Goodbye to Chandler

I have been too distracted over the past several weeks to add to my blog. This past week has been especially difficult, due to the death of a 4 year old boy that I knew named Chandler.

Chandler loved cars, or anything with wheels for that matter. He was a Cubbie in our Awana program on Sunday nights, and a real pal to Ben a 3 year old.

Chandler accidently drowned on Monday about noon in his backyard swimming pool. I happened to be up at my church when the Tulsa Police Department called, looking for my pastor. He was at lunch and had left his cell phone at the church. At the time, there were few details and I hurriedly when to my home, picked up my wife and together we went to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. There were already alot of people there, family, church and police. I guess the police have to investigate this sort of thing.

The mom was very very distraught, as anyone can imagine. Dad was upset as well. All the medical personnel were professional yet kind. They worked very hard to save him. But by the next day, his brain had swelled to the point it cut off his breathing and he was clinically dead.

I want to thank all the Tulsa Police personnel involved and especially Gary from the Chaplain Department. They knew just what to do and what to say. They were also very kind.

I believe I witnessed Chandlers true passing at about 4:00 p.m. I was watching the medical team working on him and the distraught family at his side. I was aware something was wrong yet I had a distinct thought that an angel was there to take him to heaven. I mean it! I then had a sensation in my feet, really in my toes, and I actually looked above the hospital bed to see if there indeed was an angel. I did not visually see it tho.

Today was the funeral. It was really a great service. The Gospel of Jesus Christ was so clearly given. I am always greatful for that. Many people participated in the service and the auditorium was filled with over 250 people (it seats 212 normally). Now we reach out to the family to help cover the loss of a loved one. Moores Funeral Home did the whole service for free, I understand! I couldn't believe that. So at least the funeral didn't bust the family's budget.

Tomorrow, I go back to the church and lead the Worship service and tomorrow nite, lead the Sparks in Awana. In other words, back to normal. But what is normal?

I hope I get back in the mood for blogging.

Signs, signs, everywhere there's signs

Stop signs. Need I say more? About ten years ago, Tulsa started placing stop signs all over neighborhoods. I mean they poliferated about every two blocks. They repositioned some of them to and I find myself still slowing down where the old one used to be and breezing through the new one.

Is this really necessary? I know that people do speed in some neighborhoods. But I really think that maybe yield signs would prove just as effective. And lets eliminate some of the stop signs inside neighborhoods too. It makes us use more gasoline and wears out our brake pads.

What's up with the speed trap at the foot of shadow mountain between 61st & 71st on Sheridan? You can ride your breaks and still coast down that hill an will make 50 mph in a 40 zone. The police just sit there on either side of the road all day and write tickets. People figure it out pretty quickly and then continue speeding when the police finally leave. Really, there's pretty much nothing but undeveloped land on the west and housing on the east and lots of wide open space. The speed limit there should be raised to 45.

On a good note, on Sunday a group of Tulsa firefighters came to my church and made a presentation to my group of K-2nd graders. We cooked some burgers and hotdogs and the firefighters did the rest. What a great group of guys. They are true community leaders and heros! Way to go guys! :)