Holy day sandwich....

I've been thinking about Christmas the past few days, expectations, traditions, how we look at holidays and how our priorities have changed. Today is the last day of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, with the day after Thanksgiving being the traditional beginning of the Christmas shopping season.

The Black Friday sales are over, leftovers are almost gone, tomorrow for most its back to work and school. To most today is just another day sandwiched between two "holy days." You may be asking "holy days"?

To some yesterday was a "holy day" the Ohio State /Michigan game, what has been referred to as the greatest rivalry in college football, tomorrow is the first day of gun season for deer hunters in Ohio, another "holy day."

So just how important are these two days? If you are from Ohio you know Ohio State football is very important, to the school it has been speculated the athletic program generates revenues in excess of $100 million dollars a year. And how important is the game to fans? I remember a year Ohio State played in the national championship game, it was on a Tuesday night, I heard rumors that the absentee rate this night where I work was 70% on the night shift.

Another "holy day" is the first day of gun season. Some schools have tomorrow off, some will let students off if they bring a note saying they are going hunting, people clamor and plan a year ahead of time to get the day off work. Some enjoy hunting, some want food and some just want the trophy rack to hang on the wall.

As I type I'm trying to think of what might be my "holy day" and I actually have two, the Friday before Memorial Day weekend and again on Labor Day weekend. Whats so special about these days you may ask? Usually I'm heading out of town to a singles retreat.

Although I do not always take it off another Holiday that is "holy" to me is Veterans Day. Not just because I am a Vet but also because many in my family are Vets, including an uncle who was killed as a POW in WWll.

Be it a holiday or just a day that is special to us, we all have "holy days" in our lives. Whats yours?

.... I thought that was you.

We've all been there, and I've found myself there more often as I've gotten older. I was there last night. So where is there? You are out and about and you see someone you have not seen for a very long time, even years. You're pretty sure its them but not real sure so you slowly approach them and say "are you so and so", they reply yes and you say "I thought that was you" and the conversation goes on.


Last night I was there. I was sitting at Wendy's with a 99 cent double stack and order of their new fries. As I ate a gentleman walked in and I got a good look at his face and I was sure I knew him. I watched him go through the line and sit down to begin eating. As I finished eating I debated on approaching him. Finally I got up dumped my tray, got a Coke for the road, and decided what the heck. I walked up and said "are you Harry Holler" he said yes and I replied "I thought that was you" He said he recognized my face when he walked in the door but could not remember my name. He looked pretty much the same but was very soft spoken, we chatted for a few minutes and I went out the door.

As I went about my evening I though about a lot of things, The man I'd spoke to was the father of one of the members of the youth group at the church I attended in high school. I thought about the things he had taught me from the Bible and life, the many times he and his wife had opened their home to our group, something I could be thankful for some 30 years later. I also thought about the many other adults who had the same influence in my life.

Soon another thought came to mind, I met this man over 30 years ago, I'd been in the military, am a Pastor and about to turn 50 and this man was still "Mr. Holler". I also thought how much society has changed. When I was a child we were allowed to address aunts and uncles by their first name, but never anyone outside the family. Mom and dad did not care what their parents said was ok we were never to address them by their first name and that holds true for most today. My parents were not real strict but if nothing else they taught me respect - for those older than me, for the flag, for funeral processions, for the law, and many other aspects of life.

If you have children or grandchildren I hope that you take time and effort to teach them to show respect, it will take them a long way in life.

A decade gone by ...

A decade is a long time, ten years to be exact. I've been wanting to get back into posting here and when I got a full size keyboard for my laptop I decided it was time. As I type I'm also looking through a drawer of CDs that have been loaded onto itunes a long time ago. Looking for memories and inspiration.

I'm coming up on my fiftieth birthday, just 139 days away. For my 40th birthday I planned my own party - it kept my friends and family from "doing me in" so to speak. The day started with class at Vineyard Leadership Institute, lunch at Smokey Bones. After class I joined 6 good friends, we shared a 1983 bottle of German wine I'd bought on my first trip there. From there we went to Schmidts Sausage Hause in German Village, about 25 joined for dinner. From there it was off to Magic Mountain, I had arranged for a group discount and about 75 showed. I remember it was about 10 at night when things started winding down, but no birthday would be complete without a trip to DQ.

Another part of turning 40 was this compilation CD, XL- 40 years of music and memories. In case you don't know XL is the Roman numeral 40. I think I gave copies to 15 people. Were you on of the lucky ones? Maybe some were your favorites. As my friend Robbie would say "Talk to me, share your feelings ."
Songs on the disc were-

Takin' Care of Business, BTI
All Shook Up, from the movie Cocktail
Joy to the World / Never Been to Spain, Three Dog Night
Dear Jesus, Midnight Reign
Ticket to Freedom, Michael Sweet
Gabriel's Wings, Dave Warren
Breakfast at Tiffany's, Deep Blue Something
Band on the Run, Paul McCartney
Time in a Bottle, Jim Croce
Warrior, Phil Driscol
Turning 30, Randy Stonehill
Don't ya Wanna Rap, Bryan Duncan
Danger Zone, Kenny Loggins
The Breeze, Lynard Skynard
Top gun Anthem, from the movie

Family.....

If. Many years ago someone told me that was the "middle word in life", something I've found to be very true. It was two years ago yesterday my mom passed away and in the midst of everything else the past few days mom was on my mind. Not in a depressing way but more in a way that just kind of had me reflecting on life.

Part of me feels like I could almost write a book about my mom, part of me has no idea where to start. If may be the middle word in life, but the main thing I was reminded of again at the hospital and going through everything associated with moms passing is that family is the glue that keeps it all together when life falls apart and it seems all you have is "If"

Thank God for family and many thanks to my family for being there.

AGE is NOT just a number...

Some of you know what is about and some have no idea. One thing the military has been known for is acronyms. When I enlisted in the Air Force nearly 25 years ago I knew I would be trained in the mechanical field, it was half way through basic training I found that I would be trained specifically as an Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE) Mechanic. We were known as the "Age guys" This picture of the fridge was taken while remodeling the kitchen last Christmas, the license plate came off of my 1988 Plymouth Sundance. I bought the car new and and felt it needed something special and at my first duty assignment at Ft. Campbell Kentucky the Age Guys were something special.


What made us so special? Maybe it was not so much that we were special but the things we did that made the job special. During my time at FTCKY I learned a bit about golfing, did some fishing, rode in various helicopters, tanks, and aircraft. I had the chance to work ground support for Air Force One under Presidents Reagan and Bush., eat bologna sandwiches with Barbera Bush, and turn down a photo op with Mike Dukakis. There were some drawbacks also, when the Gulf war was in the early stages we worked a couple 29 hour days, and even had beds brought to our shop so we could sleep when we had the chance.

So for me AGE is not just a number, it was opportunity, the experience of a life time.

Veterans Day

As I type we are just 5 days away from Veterans Day, if you know me at all you probably know that my time in the military has a place in my heart surpassed only by Jesus and my family. I served in the Air Force 6 years 7 months and 14 days -- some of the best times of my life.


Growing up I'd always thought I would do at least one tour, military service is part of our family. My grandfather served in WWl, I think everyone of my uncles served sometime during WWll, Korea, myself and many cousins from my generation have covered everything since and I know we have at least one from the next generation who have been to Iraq and Afghanistan.

I don't think the question was if I would ever serve but more like when. So how did I decide when? I had worked as a Manager at McDonald's since high school, I was 25 and had talked to an Air Force recruiter but had not told anyone I was thinking about this. I was visiting my cousin Bud we were doing something and he pulled a blue pencil out of a glass that read "U.S. Air Force" on the side. He looked at it and said sarcastically "that's a sign from God you should join the Air Force" and so my adventure began.