Archives for July 2018

Just some thoughts:

Trifle–A thing of little value or importance.

On some of my wife’s and our travels to Europe we  visited Vatican City. While there we have had the good fortune to visit and see Michelangelo’s painting of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling.

Today while attending a church service with family and friends the speaker reference Michelangelo and shared an interesting story about him.

A friend visited Michelangelo during one of his many artistic efforts. Time past and his friend returned to see how he was doing only to remark: “Why have you done so little since I was last here?” In essences he was saying that it appears your efforts have been of little value, you have “trifled” with you time and work.

To which Michelangelo remarked, “Not so, I have done much.” He went on to explain that he had done much. That his efforts how small they might appear took much time, effort and preparation. Sometimes the smallest of detail, efforts can be most time demanding.

The speaker went on to tell us that perfection is more than trifling. Sometimes what appears as little in the eyes of one is not so in the eyes of another. Today so often in our society we want “sweeping” and quick changes. We often measure success by what we think are great strides. There’s a word to interject here, the word patience.

One can ask how can anything of great importance, significance come from something so small when the need is so great?  Matters of importance such as relationships can take time and efforts during that process are certainly not trifling. Small efforts can bring final perfection.

Sometimes what has to be said is: “I have been doing something, it may appear otherwise to others, but not so, I have accomplished much since you were last here.”

Working toward perfection is never a trifle.

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June 16, 2018
Keep on,
Larry Adamson

July 31, 2018

Just some thoughts:

Music can speak to hearts frequently where sermons fail.

Sometimes a “three minute sermon” can come in the form of a song and be very powerful.

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April 27, 2018
Keep on,
Larry Adamson

 

Posted July 30, 2018

Just some thoughts:

 “Sometimes you have to look really hard at a person

and realize they are doing the best they can.”

Ethel–“On Golden Pond”

Sadly some folks just don’t want to make the effort to look that hard.

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June 28, 2018
Keep on,
Larry Adamson

Posted July 29, 2018

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Just some thoughts:

A party once was asked: “Is there anything you would like written on your tombstone?”

The man replied: “Yes.”  He was then asked. What?”

“Return to sender.”

Now think about it for a minute.

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November 19, 2017
Keep on,
Larry Adamson

Posted July 28, 2018

Just some thoughts:

“Some records sound so good, so right, that they announce themselves as anthems the first second you hear them. They speed up everything inside of you, they thrill you, they—although you would be embarrassed to admit it–make you glad. You don’t comment—you merely reach for the knob and turn up the volume.”

When We Get to Surf City–Bob Greene

There’s a couple lines from a Statler Brothers song “That Summer” that can often say what I feel when I  now hear an old song from my past:

“There’s a store house of song titles–and those songs now make me sad  instead of happy”

You got any old songs that do that for you?

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January 8, 2018
Keep on,
Larry Adamson

Posted July 26, 2018

Just some thoughts:

Recently I was where I over heard some parents discussing some of their frustrations with their teenage sons. I was reminded of something supposedly Mark Twain once said:

“When a boy turns thirteen put him in a barrel and feed him through a knot hole. When he turns sixteen plug up the hole.”

Does sound a bit harsh don’t you think?

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October 4, 2017
Keep on,
Larry Adamson

Posted July 25, 2018

Just some thoughts:

“To be a team you must be a family. It is not what you teach, but what you emphasize. Prepare for every practice like you just lost your last game. Every day you teach attitude.” Quote from one time basketball coach, Don Meyer.

At one time Meyer held the record for most wins by a men’s basketball coach until passed by Mike Krzyzewski in 2011. ESPN analyst Buster Olney wrote a book about Coach Meyer called How Lucky Can You Be.

Legendary University of Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said of Meyer: “He taught me how to teach others how to play the game. When I started coaching at Tennessee, I was twenty-two years old. I had four players twenty-one that were seniors. And I had never coached a day in my life. Coach Meyer helped me tremendously.”

He coached twenty-four seasons at Lipscomb with a record of 665-179.

1.Everybody takes notes
2.Everybody says “please” and “thank you.”
3.Everybody picks up trash.

Yes he took notes.

Not too long before Coach Meyer’s passing my wife and I sat just behind him at a Sunday morning church service. Almost immediately when the minister that morning began speaking I saw Meyer take out a pen and pad. Yes he took notes.

Last year at a Lipscomb game I sat with one who had attended Meyer’s basketball camps years previous at Lipscomb. I ask him, “Do you remember his three rules.” The guy looked at me and said, “You kidding. Absolutely. When you are a kid about ten or eleven years old and he walks into the gym and started barking, you were scared half silly. We forgot nothing he told us to do.”

Sadly Meyer died of cancer May 18, 2014.

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November 12, 2017
Keep on,
Larry Adamson

Posted July 24, 2018

Just some thoughts:

You know sometimes we can create problems for ourselves in which we don’t have a very good solution or plan in which to solve.

You see these tail lights of this car? It means it is backing up.

In Coeur d’Alene, Idaho–After householders reported that a car was tearing around the neighborhood in reverse, Assistant Police Chief Robert Schmidt investigated and found behind the wheel a teen-age girl. She explained her actions saying the following: “My folks let me have the car and I ran up too much mileage. I was just unwinding some of it.”

                                             Time magazine July 1956

Well seems like a logical solution especially in 1956.

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July 2, 2018
Keep on,
Larry Adamson

Posted July 23, 2018

Just some thoughts:

A great line I recently heard said by someone:

“Persistence without the promise of praise.”

KK–Kim Karesh

What a needed ingredient in society. Doing something without seeking a reward.

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June 25, 2018
Keep on,
Larry Adamson

Just some thoughts:

Earlier this week my wife and I spent a few days in Oxford, Mississippi. Our friends John and Beth Cleveland invited us to come and spend time with them. What a neat place. Everything about Oxford from the town square to Ole Miss. All very special.

While there we spent time  visiting William’s Faulkner’s home, grave and other related matters regarding the man.  Special to get to do so. Faulkner made a number of classic statement’s in his time.

“A mule will labor ten years willingly and patiently,
for the privilege of kicking you once.”

William Faulkner

That  painting of a mule still sits on the mantel of his study at Rowan Oak, overlooking his portable Underwood, like an angel. Rowan Oak we did get to visit.

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June 11, 2018

Keep on,
Larry Adamson

Posted July 21, 2018