich sat next to Owen listening intently to his every word with those large brown eyes blinking with those long eyelashes. After Owen received his bill to Abdul's amazement, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the exact amount of $5.97. Abdul asked how did you do it? How'd you pull out the exact change? Owen slowly opened one bleary read eye, and said. I've been hunting terrorist in caves crawling on my belly. A couple of days ago I stumbled upon a sheik's treasure which included jewels, coins, silver, and things. While looking under a tapestry, I found a golden lamp covered with dust, so I rubbed it off with my shirt sleeve. To my amazement, a giant genie blew out in a vapor, and formed in front of me. He told me that I could have but two wishes, so I pondered really hard what to say. Since all those treasures were so heavy, I asked for a pretty cool thing. I ask for whatever amount of money that I might need to be right at my finger tips in my right pant's pocket. That's why I had the right amount. If I'd needed a car or an airplane ticket, the right amount would have come out. Then, Abdul said what about wish two? Owen scatched his head, and said that wish didn't work out so well. I asked for a tall chick with long legs, eyelashes, big eyes, who did everything that I said. I meant a woman, but got a ostrich. You gotta be careful what you wish for. That's how I got my ostrich. (from a story told by Steve Lacy)

Charlie's Brave Heart

2011-03-26T19:16:00.000-05:00

Once when we lived in Marietta, Georgia. I took Charlie our little Dachshund on a walk. When Charlie was on his lease, he’d pull so hard to get ahead that he’d almost pass out. For this reason, I just let him drag his lease along. While we were walking by the lake, he spied some ducks on the water. Before I knew it, Charlie leaped into the water dragging his lease behind. Charlie swam so furiously that he actually did catch up with the ducks. What Charlie wasn’t counting on is that when he did catch them. They merely flew away. Even after the ducks flew away, Charlie still refused to come ashore. He might have just been too stubborn, or to near sighted to see the shore. There he swam around and around in circles with me yelling for him to come. Then, I began to realize that he wasn’t ever going to come. He would rather drown than to not catch his duck. That day I took a dip in a lake to save him clothes and all.

Charlie was Brown

2011-03-26T19:11:00.001-05:00

When I was in High School, one day my little sister brought home a little Dachshund puppy. Our family was used to having large collies, making that chocolate brown dog look really tiny. He was so short that his ears almost touched the ground. My sister said there’s only one name for him and that’s Charlie. CHARLIE NEEDED GLASSES: Our family moved to Roanoke, Virginia while I was in High School. Roanoke is a beautiful place located in the Blue Ridge Mountain Range. That winter in Roanoke was especially cold with temperatures regularly staying below freezing. When it would get a little warmer, we’d allow Charlie to sit out on the front porch. One day I couldn’t make it up the road for all the snow. Therefore, I had to park my car, and walk up the mountain. When Charlie saw me from his porch, he thought that I was an intruder. There he stood all 8 inches of him tall barking while defending his turf. Then, I had a thought. What would Charlie do if I ran towards him? As I began to run, he charged at me. He then leaped through the air to take a bite of me. When he did this, I shouted Charlie. In that moment of time, it was as if Charlie hung in space and time. Watching his facial expressions, I could tell that Charlie finally understood what he was about to do, and who he was about to do it to. In that moment of time, Charlie shouted “yikes”. I kid you not. He sounded human. Then, Charlie came to me, and we made up because I now knew Charlie needed glasses.

The Box of Chocolates

2011-03-26T19:09:00.000-05:00

Charlie our little Dachshund could do amazing things. Once we put a box of chocolates on top of the refrigerator. Since Charlie was only 8 inches tall, we thought the chocolates were safe. When we returned from being out, the box of candy was on the floor, and they were eaten. How does a dog 8 inches tall get a box of Chocolates off the top of a refrigerator?

The Mad Kid

2011-03-26T19:07:00.000-05:00

When I was about 10 years old, my family moved from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where we lived only about 5 miles from the coast. Most of our neighbors were naval personnel stationed at the Naval Base in Norfolk. During our stay in Virginia Beach, we got to tour submarines, battleships, & hang out with military kids. It was a great time. THE KID There was a really quite kid in our neighborhood. One day one of the popular kids began to tease him. Before long, the quite kid went crazy, and he beat and stomped that kid into the ground really bad. Afterward I didn’t hang out with the quite kid any longer because I didn’t want him to go off on me. It’s too bad because I used to like him.

Chesapeake Bay Crabbing

2011-03-26T19:04:00.002-05:00

A fun thing to do in Virginia Beach was to go crabbing. Just buy some raw chicken legs, tie a string to a leg, and then lower it into the Chesapeake Bay. At that time, there were a lot of crabs in that bay, and they would swarm your chicken in a matter of seconds. As the crabs clung on, they’d begin to eat. We’d raise the leg out of the water and then scoop up the crab with a net. Oftentimes, we’d try to raise the crab all the way up to the bridge to see if they’d keep holding on. Many times they’d hold on eating despite the fact that they were being lifted to the bridge to be eaten. Crab is cooked by boiling water, and then by dropping the live crab into it. I couldn’t bear to watch it being done. Afterwards, my brother, my sister, and I had to crack open the crab to get to the meat. It was a little bit like cracking nuts. Inside the crab is also yellow tissue, which is poisonous. For this reason, make sure that you avoid the yellow in crabs. As fun as crabbing was, I just couldn’t force myself to eat it afterward because of what I had to do to get it.

The Monster Tree

2011-03-26T19:01:00.002-05:00

When we bought our house in Virginia Beach, there was a monster tree beside our house. It should have been taken down before the house was built; however, there it stood only 3 or 4 feet outside my second floor bedroom window. It was probably over 6 feet in diameter. It was really big. One of the downsides of living on the coast was hurricanes. While we lived in Virginia Beach, one blew through our area. I can still remember looking out the kitchen window, and watching all the pine trees bending to the ground. While the storm was blowing at its most furious, we heard a deafening sound of thunder. When the storm was over, my brother and I went back to our bedroom. When we looked out the window, the monster tree was gone. The thunder that we thought we heard was really the monster tree falling into the vacant lot next door. We lived that day because the wind blew the other way.

Splintered Hands

2010-03-16T14:39:00.008-05:00

During a Jewish festival in Jerusalem, Jesus shook up the religious establishment of His day when He had the gall to go into THEIR temple and preach (John 7:14). With Jesus having NO formal training, they were aghast that He would do such a thing! Later, Peter and John stirred up the hornet’s nest AGAIN by doing exactly the same thing (Acts 4:13). How DARE they?

Those guys are “uneducated and common men” they snarled until they finally hung their heads. Because THEN they suddenly realized, those guys KNEW Jesus. ASK, why would God put His own Son through the school of hard knocks by filling His hands with blisters and splinters? Couldn’t God just put Him through the best religious institution? You know He could. ASK why did Jesus’ eyes squint through the Sun’s blinding reflection on those choppy waters while looking for those hard working fishermen? YELLING, “let me show you how to do that with people!"

(Matthew 4:19)!” If you want something different, you’ve got to shake things up a bit (Matthew 9:17), and WHY not? Don’t we ALL hunger for something more? I know I do. How about a guy who’s NOT a scholar or a theologian, but has been through the school of hard knocks? We’ll just allow God to translate his skills into something NEW like Jesus always does.

1. Ask, what would Jesus be looking for in a Pastor?
2. What criteria would (and did) Jesus use?
3. What skills does this person have that God could translate and use in His kingdom?

Journey To Somewhere

2009-07-31T13:53:00.006-05:00

To begin my Spiritual Journey, as a preteen in 1970-1971, I attended the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas under Pastor Dr. W. A. Criswell (http://www.wacriswell.com/). During the early 70s, our church had up to 8,000 attendees each weekend. We had 150 students in just my grade level. My church offered a bowling alley, skating ring, gym, weight room, restaurant, year book, and the student choir took trips to Mexico and Japan. It was a lot of fun. Because of Dr. Criswell’s example, I later became a Christian in 1974.

While at Baylor University in 1976, I attended Columbus Avenue Baptist Church in Waco, Texas under Pastor Marshall Edwards. While Baylor University was in session, the church had 1,500 college students in attendance each weekend. In 1977-79, I attended First Baptist-Atlanta’s college department that ran 120 students each weekend. In 1982-83, 85-87, I attended First Baptist-Atlanta’s singles department that averaged 600 in attendance. From 1977-1989, I attended a weekly Tuesday night Bible Study in Atlanta taught by Dan Dehaan and later John Riley for student age young adults, which averaged as many as 1,500 attendees. It featured a rock band which played Christian music. Therefore, I have extensive knowledge of Student, College, and Singles ministries.

As previously mentioned from 1977 -1979, 1982-1983, 1988, I attended the First Baptist Church of Atlanta, Georgia under Pastor Dr. Charles Stanley (http://www.intouch.org/). My men’s small group leader for both my freshman and sophomore college years was Wes Cantrell. The group normally consisted of around 12 college men. Of that 12, Andy Stanley (http://www.northpoint.org)/ and Louie “Butch” Giglio regularly attended. Eventually, our church’s weekly attendance grew from 2,000 to 5,500 people. Of all the teachers that I’ve had, Dr. Stanley has had the greatest influence on me.

Because First Baptist of Atlanta was then an inter-city church, I spoke at their street ministry, feed the homeless, hosted international students, and meet Hindus, Buddhist, and Moslems. I even assisted in a nearby Psychiatric Ward’s Sunday school class. At that time, Dr. Stanley was a big supporter of Bill Gothard’s Institute of Basic Life Principles Seminars which was held yearly at the nearby Omni Basketball Arena where the NBA Atlanta Hawks played. Therefore, during my very first seminar, Bill stated that if anyone would memorize the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). His or Her grade point average would increase one grade level. Because I was doing so poorly in College, I memorized those scriptures and my GPA shot up to 3.56, and I graduated from College at only 20 years of age. I actually improved my grades by two grade levels instead of just one.

My secular background includes several Fortune 100 companies such as J. C. Penney, Wal-Mart, and Cingular Wireless (now A.T. & T Wireless). I have expertise in Consulting, Media Purchases, Corporate Training, Scheduling, Customer Escalations, Operations, Security, and Human Resources. As a speaker, I have conducted management, employee, and customer training meetings lasting up to 2 hours in duration. As a mentor, I regionally equipped owners to use corporate tools in their various states instead of relying on the regional office. Finally, for 5 years, I helped business owners reach their prospects by creating media buys for their businesses. During that time, I created market buys in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Raleigh to just name a few places.

During a recent conversation with my current Pastor John Dees, I asked him if it was logical to attempt to utilize my background in a Church setting, and he said that a ministry sure could use my secular background. (John himself has a secular background of selling medical supply equipment). Through John’s leadership, our church’s weekly attendance has grown from 50 people to over 900 within just 6 years. Currently, I am exploring how my expertise can be utilized in a ministry capacity.

Counseling Room

2009-02-24T11:18:00.009-06:00

When I was in college, a friend of mine, Danny Crook, liked to go down to the Atlanta Union Mission once a month with the members of his church. One day Danny asked me to go too, so I went. Eventually, Danny asked me to speak. It was one of the first times that I’d ever spoken in public, and I think that it went pretty well. After I spoke, I gave an altar call, and invited the listeners to come down and accept Jesus as Lord. One of the men came forward.

After we went to the counseling room, the man said “I’ve been shot”, and sure enough he began to drop down his pants to show me his bottom. As he did, I covered my eyes, took a deep breath, and prayed "Lord Jesus, now what am I suppose to do?" As I peeked through my fingers, sure enough it did look like he had been shot in his bottom, but it was an old wound. The man began to tell me that his wife had just died, and he said that he would go out to sleep on top of her grave at night. I don’t remember what I said. I think that I just sat there and listened not knowing what to do.

Broke Pool Stick

2009-02-11T09:48:00.006-06:00

I started hanging out with a kid when I was in the eighth grade that I’ll call Buddy. Buddy was from a troubled home, and his parents were divorced. One night my mother let me go over and spend the night with him. During the night, his mother went crazy, and began screaming and yelling at the top of her lungs. I didn’t know why, so I spent the entire night with the blanket over my head just pretending to be asleep. When I left the next day, I promised myself that I would never go back.

One day Buddy and his father picked me up in their car. His father’s car had some strange things in it, and I didn’t know what they were. Later, I saw Buddy’s father headlined in the paper with all those items that I had seen earlier in his father’s car. Apparently, they were instruments for taking drugs, and the article also said that Buddy’s father was accused of murder. I was shocked when I saw this article in the paper.

Our church at the time had a youth building with a pool table in it. One day Buddy and I rode our bicycles to church to play pool. On that particular day, it was as if I couldn’t miss a shot. I beat Buddy time and time again. In good fun, I started to tease him. On one particular shot, I poked Buddy on his bottom with my pool stick. In a rage, Buddy swung his pool stick at my head as if he was hitting a baseball. In shock, I had just enough time to lift up my arm to protect my head. When the pool stick hit my forearm, his pool stick broke.

Buddy was still enraged, and taunted me to fight him with just one arm. He still had his splintered pool cube in his hand, and held it as if he was going to stab me with it. In that moment in time, I figured that I had better split, so I threw my pool stick in another direction almost hitting a by stander. Then, I got back on my bicycle and pedaled home holding my arm.

I hung out with Buddy for 3 or 4 years before this happened, and I loved Buddy. However, after this, I kept my distance. I don’t know why Buddy snapped that day, and I didn’t want to hang around to find out. Once was enough.

Hiding Place

2009-02-09T14:21:00.007-06:00

Since I didn’t go to kindergarten, I couldn’t read when I began the first grade. I noticed that when I turned in my class work that the teacher would put a letter on it. One day I took a paper home with one of those letters. At the time, I still didn’t know what the letter on the paper meant. When I gave it to my mother, I really got spanked. Apparently, it was a D or F. After that happened, I purposed not to bring home any class work at all, because I didn’t want to be spanked.

On my walk home, there was a bush along the way. I’d stuff all my classroom assignments into that bush. Nothing made it home because I was afraid that it would backfire on me. I never got into trouble at school; however, one day I had a really bad day. I got sent out into the hallway for talking. Right after I returned the teacher caught me talking a second time, and sent me out again. When I finally returned, the teacher gave me something to give to my mother. Since I still couldn’t read, I didn’t know what the paper meant, so I thought it was about all the trouble that I was in that day.

As I left school, I hurried to my bush to dispose of the document; however, low and behold there my mother was picking me up in the car. My heart sank because I was caught with the document. I thought I was in really bad trouble, but didn’t know what to do. I hadn’t made it to my hiding bush. When my mother saw the document, she asked for it. To my surprise, the document was about insurance or something. I had escaped my really bad day.

Archeologist of Blue Ridge

2009-02-06T16:23:00.011-06:00

CHARLIE AND THE ARCHEOLOGIST: While we lived in Roanoke, my mother started collecting antique bottles. She’d go to a site where she thought that people used to live, and then she’d began to dig. Over time my mother built an amazing bottle collection. She’d take Charlie our little Dachshund with her on her adventures. One day while Charlie sat on our front porch, my mother went to the store. When she returned, Charlie was gone. Three days went by and still no Charlie. We all assumed someone had stolen him, and gave up hope of ever seeing him again. Things went back to normal, and my mother finally returned to her bottle dig. When she did, she was shocked at what she found. There Charlie was jumping up and down in excitement. You see. Charlie thought that my mother was going on a dig earlier when she had gotten in her car. Somehow he had found his way back. (Before he had only gotten there by car). Charlie had waited 3 days and nights without food or water for my mother to dig. When she saw him, she just sat down on the ground and cried.

Creek Skating

2009-02-06T14:39:00.008-06:00

In Virginia Beach, you could go ice skating on the creek if it was really cold. There was a pretty large creek near our house, and when it fell below freezing. Some of the kids would sneak off and ice skate on it. My brother was at the frozen creek one afternoon, and saw one of the kids break through the ice. The kid had a pretty desperate time just getting out of the ice water. Because of this, I never got out on the ice. I considered it too dangerous.

Flat Rock

2009-02-06T12:05:00.006-06:00

When we were kids, my brother drug my sister and I into things that he’d liked to do. For example, when I was in the second grade, he begged our parents to buy a piano and then provide piano lessons. The next thing I knew. I too was getting up early before school AND after to practice the piano for one hour a day because my brother liked the piano.

Another example was swimming. Since my brother wanted to swim, my mother signed my sister and me also up for the swim team. After all, she had to be there anyway to take my brother. Why not make us swim, too? The next thing I knew I had to swim miles a day in addition to piano lessons because my brother liked to swim.

Another thing my brother liked to do was fish. After one of his Boy Scout meetings, my parents over heard him saying, “My dad doesn’t like to do anything outdoors”. The next thing I know we’re all going fishing all the time. Then, we lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee near Harrison Bay State Park. We’d go to the banks of the Tennessee River, and bobber fish off a large flat rock. To me, this was really boring, but because my brother liked to fish. There I sat on that flat rock doing nothing on my weekends.

One weekday during the summer while my father was at work my mother decided that she was going to take us fishing. We went to the banks of the Tennessee River as always. What was unusual about that day is that the Tennessee River was really swollen after a rain storm, and the river had crested all the way up to the flat rock where we usually fished. Everything was wet and unpleasant; however, there I sat because my brother liked to fish.

Shortly after we arrived, my brother leaned back to cast his rod and to my horror. His fish hook went into my eyelash. All I could do was yell STOP! I kept yelling because I thought that my brother’s fish hook was in my eye. My mother couldn’t bring herself to look at my eye, so she began to yell at the top of her lungs, too! There we all sat on that flat rock screaming. Before long a couple of sailors who were home on leave fishing heard us yelling. There they came running and sliding and falling through the wet weeds, mud, and grass as they ran to our aid. One of them held me down. While the other one, took the fish hook out of my eye lash. It was a close call.

You’d think that we would have learned our lesson at that point and went home for the day, but my brother really liked to fish. The next time he cast his rod. His rod flew out into the Tennessee River. While my mother was distracted, my brother held onto some vines, and went after his rod into the flooded Tennessee River. When she finally turned around, she saw my brother waist deep in the river headed towards his rod. She started screaming, and he started begging to keep going after his rod. There again came those two guys from the navy. Slipping and sliding through the mud on the banks of the Tennessee River. By the time they got there, my brother had agreed to climb out of the river, and we were going home.

Smell Fire?

2009-02-06T10:20:00.005-06:00

When I was about eight years old, my mother woke us up late one night and said, “I smell fire. When my mother was a child, her house had burn down not once but twice, making her quick to smell out possible fires. So there my brother, and sister, and I began walking around the house behind my mother, looking for a fire. I finally told myself that there was no fire, so I went back to bed laying my head on my pillow. Not long after I lay down, my mother came back into my room, and said, “I believe that the fire is in this room!”, so I got up a second time and followed my mother around. Not long after that my mother picked up my pillow that I had been laying on, and the underside of my pillow was on fire!

We never did figure out how my pillow caught on fire that night. However, there was a coil heater that ran around the bottom walls of my bedroom. My mother guessed that the pillow had fallen off the bed during the night, and caught on fire. Then, I picked it up while sleeping, without realizing it, and put my head on the side that wasn’t burning. I’m so glad that my mother had a sensitive nose, and we escaped this mysterious fire without mishap.

Faced with Evil

2009-02-02T16:51:00.006-06:00

In 1968, Captain Action was tragically overcome by Dr. Evil. (I call him Morpheus). Morpheus used his hypnotic powers to convince the good Captain that Kid Action was forever lost. Based upon that lie the Captain allowed himself to become corrupted from within by bitterness and rage. That rage short circuited Captain Action’s transformation coins, so that they no longer worked. During his fateful battle against his mortal enemy, Morpheus, Captain fAction finally lost.

Youtube TV Sport http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0Mr7FwkO4k

After Morpheus knocked Captain Action out, he attempted to destroy him forever; however, Captain Action’s coins created a force field, suspending Captain Actionbetween space and time. Because of their transformation power, it was all Morpheus could do just to lock the Captain in a golden chest. Then, Morpheus stole Captain’ Actions Amphibian Car. Took that Chest, and pushed it out into the depths of the sea.

Actually, the Kid was never lost. Morpheus had just blinded Captain Actions’s eyes from seeing him. With Captain Action gone, Morpheus used one of Captain Action’s transformation coins to transform himself into Captain Action, and began to raise the Kid as his own. Although the coins could transform Morpheus’ appearance, they could never change his heart. When the Kid figured it all out, he escaped with his life.

One night Kid Action got up his courage, and returned to Morpheus’ laboratory. He wanted to reclaim his father’s things to determine Captain Action’s whereabouts. To his amazement, Morpheus had left several of his father’s transformation coins out and the Amphibian Car unsecured, so the Kid took them all with him. However, for some reason, the transformation coins would not work on the Kid.

For decades, the Kid looked for Captain Action unsuccessfully. One night the Kid was going through his father’s coins. Suddenly, he felt a surge of power. Then, he noticed while walking around the room that the coin would get stronger or weaker based upon where he was in the room. Suddenly, his eyes opened when he realized the coin was serving as Captain Action’s homing beacon.

Following that beacon, the Kid used the Amphibian Car to determine the general whereabouts of Captain Action in the depths of the sea. When the Kid dove into the icy water his heart was filled with excitement and anticipation. Through the murky water, the Kid dimly saw the golden chest corroded and all covered with sea weed. The closer he got to Captain Action that coin began to energize him more and more. Filled with power the Kid snapped off the chest’s lock with his bare hands.

Captain Action fell out of the chest unconscious unaffected by space and time. As the Kid swam toward the surface with his dad draped over his shoulder, he was attacked by a swarm of giant electric eels. During the ensuing battle, Captain Action was bitten. In that instant Captain Action finally awakened. Captain Action was fully recharged. Captain Action transformed into something as never before. Captain Action's coins multiplied him into 12 Captain Actions. With all that energy and power bursting from the Captains, the eels fled. After Captain Action returned to normal, Captain Action stared into the Kid’s face, and he saw himself. They both wept for hours because of their lost time and the Kid’s forgotten youth.

During the battle, all the transformation coins were lost, and obscured on the ocean’s floor. Captain Action then looked perplexed, and asked but when were they lost? It was actually BEFORE the attack not after. Kid and Captain Action both looked at each other and said no it can’t be that easy. We don’t really need the coins, after all? Then, they both shouted transform, and then true power starts. Burst of lightening, thunder crashing, electric power flowing through boots and hands. Multi-men with transformation power with Captain Action and Kid in command.

Captain says; don’t let your heart become darkened by bitterness and rage by the deceptions of Morpheus. Remember, transformation power is not based upon some artificial substance, but the truth from within. (Bible, John 17:17) That truth shines brighter like lightening power the darker it becomes. Don’t fall for Morpheus’s tricks, but remember to transform your thoughts because your thoughts are transforming you.

Flight of Survival

2009-01-30T13:19:00.006-06:00

Because my son is an only child, we spent a lot of time playing together on the floor when he was very little. We started playing action figures together when he was only 3. To keep his interest while playing, I spent the entire afternoon just making up stories. It was more like a puppet show than anything else. Rarely, did we play G.I. Joes with the G. I. Joes being just G.I. Joes. We made them to be whatever we wanted them to be. One day they’d be the Three Stooges, then the Dukes of Hazard, Magnum P. I. , Simon & Simon, Star Wars, or even Indiana Jones. It was not uncommon for me to go through an entire afternoon just retelling movies with the G. I. Joes being our main characters.

We even recreated who the characters were, and what they could do. For example, Santa Claus now was a really muscular G.I. Joe who fought crime when he wasn’t delivering presents. In another story line, the Arctic white G. I. Joe was now a major character. We named him T.C. short for The Christian alias the Saint. Firing bullets of thought is how T. C. changed the hearts of men, which turned them into good guys. This is how T.C. defeated evil. Two other G.I. Joes were in the game; however, we pretended that they were invisible. The only way they could help T.C. was by whispering into T.C.’s ear just what to do. If T.C. didn’t listen, he was defeated. Also, the Arctic G. I. Joe came with a sled and 3 dogs, so we named them Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego after the three men in the Bible who survived the fiery furnace. These three dogs had an amazing ability to fly and shed light just like Santa’s reindeer do; however, they differed in that they would fight to the death for good, T.C. and others.

T. C. was particularly important to me because my last G.I. Joe that I had as a kid was an Arctic Adventurer G. I. Joe. By the time I received him, playing G. I. Joes wasn’t fun anymore. My brother had gone on to other things, and I really enjoyed interacting with him while playing. I never remember playing with that Arctic Joe, but just looking at him in the box. Eventually, I threw him away. When the Arctic Joe was reintroduced by Hasbro in the late 90s, I had a moment of time to get him again and to relive my memories with my son. In a blink of an eye, my son too had gone on to other things by the time he turned 8 years old. I just had to write down my memories before they were covered by the sands of time.

Youtube Spot...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hblG_5h_XI&playnext=1&list=PL8E028FE33CE355E4&index=18

Capped Crusader?

2009-01-29T15:55:00.005-06:00

Youtube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nJ1YOumjmg

Not long after I got my first G.I. Joe, Ideal Toy Company introduced Captain Action back in 1966. Nothing like Captain Action had ever existed before. As kids, my brother and I liked to read comics about Superman and Batman; however, no toy company had ever introduced a super hero for kids to pay with. When Captain Action was first introduced, Captain Action could become just about any super hero that you could ever image. Captain Action could become Superman, Batman, The Lone Ranger, Tonto, The Phantom, Flash Gordon, Captain America, Sergeant Fury, Steve Canyon, Aquaman, Buck Rodgers, Spider-man, and the Green Hornet. However, Captain Action was pretty cool just being Captain Action with no other super hero costumes. (For more information go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Action)

Captain Action never wore a Cape, but did come in black and blue super hero tights. Captain Action wore a Blue Captain’s hat with a silver anchor symbol upon it. Captain Action had a ray gun, a lightening sword, and lighting symbols on his boots. The advantage that Captain Action had over G.I. Joes is that Captain Action's hands could hold his weapons better. The Christmas of 1966 my brother and I got 2 Captain Actions and a bicycle each for Christmas. With my Captain Action, I got outfits for Superman, the Phantom, and the Lone Ranger. My brother got a Batman, an Aquaman, and somebody else I think. For me, it was a pretty memorable Christmas.

Eventually, Ideal offered a side kick for Captain Action called Action Lad, introduced an enemy named Dr. Evil, and created a comic book which explained exactly who Captain Action was. Without ever reading the comic, I think that Captain Action’s secret identity was an archeologist named Clive Arno who discovered some ancient coins. These coins allowed Captain Action to transform into almost any hero. His enemy, Dr. Evil, was a blue skinned alien with an exposed brain with hypnotic powers, who was trying to steal Captain Action’s coins.

Although I eventually got an Action Lad, my parents would not let me have a Dr. Evil. He was just too creepy in their opinion. One afternoon I did sneak off to buy a Dr. Evil once; however, my mother made me take it back. In 1968, Ideal discontinued Captain Action. I think if they had introduced a less frightening villain. Captain Action would have lasted longer. In my opinion, I don't think that parents wanted to link frightening images to that of a Doctor. They didn't want to encourage a child's fear of going to the Doctor by giving their child a scary Dr. Evil toy. For this reason, I believe that Dr. Evil the toy really did kill the Captain Action toy line because Dr. Evil was just too frightening.

As a kid, my mother had a 4 foot by 4 foot wooden toy box which was supposed to hold all of mine, my brother’s, and my sister’s toys. Since we moved about every two years, my mother threw away our older toys regularly. We knew that mom had to see us playing with our favorite toys, or she would dispose of them while we weren’t looking. Eventually, my Captain Actions, Action Lad, and G. I. Joes all came up missing for that reason.

Plastic Solders

2009-01-29T14:23:00.007-06:00

When I was a preschooler, I loved to play with those molded plastic solders that came in a bag. In the living room floor, I could create a war zone just playing by myself. When I was 6 years old, my grandmother gave me an 11 inch G.I. Joe solder. He could move his arms, had weapons, and could do almost anything. It wasn’t too long before my brother and I had several G. I. Joes to play with.

About the same time, there was a popular show on TV about Daniel Boone played by Fess Parker. Influenced by the show, my older brother and I decided to build a G.I. Joe Fort in the vacant lot by our house. We gathered a bunch of 1 inch in diameter straight sticks, and cut them all to be 18 inches long. Then, we sharpened each one of them on one end. Then, we drove the sharp ends of those sticks into the ground to construct our G. I. Joe Fort. Before it was all over, it was pretty sophisticated with multi-rooms and everything. We played with that G. I. Joe Fort for months.

Daniel Boone Opening http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18J_fjEX3x0&feature=related

Over time, we got a pretty good collection of G. I. Joes. I remember that my brother had a Japanese G.I. Joe, while I got a G. I. Joe Russian one. (I liked his better). I also remember an Arctic Joe with a dog sled. My brother told me that we also had a lot of G. I. Joe jeeps, G. I. Joe weapons, and other G. I. Joe stuff, but I don’t remember.

One day my father came home and told us that we were moving to Virginia Beach, Virginia (away from Chattanooga, Tennessee). In all our haste to move, I don’t remember going out to that Fort one last time. I wish that I had at least taken a picture. It wasn’t long ago my brother asked me if I still remembered that G.I. Joe Fort that we built. I asked him how I could ever forget.

King Kong

2009-01-29T13:22:00.009-06:00

When I was 6 years old, I had the surprise of my life one Christmas. Underneath the tree was a six week old Collie pup. At that time, I really liked watching a Saturday morning cartoon about King Kong. In the cartoon, King Kong was a friendly giant ape who carried his boy on his shoulder. The only time that Kong would get upset is when someone messed with his boy. Then, he would leap into action and save him. Although my tiny new puppy was a little bit bigger than a gerbil, I just knew that I had to name him King Kong.

Youtube TV Opening http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxdSzKuU-8g&feature=fvsr

King Kong grew up to be a mighty big Collie. Although we lived inside the city limits of Chattanooga, Tennessee, King Kong ran free. During that time, Captain Crunch offered a whistle in its cereal box, so we used that to call King Kong. When we blew it, King Kong would come running. Never at any time did King Kong linger.

My brother and I loved to play hide and seek with King Kong. Beside our house was a vacant field of extremely tall hay. Our little sister would lock King Kong into the utility shed allowing for us time to hide. When we shouted ready, our sister would tell King Kong to go fetch. It was amazing to watch Kong hunt. What Kong would do is leap high into the air, while looking down into the hay until he found us. It was almost as if he was gliding through air.

One day my mother decided to find out what would happen if she pretended to hit us with a broom in front of King Kong. King Kong leaped into action just like the cartoon. Just before the broom could reach us, King Kong took the broom away from Mom in mid air.

One night while we were all asleep my mother was startled by a strange sound that King Kong made. King Kong sounded as if he was in distress. While she was getting up to see about him, King Kong quit making the sound. So she just shrugged it off, and went back to bed. The next morning when we blew the whistle for King Kong he was gone. We drove all around town blowing that whistle to no avail. After my family gave up, I walked around the neighborhood for weeks, blowing my whistle until had no air left. I shouted King Kong until I could no longer speak.

When I finally gave up on King Kong, I told myself that I could never love someone to that degree again. I couldn’t possibly go through all that hurt and pain again. At that time, I closed a little bit of myself off until I realized that I would never experience a King Kong sized love unless I opened myself up. Even after all these years I tear up when I think about Kong. I still love and think about, King Kong.

Soul Surfer

2009-01-19T16:21:00.008-06:00

I AM the Captain. I like to play games. Chess, Bridge, Hide and Seek. Do you know My Name? Cap with a mask. I have to have fun when Dad is gone, and I Am His son. Knights, bishops, & pawns are waiting here, too. Follow the leader. Pirate treasures to use. I love to speak riddles. Tell Jokes & say rhymes. If you’re a lost boy or girl, you’ll have a good time. I found my giant ape, waiting for me there. Now he can talk. He sits by my chair. I open child’s eyes. I wait here for you. Before earth’s game closes, when I AM all through. I AM the Captain crossing the sea, dropping my anchor throughout history. Backward or forward through space and time. Has lots of meaning. Now it does matter why. Location and time will be lullaby there. Make sure that you see me & just ask where. I dropped my anchor 35 years past. Got caught in a storm. Hoped, it wouldn’t last. My ape got captured by someone who’s mean. We’ll call him evil. He also captured me. Tied me in chains in a box in the sea. Till a boy that’s named action came to rescue me. Mighty man first came with a laser of blue. I fought bending eel. Bit me almost in two. Fought off my anger, which transformed my mind. Then, I knew I was having a really good time. In my right hand, thunder sword was placed there. Down from a cloud, the fight was now fair. Came from above a close lightening bolt. It helped me remember with a sudden bright jolt. My brother’s fort stories that he told in the cold winter. My child-like mind is beginning to glimmer. Amazing adventures in the days of old. Memories of treasures as the future unfolds. Remembering, secret treasures provide sight to the wise. To think like a child is a guide for the eyes. I AM the Captain. Can you see me here? My triangle of green, gold, and red is my shield from fear. Red is for blood and guts of heroes now dead. Green is for power. The masses He feed. Like the grass in the field in the morning dew. Gold is for the King, and for the Son that he knew. The blue cap stands for thoughts to protect. Enemy’s riches and treasures are to reject. Its gray silver emblem is anchored in truth. Bolts of lightening. Blasting flight for my speeding black boots. Stained boots not red completely bleed through. My blue suit now stained with tanker’s spilled glue. Thunder and lightening in my hands now taking hold. Kid and father taking grasp earth’s final goal. All together we shout transform. Now, true power starts. Next, out came a stranger with a dark-dark black mask. Suddenly looked focused for his new found task. White hat & red shirt. Silver weapons in hand. Heaven's villains now tremble at his command. Lighting Power. As he shouted to his white fiery steed. Let’s go. There is trouble at the end of the sea. A trap lay in wait. He’s in serious dire trouble. So out came an Indian for a bitter enemy scuffle. Another appeared by name of Nick or Claus. When we saw him, the kid & I had to applause. We knew He was playing chess for He is the King. We realized that playing games is His special thing. The purpose is to fight evil by opening eyes, to transform adults into kids to make wise. I AM the Captain. And I love to play Christmas. This time when He came. There was room at last. We had lots of fun. We opened my presents. Sharing’s a test. It is my essence. To mother, he gave a soldier that’s named Jane. She jumps out of planes for the sick and lame. To Dad, he gave T.R. Now Rough Riders command. He went down to Cuba to fight in the sand. To D.B., he gave a red racer in black. Now racer’s a nurse finding treasures to stack. Sis found my toy Russian. In fact, she found two. Brother’s Japanese soldier. He’s here just for you. Kid got a new angel named Michael you know. Michael’s clothed in pilot’s blue with gold to show. I’m told. My greatest gift is a toy that’s long lost. It was located on a map beneath the sign of a cross. With a helmet of snow and a sign of the bear, I have strength for the fight in him down there. Dressed for chill with glasses of green, remembering events in my own special screen. I AM the Captain. I stand for what’s right. Look for me when you’re alone in the heat of the fight. Call out My name. I’ll call back to you. I’ll be there with you before it is through. I may send my messenger or the Saint to a few. Michael and Gabriel whisper to TC just what to do. He may have three dogs to pull his new sled. Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego to carry what’s said. Named for the courage and the strength that they do. One white for the snow, and the purity, he knew. One brown for the ground stained to save many and few. Last one made of gray. He’s faithfulness grew. The gray named Abednego looks like a wolf. Protects TC’s adventures when creatures they took. His green nose tells me secrets of treasures foretold. This is my message of hope that I remember of old. Now a secret with Santa and deer do they share. They know how to fly. Give gifts throughout the year. Please listen to the Saint. In due season or not, he carries a rifle with bullets of thought. Watch for the Lion chasing Joe Vertical there. Adventurer fights them off. Ask help from the air. Rex singing text with a pistol in hand. Wild lions striving to eat every child and woman. I AM the Captain casting my net. Enter the web now it’s all set. There in the Mill talked with my close friend. Whispered a dream it’s now going to end. Took mighty warriors. Wary ones also too. Broke open bottles. Gideon flames now broke through. Pictures all set. Divide and conquer. It will be them or us. Now who’s in danger? He is about to come back. King for his Queen. Biggest party for you that you’ve ever seen. I Am the Captain. I like to play games. Chess, Bridge, Hide and Seek. Do you know my name? Cap with a mask. I have to have fun. Now Dad is gone, and I Am His son. Knights, bishops, & pawns waiting here, too. Follow the leader. Pirate treasures to use. I love to speak riddles. Tell Jokes & say rhymes. If you’re a lost boy or girl, you’ll have a good time. I found my giant ape, waiting for me there. Now he can talk. He sits by my chair. I open child’s eyes. I wait here for you. When earth’s game closes, before I AM all through.