by
Chet
1. July 2010 09:04
I have a little thing with hugs. With physical contact period. I long for it, yet am uncomfortable around it.Friday, after a very wearing day, I finally had a few minutes alone before bed. I sat down on the kitchen floor, put my head in my hands, and finally just relaxed and let it all out for a couple minutes. I remember saying something like, "I would just love to be hugged, God. Freely, just given a real hug."Sunday morning after church it started. A pair of boys from the youth group, Ethan literally RAN up to me and have me a huge hug. Right after that, another. Later on, a full fledged hug from Tabi.On monday, two girls came out to ride horses. Again, the hugs came as a pair, Tabi and Stevi. I was starting to get the message. These were direct from God, and just what I needed.Then today, after lunch with a group of friends, 3 more. 2 from kids I may not see again for awhile but are now emblazoned on my heart, Stephen and Amber. And another from Tabi. And I felt finally free of s...
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by
Chet
28. May 2010 09:24
FREEDOM ISN'T FREE(I don't know who wrote this)
I watched the flag pass by one day, It fluttered in the breeze. A young Marine saluted it, And then he stood at ease.. I looked at him in uniform So young, so tall, so proud, With hair cut square and eyes alert He'd stand out in any crowd. I thought how many men like him Had fallen through the years. How many died on foreign soil How many mothers' tears? How many pilots' planes shot down? How many died at sea How many foxholes were soldiers' graves? No, freedom isn't free. I heard the sound of Taps one night, When everything was still, I listened to the bugler play And felt a sudden chill. I wondered just how many times That Taps had meant "Amen," When a flag had draped a coffin. Of a brother or a friend. I thought of all the children, Of the mothers and the wives, Of fathers, sons and husbands With interrupted lives. I thought about a graveyard At the bottom of the sea Of unmarked graves in Arlington. No, freedom isn't free.
by
Chet
10. May 2010 13:26
Here is a copy of a speech that I helped a 16 year old at my church develop. It was both fun and rewarding to help her with this and watch it and her develop over time. But it was even more interesting to see how her life suddenly got crazy busy while she was working on a speech about busyness and how we can be prepared for it and handle it. Not avoid it. Be ready for it. Because there are times, and perhaps even entire seasons, of life, where it’s both unavoidable and important to do what we are doing.
She sent me another quote a week or so after the fact from Abe Lincoln: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
Good job, Tabi. I'm very proud of you.
Am I too busy to serve the Lord?By Tabi Layton
Some years ago a young man looking for work approached a foreman of a logging crew and asked him for a job. “It depends,” replied the foreman. “Let’s see you take this one down.”
...
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by
Chet
13. February 2010 22:11
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE
I gave a devotional / testimony type of thing at a Valentines Banquet tonight with some friends & family from church... along with a couple hecklers in the crowd. Wanted to get it jotted down in my blog so I can come back to it later...
When I volunteered to share a devotional tonight, I had one of those strange feelings where you know exactly what you want to share, but have absolutely no idea how you’re going to get it out of your heart, up your throat, and out of your mouth. Ever been there? In fact, as I thought about that, I realized I’m in that situation quite often, particularly, it seems, in my marriage. I have something great to say, to really inspire and encourage my wife, or just make her day, and how does it come out? Not at all as in...
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by
Chet
31. January 2010 17:23
So I had an extra batch of banana bread ingredients the other day, and decided to try something new. It wound up both looking kinda yummy, tasting great, and only adding a few extra calories to my daily intake (if you only take one bite a day, that is). Here's the recipe, for all my inspired fans who asked for it. ;-)
CAKE
2 cups sugar
1 cup crisco
3 eggs, warmed to room temperature (or thereabouts)
1 3/4 cups mashed bananas (they work best if you mash them by hand so there are still some lumps)
3 cups flour
1 1/4 cups buttermilk (1 1/4 cup milk + 1 tablespoon vinegar), warmed to room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla (or a tiny bit extra for flavor)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup walnuts (crushed or small pieces, however you want them)
1/2 cut pecans (crushed or halved, however you want them)
TOPPING
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk (1/4 cup milk + just a little bit of vinegar, maybe a pi...
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by
Chet
20. December 2009 21:26
Merry Christmas! As I sit down to write this letter, I have the daunting task of looking back over the past year & try to decide what moments have been most noteworthy. Colton is now 3, so the number of stories I have on a daily basis could fill a book.Colton celebrated his 3rd birthday with a Little Einstein’s Party held in the barn. This is the first year that I have made his cake – Rocket from The Little Einstein’s. In September, Colton started preschool. He really enjoys it. When I pick him up, he tells what letter they worked on today & I ask if he was good that day. Without fail, he ponders a moment and then replies, “A little bit. I was talking.” Trains are still a favorite for Colton. This year we were able to take two train rides. In September, we took a weekend trip to Nashville, TN & took a ride on Thomas the Train. Just a few weeks ago, we got to ride on anoth...
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by
Chet
7. October 2009 22:47
This past weekend was full of events, stories, fun, and lessons. I need to get some of them down.
Saturday morning started with a family shopping trip to Menards for material for a new chicken tractor. If you don't know what those are, you haven't been to my house and looked out the back window. We have these portable pens for our chickens, one made of 2x2's (good idea), and one made of 1" PVC (not so great idea). Each day we move them around our pastures, giving the chickens access to fresh grass, while at the same time fertilizing, mowing, and clearing bugs and weeds out of the way. So the PVC tractor's life has come to an end... wood is easy to repair, glued PVC, not so much.
On the way home, Erin, Colton, and I took the "messy road," as my son likes to call it. It's the state road that's technically closed right now, but is still mostly paved, and on Saturday, there was no construction traffic, and we were in the truck... ADVENTURE awaits! So we took that road to the Orchard Co...
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by
Chet
7. September 2009 22:22
My family and I went on a walk this evening to visit our neighbors around the corner, about 1/2 mile from the house. Erin had some information to drop off, and it's been a while since we were able to just stand around and talk. David was the only one home, so after about 10-15 minutes, it was time to head home (after Colton petted "one more" animal). As we're walking down the driveway, one of their three kittens start to follow us. We try to scare them away, even throw wood chips at them, but nope, he's set on following us. So we break into a run... me, my wife, and my son, all running away from this kitten that can't weight more than a pound or two. We get a bit down the road, turn around, and... there are now THREE kittens following us, although they are a ways back now. So we hurry up and keep walking home, hoping they'll get tired and turn around. We get around the corner so we can't see them anymore, and of course Erin is a little concerned that we should make sure they get home...
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