My Hallolution

It was a scary Halloween Sunday morning. There I was, minding my own business, stepping on the scale for the first time in a few days, when ALL OF A SUDDEN, out of nowhere came…

I could’ve begun this blog with “Once upon a time…” but that would be too corny and trite given that it actually is a true story. So to continue my creative meanderings…

Out of nowhere came…a number I hadn’t seen in months: 208! Chills ran up and down and back up and back down and all around and inside and outside and through and through my spine as I stared back at the horribly ghastly digits. I stepped off the scale, waited three seconds, then back on again. That had worked before but not this time. The number flicked on and it now read…the same? Eeekkk! What a monstrosity! Where did my healthy lifestyle go? I had patiently decreased from about 250 to an old-age low of 195.5. More recently I had leveled between 200 and 206. Then Halloween came and the dreaded 208. The trend is catastrophic! Those superfluous pounds must’ve come from the Great Pumpkin. Charlie Brown, where are you when I need you?

Needless to say, I felt discouraged with no one to blame but myself. I had quit doing what got me here. I’d been laurel resting for some weeks now. Resting on your laurels means sitting too much with my rear imbedded in my recliner and zoning out allowing the late night cravings from nuts, dark chocolate, and Lara Bars to consume my zombie-like brain. Normally those are healthy snacks for me but not after 9 p.m.

Sitting in worship a couple hours later after a healthy breakfast of eggs, grapefruit, and banana (breakfast is seldom my challenge – that would be supper and bednight snacks), it hit me (no, Delores didn’t elbow me to keep me awake) like a mushy pumpkin on the end of a witch’s broom…the scale got it right. If I keep on doing what I’ve frequently and recently done, I’ll keep on getting numbers like 208 or 215 or 222 or 247 or 269! This nightmare can’t be happening to me. Get a grip, college professor! But I digress…again…

Then it hit me…get back to the basics, the Baby Steps, what got me here...There and then I made a Halloween resolution. Delores called it something like a Hallolution. Whatever works…

I’m going on a 6-Day Diet beginning today. I can do anything for six days. I will try to continue it through Friday (then breaking if necessary for two days at Harding’s Homecoming in AR. Take that, Scale!

So here’s my plan for the next six daze: No nuts; no spoons full of peanut butter; no Lara Bars; no grains at all (that means no creamed eggs – my favorite breakfast, because I make them with brown rice flour and almond milk); and NOTHING AT ALL TO EAT AFTER 7 P.M. except water. I will eat raw organic fruits and vegetables, healthy meats/eggs/fish and drink lots of pure spring water.

Additionally, I will do my traction and head weights with 10 minutes of light upper body weights ever day. I will add 20 minutes of burst training or some long-distance cardio or an hour of racquetball at least three of those six days (hopefully). I will revisit the scale on Friday morning (after five days since I won’t be home Saturday to weigh) and see if this plan has reaped any positive results.

So Hallolution, here I come! Boy, that burger, fries, and cole slaw for lunch today surely were delicious. The grass fed burger with organic mustard and the organic sweet potato fries and the homemade cole slaw made fresh this day, of course. I didn’t even top it off with the usual square of dark chocolate…like someone else I know and love did.

Pray for my healthy Hallolution this week. At least the Healing Foods Diet from Dr. Axe has some scrumptiously-tasting foods. If I can just stay out of all of it late at night...Perhaps I should post a scary face on the pantry and refrigerator. No, I’ve got it! I’ll post an image of that really terrifying number…208! Happy Hallolution to you all.

A Letter to Kellyn

Dear Kellyn,I know you won’t be able to read this for a long time, but perhaps your mommy or daddy can read it to you until then.

Welcome to this world, little girl. I’m your proud grandpa Kerbe and I live in a place called Tennessee. That’s about 1100 miles from your home in New Mexico, so you and I probably won’t meet in person for a few months. Perhaps I’ll see you via Skype. I already know you are very beautiful from the photos your grandma Delores has put on Facebook and sent to me as email attachments. Don’t worry that you don’t know about Skype, Facebook, or email. By the time you understand about them, they may be obsolete relics anyway like VCRs, landlines, and snail mail (well almost). You will discover that your world is changing quickly in its technology; but the people, the most important part of your world, remain mostly the same.

That’s what I want to write to you about…the important people in your life from this beginning in August of 2010. They are all unique and very, very special; and they will all love, care for, and support you well as you grow. Lean on them for your sustenance; rely on them for your nurturing. They can and will help you celebrate all your achievements and empower you to overcome all obstacles and meet all the challenges life with set in your path.

First and foremost there are your parents. Your mother, Kara, is my older daughter and 2nd child. She is already an amazing mom to your twin siblings (more about them in a minute). When I think of your mom, I think tall, happy, and lovely. She has an absolutely fabulous voice. No doubt you already recognize it and have been sung to many times in the last nine months. Now that you’re out of her “tummy,” you will be able to hear it much better and unmuffled. You will become enamored with her prolific repertoire of pretty and sometimes silly tunes. She also has a charming laugh. Laughter is one of the more delightful qualities in your mom. That’s been true about her since she was a very young child. You’ll learn all about the rest of her outstanding qualities over the next few years. Watch and listen to your mother to become a wonderful mother and wife yourself as she has.You father, Barry, is what your world calls my son-in-law; he, too, has some wonderful traits. His character is straightforward; he’s a great fix-it man. That’s a really cool talent that I don’t possess but sometimes wish I did. You will enjoy having your dad read to you, play with you, and, when you’re just a little older, wrestle and tumble with you on the floor, bed, or couch. He is a man of wisdom and common sense. Watch and learn from him.Both your parents have a great faith in God and His Son Jesus. Emulate their example of love for their Lord and for family and friends. They will, no doubt, read and tell you many Bible stories over the next few years. Look for your heroes and role models from the pages of God’s book. Strive to become like Sarah and Hannah and Ruth and Mary and Lydia and Dorcas and the many other women whose example your mother follows in her life. None of these ladies of Bible fame was perfect. Of course, the best heroes in your life should be your mom and dad. They are both Christians and very special people.

Your house may be a little on the noisy side compared to the hospital where you were born and spent your first few days of life. That’s because of the twin toddlers who “rule” that domain. They are almost two years old and are everywhere and into everything. Your sister, Alyna, is a beautiful little girl with a smile as sweet as your mother’s. She is very helpful to your mother, as you will undoubtedly be some day. She loves being read to, playing with dolls, and romping outside. Your brother, Ryan, is all little boy. Some of his favorite things are cars, books, cars, playing outside, cars, and climbing. Did I mention he likes cars? You may hear his, “V-roooom, v-roooom!” all over the house and yard at any time. Both your siblings are special children who are learning to love God and Jesus. Let them help you learn and grow and your life will be truly amazing. The last member of your immediate family is a very friendly beagle dog named Henrey. He likes to be petted and to chase squirrels around your back yard. Be kind to him and don’t chase him off the couch when he’s comfortably dozing as your brother Ryan sometimes does.You will quickly discover how good your grandma Delores is with babies and children. She’s a school counselor and works with kids all day long. Her favorite things are grandkids and reading. She’s a great cook as well. Just between you and me, Kellyn, she is the most wonderful wife and mother on the planet; and she is beautiful, looking about 20 years younger than she really is…shhhhh – we don’t usually talk about women’s ages.Before we move on to other family members, let me tell you a little about me. I am extremely proud to be the father of four wonderful children with their four fabulous spouses and now grandpa to five remarkable grandchildren (with two more on the way over the next six months). I enjoy travelling; photographing grandkids, nature scenes, and wildlife; playing racquetball; writing; reading; teaching; and singing. I work as a college professor instructing my students in how to be fantastic teachers. I like cooking healthy meals and eating them too. I look forward to holding you in my arms soon.You have a lot of other marvelous family whom you will meet over the next few months. I’ll only mention your mother’s side of the family. You’ll meet your Colorado grandparents and hear all about your father’s family in a couple of weeks.

As I already mentioned, Grandma and I have four children all with families of their own. First came Matthew. He’s the oldest. He is a high-tech guru. While your other three uncles on our side all are fairly adept with computers and technology, Uncle Matt creates, maintains, and fixes that stuff for a living. He gets to travel around the country helping companies develop technology that is better, faster, and smarter. He is also an excellent song leader at church. He is a great dad and is married to Kathryne. They met at Harding University. Hopefully you’ll learn about that place as you grow up. Aunt Kathryne is an enthusiastic Christian lady who is a marvelous wife and mother. As what we call a stay-at-home mom, she is a great cook, has a wonderful sense of humor, home-schools her two boys, Sean and Joshua (my other two, somewhat older grandchildren), and helps her family to be debt-free with a healthy lifestyle. You can learn a lot from your Uncle Matt and Aunt Kathryne. Their kids (mentioned earlier), Sean and Joshua, are all boy…jumping and running through life with an energy and exuberance that amazes me. They like to read, learn, draw, play, and even help their mom cook sometimes. They take care of a large golden retriever dog named Lily and a couple of cats.Following your mother Kara, our second child, there came our 3rd child, Aunt Krista. She was our lovely little princess who enjoyed life as she played with her dolls and her friends. She was always the social child in the family with bunches of friends. Our other three children always had good friends as well, but just not usually as many as your Aunt Krista. Krista is a nurse in Massachusetts. She is married to Uncle Adam who is manager of a Walgreens store. So when Aunt Krista helps sick people get well enough to leave the hospital, they can go to your Uncle Adam’s Walgreens and get medications to help them get and stay well. Walgreens stores used to be known mainly as drugstores, but now you can buy lots of other stuff there as well. Aunt Krista and Uncle Adam are part of what is called a “church-plant team” from Harding University thata worships in their homes and tries to reach out to others for and with the Lord. They have a beagle named Tessa as well as some cats. They hope to add to their family with their first child in February who will be another of your cousins.Our 4th child, your Uncle Daniel, just graduated with honors from Harding University this past May with a degree in Youth and Family Ministry. During the first years of his life, he liked cowboys and horses; but he’s outgrown that now. He is an amazing song leader at church. He is married to a wonderful Christian lady, your Aunt Katelyn, who is a social worker helping families and children. They live in Arkansas. Your cousin Aiden will be joining their family in about six weeks. They also have pet cats in the house.Well, Kellyn, that’s your family on your mom’s side. You have lots of extended family beyond these, but these are the ones who are your closest kin. They will all love you and be there for you as you adjust to this new world of yours.

Before I close this letter, Kellyn, I want to share some of the ideas from the words that the 16th President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln, once wrote to his son’s teacher on that child’s first day of school. Among other things he stated…

• Life requires faith, love, and courage.
• For every enemy, there is a friend.
• All men are not just, all men are not true.
• For every scoundrel there is a hero.
• For every crooked politician, there is a dedicated leader.
• 10 cents earned is of far more value than a dollar found.
• It is far more honorable to fail than to cheat.
• Learn how to gracefully lose.
• Be gentle with people.
• Steer away from envy.
• Learn quiet laughter.
• Laugh when you are sad.
• There is no shame in tears.
• Learn the wonders of books.
• Take time to ponder the mystery of birds in the sky and flowers on a green hill.
• Learn to have faith in your own ideas.
• Don’t follow the crowd just because everyone else is.
• Filter all you hear on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.
• Never put a price tag on your heart and soul.
• Have faith in mankind and especially in God.

Kellyn, there is a lot of wisdom in those words. Most of it was written first in the Bible. I hope to see you soon. I love you.

Grandpa Kerbe

Thank God for Kids

I remember fondly the birth of my 4th (and last) child Daniel. He was an emergency C-Section. Shortly after he entered this world in a rather traumatic fashion: rather like Macbeth’s nemesis Macduff, about whom it was bewitchingly prophesied that he should beware…yet no man born of woman would harm Macbeth – blah, blah, blah – then we discover that Macduff was “untimely ripped from his mother’s womb”… well, shortly after Daniel’s untimely ripping, I found myself sitting in a rocking chair next to the precautionary incubator holding my precious infant and gently singing my version of the Oak Ridge Boys’ hit “Thank God for Kids.” You know how it goes: “Thank God for kids there’s magic for awhile; a special kind of sunshine in a smile…” I actually got to hold him before his mother did. I still love that song.

As Proverbs 20:11 states, “Every child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right.” There is the other side of the coin a couple of chapters later, “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child…” (Proverbs 22:15a). As I thought about this blog, my ponderings led me to contemplate the difference between childlike and childish. I am some of both depending on the day.

Early in my educational career, I remember having a poster on my classroom wall that illustrates this well. It was a black and white enlarged photograph of a whole bunch of people, mostly adults, protesting the integrative strategy of school bussing in the South back in the Sixties. The faces of those adults glimmered with anger, fear, prejudice, outrage, and multiple other negative emotions. Naturally, blacks were on one side and whites on the other – all had picket signs reiterating their voiced indignations. Right down in front of that photo were two little girls – possibly not even school-age yet. One was white and one was black. They were holding hands. The caption of the poster was something like, “When left to themselves, children get along.” That poster imagery just might sum up childlike versus childish.

A concept that also comes to mind is that it is okay to be a child; but it isn’t okay to stay a child. We are expected to grow, develop, mature, etc. It struck me that children DON’T: hold grudges (very long); wear masks (very often); hide their pain (they cry a lot and loudly); always want to share (especially a new book or toy). On the other hand children often DO: show delight (in whatever is new and interesting); give frequent hugs (to almost anyone nice); enjoy cuddling (with mommies and grandmas); hold tight to new/special things (their stuff); take joy in sharing (just not always the first day of ownership or the absolute most special possession); respond well to love (safe and warm).

Notice Mark 10:13-16…“People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.” What strikes me most about that passage is that the children gladly crawled up in this strange man’s lap and let him put his hands on them. Trusting little folks, weren’t they?

Obviously Mark, through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, is trying to tell us that we need to be childlike. Some other passages repeat this idea:

Matthew 11:25…At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Matthew 18:2…Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

1 Corinthians 13:11…When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

In just those few statements, God’s love letter explains the difference in my acting as a child and in a childish manner. The first is anticipated, even encouraged. The latter shown for the negative folly that it is. As John the beloved stated: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:10)

In 3 John 4, God sums up how he feels about children or even about us as we act in a childlike, but not childish, way: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

Though often embarrassed by my own childishness, I enjoy the times when I know it feels good and right to act on the novelty, enthusiasm, passion, and frolic of being a little like a child. I'm a little bit okay with acting like a little bit.

My Mission Lazarus Story: Days 6 & 7

Day 6, Thursday, June 10: I was awake at 3:15 a.m. but lay in bed relaxed and rested until 6:30 a.m.After breakfast I walked to Pride (Prayer) Rock and then on to the Ranch offices.I spent the next couple of hours cleaning up my emails and catching up some on Facebook. Cameron then gave us a tour of the Children’s Home and the rest of Mission Lazarus. A few went horseback riding.After lunch we were to leave for San Marcos. This was delayed nearly two hours because of the tardiness of a man from the other group that had arrived Tuesday from Texas – Allen was delighted. Finally we made it down the mountain for the last time and on to San Marcos to see the house they had bricked last year.We next went to and toured the Early Childhood Learning Center that we were supporting for the next month. This center feeds the neediest of the needy children two meals a day and engages them in fun and educational activities. It was a public school holiday so only a few children were present.Upon leaving the center the SUV David was driving bottomed out in a rut (just one of many) and something sounded broken. A tire looked low and there was a grinding sound for awhile. As we entered the town of Choluteca for the final time, a passerby motioned that we were smoking from the right rear of the vehicle. We had broken a seal and bearing and were not going very far in that condition. We limped into the parking lot of the Pizza Hut a block away. God moments were soon to begin. It just so happened that the Mission Lazarus mechanic was in town on errands and only five minutes away. While we spend the next two hours in the Hut, a team of three fixed the SUV in the pouring rain in the parking lot. To save the luggage from being soaked in the back of the 4-wheel-drive 4-door pickup trucks, all that had been stowed in the cabs as we went indoors. We ate supper and waited while the lightning flashed, the thunder rolled, and the lights dimmed and flickered numerous times. Another God moment was that the market in the same parking lot had large trash bags so we could wrap the exposed bags for the several-hour trip to Tegucigalpa. We were to stay at the Clarion and catch our flight back to Atlanta the next day around noon. It was a rather harrowing trip through the dark and the rain on hilly, curvy roads to the Honduras capital. Once uneventfully there we had comfy rooms (first time Chuck’s ankles didn’t stick out over the end of the bed). I was in bed by 9:30 p.m. Unfortunately the events of the day precluded our enjoying two final highlights of this trip: visiting the children's hospital in Choluteca and seeing Espartaco one more time to bid him a very fond farewell (he was an incredible help). Hopefully those will both be on the agenda for next year.
Day 7, Friday, June 11: I awoke at 3:38 a.m. but went back to sleep until 6:35 a.m. After a shower and packing, I went to the restaurant for a delicious buffet breakfast. The travel home was wonderfully uneventful. We actually landed 45 minutes earlier than scheduled in Atlanta; but we lost that time and a little more waiting for Chuck’s last bag to show up on the carousel. Seems there was a security question which shall remain a mystery. The drive home found us at West 7th just before midnight. Marty dropped me off at home. After unpacking and unwinding, I passed out on my pillow about 1:30 a.m. It was a great trip!

My Mission Lazarus Story: Day 5

Day 5, Wednesday, June 9: I awoke at 4 a.m. and thankfully was able to rest in bed until 6:15 a.m. Breakfast was our second meal of French toast with bacon and a banana. Then it was off to Namasigue for the final day of work. On the way we passed a truck that seemed to have two dead cows in the back. Team members in trucks behind us said they saw them move. The morning was a little different as we only had a few bags of food to deliver. At the first home we met an older lady who was a Catholic. At first she refused the food gift, a first for us. Finally she was convinced that it was a gift with no strings attached, simply love from Christians wanting to help.The next home had four good prospects (a mother - I believe the sister of the lady in the first home - and three daughters); they were very receptive. After some persuasion they decided to wait until they could have more study. Though three of the four could possibly have been persuaded on the spot to be baptized, our team agreed it would be best to allow the local minister to follow-up with more intensive study later.The next home found a mother of four young children. This was what I termed our Relay for Life (named after the cancer survivor celebration that was in full swing as we departed for Honduras five days before just after midnight. The first leg for the relay team was delivering the food and making introductions. Photos were taken and candy and stuffed animals were given to the ever-present and ever-smiling children. Allen ran the next leg of the relay going through about a dozen scriptures with Espartaco interpreting. The 3rd leg of the relay was taken up by Taco adding to the momentum begun by Allen’s scripture-fest. After another 15 minutes or so, Taco was at a loss as to how or even whether to proceed with the persuasion. She was shaking her head no. She had indicated that her children were attending the church of Christ service on Sunday, but that she was attending a different church. Then came the anchor leg. The local minister Javier stepped onto the track. He had appeared to me not to be paying much attention to all that was being said. That was certainly a mistaken conclusion on my part. He began a very convincing 30 minutes of teaching Jesus to this young mother.After that time we were headed down to the river. The baptism followed. It was truly a joyous celebration. Thank you, God, for allowing me to witness this true Relay for Life.At the final home we said our greetings, delvered the food, and departed quickly through the small opening in the barbwire fence. It was a strange visit for reasons that eluded me. My curiosity must not have been aroused; perhaps I was hot and tired or still excited by what I had seen minutes ago at the river. For whatever reason, I didn't inquire about why the short visit.
Back at the work site, the team assembled in Javier’s house (on the property) for a tearful farewell. His father was facing a chemotherapy treatment the following week that “only” cost $200 (instead of the thousands it would have cost in the States); we were glad to supply that amount from the church at West 7th.We later had a similar farewell for the other local preacher who had served as interpreter all week, Marvine.Then we returned to Mission Lazarus for Chuck’s BBQ dinner. It was amazing.After ice cream and sharing time, I was in bed by 9:50 p.m.