Things get kind of trashy around my house on Wednesday evenings.  Thursday is the day my trash is picked up, so I get it ready on Wednesday night.  The trashy trash goes in a black bag and the trash that can be recycled goes in a clear bag.

One evening as I was separating my trash, I thought about how I practiced recycling at the ball diamonds when I was a kid.  Between games we would search for pop bottles and turn them in at the concession stand for a deposit.

A few years later, bottles begin to be stamped with the words:  No deposit.  No return.  There is a valuable lesson in those words.  If we are not willing to make a deposit or put forth some effort, we will not acheive our goals.

Well-known pollster George Gallup Jr. warned about a lack of dedication:  We revere theBible, but don’t read it.  We believe the Ten Commandments to bevalid rules for living, although we can’t name them. We believe in God, butthis God is a totally affirming one, not a demanding one. He does not commandour total allegiance. We have other gods before him.  Gallup believed that most Christians want the fruits of religion, but not the obligations.

Far too many times we are like Groucho Marx, who said:  Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them . . . well, I have others.

Instead of choosing to go with the flow and the flavor of the day, we need to stand on principles.  There is an old adage that says: 

Methods are many, Principles are few.
Methods may change, but Principles never do.

We live in age that is known more for the ethical lapses like the Enron debacle and the sham investments of people like Bernie Madoff.   What we need are people of principle.  Thomas Jefferson said:  In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.   

Sadly though, we have too many people drifting with the current and sinking like a rock.

It’s common knowledge that water is an essential for life, but good old H2O is also a medium that can provide a great deal of pleasure. The love of water is in my DNA. Some of my earliest memories of my dad are water memories. These times of fishing the ponds of the Flint Hills and setting lines on the Arkansas River made river rats out of the Seymour boys.

On one of these trips the river was running high and Dad was wading the river to set limb lines. I was trying to follow in his steps, but I missed one and in the blink of an eye the current was carrying me down river. As I fought against the current, I yelled to Dad for help.

It’s been said that, its not size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog that matters. Dad knew the dog he had drifting down the river wasn’t much more than a pup, so he did what he could–He brought out the fight in the dog.

By now I was far beyond the reach of Dad’s strong arm and the firm grip of his hand, but I could still hear his voice calling out to me: Swim to the bank, you can do it son. Take an angle against the current, you can do it.

Years later when I was floating a river and got caught in the undertow of a low water dam, I could hear the words of Dad once again: You can do it son, swim to the bank.

Mark Twain knew the value of people who will tell us that we can do it. He once said : Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.

Take a little time today to create a big moment in the life of another. Tell them you believe in them and they can do it.

2012 has arrived, and I’m certain its arrival has been celebrated with parties; announced with fireworks; seen in New York’s dropping ball; and, it has been sworn-in with new resolutions.

Some people make their resolutions only after much thought, while others are made flippantly. As you read the list below, it is obvious that Ben Franklin’s 13 virtues (resolutions) are items of substance.

1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness and drink not to elevation.

2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.

3. Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.

4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.

5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. Waste nothing.

6. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.

7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

8. Justice: Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

9. Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forebear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation.

11. Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring; Never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.

12. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Since I can offer little to improve on the wit and wisdom of Ben Franklin, I’ll close with this: Happy New Year, and I wish the best for you in the days ahead.

It was about a month after the start of the New Year in 1964 that the Beatles made their first live TV performance on the Ed Sullivan Show (See the video here). I was 1 of the 73 million people who sat in front of the TV to see what would become a watershed moment within the music industry.  In stark contrast to Gaga, who seems to be a Lady only in name, there was nothing vulgar about the Beatles performance on the night of February 9, 1964. There is no way I could have sung the lyrics to a Gaga song when I was a kid. I mean, the Christmas release of one of her songs was filled with the F bomb, and language like that got me sent to the bathroom so often, I could tell you what brand of soap was in my mouth just by the taste of it.

Eight years before the Beatles made their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, 60 million people gathered in the comfort of their living rooms to watch Elvis Presley (See the video here). There was a whole lot of shaking going on that evening, but it was nothing compared to what gags me about Gaga.

In the 55 or so years from the Ed Sullivan to now, what has happened to our sense of decency? I’m not suggesting that Elvis or the Beatles were ever a beacon of morality, but we have digressed since their first performances. What’s the diference?  Some would say it is the laws of our nation.

I don’t believe the answer can be found in the formation of new laws, but in the forgotten customs and traditions that need to be remembered. It was President John Adams who said: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Adams, Franklin and others seemed to believe there is a connection to the principles of the Ten Commandments and the path a nation follows. It is a path that our rights without responsibilities culture wants to avoid. Because today’s society is deaf to the constraints of Thou shalt not, behavior is unrestrained.

What do Don King and the Church of the Nativity have in common? King has promoted some of the biggest fights in the history of professional boxing, and the Church of the Nativity has become the site of some recent sparring.

Each group is responsible for cleaning a specific area of the church, and two of the three groups were cleaning in preparation for January 6 celebrations—the day they believe Jesus was born. To clean a part of the church is to lay claim to that part of the structure.

Well, a border war broke out when the Armenians and theGreeks focused on dirt that was beyond their boundaries. Disputes such as this have left the roof in disrepair and the leaky roof has led to the ruin of valuable pieces of art.

Relationships are strained and border wars erupt when a person violates the rights of another. Why is it that we want to focus on the dirt in the life of another and not address the scum within our own? Do we think that shining the light on the misdeeds of others is the best was to keep ours hidden in the shadows?

Many of my Summer days were spent at El Dorado Lake fishing or at Bluestem Lake water skiing.  There were those days, however, when Mother Nature did not cooperate, and I was forced to spend the day inside.

On those long dreary days, card games were played, and even Rock, Paper, Scissors was used to occupy my time.  On one particularly boring day, my creative geniuse gave birth to a new game: Pants, Fist, Cement.  Even though it was a game of my making,  I only played it once.

To play Pants, Fist, Cement, the participant needs just a few things:

• Big feet
• A less than slim body
• A pair of super slim jeans
• A cement wall

The game starts when a less-than-slim-bodied kid with bigger-than-average-feet endeavors to stick his feet through the small leg hole of the super slim jeans.  When the big feet will not go through the small hole, the brilliant teenager hops madly to a basement wall.  When the frustrated and now deranged kid arrives at the wall, he slams his fist against the cement. 

There you have it:  Pants, Fist, Cement.  The lesson learned was as good as any that you can find in the pages of Aesop’s Fables:  Hardened cement wall trumps fist and super slim jeans put the squeeze on big feet.  In retrospect, it would have been better to break a fashion trend instead of my hand.

Solomon was right:  A quick tempered man acts foolishly.

Dan Marino has been a household name to sports fans for many years.  His accomplishments on the field as the quarterback for the Miami Dolphins were legendary.  He has had the distinction for the past 27 years of holding the NFL record for passing yardage—5,084 yards in a single season.

When Brees threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to former Kansas State standout Darren Sproles, it helped to underscore another record:  Brees is the first NFL quarterback to have two 5,000 plus yard seasons.

In thinking about the record that was Marino’s and the one that is now in the possession of  Brees, I realized how often was-words are appearingin my vocabulary.

If a person’s main focus is on the has-been-segments of his life, he is bound to stumble through the present and trip into the future.  This was the case with Moses and his often unhappy tribe.

After Moses had led them out of slave-like labor to the Egyptians and took them to the threshold of the Promised Land, they rebelled and turned back.  Only two people wanted to move forward—Joshua and Caleb.

Instead of wasting his life complaining about what had happened 40 years earlier and focusing on his many trials,Caleb was always looking forward to the next goal in life.  His dedication to the present and his preparation for the future had him ready to conquer giants.

Dateline  21 August 1944:  Second Lieutenant Robert L.Saferite….  shot down over France….captured by enemy forces…. 

Although he died on December 13, 2009, today is Pop’s birthday.  Had he lived, he would be 90 today.  The picture at the bottom of the page was taken on Pop’s 80^th birthday. The members of S Troop (the blended Saferite and Seymour clan) pooled their money and bought Pop some flight time in a T-6 Texan.  Pop never lost his touch as a pilot.  He took the controls of this plane and did a few loops and rolls. 

From my dad, I learned: Any job worth doing is worth doing right.  From Pop, I learned:    A man is only as good as his word. 

As I think about Pop today, I do so with a great deal of love and gratitude, and I say: I can still feel the touch of the pilot who has guided me for the larger portion of my life.  I give honor to his memory today.

Happy Birthday, Pop!

Chances are there will be an increase in traffic due to the casino opening near Mulvane.  To handle this problem, Troop G will hire four more troopers to work the turnpike in this area.

I think it is a sure bet that there will be more real losers than jackpot winners at the new casino.  Truth is, the odds are not stacked in favor of those who choose to roll the dice.  Let me share the odds of a few other things with you.

The odds of:
1.  Actually dying from a natural disaster are 1 in 3,357
2.  Being killed by lightning: 2,320,000 to 1
3.  Bowling a perfect 300 game: 11,500 to 1
4.  A fan catching a ball at a major league ballgame: 563 to 1
5.  Hitting it big on a slot machine 1 in262,144.
6.  Being dealt a Royal Flush in 5 cards is 1 in49,739
7.  Picking thefive correct white balls in Powerball out of 55 as well as the correct red ball out of 42 towin the grand prize are 1 in 146,107,962

Scripture gives us a sobering statistic with staggering odds: People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment (Hebrews 9:27).

Odds are, these are chances we might want to consider.

Towards the end of each year, a list is published that announces new words that have been added to our vocabulary. According to the Global Language Monitor, Tebowing is now an officially recognized word.