Chasing the Wind

News. Faith. Nonsense.

What is a Sesquicentennial, anyway?

For my sins, I have been asked to organize our county’s 150th birthday party.

It is true I enjoy reporting about local history in my weekly newspaper column, a gig that’s been running for over 11 years now. The reason I like to write about local history: usually no one is around to dispute my reporting, and if I write it carefully, giving careful attribution on dubious claims, I can refer criticism to my sources.

It is also true I chaired the local historical commission for what turned out to be a very long year.

But organizing a community-wide event is way outta my league.

I am reminded of a story my grandmother tells about my late grandfather, an avid fisherman. Early in their marriage they lived in Blanket, Texas which is up near Coleman, I think. My grandmother was startled to hear my grandfather telling everyone they met in town one Wednesday they were invited to a big fish fry the following Saturday.

“Granville,” my grandmother asked, “are you planning a fish fry?”

“Yes.”

“Who are you inviting?”

“The whole town.”

My grandmother’s eyes widened.

“Do you have any fish?” she asked.

“I’ll catch them Friday night.”

And he and some buddies did catch enough that Friday night to feed the whole town.

I’m sure my grandmother fussed at him from Wednesday until after the last guest left Saturday night. But he did get it done.

I’m planning something similar here in Kerr County for April 6-9, 2006. I’m planning a style show on Thursday, a musical review on Friday evening, a big parade on Saturday afternoon, a giant musical performance in the park Saturday evening (complete with fireworks), and a memorial service on Sunday afternoon. I have never planned any single one of the events before, and I have absolutely no money lined up. All of the events will be free and open to the public. I’m thinking the weekend will cost around $35,000 to produce.

Fortunately my lovely wife Carolyn is not fussing at me. Like the rest of the community, she expects I’ll get it all done in time, and with money left over.

So… it should be an interesting few months….

, , ,
, , , ,
Michael's avatar

Posted by:

Michael

Follower of Jesus, conservative, freedom-loving patriot.

2 responses to “What is a Sesquicentennial, anyway?”

  1. Stephen Avatar
    Stephen

    ooh, sounds fun!

    Like

    Reply
  2. Michael Avatar
    Michael

    Feeding the 5000 with fish? Where have I heard that story before…. 🙂

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to Michael Cancel reply

About Me

Michael, a sinner saved by grace, sharing what the good Lord has shared with me.

Solomon, in the book of Ecclesiastes, said, “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

If you’re not living for the glory of God, then what you’re doing is meaningless, no matter what it is. Living for God gives life meaning, and enjoying a “chasing after the wind” is a gift from God. I’m doing what I can to enjoy this gift daily.

Got questions? I’m not surprised. If you have any questions about Chasing the Wind, you can email me at chasingthewind@outlook.com.

Recent Posts

  • Halleluiah! Praise the Lord!
      I.      Introduction Sometimes when I study, I get a plot, like in the Book of Jonah or Exodus or Acts.  I enjoy studying it, the plot, the life lesson, the historical significance, the miracles, and the fishing lessons.    But Psalms is usually hard for me.  I read today’s scripture and thought, “It’s a… Read more: Halleluiah! Praise the Lord!
  • The Temple
      I.      Introduction – The Temple In our class last week, Tommy taught us that we should be prepared for the coming of the Lord.  Well, He’s here.  And here in Luke 2, we get our only inspired snapshot of Jesus between infancy and adulthood.  And we’ll see in just a few short verses something… Read more: The Temple
  • Ross King
    I was blessed by Ross King’s honesty about his faith through difficult times. I skipped over the two worship songs and pick up about 10 minutes in to get to his personal story about his pain and challenges to his faith.
  • Finding Wisdom
    I.             Introduction An old friend once told me a story that every married man understands. His wife tried on a new dress and asked, “Does this dress make me look fat?” He answered with complete honesty. It was true – and it was also unwise. Later he said something I have never forgotten: truth and… Read more: Finding Wisdom
  • Confession, Reconciliation, Celebration
    I.             Icebreaker — Stories of Reconciliation Before we turn to Nehemiah, let me connect us to where we’ve been the past couple of weeks. Two weeks ago, Tommy used home renovation shows—things like Property Brothers—to help us think about rebuilding. That fit Nehemiah well, because Nehemiah quite literally asks the king for permission to rebuild… Read more: Confession, Reconciliation, Celebration

Newsletter