I haven't updated this blog in almost a year; So, I thought it was high time to let The World in on what The Smither has been up to.

In November I moved from Wesleyville,.PA to DeFuniak Springs, Fl. My sister and her family had moved down here in 2012 when he became pastor of Euchee Valley Presbyterian Church here. Since I was in a dead end job, and I was sick of the winters in Northwestern Pennsylvania, I decided to take the plunge. I got a job less then a week after moving down here, working for a well known discount retailer. (Not what I want to do the rest of my life, but it pays the bills for now.) I've been working there going on 5 months, and recently became a member at a Southern Baptist church.

I hope to update this more often. Until then, carry on!

Presidential Places Part III

In July 2005, My mom and I were driving back to Pennsylvania from a sojourn in Virginia. Somehow I talked her into getting off the interstate to look for Hollywood Cemetery. Hollywood is one of two places (The others being a church in Quincy, Ma and Arlington National Cemetery.) where two presidents are buried. We drove around for a bit and finally reached the c

emetery. It was a hot July day when I started walking, searching for the two presidents final resting place.

Unfortunely I started on the opposite end of the cemetery from where James Monroe and John Tyler's tombs were. I did pass by the grave of James Thomas Flexner, author of a multi volume biography of George Washington. I had read that Jefferson Davis and J.E.B. Stuart were also buried here but saw no signs of their graves. The Sun and dehydration started to effect me. I thought about giving up, but said to myself  "No, You will find them, they got to be here somewhere."  I had walked what seemed like a mile when I saw the profile of the 10th President on a big monument. I found it! 

Me at John Tyler's grave. The black birdcage like tomb is James Monroe's.
I took a picture of myself at Monroe's tomb but it won't upload. I was too tired to look for Jefferson Davis, so I walked back to the car and left.

Travels to Presidential Places Part II

The next Presidential site I'm going to talk about is Spigel Grove, the home of Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th President of the United States. Hayes is probably most famous for two things. His election in 1880 was disputed. Samuel Tilden, his Democratic opponent, got more popular votes than Hayes and Hayes won after a special commission awarded him the deciding electoral votes. This came up alot in 2000 when Al Gore won the popular vote, but George W. Bush became president because he won the electoral votes of Florida by 537 ballots cast.  The second thing you might know is Hayes' wife Lucy, got the nickname 'Lemonade Lucy' for not allowing intoxicating beverages to be consumed in The White House.

I've visited here on two occasions, both having to do with picking my sister up from college in Indiana. The first visit I didn't have enough money for the admission to the house or museum, so I just walked around the grounds. I had read about the hobby of visiting presidential graves, and I was determened to have my picture taken at Hayes' grave. Luckily for me, the fence that usually surrounded it was being repaired, so I got to stand alot closer to it than you normally get to. I look horrible in this picture so please forgive me.

I visited the museum on another trip. It was nice and even had the carriage Hayes had used.  For some reason though the exhibit I found most impressive was the one of Presidential letters, even though a few of them were obvious autopens.

I almost forgot to mention that near Hayes' tomb is the grave of his horse Old Whitey. I found that kind of cool.

Travels to Presidential Places Part I

Ever since I can remember, I've been a Presidential buff. I'm not sure how it started.  I think it was when my great uncle gave us an old set of encyclopdias from the 1960's. The 'P' volume, in it's article on Presidents of the United States, had drawings of every president from Washington to LBJ. Soon after I acquired a stamp album which has room for stickers of all the presidents up to Reagan (then the current POTUS.) It might of also helped that I spent the first few years of my life near Yorktown, Virginia; The site of George Washington's victory over the British that finally guaranteed America it's freedom.

My mom says that her and my dad took me as a baby to Monticello. She said they were asked to leave cause they were worried that I would break something.  Since I have no memory of that visit, I will start with the first one I do have memories of. Mount Vernon

Photo Courtsey Ad Meskens

I was 7 years old and my uncle was working in the Reagan administration. My mom decided to take a trip on the Amtrak to see him. My mom didn't drive or have a car at the time so I forget how we were able to get to Mount Vernon. I remember that the main thing I wanted to see there was George Washington's tomb, so I didn't take the time I should of to look around the house.  I finally got to the tomb and well it was a tomb. That hasn't stopped me in the years since from trying to visit other presidents tombs and graves, but I guess I was 7 so that could be excused.

During my childhood I made several visits to the Yorktown battlefield. Although I haven't been to the visitors center there since 1986, I would recommend you drop by. It's alot better then the 'Victory Center' which I think charges too much. When I was a kid the visitors center had George Washington's tent and bed from the time of the Revolution, plus a cool movie. Definetly drop by and only go to the 'Victory Center' if you have kids who want to take part in hands on demonstrations.

When my parents divorced, I would move to Northwestern Pennsylvania and the town or "city" of Corry. One of the few presidential sites nearby is the site of Fort LeBouf in the small town of Waterford, PA. Fort LeBouf was a French fort.  As a young man in his twenties, George Washington was sent by the Governor of Virginia, to tell the French to get out.  The French said no, but wined and dined him anyway like a James Bond villain does before he tries to kill 007. The statue pictured is said to be the only one of Washington in a British uniform, though some would argue that he is in fact wearing a Virginia militia uniform instead. Along with the statue is a small museum that is rather unimpressive, assuming of course you find it open when you are there.


In my next post, I will tell you the story of the Rutherford B. Hayes Center and the grave of 'Old Whitey'.

The Turmoil in the Middle East

The murder of the American Ambassador to Libya and his cohorts, as well as violent protests in Egypt have been blamed on the outrage over a You Tube video which  mocks the Prophet Muhammad.  As a Christian,I am offended when I hear Jesus Christ's name used in vain and when I see him mocked on South Park and other comedy shows.  However when is the last time you saw Christians take to the street to protest blashphemy over their God?  There might of been a couple of instances in 1988 when The Last Temptation of Christ was released but besides that I can not think of any others.  Does Islam want to be known as a religion that is only feared but not respected?  Governments may urge the videos to be taken down and web sites may comply  but this is because of the violence, not because of the principles of Islam or  the greatness of Muhammad.  Otherwise why aren't artworks such as 'Piss Christ' which is a picture of a crucifix submerged in urine banned? Just a thought....

Musing of a Taco Bell cashier

I am have been working at a Taco Bell as a cashier for the last year. Before this I worked in as an operator/Customer Service rep for various companies. I got laid off at the end of 2008 and searched for a year and a half for another job until I found this one. It took some getting used to, being on my feet up to 8 hours a day and the pay is quite a bit less then a call center pays but I like my job. I have a great boss and don't dread coming to work everyday like I did working customer service. I have observed some things in my year of waiting on customers that I wanted to share.

• Old people like to use change alot more then young people.
• Women are more apt to complain about things then men are.
• Some people you can't make happy, no matter how hard you try.

Do I want to do this for the rest of my life? No, but if I was getting paid $10 an hour I could live with it!

The Second Unpardonable Sin.

If you were to ask most Baptists how many unpardonable sins there were, they would say one. The Blasphemy of The Holy Spirit. But in reality for most Baptists there are two. The second being divorced. If someone feels called to be a pastor or any paid position in the Baptist hierarchy and they've been divorced, regardless of the circumstances they are eliminated from consideration because of their interpretation of such verses as I Timothy 3:2 which states that a bishop should be the 'husband of one wife'. Never mind that the Greek means 'one woman man.' Example, Bill Clinton has only been married once but even the most devout Democrat wouldn't call him a one woman man. Yet, he'd have a better chance of being called as the pastor of a Baptist church then a man who was faithful to his wife but for non biblical reasons, decided to divorce him.

I went through a situation like this. I surrendered to preach the gospel in 2003 at a conference in Hammond, Indiana. The following year I enrolled at Hyles-Anderson College, the bible college run by the church that put on this conference. I left because I felt I wasn't learning any bible. I ended up marrying a graduate of said college in 2006. Less then a year later she filed for divorce. I tried everything I could think of to reconcile with her but nothing worked. Since then I have been greatly frustrated. I still feel called to preach but the Baptist churches I go to prohibit divorced men from pastoring. It had depressed me so much that I've attended Presbyterian and Full Gospel churches where I felt more accepted but whose theology I had trouble with. It seems like I can either stay in a Baptist church where I feel at home, but where I feel like I'll have a scarlet 'D' on my chest for the rest of my life, or I can try another church where I'm accepted but where I don't feel comfortable, either with their worship or their theology.

I am sure there are others out there who have been through simlar circumstances. If you have feel free to post them in the comments.