I learn to speak sort of !

Saying for the Day:If we trust God the words will come.

We reach into the artifact box today and find a gold plated wrist watch .
On the back is inscribed “ Presented by the Detroit Free Press for Excellence in Debate”.

At this point (freshman in high school) on my journey to become a Pastor I have rediscovered the joy of walking with Jesus and I am learning to walk.

I feel a call to the ministry but am sure it is impossible.

My freshman English teacher suggests , after listening to me in class, that I not take up anything that requires public speaking.

I know that preaching is an important part of ministry and so this reinforces the idea that I can’t really have a call.

Enter Howard Brown, French teacher and debate coach.
For some reason Howard sent me an invitation to go out for debate.

Why, I do not know. Why of all those he could have asked did he choose to ask me ?

I took him up on his invitation.

He turned out to be a great coach.
He taught me not just how to speak but how to think while I was speaking.
How to become free of my notes.
How to look like what I was saying was not being read.

After three years with Howard I had become a fair to good public speaker.

Howard left at the end of my Junior year to become a Priest.

In my senior year the debate team was coached by the teacher who told me I would never be a speaker.

That was the year I won my Detroit Free Press watch.

God had removed the road block.

Next week getting by my father who wanted me to be an engineer.

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News from Pigeon Falls– The little town in my backyard-Bree sat down with Eino today and he told her that he needed her to solve the pigeon mystery but that he had solved the mystery of the stolen constitutions, first volume of 1958 Birdseed, and the Town Charter. It was the Bishop. That’s when Bree told him there were three things saying he was wrong.
1. He was a ELCA Bishop. He might be arrogant, self righteous, inflexible but he wouldn’t steal.
2. If he had taken the documents he would have put them in a suitcase and taken them when he left. He could have gotten rid of them later. He was not dumb.
3. If he had left them it would have been a box that didn’t call attention to itself on the bottom of the pile where it couldn’t be knocked over.
If Eino wants the real thief he will find him, according to Bree, among the people that told Mayor South to search the house.
Then Bree told Eino to call off his night watcher , he wasn’t doing well anyway and give her a couple of days to solve the mystery.
There was another dead pigeon today dumped in the usual place despite Eino’s watcher. This one was electrocuted .
Pigeon Falls has two soldiers in Iraq. One of them, Private Patrick Fuller, is due home next week and a big celebration is being planned by the VFW. His mother can hardly wait to see him. An anti war group has announced they will picket the celebration as it glorifies war. Non of the members are even from Pigeon falls.
Mrs. Wilson Mcmorison III is all upset , again. She got a letter from the Bubbster person yesterday. He said he is sorry he couldn’t come last year but he had some problems but this year he will visit her. This has her really scared.
Nancy says that not much is being talked about that’s new. The Bishop, the rabbit, and the pigeons are still the top topics. The opinion on the Bishop is fifty fifty. Half think he is guilty as sin (strange term for a Bishop) and half think he is innocent. Nobody thinks that it’s the white rabbit killing the pigeons except, perhaps, Mrs. Trumble who thinks it has fangs and is the essence of pure evil.
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Today's link is Are We There Yet . Remember to put Dr. John in the comment for JC points credit. The winners of yesterday's drawing are ( drum roll please) - Lori's minute (84 JC points), Janvangogh (98 JC credits), and Cissa Fireheart (2 JC points) each of them will receive a genuine fun Doctor's Degree. I know that yesterday's link was very special because I read your comments . Again we want to thank Catch for sharing that link with us. Others who have special links should feel free to share them as well. This morning I worked on a new Fantasy train, Betty made a new ticket booth for the layout, and Bree painted the base for the Ferris Wheel. In the afternoon Betty and Bree went to the Museum in Iron River. I worked on the Fantasy engine. Now Betty and Bree are building a doll house. I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA