When I first became the pastor of the church that I have led since 2005, a trusted friend and co-laborer said to me, “You might be a preacher, but you are no pastor yet.” I did not completely understand that vote of confidence, but after these 13-plus years, I think that I now understand. In John 10, Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” In 1 Corinthians 9, the Apostle Paul said, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” I have read…
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Hello and welcome back to the Dogpound, where we have been trying to very careful and safe. As I stated in my last article I almost became a hood ornament, and I had a second example I wanted to share with you, but ran out of space. Example No. 2: my middle daughter is really into physical fitness and she recommended that I drink almond milk with a whey protein powder and throw in some fruit as well. Since I need all the help I can get, I started drinking this mixture a couple of times a week after my…
A house fire in Engine 11’s first due caused a family of four to have to be rescued from a second-floor roof with ground ladders. The normal way out of any house or building is through a doorway. The problem here was that the family could not get downstairs to exit out a door. Thankfully, such houses have porch roofs and a window that leads to an attached garage roof. I am not sure what the backs of the homes look like. Whatever the case and whatever the cause, I am quite certain that this family did not go to…
This is one of the most difficult subjects that I have written about, but I believe that I need to try to tackle this. I dealt with suicide as a firefighter, and I deal with it as a pastor too. Suicide is a major issue in America. Statistics from the National Institutes of Health state the following from 2016: •Suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the U.S., claiming the lives of nearly 45,000 people. •Suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34. •Suicide is the fourth leading…
Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. I hope you have been taking care of yourself, and as for myself, I have been struggling a bit with that issue. Nothing major mind you. No need to call 911 or anything like that; I have just had a few near-misses where I have been pushing my guardian angel to work overtime. For instance….the other day I got the “hungries” for some good old french fries. I like my fries extra crispy, while being soft and hot in the center. So happens my local grocery store was advertising…
Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. Many a week I have sat here at the computer, wondering what I should write about. Then life comes and kicks me in the caboose. Like, ta-da! Here you go! As I have said many times, I am not mechanically inclined. I can mutter through, but I could not make a living at mechanics for sure. Anyway, I have a tree that is growing by my house, and it is nice to have a bit of shade from the morning sun. However, the branches are continually growing out and…
As I sit watching the news footage of the tornado that hit Old Towne Petersburg, Pocahontas Island, and then the Wal- Mart in Colonial Heights, I thought I would share my remembrance of that day: Aug. 6, 1993. There are some firefighters who will read this story and not be one bit surprised that I was working that day. I was working traded time at Station 14, where I started the day riding Engine 14, then Unit 143. There were four of us on the engine that day: John, George, Greg, and me. As the storm hit, we were first…
ABOVE: The building that later came to be the home of the Village News is shown being reassembled in 2000 after it was moved to the Chester Village Green. It’s been 20 years since the first pages of the Village News first came off the press. In those years, we have covered countless events and told numerous stories. But the story I like to tell the most is how we got our start. As a 12-year-old boy during the summer of 1998, I watched my parents risk it all in an attempt to provide a better life for their family and…
Last week, a fire in a mansion claimed the life of a 13-year veteran firefighter in Maryland. The fire was caused by a lightning strike in the early hours of the morning. From what I understand, the family got out of the home safely before the arrival of fire units. Firefighters made an interior attack. I am not sure about the timeline, but a “may day” was declared once a firefighter had fallen through the floor. It sounds like this house had a basement. I will make an educated guess and say that the basement was well involved and had…
Hello and welcome back to the wonderful world of the Dogpound. Well, remember telling your kids that they were wasting their time playing video games all day long? It appears that may not be so true anymore. There is a thing now called eSports. We know there are competitions and tournaments, but now professional sports have started to set up their own leagues. The NBA has been in the lead, forming actual leagues with players to which they pay a salary ranging from $30,000 to $35,000 a year. Each team recruits and plays against other teams. The league is called…