Category: family

the watering bucket

Posted in familyTagged , , , , , 2 Comments

I am the proud owner of a green water bucket. Sure the bucket is missing its white sprinkler cap and is quite girly for a guy like me to trot around the yard with, but I am honored to water my flowers with it and I’m confident they appreciate being watered.

I inherited the bucket from my Grandma Rothe. In fact, I remember when she bought it at Steins Greenhouse. It is hard to believe it has been nearly 10 years since she past away. She was know for her green thumb and red petunias. I’d like to think I inherited that too.

These are a few pictures of my spring and summer flowers:

Are you a fire starter or a fire extinguisher?

Posted in church, family, friends, pride, questions, relationshipsTagged , , 1 Comment

extinguisher-fire.jpg

There is an assassin in almost every group. This assassin is trying to kill relationships. It is trying to get you to close your cool, to get you to fall off your rocker, to get you to prove that you are not the kind of person very one thinks you are. The assassin is…Gossip. Are you an assassin?

What is Gossip? Telling another person something about someone without permission that may or may not be truth.

How can gossip be disguised? Gossip can be disguised as truth. Just because it’s true doesn’t give you a right to spread it. It can be a call for help. If so ask the source if they need assistance, then go to a wise friend. It Christian circles it can be a prayer request. This can be very dangerous and not only hurt someone emotionally, but also spiritually. And it can be disguised as sarcasm. A mixture of truth wrapped in humor at someone else’s expense can be a hurtful means of gossip (Prov.26:18-19).

Why gossip? People gossip for many different reasons such as revenge or jealousy, often to get back at someone for a wrong done to them. Sometimes is a fight for power because of insecurity in an effort to show how one is better than someone. Primarily gossip is rooted in the sin of pride, possibly to show how much you know about someone else. Do you ever wonder why the tabloids and gossip columns are so popular? Pride lies to us and makes us believe that you might make more friends because of the dirt we know about another, but instead it leaves us with more enemies. Some stoop so low as to make a hobby out of gossip because of the joy they receive from it.

What is the damage of gossip? As the apostle James says, “the tongue is like wind in a forest fire.” Gossip can tarnished a reputation, ruined families, wreck your job, split a church, and break relationships. The cost of gossip can be immeasurable.

A woman repeated a bit of gossip about a friend. Within a few days the whole community knew the story. The person it concerned was deeply hurt and offended. Later, the woman responsible for spreading the rumor learned that it was completely untrue. A courageous person confronted her by telling a simple story. A few days ago I went to the marketplace and purchased a chicken. On my way home I plucked its feathers and drop them one by one along the road. That night after I making some good fried chicken I was thinking to myself, “I wish I would have saved all those feathers”. So the next day, I tried to go back and collect all those feathers I dropped. However, the wind had blown all the feathers away. After searching for hours, I returned with only three feathers in my hand. You see, It’s easy to drop them, but it is impossible to get them back. So it is with gossip.

What does the Bible say about GOSSIP? Ephesians 4:29-32

WHAT IS THE “G” WORD: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs.” (v.29a)

WHY SAY “NO” GOSSIP: 1. That it may benefit those who listen (v.29b) – you have the power to build up or destroy someone with your words.  2. That it may not grieve the Spirit (v.30) – your words not only hurt others, but God too.

HOW TO BE GOSSIP-FREE: 1. Get rid of bad communication (v.31 bitterness, rage, brawling, slander, and every form of malice).  2. Have good communication (v.32 kind, compassionate, and forgiving)

There are 3 components every Fire: Burnable substance, Flame and OxygenThere are 3 components to Gossip: true or untrue facts gossip or lie-story, and pride What should I do if I am a fire starter? Stop it immediately. Ask forgiveness. Be truthful from this point on. How to be a fire extinguisher? Confront in love by asking the gossiper: How do you know that? Do you have actual personal knowledge of the event or situation? What is your motive? Why do I need to hear this? Stop a gossip/lie before it starts by saying, “I don’t want to hear what you have to say about…” Pray for the person being wronged. Encourage both the doer and receiver. Speak the TRUTH.

3:10 to Yuma

Posted in family, movies, opinion, prideTagged , , , , Leave a comment

This is a movie review:

This is a remake of a 1957 Western.

Dan Evans (Christian Bale), is just a man trying to make a life for his family. His life is one step away from crumbling to nothing: He’s down a leg, his son Mark suffers from chronic respiratory problems, his ranch and only source of income has become a desert from lack of rain, and then the banker who owns the note on his property is seeking to make a buck by repossessing and selling it to the railroad. Reacting to his difficult situation, Dan says, “I’ve been standing on one leg for three damn years waiting for God to do me a favor and He ain’t listening.”

Dan Evans is no hero, just an ordinary Joe. He is what he is, no frills. He simple speaks what he thinks and does not manipulate.

Then there is Ben Wade (Russell Crowe), who plays the best outlaw I have ever seen. He is the kind of guy you love to hate, but there is something mysteriously interesting about him. He is Bible thumping creep with a Messiah-complex, and who has named his gun “the hand of God”. He kills anyone who stands between him and the riches he seeks, and even kills people as a hobby. A unique side note: his mom at a train station as a child abandoned him, and interestingly enough she told him to read the Bible.

One day Ben comes across Dan Evans’ herd of cattle while seeking to rob a banker coach. Dan becomes instrumental in Ben’s arrest and volunteers to help deliver him to Contention, Arizona, where he will be put on the prison train to Yuma at 3:10pm. Dan does this all for $200 to save his ranch and gain the respect of his wife and son. He is willing to risk his life for what he loves.

While on the journey to Contention it is just that, contention. Ben does everything he can to outsmart his captors. This is when Dan becomes an ordinary hero. Dan and Ben have multiple interactions on the journey. Dan’s humble ways shoot down the pride of Ben Wade. We learn that Dan’s life is built to be a hero to his children, and a man of honor to his wife. These are all things Ben learns to admire: fatherhood, humility, and character.

I recommend 3:10 to Yuma for adult audiences because of the violence and language.

 

The History of Huttsinski

Posted in family, quirkyTagged , Leave a comment
3 generations ago my Polish Great Dziadzia (Gramps) and Babcia (Grandma) stepped off the boat from Poland into a new land. They took the train and settled in Milwaukee because it looked a lot like home (Warsaw area), but had a hopeful future because of the prosperous factory jobs.
 
At Ellis Island they were forced to change their names from Hutzinski to Hutts. I have grown to be proud of my Polish (and German) roots. I still remember spending time with Babcia Stella and my German great-grandma Alice. They would tell wonderful stories about life in another world.JUSTIN
 
You know you’re Polish-American if.. 
-You come from Chicago, Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Hamtramck, or Milwaukee. 
-There is a large church called “Saint Alphonsis’,” “Saint Hedwig’s,” or “Saint Casimir’s” within one block of your childhood home.
–Your knowledge of the Polish language is limited to ‘quirky’ words (e.g., dupa, gowno, gatki, etc), names for food (e.g., pierogi, kapusta, etc), and toasts (e.g., na zdrowie, sto lat, etc). 
–You occasionally add the suffix “-ski” to English words for no apparent reason (e.g., “I’m gonna go put the car-ski in the garage-ski”). 
–You call your grandma “babcia” or “busia” and your grandpa “dziadzia.”
-You know how to dance the polka, but you only do it at weddings. 
-You have one grandma that wears a babushka and galoshes every single day of the year and another grandma that wears a lot of chintzy jewelry and too much make-up. 
-You have a grandma who occasionally kills animals and uses every single part of their carcasses to make sausages, soups, dumplings, etc. 
–You know more Polish jokes than all of your non
-Polish friends combined.
–You have at least one uncle named “Stan,” “Stas,” “Casey” “Al,” or “Joe.” 
–You have at least one relative who works, or used to work, in a steel mill. 
–Your relatives exhibit fanatical devotion to local sports teams (e.g., Packers, Badgers, etc.)
–Your grandma has a shrine in her broom closet complete with votive candles and a picture of the “Black Madonna of Czestochowa.”
–Your parents have at least one crucifix or religious picture mounted on a wall in their house with palms tucked behind it. 
-Your grandpa and other older men in the family habitually kiss women’s hands. 
-You regularly attend Friday fish fries, harvest festivals, parish carnivals, and/or bingo. 
–You like to put sour cream and horseradish on everything you eat. 
–Your family likes to play card games like hearts and sheep’s-head, and this often culminates in full-scale brawls. 
–You always prefer rye bread to white or wheat. 
–Your dad has forced you to eat horseradish, claiming that it will “put hair on your chest” (even if you’re a female!). 
-People in your family have their wedding receptions at places called “Polish Legion Hall,” “Sacred Heart Center,” etc. 
–You know the words to “Sto Lat” and sing it at birthday parties.
-You’ve waited in line at a church or bakery to buy pierogi….  we make our own pierogi!
–Words like kiszka, kielbasa, and kolaczki actually mean something to you.
–You know the difference between Czechs, Slovaks, and Slovenes, and you think they’re all inferior to Poles despite the numerous glaring similarities.–You actually know who Kosciusko and Pulaski are, and why they’re important. 
–You mention Nicholas Copernicus, Frederic Chopin, or Marie Curie (no, she’s not French) whenever people accuse Poles of being stupid. 
-You have at least one relative who plays the accordion.  
–You’re either completely overdressed or completely underdressed for every occasion.
-[If you’re a woman], you wear make-up at all times – even if it’s 90 degrees outside and you’re 88 years old. 
–You make or are forced to listen to unnecessary speeches before proceeding with any group event. 
–You like corny expressions, puns, and/or stupid, infantile jokes. 
-You have a potato-shaped face, a huge dupa, and/or a ‘Polish nose.’
–[If you’re a male], you’re either as hairy as an ape or as hairless as a baby gerbil.
-[If you’re a male], you have a mammoth gut and legs as thin as sticks. 
-[If you’re an older male], you have an exceptionally large, Stalin-esque mustache and/or an affinity for gaudy jewelry (e.g., pinkie rings, ‘miraculous’ medals, etc). 
–Your family bickers constantly.-You have at least one bar in your house – usually in the basement.
-Your front yard is filled with lawn ornaments – (e.g., pink flamingos, jockey, Mary in the half shell, etc.)
-You have relatives who are priests and nuns.
–You collect “prayer cards” from funerals.
-You add a possessive “apostrophe s” to the name of EVERY business (e.g., Burger King’s, Blockbuster’s, etc).
–You or someone in your family owns at least one beat up, highly outdated Dodge (e.g., Aries, Aspen, Dart, Shadow, etc) or Plymouth (e.g., Acclaim, Reliant, Sundance, Volare, etc). 
-Your family owns a deli, bakery, sports bar, or funeral parlor (you know, to serve all the people who eat sausage and kolaczki!).  
–You’re haven’t been a practicing Catholic for years but everyone in your family insists that it’s “just a phase.” 
–You generally talk too much. 
-You listen to polka music and other “ethnic programming” on the radio.
–You cross yourself whenever you are shocked or disgusted.
–You honestly believe that Poles are the brightest, most beautiful people in the whole world. 
–People often have trouble pronouncing your last name. 
-You know that “head cheese” isn’t really cheese.
–You like, or know people who like, pickled pig’s feet and raw herrings in sour cream. 
-Your family is so loyal that even a second cousin would take a bullet for you.  
–You typically insist on doing simple, routine tasks in the most difficult, time-consuming manner possible. 
–You always point out that names ending in “-sky” are Russian, not Polish. 
–You make fun of everything you see on TV, but this doesn’t stop you from watching it for 8 hours straight every night. 
–Your family has 7 or 8 meals on major holidays and they always bake way too many desserts!

Oh, go milk a cow!!!

Posted in family, sportsTagged , , , Leave a comment
Don’t you hate it when people think out loud. Like we want to hear their idiotic jargon. I was enjoying the Wisconsin-Purdue game on Saturday with my family. A perfect day for football. Of course, the Badgers were giving the Boilermakers a royal spanking. However, there was this guy behind us belching boyish comments. Every time WI would score, which was a lot, he would yell silly comments like…

“Oh, go milk a cow”
“Why do you go make some cheese”
“Wisconsin, isn’t that where Jeffrey Damer is from?”
“How about them Packers this year?”
 
Needless to say, he received the silent treatment. Why start a verbal fight that wouldn’t get anywhere, but hot-headed? So now everytime someone gets on my nerves, in the memory of Captain Crazy-Mouth, I tell my foes to “milk a cow”!!!
 
This event reminded me of the Christian life. As Christians we wear our Red-Crimson (like Badger) colored clothing stained with the blood of Christ, which leads to ridicule by the Black-as-sin enemy crowd. All the while we come out on top as the winners in real life. Like that rationalization?

dscn0340.jpgdscn0342.jpg 

belly dancer for hire

Posted in familyTagged , , Leave a comment
In Memory of Grandma.
 
As a few of you know my late grandma, Joan Rothe, was a dancer. She could twirl a baton, do the polka, and wax any wedding reception with her grooves. And of course, who can forget grandma’s sweet skills in belly dancing or as she would tell us grandkids, “middle eastern dancing”. Ah yes, those were the days…watching grandma wiggle her hips on stage, balancing that sword on her head with a dozen other grandmas. It would make most young boys squimish, but for me, I was proud. I mean, who can brag on their grandma’s belly dancing skills? It made for a great show and tell in elementary school!?
 
In deed, I did inherit my grandmothers genes. I may not have the hips, but I do have the famed belly roll. The past few nights I have been honing my practice of belly dancing by watching instructional videos gifted to my by Amy and Charity who admittedly see potential in my future of male belly dancing. I know some of you may laugh, but if you are ever in need of a belly dancer I will soon be on the market. I could perform for your kids birthday parties, church potlucks or holiday business parties. I dont cost much, but I will promise you a good show.
 
In all seriousness, thanks grandma…
 for loving on me like a mother,
for your patience with my kid-ish spells,
for the weekend rides to great grandma Stella’s,
for trying to cook and laughing about the mistakes,
for being a clean-aholic,
for your willingness to see the world and travel and share your adventures,
for demonstrating to me unbiased compassion,
for always having a fun and giving personality,
for never complaining even in the mist of deadly cancer,
and for instilling within me a desire to dance.

My Adventures with Flat Stanley

Posted in family, quirkyTagged , , , Leave a comment

flat-stanley-at-desk.jpg A few weeks ago I got a letter from my little siter Olivia. She is 6 and enjoying her second semester of kindergarden. The letter included a message from Flat Stanely, a book they read in class. I was to journal and send back a day in my life with Flat…I had a great day with Flat Stanley. I am so glad to have met this new friend.

In the morning, Flat and I went to the bank in West Lafayette. On our way we passed through Purdue University campus where about 40,000 students study mostly farming and engineering. It is a really big place. Many famous people studied here like Neil Armstrong and Amelia Earhart. Of course, I didn’t go to Purdue, but graduated from a college in West Virginia a few years ago.

After going to the bank we drove to my office. On our way to the office we drove through Prophetstown. This is a very historical town where the Battle of Tippecanoe took place in 1811. General William Henry Harrison fought against a group of Indians led by Tecumseh and his brother the Prophet. Many people lost their lives there. Today there is a really neat museum and park to visit.

flat-stanley-being-counselled.jpgThe town next to Prophetstown is Battle Ground, which is where I live and work. I work at Battle Ground Bible Church. I am the assistant pastor and youth director of the church. I teach, counsel and plan a lot of events for our teenagers. We just got back from  our Winter Retreat last weekend, even though there was no snow it was a blast. It is a lot of fun to meet with teenagers everyday. Like today we met  Will and Joe. During the day Flat helped me answer the phone, check emails and prepare for the week. We got a lot done and Flat was a good boy!