tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43509914820648140242024-03-05T22:07:42.834-05:00Herndon at-largeJohn Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-56944798058333692822021-04-08T16:26:00.007-04:002021-04-08T16:56:54.247-04:00<p>
</p><header class="entry-header">
<h1 class="entry-title">Sizing up the 2021 girls’ state tournament</h1>
</header>
<p><i>I am deviating from our normal writing to share some thoughts on the 2021 girls’ state tournament. We are
working with <a href="http://www.glicod.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.glicod.com</a>
through the tournament season both in photography and on-air commentary
as time allows. Glicod will be carrying all Anderson County games. Since we are primarily covering Anderson County —
that’s why I am on board! — I will offer some thoughts on Anderson’s
games here as long as the Lady Bearcats are alive in the tournament. We
will return to our normal feature work at <a href="http://www.110forChrist.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.110forChrist.com</a> next week.</i></p>
<p>It wasn’t as one-sided as some were expecting but Anderson County’s
win over Southwestern in the Mingua Beef Jerky/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16 was
a page out directly out of the Lady Bearcat course manual.</p>
<p>There were times when Anderson could not find the basket. The Lady
Bearcats went 5-of-16 (31.3 percent) from the field in the first
quarter, but thanks to a Tiffani Riley three-pointer that just beat, I
mean JUST BEAT, the buzzer to end the period, still led, 14-13 at the
first break.</p>
<p>The Lady Bearcats hit nearly 55 percent of their shots the rest of
the way, finishing at 46.8 percent and used three basketball basics —
defense, rebounding and deadly free throw shooting — to move into the
Sweet 16 quarterfinals.</p>
<p>The Lady Bearcats harassed. They swarmed and even though the final
score showed Southwestern within 11 points, Anderson was never in
trouble after it took the lead for good on Rachel Satterly’s 3-pointer
to put the Lady Bearcats up 19-16. That started a 21-7 explosion that
put Anderson in firm control.</p>
<p>The Lady Bearcats led 37-23 at the half and never saw the lead pared
lower than seven points the rest of the way. In fact, once the Lady
Bearcat lead reached double figures with just under three minutes to go
in the first half, the cushion dipped into single digits for less than
two minutes.</p>
<p>It wasn’t a defensive effort that put up a slew of stats, but one
that you knew was there because you saw it. While Southwestern was
charged with only 10 turnovers — the same as Anderson — it sure seemed
to be more. Anderson made the Warriors work for every shot and seem out
of synch.</p>
<p>Frankly, it was a testament to the Warriors’ grit that they stayed as
close as they did. Even when Anderson’s lead ballooned to 17 points on
three different occasions in the second half, Southwestern didn’t quit.
The Warriors kept raining threes, hitting 12-of-26. But at halftime, a
team that had a reputation as a prolific three-point shooting team had
connected on only 4-of-7. </p>
<p>The Anderson defense didn’t let the Warriors get good looks.</p>
<p>Soutwestern did shave the Anderson lead to 48-41 with 2:49 to play in
the third quarter and then came up with a steal but could not convert.
Had the Warriors scored there, things might have really tightened up. As
it was though, the Anderson team, so business-like all year, went on a
10-0 spurt to end the quarter.</p>
<p>It was all but over.</p>
<p>Anderson destroyed Southwestern on the boards, holding a 38-24
rebounding edge and the Lady Bearcats were deadly at the free throw
line, sinking 27-of-34 (79.4 percent) while Southwestern struggled at
the line, hitting 7-of-16 (43.8%). Anderson went 12-of-16 in the fourth
quarter when Southwestern was sending the Lady Bearcats to the line. </p>
<p>That’s old-school basketball, folks. </p><p>Let me interject that I was not familiar with Southwestern's Alexa Smiddy before Wednesday. This girl can flat out play the game. She had an off night shooting (5-19) but finished with 12 points and 10 assists. THAT is getting it done at the point. <br /></p>
<p>Friday, Anderson will have to beat an old rival, Franklin County, to
move into the girls’ Final Four for the second time in school history.
(The other was 2013.) When the teams played each other in the second
week of the season, Anderson doubled the score (64-32) on the Flyers. </p>
<p>You can rest assured it won’t be that one-sided this time. </p>
<p>Guard Brooklyn Miles, who will be playing collegiately at Tennessee,
rallied her team from five points down in the last minute of regulation
as Franklin defeated South Laurel in the first round of the tournament
Wednesday. Stellar guard play is imperative for a team to beat a team as
good as Anderson is defensively.</p>
<p>Anderson has beaten Franklin the last three times the teams have
played, including a 40-37 win over the Flyers in last year’s Sweet 16
before it was canceled. It was one that stung the Flyers particularly
hard.</p>
<p>Anderson will be favored and if I had to pick, that’s who I would
choose. The Lady Bearcats have so many weapons and any of them can beat
you. But it’s a one-and-done tournament. Crazy things happen and that
32-point rout is ancient history now.</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>Wednesday was the first time I had been in Rupp Arena since last
year’s Sweet 16. While I applaud the KHSAA for being able to put on the
tournaments under the COVID pandemic guidelines, I have to admit it just
felt weird seeing people spread out around the lower arena. </p>
<p>The crowd Wednesday was announced at 1,921, a number that is
swallowed up by Rupp Arena’s size. But you do what you have to do these
days.</p>
<p>And, yes, I am partial to Anderson County. I have lived in the 40342
most of my life and wrote only about the Bearcats for 34 years, so
that’s normal. But what a great turnout for Wednesday’s game. By all
accounts, the Lady Bearcats had, by far, the biggest turnout of fans for
the first day of the tournament.</p>
<p>They will need another turnout to beat a Franklin County team that would like nothing better than end Anderson’s dream season. <br /></p><p> </p>John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-89389957379402194542020-04-03T09:02:00.001-04:002020-04-03T09:04:04.143-04:00<div class="_5pbx userContent _3576" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-testid="post_message" id="js_dtp">
<h2>
<b>My Thoughts Concerning Mark Peach's Removal at Anderson County</b></h2>
By John Herndon<br />
<br />
I have largely stayed quiet about the Anderson County sports scene
since I retired from The Anderson News on Dec. 31, 2018. Yes, I have
attended some games and even wrote three stories for <a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2F110forChrist.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR1LTYckHClzow9yb7Z-gDBmERcv6npa45DTT5QAB-ko9VfVLQfs-Y3N4Z4&h=AT3Lvs16LF7aD8RkDqkZi9vXw_ucbzvBjwZCSMV0rLeawHsgC2ijsy2GGYru_Okj_BcYYhkiMqDQXBLGddvW6D8w35--t5qh7DyqmjC1NLeIRjeifU6dtyt3Ug50S6JBXLR16h5lspnWuwJfdEjXGpU0J3vLo3_GptZHhNJbZjTw" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">110forChrist.com</a> on some Anderson basketball players and did some followup to a story I had done not long before I left the newspaper.<br />
<br />
But for the most part, I stayed quiet and tried looking at writing from
a different perspective as I enjoyed some, but not all, Anderson
football and basketball games while making my rounds to high schools and
colleges around Kentucky.<br />
<br />
I wanted to give my successor some
space and give myself some breathing room. In addition, I really don’t
have a medium, other than Facebook, to provide anything other than the
feature stories that I have posted at <a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2F110forChrist.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0hZMHsbadQMvoY_O4d6jPjL25LaiYMTWKfFFyN3v9__521VTD4LarRzXw&h=AT1HvfoEuW2CoAT46RnfYZ377OrFTtPziYlRSVN63kT4NnXKHWjpieahr-De-MEK8_KgcHxbU-6WWDdkR7USnAO2ieMLJGYSPD_oRdbelY3K-U0zKyxjBVO7cXiS2BL4Jev5AjvT-dW2hpSJeNwQRCx7E-gcoQVzyugIODJ6TKCs" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">110forChrist.com</a> and <a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FKentuckySings.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR36YBl9NHndURmNa56pfZkvJvyMollKBR2yWcqhXKHSIrU611-gfIkV2-U&h=AT3omJeye4yC4vwgOryaPdIR_JtXpbZXFIYGOKVeXLfOZ1ex5BBRzdddgoBl9H4OyFW1I5d0PjWKsomfPxaR8IAqCHHy4lTjypRwYPx_jNh4DDUxNYHDY3JiQIBdoP7Ln-bsgrVepKmW1N86owt-yR3LYi9OuWCZxAMlQay-8_Db" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">KentuckySings.com</a> as well as some other publications.<br />
<br />
So, I hesitated to say anything about Anderson County’s puzzling
removal of Mark Peach as the Bearcat football coach. I don’t know any of
the reasons other than second hand info and what was stated in
yesterday’s edition of The Anderson News. I won’t get into those things
here. What’s done is done. I personally think it was a move that
Anderson County will deeply regret, but only time will tell.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrfV1ONfhhRGvkwWhIhotUV2h8HACGAdNvGQXhI48CKM1SJENZJUsH-ou4ex1xWJERPvl3af5YKp41xUtWm9iihDsq98EoJjAof_dFRW_Zow7E3NWa5HOeEXM80D3c2sWTCtaqdVjRGzP/s1600/PeachCryingADJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1574" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrfV1ONfhhRGvkwWhIhotUV2h8HACGAdNvGQXhI48CKM1SJENZJUsH-ou4ex1xWJERPvl3af5YKp41xUtWm9iihDsq98EoJjAof_dFRW_Zow7E3NWa5HOeEXM80D3c2sWTCtaqdVjRGzP/s400/PeachCryingADJ.jpg" width="392" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark Peach embraces his son, Brett, following Anderson County's loss to Madison Southern in the 2017 state playoffs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One
of the things that makes small town journalism different from the
larger papers is that as a writer, you really get to know the people you
work with. I jokingly tell my longtime friend, Coach Sam Harp, that I
knew him long before he was a household word in Kentucky.<br />
<br />
The
first football game I ever covered was Harp’s debut as Anderson coach
back in 1985. The Bearcats hosted a pretty good Marion County team but
lost that night. The two things that stick out in my mind from that
night were that Harp wanted to talk -- I listened -- and that I
misidentified the kid who scored two touchdowns for Marion.<br />
<br />
Coach Harp went on to be Kentucky’s Coach of the Year in 1986 while at
Anderson and then won seven state championships after moving on to
Danville. I guess you could say he did all right. As for me, I stayed
around and received my share of honors from my peers, so I guess you
could say I did all right too.<br />
<br />
Before Coach Harp left Anderson, I
witnessed some of the greatest moments in Anderson football history. In
1986, the Bearcats whipped Pikeville, a perennial state power, then
beat Bardstown for the first time in school history. Anderson went 10-0
before losing to Fort Knox, which was a powerhouse at the time, 21-20 in
the state playoffs. I still say that Anderson-Fort Knox game, which
featured coaches who are now considered two of the greats in Kentucky
history, Sam Harp and Joe Jaggers, was the best football game I ever
covered.<br />
<br />
By mid-season, a sophomore tackle had cracked the Anderson starting lineup. His name was Mark Peach.<br />
<br />
The next year, Anderson made the playoffs again and traveled to Newport
Catholic, a team that had been to three consecutive state championship
games, for the playoff opener. Most people thought NewCath would destroy
Anderson but Harp told me he believed Anderson could win. And the
Bearcats did, 16-13. Late in the game, NewCath appeared ready to score
the go-ahead touchdown and tried to run up the middle but the Anderson
tackles, who assistant coach Jerry Perry called “The Fat Boys,” stopped
them two straight plays.<br />
<br />
Those “Fat Boys” were Jerry Hurst and Mark Peach.<br />
<br />
On the next play, NewCath tried to run the option, but a defensive end
-- I believe it was Tony Fint -- forced a fumble and Anderson recovered.
Game over and Anderson had its first-ever playoff win.<br />
You will see why I bring those memories up in a few moments.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to 1999. I was checking the scores of the Hancock County Hornets and their first-year coach, Mark Peach.<br />
<br />
Mark had graduated from Campbellsville University and had been an
assistant at several places, but was now running the show for the first
time. Hancock advanced all the way to the Class A state championship
game before losing. At the time, I took note that Mark Peach would be a
great hire for Anderson County some day if he wanted to come home.<br />
<br />
I followed his career at Hancock, then at Paul L. Dunbar (where he won a
regional championship) and Campbellsville University (where his teams
were ranked in the NAIA Top 25). When the Anderson job came open in
2004, Mark was still at Campbellsville, but a few weeks later he stepped
down, putting things in motion for him to return home.<br />
<br />
I
remember the day Mark was announced as Anderson’s new coach. After some
remarks from principal Ray Woodyard, Mark talked a few minutes then told
his new team that he believed they could win but it would require much
work.<br />
<br />
It was a team that had gone 1-9 in 2004 and the program had gone 7-44 over the previous five seasons.<br />
<br />
I sat down with Mark and his wife, Julie, that day and asked Mark if he
thought a state championship was possible at Anderson. He said, “Why
not?”<br />
<br />
His love of his hometown and the school where he'd become an all-state tackle was readily apparent.<br />
Within two years, Anderson had a winning record again and in Mark’s
third season, the Bearcats went 10-0 and advanced to the second round of
the playoffs. Anderson also won the school’s first district
championship since 1972 and only the second in school history. In 2010,
Anderson won another district title and advanced to the regional
championship game for the first time since 1987, when Peach was in high
school.<br />
<br />
The next year, Anderson won its first ever regional
championship, then made it all the way to the state championship game
where it ran into maybe the best high school team I have ever seen,
Bowling Green.<br />
<br />
In all, Peach’s Anderson teams won four district
titles (2007, 2010, 2013 and 2018), two regional championships (2011
and 2013) and a state runner-up.<br />
<br />
The nature of high school sports
makes it very difficult to stay on top, especially at a school like
Anderson that is the only school in the county and was one of the
smaller Class 5A schools. The cycles of nature mean the talent pool will
fluctuate. Families relocate much more today than even 15 years ago.<br />
<br />
And with social media, the criticisms and accompanying pressures are
exponentially more. As with most, but not all high school programs,
there was coaching turnover. Some decided they wanted to further their
education, some left teaching, some moved on for other reasons and those
positions were often filled by paraprofessionals who did the best they
could but usually can’t devote the time a teacher-coach can. And it
always struck me to see most other similar-sized schools with more
assistant coaches. It makes a difference. Trust me on that.<br />
<br />
But
when I asked Mark about that, and the lack of good facilities, his
answer was always, “We try to do the best we can with who we’ve got and
what we have.”<br />
<br />
I can’t say I agreed with everything Mark did as a
coach. He didn’t always agree with what I wrote. And there were times I
asked him stupid questions or he gave me answers that didn’t make
sense. We are both human, ya know. But we always had a laugh over those
the next day.<br />
<br />
And I knew that Mark, a history buff, would often
weave stories from America’s past into his talks with his team. It led
to the team adopting the theme “Band of Brothers” from the Stephen
Ambrose book and the miniseries of the same name chronicling the Easy
Company of the 101st Airborne Division in Europe in World War II. It was
also a factor in the Bearcats being one of the first teams around to
enter the field with one player carrying an American flag. To me, those
lessons are even more important than blocking schemes or man coverage.<br />
<br />
Over the last few years of my tenure at The Anderson News, I was aware
of some local grumbling. I would see things on Facebook that were, in my
mind, often unfair and ridiculous. But it was telling when opposing
coaches or their writers would ask about those same rumors and could not
believe them.<br />
<br />
And I will say that when the word broke that Mark
Peach had been let go at Anderson County, I got numerous emails and/or
messages from around the state and from some of his former players
basically asking, “What in the world is going on?”<br />
<br />
My answer, unfortunately, was “I have no idea.”<br />
<br />
With that said, I still remember something Mark said to me the day he
was hired at Anderson. I nearly always close interviews with a question
along the line of “Is there anything else you want to say?” He referred
to his college coach at Campbellsville, Ron Finley showing Christ in
his program. He said, “I want to do that everywhere I go.”<br />
<br />
And one of the things he always did was have a prayer with his team after practice and after games.<br />
I always had that filed away and for me the most memorable moment in
Mark Peach’s career at Anderson came not on that night when he led the
Bearcats on the field at Western Kentucky University for the state
championship game, but was not quite two years later when Anderson
hosted South Oldham for its 2013 home opener.<br />
<br />
Earlier that week,
Peach had been instructed he could no longer lead his team in prayer as
some out-of-state group was threatening to sue the Anderson County
school system and several other school systems in Kentucky for that
practice.<br />
<br />
Even though Anderson defeated South Oldham, 35-20, that
night, Peach was in tears as he talked with me following the game. He
noted it was the first time he had not been able to pray with his team
since he had been in coaching.<br />
<br />
(A side note: It was estimated
that 500 people came out of the stands that night to pray with the team
and eventually, things got worked out that a player or Peach’s father,
Al, led the team in prayer after games.)<br />
<br />
There were other times
Peach confided in me, not as a writer but as a Christian friend. We
prayed together on more than one occasion and I saw Peach in tears on
other occasions.<br />
As a writer, he was one of the easiest I have
ever worked with. As a friend, he has emailed or texted with
congratulations when I received an award and he was there when my mom
passed away in 2018.<br />
<br />
All I can say is, Thank you, Mark Peach, for
being one of those guys who made my job easier, who understood that
sometimes a writer had to address touchy subjects and for encouraging me
to continue serving God in the best way I can.<br />
<br />
Trigg County is lucky to have you.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivG1jtFadMvPaoS2801RkysjxufwY6Hp80B8E6zuXpGN7gg4afFK-d6r0gmnr16HWeIjdp2UUzVRxFcq-0WpGdtyYHa7R6jwG-NLG4fPsBasMBaBTaEorbdtxvv-dPdOlGDCg9xa0kcjXT/s1600/With+Mark+Peach+after+Highlands.+My+Last+Football+game.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivG1jtFadMvPaoS2801RkysjxufwY6Hp80B8E6zuXpGN7gg4afFK-d6r0gmnr16HWeIjdp2UUzVRxFcq-0WpGdtyYHa7R6jwG-NLG4fPsBasMBaBTaEorbdtxvv-dPdOlGDCg9xa0kcjXT/s640/With+Mark+Peach+after+Highlands.+My+Last+Football+game.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark Peach (left) and I talk following Anderson County's heartbreaking loss to Highlands in the 2018 state playoffs. It was my last football game as sports editor of The Anderson News.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-50848759121729836672019-12-02T11:58:00.003-05:002019-12-30T13:54:35.178-05:00<h2>
<i><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">CCU closure a time to reflect: What can we do better to encourage young Christian men and women to pursue ministry</span></i></h2>
<span style="color: red;"></span><b></b><span style="color: red;"></span><i></i><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-0c5ed624-7fff-e77c-60eb-3e3b3efe8506" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>By John Herndon</i>
It’s been over a month since my family’s world was suddenly turned upside down.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was Monday, October 28. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’d just gotten home when my Facebook timeline delivered the news: Cincinnati Christian University would enter a “historic partnership” with Central Christian College of the Bible. Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that the school where my daughter had enrolled less than three months earlier would be shutting down at the end of her first semester.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I realized the diploma, hanging just above the computer delivering the announcement, had been issued by a school that would soon become a memory. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since CCU’s recent financial and accreditation struggles were widely known, the announcement wasn’t a shock but did come with much sadness. But even with the closure, a 95-year legacy from the school on Price Hill will live on for years to come. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">More than 30 years ago, I drove in to Cincinnati one day a week to earn a Master of Arts in Theological Studies. That arrangement meant my campus life was mostly limited the grad school rooms, then located below the Edwin Crouch Library.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But like almost everyone who ever set foot on campus, I soon learned the real study area was just up Glenway at the old Skyline Chili. It was there I made acquaintances and friendships with people who had come from many different colleges. We were there to learn from giants of the faith like Jack Cottrell, James North or Joe Ellis.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even though I have been out of the located ministry for almost 20 years, I still use some of those lessons every day. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With CCU ceasing academic operations, it’s easy to be angry and point fingers. It’s easy to criticize. It’s easy to term the emphasis on liberal arts over the last 15-20 years as a “loss of focus” while forgetting the impact on the many who would not have been introduced to a Christian worldview otherwise.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s easy to criticize the recent emphasis on sports -- as a sportswriter, I strongly questioned the addition of football for financial reasons -- but a CCU staff member shared with me that many young men were brought to Christ because of being a part of Eagle athletics. And it was easy to turn to the local media which was ready to pounce on a very difficult situation. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A personal note: While I can’t speak for any other families, my daughter, my wife and I have found the remaining staffers -- people who will be losing their jobs by the end of the year -- have done all they can to help soon-to-be displaced students above themselves. In fact, when I was on campus in early November, I talked with two who had already been terminated but were back to assist or support kids.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Granted, CCU’s handling of the announcement through an email and calling the closing a “historic partnership” left much to be desired, but pointing fingers and placing blame accomplishes nothing now. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We can, however, learn from the mistakes that led to CCU’s downfall and we should all look at ourselves to see how we can better support Christian higher education.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First, do we make ministry or professional Christian service attractive to young people? While it is true that every Christian is a minister and one can serve God in just about any occupation, do we actively encourage young men and women to pursue a career in God’s service? I don’t have numbers but perceive that we tend to push young men and women toward high-paying careers, such as doctors, lawyers and such but often don’t regard the many forms of ministry with the same esteem.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Along the same line, do we encourage Christian young people who desire to pursue career paths other than ministry to still consider an education from a faithful Christian school? Do we realize that many fine Christian schools offer business, education or many other degrees grounded in a biblical worldview? Should that not be more of a factor than the success of a football team or prestige in the world?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s not to say a young person should never consider a state university. It’s obviously a personal choice based on many factors, but do we sometimes overlook Christian higher education because we don’t have the facts?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do we presume a state university is automatically less expensive than an education at a faithful Christian college? Admittedly, I believed that for years, but found in my youngest child’s college search that CCU and some other schools were actually less expensive than some of the state universities in the area. With an aggressive scholarship in place, it was much less expensive. While every individual case is different, Christian colleges are worth a look that many do not pursue because of a false assumption.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But then, how much do churches get behind young people who opt to pursue their education at a Christian college? My daughter was fortunate that our church offers a small scholarship for attending any college traditionally affiliated with the Restoration Movement. It wasn’t much but did help. Some churches do have wonderful partnership or covenant agreements with certain schools but I have often wondered how many college kids fend for themselves with federal student loans and have little to no financial support from those charged with spreading the gospel into the world.
I have asked these questions for years as many small colleges continuously struggle with financial pressures and declining enrollments. During my time in the newspaper business, I wrote about two college closures and closely followed two more. At least two were larger schools than CCU. It happens, but with a world in such need of the gospel, should it be the case? I don't have a definitive answer but it's worth some soul-searching.
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The last month has been hectic and stressful for this CCU alumnus who has a child displaced by the unfortunate chain of events. It’s been extremely frustrating but enlightening as well. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At one time, the school on the hill was a light to Cincinnati, the surrounding area and the world. It was undoubtedly where some of the most influential leaders of the Christian churches and churches of Christ, as well as all of evangelical Christianity, taught or received their training. It’s closure will be a huge loss, but if we reflect and improve, that closure will not be in vain.</span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-11767856387251623242017-09-30T15:44:00.001-04:002017-09-30T15:44:39.030-04:00Game time is for the games<i> (This appeared as my column in the Sept. 27 edition of The Anderson News.)</i><br />
<br />
There was one reason I became a Dallas Cowboy diehard when I was a kid and remain one today.<br />
Roger Staubach.
<br />
Just like today, it seemed that back in the early and mid-1970s the
Cowboys were always on TV somewhere on the weekend schedule and was
intrigued as Roger the Dodger zigged when defenses zagged. I knew if
they were down but time was left on the clock, the Cowboys and Captain
Comeback had a fighting chance.<br />
As longtime fans of America’s Team can tell you, Staubach led his
team to 15 comebacks and 23 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter.
He quarterbacked the Cowboys to four Super Bowls, winning two.<br />
Not bad for a pro football career that didn’t start until he was 27.<br />
You see, Roger Staubach attended the United States Naval Academy,
where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1963. He’s the last player from one
of the service academies so honored. Graduating the following spring, he
began his five-year stint to fulfill his service requirement and
eventually volunteered to serve in Vietnam.<br />
When this son of a career military man learned all that information,
Roger Staubach became one of my heroes. He was the winner on the field,
straight-laced family man and Vietnam vet. After he retired in 1979, he
was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and has been an
ultra-successful business man.<br />
You can’t get much more red, white and blue than that.<br />
I’ve thought quite a bit about Staubach of late. Also have thought
about Rocky Bleier, the Pittsburgh Steeler running back who was wounded
in Vietnam. I’ve thought about Bob Kalsu and Pat Tillman, NFL players
who died while serving their country.<br />
I don’t know how any of them feel or would feel about the NFL player
protests during the National Anthem of late and certainly won’t try to
figure it out.<br />
What I do believe is that the protests of kneeling or staying in the
locker room during the anthem have overshadowed the games. As someone
who has loved watching the NFL on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights
for most of my life, that’s extremely unfortunate.<br />
What’s even more unfortunate is that sports are no longer immune to political statements.<br />
It’s actually been that way for decades.<br />
Muhammad Ali. John Carlos. Tommie Smith. Some would say it goes back even further.<br />
But in our 24-hour cable culture, the protests – and the anger being shown on many fronts – are much more of a hot button.<br />
Last year, when Colin Kaepernick started making headlines much more
for what he was doing during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner”
than his limited playing time with the San Francisco 49ers, I saw some
anger and a lot of dismissing someone who had not performed at the same
level since leading the team to the Super Bowl in 2012.<br />
Interestingly, Roger Staubach addressed the protests in a phone
interview with USA Today last November. He said, “My respect for the
military is the best, and it was somewhat interpreted that he was
dishonoring the military because of the flag. So I was kind of upset
about it, but I wish I would’ve been able to talk to him and say, ‘Hey,
what are you doing? Why are you doing this specifically?’”<br />
It’s the same question I saw asked several times on Facebook over the weekend.<br />
Kaepernick said that he was protesting a system that oppressed people of color.<br />
Of course, he’s out of the league now and had pretty much lost his platform.<br />
This weekend, the kneeling was undoubtedly a reaction to President
Trump’s tweets saying that if a player won’t stand for The National
Anthem, the owner should “get that ____________ off the field.”<br />
Why in the world would the President say that? Few were protesting
and the most visible one who had started the movement had become
irrelevant. Chances are it would have quietly died out.<br />
With North Korea threatening to launch nukes at our country and so
many domestic problems, it’s beyond me that the President would be
tweeting about firing NFL players. I agree with the President on some
issues, disagree on others, but really, I wish he’d left the NFL alone.<br />
In addition, there is no reason for anyone to refer to another human being in such terms. It’s uncalled for in my book.<br />
But there’s also the perception that guys who have been afforded the
opportunity of a free college education and make more money in a year
than most of us will earn in a lifetime simply because they can run fast
or have superhuman size protest at a time set aside to be honoring the
country that afforded them that opportunity.<br />
Obviously, the flip side of that perception is that being materially blessed does not mean one can’t take up a cause.<br />
But the perception of overpaid whiners is much stronger than the message supposedly being sent.<br />
From my little place on the sideline, all should be standing during
the playing of The National Anthem, not only out of respect for our
country, but also those who have fought for the country and out of
respect for each other.<br />
Do the NFL players -- or any other American, for that matter -- have the right to take a knee? <br />
Absolutely.<br />
Does having that right mean it is the right thing to do? Far from it.<br />
Rightly, or wrongly, so many have taken the actions as a slap in the
face to those who have fought for or served the country and a slap to
the country itself.<br />
As a writer, I keep my personal views out of the story. The
exceptions would be in an opinion piece that appears on the editorial
pages or in clearly marked opinion columns such as this.<br />
In my personal life, I feel free to speak as I want face-to-face, on
Facebook and any other form of communication. Sometimes I regret
expressing those views. But I also know that if I used space designated for reportage to
espouse political views, local or national, the ones who write my
paycheck would not be happy.
<br />
And they’d have reason to terminate my service.<br />
Pro athletes and entertainers have every right to promote the causes
they believe in all they want. But they also have to expect the
consequences.<br />
Fans also have the right to say, “Enough.” Fans have every right to
watch other TV channels or not purchase tickets as many claim to be
doing.<br />
And owners have the right to put a stop to behavior that diminishes their product.<br />
That’s putting the freedoms we have into real life in the sports world.<br />
For the record, I wasn’t overwhelmed by the Cowboys kneeling Monday
night but they made a point to stand for the anthem and they and the
Arizona Cardinals appeared respectful as the anthem was played.<br />
I find it ironic that NFL players are protesting in the context of a
game that depends on every person doing his job. Have one person miss a
block or blow a defensive coverage and see what happens.<br />
A successful football team has to be on the same page and often use
sayings like, “It’s about we, not me.” It’s a sports lesson that should
carry over to real life.<br />
Right now, our country is divided like I have never seen and,
despite Roger Goodell’s statements about unity, the protests during The
National Anthem are dividing the nation further.<br />
No one says there is not racism in our country. No one says there
are not rogue cops. We live in a great country but it’s one with flaws
and imperfections.<br />
It would be foolish to think otherwise.<br />
Those problems are still with us and can only end with the nation working together.<br />
I don’t know the answer to the problems. If I did, I would probably be a national celebrity.<br />
But I do know that protesting at a football game during a time that
is meaningful to so many tears us farther apart and isn’t making changes
our country needs.John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-63518659483732475622017-09-27T15:48:00.000-04:002017-09-27T17:53:31.088-04:00For this Kentucky fan, what is happening in Louisville is not a reason to rejoice<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
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<![endif]--> I have been a Kentucky Wildcat fan longer than I care to
remember.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I fell in love with the Big Blue when Rupp’s Runts were “moving
to the right side of your radio dial,” as Cawood Ledford would tell me. I was
devastated when Dampier, Riley, Conley, Kron and Jaracz came up short against
Texas Western in March of 1966.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I remember my first game in Memorial Coliseum – UK routed
Oregon State in the 1966 UKIT – and in those years when I lived in eastern
North Carolina, found that I could get in my car, get close to water and pick
up WHAS radio like I was in downtown Louisville and listen to the Wildcats.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wanted to throw a brick at my TV that day when Louisville
rallied in the second half, then went on to beat Kentucky, 80-68 in overtime,
for a trip to the 1983 Final Four. I jumped for joy 29 years later when Darius
Miller came up with that steal that started driving the final nail in
Louisville’s coffin and propelled the Wildcats to the NCAA Final in New
Orleans.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I won’t gloat over what has transpired at the University
of Louisville the last two days.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was even a time, a very long time ago, when I had one
of those “My Two Favorite Teams are Kentucky and Whoever Louisville Plays”
stickers on my car.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I can’t be giddy
about the downfall of the Louisville basketball program.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unless you have been totally cut off from the world, you
know that Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino was put on “unpaid
administrative leave” Wednesday. It’s apparently a semantic designation to be
in line with his contract, but Pitino has been “effectively fired” at
Louisville, according to news reports.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Athletic director Tom Jurich was placed on “paid
administrative leave” but he’s gone too.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Both moves are the result of Louisville being part of an FBI
investigation into funneling money from a shoe company to a recruit. If the
allegations are true, U of L Interim President Greg Postel deserves all the
applause you can give for having the guts to stand up to a program that has
been scandal city since long before he took over.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As easy as it would be to goad, it’s really not a time for
that for several reasons.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span>We know this is the start, but have no idea
where things will finish.</b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The allegations that took Pitino and Jurich down were the
result of a large scale FBI operation. Even though Louisville was not named in
the allegations, it did not take a genius to know who was “University Six.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What we don’t know what the future holds. Before all the reports
from the Louisville press conference were filed Wednesday, news broke that the
FBI had raided Nike Grassroots Basketball offices and subpoenaed employees.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Soooo, it looks like this is far from over and you will see
more revelations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m just not going to speculate on who.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2</span></span> Many people are legitimately hurting right now.</b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At one time, I never thought it would be possible but some
of the finest people I know are diehard Louisville Cardinal fans.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of those fans kisses me good night and wakes me up with
another every morning. Yes, my wife is a Cardinal fan. I love her very much and
our smack talk is always good natured, ending with a “just hush” or something
like that. We pull like crazy for our teams but 10 minutes after the game, we
are back in the same room.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do not feel much sympathy for Pitino or Jurich if the
allegations are true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do feel for students
who are trying to work toward their degrees having the cloud of an athletic
scandal dominate their time at U of L.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s bad enough that the school is said to have a $48 million shortfall
and resulting cuts. I feel for Louisville’s passionate fan base. While it’s not
a huge base, it is undoubtedly one of the five most rabid in the nation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They deserve better than the constant scandal that has
clouded U of L in recent years.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3</span></span> It
affects me.</b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am not a U of L fan. I can watch any number of college
basketball games any day of the week during winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So whether the Cardinals are on or not really
has little effect on me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, Louisville appears to be a candidate for the
so-called “Death Penalty” to shut the program down a year or two.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Think about that a minute.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since U of L is the main tenant, The KFC Yum! Center would
be largely vacant for a year or two. You just can’t schedule enough concerts in
there to pay the bills.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Several months ago, Kentucky State Auditor Mike Harmon told
Louisville Business First magazine, “that the KFC Yum Center has placed a
considerable burden on Kentucky taxpayers, with 75 percent of the operating
income generated for the arena coming from either a tax increment financing district
implemented by the state or an annual contribution of nearly $10 million from
Louisville Metro Government.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If the main tenant is gone, guess who foots the bill?
Regardless of your team allegiance, that would hurt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4</span></span> I am a
Christian</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Those four words have been taking even more meaning over the
last few years, probably because I am older and more reflective.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t believe those words mean I can’t have some
good-natured fun with people, knowing it’s in fun, but it also means I should
be sensitive to others.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What happened at Louisville is the result of greed and
hubris. There can be no other explanation. The Book of Proverbs says, “The
greedy bring ruin to their households, but the one who hates bribes will live”
(Proverbs 15:27). That’s not something to rejoice over.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Granted, what happened at Louisville is a result of the
misplaced emphasis on sports and our society’s worship of people who can run
faster, jump higher or shoot the three, but those those people who are hurting
are people.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And, from my corner of the world, that’s more important than
what shirt they wear on Saturdays or how many Final Four trips they have.</div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-59146585359935395792017-09-15T17:22:00.000-04:002017-09-15T17:40:06.260-04:00Harmony in the midst of chaos<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have written this blog over and over in my mind for the
last three or four weeks, but my mind kept racing with the latest in the 24/7
news cycle that has become a staple of life in 2017.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So much chaos. So much confusion. It's almost like someone
has taken an out of tune guitar and insists on blaring it full blast, then
adding a beginning band, clashing cymbals and all, to parade before our lives.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHiMUgn9fwxwVn5mDmi5yRoln9pTkJLmyzcaAjQiZwJNT497YfNCUmXV2x2r1GnoPFsO6jObSHhwZDam7DR0hUQ9HZ7NKC1RO7lkgL2WrCq5mns4aNV6aUB8NqAemz6HgCRf1m0ej3Hg-O/s1600/DSC_0245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHiMUgn9fwxwVn5mDmi5yRoln9pTkJLmyzcaAjQiZwJNT497YfNCUmXV2x2r1GnoPFsO6jObSHhwZDam7DR0hUQ9HZ7NKC1RO7lkgL2WrCq5mns4aNV6aUB8NqAemz6HgCRf1m0ej3Hg-O/s320/DSC_0245.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Triumphant Quartet at Sand Spring Baptist Church, June 15, 2017.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Recently as I reflected on that cacophony, I could not think
but how I had been blessed by four concerts since mid-June, all of which
reminded me of how wonderful harmony really is in music and in our lives.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you know me at all, you know I love music, especially
gospel, country and bluegrass with some 60s and 70s rock mixed in. As a kid, my
life revolved around our farm, playing baseball and heading to one of those
“all day singin' and dinner on the ground” gatherings that it seemed like every
church in Anderson County, Kentucky sponsored in the '60s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember seeing professional groups like
The Prophets, The Blackwood Brothers and J.D. Sumner and the Stamps.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That influence flourished when I was a teen and became a fan
of The Imperials, who had sung backup to Elvis, and The Oak Ridge Boys, at the
time one of the hottest gospel groups around. There was, and is, just something
about that wonderful four-part harmony.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now in my late 50s, I experienced a two-month run that saw my
musical tastes filled by Triumphant, The Oak Ridge Boys (twice), and Ricky
Skaggs with his band, Kentucky Thunder.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Four shows. They showcased different kinds of harmony, but
amidst the chaos of the world, I needed it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don't want to take the contrast too far since all are
entertainers who provided a few moments of musical escape from a world that has
become infested by the discord of hate.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But when I kept thinking about it, there might have been a
reason their harmony was such a blessing: They all shared the message of
Christ, which is true harmony in life. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back on June 15, I was blessed by Triumphant Quartet at Sand
Spring Baptist Church, just a few miles down the road from my house. If you are
not familiar with this outstanding group, it was brought together by Louise
Mandrell for her show at Pigeon Forge, about 15 years ago. The opener that
night was His Heart Quartet, one of the finest regional groups around.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the concert, Triumphant bass singer Eric Bennett, a
former pastor, shared about the message of one of their latest songs, Chain
Breaker. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<i>If you've got pain<br />
He's a pain taker<br />
If you feel lost<br />
He's a way maker<br />
If you need freedom or saving<br />
He's a prison-shaking Savior<br />
If you've got chains</i></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<i>He's a chain breaker.</i></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<i>--Zach Williams</i></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
I don't know of any other lyrics more appropriate for
today's world.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Do you?</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Nine days later, my wife and I saw The Oak Ridge Boys, my
33<sup>rd</sup> Oaks concert, at Renfro Valley. It was<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>vintage Oaks with a ton of country hits and
some good old Red, White and Blue flag-waving through the night. </div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
But maybe the biggest cheer of the night came when Joe
Bonsall said, “We're going to sing some gospel!”</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJrOIVzWA5lvmLs5_sDSBjg-baMkhiYR5T_KpoVJkxNUbVO2xlHvDS5n1sI79nHUrDy51XEKF0FltFMi0R_j-bK1Y-5bXmX7CEKdXIdQjt6n1gRDg12hQKxGP7h4fJRoleJgh8IIdD8X6/s1600/P6244411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJrOIVzWA5lvmLs5_sDSBjg-baMkhiYR5T_KpoVJkxNUbVO2xlHvDS5n1sI79nHUrDy51XEKF0FltFMi0R_j-bK1Y-5bXmX7CEKdXIdQjt6n1gRDg12hQKxGP7h4fJRoleJgh8IIdD8X6/s320/P6244411.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Oak Ridge Boys at Renfro Valley, June 24, 2017.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Oaks are members of the Country Music Hall of Fame but
have never forgotten their gospel roots and they unabashedly talk about their
faith. And as Duane Allen stepped forward, they delivered one of my favorites,
“I Would Crawl All the Way to the River,” a rocking gospel song from their
Fancy Free album – the same as “Elvira” – that sounds like it could have been
sung right after chowing down on fried chicken and mashed potatoes in the 60s.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Two months later, we saw the Oaks again at the Kentucky
State Fair, their 42<sup>nd</sup> consecutive year in Louisville. And a
tradition inside that tradition is an a capella performance of “Amazing Grace”
as an encore. I have no idea how many people were seated on the turf at
Cardinal Stadium that night, but I can tell you that hearing several thousand
people join in the marvelous harmony of the great old hymn can make you forget
about the troubles of the world outside.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<i>I once was lost, but now I'm found</i></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<i>Was blind but now I see.</i></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
I believe we live in a world terribly blinded by Satan's
lies and the only answer to overcome is the Amazing Grace of God.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Back on July 29, my wife and I celebrated our anniversary
with another trip to Renfro Valley. This time, we saw another of my favorites,
Ricky Skaggs. As much as I love bluegrass music, it's hard to believe that was
the first time I had seen him other than a few songs at the Grand Ole Opry. I
knew Skaggs was a committed Christian, but was not prepared for a show in which
a large percentage of the songs were decidedly Christian in message in the
beautiful harmonies that define bluegrass vocalists. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KZfz2lOGTXsXIRWo4fZ7vM-u8PMPwGc3rz46pMInI0mOeoZvaodWP0vPpVQzaJG08Ss-DiLffMUgHB548awugOTNUMDjPBZuMOyinX31zjSzFNbvTjPizX9qJYKXY6pLvRgd3Ucmrlci/s1600/DSC_0280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KZfz2lOGTXsXIRWo4fZ7vM-u8PMPwGc3rz46pMInI0mOeoZvaodWP0vPpVQzaJG08Ss-DiLffMUgHB548awugOTNUMDjPBZuMOyinX31zjSzFNbvTjPizX9qJYKXY6pLvRgd3Ucmrlci/s320/DSC_0280.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ricky Skaggs at Renfro Valley, July 24, 2017.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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Then, after the show, Skaggs went to the foyer for a
meet-and-greet. Directly in front of us was a couple with a large manila
envelope containing several keepsakes. They started talking with the star and
instead of pushing them along, he listened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For several moments, one of the biggest stars in country and bluegrass
music was listening to some fans about something that had happened in their
lives. He even jotted down a few notes.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
The music was outstanding, but I was struck by Ricky Skaggs' genuine
show of concern.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
In this world we live in, we need harmony. Real harmony
with those around us. As much as I love hearing a great bass or tenor, I want
to live life as God wants even more.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
Just taking the time to be in tune with God and caring
about people is a way to start.</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText">
I can assure you it would create miles of good will in 2017. </div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-46768641363382518652017-09-04T15:12:00.002-04:002017-09-04T22:53:41.753-04:00Kentucky Music Hall of Fame is a developing gem worth checking out<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8q86EC7hL3OUQD0iHRXyUNInfZD7ZOARN0wanV6iqJIRJZBcluP8H9RXLX_UTfGDgoQSQ0SfUodftJvzrE9LWBw9T1nHnEUqagev2ukv4q1Re92CLn4gHLhCVP7S6Mf4OYryOrtLX-sK6/s1600/Hall+of+Fame+Front+Picture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8q86EC7hL3OUQD0iHRXyUNInfZD7ZOARN0wanV6iqJIRJZBcluP8H9RXLX_UTfGDgoQSQ0SfUodftJvzrE9LWBw9T1nHnEUqagev2ukv4q1Re92CLn4gHLhCVP7S6Mf4OYryOrtLX-sK6/s400/Hall+of+Fame+Front+Picture.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kentucky Music Hall of Fame is located on U.S. 25, just north of Renfro Valley.</td></tr>
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<br />
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It’s almost impossible to measure what impact the state of Kentucky has
had on the music industry but the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and museum is a
place that tells the stories of singers, instrumentalists, song writers, and
others from the state who have played even a small part in the rich and diverse
music heritage the state enjoys.</div>
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Located on US 25, about a mile off I-75 and just past Renfro Valley, the
Hall of Fame is one of those must-sees for anyone who has turned on a box
radio, seen a concert or watched videos on MTV. It’s almost 20,000 square feet
of honoring music in Kentucky.</div>
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Music. All kinds of music. </div>
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</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwV9fKWQ9NeiJAVL5mvsQZH3DfTqJC2oFQJMmMMmBjNraiH0mdnxEnisKcDF6ZSTKbW2ys1HIJawIgtNuGk5bPcE3vjOvqhe9R0JyCjaxYxzjeTJqsw_D__sGVaDCiGx40gMo4ln-Z17eW/s1600/DSC_0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwV9fKWQ9NeiJAVL5mvsQZH3DfTqJC2oFQJMmMMmBjNraiH0mdnxEnisKcDF6ZSTKbW2ys1HIJawIgtNuGk5bPcE3vjOvqhe9R0JyCjaxYxzjeTJqsw_D__sGVaDCiGx40gMo4ln-Z17eW/s320/DSC_0022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ol' Home Place pays homage to Kentuckians in the music industry.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Whatever your taste, chances are there is something in the Hall of Fame
honoring someone who has been successful in the business.<br />
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My wife and I made the trip to the Hall of Fame on July 29, spending a
good portion of our afternoon with Hall of Fame manager Avery Bradshaw for a
tour that was much more than we expected. </div>
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The Hall of Fame museum is housed in what was at one time a barn and stable
owned by John Lair, who turned the Renfro Valley Barn Dance into a nationally
known showcase for country music. The Lair family donated the building which is
located just up the road from the Old Barn and New Barn at Renfro Valley. The
restored building and an addition was opened in 2002.</div>
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But even with the heavy roots in country music, the Hall of Fame exists
to honor anyone who has played a small part in Kentucky’s music heritage.</div>
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Is pop music your thing? There is a display paying homage to Kentucky
natives Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys who were
inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.</div>
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Are the 60s your favorite music? Mary Travers, the Louisville native who
made it big with Peter, Paul and Mary, is another inductee. So are The Everly
Brothers, from Muhlenberg County. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
Rhythm and Blues from the 50s? The Moonglows, who traced their origins to
Louisville, were inducted the same year as Richardson and Littrell.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsggWv0ZTVtcUL6R9Ohy0uzGVVs1JdKITozlagbSxri5momH-fDL5MDNu-wp5jPBW4dqlnofhHBhLwR8Cu7OetkPih5xMvXHXujTMpiNT2YQlz6nrNnj641y6JWQ2BYMlZNBEYZiRrbYR/s1600/DSC_0053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsggWv0ZTVtcUL6R9Ohy0uzGVVs1JdKITozlagbSxri5momH-fDL5MDNu-wp5jPBW4dqlnofhHBhLwR8Cu7OetkPih5xMvXHXujTMpiNT2YQlz6nrNnj641y6JWQ2BYMlZNBEYZiRrbYR/s320/DSC_0053.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The story of Florence Henderson began in Owensboro, KY.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The list of inductees varies from saxophonist Boots Randolph (Paducah),
to gospel singer Larnelle Harris (Danville) to singer and Owensboro native
Florence Henderson, better known as TV supermom Carol Brady.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
And, of course, being next to Renfro Valley, the country music roots are
deep, whether it is inductees Grandpa Jones (from Henderson) or Loretta Lynn,
from Butcher Holler in Johnson County. Woodford County native John Conlee, who
grew up close to the Anderson County line, is a member of the Hall and there’s
even a mention of Anderson County native William B. Houchin, a fiddler from
nearly 100 years ago. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
With such connection to country music, it would be easy to think the Hall
of Fame simply honors those from the state who have made their name picking and
grinning.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“That is probably the biggest
thing we hear,” Bradshaw says of the misconception. “This started out as the
Kentucky Country Music Hall of Fame, but Kentucky has had so much influence on
rock-and-roll and jazz. Soon after it opened, the name changed.”</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1YIaSDg5dSBw49Rt75EsY-aeLw8c6MtlcXfpzfKOAy0ZFBXizTkcVzNeMQTW399vu3OFJ77NlEkCC3AGvl2c9JlGF6TGHQjRiyfrGKEjCnPWEoPreUmvt3BK_DY_xQYv4v5Tl4iGG9P3/s1600/DSC_0128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1YIaSDg5dSBw49Rt75EsY-aeLw8c6MtlcXfpzfKOAy0ZFBXizTkcVzNeMQTW399vu3OFJ77NlEkCC3AGvl2c9JlGF6TGHQjRiyfrGKEjCnPWEoPreUmvt3BK_DY_xQYv4v5Tl4iGG9P3/s320/DSC_0128.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kentucky legends Keith Whitley and Ricky Skaggs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
Bradshaw is only 20, but already has a wealth of experience in the music
industry. The Mt. Vernon native is a banjo picker who has appeared at Renfro
Valley and he’s also spent time as a disc jockey at Mt. Vernon radio station
WRVK. In June, Bradshaw was in Lawrenceburg as part of his gig running the
sound system for the gospel group His Heart when it appeared at Sand Spring
Baptist Church. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
For a while, the Hall of Fame had its own board but it has since been
taken over by the Rockcastle County Tourist Commission which is giving the
museum a major facelift. A true music lover could spend hours in the building
and not digest it all. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
Like most museums, there are interesting artifacts ranging from an old
Bible used in the Brush Arbor Movement of 1824 to countless items from Renfro
Valley to a dress worn by gospel star Dottie Rambo to an autographed drum that
was played by the Kentucky Headhunters.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
“We have a room for presentations to school groups,” says Bradshaw. There
are several video presentations and interactive displays available. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-BBRQkRcctAKCIHoyz6n-KlKfqbXZKqAFRdPiNm3QFneW7aG_TpoaUUUj8U_-fspqVAoy0e5WqP_VOu5s5sQSHIziMiPx8w2zA2WNFCX9U0oOgr2nvBBynJD07ggubFV6QSrL5zPAIz2/s1600/20525926_10155425257866590_7798275714955990413_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-BBRQkRcctAKCIHoyz6n-KlKfqbXZKqAFRdPiNm3QFneW7aG_TpoaUUUj8U_-fspqVAoy0e5WqP_VOu5s5sQSHIziMiPx8w2zA2WNFCX9U0oOgr2nvBBynJD07ggubFV6QSrL5zPAIz2/s320/20525926_10155425257866590_7798275714955990413_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got to pick a banjo while at the Hall of Fame, but wasn't grinning.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
The museum, in conjunction with the Daniel Boone Society, is preparing a
display devoted to music and artifacts brought to Kentucky by the state’s
earliest settlers. There is also a small area devoted to the impact of the
religious revivals, such as Cane Ridge, in the early 1800s and also of how
music developed in Kentucky after the Civil War. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
A visitor can even take a seat in a rocking chair to pick a banjo during
the visit. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
Bradshaw said that entertainers playing at Renfro Valley are generally
unable to have meet-and-greets or album and book promotions at the Hall of Fame
due to contractual obligations but it is not unusual for some of them to make
their way over to the museum. He said some members of Bluegrass band Dailey and
Vincent recently stopped by before a show.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My wife, Stephanie, looks over a tribute to HOF members, Exile.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
For this music lover, the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame was a trip down
memory lane. I saw mentions of childhood heroes such as Louisville’s Randy
Atcher up to some of my recent favorites like Steve Wariner, a native of
Russell Springs. But the tour was much more educational than I expected, with
many of the explanations concerning artifacts and displays revealing unknown
tidbits about an industry that Kentucky has influenced.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
It was well worth the two hours my wife and I spent touring this little
gem located about 75 miles from Lawrenceburg. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
We could have spent two more.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<b>If you go</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artifacts from Loretta Lynn.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
The Kentucky Music Hall of Fame is located on U.S. 25, just north of
Renfro Valley in Rockcastle County. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for those
60 and over, $7 for children 12-and-under with children under 5 admitted free.
There are special rates for groups of 10 or more. School groups can also take
advantage of discounted rates. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
Photographs are welcomed but no video-taping is allowed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
For more information, see the kentuckymusichalloffame.com or see the
organization’s Facebook page.</div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-90693250135059786692017-07-29T12:47:00.001-04:002017-07-31T09:18:44.285-04:00Head-spinning over health care<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I recently visited
my doctor, complaining of some neck pain and stiffness.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
After consultation,
some x-rays and all that good stuff he told me that I was going to
live and that the popping in my neck had to do with the fact that
Eisenhower was President when I entered the world.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
In other words,
Uncle Arthur Itis had come to live with me and I had no choice but to
take him in. That's a true story.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
But I really wonder
if that neck-popping is from getting older or it is just because my
head has been spinning over the last few weeks.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
And spinning. And
spinning. And spi.... I think you get the idea.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Ironically, my
noggin has been going round and around about insurance. More
specifically, I am going round and around over the debate – if you
can call it that – over what to do about the Affordable Care Act,
which we commonly call “Obamacare.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I will be the first
to say I don't know all the answers to an incredibly complex issue. I
am not about to try to offer any answers to that.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
But I do have tons
of questions. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i>If the ACA is so
great, why do my insurance premiums keep going up while what the
company pays keeps going down?</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
First, I purchase
my insurance through my employer and not on an Obamacare exchange.
However, all health insurance was affected by the ACA. So with that
disclaimer out of the way, let's proceed.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I can only go on my
experience, but in January 2003, I had cochlear implant surgery on my
left ear. The original bill was somewhere in the neighborhood of
$80,000. With insurance network negotiations, my deductible and
co-pay, I forked over less than $500.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I had the same
surgery on my right ear in January 2010. Same hospital. Same doctor.
I am sure the cost had gone up some, so this time I paid a bit more,
but less than $750.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
And I am glad I
did.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Last November, I
had knee replacement surgery at a different hospital. The original
bill was substantially less than my implants (my bill was about $70,000), yet my
deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums were much more than the
operations I underwent before the ACA became law. Make that MUCH
MORE.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
If the ACA was
supposed to save me money, what happened? </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i>Why did we have
a system in which some people could not get coverage before ACA?</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Insurance companies
are like any other business in that they exist to make a profit.
That's so basic that it seems silly to be making that statement. Yet
so many people seem to think they are some kind of philanthropic
enterprise.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
But with that out
of the way, there is still a question about why some people could not
get coverage before ACA? I was in the insurance business for 10 years
and grappled with that question almost daily.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I have enormous
empathy for those who are born with medical issues or have acquired
them through no fault of their own. That is the one aspect of ACA
that is working as it should.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i>Why should
anyone be forced to buy health insurance?</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
That is at the
heart of the ACA. Everyone has to buy or pay a penalty.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Why?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
From my corner of
the world, it is foolish to not have health insurance, but when did
our government get in the business of legislating what anyone buys or
does not buy? That I just do not understand.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
While we would
disagree on theological reasoning, there are religious groups and
individuals who shun any form of insurance, saying that God will take
care of them. Doesn't the First Amendment say that the government
shall “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof?”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
What about the
person who simply does not want insurance, crazy or not? Do others'
rights supersede his?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Really, where is
freedom of choice? A mandate to buy a product? In America?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
(I am often amused
by supporters of the ACA who argue, “You have to buy car insurance
and home insurance.” Last time I checked, one did not have to
purchase a car to live in America. He can walk, take the bus or ride
a bike if he so chooses. Nor is anyone compelled to buy a house. When
ACA became law, it made purchasing a product a requirement for living
in this country.)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i>Why is common
sense in short supply?</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I vividly recall a
“discussion” concerning the rising costs of insurance and how the
ACA would cause major hardship on those trying to pay the exorbitant
premiums. The answer would have been comical if the person was not so
serious.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“There are
government subsidies to help people with that,” he said.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Uh.... the United
States is nearly $20 trillion in the hole. Make that 20 and 12
zeroes.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
It's like getting a
loan from a bankrupt relative.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Really?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i>And why could no
one get anything done to fix this mess?</i>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
You can blame the
Republicans or you can blame the Democrats for hurriedly getting
something before Congress or a failure to repeal or make meaningful
revisions.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
The truth is that
both sides seem more interested in political points than real
solutions and both are to blame.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
But it does not
stop there. We have a populace that has gotten so accustomed nursing
from the government that we might have reached a dilemma with no
plausible solution.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
To me, that's the
scary part of the equation. There really are no answers for real
questions from real people.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
It just gives us
more head-spinning.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-37705719480755119722017-07-19T15:00:00.002-04:002017-08-02T10:18:37.308-04:00Everything happens for a reason<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
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<i>(Recently I was privileged to sit down with Asbury University men's basketball coach Will Shouse. Little did I know I would walk out of his office both inspired and challenged in my faith. This story ran in the July 12 edition of The Anderson News.)</i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5U4-aRN_DAPBGRVMsaSpCduqxBONpQsMp-jeEVDE-BUt98obHwWGPxh0AGlQhOgc6kl4crVIjxJZiih4mWMoO0X6VLL9aiTX0NOy1roIhyphenhyphen1Zh9SM_jRP7OWwEQFGNywz31N6TqGz8T873/s1600/wShouse01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="520" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5U4-aRN_DAPBGRVMsaSpCduqxBONpQsMp-jeEVDE-BUt98obHwWGPxh0AGlQhOgc6kl4crVIjxJZiih4mWMoO0X6VLL9aiTX0NOy1roIhyphenhyphen1Zh9SM_jRP7OWwEQFGNywz31N6TqGz8T873/s400/wShouse01.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span id="caption" style="z-index: 10500;">Asbury University basketball
coach Will Shouse poses in his
office. The commemorative jersey is for 200 coaching wins. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
Everything seems to happen for a reason.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
Always.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
It can be something small and insignificant. Or it can be a
life-altering tragedy. But everything happens for a reason and you will never
be able to convince Will Shouse otherwise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
He’s lived it. He continues to live with that knowledge and an
unshakeable belief that God is in control.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
“It’s my testimony,” Shouse said last week.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
Shouse is no stranger to Anderson County. As a high school basketball
player, he was instant offense off the bench for Anderson’s 1997 Eighth Region
champions. As a collegian at what was then known as Asbury College, Shouse
embarked on a road that would eventually lead back to his alma mater and into
the role of a successful college coach.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
In that role, Shouse has a platform to share an emotional walk of faith
that has had turns that cannot be explained by coincidence. “When people ask me
to speak about it, I can’t turn them down,” he said during an impromptu
interview at his Asbury office. “I just can’t.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
Two years ago, Shouse and his wife, Whitney, had desired to add a child
to their family, but suffered two miscarriages and had an adoption fall through.
They learned of a young woman who was serving time in a Florida prison but
would be delivering a baby. She wished to give the child up for adoption.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
The Shouses gladly went through the adoption process and on August 8,
2015, Ray Hudson Shouse was born. “His middle name is after David Hudson,”
Shouse said of his high school teammate who suddenly died in 2010. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
But little did the Shouses know that Ray would be born with a birth
defect and how he would impact their lives in just four short months.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
“If we had known, we probably would not have pursued it,” Shouse says,
“but the Lord knew he needed us.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
Ray was born with a diaphragmatic hernia. The Shouses made weekly trips
to Shands Children’s Hospital at the University of Florida, but Ray passed away
on Dec. 10, 2015. He never left the hospital.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
It was not an easy journey.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlbIgc3A-Ruq2yp4VFzG1-XKXlxbFyLe9A3QDd2bU_9Pfsbx9G4KOMg4bjh-GRlBdZLI2yAi9d1MAfWcjKaYEeXQUTTmKFYCll7FYtE722ETJfVAVaMbMAor5ZoBnaOwtCEUa5yWxCpHq/s1600/IMG_2392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlbIgc3A-Ruq2yp4VFzG1-XKXlxbFyLe9A3QDd2bU_9Pfsbx9G4KOMg4bjh-GRlBdZLI2yAi9d1MAfWcjKaYEeXQUTTmKFYCll7FYtE722ETJfVAVaMbMAor5ZoBnaOwtCEUa5yWxCpHq/s400/IMG_2392.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span id="caption" style="z-index: 10500;">Will Shouse, right, and his
children spend time with his adopted son, Ray, who spent his entire life
at Shands Children’s Hospital in Florida. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
“Our four months and two days that we were able to be Ray’s mommy and
daddy while he was alive changed my heart and tested my faith in ways I never
thought imaginable,” says Shouse’s wife, Whitney, whom he met at Asbury. “When
I saw this newborn baby hooked up to so many machines with a huge incision
across his belly, I immediately loved him like only a mommy can and it was like
when I gave birth to our three biological kids. There was nothing in this world
I wouldn’t have done for that little boy, and so many times I heard God remind
me that He loves me even more than that.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
Yet, over the four months, the Shouse family saw its faith fiercely
tested. “I wouldn’t be totally honest if I said my faith never wavered
throughout our ordeal with Ray,” Whitney Shouse continues. “There were many
times that I just couldn’t understand why this was happening. Why, when so many
people literally all around the world were praying for my baby, would God not
heal him and let me bring him home? Why did (the Shouse children) Hunter, Layni
and Hattie Jayne have to go through this awful pain at such young ages? I’ll
never totally understand those answers, but I can look back at Ray’s life now
with total thanks in my heart and feel honored that God chose me to be his
mommy for his whole, entire life and He chose Will to be his daddy.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
Ray’s legacy lives on today. “He was only four months old when he
died,” Shouse says. “He never spoke a word, but brought so many people
together. We had so many people praying for him and for us during that time.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
Through the entire ordeal, Shouse and his family kept reminding
themselves of the words of Scripture found in Jeremiah 29:11.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
The Shouse family grieved through the loss while Will continued to
coach at Asbury as he could. But those plans they believed in were far from
over.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
Last summer, a social worker contacted the Shouse family concerning pregnant
young woman who planned to give up her baby. She was troubled and did not feel
she could raise the child. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
The question was simple: Would the Shouse family be interested?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
“She wanted the child to have a good home,” Will says. “She never
wavered. She knew what she wanted to do.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
Whitney adds, “We had no plans of adopting any time soon. Our hearts
were too broken. Our initial call from our social worker was on August 8, which
happens to be Ray’s birthday.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
“My initial feelings were that there was no way I could handle another
adoption process or put our family through this again.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
After much prayer, the Shouse family said “yes” and the mother was
contacted.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
Ruby was born on Sept. 10 last year, exactly nine months after Ray
passed away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
No one will ever convince Shouse the nine-month time frame was a mere
coincidence. He references Isaiah 66:9.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
“‘Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?’ says the
Lord. ‘Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery,’ says your God.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
The Shouse family fully believes the story was the work of God. “I have
never, ever seen an answered prayer quite like God sending us Ruby,” Whitney
Shouse says. “Every single thing in Ruby’s adoption process came through
perfectly and smoothly. She was even born on my birthday, which happens to be
nine months to the day from the day Ray passed away. Nine months exactly. No
one but God good have planned that. When I was holding Ray and giving him back
to Jesus, He was creating Ruby to put in my arms.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
Will Shouse says the family is grateful for Ruby’s biological mother.
“She is part of the pieces that God used to bring this together,” he says. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
The story is incredible but reflects the deep faith that Shouse has
lived since as a freshman basketball player at Asbury. He’d always been
considered a “good guy” but was confronted about his faith at a time when few
people were on campus.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
“When I was a freshman at Asbury, we had a guy on the team, Art
McMahon. At the time, I didn’t see ‘cool Christians.’ During Christmas break,
they moved us all into one dorm so they wouldn’t have to heat more rooms,”
Shouse says of those days when the hoopsters remained on campus for practice.
“We were in the same room and I started pounding Art with questions.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
McMahon is now doing mission work in Haiti.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
And Shouse, after two years as head coach at Kentucky Christian
University, returned to lead the program at his alma mater. He’s won over 200
games as a college head coach and could probably move up to make a better name
for himself in hoops circles.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
But he says, “That’s just not me.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
To Shouse, who went 16-14 last year, coaching basketball is more than
just wins and losses. It’s about making the people he to whom he is connected
better.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
“We do so many things here,” he says of Asbury. “We can go on mission
trips together. We want to win, sure, but we can change lives.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
“The fact that we take vans to road games, some people think that is a
negative, but it’s not. When we are on the way to a road game, I can sit by
them and talk with them about life. I spend so much time with the team.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
Whitney adds, “As much as Will loves basketball – ‘loves’ may not be a
strong enough word – he loves his basketball players even more.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
It’s about more than the fast break, blocking out or the man-to-man.
It’s about life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
“I want to be able to help people,” Shouse says. “Just by percentage, I
will have some players who will go through an adoption.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
And what those players learn from their college basketball coach will
matter much more than hitting a game-winning three.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
Whitney Shouse is Will’s biggest cheerleader and knows his ultimate
success goes well beyond trophies and winning records.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He knows his boys and their hearts and wants
them to succeed in life,” she says, “not just to win games and set records but
become godly men, husbands and dads some day.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kGf9ZYm7bEJBJQBW0Old0FMoo6M9zjIsLagc7qOxlzWe8gSZH3W57v06NZvLXJiB5ScPvBOtcswoh_gawEDdCevJiSFgmvxDvClmC2k2SVqMO-0hc-Ttj87DCkYfmFyPSa4ojj2jrABV/s1600/IMG_2389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kGf9ZYm7bEJBJQBW0Old0FMoo6M9zjIsLagc7qOxlzWe8gSZH3W57v06NZvLXJiB5ScPvBOtcswoh_gawEDdCevJiSFgmvxDvClmC2k2SVqMO-0hc-Ttj87DCkYfmFyPSa4ojj2jrABV/s400/IMG_2389.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span id="caption" style="z-index: 10500;">Will Shouse and his family
pose for a photo with Family Court Judge Jeff Moss after their adoption
of Ruby Shouse was finalized earlier this year. The Shouse family is
wearing t-shirts that say “Worth the Wait.” From left are Will Shouse,
Turner, Layni (in front of Turner), Whitney holding Ruby, Hattie Jayne
and Judge Moss. (Photo courtesy Will Shouse.)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-10296985402208697832017-07-11T15:39:00.000-04:002017-07-11T16:32:33.496-04:00The man who broke a young fan's heart<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkU_iJmfdP0HI6AJQmBo413x9PVSYt2rZvAK-v03In8HgpkzdyULNug5HUq8HnHQ-kqmSDIrXAfsAeQKorahUe2PCMMTQKaicm838BKnGfWhcm2V9Z-OwuJSZ5J_pxn1QbjUeK3RBSdguE/s1600/Stephanie+and+Vencil+02ADJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="900" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkU_iJmfdP0HI6AJQmBo413x9PVSYt2rZvAK-v03In8HgpkzdyULNug5HUq8HnHQ-kqmSDIrXAfsAeQKorahUe2PCMMTQKaicm838BKnGfWhcm2V9Z-OwuJSZ5J_pxn1QbjUeK3RBSdguE/s400/Stephanie+and+Vencil+02ADJ.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My wife, Stephanie, shares some good memories with her longtime friend, Hall of Fame coach Ray Vencil.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<style type="text/css">P { margin-bottom: 0.08</style>It’s funny how
the twists and turns of life give you a much different perspective on
things that happen.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
And most of all,
it can give a different look at the people involved.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
I was reminded of
that again recently when my wife, Stephanie, suggested we visit one
of her old friends she had not seen in some time, Hall of Fame
basketball coach Ray Vencil.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
If you are under
the age of 50, that name might mean little to you. But if you grew up
in the 60’s or 70’s, chances are you know quite a bit about him.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
“Do you know
Ray Vencil?” my father-in-law asked the first time Stephanie took
me to meet her parents.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
“Well, I don’t
know him,” I said, “but I know who he is.”</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
That was good
enough for my wife’s dad, who had been a neighbor of Mr. Vencil and
his wife, Betty, in Elizabethtown, where Vencil ended his great
coaching career. It was a longtime friendship that had begun when
they were students at Eastern Kentucky University.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
But I knew of Ray
Vencil as the man who broke a young basketball fan’s heart.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
If you were
around Lawrenceburg during the 1969-70 basketball season, you already
know exactly what I am talking about.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
It was to be
Anderson County’s final season as a member of the 11th Region. The
Bearcats, led by junior Jimmy Dan Conner, had established themselves
as one of the top teams in the region and a legitimate threat to head
to Louisville’s Freedom Hall for the state tournament.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
The Bearcats’
biggest threats? Perhaps the Lexington high schools -- the Bearcats
had gone 3-0 against them -- or defending regional champ Richmond
Madison, coached by Ray Vencil.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
As fate would
have it, Anderson hosted Madison in the final game of the regular
season in what might have been the state’s marquee matchup that
night. Before an overflow crowd, the Bearcats became the regional
favorite with a 94-82 win.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
“I remember we
were ahead about 10 points most of the game. They had an excellent
team,” Lawrenceburg resident Tom Smith remembered last week. Smith
was a starting guard on that great Bearcat team.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
Two weeks later,
Anderson and Madison met again in the 11th Region semifinals at
Lexington’s Memorial Coliseum. I was a 12-year-old at home, sick
and having to listen to the radio broadcast. Through 32 agonizing
minutes the teams battled to a draw. Three minutes of overtime
settled nothing. Finally, Madison prevailed, 81-79 in two overtimes.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
Madison would go
on to the Sweet 16 where the Purples made it to the championship game
before falling to Male, 70-69.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
Anderson fans
know that the Bearcats made it through the Eighth Region the
following year and made their own run to the state final before
losing to Male.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
When Stephanie
and I visited Mr. Vencil two weeks ago, I asked him about that epic
game against the Bearcats in 1970.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
He kind of
chuckled and said, “When I was coaching, I didn’t remember too
many games because I was getting ready for the next one. I remember
that game over at Anderson at lot more because we got beat in that
one.”</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
We both laughed.
True competitors would readily understand.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
What most around
Anderson County did not know were the close ties between Upchurch,
the Bearcat coach, and Vencil, who had been teammates at Eastern,
winning the Ohio Valley Conference in 1959 before losing to
Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
“I don’t
recall the players being especially aware of how good of friends Ray
Vencil and Coach Upchurch were,” Smith said. “We knew they
played together, but were really not aware of their relationship,”
he continued.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
The common thread
was Upchurch and Vencil had played for Anderson County native Paul
McBrayer and their teams reflected McBrayer’s philosophy of being
fundamentally sound and tough.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
On the court they
were fierce competitors. Off, they were best of friends.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
And while at
Eastern, Vencil was also a teammate of an Anderson County resident,
Western High grad Bruce Springate. “Bruce was a good basketball
player. He was slick,” Vencil smiled. “He was thin but just knew
how to play. He would make a play and you didn’t know how it
happened.”</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
And that brings
us full circle.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
Ray Vencil, you
see, will be inducted into the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall
of Fame on July 22. In addition to those great Richmond Madison
teams, he led Elizabethtown to three state tournaments, including
another runner-up finish in 1972, before going into administration.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
Among the others
to go into the Hall of Fame that night will be former Kentucky
Colonel Darel Carrier, former Vanderbilt star Phil Cox, and former
Tennessee star and current Kentucky women’s assistant coach Kyra
Elzy.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
The list also
includes Robert Brooks, the star of those great Madison teams.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
And Jack
Upchurch, who is to be recognized for his accomplishments as a player
at Wayne County.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
“It means a lot
to me to go in with Jack,” Vencil said. “The year before Jack
died, I was in the hospital in Louisville. One day, I looked up and
it was Jack. He came up to see me and said a prayer for me.”</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
We talked some
more and somehow, I felt that this man I saw as a villain almost 50
years before was much different than the one I’d seen on the
opposing bench. He’d left a coaching legacy that was far more than
wins and losses and was the type of person who makes high school
sports worthwhile.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
My wife had told
me, “Mr. Vencil is one of the kindest men you will meet.”</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
She was right. </div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<i>(This column appeared in the June 28 edition of The Anderson News.) </i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0.14in;">
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-22862892424576845742017-06-29T22:14:00.000-04:002017-06-29T22:42:43.481-04:00Believing in music!!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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After seven months, I am back.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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OK, maybe it’s not quite that dramatic, but this is my first
blog post in a little over seven months. It really wasn’t planned that way, but
just happened. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had total knee replacement surgery on Nov. 29, exactly
seven months ago today. I went in thinking I would be in the hospital a night
or two, would come home and be somewhat back to normal by the end of January,
at worst.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let’s just say I must have been overly optimistic.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I won’t go into all the details of my recovery, but most of the time, there is no pain
in my knee and absolutely no pain radiating into my hip and back, as had been the
case. That’s good. Real good.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In addition, I am about 30 pounds lighter. I am tickled with
that, too.</div>
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<br /></div>
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However, I don’t have the range of motion I want, but pedaling
my bike up and down the roads near my home has begun to help.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvhLlk8OdaTV7Mm2e0zu794R5N8GD2dSkwemUEf-N1b5B5SqEhKevRxdxD0bET_sHjx-p8YORLgNDRNiGKH_Hn65PtXxyc5Gcn16eTO02JAcczNODFsQuTePg7aqkWOofYYVTodCCdb13/s1600/15356552_10211019746070575_8064199538462209643_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvhLlk8OdaTV7Mm2e0zu794R5N8GD2dSkwemUEf-N1b5B5SqEhKevRxdxD0bET_sHjx-p8YORLgNDRNiGKH_Hn65PtXxyc5Gcn16eTO02JAcczNODFsQuTePg7aqkWOofYYVTodCCdb13/s320/15356552_10211019746070575_8064199538462209643_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few days after knee surgery, I asked for my guitar.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Yet, the thing that surprised me most was the mental fatigue
I experienced, both at the physical therapist’s office and at home in between
those sessions. I can’t describe how it felt but just know it was there.
Because of that, I really don’t know how I would have made it through without
music. More than anything else, my love of music kept me going.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And, being able to hear the joy of music was a welcome sound
amid the noise and confusion of the world around us as seen on the 24-7 cycle of broadcast news.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I might have been trying to play anything from “Are You
Washed in the Blood” to “Folsom Prison Blues” to “Take it Easy” on my guitar.<br />
<br />
I
might have been playing a CD or listening to Pandora. And, on those days when I
was lying flat on my back, hooked up to a continuous passive motion machine,
being able to pull up YouTube videos on my iPad was priceless. I think I memorized
the entire video library of The Whites and Don Williams during that time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And if you know me, you know I am a huge fan of The Oak
Ridge Boys, back to the days when their hits were “Jesus is the Man for the
Hour” or “While I’m Here.” Yep, I found videos that took me back to the days of
plaid coats and pork chop sideburns that were in their heyday when I was in
high school.<br />
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvMTYOerZC4bHLW_68XfOfUqjbEBGT6O3tvemzeu106pXPq7Gn-1AQq6lWBTyGYtgRliSzx2gnnBzblQkxpOGZjaorCDM80Vyw2bMMXA3msa3AqVZ3TKl-iUm8zpzfHOBuEapsC2rHEqWU/s1600/DSC_0220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvMTYOerZC4bHLW_68XfOfUqjbEBGT6O3tvemzeu106pXPq7Gn-1AQq6lWBTyGYtgRliSzx2gnnBzblQkxpOGZjaorCDM80Vyw2bMMXA3msa3AqVZ3TKl-iUm8zpzfHOBuEapsC2rHEqWU/s320/DSC_0220.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Triumphant imitated the Temptations during their concert.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Through the pain of recovery, music was there. Over the last
few months I have been blessed by two of my favorite gospel groups, The Booth
Brothers and Triumphant. I got to enjoy pianist Jeff Stice just a few weeks
after my surgery. All performed at Sand Spring Baptist Church, just down the
road from me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Country singers J.D. Shelburne and Hannah Blaylock rocked my
hometown of Lawrenceburg, Kentucky in May. Even though it rained right up until
show time, we had a blast.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And in June, I was blessed to hear The Martin Family Circus
– they are AMAZING – and just last Saturday attended at least my 33<sup>rd</sup>
Oak Ridge Boys concert. Those guys just keep going singing uplifting songs
about loving people, loving the country and loving the Lord. After all, that is
what it’s all about.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that brings me full circle. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVzpwgGV8JrT6ZYhb3oVarQllXre3gr2OVFsRA5YIf7FV8e1DG5Yzq7n0WOTdYPpDF59IUs7ZxALSa_xlIF9_SjZN1vby-mV1MAXHr5NQbql1dHX3yd7cQs1ULU-FdPH_NPPCKdqSrH9X/s1600/P6244405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVzpwgGV8JrT6ZYhb3oVarQllXre3gr2OVFsRA5YIf7FV8e1DG5Yzq7n0WOTdYPpDF59IUs7ZxALSa_xlIF9_SjZN1vby-mV1MAXHr5NQbql1dHX3yd7cQs1ULU-FdPH_NPPCKdqSrH9X/s320/P6244405.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Oak Ridge Boys were incredible, as usual, for my 33rd show.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0HXc-mAIhsNf0aE3QsobibEtkrJaWFmGpMYAkJ_4AI5cwYYMEJy9DvFgToEX-M_uRKR22qs701I8VkbVwcbydjMC40acS8zwI3EWF8qhXBmGffjNG_ihamIFMbucX3alZMhv6Ps7uDOgT/s1600/P6244405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">i</a>My mother probably developed my love of music. In addition
to going to all of those “singings” – some of which lasted well past midnight –
she played piano at Corinth Christian Church for 57 years and still sits in her
wheelchair to play when she can at her nursing home.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yesterday, her back was turned to me when I visited her. She did
not see or hear me walking up behind her, but I could hear her. She was loudly
singing the gospel classic, “The Old Rugged Cross Made the Difference.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was what is important to her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the last seven months, I’ve learned just how important
music can be and truly relate to what Mac Davis meant back in the 70s.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I could just sit
around making music all day long</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As long as I'm making
my music ain't gonna do nobody no harm</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And who knows maybe
I'll come up with a song</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To make people want to
stop all this fussing and fighting</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Long enough to sing
along</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: center 3.25in;">
Yep, I believe in the
universal language. I believe in the power of music and hope you enjoy that
power too.</div>
<span id="goog_147377235"></span><span id="goog_147377236"></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-69021619438024691222016-11-11T08:55:00.004-05:002016-11-11T10:05:14.634-05:00The 'Generation' answered the call when asked<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRI2V4Oswdqo3LctU9GEhWXrrx0XGFfqyeOSDKuIz1n-txu-hy8qgr8lmhFZr1_Ap8dYUXuOvm8VDz0m9Fee2MDh4f6qWP0nwKuUhp6O79pPnhI5JBD7FJCCF_BlL-Wv3P12dTMOAmNR-N/s1600/John+Father.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRI2V4Oswdqo3LctU9GEhWXrrx0XGFfqyeOSDKuIz1n-txu-hy8qgr8lmhFZr1_Ap8dYUXuOvm8VDz0m9Fee2MDh4f6qWP0nwKuUhp6O79pPnhI5JBD7FJCCF_BlL-Wv3P12dTMOAmNR-N/s200/John+Father.jpg" width="164" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My father, PFC Allen Herndon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<style type="text/css">P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; </style><i><span style="font-size: large;">(NOTE: This column appeared in a special Veterans' Day section in the Nov. 9 edition of The Anderson News.)</span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I don’t think I ever fully understood why those who won World War II
are often called “The Greatest Generation.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Until
recently, that is. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Oh,
I thought I understood. Intellectually, I knew why that label had
been applied to those who served in some way during the all-out war
that has shaped the world in which I live. They were regular
citizens.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Farmers.
Bankers. Factory workers. Teachers. Store clerks. Doctors.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Some
were well off. Some were not. Most were somewhere in between. Yet,
they put aside their different backgrounds and came together.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">As
the great historian, Stephen Ambrose, once said, “None of them
wanted to be part of another war. They wanted to be throwing
baseballs, not hand grenades, shooting .22s at rabbits, not M-1s at
other young men.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"B</span><span style="font-size: large;">ut
when the test came, when freedom had to be fought for or abandoned,
they fought.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Someone
had to stop a psychopathic madman and his minions in Europe. Someone
had to stop the imperialists set on controlling the Pacific.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">They
didn’t ask for the job but those in The Greatest Generation were
more than up to it. They left their fields, their stores and their
desks only with the thought of stopping tyranny halfway around the
world and getting back home.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Only
recently, when going through some old photos, did it really hit home
with how great The Greatest Generation really was.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My
father, PFC Allen Herndon, was a member of that generation, serving
in the United States Army in World War II.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Actually,
my dad never saw combat. In his usual understated wit, he would just
say, “I was on the boat when the war ended.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My
father died of cancer more than 30 years ago. He rarely talked about
his time in the Philippines, where he was training for the planned
invasion of Japan in late 1945, or of his time in Japan as part of
the occupying forces after the war ended. What happened in his turn
of events before and after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I don’t know.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What
I do know is a story that is similar to so many others of the day.
And it’s what makes that generation great.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Dad
was working on the family farm on Alton Station Road. His father
milked a few cows, got the tobacco in the ground with a horse-drawn
setter and shopped at Chowning’s Grocery.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">They
went to church on Sunday.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">But
one day, my father’s life changed. He was a senior at Kavanaugh
High School when the notice came, “Greetings ...”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">That
he was still in high school didn’t mean he could get a deferment.
He was of age and deemed to be able-bodied. That was all that
mattered.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-4hnuEQ1HWsGYAAL8Mkbo6kTnON02HGjnjiWlzVZW97k8ESpBO6jwRMK_-E-7EfOCqqZda_sFByfzaVaKwwLUjXTGJF4tQidMg5pRJZ13tfUbbXXj0cvJjmyA0_1NkYnrGEuC0VG9iC5/s1600/Returning+soldiers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-4hnuEQ1HWsGYAAL8Mkbo6kTnON02HGjnjiWlzVZW97k8ESpBO6jwRMK_-E-7EfOCqqZda_sFByfzaVaKwwLUjXTGJF4tQidMg5pRJZ13tfUbbXXj0cvJjmyA0_1NkYnrGEuC0VG9iC5/s400/Returning+soldiers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soldiers return from Japan in Oct. 1946. My father is in the group.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">He
reported to the Lawrenceburg train depot for the ride to Louisville
in January 1945. In my mind, I picture a young man scared of what
could lie ahead but afraid to show that fear to anyone.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Several
months later, my father was in the Philippines prepping for his role
in Operation Downfall, the dreaded invasion of the Japanese mainland. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">With
an entrenched army and a fanatical civilian population taught from
birth that Emperor Hirohito was a deity and living the Bushido code,
estimated casualties for Operation Downfall ranged anywhere from
500,000 to well into the millions.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">But
like so many others, my father answered the call. After atomic bombs
rained destruction on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, his orders changed from
invasion to occupation.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I
have often wondered if I would even be here today if the atomic bombs
had not been dropped. The randomness of war dictates that inches,
equipment and simple luck – good or bad – are the differences
between life and death. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Dad
served his time in Japan nobly. He didn’t bring home compelling
stories of dodging bullets or surviving artillery shells exploding
nearby. Just some souvenirs and photos.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">They
were photos of Hiroshima, as he went through not long after the bomb.
They were photos my sister and I distinctly remember seeing during
one of those days when Dad did talk about the war. His message was
simple: Never let this happen again.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Most
of those pictures of Hiroshima’s ruins have disappeared. All we
have are photos of my father with other young men who answered their
calls. We have no idea of their names or hometowns. We just know that
they served.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Some
of those young men came home and worked in factories. Others returned
to the jobs they had before Uncle Sam called. Others came back and
went to college.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3NDWE7aRaz3bqwZuAw2e2zV_TxJTc20pJdxEoiHcPitVEJxdqL2ceseoZbaQUAmFOpp90yk27BvV1AUwtsgVTJPgORFieWkh6C5jEku2eiPdYsEbcDkCaKsDLrX29pjnxvjOFjcPxHaKB/s1600/John+Dad+with+child.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3NDWE7aRaz3bqwZuAw2e2zV_TxJTc20pJdxEoiHcPitVEJxdqL2ceseoZbaQUAmFOpp90yk27BvV1AUwtsgVTJPgORFieWkh6C5jEku2eiPdYsEbcDkCaKsDLrX29pjnxvjOFjcPxHaKB/s320/John+Dad+with+child.jpg" width="175" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My father with a young child in Japan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When
my father returned, he finished his studies at Kavanaugh, graduating
from high school at age 22. And he made a career in the military,
giving 33 years of service to the Kentucky National Guard. While he
never had to go overseas again, his job kept him in touch with those
fighting in Korea and Vietnam. Some of his friends did not come home.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">He
never sought glory in what he did, but he was proud of his service to
the cause of freedom.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">He
was like so many others. They saw freedom as something worth fighting
for. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">They
fought that battle, then went about their lives.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-size: large;">They
really are The Greatest Generation. They should never be forgotten.</span></div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-52165927169686047182016-11-09T17:49:00.003-05:002016-11-09T20:54:15.127-05:00"Deplorable" comment fueled perceptions and resentment<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Caution: You might find the next few hundred words
deplorable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not that I am trying to get one last needle at Hillary
Clinton after the election. We got in enough of those to go around from the end of
the Democratic National Convention up through Tuesday, when Donald Trump did
what few believed possible. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For her part, Clinton’s concession speech Wednesday morning
might have been the best she’s ever delivered. She was gracious, urged her
supporters to continue fighting for what they believe in and pledged to work
with Trump for the betterment of America.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A tip of the hat to her for such a statement after such a
devastating loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was classy and
needed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
There have been a thousand different theories as to what
happened Tuesday, most carrying some validity. For my money, when she called
half of Donald Trump’s supporters “deplorable” and “irredeemable” back in early
September, it threw gasoline on an already simmering fire. It exploded Tuesday.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even though she later said she regretted using the words, the
fact that she said them in the first place is one of the biggest reasons Donald
Trump will be taking the oath of office on January 20.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Undoubtedly, there were other factors, but in that one
sentence, Clinton summarized what many believe to be true in Washington. It’s
an attitude of “We are better than you. Your deeply held values no longer
matter to me or those around me. You are obviously intellectually inferior, so
do as I say."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was already a deep resentment that Clinton got off with
careless handling of emails back in July. Whether criminal intent was involved
was not the question. The perception was obviously that Clinton was going to
get away with a crime that would have most members of the military facing a
court martial.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whether the perception was warranted is not the point. The
description of those who did not support Clinton fit nicely with the idea that
Washington’s attitude was beyond caring and was now to the point of disdain for
the people it was to serve.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Deplorable" took off and became a bit of a badge of honor among those
opposed to Clinton’s agenda. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I voted for Trump. However, that decision was not solid until
the day before the election and I still have reservations about someone who has
never held elective office leading the country. But, as I blogged Sunday, his
pick of Mike Pence as his running mate was the high point of the campaign.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Trump won, though, when he tapped into the perception that
Washington had totally lost touch. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
That’s because it has.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From my little corner of the world, I have grown weary of an
insurance system that has seen my deductible skyrocket and has forced me to
fight for more than two years to have needed knee surgery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve grown weary of a system that treats
unborn children as a simple mass of tissue until the time they emerge from the
womb and I am even more tired of being told I am wrong for believing life is
precious.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve grown weary of an education system that tries to
silence mentions of one’s faith, but openly promotes an evolutionary system
that at its core denies the existence of God.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m beyond angry at the notion that I am wrong when I
believe that a boy who wants to say he’s a girl – or vice-versa – needs mental
help instead of being told that it’s OK to go to a bathroom or locker room
where he feels comfortable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m beyond angry at being labeled a bigot when I say I just
want my teenage daughter to be able to go to the bathroom in peace and practice
modesty as she has been taught. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve grown tired of going through the checkout line at
Kroger or Walmart, seeing people pay for their food with EBT cards then buying
beer, candy, dog food and everything else under the sun with cash. And I’ve
grown tired of seeing free cell phone tents dotting the landscape.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m even more angry when I, and people like me, are called
bigots for believing these ideas are not progress but are the very things
contributing to a decline in our country. I grew weary of the assertions that
those who opposed Barack Obama were racist or those who did not support Hillary
Clinton were sexist.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How about the truth: Most who oppose their policies do so
because they believe they were bad for the country. Period.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Accusing people of being something they are not simply
because they see things differently really is, well, deplorable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For some reason, I believe there are millions of people who
feel the same way who spoke loudly on Tuesday. And if the Republicans lose
sight of this in 2018 or 2020, they will be voted out the same way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve also gotten tired of a liberal media machine that likes
to portray those who hold those same values as being “uneducated” and love to
spout those statistics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On my home
office wall, I have papers framed telling people I have completed the work for
both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree but they don’t make me smarter. They just say I did the work and was introduced to some complex concepts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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On the other hand, I have nothing there showing the wisdom I
have acquired while going through the school of life, but I also know life has taught
me more than any institution. Many of the smartest people I know only have an education
from that school of life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I felt frustrated, alienated and yes, angry, when I went to
the polls Tuesday morning and know I was not alone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now it’s time to heal. Trump, Clinton, Obama and many others
have made their statements about working together to heal our country. They are
right in doing so.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A start is when those in power, whether in Washington, state
capitals and city governments acknowledge the problem is not with the American
people but with those who expect to be served, not serve.</div>
<div style="mso-element: comment-list;">
<hr align="left" class="msocomoff" size="1" width="33%" />
<div style="mso-element: comment;">
<div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_1">
<span style="mso-comment-author: "John Herndon"; mso-comment-providerid: None; mso-comment-userid: "John Herndon";"></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-70349382020041884462016-11-06T21:57:00.000-05:002016-11-06T21:57:10.353-05:00We got ourselves into this election mess<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m writing this less than 36 hours before the polls
open in Kentucky for what I believe could be the most crucial presidential
election in my lifetime.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m not excited. I’m actually not even looking forward
to voting for the top office in the land.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But sometime Tuesday, I’ll vote. Too many people have
given their lives and the stakes are too high to stay home.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Playing hooky was never really an option Tuesday.
There are several other races that are important and have competent people
seeking to serve in public office. My hat is off to them, regardless of their
party. Given the climate and possible consequences of this year’s race for the
White House, those offices will carry more significance than most of us can
even begin to understand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Let’s just say that the common utterance about the
genius of the country’s founding fathers being seen in the checks and balances
of the Constitution are correct.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That,
in itself, makes the races for the Senate and House important every election,
maybe never more so than this year.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But back to the race that has burdened us for the
better part of two years.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My politics lean heavily Republican. I proudly cast my
first presidential vote for Gerald Ford in 1976, plastered my car with Ronald Reagan
stickers and wept when The Gipper died. While I did not always agree with either
President Bush, I have long admired what I believe to be their genuine decency
and kindness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve never missed a presidential election and have
supported the GOP every time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I have crossed over to vote for Democrats several times
in other races, including voting for Kentucky’s late senator Wendell Ford more
than once. I’ve crossed party lines for races ranging from local offices to
governor. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But to label me as a Republican who believes in
compassionate conservatism would be accurate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Because of that label, I don’t really want to vote for
Donald Trump. While I agree with some of his main talking points and believe
Washington needs a major shakeup, I still question his readiness to lead the
nation. While he’s selected some good people to be around him – the pick of
Mike Pence has easily been the high point of this election in my book – there are
too many unknowns about Trump for my liking. It’s scary.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I won’t vote for Hillary Clinton. No way, shape or
form. Let’s just say you’d have a better chance of surfing in the Sahara than to
see me voting for who I believe to be the most corrupt person to run for
President in my adult lifetime. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I felt that way long before a similar phrase became a
standard line of Trump’s speeches. If you need a recap of why so many feel the
way I do, you have not been paying attention. She’s terrifying.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ultimately, though, the finger-pointing needs to be at
ourselves for allowing the situation to come to this.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Think about the things Trump was saying in the
primary, such as “We’re going to build a (border) wall and make Mexico pay for
it.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enrique Pena Nieto is going to just write a
check to the USA? I guess I am just one of these guys that believes a nation is
sovereign, so I just don’t understand how that statement took such deep root.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(For the record, as a Republican, I voted for Sen.
Marco Rubio in the caucus. I loved his personal story and enthusiasm for what I
believe to be the American dream.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As for the Democrats, I wonder how anyone could ignore
the cloud of corruption that has followed Hillary and Bill Clinton for more
than two decades. Even though the FBI has decided again to not pursue criminal
charges – again – for her handling of classified material, is there not a
problem with such recklessness? Again, I don’t understand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I could go on and on and on and on about the problems
with both candidates but you should know them anyway.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What’s especially troubling is the majority of people
I have talked with concerning Nov. 8 have said the same thing, regardless of
which candidate they support.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I am voting for the lesser of two evils.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When that’s the number one reason for voting for
President – it has been supported by several national polls – we are in serious
trouble as a nation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You can blame the party hierarchies, blame the media,
or point fingers in many directions but ultimately the predicament we are in on
Tuesday is because of an electorate unwilling to pay attention, more interested
in style than substance and getting far too much of its information from
Facebook memes instead of actually paying attention to what is really going on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We won’t come to the same conclusions, but I would bet
we would not be in the predicament we are in. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-44154058763375947782016-09-21T20:46:00.000-04:002016-09-21T20:46:35.975-04:00Emotional tribute of 'To Joey, With Love' provides challenge to the faithful<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I should have taken a handkerchief when I saw “To
Joey, With Love” Tuesday night.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I knew the movie would be a sad story, but I pride
myself in being a tough guy who rarely sheds tears. As I watched the story
chronicling the final two years of country singer Joey Feek’s life, I wanted to
cry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My wife, Stephanie, could not hold back the tears as
we watched the film, which was created, written and directed by Rory Feek as a
tribute to his wife, who died in March after a courageous battle against
cancer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The husband-wife team had become extremely popular
with their mix of classic and modern country along with a down-to-earth persona
showcased on their successful cable TV show.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">At the height of their success, they decided to take a
year off from traveling while Joey had the couple’s first child. They would
document it on film.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Little did they know what was ahead.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The baby girl was born with Down’s Syndrome. The
family quickly accepted that the child, named “Indiana” after Joey’s home
state, was the one God wanted them to have. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">At her 12-week checkup after giving birth, the doctors
found that Joey had an abnormality which turned out to be cervical cancer.
After surgery and aggressive treatment, doctors declared Joey to be cancer-free
only to have the dreaded disease return in 2015. Despite more surgeries and
treatment, the cancer could not be contained.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Joey and Rory went to live life to the fullest in the
time she had left. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Watching Joey’s physical decline on film could only
make one wonder how he would respond if placed in that situation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The story that began with Joey giving a life took the
most dramatic turn possible and continues today, even after her death. That is
what a true witness is.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s more than singing a song or wearing a big smile.
It’s knowing one’s eternity has been sealed by Jesus Christ.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I accidentally became a fan of Joey and Rory several
years back. I’d been watching The Marty Stuart Show on RFD-TV and somehow had
been distracted toward the end of the show and left the room. When I returned
to the couch, Joey and Rory had come on. I was immediately hooked on their
music and their unwavering devotion to Jesus Christ.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I told my wife to check them out and she was quickly a
bigger fan than me. The just seemed like genuine people, thankful for what they
had accomplished and giving God the glory for everything.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>We regret we
had a scheduling conflict the last time Joey and Rory performed at Renfro
Valley, our favorite concert venue. Very soon after that show last September,
the couple stopped touring.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Their witness, however will remain strong through
their music.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The film, which is being shown on a limited basis, can
only enhance that outreach.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As the crowd slowly filed out of the theater, the
sounds were few. A few sniffles here. Some whispers there.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I wonder how many were thinking the same as me: Is my
faith so strong that it will inspire others. Through a time of pain and death,
would I, like Joey, be able to sing? Would I be able to smile and encourage
others?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Her voice was weakened, but still distinct.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When peace like a river attendeth my way</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When sorrows like sea billows roll</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say</span></i></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It is well, it is well with my soul</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thank you Joey for your powerful witness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thank you Rory, for a wonderful celebration of her life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And for making me examine my own life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-34951303342924240632016-08-17T07:18:00.002-04:002016-08-17T11:03:07.866-04:00Martin Family Circus hitting the right chord(NOTE: This column appeared in the Aug. 17, 2016 edition of The Anderson News. My wife and I consider Paul and Jamie Martin good friends and we are so happy for them that they are able to sing at the Kentucky State Fair Sunday night. Most of all, we are inspired by their message of hope through their music.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJryph8RjiMYH_gPb-cMDC7iSM_Rb7h8t9L0xoWjkDIq8BBlMDN0r5oq6D7D_5J9DS8DFfJ0x39SaopMaHHFXbpRDp6Xb10Hc9NtIYJPKFaA6qB_-8MDeuud_b0RH7r5hV2h3XDTNf2DYx/s1600/Martin+01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJryph8RjiMYH_gPb-cMDC7iSM_Rb7h8t9L0xoWjkDIq8BBlMDN0r5oq6D7D_5J9DS8DFfJ0x39SaopMaHHFXbpRDp6Xb10Hc9NtIYJPKFaA6qB_-8MDeuud_b0RH7r5hV2h3XDTNf2DYx/s400/Martin+01.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Martin Family Circus at Middletown, Ky. They are, from left, March, Kell, Tallant, Jamie, Texas (on drums) and Paul.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPH2OcVB1RaxMDeOkYAkshfB1O5zU55C7-A6tf66Py_6izJDMnXWMNNYZZW36exc2fBNOsGpQPyhVJhhYfLavSy2ENX3UDEmreHYNk_txnZDvlb11J1YleZJgjmkq5T1GNDbcpJYBfCfst/s1600/Martin+02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPH2OcVB1RaxMDeOkYAkshfB1O5zU55C7-A6tf66Py_6izJDMnXWMNNYZZW36exc2fBNOsGpQPyhVJhhYfLavSy2ENX3UDEmreHYNk_txnZDvlb11J1YleZJgjmkq5T1GNDbcpJYBfCfst/s400/Martin+02.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Martin Family leads worship at Hendersonville (Tenn.) First Baptist Church on July 31, 2016.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:13 (NIV).</i><br />
There’s little doubt that the Martin Family Circus has scored what
might be the prime gig for a group making its own name at the Kentucky
State Fair. The Martins, people with strong Kentucky ties, will be
opening for The Oak Ridge Boys’ amazingly popular – 41 years and
counting – show.<br />
But there’s more to the Martin Family Circus than just the music.
Regardless of one’s musical tastes, the family group plans on making
many smiles.<br />
“Music is a universal language,” says Jamie Martin, who along with
her husband, Paul, and their four children, have been wowing audiences
since they started performing several years ago. They have a bedrock of
faith, hope and love that is apparent every time they sing, whether at
their home church, an RECC meeting or Sunday, when they take the stage
for what is expected to be their biggest show yet.
<br />
I had the pleasure of meeting Paul and Jamie Martin and their family backstage at Renfro Valley last year.<br />
I’d known of Paul Martin as he’d been the lead singer with Exile –
think of the hit “Keep it in the Middle of the Road” – more than 20
years ago. Most recently he’d been playing bass guitar and bass fiddle
for Marty Stuart and The Fabulous Superlatives. I’d also known about
Jamie, who is still featured as a backup singer on Country’s Family
Reunion on RFD-TV and I knew she was the daughter of the Oak Ridge Boys’
Duane Allen.<br />
But little did I know that night how good their music would be or
that we would strike up a bit of a friendship. And I had no idea just
how some people just living what they believe would be an inspiration
every time I hear them sing.<br />
“This was a leap of faith,” Paul says with his trademark smile. He
sat in the small studio he owns near Nashville where numerous reminders
of the country music giants he has been associated with adorn the walls.
There’s Stuart, Exile, The Oaks, Kathy Mattea and more.<br />
Paul, a Winchester native, credits an old friend, former Anderson
County resident Charlie Crowe, for pushing him toward his successful
career. The two played together in Crowe’s group, Charlie’s Garage,
around Lexington in the early 1980s before Martin went with Exile. Crowe
later became one of Nashville’s top musicians as guitarist for Brooks
and Dunn.<br />
“Charlie is the guy who really pumped me up and made me believe in myself,” Paul says.<br />
At home, Paul and Jamie began to believe they had something special
musically. They started teaching their children how to sing anything
from Hank Williams, Sr., to the Beach Boys to current pop hits to old
hymns. The kids demonstrated an uncanny ability to sing harmony.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhU5L5JMTWX75gKRNBnK596WRAFhnXSJ-2Lo6vL_ElDC9lRH_BrB6oJSNgNvUPe5hkDmI6KrCjkA-ehYrevySk_tOf9dc4dhsFVYjrU8JSgQkA7-uuaT3dfjcgAsHCG7oDTFC2GETieJpV/s1600/DSC_0063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhU5L5JMTWX75gKRNBnK596WRAFhnXSJ-2Lo6vL_ElDC9lRH_BrB6oJSNgNvUPe5hkDmI6KrCjkA-ehYrevySk_tOf9dc4dhsFVYjrU8JSgQkA7-uuaT3dfjcgAsHCG7oDTFC2GETieJpV/s400/DSC_0063.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March, Kell, Tallant and Jamie Martin sing "Mary, Don't You Weep."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Paul and Jamie dreamed of doing something together as a family with
the most basic of reasons. “God has given us talents,” Jamie says. “You
have to use them for Him.”<br />
But there was the issue of having four children but giving up the
security of being on stage with Stuart, one of Nashville’s
longest-tenured stars. They learned that enormous faith can make what
seems crazy become a reality.<br />
The Martins talked it over with their pastor, who noted that the
Martins’ oldest son, March, was 17 at the time. “He said, ‘It looks like
your window of opportunity is closing fast,’” Paul says.<br />
He went to Stuart, with whom he had worked for over a decade. “I
said, ‘Marty, I’m not mad. I have just got to do this thing with my
family.’”<br />
The morning after returning home from his final date with Stuart,
reality hit. “I woke up that Tuesday morning and said, ‘Here we go,’”
Paul says.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnDGBWjsqyKLcGhEpPvan2wZbC7RWZJjC3mCnbzs_UvpKKHgukgXPMLdXcrLPdlxyx0tdyLf99KC2X-StuqorRAxA2kJo2XPHUl12_dpfUD8m-3hcm_if-mE_XkgfbXsG_jvZ2U5PBhOp/s1600/DSC_0066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnDGBWjsqyKLcGhEpPvan2wZbC7RWZJjC3mCnbzs_UvpKKHgukgXPMLdXcrLPdlxyx0tdyLf99KC2X-StuqorRAxA2kJo2XPHUl12_dpfUD8m-3hcm_if-mE_XkgfbXsG_jvZ2U5PBhOp/s320/DSC_0066.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Texas Martin sings, while Paul accompanies at their home church.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Martin Family Circus has gone from that moment with a message of
hope, regardless of the venue. They’ve played churches, community shows
and nailed a performance of the National Anthem before 19,000 fans at
an Indiana Pacers’ game in February. They pray together before every
show, asking that they be a blessing to someone.<br />
Understandably, the Martins are thrilled to be in Louisville. Not
only is Paul, who attended Eastern Kentucky University, a Winchester
native, but much of Jamie’s family on her mother’s side is from Bowling
Green. For two years, she attended the University of Kentucky, where she
worked in athletic director C.M. Newton’s office. The Martins love the
Wildcats and Ale-8-One. “We’ve both set tobacco and worked in tobacco,”
Jamie laughs.<br />
Over the years, the Martin kids have been on stage when The Oaks
sing one of their huge hits, “Thank God for Kids.” A year ago, the
Martins made an impromptu appearance during the state fair show and
brought the house down.<br />
“We are so proud of these four men,” Jamie says. “I mean, seriously:
41 million records sold, more than one million social media followers …
41 years straight headlining the Kentucky State Fair, members of the
Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry, awards too numerous
to count, and this is my dad’s 50th year with this group!<br />
“I’m sure, in his first year of touring with the Oaks, my dad would
have never imagined that 50 years later, his opening act would be made
up of his children and grandchildren. And we couldn’t be more excited to
do this together.”<br />
The Martin Family Circus aims to uplift people. One of their best-known songs is a rocking cover of Pharell Williams’ “Happy.”<br />
“Music is my life,” says Paul, “I want the joy of it. If we can feed our family, I want to bring joy to people.”<br />
“Everywhere we go,” Jamie says, “people come up to us and have a lot
going on in their lives. We understand because we have that going on
too.”<br />
And the Martins try to live Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount when he said his people are “the light of the world.”<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceXaCaflOJtXyhRV23ZWpogRQ0c8a132cza3qjHKUu-AP-0ZQ1Zk1bVYmEw2sk0Kf2kTA1PQLGIz5eNe-DoLWmS4ZSir2exBLGOIsDIwzWxwhVzK2mQJfwle2cqkPewrre7ZdlwVJP0f-/s1600/TexasandDuane02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceXaCaflOJtXyhRV23ZWpogRQ0c8a132cza3qjHKUu-AP-0ZQ1Zk1bVYmEw2sk0Kf2kTA1PQLGIz5eNe-DoLWmS4ZSir2exBLGOIsDIwzWxwhVzK2mQJfwle2cqkPewrre7ZdlwVJP0f-/s320/TexasandDuane02.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Texas Martin sings "Happy" at the Ky. State Fair in 2015.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The light shines through an evening of love. The Martins and their
children, March (18), Kell (15), Texas (11) and Tallant (9) perform all
the vocals and play all the instruments.<br />
And The Martins want to make sure their message is clear. One of the
cuts on their second album, “Past, Present and Future,” just released
last week, is Kell singing, “Precious Lord, Take My Hand.” Another song
is one Paul wrote about the Christian life, “Nothing More.”<br />
He's also written a song about Jamie called, "One Lifetime's Not Enough."<br />
It’s the Martins’ way of delivering the greatest love message of them all.<br />
“When we step on the stage, we want the light to shine through us,”
Paul says. “People come to us who are not going to church. We always end
our sets with gospel. We want to plant a seed.”John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-52971489647982135372016-06-30T12:58:00.002-04:002016-06-30T13:16:57.923-04:00Meeting a hero, close to home<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju04oxN5NXRAtk9qALHu8W8SwYWWax-eTYmgpsJkjVsyWt83odnqR8nGN4nD9Eyez9SxXvP5P_GOm7MdPteDCKz7TOKQGzNknhhGGu-KKHtBfYnV97xkeHO0gvd8yrlR1oII7nYEh1UAom/s1600/Rucker01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju04oxN5NXRAtk9qALHu8W8SwYWWax-eTYmgpsJkjVsyWt83odnqR8nGN4nD9Eyez9SxXvP5P_GOm7MdPteDCKz7TOKQGzNknhhGGu-KKHtBfYnV97xkeHO0gvd8yrlR1oII7nYEh1UAom/s400/Rucker01.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mason Rucker shows me the list of wounded from St. Lo, France in World War II.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<i>It used to be Superman,</i><br />
<i>Johnny Bench and then George Jones.</i><br />
<i>But lately I’ve been finding all my heroes</i><br />
<i>Closer to home.</i><br />
<i>—The Oak Ridge Boys</i><br />
<br />
I never met Mason Rucker until I was out of college, but he quickly became one of my heroes.<br />
<br />
If you ever got to know him, he’d be one of yours too.<br />
<br />
Over the years, I’ve been able to talk with members of the
basketball, baseball, football and country music Halls of Fame. Posters
of some of those people had adorned my wall as I was growing up. Others
had been blaring through my stereo speakers as I drove around the
countryside.<br />
<br />
But unlike my longtime friend, those Hall of Fame heroes had long
established their level of greatness long before I had the privilege to
talk with them.<br />
<br />
Actually, Mason Rucker did too. I just didn’t know it.<br />
<br />
Armed with take-on-the-world enthusiasm and a fresh degree from
Roanoke Bible College, I accepted the minister’s position at Mt. Eden
Christian Church in the fall of 1981. It was my first full-time job and
was just a few miles from my Anderson County home.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9r9X-DcYW4wrCH6kkEV3cUU3OgdXrIgdHCrqeLYbz1V9UCnBsmB7zyu4zjvHXDZiWzesigdox-HNpOb__ZS_8CPGgcrttZlTGcWKsReKfZTFSfY7hWhUXlocGhtUJ0TVx0DEWDPlMBFjA/s1600/Rucker03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9r9X-DcYW4wrCH6kkEV3cUU3OgdXrIgdHCrqeLYbz1V9UCnBsmB7zyu4zjvHXDZiWzesigdox-HNpOb__ZS_8CPGgcrttZlTGcWKsReKfZTFSfY7hWhUXlocGhtUJ0TVx0DEWDPlMBFjA/s320/Rucker03.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mason Rucker with his recently received medals.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was the young preacher with big dreams. Mr. Rucker was an
established man who was known throughout the area as a director at Camp
Calvary and for his work with the Salt River Christian Men’s Fellowship.<br />
<br />
He was the wise man who’d been through the battles. Literally.<br />
<br />
And that’s why he, and so many like him are worthy of any honor that comes their way.<br />
<br />
I’d known why Mr. Rucker is a hero nearly 35 years. Not long after I
took up residence in Mt. Eden, his son, Eldon, briefly filled me in:
Mason’s finger was shot off during World War II and he spent 18 months
in Army hospitals. But, I was told, he wouldn’t talk about it.<br />
<br />
But after seeing a recent story in The Spencer Magnet about Mason
finally getting all of his war medals after waiting more than 70 years, I
reached out through a Facebook message to his daughter, Darleen Woods.<br />
<br />
“He would love to talk with you,” she said.<br />
<br />
And last Saturday, I drove to Taylorsville, where I finally talked with one of my heroes about what made him so special.<br />
<br />
“I was just young and scared,” smiled Mr. Rucker, now a remarkably spry 93 years old.<br />
<br />
That was undoubtedly a fitting description for most of the hundreds
of thousands of young men who had walked on the beaches of Normandy in
June, 1944. A private first class, Mr. Rucker set foot in France just
after D-Day.<br />
<br />
On July 26, near St. Lo, Mr. Rucker and two of his buddies were
scouting for a tank when they came under German machine gun fire. A
bullet took the pinky finger of Rucker’s right hand and tore through his
right arm. The impact left him with shoulder and rib cage pains for
some time.<br />
<br />
Rucker crawled toward some hedgerows where he could take some cover.
On the way, he heard a voice say, “Rucker, if you can make it here, I
will pull you over.”<br />
<br />
The fire was so intense, he says, “They weren’t about to come over where I was at.”<br />
<br />
As he crawled to the hedgerow, his life was spared by mere inches. “I felt a bullet go by my head,” he recalls.<br />
<br />
Somehow, Mr. Rucker made to relative safety and was taken to a
hospital tent. “I guarantee you there were 35 or 40 in there,” he says.<br />
<br />
His buddies were not among those in the tent. Rucker sent letters to
them but someone from the Red Cross told him the letters had come back.
His buddies made the ultimate sacrifice.<br />
<br />
I told Mr. Rucker that I had known a little of his story since those
days when I lived in Mt. Eden but was curious as to why he was freely
talking now.<br />
<br />
“I would talk about it and start crying,” he said.<br />
<br />
As we sat in his living room, it was obvious his mind still hurts
over what happened that day in 1944, but the determination to make sure
today’s generation truly understands the horror of war trumps that pain.<br />
<br />
Mr. Rucker was discharged from the hospital at Camp Atterbury, near
Columbus, Ind., on Feb. 2, 1946. Waiting to head home was not an option.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdLt4ZWYGU_I_pgogvNYTbdNeHzwTt76dM5HZ4t2YnzD3c38prpUbXiHqaadrduLKlTOexDeQLA3qebFE67faJAcqhK3gD8ydNLQ-zu0rBT4A9PerPHGO7O2BPR3DT_LwSC3ZelQOWDfX/s1600/Rucker04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdLt4ZWYGU_I_pgogvNYTbdNeHzwTt76dM5HZ4t2YnzD3c38prpUbXiHqaadrduLKlTOexDeQLA3qebFE67faJAcqhK3gD8ydNLQ-zu0rBT4A9PerPHGO7O2BPR3DT_LwSC3ZelQOWDfX/s320/Rucker04.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mason and Irene Rucker celebrate 70 years of marriage July 4</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
“I asked about the bus to Louisville and they said the next one
would come through in two hours,” Mr. Rucker says. “I didn’t want to
wait, so I went out to the road and hitchhiked.”<br />
<br />
He arrived in Louisville in less than two hours and eventually
caught a ride to Shelbyville. He met Irene Whitehouse and they will be
celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary Monday.<br />
<br />
July 4.<br />
<br />
But the patriotic hero says there was no red, white and blue significance to the date.<br />
<br />
“We just wanted to get married,” he says with a laugh. “I’d seen enough fireworks in France.”<br />
<br />
Mr. Rucker settled near Mt. Eden, worked at GE in Louisville, raised a family and loved God and his country.<br />
<br />
Earlier this year, a package arrived at his home with the medals
commemorating his ordeal. Someone at the Veterans Administration learned
that Mr. Rucker had not received his honors and got working on the
case.<br />
<br />
“A lot of them didn’t get their medals,” said Rucker, whose purple heart signifies being wounded in battle.<br />
<br />
But after people started becoming aware of his story, Mr. Rucker says people have told him “Thank you” several times.<br />
<br />
I wanted to do the same last Saturday. After all, another of his
medals is a Bronze Star, given for heroic actions or achievement.<br />
<br />
There aren’t too many heroes like Mason Rucker today. Over 400 World
War II survivors are passing every day, according to statistics cited
by the World War II Museum. Those still living are in their late 80s and
90s. They saved the world from Adolf Hitler’s madness. They truly are
The Greatest Generation.<br />
<br />
Thank you, Mason Rucker, for what you gave that day in France.<br />
<br />
And thanks to hundreds of others like him whose sacrifices are still being felt today.John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-22665442811982394682016-05-27T13:40:00.002-04:002016-05-27T13:56:11.915-04:00'Small Town, Big Heart' <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<i>This story appeared in the May 18 edition of The Anderson News.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<style type="text/css">P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }A:link { }</style>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCZ4HzbjsXjVokieYurjJh6iBkuUHT5XBWmw0CabGaNV_2xwMsB8UynvLXhCpSqYYzrf3WhAPve50syDmEuHkP9wqPr3gkqQwI5bl88uNVj44Akz7yvRLMoRplE9mihq98LVW9M39jjzi/s1600/DSC_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCZ4HzbjsXjVokieYurjJh6iBkuUHT5XBWmw0CabGaNV_2xwMsB8UynvLXhCpSqYYzrf3WhAPve50syDmEuHkP9wqPr3gkqQwI5bl88uNVj44Akz7yvRLMoRplE9mihq98LVW9M39jjzi/s320/DSC_0033.JPG" width="212" /></a>When she starts
singing it's sometimes hard to remember Mikaya Taylor is just
completing fifth grade at Robert B. Turner Elementary School.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
But the local
girl, who has been performing the country and bluegrass music for
about a year might be the perfect mix of youthful exuberance and a
maturing voice that is turning heads.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
“Was your day
good today,” Taylor asks with a huge smile.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
As she did in
November for an interview about her new-found success, Mikaya gives
the impression she's a typical, talkative 11-year-old girl.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
Until, that is,
you push in her new CD.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
“<i>Gentle river
take me away<br /> to the time of happier days<br /> All I need is love
and company<br /> Gentle river bring him back to me.”</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
The Allison Krauss song is the first of 10 on Mikaya' just-released
project. The CD, “Mikaya Taylor: Small Town, Big Heart,” is a
collaboration between Mikaya, her mother, Traci Taylor, Old Town
Recording Studios of Berea and Blind Dog Studios of Crestwood.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
Local musician Kevin Chilton plays banjo on the CD.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
The album is a collection of classics including covers of songs by
Krauss, Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris and Ralph Stanley among others.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
Among her favorites is a cover of the Osborne Brothers' bluegrass
hit, “Listening to the Rain.”</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
Mikaya says she has been singing that one just over a month, or just
in time to put it on the CD.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
“<span style="font-style: normal;">It
seemed like everyone kept asking when she would have one. Even the
festivals were asking. We decided we had better get one,” Traci
Taylor says. </span>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
Mikaya is scheduled to sing at the Bardstown Bluegrass Festival and
the Festival of the Bluegrass at the Kentucky Horse Park in June. She
also has several other dates scheduled.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
Since her story first appeared in The Anderson News in December,
Mikaya has been an invited guest for a gathering of Tomorrow's
Bluegrass Stars in Nashville.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
“<span style="font-style: normal;">That
was so much fun! I met Nathan Stanley,” she says of the grandson of
the bluegrass music legend.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
Traci says the trip, which covered four nights, was paid for by some
local sponsors.
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
In the last few months, Mikaya has also gotten a new guitar for
Christmas and received a new mandolin as a gift from some members of
a Georgia-based group, Recycled Grass.
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
All the while, Mikaya was working toward her new CD, which was
recorded over 17 hours in three sessions from April 10-30.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
“<span style="font-style: normal;">It
was fun!” Mikaya says with a giggle. “I only messed up once. It
was hard to do because the band had never played together.”</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
In addition to Chilton, band members on the CD include musicians who
have worked with bluegrass legends like Bobby Osborne and J.D. Crowe.
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
And listening to the CD, one can understand why Mikaya's mom says,
“Her voice has changed. It has gotten so much more mature.”</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
Mikaya's calendar has begun to be a bit more busy with bookings, many
being around Lawrenceburg, but she has also been contacted about
appearing at many area venues, including the Capital City Opry in
Frankfort.
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
Mikaya's success also led to a bit of celebrity status at Turner
Elementary. “(Principal Wayne) Reese started telling some of the
teachers, they told some other teachers and they told some of the
kids,” Mikaya laughs.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
“<span style="font-style: normal;">Now
some of the kids want her CD,” Traci smiles. “Her school work
comes first. That is why I don't book her too much.”</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
Currently, Mikaya doesn't have her own band, something her mother is
pursuing.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
But even with her maturing voice, Mikaya is still an 11-year-old.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
“<span style="font-style: normal;">I
want a hoverboard,” she giggles.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
It's something not every kid has.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
Even fewer have their own CD.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
About “Small Town, Big Heart”</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
Mikaya Taylor's first CD includes several country or bluegrass
classics, including covers of Loretta Lynn's “Blue Kentucky Girl”
and Dolly Parton's “Jolene.” The CD also has some newer songs
such as Darrell Scott's “You'll Never Leave Harlan Alone,” which
has been covered by Brad Paisley, among others.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">The
CD costs $15 each or two for $25. It can be purchased online at
mikayataylor.com, messaging Mikaya Taylor on Facebook or by emailing
</span><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="mailto:kentuckysingingangel@gmail.com"><span style="font-style: normal;">kentuckysingingangel@gmail.com</span></a></u></span></span><span style="font-style: normal;">.</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.58in;">
<br /></div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-57163960793795025122016-05-18T08:47:00.002-04:002016-05-19T08:14:15.620-04:00Restroom directive greatly impacts sports<i>This column appeared in the May 18 edition of The Anderson News. </i><br />
<br />
<br />
I wonder what would happen if sometime during the spring, a
thoroughbred horse owner concluded that his prized 3-year-old colt
really identified as a filly.<br />
Could he petition to let his horse run in the Kentucky Oaks or the
Black-Eyed-Susans Stakes? Or if he wanted to still run in the Triple
Crown races, would he get a 5-pound weight allowance?<br />
Absurd? Of course, it is.<br />
But it’s no more absurd than the directive out of Washington last week that could greatly affect sports as we know them.<br />
While much has been said about President Obama’s administration
sending a directive to allow transgender access to bathrooms, the letter
sent to school systems across the nation last Friday goes much further
than where someone can relieve himself. In the “Dear Colleague” letter, you will find some of the most ridiculous gobbledygook to ever come out of Washington.<br />
And that is saying something.<br />
The nine-page document, footnotes and all, can be found online at <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201605-title-ix-transgender.pdf" title="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201605-title-ix-transgender.pdf">http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201605-title...</a><br />
The portion of the letter most are debating is headed “Restrooms and Locker Rooms.”<br />
The section says schools may offer separate facilities on the basis
of sex, i.e., a boys’ room and a girls’ room, “but must allow
transgender students access to such facilities consistent with their
gender identity. A school may not require transgender students to use
facilities inconsistent with their gender identity or to use
individual-user facilities when other students are not required to do
so. A school may, however, make individual-user options available to all
students who voluntarily seek additional privacy.”<br />
The letter makes it very clear that “gender identity” is to be equated with “sex.”<br />
In other words, what you feel is what you are.<br />
The letter also deals with athletics, saying that schools can
sponsor sex-segregated teams but a school can’t “adopt or adhere to
requirements that rely on overly broad generalizations or stereotypes
about the differences between transgender students and other students of
the same sex (i.e., the same gender identity) or others’ discomfort
with transgender students.”<br />
So, what we have to look forward to is a boy who claims he’s a girl
demand to join the girls’ basketball team and have access to the locker
room.<br />
Think it can’t happen? Think again.<br />
Several states already have laws allowing student-athletes to
compete based on “gender identity.” While Kentucky has no such law, the
Kentucky High School Athletic Association already has a transgender and
cross-gender policy.<br />
Earlier this year, a transgender student at Fremd High School in
Illinois won access to the girls’ locker room. According to the “Chicago
Tribune,” a large number of parents were predictably upset at the
ruling, which was based on an interpretation of the Title IX act of
1972.<br />
Whether the student was seeking access for gym class or for a scholastic sport does not matter.<br />
What is so bothersome about the directive is that local officials have often tried to provide accommodations as a compromise.<br />
Several media colleagues have told me about area schools that have
had girls on their football teams in recent years. While that does not
mean those girls are identifying as boys, there is a principle in that
the schools provided separate dressing room facilities.<br />
At Anderson County High School, the policy is if someone identifies as a transgender, a private restroom facility is provided.<br />
But, according to the directive, that’s not good enough. If a
biological boy identifies as a girl, he should have the right to the
girls’ locker room and vice-versa.<br />
That is utter insanity.<br />
From this corner, it is more than just where someone goes to the bathroom. It’s common decency. Gender dysphoria, the clinical term for those who fell they are the
opposite sex, is listed as a disorder in psychiatric manuals.<br />
Do we really want treatment of a disorder by discounting the rights
of privacy, modesty and decorum and replace them with social engineering
in locker rooms?<br />
And, of course, if schools don’t allow such nonsense, they risk losing federal funding.<br />
It is interesting that Johns Hopkins University, a pioneer in
performing sex change surgeries, no longer performs them and the
longtime psychiatrist in chief there has been a vocal opponent of the
surgery for several years. Of course, those who want to promote this
discount that information since it doesn’t further the agenda.<br />
The irony of this nonsense is that while this total rejection of
morality affects scholastic sports, the games provide some insight into
the fact that the sexes are very different.<br />
Take basketball where a high school team with a 6-2 center would
likely be feared in the girls’ game but draw yawns when the boys take
the court. Even the ball the girls use is significantly smaller than the
one for the boys. It was a great move as it recognized some
differences.<br />
Or take track and field. Last week, I attended the regional meet and
looking at the results, the top girls’ performances would be well back
in the standings for the boys. That doesn’t demean the girls or say the
boys are superior.<br />
It does acknowledge there are fundamental biological differences that God created. The emotional differences are just as great.<br />
Unfortunately, it looks like those in power in Washington and their cronies want to ignore reality.<br />
My hope for the students, many of them athletes, is that the local
school board will have the courage to stand with the many, including
Gov. Matt Bevin, around the country against this politically correct
nonsense.<br />
Common decency and morality applies to everything in life.<br />
Including the sports world.<br />
Back to that confused thoroughbred. Growing up on a farm, I learned
you can alter a colt and it will change his behavior, sometimes
dramatically. But it doesn’t make him a filly.John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-19397505201382365222016-05-04T14:40:00.004-04:002016-05-09T09:45:46.728-04:00Christian teachers deserve our prayers for their work in a ripe mission field<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<style type="text/css">P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style>When I carried a note pad into the
Anderson County High School gym for that first basketball game I
covered as a member of the media, I thought I would be writing about
sports and talking with sports figures.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What I quickly found out and am
reminded of nearly every day is the fact that my writing is usually
about people. There have been good people, shady people and people
who would fall somewhere in between on the character scale.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And most of those people are teachers. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
My job is with a small-town weekly
newspaper. That means I spend a lot of time around high school
sports. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Make that A LOT of time spent with
teachers. They might be coaches to most people, but usually, they are
people who have what amounts to a second job at the field. During the
day, most are teaching history or science or math.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And I see the good ones in action doing
what they do best, which is impacting the lives of young people.
That's real coaching. It's real teaching.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I see it first hand almost every day. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
My wife, Stephanie, is an elementary
school teacher. Just like those good coaches I had watched for years
before I met her, I found that her greatest desire is to positively
impact young people during the time they are with her. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
From the number of hugs she gets when
we are out and about – “That's one of my former students,” she
usually says after one of those moments – I would say she is often
successful. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'm partial to teachers, probably
because an aunt spent most of her life educating kids about reading
and writing – her specialty – and most importantly about life.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But things have sure changed in the
classroom.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For example, when a kid cursed a teacher in
my aunt's day the consequences were having a mouth washed with Lava
soap or a paddling – or both – along with a conference with a
parent who repeated the punishment, now a teacher can talk to a kid or have a conference with a parent, but little else. It's not necessarily a change for the better.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Through my elementary school years, we
started the day with a Bible passage and prayer. It was the same for
many people I know, but not now.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And while I lament that “secularists”
and “progressives” succeeded in removing those precious acts of
faith and the heritage of faith in our nation, it is still possible
for Christian teachers to be influential in the spiritual lives of
children. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Obviously, teachers can be an example.
Over the years, I have had several coaches share their desire to be
the light of Christ through their programs. The same can happen in
the classroom.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We live in a world where some kids
sometimes come to school from homes where one or both parents are on
drugs. Kids live in homes where one parent, sometimes both, is
missing. I could go on and on but
will refrain. It's depressing enough as it is.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's why I have often said one of the
greatest mission fields in thew world today is the American public
school system. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Let me interject I have nothing but
admiration for the many Christian schools in America today. The ones
I am familiar with do a marvelous job. But theirs is a different
mission and different environment than the public schools. Parents
choose to send their children to the private schools where the
climate is friendly to Christianity.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Christian public school teachers serve
in an environment growing increasingly hostile to Christianity, yet
they somehow share the light of Christ the best they can.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Too often, we see stories of public
school teachers seemingly in the profession to further a political
agenda or more interested in the pay rather than performance. While
there are certainly educators who fit those descriptions – I have
met several – it is unfair to lump them with those hard-working souls who go
above and beyond what should be reasonably expected simply to make
the life of a child better.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And there are countless teachers who do
that with their commitment to Christ as the blueprint for their
mission.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Those people deserve our applause. And
our prayers.</div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-25441334691035851962016-03-01T18:22:00.002-05:002016-03-01T20:05:51.591-05:00No gift is sufficient<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Today, March 1, is
my wife's birthday. I won't tell you how old she is, nor will I tell
you what I got her. I'm just not very good at picking out gifts.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
We have sort of an
agreement. At least I call it that.<br />
Since I am fashionably-challenged
– how is that for a politically correct word – I tell her to
please never expect me to buy her a gift of clothing as it will most
likely be a) wrong color, b) wrong size, c) wrong fashion or d) all
of the above.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
The real answer is
that I could never, ever give her anything close to what she is
worth.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Just recently, I
put together a special section in my work at <i>The Anderson News</i>. The
occasion was Anderson County High School basketball coach Glen Drury
reaching 500 wins in his career. That, in itself, is a huge
accomplishment at the high school level, where seasons are much
shorter than the colleges and pros. The fact that he did it all in
one place is almost unheard of. But because it was such a big deal,
it was decided to give that 500<sup>th</sup> win some special
treatment.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I contacted several
former players and coaches in the area for comment. One constant that
kept coming up was the importance of a great family that understands
the time demands and unique characteristics of the job.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
And it made me
think of my own life of long trips to some small town in the middle
of nowhere, too much fast food and too many late nights to get the
job done. Without a special person, it wouldn't happen.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Saying that
Stephanie is special is a major league understatement. There are many
times when I ask myself what she saw in me.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
But I am glad she saw what she did.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
We are both old
school to varying degrees, but we met online. Really, we did.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Both of us had been
divorced and we had some of the same fears of our relationship but
soon realized we were usually on the same page.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
We had numerous
mutual friends and one of them, my high school basketball coach,
Wayne King, had a part in our wedding.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Over the years, we
have become a team. Instead of staying at home when I have game
nights, Stephanie decided to come along with me. She's been invaluable.<br />
One winter, I
developed a blood clot in my leg after a surgical procedure. That was
a problem in my work as I am usually standing and taking photos at
ball games. Hiring a photographer would not have been economically
feasible, although I used a free lancer on occasion. The answer was I
taught Stephanie how to use a camera.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
She eventually
became proficient enough to have one of her photos published on the
worldwide Little League website.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
And because of the
fact that I am hearing impaired, she often listens in to interviews,
especially those taped in places with much background noise.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I really don't know
what I would do without her.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
My work can be fun.
When I have branched out from sports writing, Stephanie has been
there with me as I interviewed Country Music Hall of Famers Duane
Allen and Joe Bonsall of The Oak Ridge Boys, TV personality and
comedian Tim Lovelace and she's opened our home to rising country
singer J.D. Shelburne. Through my work we got to meet one of our favorite musicians,
Paul Martin, and his delightful family, the Martin Family Circus.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
But something tells
me she would be just as happy attending a high school softball game
as she would sitting on press row at Rupp Arena or sitting backstage
before a concert.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Happy Birthday,
Steph. It's been a crazy and incredible 10 years together. I can't
wait to see what is in store for the future.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
And I hope you like your birthday present, even though it can't come close to saying what I want. So this will have to suffice.<br />
You really are the
best.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-22802128429360309772016-02-17T22:32:00.004-05:002016-02-17T22:34:43.978-05:00A ministry on the sports page<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i>(Recently, I was asked by my undergraduate alma mater, Mid-Atlantic Christian University -- formerly Roanoke Bible College -- to write a short column for their newsletter. It was to be about my work as a writer in a series, "Ministry in the Marketplace." Enjoy!)</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
When I packed my car for that drive
to Elizabeth City, N.C. in August of 1977, I really wasn't sure where my life
was headed, but making a living sitting in a press box or walking the sidelines
of a high school football field was certainly not on the map.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I was heading to Roanoke Bible
College for a year to be better grounded in my faith, but thought I would
eventually be playing cowboy, managing a farm somewhere. Working as a sports
writer was not likely.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6WGkMnvxDCKGTA66aTXo31AxbFpTuSJjTYrd1GhIgryBL92S3v8mHDG4JwVrAg2I95tNFXQmA6T4TRLMXWSgI94nBiCK6CE4FpUkoovyaNmTwWasezLX3Yn1texQyg9aQqSvrc8IWTTz8/s1600/John+at+work.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6WGkMnvxDCKGTA66aTXo31AxbFpTuSJjTYrd1GhIgryBL92S3v8mHDG4JwVrAg2I95tNFXQmA6T4TRLMXWSgI94nBiCK6CE4FpUkoovyaNmTwWasezLX3Yn1texQyg9aQqSvrc8IWTTz8/s320/John+at+work.jpg" width="181" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newspaper work means mult-tasking today.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Admittedly, I had always been drawn
to the media. Even as a kid, I read the local papers and watched the TV news
every day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
But by the time I arrived in
Elizabeth City, I had just become a smack-talking sports fan extolling the
virtues of the Kentucky Wildcats to anyone who would – or would not – listen. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
My life changed. I served several
churches in North Carolina and Kentucky, eventually landing back in my hometown
of Lawrenceburg, Ky., where I started attending high school basketball games
for the first time since I had graduated nine years before. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
On a whim, I paid a visit to <i>The
Anderson News,</i> the same weekly newspaper I had written for as a high school
student. I simply asked the editor for a chance to write again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Admittedly, I was thinking more
about a way to get into games free and maybe make a little money doing so. To
my surprise, I left the office that day with some reporter's notebooks and a
press pass for the big game Saturday night.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Over more than 30 years, that paid
hobby evolved into a full-time job. Much has changed in the newspaper business.
My bulky old Smith-Corona typewriter bit the dust years ago. Today, I sometimes
file stories from my smart phone and provide in-game updates on Twitter. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And over that time, I began to see
one of those lessons I learned in college come to fruition: Almost anything can
be a ministry.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Even sports writing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghEhmf24_FsH79uKyQnnGqQpNoM_dTmGLanL0uocZORC-ZhyUC64aPa6iR93ZCudN3QQfP2CLf_jYtCBSX8cK3YDVKSfx34he45EaKw04laFZ6cdAhuLRtlJ7GUbo9VplSIBdOAeM0UFcZ/s1600/P6218263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghEhmf24_FsH79uKyQnnGqQpNoM_dTmGLanL0uocZORC-ZhyUC64aPa6iR93ZCudN3QQfP2CLf_jYtCBSX8cK3YDVKSfx34he45EaKw04laFZ6cdAhuLRtlJ7GUbo9VplSIBdOAeM0UFcZ/s320/P6218263.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With former Clemson football coach Tommy Bowden.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I never went back to school for
specialized journalistic training. In retrospect, that might have hindered
professional advancement, but it is also a blessing in that I developed my own
style, based on who I am and how my faith drives me. Undoubtedly, the
foundation I built at RBC has played a major role.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I simply read.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I devoured every kind of writing
imaginable, from weekly papers to the <i>Washington Post</i> to <i>Christianity
Today.</i> And while my writing appears in a secular publication, it has a
distinct Christian flavor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
It is just who I am.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Several years ago, I was riding
around the golf course with a local minister. I shared that I sometimes miss
the pulpit, but he replied, “I think you are where you need to be. I am
convinced you reach more people through your writing.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
That’s debatable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
What I do know is that having the
freedom to tell Christian stories in a secular publication is priceless. I have
told the story of a high school softball star that had not missed Sunday School
from the day she was born. I offered a Christian viewpoint when the high school
football coach was told he should not pray with his team. When another softball
player hit a home run to send her team to the state tournament, I made sure a
picture of her showing the “John 3:16” written on her eye-black was prominent
in the paper.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jHAMN3OIcW6Lv_saClOyl5Xvvhfyk-3Ft-UlsWSLIKIqehdXgqeqb8SdfU2-kzwF-xEXDKSFblSvPPQFQEmEJIJHTvLLmWOb2fgZyGR_QoQUNt9aU0tIqU3CgThqO6D1GRSqd32WbreX/s1600/Bonsall01e.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jHAMN3OIcW6Lv_saClOyl5Xvvhfyk-3Ft-UlsWSLIKIqehdXgqeqb8SdfU2-kzwF-xEXDKSFblSvPPQFQEmEJIJHTvLLmWOb2fgZyGR_QoQUNt9aU0tIqU3CgThqO6D1GRSqd32WbreX/s320/Bonsall01e.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oak Ridge Boy Joe Bonsall shared his faith in our interview.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
And my writing has expanded to
non-sports work and I have been able to share the faith of some major country
music stars who were going to be in the area. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
There are times that eating too
much fast food, driving too many miles and working too late makes me wonder if
it is worth it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
But recently, a young man contacted
me to see if I would be interested in sharing his parents' story of leaving
Kentucky for the mission field.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“We wanted you to be the one to
tell their story,” he said. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I was deeply touched and humbled.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
That's because God really can use
any profession to share His story.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Even a sports editor. </div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-81624945972755098682016-01-03T23:44:00.002-05:002016-01-03T23:49:59.227-05:00Celebrating, tearfully<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tEv1_P_tBEt6CEHL1mKQyX_4YU7HEkPNWVShiCw1EqQdHBYEjUaM9RZXJtVQY4q0PPEPcfAUU6QsC72FJ3akFfZRP9Gn6Mgd_UDCo11YUy3WPihMIDRfWIWedj0WLsumDl_Sx4iwMiVo/s1600/Haddix+01a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tEv1_P_tBEt6CEHL1mKQyX_4YU7HEkPNWVShiCw1EqQdHBYEjUaM9RZXJtVQY4q0PPEPcfAUU6QsC72FJ3akFfZRP9Gn6Mgd_UDCo11YUy3WPihMIDRfWIWedj0WLsumDl_Sx4iwMiVo/s400/Haddix+01a.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steve and Vickie Haddix will be taking their dogs, but not much else, to Haiti.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i>(Not long before Christmas, 2015, it was my privilege to sit down with Steve and Vickie Haddix, who have answered a call to work at Alex's House Orphanage in Haiti. This is their incredible story, which appeared in the Dec. 23, 2015 edition of The Anderson News.)</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The celebration will be much
different when Steve and Vickie Haddix entertain their family Christmas night.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Much, much different.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Steve's parents will be there. So
will Steve and Vickie's two sons, their wives and the four grandchildren. They
will gather at a house that has been virtually stripped of its furnishings.
There are a few folding chairs and a borrowed table in the house.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
There will likely be tears. Lots of
tears. “Most definitely,” says the Haddix's son, Jonathan. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Most of all there will be love.
It's a love of family superseded only by a love for God. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“We told Kate, our oldest
grandchild, in the middle of November,” Steve says. “She is seven and she was
sitting in my lap. When I told her we were going to Haiti, she put her hands
over her ears and said, 'I'm not going to let you tell me any more to make me
cry.'”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Steve's voice breaks. To his right,
Vickie has tears streaming down her cheeks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Steve sighs, then smiles, “You talk
about tearing your heart out.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
After living in Lawrenceburg for 25
years, Steve and Vickie Haddix are on their way to Haiti. Steve will be serving
as the Director of Missions for Alex's House Orphanage, a decision that was
bathed in prayer. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The Haddixs know it is the right
move. They know the events that led to Steve applying for a position he would
never have envisioned just a few years ago. Steve and Vickie have seen
everything that has happened since accepting the position two months ago. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Everything has lined up.
Everything.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Some would call it coincidence. To
the Haddixs, there's not a chance of that. It's the God they love answering
prayers in a mighty way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Steve, who currently serves as
children's pastor at Hope Community Church, will say good-bye to his church
family on Jan. 3. Steve and Vickie board the plane for Port-au-Prince two days
later. All they will be taking are a couple of suitcases and their two dogs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i>Difficult decision?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The Haddixs learned of Alex's
House through Hope Church several years ago.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The mission's founder is Bill
Howard, who had been serving as pastor of a church in South Carolina. “God had
laid it on his heart to start an orphanage in Haiti,” Steve says. “He had to
find Haiti on a map.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
According to Steve, Mr. Howard went
to Port-au-Prince where he met three young men, including one named Alex. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Alex had a vision to get kids off
the streets of Port-au-Prince,” Steve says. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
On Jan. 12, 2010, about two weeks
after Howard returned to South Carolina, the devastating earthquake rocked
Haiti. Official estimates put the death toll at 316,000 people.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
One of them was Alex. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The orphanage bearing his name soon
opened. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Steve visited Haiti with a group
from Hope Church in 2013. It was eight years after Vickie and their youngest
son, Jonathan, took a 10-day mission trip to the country.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“My first trip, it smelled like a
garbage dump,” Vickie says. “That was when I was coming out of the airport and
getting on a bus.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
But something stronger than the
smell lingered in Vickie's mind.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“She came home and said, 'You've
got to go to Haiti,'” Steve recalls.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
He was not about to budge. Driving
a bus for the Anderson County school system and working with kids at Hope,
Steve felt he was doing just fine in Lawrenceburg. He smiles, “I said, 'No,
this is my mission field.'”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Steve finally broke down in
February, 2013, joining some church friends for a mission trip. “After going, I
wanted to stay another week,” Steve says.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
While that was impossible, he did
manage to head back to Haiti in March. “I wanted to finish the work of the
month before,” he says. “We knew we wanted to do more. We just didn't know what
it would be.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The conviction came to fruition
when Howard offered Steve a position at the orphanage.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Someone asked if it was difficult
to make the decision to move to Haiti,” Steve says. “We didn't make the
decision to move there. We made the decision to be obedient.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The Haddix family is living the
teachings of Jesus, found in Matthew 10:37, “Anyone who loves their father or
mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter
more than me is not worthy of me.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
They are also living the teaching
of Matthew 25:35-36, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was
thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me
in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I
was in prison and you came to visit me.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Once he visited Haiti, Steve was
convicted of those words of Christ. “I don't see how anyone can go there and
not have a life-changing experience,” he says.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i>Real life change</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Steve and Vickie are not looking
for accolades. They simply want to continue a walk that started with Steve
sitting in his recliner back in 1998.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
While he and Vickie had been raised
in the church in their native Breathitt County, they'd drifted away. “Vickie
said we needed to find a church for the boys,” Steve remembers. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Steve was just working and
surviving. His focus was on the family,” Vickie says.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
At the time, the oldest son, James
Michael, was 14 and Jonathan was 8. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“We weren't going to church
anywhere but I watched Jeff Eaton on TV on First Baptist every Sunday. I made
the statement, 'If he ever starts a church, I am going to try it out.' About
two weeks later, Jeff announced he was starting Hope Church.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Even after making the vow, Steve
balked. “I didn't go. I was still making excuses,” he smile. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Eventually, Steve followed Vickie
to the church. They got plugged in and began working with children. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“I started going to Hope because of
Jeff Eaton,” Steve says. “I stayed because of the Jesus Christ I found.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i>New step of faith</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
That relationship has taken a new
step of faith with Alex's House. As Director of Missions, Steve will be
responsible for coordinating work for more than 30 churches that travel from
the United States to work in the field.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“We will have the whole week
planned out,” Steve says.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The orphanage obviously has
children, but, as Vickie says, “They are not up for adoption. They will get an
education there at the orphanage.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Steve explains that the orphanage's
desire is to instill a love of the home country and making a difference there.
“The need in Haiti is dire,” Vickie says.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“It is hard to explain unless you
have been there,” Steve says, “but there is a growing desire and a hunger for
God's word.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Yet the poverty is gripping.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“In the U.S., we pray over our food
before we eat,” Steve says. “In Haiti, they pray for their next meal.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Vickie actually got the new venture
rolling. She had seen an e-mail from Howard, the Alex's House founder,
advertising an opening for the Director of Missions. She mentioned it to Steve.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“We were sitting in at Wendy's when
I read the e-mail that Vickie had mentioned,” Steve says. “I texted Bill about
it. He got back with me and said he was traveling but we talked about the
position on the phone the next day.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Steve sent his resume and soon
after he was making plans to move to a Third World country on a gigantic step
of faith. Most simply can't understand leaving the security of a home with
family close by for a country steeped in poverty.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“We were having a yard sale here in
Lawrenceburg,” Steve says of their effort to dispose of some of the family
possessions. “A man who was a Haitian native came by. I told him we were moving
to Haiti. His only question was, 'Why?'”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Vickie adds, “It makes no sense
what we are doing.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Or maybe it really does.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i>“If God hadn't taken care of it,
we are not going.”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Steve and Vickie Haddix believe if
God wanted them in Haiti, He would take care of everything.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The family had a Chevy Malabu to
sell. “We took the car to a dealer in Nicholasville but couldn't agree on the
price,” Steve says with a laugh. “He asked about our truck and bought it.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
It was the truck that Steve had
planned on keeping around a bit longer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The Malabu wasn't advertised for
sale, but at the yard sale in early November, a neighbor inquired if there was
a prayer request. “I told them to pray we could sell our car,” Steve smiles.
“They asked, 'What kind of car? Can I take a look?' They ended up buying the
car.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
But there was still the issue of
getting around town for two more months. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
No problem. A church friend loaned
Steve a truck while Vickie is driving Steve's dad's car, a 1986 Chrysler
LeBaron convertible. It gets her where she is going.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The only glitch was their house.
The Haddixes have called Lawrenceburg home for 25 years and wanted to keep some
ties to the town, meaning they did not want to sell. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“We asked at church for people to
pray that we could rent our house,” Steve said of that October day. “Someone
told me, 'I ran into someone in Frankfort. They have been praying for somewhere
to move in Lawrenceburg, but they have kids and don't want to move until
January.'”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
It should come as no surprise who
will be living in the Haddix house while they are in Haiti.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“There is just no way someone can
say this was not God working,” Steve says. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Vickie adds, “As for renting our
house and selling our cars, if God hadn't taken care of it, we aren't going.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Steve and Vickie Haddix know some
question their decision.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“We have been told we are crazy for
leaving our salaries and our grandchildren,” Steve says. “We even had someone
tell us we were selfish.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Steve chuckles. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Jeff Eaton said, 'Crazy people
follow Jesus,'” he says.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
But they also know things will get
difficult. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“When Bill Howard talked with us,
he wanted to make sure we were on the same page,” Vickie says. “He did not want
someone dragging me to Haiti. We have been shoulder-to-shoulder through all of
this.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Their family is in Kentucky.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Selfishly, I could say I wish they
weren't moving but they are a picture of selflessness. They are an inspiration
to me and I fully support them,” says Jonathan Haddix, their youngest son.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“I think what confuses people is
they think we chose to do this,” Steve says. “We chose to be obedient and this
is the door that opened. We have a desire to stay here. We love our family, we
love our jobs. We love Lawrenceburg. But we have a greater desired to be
obedient to what God wants.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“It is hard to leave the kids and
grandkids. We will not see the grandkids at every ball game or cheer
competition or dance recital. God told me it is not about what I am not going
to see them do. It is about what they will see God do through us.”</div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-49568897670464564412015-12-10T15:08:00.000-05:002015-12-10T16:12:29.681-05:00Typical 10-year-old, extraordinary voice<i>Recently, I was privileged to meet 10-year-old Mikaya Taylor and her mom, Traci. What an incredible story of her improbable start in music! Mikaya is already getting noticed in the business but she's a normal girl with a powerful voice. This appeared in the Dec. 2 edition of The Anderson News.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
In many ways, it would seem that Mikaya Taylor is your typical 10-year-old girl.<br />
<br />
“Do you want to ask me some questions about my dog,” the fifth-grader from Robert B. Turner Elementary School asks.<br />
<br />
She proceeds to go into detail about Zoe, her 7-month-old Doberman
Pinscher, who hops on the couch to get some hugs and return the love.
“She has a big nose,” Mikaya says, “but she’s a good dog.”<br />
<br />
Mikaya has a passion for Chinese food and loves to talk about
sports, too. “My favorite colors are the ones for the Florida Gators,”
she says. But her love is for the Kentucky Wildcats, which should be no
surprise since her grandfather, Mickey Gibson, played in 17 games for
Adolph Rupp’s top-ranked basketball Wildcats in 1963-64.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lnhklKnEaojTQWio7PZeH4rUyZSgnq6jKxaufLmuYhzzMTCxWlqhQXWc5uc5JBG-4ijtkBDalOY5bDXDxLjsWlSfrrAY1CKv51ayAF1zCF8Pjy1MORdI35HZwF7_J6urhoR8AXOcMlWL/s1600/PB251172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lnhklKnEaojTQWio7PZeH4rUyZSgnq6jKxaufLmuYhzzMTCxWlqhQXWc5uc5JBG-4ijtkBDalOY5bDXDxLjsWlSfrrAY1CKv51ayAF1zCF8Pjy1MORdI35HZwF7_J6urhoR8AXOcMlWL/s320/PB251172.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mikaya Taylor and her dog, Zoe.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Mikaya loves to talk. When asked if she ever gets in trouble at
school for talking too much, she giggles and covers her face in
embarrassment. “They say she is a social butterfly,” laughs Mikaya’s
mother, Traci Taylor.<br />
<br />
She just looks like a typical fifth-grader.<br />
<br />
Until she starts singing, that is.<br />
There is nothing ordinary when Mikaya belts out a few lines of a country classic.<br />
<br />
<i>I am a poor wayfaring stranger</i><br />
<i>While traveling through this world of woe ...</i><br />
<br />
The chilling voice almost makes one forget this is a 10-year-old.<br />
<br />
<i>I’m going there to my mother</i><br />
<i>She said she’d meet me when I come ...</i><br />
<br />
Make that a 10-year-old who got her first taste of performing
publicly in May but in just over six months, has done more than turn
heads. She’s performed on a world-wide radio show, been booked for one
of the world’s biggest bluegrass festivals in 2016 and has been invited
to sing in Nashville in February.<br />
<br />
But it’s been that kind of a year for a child who wants a
four-wheeler for Christmas and whose start came when her mom would stop
what she was doing around the house when Mikaya started singing.<br />
<br />
“She
was always singing in her bedroom,” Traci says. “I am her mother, but I
thought she had a beautiful singing voice.”<br />
<br />
The music would be anything from pop – Mikaya claims to know the
words to all of Taylor Swift’s songs – to country or bluegrass.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dpcoAOs7I9t_acjPMgIMFvE1O3D-NvdWrTqbt4Oqnrloef2oPHwPyNRg70XLviJQKfEYlSze3B5EDK1x-gI2exaOgBibszdUgb_E1Zf91g6IRu-h4DPCav1Gkno2PK4ttI_XdytUaaxp/s1600/PB251154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dpcoAOs7I9t_acjPMgIMFvE1O3D-NvdWrTqbt4Oqnrloef2oPHwPyNRg70XLviJQKfEYlSze3B5EDK1x-gI2exaOgBibszdUgb_E1Zf91g6IRu-h4DPCav1Gkno2PK4ttI_XdytUaaxp/s320/PB251154.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mikaya Taylor sings "Wayfaring Stranger" with Kevin Chilton.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And the break came in May when long-time friend Kevin Chilton and
his band, Custom Made Bluegrass, were playing at the Woodland Arts
Festival in Lexington. Chilton asked Mikaya to the stage where she let
go with a rousing version of “When You Say Nothing At All,” a song
recorded by both Allison Krauss and the late Keith Whitley.<br />
<br />
Nervous?<br />
<br />
“I would have to say, ‘Yeah,’” Mikaya says.<br />
<br />
It apparently did not show as representatives of the Festival of the
Bluegrass were in attendance and booked Mikaya for one of the 2016
gathering at the Kentucky Horse Park.<br />
<br />
Since then, Taylor has been wowing country and bluegrass fans around
central Kentucky. Her songs include a cover of Dolly Parton’s mega-hit,
“Jolene,” in addition to classics from Emmy Lou Harris and Loretta
Lynn.<br />
<br />
That’s something for a kid who counts the pop group “One Direction” as her favorite group.<br />
It begs the question, “Why bluegrass?”<br />
<br />
“That is what Michael Johnathon asked me,” Mikaya giggles.<br />
<br />
Johnathon, a Kentucky-based folk singer, is the creator and host of
the popular “WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour” which is broadcast on public
radio and television. It originates at the Lyric Theatre in Lexington
and is beamed worldwide on the Armed Forces Radio Network. His motto is,
“You don’t have to be famous to be on WoodSongs, you just have to be
very good.”<br />
About five months after Chilton called Mikaya to the stage at Woodland, she was singing on WoodSongs on Oct. 19.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNY24V10ZBgqrqHTbbv9Fer6Stbx-XCQugI2VUIC5tcrsx1SWTSvrRGR7G0Xo24uxf2IL13TqU-UJjjX7fbRzuZDo4g7EAfSm-By46OPMVALEhCmQ12ezl5v9fORvt7uwG8NklsC9k9lq/s1600/Woodsongs01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNY24V10ZBgqrqHTbbv9Fer6Stbx-XCQugI2VUIC5tcrsx1SWTSvrRGR7G0Xo24uxf2IL13TqU-UJjjX7fbRzuZDo4g7EAfSm-By46OPMVALEhCmQ12ezl5v9fORvt7uwG8NklsC9k9lq/s320/Woodsongs01.jpg" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mikaya and Michael Johnathon at Woodsongs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
“Ruth McLain Smith of the McLain Family Band recommended her to me,”
Johnathon said in an email. “WoodSongs is used in schools nationwide,
complete with lesson plans, and for the past couple years I’ve been
featuring children performers. They don’t win anything, they are not
judged, but they get a chance to be on a national broadcast with
seasons, touring performers. In that light, we look for WoodSongs Kids
who sound like themselves, who smile a lot, who love music and their
place in it. Mikaya fit all those things to me."<br />
<br />
And, true to Johnathon’s signature phrase, Mikaya was very good.<br />
<br />
“She was flat out adorable and a mighty fine singer. The audience loved her,” Johnathon recalls.<br />
And the WoodSongs appearance provided the simple answer to why
Mikaya is singing bluegrass these days. “It just seems that is where the
doors are opening for her,” her mother says.<br />
<br />
Chilton, an Anderson County resident known throughout central
Kentucky for picking his banjo, was impressed, not just with Mikaya’s
talent, but her stage presence. “She’s 10 years old but she is very
professional,” he says. “When she gets up there, she takes over and does
her job.”<br />
<br />
That was apparent the weekend before Thanksgiving when Chilton’s
group was opening for the renowned bluegrass group, The Grascals, in
Clay City. He called Mikaya to the stage, where she wowed an audience
that included several of the Grascals.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj906ZszKIE8pZWXCy07zjKIZ0WkIa4r421EUDy16nl36CJEvO9k_GZ1Y19A534UEQbZtW0YrCuwyWRcHTS0_5dBoPHO7fRXQLxKYT5Fde38wFmVpc6vVRzNtDXIBCKwIMGBlPvn9EJce7U/s1600/MIKAYA+AND+GRASCALS+PIC.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj906ZszKIE8pZWXCy07zjKIZ0WkIa4r421EUDy16nl36CJEvO9k_GZ1Y19A534UEQbZtW0YrCuwyWRcHTS0_5dBoPHO7fRXQLxKYT5Fde38wFmVpc6vVRzNtDXIBCKwIMGBlPvn9EJce7U/s320/MIKAYA+AND+GRASCALS+PIC.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mikaya Taylor singing with The Grascals in Nov. 2015.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Mikaya only knew the group from what her mom had told her, but
quickly became acquainted as The Grascals also called the young lady to
the stage. Despite never practicing together and being unfamiliar with
each other, the stars and the 10-year-old delivered a crisp rendition of
“I’ll Fly Away.”<br />
<br />
Here is a link to the performance. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uSadSxvToA">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uSadSxvToA</a><br />
<br />
It has all happened very quickly for a young girl who says, “I was
surprised people wanted me to sing for them. I was just singing and mom
listened,” Mikaya says.<br />
<br />
Chilton initially got Mikaya on-stage. Smith gave her a
recommendation. Johnathon and the Grascals have given her a break, but
if things work out, some more of the big names in bluegrass and country
music might hear Mikaya. She’s been named one of Tomorrow’s Bluegrass
Stars and is one of 126 kids, age 18-and-under, from across the nation
to participate in the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of
America’s gathering in Nashville from Feb. 4-7.<br />
<br />
Whether any of her her favorite singers will be around isn’t known
but Mikaya says bluegrass legend Rhonda Vincent is her favorite artist
of the genre. If she met Vincent, Krauss or Harris?<br />
<br />
“I would freak out!” Mikaya says.<br />
<br />
It is just what a visitor needs to be reminded again that despite her success, Mikaya Taylor is still in elementary school.<br />
<br />
Traci Taylor says she has no worries about her daughter being
overwhelmed by her whirlwind rise. Traci says her daughter is very
active in church and is well grounded. Plus, Traci is trying to make
sure things stay in perspective.<br />
<br />
“I have had a lot of festivals contact me, but I am not going to let
her go all summer,” Traci says. She is working on a demo CD and is
taking bookings for 2016.<br />
<br />
For now at least, the big time will have to remain in Mikaya’s dreams.<br />
<br />
She wants a bus for travel, but also wants to give to others.<br />
<br />
“When I get my bus,” Mikaya says, “I want to go to Florida at
Christmas and give a lot of kids presents. Kids that don’t have much.”<br />
<br />
Chances are they will talk about Mikaya’s dog.<br />
<br />
And undoubtedly, they will sing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Hearing Mikaya Taylor</b><br />
Mikaya Taylor is off to a fast start in the music business and will be
featured on the television version of WoodSongs Old-Time Radio sometime
during the coming season. The show is available on KET.<br />
The radio version of Mikaya singing at WoodSongs will broadcast on WEKU – FM, 88.9, or WUKY-FM 91.3 on Dec. 19.<br />
Her mother, Traci Taylor, has taken to social media to get the word
out. Traci runs a Twitter account, kysingingangel and has a Facebook fan
page, Mikaya Taylor.<br />
Traci has also posted videos on YouTube on the channel “Mikaya Taylor
Musician Band.” She also has a website, mikayataylor.weebly.com.<br />
For more information, email <a href="mailto:kentuckysingingangel@gmail.com">kentuckysingingangel@gmail.com</a>.<br />
<b><br />
Looking for Nashville, looking for a band</b><br />
Traci Taylor says her daughter is looking for a sponsor to help defray
the costs of what promises to be an expensive, but worth it, trip to
Nashville for Tomorrow’s Bluegrasss Stars.<br />
Taylor also says she is looking for musicians to form a band to perform
with her daughter. Young musicians looking for some experience are
encouraged to contact Traci at <a href="mailto:kentuckysingingangel@gmail.com">kentuckysingingangel@gmail.com</a>.John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4350991482064814024.post-61875864026559207732015-11-26T10:46:00.000-05:002015-11-26T10:46:05.286-05:00A Blessing I Won't Take for Granted<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
The ads for Black
Friday have been going strong for several days now. They've been
telling us all we really cant live without something we have done
without for all these years.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Or as a friend
tells me, Black Friday is when people buy a $300 tent to wait in line
to save $50 on a television. Or it is the day that thankful people
get up to push and shove to spend money they don't have on items they
don't need.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
At least that is
what I expect of Black Friday.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Sometimes, though,
we just need to sit back and think about some of the simple things in
life. We say it often, but do we really understand it? I think I do
now.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Something that
happened in my life that really taught this old boy, at age 57, that
the things we take for granted every day really do matter most.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
A couple of months
ago, I was checking my Facebook account when I saw where Paul Martin,
who had been a member of Marty Stuart's band, The Fabulous
Superlatives, had posted a YouTube video that caught my attention.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
It was Kathy
Mattea, Suzy Bogguss and Allison Krauss, three of the sweetest voices
this side of heaven, singing the classic “Teach Your Children” at
the White House in 1995. Legendary guitarist Chet Atkins was in the
video while Martin was playing the pedal steel guitar. I had known of
Paul for many years, dating to his time as a member of another of my
favorite groups, Exile.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
But I had no idea
about this gig, in which he was actually a last-minute replacement
for someone who had an appendicitis attack. If you have never seen
it, check it out here <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g795h7HaZsw">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g795h7HaZsw</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
What really got me
about the video, though, was the song itself. I had not known about
this version of the great Crosby, Stills and Nash song. Apparently,
it had been very popular 20 years ago, but I never knew that three of
my favorite singers had this version of one of my favorite songs.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Those who know me
know that I have cochlear implants. Since undergoing the surgeries to
stimulate my cochlea, I've had the world of music reopened. From
about 1992 or so until having the second cochlear device implanted in
2010, I rarely listened to music. Usually, it just sounded like
jumbled noise.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Dr. Kari Mobley,
then my audiologist at the University of Kentucky, introduced me to
Pandora and encouraged me to listen to as much music as possible.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
But I had not
thought about “Teach Your Children,” which I actually heard first
performed by The Imperials, a gospel group, back when I was in high
school.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
The video Paul
posted might have been some good entertainment for many people. To
me, however, it was another link to those days before my hearing
deteriorated to the point of giving up something I love.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
After watching the
video, I immediately got out the inexpensive guitar I purchased last
year. I started strumming that “D” chord, the key in which I had
played “Teach Your Children” more than 30 years ago. Then “G,”
“A” and so on. Admittedly, it was a bit rough and my fingers did
not perform some of the runs I had been able to perform when I had
played a 12-string guitar years ago.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
To many, this might
seem silly. After all, it was just a song.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
But it is the very
point I was profoundly reminded of when Paul posted that link. Just a
song, regardless of its magnitude on the charts, can be something
more profound to others.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I heard it. And
yes, I could still play it, rough as it might be.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
THAT, is a
blessing.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
It's so easy to
overlook even the smallest things in life, even simply listening to a
song or strumming a few chords on a guitar.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
But they, too, are
blessings. I will never take them for granted again.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i><br /></i>
</div>
<i>
</i><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<i>“Every good and
perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the
heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James
1:17.</i><br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br />
</div>
John Herndonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02699093030318226477noreply@blogger.com0