Gaze in the future and what do you see. Morgan is standing tall dreaming and having fun with life. Morgan is a Lady Hornet. She is on the team that took the girls Vinita basketball game to the state class 4A playoffs having won all their district games and a few area tournaments along the way. I was a lucky grandpa who got to watch her in action in a few of these games. The team played hard in the semi-finals but gave it up to the Ft. Gibson girls by a final second lucky break. I couldn't be more proud of Morgan and her team mates. They will be back next year even stronger and I predict a state championship and I will be there cheering them on.

Two years ago Morgan was on Mt. Hood having a great time in the high country. Hiking and camping was something new to Morgan and she loved every minute of it. We hiked up to a beautiful and breath taking Tunnel Falls on Mt. Hood, Oregon. I nick named this trip Morgan Falls, because she goofed off a lot tripping and falling along the trail. I had a wonderful time getting know a different side of my grand daughter. I would love to do this again with her some day on a trip to the Goat Rocks Wilderness in Packwood, Washington.

It has been a very long time since I have written anything on this blog site and am not even sure if anyone reads this anymore. So, I am posting this to get kick stated again. I have spent the last year with Marsha building our retirement house near Grand Lake in Grove, Ok. It is a cozy 2 bedroom house with a very small yard and even smaller lake view. We have hopes of selling our Skiatook house before retirement. We call this the Grove house. This week I hope to meet with the concrete man about pouring the driveway. This summer will be more fun than last summer because the house is now liveable. We started the house about this time last year when the red bud trees were in bloom. We had the carpet installed when there was 18" of snow on the ground. We are both in agreement now that this will be our last house project as the bones and muscles don't work like they used to. But atlast the hard work is over and now we can sit on the back porch in a relaxing rocking chair sipping on a fresh brewed cup of coffee listening to the birds singing along with the chime of the ringing of the ear for you ole codgers that know what I mean.

Boys will be Boys!

Children grow up fast anymore. Or, maybe I'm just getting older and time goes by a little faster. Pictured are two of my grandsons who love to do things together. How can I best describe these two boys? Dare devils, spontanious, thrilling, chilling, sportsters. These will do for a start. When it comes to play they have no fear. Meet Clayton and Charlie, the two C's like two P's in a pod. Anything Clayton does, Charlie will do. Between my house and their house is a fairly steep hill. Down this hill they have ridden little plastic cars, tricycles, bicycles, sleds, skate boards, trash barrels, lids, you name it they have done it. The other day I was in the kitchen and I heard Charlie holler at me "papa will you give me a push". I wasn't paying a lot of attention to him and I said something like, I'm buisy, don't have time. Charlie hollered again and I said no. Seconds later he was standing in the kitchen asking me to give him a push on his bike because he couldn't get on it and take off on his own. I felt bad for ignoring him like I did and went back outside with him to give him a push. Marsha and I had gotten him a new bike for his birthday. Well, he walked his bike to the edge of the hill and said for me to give him a push. I said no way, you will get hurt. He said he wouldn't because Clayton had given him a push down it and he never got hurt. I said well I won't and besides you don't have a helmet. Charlie said I do to have a helmet, its in the house. I said well its not on your head!!

I tell you it is one exciting thing after another around this place.

Clayton and Charlie are into playing baseball now. Last weekend they played in a tournament and won 2nd place. I haven't seen them play yet but I hear they are pretty good. Clayton can really hit that ball. Charlie tries real hard to hit the ball like big brother and I was told that he really smacked the ball to third base scoring a home run. Charlie was really excited and had this huge smile as he ran the bases to home plate. Everyone was yelling and cheering him on. When they came home that evening Marsha and I were in the kitchen and the two boys came running in grinning ear to ear proudly showing us their trophy. Each one was awarded a trophy for their excellent ball playing. Clayton and Charlie have a excellent teacher who just happens to be their big sister, Sam. I have seen Sam out in the yard helping the boys practice throwing and hitting the ball. It must be great having a wonderful sister to give good pointers.

All I got to say is as the CC boys get older is Look out Oklahoma!!! and get ready Mom & Dad these two tornado's are starting to spin.

There is an old saying "you can run but you can't hide". The wilderness however does not allow energy for running but there is much room to hide. Not only that,
one can sit very inconspicuously around underbrush and smoke
and no one can see you. There is much fun to be experienced
in the wilderness if you have the time and fortitude. But however
be extremely cautious of creatures of the world. For instance
if you look real close at the picture to the right you will see a very happy camper sitting there alone thinking to himself, it doesn't get any better than this. Look into his eyes and you will see what I mean. You wouldn't know it, but behind this scene is wide open spaces, spectacular, breathtaking views of the Goat Rocks Wilderness and Mount Adams. An old man hikes 7 miles up the mountains, looses a little energy along the way, picks up a few aches and pains along the way to offset the lose, gets to camp, lights a fire, and sits on a rock, and rests. Anyone might ask why? And who would want to! The answer is simply, because.
A lot of people do it once, some will never do it again, others might do it twice, and a few can't get enough of it. This guy is one of those who just can't get enough of it. It is hard to put in words how pain is a wonderful experience.

A couple of weeks ago Marsha and I attended a program put on by Emma’s day care. Emma is my youngest grand daughter at 2 ½ years old. As she stood on the stage with the other little ones, she was anxious to perform her part. The teacher began to talk about the flag and where they put their hand. Emma put her right hand on her heart and recited the pledge of allegiance without missing a word. Some day Emma will understand what our flag stands for and the meaning of those words.

A few years ago I went on a business trip to the Pacific Rim and as our plane approached our first stop the pilot announced if we look out the window on our right side we could see Tokyo, Japan. As we flew over the city, I couldn’t help but think about Pearl Harbor and how that attack by the Japanese altered the lives of many that day. The Tokyo airport was a stop over to change planes as I was going to Seoul, South Korea. I spent a few days in Seoul and then boarded a train that would take me to Pusan at the southern end of Korea. The train ride would take about 5 hours. As the train traveled deep into the country, I was surrounded by mountains. Korea is 75% mountains. As I looked out the window at the beautiful scenery, I thought about the Korean War and the thousands of Americans who fought in those mountains and the conditions they were exposed to. My uncles were in that war and returned home safely. Why would men travel so far to fight in a war?

On another trip I flew into Brussels, Belgium and was picked up by an employee of a French company where I was to go to conduct an audit of their manufacturing facility. The car ride would take about 4 hours through the wooded area of Northern France. My driver could speak no English and I could speak no French, so it was a rather quiet drive. As we traveled along, the driver directed my attention to a beautiful farm house with the biggest round topped barn I have ever seen. The whole hillside was manicured like a golf green. He was trying to tell me something about this place but I couldn’t understand him until he said one word I did know and that was Napoleon. I later learned that this was the birth place of Napoleon Bonaparte. As we traveled, I thought about D Day and the battle of Normandy and the thousands of US soldiers who fought there and extending into this rugged country of Northern France. What drives men to go so far to fight in a war so far from home?



For those of us who live in the USA we value our freedom and regard it as something worth fighting for. But what is it all about? If I could lump it all into one word I would say it is about the people? People all over the world are worth fighting for. It’s about our little children and future generations being able to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, and more importantly it is having freedom of religion. Men and women today have joined the military and are willing to give their life to preserve these freedoms for us and to give these freedoms to others. It’s about people and the value of people.

One of many parables of Jesus is Matthew 13:44 where Jesus says “the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field: the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.” As we study the bible, we learn that the kingdom of heaven is Christ’s church. Jesus gave all he had. He gave his life. Let us ask ourselves the question; Who did he give his life for?

The answer to this question can be found in John 3:16 that says “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God loved the treasure of the world didn’t he? Did Jesus, His son, come to find the diamond fields of Israel? Did he come to find the gold in California? Is that the treasure in the field that God gave his son for? Did Christ give his life for these kinds of treasures?
The answer to that is of coarse no. For God so loved the people of the world. It is about the people. God created man in his own image, male and female he created. In this same verse, John 3:16, those who believe in Jesus, one should not perish but two will have everlasting life.

Yes there is value in people. Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost. Those, meaning people. He gives us freedom from our sins. We love living in the USA but we should love living in Christ more. What is going to happen to the things of this world? It is going to vanish away isn’t it. But what will happen to the soul of a Christian? It will live forever won’t it.




What should we do with the gospel of Christ? One we should take it to all the world and two teach it to every person. Again, It is all about people. God is no respector of persons is he? Everyone deserves the chance to hear the gospel. God’s word will endure forever, won’t it. God warned his disciples not to fear that which will destroy the body but fear that which will destroy the soul.

What did Jesus say we should do if we love Him? “if you love me, keep my commandments.” The 12 apostles faced persecution, they were beaten and thrown in jail, they were ship wrecked, tortured, ridiculed, mocked. Any one of them could have quit. Who would blame them. They could have lived an easier life. But their love for Jesus prevailed. We enjoy the benefits of their hard work and we give the same to our children and the people of the world by doing the same work. The commission that was given to the apostles is also given to us. “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be condemned.”

It’s good to live at peace on earth, but it’s better to live at peace spiritually as the song says “when the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.” Remember it is about people.

Thursday, November 23, 2006 was a beautiful sunny warm day in Oklahoma. Thanksgiving day at Mom's house was great. The turkey was golden brown and the cornbread dressing was wonderful. Everyone loves mom's dressing. No matter how hard we try to match the taste and texture of her great dish, we can't quite achieve such perfection. The house was packed with family. As usual there was standing room only. The cabinet top was filled with all the trimmings of great dishes prepared by such wonderful cooks. There were all our favorite deserts but especially the one that only Mom prepares and that is the best prune cake ever topped with her own special jello chopped with delicious pecans from the Thomas Pecan Farm.

Mom sold her house this year but will continue living here until a place becomes available to her at the Collinsville Retirement Center. This may be the last Thanksgiving at this house but not the last Thanksgiving at Mom's. It is hard to get all the Thomas clan together in one place as we are spread out across this great USA. But those that can, get together and have a great time and wonder why we don't do it more often. We have been blessed with a great family with lots of children. As I sat on the ole rocking chair that has been in the family longer than most of the family, I thought about the days when my children were little. I am looking at our kids kids and thinking when did this happen. How could this have happened. It just seems like yesterday when Mary, Arnold, Mike, Pat, Charlie, Cliff, and Susan were getting together for good times with their babies. I am thankful for many things such as living in a free land, having a good job with plenty of money, lots of things, driving good cars, having a bountiful table full of great food, being able to take wonderful vacations, and so on and so on. But, the one single and best thing I am thankful for is Mom and Dad for raising their kids to believe in Jesus Christ and teaching us the value of the blood of Jesus Christ. We were very fortunate to be raised in a Christian home with Christian values. I am thankful for this. I hope and pray every son, daughter, grand child, and great, great grandchild, and those to come feels the same. Granny and Mom in that little white church house in White Rock, Arkansas causes me to remember my roots.

I am back again trying to remember what we did on our vacation in Wyoming. If you have never been to the Teton Mountains, you must make it one of your "must do things". The mountains are masive, spectacular, breath taking, wonderful, and so discriptive I can't do them justice. Marsha and I enjoyed them from the car driving along the foothills and seeing moose, deer, elk, buffalo, sparrows, geese, antelope, and other kinds of wildlife.
In Yellowstone park we saw Old Faithful do what he has been doing for years and years, blowing hot water and steam several feet in the sky. I had read about it and finally got to see it. God must have had a reason for including it in His creation of this earth. There are other hot spots on the earth but can't say I know where they are. In Yellowstone there are hot springs that produce water temperature above 140 degrees F. These places generally stink!! Sulfur smell is bad. There is also a mud spring where mud continually blows up inches in the air.
Yellowstone lake is huge. I knew there was a lake there but I had no idea it was as big as it is. It's water color is clear as crystal. Marsha loved the beautiful water falls and took pictures of everyone for a album she put together when we got home. If you ever come to our house for a visit, the picture hangs on our wall as you walk into our house. We stopped at one spot that advertised a natural bridge in the park. Thinking it was only a short ways from the parking lot, we set out on foot to see this bridge. We took along a bottle of water and off we went into the wilderness park. The short hike took us almost 3 miles. We could have seen bear but we didn't and that may have been a good thing. The bridge was cool but not sure it was worth the hike as we ran out of water before we got back to the car. The bridge was high up and to get on top of it would have required quite a climb. It connected two knolls together made of brown rock arched shaped in the center. After admiring the natural beauty we hiked back to the car.
That day we drive the circle around the park taking in as much of its wonders as we had time for. There is much to see and do. The wild life if plentiful. Bison walk freely and anywhere they want to.
We camped out in our little tent hopping not to have a bear join us. Had one shown up, I'm sure we would have scooted over and made room. Marsha and I had a great time and hope to return some day to complete our adventure in the Yellowstones.

I know it has been a while since i posted my first blog. I loved it so much I thought I would do another one. Typing has not been one of my great skills because one must have something to write about in order to type. Makes sense doesn't it!
Marsha and I had a great vacation this summer. It is hard for me to get away from work but when I do I like to make the most of it. My brother, Mike hooked me on hiking in the mountains 12 or so years ago and I like going when I can. Usually I fly to Portland, but this year I decided to drive out and take in a few sites I had never before seen. Namely, the Teton mountains and Yellowstone Park. We would be spending a lot of time behind the windshield, but why not! We were not disappointed. Our plans were to tent camp rather than hotel it. I purchased a two man tent at the Coleman store in Branson that was light weight for backpacking and easy to setup. Marsha had some reservations at first but adjusted to the idea. We knew we would be in bear country and that added a little adventure to the big picture. If we lived through it, we would have something to tell our grandchildren and great grandchildren.
The only bear we saw in Wyoming was from a distance and a mother black bear was taking her cub to the top of this tall tree. I am not sure if she was teaching the little one how to climb trees or if she planned to abandon the cub to begin his life on his own. There may be a human moral to that story if you know what I mean.
Our first night in the tent was great except for the young boys who set up camp next to us. This was their night out with Bud. The rushing water in the brook next to us muffled some of the noise. The next morning was Sunday and we attended church that was nearby before heading for Jackson Hole, Wy. The Christians there were very warm and friendly.
Jackson Hole is a beautiful place. The town is rustic and decorated with western mountain architecture. A ski lift downtown took us to a little over 10000 foot elevation that gave us a spectacular view of Jackson Hole and the surrounding area. While Oklahoma was enjoying 105 degree days, we were basting in the high 60's.
From there we traveled to Yellowstone park. The park is trying to re-grow itself from the fire of the mid 80's. More later.