Tag Archives: aviation

A Christmas Wish

Lists

Christmas wish lists can be really amusing. Recently a mother of a needy family gave me a list of requested items for her children. I was told that the children would be happy with anything. Really? Would her children be happy with chalk, a box of Crayons, a wooden train, and a slinky? What about a stick?

Today’s children are more spoiled today than ever before. Not only do they want the newest toys and gadgets, but the toys and gadgets they want are more advanced than anything Captain Kirk used.

Wishes

And then there are the wishes that people make around Christmas time. Some people wish for world peace. Others wish for Michael Jackson to return from the dead to do a benefit concert for world hunger.

Right now the most popular wishes involve one side or the other of Trump’s impeachment. Some wish Nancy Pelosi would have a broom accident when she flies home from Washington. Others wish Trump would finally be convicted for conspiring with the Russians to move the US capital to Trump Tower.

My Wish

So what’s my wish? My wish is that things would just go back to the way they were when this picture was taken.

Other than for the goofy safety glasses, I looked pretty cool!

Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s I worked for a company that serviced nuclear facilities. My job involved flying on commercial aircraft all over the country. And whenever I flew on a new or different airliner, I asked to take a picture of the cockpit.

Here, the pilot actually told me to sit in his seat and wear his hat while he took the picture. What’s even more incredible is that while I was sitting there the engines were still running. He told me to put my hand on the throttles while the engines were still running!

Can you even imagine this happening today? Not hardly. That’s why I wish we could go back to an earlier, more trusting day and age; long before 9/11 and the jerks that ruined everything.

My Hope

Well, even though things may never be the same again, there will come a day when peace will fill the land. There will come a day when men’s swords are beaten into plows. But that day will only come when the Prince of Peace assumes the throne.

When He came before, He came as a humble baby.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6

 The next time He comes, things will be a little different.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:” – Luke 1:32

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” – Matthew 16:26-27

 What a Christmas that would be!

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Thoughts from the Beach (part 2)

Yesterday, in a longer post than normal, I told you a little about my trip to the beach. This time I would like to share one more thought that I had (thanks to my wife).

Tourist Alert

Standing in the oceanCould anyone look more like a tourist? The only thing missing from this picture is a big camera hanging around my neck. Here I am, standing in the ocean, not wearing a bathing suit, tan challenged, looking down at water containing critters that could eat me. This is not a picture of a native.

Yet, this IS a picture of someone thinking…pondering…contemplating…

The Yorktown

Before I tell you what I was thinking while standing on the beach, let me first tell you about something else. One of the highlights of my trip to Charleston was our visit to the USS Yorktown, the famous WWII-era aircraft carrier. I felt like a kid in a toy store!

YorktownBelieve it or not, being that I am from Tennessee, up until seeing the Yorktown I had never seen a real ship in person. Oh, I have seen some big boats go up and down rivers, but never something this big – not even close. And to think, this aircraft carrier is small compared to the new ones! Needless to say, I was tremendously impressed – I even got chills.

It took us several hours to tour the Yorktown, not to mention the USS Laffey (a destroyer) that sat next to her. If I had had my way, and if I had had a little more energy and some money to spend on refreshments, I would have stayed longer. There was so much to take in because of the scale of these ships. They were huge!

The Sky

Back to the beach…

One thing my wife told me was that she loves going to the beach if for no other reason than to contemplate God. She said that when she looks out toward the horizon she thinks to herself, “God is bigger than that.”

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? – Isaiah 40:12 NIV

As I stood in the water, lily-white legs and all, I looked out at the vast expanse of ocean, looked up at the sky, and thought to myself, “Just think, God is bigger than all this!” The cargo ships and cruise liners could be seen in the distance, and they looked no bigger than a twig. The sky soared above them and the ocean and surrounded me. There was no way I could grasp its magnitude.

I shivered.

 

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A Christmas Wish

Lists

Christmas wish lists can be really amusing. Recently a mother of a needy family gave me a list of requested items for her children. I was told that the children would be happy with anything. Really? Would her children be happy with chalk, a box of Crayons, a wooden train, and a slinky? What about a stick?

Today’s children are more spoiled today than ever before. Not only do they want the newest toys and gadgets, but the toys and gadgets they want are more advanced than anything Captain Kirk used.

Wishes

And then there are the wishes that people make around Christmas time. Some people wish for world peace. Others wish for Michael Jackson to return from the dead to do a benefit concert for world hunger.

Teenage girls have the most annoying wish lists. They usually involve a prepubescent rock star who thinks he’s tough taking them on an exotic date to an awards show at Nickelodeon. If not that, then it’s sparkly vampires carrying them off into a never-ending twilight. Gag me with a spoon.

My Wish

So what’s my wish? My wish is that things would just go back to the way they were when this picture was taken.

Other than for the goofy safety glasses, I looked pretty cool!

Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s I worked for a company that serviced nuclear facilities. My job involved flying on commercial aircraft all over the country. And whenever I flew on a new or different airliner, I asked to take a picture of the cockpit.

Here, the pilot actually told me to sit in his seat and wear his hat while he took the picture. What’s even more incredible is that while I was sitting there the engines were still running. He told me to put my hand on the throttles while the engines were still running!

Can you even imagine this happening today? Not hardly. That’s why I wish we could go back to an earlier, more trusting day and age; long before 9/11 and the jerks that ruined everything.

My Hope

Well, even though things may never be the same again, there will come a day when peace will fill the land. There will come a day when men’s swords are beaten into plows. But that day will only come when the Prince of Peace assumes the throne.

When He came before, He came as a humble baby.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6

 The next time He comes, things will be a little different.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:” – Luke 1:32

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” – Matthew 16:26-27

 What a Christmas that would be!

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