Tag: friends

Wishes for the New Year

Once again, the old year passes away.
We greet a new year at the dawning of a new day.
May we each find a way,
To be kind in all we say.

May the New Year bring us hope,
And a new found strength with which to cope.
May we always find a strong hold no matter how steep the slope,
As well as the sense to know when to say, “Nope!”

May we always show love and kindness
To family and friends even in duress.
May we not be overloaded with stress,
And may goodness of character, we always possess.

May we always remember the power of a kind touch,
And how it can mean so much.
May we never hesitate to lend a hand or be a crutch
To those who for strength to us clutch.

May we remember the very young and the very old
And not forget their hands to hold.
May we have courage and be bold,
That what is right we may always uphold.

May we always show love,
In the manner shown to us from above,
Wrapped around us and others as a glove,
A sign to all who meet us, of His love.

May blessing abound in your new year,
Bringing you hope and good cheer.
May your way be clear
And your course easy to steer.
Have a Happy New Year!

Fredericksburg’s Annual Church to Church Walk

Last evening, December 13, my husband, Steve and I attended the annual Church to Church  walk put on by the Gillespie County Ministerial Association, here in Fredericksburg. It was Steve’s first time, I have been several times before and always enjoy it. Last night was an amazing experience though. For the first time ever all churches were full to overflowing with walkers participating. As would be expected, many for the first time.  In fact, the count was 393 people. I don’t think I have ever seen more than 150-200 in the years I have attended. It was nice to see more folks coming out to join in the Christmas festivities centered around the Lord.

The program did not disappoint.The theme was “The Coming Of the Lord.” Each church had a sub theme discussed at their stop.

We began at Zion Lutheran Church with a short intro by Reverend Bobby Vitek, GCMA President and also of Holy Ghost Lutheran Church, after which the group joined in the singing of “O come, O Come Emanuel.” Reverend Jeff Hammond of St Barnabas Episcopal Church offered a short reflection on “Wake Us Up to Your Coming.” He talked about how even when our eyes are open we are sometimes not really awake, especially spiritually, and he called for the Lord to really awaken us this Christmas season.  The first stop ended with a choir presentation of “Prepare the Way of the Lord” by the Bethany Chancel Choir.

In spite of some confusion as to which way is East and which is West, Pastor Bobby, gave directions on how to get from Zion to our second stop of Bethany Lutheran Church, and the group was out the door.

Reverend Casey Zesch, Bethany Lutheran, began  the second leg of our journey with responsive readings followed by the singing by the group of the hymn, “Prepare the Royal Highway”. Pastor Travis Meyer, also of Bethany presented thoughts on “Prepare Us for Your Coming”. He spoke about how now that we are awake to Christ’s coming we also have to be  prepared for it. He told the story of St. Nicholas and how he prepared the way by helping those less fortunate. St. Nicholas anonymously threw coins through the window  into the   drying stockings of the daughters of a man who was in danger of having to sell his daughters into slavery just so they would be fed and he could continue to survive. Nicholas’s contributions helped the family to stay together and to survive the hard times they were facing.  We not only prepare ourselves but also the world since Christ is the Way to salvation, the royal highway himself.

“A Christmas  Alleluia” was performed by the Oak Hills Worship Team and then the large throng of walkers headed out the door to Holy Ghost.

Fredericksburg Police provided safe passage across Main Street for the group as they walked and visited in the fast chilling December air.

Reverend David Priem provided the responsive reading at Holy Ghost, with “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” as the hymn afterwards. Reverend Michael Burdick, Victory Fellowship supplied the reflections on “Open Us to Your Coming.”  He asked us that as we now may be awake, and are preparing for Christ’s coming, are we really open to it? Have we really opened ourselves, our hearts, and our lives for Christ to enter in?

The Victory Fellowship Praise Team invited us to sing along with them on “Joy to the World” after the message. Then once again we were all headed out and  down San Antonio Street to the last stop, St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

“Comfort My People” was sung by the St. Mary’s Choir as walkers filed in. Father Enda McKenna, then began with the responsive readings followed by “Soon and Very Soon” sung by the group. The Reverend George Lumpkin of Fredericksburg United Methodist Church(FUMC) took us through a humorous and surprising message on “Surprise Us By Your Coming.” The basis of this message being that we as Christians wait and pray for God to show up in our lives and then we are surprised when he does. The best excerpt from this being when a friend of his that looked like the traditional picture of Jesus, walked up behind his choir director in church and she turned around and hollered, totally surprised that “Jesus” was standing behind her in church!

The FUMC choir sung “Sing Noel, Sing Hallelujah” after which Father Enda gave a closing benediction and instructions on where to go for refreshments and fellowship to end the evening. For those that had taken their cars on this walk, the evening was at a close after refreshments. The rest of us visited a bit  and then made our way back to Zion and our rides home.

It was a wonderful and blessed evening filled with Christmas joy, songs and spiritual preparedness for the season ahead. I personally enjoy going as a way to get myself in the right frame of mind about the season and what it is truly about.

If you missed it this year, it is an annual event so there will be next year. Keep watch on your local church calendar or the chamber calendar next December. If you are looking for a new tradition to start with your family this is a nice one. God Bless and Merry Christmas!

Day 21- A Memorial to Young Lives Lost Too Soon

I hadn’t planned to write today, I had just planned to take a break for a day. Unfortunately a tragedy occurred that I feel warrants a few words.
Today, as many of you here in Fredericksburg already know, two young men lost their lives in a traffic accident. Two twenty year olds, Brandon Strackbein, and Hayden Pfiester, with their whole life ahead of them, left this world early this morning, in an instant.

There are no words for this really, only shock and despair. I know that when we finally heard the names, my heart dropped into my stomach and my soul just literally ached for them and their parents and families. No parent deserves to live through such a tragedy.

My heart and prayers go out to both boys’ families. I can’t even begin to know what they are feeling, I only know that I wish I could give some sense of peace and understanding which I know is hard right now.

As a community, I know there are literally hundreds of us that are here, crying with them, and lending them whatever support we can that they may need.

Their children’s friends, and their parents loved and miss the boys, and we are all here as a community to surround these families and help. Lean on all of us. Lean on your family, your friends, your boys’ friends, and your community.

As hard as it is right now, because I know understanding at a time like this is near zero, lean on your faith and your Lord. He is here, and He is holding you up in His arms giving you strength, peace, comfort, love, and even joy at knowing His promises are real. Lean on Him, and lean on Him hard, as you gather together and lean on each other.

Friends and community, put aside what you may know or think you know about things and just be there to support and help these families. They are all good, hard-working, families that need every ounce of whatever good you can show them right now. Just be there for them, however you can.

To the Strackbeins, and Pfiesters, and their extended families, may God bless and keep you, may He give you His strength, may He bathe you in peace, and the joy that comes from knowing that your boys are with Him now. Even though, they are physically gone from your sight, they are forever in your hearts and memories, and in the hearts and memories of everyone that knew them.

Share those memories with each other and keep the good things alive through these memories. Share your love for them and one another with their families. Nothing else matters now except supporting these families and each other through these next few weeks.

God bless them and all who knew and loved them.

Day 7- Wild Wednesday

Well what a day today was, and it isn’t quite over yet. We finally got rain here, what  a blessing. I had an inch and 40 points in my gauge at the house. I know we had more than that at work. It pretty much rained all day. And then we ended the day with a rainbow at around five o’clock, and then an absolutely gorgeous sunset. A myriad of blessings all in one day. Thank you Lord.

Work was busy again. I think they meter crews were trying to see how much they could do in the few days left before billing. It kept me busy and that was good.

My son tried to burn up his truck today. He was working on it after dark last night and forgot he left a pair of needle nose pliers on the radiator. On the way to school this morning they ended up on his battery and started a fire that put a hole in the battery, fried a ground wire and put a hole in a vacuum line, as well as ruining one of the contacts to the battery.  We replaced the contact and the battery and he managed to repair the rest. It was an expensive lesson.  he is still on the road though, so I guess all is well.

I had lunch with an old friend. We talked about old times, and how we met our spouses, the cost of living in Alaska verses here and pretty much decided things were more expensive up there, but in comparison were quite relative. We talked and laughed and  picked on each other for the rest of the day. It was fun, and a day i will remember for a long time. I am really glad we got to catch up, we will just have to try to keep in touch now.

Chelsea and Guy should be in soon, and then tomorrow starts the infamous rocket launches I have been telling you about.  Below i s the schedule for tomorrows launches, There are currently 17 rockets scheduled. I will try to post each days schedules in my blog.

Thursday, May 14, 2015
School
Name		 # 1st Level
Tsiolkovsky		 # 2nd Level
Oberth
Big Springs Charter (Ed Brune)
Tripp Davenport		 1 1
Fredericksburg High School
Andrew Matthes		 1
Hamilton High School
Seaborn Ashby		 1 1
Hollenstein CTC
Richard Griffith		 1 1
Kingwood High School
Louis Mascolo		 2 1
Kingwood Park High School
Jim Brown		 3
New Diana High School
Shawn Warden		 1
Roosevelt High School
Jessica Quisenberry		 2 1
8
Schools Launching
Totals 11 6
May 14th Total Rockets 17

Good luck to all the schools. If I get a chance to do some updates during the day tomorrow , then I will but don’t count on it. It will probably just be the end of day one. Here is the SystemsGo website again where you can find the livestream.

www.systemsgo.org

Good Day until tomorrow.

Day 5 -“Maybe” a nostalgic short, and Monday’s high lights, or not…..

Maybe

I remember a time, long ago, yet not so long ago. We were young, we were friends; maybe we were more than friends. Maybe, we really didn’t know.

We played together, and fought together, and ran through pastures in daylight and dark.  We were born into each other’s knowing, and grew up in each other’s worlds.

We were together from childhood into adulthood, we were friends, like brother and sister, maybe more, although neither of us knew, or maybe we did.  We shared a lifetime together, playing, laughing, daring, wondering, exploring the world.

We began to grow up, and we saw each other differently, or did we?

Our lives grew apart, we still shared good times, but they became fewer.  We watched each other’s lives sometimes from a distance while we were yet near.

We warned each other about mistakes, but neither listened.  We tried to save each other from such things, but neither could be saved.  We were young, but no longer children and we knew better, or did we?

Then one day we lost touch, and only saw brief moments of each other’s lives through reports from others.  We both became an old memory, a forgotten past; frames of an old movie that just stopped with no ending; a cliff hanger that no one bothered to complete. No sequel.

Maybe our friendship had ended, or maybe not yet?  Maybe our paths would cross again, but when? Or maybe they never would; remaining an unanswered question, an unfinished story, slowly slipping away, lost forever.

Maybe……………………….

Ginger Burow   5/11/15

The SystemsGo crew made it home about 3:30 this morning. Steve went to work at usual time and Chelsea left for Lubbock at 2:00, making it there by 6:30. She will return Wednesday night to help run the pad for Fredericksburg Rockets out in Willow City Thursday through Sunday. Come out and join us and witness the accomplishments of these students.

There will be updates on the rocket launches as the week progresses.

Today was a fairly uneventful Monday, although I did get to have lunch with Chelsea and Steve before she left again. Work was good and busy. I visited my mom at rehab and was pleased to hear they finally had her up and walking and did therapy twice today. She reported that she had numerous visitors today and was well entertained.  Kim and I were both there until about 6:30.

Later I spoke with my Aunt Betty from Wichita Falls. She said they had 9 inches of rain and had spent several times hiding  in the halls with pillows over their heads waiting out Tornado threats. They are still expecting more storms. She was concerned that a cousin of hers was on the way through to Oklahoma, and that she felt that this trip should be cancelled until these storms have left the area.

Weather could be a factor for the upcoming rocket launches this week as well. We will be keeping an eye on the sky for that as well as the rockets. Low ceiling, rain, and high winds could cause us some issues.

To end the evening, I discovered a water leak under the sink in my bathroom and was unable to stop it. After turning valves to only seem to worsen it I finally woke poor Steve to come help. He ended up peeling back the casing on the broken faucet to allow it to drip back into the sink instead of down the inside of it and out the outside of the pipes. What a mess. We have it all opened up drying out until we can replace the old faucet. Funny how things like this always happen when company is due in a few days. At least I found it and it didn’t get a whole lot worse, especially since we  have carpet in this bathroom,

I believe I will end today’s write up on that note.  Funny I had no idea when I started this with the little story, that we would end the evening here. Life just loves surprises, both good and bad, and some slightly in between. God bless you all and good night!

 

Day 3- Of Rockets, Old Friends, and Old Memories….

Well it was a really great day. I didn’t get to watch the live stream on Rockets 2015/Houston. Unfortunately i was busy around the house, and then couldn’t remember my log in, so I will figure that out tomorrow and watch some then. I did get updates from Steve though. He said all went well, recovery was at about 80% so that is actually pretty good. They sent up 12 today. There are 14 more planned for tomorrow. They only saw one alligator and one rattle snake, so that is good.

Even though I didn’t watch myself, my sister-in-law did and she said the live feed was having some difficulty. Hopefully that is resolved now and will be better tomorrow. Of course, she was still able to watch several, so it wasn’t too bad.

It will be a long, hard day for the crew tomorrow, starting early and ending late possibly and then a late and long drive home to Fredericksburg after they pack it in for the day. Keep them in your prayers so all goes well and everyone returns home safely, both the SystemsGo crew and the students of the schools attending.

I attended the 60th wedding anniversary of some of my parent’s best friends, Mr. Dennis Lange and his lovely wife, Mrs. Shirley Schnerr Lange. It was held in Doss, TX at the home of their daughter and her husband, Peggy and Clyde Crenwelge. There were about 100 folks in attendance and all enjoyed wonderful BBQ, beans, potato salad, and German chocolate cake. It was a wonderful celebration and an absolutely beautiful place to have it.

It was so much fun to be out there again and with friends we just don’t get to see or spend much time with anymore. Even their son, Jason Lange, who lives in Seward, Alaska was able to be in attendance. That in itself was a treat for everyone. He and I visited and caught up on each other’s lives and families. And of course reminisced about old times when we were kids running around out on the place. We all had a lot of fun back then. It was fun walking down memory lane and remembering all those old times and stories. I have to admit there were a few I had to think about, but, yes I do remember.

Of course, it is the water fights and playing hide and seek in the dark while Jason made scary cougar screams that I think I remember the most. Probably because they were a regular occurrence every time we went to the Lange’s house. You never went out there without at least one, if  not two changes of clothes, even in winter. Those were the days.

Congratulations Dennis and Shirley, what a wonderful 60 years you have had together. Thank you, Peggy and Clyde for the tour of your gorgeous home, hopefully we will all get together again soon. Thank you Jason for the visit and the trip down memory lane. It is too bad you and Rhonda don’t live closer, I am sure we could have had a lot of fun together still.

Well I warned you that some days would be more on a personal note. Thank you for indulging me today. Tomorrow, will be more on Houston Rocket launch, day 2, and perhaps Mother’s day.

www.systemsgo.org as always is the place for more information on this program. Take the time to get your school involved, the future of your students will be greatly benefited.