The Day I married my Friend

This past Saturday marked the 22nd Anniversary of my marriage to Deb and consequently, her marriage to me! It is truly difficult to believe that 22 years have passed by and although I could still wear that Tux, (if I buckled the pants at my knees and didn't mind belly hair showing) we are still the kids in that picture.

I can't give a lot of advice on making money, growing hair or being good looking. (it's just a naturally occuring thing for me! :) ) But I do know a thing or two about having a successful marriage.

The first is a simple step. Make Christ the head of your Home. If you are the Male in the relationship and you get caught up in some archaic, macho-driven, "I'm the Boss" mentality, somewhere along the line you will have a "Strike" launched against you and that will be a picket line you do not want to cross. I know my place and I am the spiritual head of my home but even in that area, I put Christ first. Debbie and I pledged to each other, more than 22 years ago, that Christ would be the Head of our home and that we would pledge to draw closer to Him individually and in doing so, He would draw us together. So far, so good!

The next step is in never forgetting that you married your Friend, at least hopefully? I believe a lot of marriages suffer because somewhere along the way, the Friendship that drew you together has died. It is easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and all of the demands it naturally brings but don't ever forget to work on those friendships. They are VITAL to marriage.

Another bit of advice would simply be this. Don't ever lose sight of what it means to cherish. Debbie and I are always extremely busy. This past week I worked somewhere in the vicinity of 75 hours on my part time job. Deb works 4 and 5 days a week at times. We generally drive a minimum of 200 miles per week just in doing Church work. We are in a constant state of movement and usually snicker at our "days off." But in all of that busyness, we steal moments. It may be wink or a nod, more times than not a REAL hug and Kiss. (pecks on the cheek do not count!) Moments that say, "hey, I haven't forgotten you!" When Debbie walks into a room, she still gets my attention! Why? Because for 22 years we have worked on what it means to "cherish" each other. As unromantic as it may sound, it is a discipline that is vital to a successful relationship and the rewards of it are well worth it.

The words on the Wedding Album state, "This day I will Marry my Friend." Although the words have faded with time, the truth is as strong as ever.

Happy Anniversary, Baby!

WHEELS ON THE BUS GO ROUND AND ROUND

Already, during this year, we have had over 20 Chicago school students shot and several of them killed by shootings. Some of the the shootings occurred on School yards, most of them have occurred on the Streets. It is truly a sad state of affairs that needs to be dealt with, with a strong reaction.

The reaction so far by our State politicians, leave one wondering how it is that the inmates began running the Asylum. Case in point. Yesterday, several of Chicago's State Senator's and Represenatives boarded Buses bound for the State Capitol to go Lobby for stronger Gun laws! The rest of this Blog entry will deal with the death of common sense and how badly it is missed.

Last I checked, it is illegal to shoot anyone with a gun of any kind, outside of self-defense. So what, exactly, would stronger gun laws do to stem the tide of people who are breaking the law? Can you make a gun law with a penalty more severe than Murder? So now, all of the sudden, Gang members and street thugs are just going to turn in their Guns because a new law may be passed? Idiocy!

Perhaps a more effective measure would be for these Same politicians to board Buses and travel to the most dangerous areas of town, get out and talk with our Kids, walk some of them home and show that they care. I am sure they will do just that, just as soon as they get stricter gun laws passed! (sigh)

Passing more gun laws in an effort to stem violent behavior is like taking Donuts to a Dieter's convention. It don't stand a chance.

THE THING THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO CHANGE

I know that I have been A.W.O.L. for awhile but instead of getting into the details of what I have been doing, let's just say that life has been busy. One thing blogging has taught me is a deeper appreciation for those that write everyday articles in Newspapers and such.

I wrote recently about the "change" that Obama wants to bring and with the new round of mudslinging this weekend between Barack and Hillary, one thing is apparent. The thing that has not changed and more than likely will not change is that Politicians cannot be trusted. In fact, I think I would rather pet a Crocodile first and that won't be happening anytime soon.

Since I have brought up the animal kingdom, let's talk about the Chameleon of the bunch, Republican Senator, John McCain. Currently, he is sitting in a pretty good spot politically, being able to save up a war chest of Campaign money, while the 2 Democratic candidates slug it out.

When the Campaign first started, (note to Obama--you started way too early) I felt that there was a snowball's chance in Yuma for a Republican candidate to be elected this time. Now I am not so sure and for two reasons. 1. If others are like me, they are sick of the Democratic in fighting and 2. McCain is so Democratic that he might just stand a chance. I believe it will depend upon his choice of running mate.

But that is the thing that bothers me about Sen. McCain. What you see is not always what you get. (of course that is true of most politicians) McCain has always been portrayed as a liberal ram rod but during this Campaign he has seemed to embrace a more Conservative view. What will we get if he gets to the White House? I really do not know.

Recently, some have picked on his War record and even his P.O.W. status. It is really a sad thing when we feel we must attack someone's record of Military service to this Country in order to make our Candidates look better. Yes, it was just as sad when they did it to Kerry as well. It's even sadder that we have seemingly become a tit for tat Nation.

The dilemma that befalls me is a simple one. Who do you vote for when you don't trust any of the Candidates? It is a dilemma that I have not answered yet. I personally believe that the electoral process of this Nation is broken and needs serious "fixing." Maybe it will come down to this, A Chamleon or a Croc, which one will do more damage?