I Believe – My Values

By Ben Krehbiel

It was March 1994. Actually it was Wednesday, March 2, 1994.

How do you know what fun really is when it seems like every day of growing up Krehbiel was a blast. I may be guilty of selective memory, but my Junior year in high school could not have gone much better. In my 2nd year at T.R. Miller High School, I did not have lofty expectations at the start of the basketball season. The year before I failed to make the talented varsity team, and started out as the point guard for the JV team. My first game was at Clarke County, and I think I played a decent game until the last 10 seconds. As Clarke County just tied the game, I took the inbounds pass from under our basket and started confidently dribbling up the court seeking an opportunity to win the game. I was even a little more excited because the defender guarding me could not have been taller than 5’5″.  I took a few dribbles towards half court when all of the sudden he popped the ball lose, retrieved it while I dove helplessly to the floor only to look up and watch him complete the layup and execute the easiest buzzer beater in the history of the game. I was devastated, and somehow managed to get a ride home with mom and cried for the two-hour trip. Ok, so that day wasn’t that great.

But after a pedestrian stint at point guard, my coach, Ronald Jackson, decided to put our most athletic, and individually talented forward, Anthony (Rock) Johnson, at point guard and told me to shoot the ball. I remember one of the last JV games at Monroeville it was almost like Coach Jackson stopped the world to figure out ways to let me shoot the ball. I could be wrong, but in my mind many of our timeouts were just Coach Jackson telling me to shoot 3s on the baseline. They must have been playing a zone. I hit 5 threes that game…no idea how many attempts, but I am pretty sure that those 5 threes came in a matter of 6 or 7 shots.  This was only 15 years before the times of Stephen Curry making double-digit 3PT FG made something routine. That Monroeville game was huge for my confidence and helped the foundation for my place on varsity the next year.

So I remember being physically outmatched against much of the team. I wasn’t the strongest. I wasn’t the tallest. I sure as hell wasn’t the shortest, and my speed and quickness led one of my favorite teammates, Ricky Middleton, to affectionately call me ‘greased lightning’. To start the season I was still trying to fit in. For the first 3-4 games of the year I was the 3rd player off the bench, and did not get very much playing time. We started the year very poorly, losing ?4 of our first 5 or 6 games?.  We hosted a “County Tourney” early in the year and my grandparents Ken and Darda came to watch. I’m almost certain I was not a starter. But that was a very special tournament. I remember shooting well the first game and our team won to go against a tough Escambia County High School (Atmore) team. The championship game was back and forth and a tough battle. At some point late 3Q or early 4Q, it was magical for me. I single handedly scored 15 points in a row to lead our team to victory. That was the day I won my teammates over, especially the senior leader, Alan Terrell. He was so pumped after winning that tournament he grabbed me in the locker room and said ‘That’s D1 effort right there.” and for someone that wasn’t quick to hand out compliments, it was a great moment. The next game I think was at an Andalusia 8 team tournament, and I think we lost but I had 20 pts and made the tourney team. Great momentum, although our team, I believe was 3-5 at the Christmas Break.

I remember our first practice after Christmas, which highly likely could have been Monday, December 26th. And while our team showed some nice spurts, we were not playing to our potential at all. Coach Jackson got our attention the first practice back from “break.”  My memory may not be great, but I’m not sure we even touched a basketball. Coach Jackson started us on the baseline, which is how we normally ended practice. He would usually break us into two running groups of about 5-7 players each if it was just varsity practicing, and typically he’d put about 15 minutes on the clock and we would run 5 ‘5 in a minute’s (5 times down in back in one minute), 5 ladders/suicides (baseline, ft line, half court, ft line, full court) and 5 ‘down & back’s in 9 seconds. That was usually our staple. But Coach Jackson always seemed to put more time on the clock than he intended — perhaps to keep us from knowing how much work we should expect or we never really knew what he planned. He didn’t tell us before running how much we were going to run.

Well, this very UNmerry Christmas break return seemed a little different, as he put up 60:00 minutes on the scoreboard. I don’t think we’d ever seen that before, but none of us thought that number was very significant because it wasn’t an indication of what the plan was.

While I never recall starting practice with sprints, we started this one, as usual, with the ‘5 in a minute’ sprints. As the clock ticked near the 50:00 mark with the second group finishing their last of five ‘5 in a minute’ sprints, I believe the first running group was preparing to start the typical 5 ladders next. But that command from coach never came, and we just kept running 5 in a minutes (essentially only getting a minute rest while the other group is running). The clock approached 40:00 and everyone was hoping for some change…but it didn’t come either. We continued and as we were getting stretched, Coach Jackson brilliantly said ‘all except 1 in your group have to make time’, and while we were already disoriented from doubling our usual routine and mentally and physically fatigued, after a few more the group worked together to carry the load while letting one person fail to make it…usually rotating that lottery ticket around.

By my memory we ran 15 ‘5 in a minutes’ before Coach Jackson switched to ladders. We had 28 seconds to complete each one. Instead of 5…I’m almost certain we ran 30 of them. If we didn’t complete 30, then I’m sure the last minute or two were down and backs in 9 seconds.  But I’m almost certain we did fifteen ‘5 in a minutes’ and 30 ladders. I’m pretty sure that was the end of practice. I honestly don’t remember if anyone quit.

I also seem to remember coach putting 6 minutes on the clock and told us to run 22? laps around the gym to equal a mile. Today Google tells me it’s 18.33 laps for a mile, but we had to run it under 6 minutes. I think that was the only time in my life I made it under 6 minutes, which makes me question how many laps I actually ran. Probably impossible to count AND run when you hate running.  So we may have started practice out with this and then went to the baseline.

The reason this practice is so significant in my mind for this 1994 season was that we only lost 2 or 3 more games the rest of the season.

** Final Four game (1-11 or 1-13, who knows….1 for Wednesday captures it)

***Lockerroom

This defeat was crushing. After having a string of 7-8 games of shooting very well and being a leader on this journey, the worst game of my life in the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center on this night would be a scar for me for years to follow. In fact, it also is responsible for the venue of the greatest Kansas Basketball team losing their 2nd game of the season in March 1997 to the eventual underdog champions, Arizona Wildcats. So painful.

But after my terrible performance, I remember being benched for significant minutes in the 4th quarter, which was a first for me since cracking the starting lineup early in the season. I felt helpless. When the game was over, I was in shock, because I didn’t cry – which is what I expected after doing so nearly every year of my life watching the Jayhawks in March! But I remember pacing the large lockerroom in the facility.  Ken and Darda even made a return trip to Bama to watch this game. I felt like I let my team down. I don’t remember any significant interactions with my teammates in the locker room. I remember folks being quiet and dejected, changing out of their uniform and backing up their gear.  I just kept pacing…in full uniform. I think it was only Marlon Ried and I remaining. I kept pacing and started to think about what my family may be thinking as I knew they were likely anxious to see me. As this nudge grew, I decided to head toward the locker room door. As I got within 10 feet of the door, it surprisingly swing open, and a monster of a man with Great Presence walked confidently through that door. It was my dad. Even though I had made up my mind to walk out of the lockerroom to see my family, I was unprepared for this. Dad took a step or two towards me as we met in one of the Greatest Embraces in my lifetime. If it were a competition, I’d put it up as the best hug in the history of mankind. It certainly was to me in that moment.  I remember him saying “I’m so proud of you” and “I love you so much” and those words completely disarmed me. My stronghold barrier of toughness was exposed as a façade. I cried uncontrollably in my father’s arms. And felt completely comforted. It’s a hug that I’ll never forget. I also often reflect back on this hug as a glimpse of what I imagine God’s hug feels like. All encompassing, overwhelming, and complete Love.

***HUG

I am nearly positive we left Birmingham and came straight home after that season ending, disappointing loss.

12/2/22 – I changed my original return flight from NYC (business trip) from 3p to 6a, in order to get back to watch Pierce’s first basketball game of his sophomore year. So it was a bit of a challenge to be up by 3:30a EST, get to the airport and continue a long day of travel with a short layover in Charlotte. I did everything I could to avoid checking a bag so I could zip off the plane on the return to KC. My last several trips have been frustrating on the time it takes to get off the plane to reach my vehicle in long term parking, always waiting on that blue bus that comes allegedly every 15 minutes. Of course I’ve also had more than a couple of times where even though my luggage is carry-on, they run out of space and they check the bag, which totally kills any momentum of getting out of the airport before the others on the plane.

But this day was different. After landing shortly after 11am, I was able to exit the plane in record time with all my luggage in hand, and hoped that it wouldn’t be long for the blue bus. As I approached the single file, small exit door on the secure side of terminal C, a pretty oblivious lady stopped to ask connecting flight information blocking the door. Frustrated, but patiently slipped by and darted through the vestibule hoping that the blue bus hadn’t already made it’s rounds. I looked to the right first and saw nothing, and upon looking left, I saw not one, but two glorious blue buses. And I’m the only soul at the stop. It was too good to be true. I even assumed that the first of the buses would drive right past me, surely it was full. I quickly realized I was the last stop in the circle loop, now realizing I hope I have a seat on either one of them.

As the first blue bus approached within 30 seconds of my arriving at the stop, the driver stopped and opened it’s door. I walked in with complete shock that I was THE ONLY soul on the bus. The bus driver, a large African-American man likely in his 50s, welcomed me, but the 3 minute drive was enjoyed in complete silence.

As we approached the parking lot, the driver asked me what stop I parked at. “One,please” I said.

The driver then asked how my trip went. I said, “Great, Thank you”. Then he continued with ‘..but there’s no place like home, huh?”

I said, “Amen!”

After a short time had passed and as we approached my stop, the driver asked with a smile “Are you a preacher? You look like a preacher!”

This really took me aback, and I responded with an appreciative laugh and said “Not by trade!” I’m sure he could see my smile from ear to ear, having been blessed by this unprovoked compliment, and likely the reminder I needed to Shine His Light.

As he stopped, I grabbed my luggage and walked toward the front of the bus to see his outstretched right hand and I enthusiastically shook his hand. He told me, “Well if I don’t see you again sir, I’ll catch you at the Rapture.”

This phrase was so unexpected and provided a jolt to me as I was inquiring in my mind at warp speed as to what would have provoked this man to use that phrase with me. I’ve been on this bus maybe 100 times in my life, and I cannot recall a single time I was ever on it alone. And his phrase about the rapture took me instantly to assume he attends a church that may speak more readily about end of times than the churches I’ve attended in my life. In spite of all of these thoughts, I was very cognizant that was certainly one of those “God moments” that felt special to me.

As I let go of his hand, I felt a nudge that there was something unfinished. I could have stayed and talked longer, but in many ways, more time with me would have only cheapened this experience for us. I took two steps toward the door and stopped and turned back and said “My name is Ben,” and went back to shake his hand again. “I’m Don” said the driver.

“See ya next time, Don!” I said as I exited the blue bus. Setting my record, by far, from plane landing to being in my car to drive home.

I shared this story first with Erin, then Chuck and Amy Freeman, and then my parents over the course of that weekend. I was energized to see they received this as something special as well, giving me confidence it wasn’t something I’d overstated or magnified for my own joy.

I brought this encounter up with my guys at WhiteFlag to see what they thought too.

They were all too quick to point out Don and The Bus, with obvious similarities to C.S. Lewis “The Great Divorce”. By the end of this telling, I began wondering if I was really on a bus at all. Don and God were the only witnesses.  Regardless, Don injected life in me that day.

And I can’t let the story end without including how special Pierce’s first game was. I made it on time, and he didn’t miss a shot until the 3rd quarter! He hit is first five 3 pointers, including a layup…going 6 for 6 in the first half for 17 points (14 in the 1st quarter). He finished the game with 21, and it was special.

 

Welcome and Announcements:

Welcome to Shawnee Heights United Methodist Church.  Happy Mothers’ Day.

I am Bob Resnik, your Lay Servant, which means I represent you on several church committees and at the Annual Great Plains Conference meeting.

Cecelia and I started coming to this church when we were dating and Cecelia’s son was dating Bill Clemmons’ granddaughter Dylan.  Pastor Sandy was here then.  We left for a short time, then came back shortly after Pastor Judy started.  We then joined this church and got married here.

I am sure that several of you are thinking, if I can stand up here and lead this service why don’t you see me doing some of the readings.  That’s a fair question.  It is because unless I practice a lot I don’t read well.  In school I was taught to sight read, with no phonics.  Plus I have dyslexia so sometime I see words backwards or will skip words all together.  So if I see a word that starts with S H O I could think it is show, or should or even miss the first and think would.  This doesn’t make for a good reader.

The announcements I have; Harvesters will be next Saturday at 2 o’clock.  If you are volunteering please be here by 1.

Does anyone have any other announcements?

Song of Praise:

Please stand, as you are able, to sing “I Come with Joy”   (#617 verses 1, 3 & 4)

You may have a seat.

Our Mother’s Day Prayer:

Please join me in “Our Mother’s Day Prayer”:

O loving creating God, especially this day we give you thanks for those who gave us life, loved us, blessed us, corrected us and on most days endured our questions, complaining and missteps.  Thank you for our mothers.

We are so grateful for motherly love, gentle and fierce, bold and humble, compassionate and judgmental.  It is that complicated dedicated love that continues to shape us.  O God bless all the mothers in our lives. Empower and strengthen them with your love. Comfort those mothers who lost a child to death, or to complicated circumstances.  Help the mothers struggling to provide health care, enough food and safe shelter for their children. And this day, O God of endless comfort and possibilities, surround the many women who painfully wonder if and when they will become a mother with your love.

O God, do bless the mothers of our lives, regardless of what they may have done or left undone.  May each of them and all of us be strengthened by your motherly love and acceptance.  Help us all grow to be your love.  Amen.

Our Musical Response:

Join in singing “The Summons” (#2130 verses 1 & 4)

Silent Prayer & Morning Prayer (Followed by the Lord’s Prayer):

Ladonna Grindol who broke a vertebrae please keep Ladonna and Ben and their family in your prayers for healing.

Carrie and Hap Rutherford request prayers for their son John and his family.  He is being deployed to Guam shortly.  Please pray for John’s safety.

Bernadine Boyer reports her good friend Debbie, passed away.  Please pray for peace for Debbie’s family.

This is how Cecelia and I end our meal time prayer that I want to offer now:

O loving God give special peace to those families that have lost loved ones.  Watch over those that are ill and those taking care of them give them the strength to heal, in Jesus name we pray.  Amen

Join me in praying.  Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever.  Amen.

A Time with Our Children:

(Hand out coloring sheet & crayons)

God loved the people of Israel so much he gave them rules to live by.  We call these rules the 10 Commandments.  God want the people to remember them so he wrote them on two stone tablets.  Moses was on Mount Sinai worshiping God when God gave him these two tablets.  These coloring sheets I gave you lists these 10 commandments in a way you can understand.

Then Jesus made it easier for us to remember.  Jesus told us in the Bible that we are to love God with our whole heart, with our whole mind and in everything we do.  Then He told us that we are to love other people just like God loves us.

You love your mother, don’t you?  How are you going to show her that you love her this Mothers’ Day?

There are kids you really like, right?  Are there some kids you don’t like?

You know Jesus tells us that we are to like everyone, even the kids that are mean to us.  Jesus knew it would be hard to love everyone.  Jesus told us that we can pray to Him anytime for help to love even the people that are hard to love.  We need to remember that Jesus loves us and He loves the kids that are mean to us too.  So if, Jesus can love them we should too.

May we pray?  Loving God we pray for these children and for those children that have lost their mothers.  Show them that there is love around them in others that are there to help them.  Watch over them, give them strength and help them find the love of Jesus that is within them.

And all of God’s people said – Amen!

You may go sit with your parents

Song of Preparation “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” (121 vs 1, 3, & 4

Scripture Reading – John 15: 9-17:

⁹ “As the Father loved me, I too have loved you.  Remain in my love.  ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.  ¹¹ I have said these things to you so that my joy will be in you and your joy will be complete.  ¹² This is my commandment: love each other just as I have loved you.  ¹³ No one has greater love than to give up one’s life for one’s friends.  ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you.  ¹⁵ I don’t call you servants any longer, because servants don’t know what their master is doing. Instead, I call you friends, because everything I heard from my Father I have made known to you.  ¹⁶ You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you could go and produce fruit and so that your fruit could last. As a result, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.  ¹⁷ I give you these commandments so that you can love each other.

 

 

Sermon:

We are commanded to Love!

Jesus says in verse 10 of today’s reading, “If you keep my Commandments, you will remain in my Love.”  What are his Commandments?

Jesus tells us The Greatest Commandment in Matthew 22, Mark 12 and Luke 10.  The first part is “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind.”  With this love of God you will fulfill the first 4 of the 10 Commandments given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai.  As listed on the children’s coloring sheet “Love God with all your heart, do not let anything become more important than God, respect God’s name and honor God by resting on Sunday.

Jesus’ Second part of The Greatest Commandment was “You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.”  This will fulfill the last 6 of the 10 commandments; Love your parents, do not hurt anyone, be faithful to your husband or wife, do not steal, always tell the truth and do not want what others have.

Jesus did not do away with the 10 commandments that God gave Moses, He just summarized them for us.  But how do we follow this Greatest Commandment that Jesus gave us?

Join me as I pray.  Oh loving God help me prepare a way for your love to take over the world.  Let me love the way you love by teaching me to love the way that Jesus loved.  Help me show your love to others.  Use me as a way in expanding love throughout the world.  Please keep me out of your way as you spread your love.  Amen

The love Jesus is telling us about is not the kind of love I expressed to my son 3 days before he took his life, nor the kind of love that I have for my 3 remaining children that are now adults.  Nor is it the kind of love I have for my wonderful wife.

This congregation showed me the kind of love Jesus was commanding on April 6^th, 2014.  I received one of those calls parents never want to get.  My son Brian had left a note on the coffee table and his wife found it about midnight.  She called and I went to be with her.  The police and sheriff’s departments were out looking for him, hoping to prevent him from taking his life.  They couldn’t find him.  The Jackson County sheriff contacted a good friend of Brian’s, he too found a letter that made him think of a place Brian loved to use as a hunting spot.  The sheriff checked the spot out and found Brian.  Brian’s wife was contacted about 7 Sunday morning.  I went home to cry and to call Cecelia, who was out of town.  Then I came here.

Pastor Judy was on vacation so we had a retired preacher presiding.  I just couldn’t go in to the sanctuary so I stayed in Pastor Judy’s office.  When the visiting pastor was done he came into the office and we talked.  When we were done I walked out to go back home.  Well, Berry Wilt was standing there, saw me, and knew something was terribly wrong, then he walked over and hugged me.  Then others, some no longer here, did the same thing.  I was surrounded by unconditional love.

Boy, was I glad I had told Brian just 3 days before that I loved him.  Even thought he was surrounded by his friends and was a little embarrassed.  These were the last words my son heard from me.

I love all of you regardless of where you came from, what you do or did for a living.  But, you see most of you are similar to me, more or less relatively conservative and we have the same religion.  So it isn’t quite that unconditional love that Jesus was telling us about.  Jesus was talking about the love the ancient Greeks called agapē love.  The kind of love that is perfect unconditional love.  The kind of love God has for all of us.

We are to love God with this agapē love with our whole hearts and minds and in all that we do.

And this is how we are to love our neighbor.  Now you may ask, who is my neighbor?  Is it the people that live next to me?  Or all the people that live in my neighborhood?  Is it my friends on Facebook or the people I follow on Instagram?  The answer is yes, but it doesn’t stop there.  We are to love all the people of the world!

Now you may think; but I don’t know all the people of the world!  You don’t and you can’t.  But when you encounter one of them you are not to worry about the color of their skin, the way they wear their clothes, the language they speak.  You don’t even worry if they are here legally or what religious practice they follow.  Jesus says we are to show them love and compassion.  Let’s all remember the story of the Good Samaritan.

We are told about The Good Samaritan, in Luke 10, who took care of his injured enemy that was a neighbor from another county.  A person that the Samaritan would normally not even talk to.  Jesus taught us to love even our enemy over and over.  He told us to forgive our oppressor and to turn the other cheek to the person that strikes us.  Now that takes a level of love that I have not obtained and most likely never will.  But, I pray that every day I will get closer to being able to love like that.

 

 

For us to work toward the ability to love like that.  We first must learn how to love ourselves and to take care of ourselves.  We take care of ourselves by being around people that love other people.  We also help ourselves by choosing to be around people that are always uplifting and only saying positive things about other.  Remember the movie “Bambi” there was a little rabbit named Thumper.  Thumper was teasing Bambi and his mother told him; “If you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all.”  These are the type of people we need to be around.  We should try to avoid the kind of people that are always putting someone down or talking about what others are doing.

Now I know there are some people that have been so badly hurt in the past they just can’t pull themselves out of the negative thinking.  We are not to abandon them.  We need to love them just as Jesus does, but they need more help than what we can give.  They may need professional help that we are to encourage and support.  Seeking help would be their way of taking care of themselves.

Jesus said in verse 16 of today’s reading, “I chose you and appointed you so that you could go and produce fruit and so that your fruit could last.” I think Jesus was telling us to take that love we have and do something good with it.

What is the fruit Jesus was referring to?  Is He talking about evangelism, where we bring people in to our church?  Maybe, but I don’t think that is all of it, I think He is telling us to show our unconditional love to others so that they believe in Him.  Now that could lead to people joining us or to join with others, but I think it’s about leading people to learn more about Jesus, from the Bible, from the internet, from others or from a preacher.  First and foremost the important thing is showing people that we unconditionally love them.

What are some of the ways we can show this unconditional love?  I think some of the ways are, with a sincere loving attitude, help at Harvesters, or I-Care, or the YWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment, or Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts or many, many, more.

What about right here at our church!  Our church is run by committees that support our mission of “Embrace God’s Love • Respond with love for all • Grow our faith • Serve the needs of others”.  These committees need your love and presence.

Or, if you are not able to physically help you can support those that can by uplifting them in prayers, writing letters or sending short little notes of encouragement to them.

Remember Jesus said; “You didn’t choose me, but I chose you”

By the way my wife reminded me that fixing my supper, even when she is upset with me, is showing unconditional love too.

(Take a seat)

 

 

Our Invitation to Respond:

It is a commandment.  We are to love.  We are to love in tangible ways that continue to transform our world and bring God’s Kingdom to reality.  May the gifts we present this day empower ministries of healing and hope!  May our love for others, even those we do not know, be a reflection of God’s love for us.

Song of Commitment:
Dedicated to our mothers, in love and gratitude

“I Get to be the One” by JJ Heller

(About ½ way through give a sign to stand)

Blessing and Sending Out:

Jesus models true friendship by sharing with us all the love He has.  We must not hoard this love but to reach out to others who are starved of love.  Because He chooses to love others through us, we have much to do.

Music Sends Us Out:

“They’ll Know We are Christians by our Love” By King and Country

This was not recorded

Let me tell you about a time when I was thought to be lost.  In January 1962, when I was 14 years old, during a very severe Kansas blizzard I was thought to be so lost they were about to call out the National Guard to help find me.

Because of the forecast of a bad winter storm, school had been canceled.  The snow had been falling for a while but just enough to make the rabbits hunker down.  So, I and my friend and next door neighbor, Chucky Foulk, decided it would be a good day to go rabbit hunting.  We loaded up our sled and started walking south out of town down a road where no one lived.  After a few hours we had one or two rabbits and we decided that we should head back.

Well, by this time the storm had really picked up and the wind out of the north had become very strong.  The snow had completely covered the road and there were drifts that were above our knees.  We were about 3 miles out of town.  We stopped to assess our situation, we knew that we could not get back home before dark and the snow was so heavy we could easily get lost.  We looked around and we saw that there was an old abandoned farm house a little ways off the road.  So we thought we could stay inside there until the storm let up.

Well, the storm didn’t let up and in fact it got worse.  It looked like we were going to have to spend the night there.  There was an old wood burning stove so we found some wood and built a fire.  We cleaned one of the rabbits and cooked it on the fire.  Knowing that sometimes wild rabbits carried a bad disease, we cooked it until it was charred.  My feet were very cold so I thought I would warm up my shoes, do you know that rubber sole shoes melt if too close to a fire, well I didn’t.

We were fairly safe considering we were out in a record breaking blizzard.  We were warm and dry even though I was wearing melted shoes.

That was not the case at our homes.  While we knew where we were and that we were safe, our parents didn’t.

I had never thought much about what my parents must have gone through until 2019 when I attended the funeral of my good friend Chucky.  Everyone there was asking me about that hunting trip.  Re-living it there with Chucky’s family and friends I got to thinking about my parents and what they were feeling back then.  They had already passed so I couldn’t ask.

There were no cell phones back in 1962 and there was no land line to this old farm house, so they had no idea that we were safe.  They only thought that we were lost and maybe lost for good.  My parents were religious so I know they were praying for our safe return.  Fortunately a very cold farmer was out on his tractor, this was before tractors had heated cabs, smelled our smoke and found us.  He went back to get someone with a 4 wheel drive vehicle.  I assume it was a sheriff’s deputy, but I really don’t remember.  They loaded us up and took us home.

Preparing for this sermon, I found a newspaper article in a bunch of articles I found cleaning my parent’s home that gave me an idea of what they were thinking.

My mother had written a letter to the editor of the El Dorado Times.  Here is part of what she wrote:
“They (meaning the sheriff and newspaper men) couldn’t possibly know of all the farmers, refinery workers, business men, school teachers, clerks – both men and women – who so willingly risked life, limb and property to aid their fellow men.  They shared one communal thought: To find the boys and return them safely home.
Personally, I feel very humble and deeply grateful that God has seen fit to allow my family to live in a community where everyone, in all walks of life, responds so willingly and unselfishly in a time of crisis.”

It is signed Mrs. Al Resnik, it’s ironical that Pastor Barb was telling us last week how a woman in the 60’s signed their name.

Whether you are lost because of a loss of a loved one like Naomi, lost in your anxiety, or a snow storm we need to turn to God for guidance.

This was part of a sermon that I gave while filling in for our pastor, Rev. Barb Clinger, on October 16, 2022.  The service was recorded on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKaYOTl5iyo

David Millin met Hatsuko Kon in 1954 and married in 1955 in Yokohama, Japan. He was in the army and station in Japan for a couple of years. Mimi became pregnant with my brother, Scotty and gave birth in February of 1956 in Japan. He was born at the army hospital in Japan. They had to wait several months to travel since he was a newborn, especially since they were traveling by ship back to the US. My grandma, Maeda, begged Mimi to leave Scott with the family in Japan, and Mimi says she almost did, but changed her mind at the last minute. So in 1957 they left the port of Yokohama on a ship headed to the US. Scott, David Millin and Hatsuko.

In the US David Millin returned to Ohio for a while with a wife and infant son, there Mimi learned how to speak some english and they taught her some American customs.  Eventually David Millin was stationed to Fort Lewis, Washington, where he eventually moved the family. They stayed there for a couple of years and in February of 1961 I was born at a small army base in Washington. I was about 2 years old when David Millin received a new post overseas to Germany. There are many pictures of our time spent in Germany. David Millin liked to travel when he was not working, so Scott has memories of traveling to Italy, France, Suisserland and all around Germany.

God has blessed me with three beautiful children. All of which were born at the same hospital. St. Joseph’s Hospital has been in the family for years. Mainly because it was around the corner from where me and my siblings grew up but also, because our Nana worked there her whole life. 

My first born, Raymond, weighted 7lbs and 14oz. He was born at St. Joseph’s Hospital on April 3rd, 2008, at 1:14 a.m. Now, giving birth to him at the age of 18 was no walk in the park. I had the hardest delivery with Raymond. Finally, after many tries of pushing hard, he came out. My ama was definitely my rock that day, Raymond’s father was there but he was of no use.

I got to hold baby, then they cleaned him up and took prints of his little feet. Afterwards they needed to run some tests on him, but I had no idea why. Minutes later the nurse comes in the room upset and ask’s me if I had used drugs while being pregnant. I said “no”, and she left the room. What the fuck was that about? Was my baby alright.

Raymond had swallowed amniotic fluid and had jaundice, so they took him immediately to the NICU. I was devastated, but at the same time I didn’t know what I was doing or if I was even being a good mother. I didn’t even have my baby with me. I was a fucking kid having a kid. I didn’t know my next move.

The stay at the hospital was short and miserable. Raymond’s biological father was in the room with me, even though he wasn’t of any help. He was just as young and dumb as I was and he was even older than me, only by a year. I didn’t want to be with him and throughout my pregnancy I hated him more and more each day. But all I was worried about at the moment was my baby.

The nurse would come get me for feeding time and I would sit in a rocking chair and breastfeed my baby. He had the longest eyelashes and the smallest head full of hair. He was beautiful and he was all mine. When nana, my mom or my apa’s wife came to visit me to see Raymond they had to come to the NICU. Only parents were allowed. My dad never came and me and my mom were hardly on talking terms. People came and that’s all that mattered to me, is that they cared.

Leaving the hospital broke my heart because I couldn’t bring my baby home with me. He had to stay and get better, and I understood that. Only 7 days in the hospital and he was home free. The day I got to take him home, my sister Marissa and her boyfriend Brandon were there to give us a ride. Raymond’s father also came with us to pick him up. The nurse let me dress Raymond up before putting him in the car seat and heading to the hospital garage to meet up with Marissa and Brandon. Me and Raymond waited as they pulled up. I don’t know why but it felt like the longest time waiting for them to pull the car around, I instantly started getting depressed. Thinking of me not having a car or a home for my baby and I’m a baby myself damn near. Finally, they pulled up, I strapped Raymond in, and we left.

Years pass and I’m 25 years old now. I’m having a baby by my fiancé, and it’s another boy. The weather is nice and I’m wearing long sleeve blouses. I love the winter and the fresh crisp air. The rain drops on my car window when I drive or the cold wind blowing through my screen door. The sounds of the leaves crackling on the floor. I love it all.

It’s the perfect time to have a baby. We were engaged and we lived in a two-bedroom duplex, me, Eddie, and Raymond. Our house was nice, big living room and rooms and a nice size kitchen. Marble counter tops and white tile floor. Wood flooring throughout the rooms and tile in the bathroom same as the kitchen. Our home was beautiful, and it resided on the North Side of Stockton, right off Ponce De Leon Ave.  This is where we would live for 6 years of our lives. Eddie has a job, and we have a car, what more could we want. Once we get back, it’ll be home for the four of us.

At around 6 a.m. on a Saturday, I go into the hospital to get induced. It’s still dark outside and I’m a little bit nervous. Today is a strange day because it’s my Ama’s birthday, and I don’t know if Greg will be born this day. Nine hours in labor and out comes Greg. 8 pounds and 8 ounces with that miniature Frankenstein head like his dad. He was gorgeous and I loved every bit of him. With the same birthday as my Ama and two of

This time I had with me, my sister Marissa, my ama, and of course, my fiancé, Eddie. It was such an easy birth, and he came out as healthy as a horse. We named our baby after his grandpa, Gregorio. I had all the help in the world and best of all, I had my beautiful family.  My stay at St. Joseph’s was amazing but tiring.

My sister looked after Raymond, and Eddie never left my side. Greg got to stay with me in the room because he had no issues and didn’t need to be looked over. I finally had my baby with me and was happy. Our stay ended quickly, and we left eager to get to our new home where we’d be raising our new baby boy together. St Joseph’s built the Pavilion across from St. Joes, so that’s where Eddie brought the car up and picked up me and Greg. This time I wasn’t depressed.

Liberty, my special girl. My first Babygirl, she was so beautiful when she was born.

 

Pierce Pro Bowl

Dad/Pierce AAU trips, JV golf “Dad, this is great!”

Mock Interview! (mom/dressed lucy)

Pitt State moment/Taylor scholorship — came up and gave me the longest hug. Best moment I’ve had with Taylor. So exciting. Hug lasted what seemed eterinity.

 

Ben’s decision to leave USDC for EPA  — (interview prayer ‘Freedom to work 60 hrs/week, on call 24/7, etc), also the gas station story ‘drill our own oil, and cancel the EPA’ — crazy…on the night I’m deciding whats next)

 

Shock of Taylor’s birth (surprised she was a girl/etc)

Journal entry of making Troy basketball / great miracle stretch of plays