Thump-Thud, Thump-Thud

When a potter bakes a pot, he checks its solidity by pulling it out of the oven and thumping it. If it “sings,” it’s ready. If it “thuds,” it’s placed back in the oven.

The character of a person is also checked by thumping.

Been thumped lately?

Late-night phone calls. Grouchy teacher. Grumpy moms. Burnt meals. Flat tires. You’ve-got-to-be-kidding deadlines. Those are thumps. Thumps are those irritating inconveniences that trigger the worst in us. They catch us off guard. Flat-footed. They aren’t big enough to be crises, but if you get enough of them, watch out! Traffic jams. Long lines. Empty mailboxes. Dirty clothes on the floor. Even as I write this, I’m being thumped. Because of interruptions, it has taken me almost two hours to write these two paragraphs. Thump. Thump. Thump.

How do I respond? Do I sing, or do I thud?

Jesus said that out of the nature of the heart a man speaks (Luke 6:45). There’s nothing like a good thump to reveal the nature of a heart. The true character of a person is seen not in momentary heroics but in the thump-packed humdrum of day-to-day living.

If you have a tendency to thud more than you sing, take heart.

There is hope for us “thudders”:

Begin by thanking God for thumps. I don’t mean a half-hearted thank-you. I mean a rejoicing, jumping-for-joy thank-you from the bottom of your heart (James 1:2). Chances are that God is doing the thumping. And he’s doing it for your own good. So every thump is a reminder that God is molding you (Hebrews 12:5-8).

Learn from each thump. Face up to the fact that you are not “thump-proof.” You are going to be tested from now on. You might as well learn from the thumps—you can’t avoid them. Look upon each inconvenience as an opportunity to develop patience and persistence. Each thump will help you or hurt you, depending on how you use it.

Be aware of “thump-slump” times. Know your pressure periods. For me, Mondays are infamous for causing thump-slumps. Fridays can be just as bad. For all of us, there are times during the week when we can anticipate an unusual amount of thumping. The best way to handle thump-slump times? Head on. Bolster yourself with extra prayer, and don’t give up.

Remember no thump is disastrous. All thumps work for good if we are loving and obeying God.

This article is Max Lucado's

You are Never too Old to Study, to Learn, to Live

Another inspiring woman...

Sitting on the front row in her college classes carefully taking notes, Nola Ochs is just as likely to answer questions as to ask them. That's not the only thing distinguishing her from fellow students at Fort Hays State University. She's 95, and when she graduates May 12, she'll be what is believed to be the world's oldest person to be awarded a college degree.

She didn't plan it that way. She just loved to learn as a teenager on a Hodgeman County farm, then as a teacher at a one-room school after graduating from high school and later as a farm wife and mother.

"That yearning for study was still there. I came here with no thought of it being an unusual thing at all," she said. "It was something I wanted to do. It gave me a feeling of satisfaction. I like to study and learn."

The record Ochs will break, according to Guinness World Records, belongs to Mozelle Richardson, who at age 90 in 2004 received a journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma.

"We should all be so lucky and do such amazing things. Her achievement challenges us all to reach for our own goals and dreams," said Tom Nelson, AARP chief operating officer in Washington.

She's getting offers for television appearances, and reporters show up wanting to interview her. She acknowledges enjoying it.

"It brings attention to this college and this part of the state. Good people live here," she said. "And I still wear the same size hat."

But she added: "I don't dwell on my age. It might limit what I can do. As long as I have my mind and health, it's just a number."

Ochs is proudest of being the matriarch of a family that includes three sons — a fourth died in 1995 — along with 13 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.

"They're all such fine boys," she said. "Our main crop is our children, and the farm is a good place to raise them."

Ochs started taking classes at Dodge City Community College after her husband of 39 years, Vernon, died in 1972. A class here and there over the years, and she was close to having enough hours for an undergraduate degree.

Last fall, Ochs moved the 100 miles from her farm southwest of Jetmore to an apartment on campus to complete the final 30 hours to get a general studies degree with an emphasis on history.

At 5-foot-2, her white hair pulled into a bun, she walks purposely down hallways to classes with her books in a cloth tote bag. Students nod and smile; she's described as witty, charming and down to earth.

"Everybody has accepted me, and I feel just like another student," she said. "The students respect me."

Coming out of a classroom, Skyla Foster, a junior majoring in history, sees Ochs and calls out to her. To everyone on campus, she's "Nola," not Mrs. Ochs — and that's the way she wants it.

"She is pretty neat, a very interesting person and very knowledgeable," Foster said.

Todd Leahy, history department chairman, wondered at first if Ochs could keep up with the other students. After her second week, all doubts were gone, as he discovered she could provide tidbits of history.

Leahy, who had Ochs in four classes, wants to record oral histories with her after she graduates.

"I can tell them about it, but to have Nola in class adds a dynamic that can't be topped," Leahy said. "It's a firsthand perspective you seldom get."

For instance, Ochs offered recollections of the 1930s Midwest dust bowl, when skies were so dark that lamps were lit during the day and wet sheets were placed over windows to keep out dust that sounded like pelting sleet hitting the house.

During a discussion about World War II, Ochs told how she and her husband, along with other wheat farmers in the area, grew soybeans on some of their acres for the war effort.

"I would have never talked about that in class, but she brought it up and we talked about it," Leahy said. "She often adds color to the face of history."

Ochs hasn't complained about the work, nor has she asked for special considerations.

In her one-bedroom apartment, books are open and papers and notes are within easy reach when she sits down at her computer to research and write.

"I came up here with that purpose. No, I never doubted it. Other people did it," she said. "I came up here to work, and I enjoy it."

Ochs said she has learned new things. She said she has attained a better understanding of Russian history and the role Dwight Eisenhower played in the D-Day invasion.

An added joy for Ochs is that her 21-year-old granddaughter, Alexandra Ochs, will graduate with her.

"How many people my age have a chance to hang out with their grandmothers? She's really accepted by the other students," Alexandra said. "They enjoy her, but probably not as much as I do."

Ochs said she looks forward to getting home to help with the wheat harvest, as she has done every year for as long as she can remember. After harvest, she might travel or take more classes at a community college.

After that?

"I'm going to seek employment on a cruise ship as a storyteller," she said, smiling.

The determined look in her eye leaves no doubt she's serious.
___

On the Net:
Fort Hays State University:
www.fhsu.edu

95-year-old woman earns history degree
KANSAS CITY, Kan., April 29 (UPI) -- A 95-year-old Kansas woman is set to become the world's oldest college graduate when she walks across the stage at Fort Hays State University.

Nola Ochs -- who is scheduled to receive her degree in history in two weeks -- was born in 1911 and graduated high school just as the Great Depression was beginning, The Kansas City Star reported.

Ochs is said to be greatly admired by professors and students alike on the Fort Hays campus. Her research papers reportedly show model work and she is known as an excellent storyteller -- often reliving history in class for other, much younger students, the newspaper said.

Ochs is also known for having an incredible amount of energy. Before the grandmother and great-grandmother earns her Guinness World Record as oldest college grad, she has course papers to finish, studying to do and a flurry of media attention to cope with.

None of which is reported to be a problem for her. One source told the star Ochs has said she is very much enjoying it all.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.

A Second Life C

(Picture: Cynthia Groopman (alone, with New York City in background) and Cynthia and other recipients of the honorary Liberty Award for New York City)

She is an inspiring woman; Cynthia Groopman.
Sudden blindess didn't kill her life, instead it gave her new life.
~wonderful is HIS work...


A Second Life C
February 28, 1988, will always be the beginning of my second life.

Sixteen years ago I received a prescription cough medication. Although pleasant tasting, it would change my life and my vision forever.

I awoke at midnight from a fitful sleep with a pounding headache and red eyes that felt like they were going to pop out of my head. Everything seemed hazy.

My dad and brother accompanied me to the local eye and ear hospital. In the taxi, tears began to stream down my face. What was happening to me? I thought.

I was 39 years old, active, vibrant and enjoyed life. I was an elementary school English teacher.

An intern and nurse awaited me in the emergency room. The intern looked into my eyes and measured the pressure, which was 55 in each eye. When I showed him the cough medicine bottle, he said that I was one in five who experiences an adverse reaction.

Immediately the doctor and nurse went to work to lower the pressure with injections, liquids, pills and drops. I was in the emergency room all night and into the wee hours of the morning. I had laser surgery, and the pressure was lowered.

The sight in both eyes, however, was gone.

I found myself in a dark and isolated world. I thought to myself: What purpose do I have now?

In the taxi going home, I listed in my mind some goals to reach by the year 2002. I was just imagining things and thought that this would allay my fears.

In the beginning it was like a bad dream. Going to the doctor. Using drops and Just sitting around and moping.

I felt I had to retire from my job. The medical board asked me stupid questions.

I then underwent intensive rehabilitation and was taught new skills, including cane travel.

I began taking adult education courses from the Hadley School for the Blind. Later, I would become Student of the Year.

In 1991, I became a social work, educational and recreational volunteer professional at the local seniors center where I began to utilize my skills as a teacher. I taught ESL, conducted groups and spoke to the homebound and counseled people. I was named Volunteer of the Year and blessed by the Monsignor.

I was adjusting to life because I had a purpose.

I was photographed for Time Magazine, using the Reading Edge machine and inspired others.

Time passed, and I realized that the goals I had verbally listed on that February night were becoming realities.

I began to write poetry and was one of the best poets for three years. I was awarded a Citation of Honor for volunteer service, the Hero of Winter Exceptional and Role Model Person. My fondest dream came true when, in August 2001, I had a Bat Mitzvah at age 53.

Today, I mentor children and talk to groups about blindness. My letters appear in our local papers, and I am interested and involved in social actions with senior citizens. The ability to use the computer was my last goal, and I had special technology lessons.

My life is full. I have insight, the ability to grow, lead a productive life and see the light of the Lord. My life is truly rich and blessed, and yes, now I know the true purpose of my life. God gave me an unconquerable soul.

By Cynthia Groopman, mailto:Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net


The Evening’s Coolness
By Cynthia Groopman

As the radiant sunshine glow begins to gradually fade,
Bathed am I, in the coolness of the evening shade

Embrace tenderly by a splendid caress of refreshing fresh air,
My weary soul is renewed with sudden flare
Softness and comfort adorns my heart,
As the stressful events of the day begins to depart

Oh, coolness of the evening you are so alluring to me,
Enfolding me into God’s warm loving arms
of love and tranquility.

Copyright © 2007 Cynthia Groopman.