FREE BOOK: TRIALS OF A PRO-CHOICE MINISTER

B011DO8PGW

Here’s a brief synopsis:

FREE BOOK: The Trials of a Prochoice Minister — FREE BOOK: TRIALS OF A PRO- CHOICE MINISTER who supported a woman’s right to choose abortion in 1970.

At the height of the hippie era, a bearded minister wearing sandals arrives on the campus of Indiana State University and opens a popular coffee house where musicians perform between inspirational readings. But eventually, Duane’s involvement in liberal causes casts gloomy shadows over his once proud surname. His support of Planned Parenthood as a member of the Clergy Consultation Service provokes outrage among conservative factions of Terre Haute’s elite society, and shocks his board of directors. A divorce prompts a call for his resignation.

About the Author

Rev. M. Duane Sinn was raised on a farm in Nebraska, and attended the University of Nebraska for one year before joining the Army Air Corps during the Korean War.

Upon discharge from Hickham Air Force Base in Hawaii, Duane returned to Nebraska with his wife and twin sons to attend college and work various jobs: insurance salesman, radio announcer, window dresser, ladies lingerie clerk, and part time minister, just to name a few. It would take twelve years to earn his bachelor’s degree from Hastings College and finally, his Master of Divinity Degree from Iliff School of Theology in Denver.

In 1968, he came to Terre Haute, Indiana as the Methodist campus minister for Indiana State University and Rose Hulman Institute of Technology. Twelve years later, he joined LBJ’s War on Poverty as Executive Director of the Western Indiana Community Action Agency. Fiercely independent, Duane has always followed his own moral compass when faced with difficult choices..

Get a Free copy of Amazon Kindle book, A Preacher Called Sinn , June 26 -June 30 (Sunday through Thursday) @ http://www.amzn.com/B011DO8PGW

June 23, 2022June 23, 2022

DAMNED IF THEY DO OR DON’T

Most everyone has someone in their life that they really don’t like. Sometimes, there’s a good reason. Like a co worker who back stabbed you, or a relative who bad mouths you. I’m not a psychologist, but I’m sure that there are thousands of reasons why we dislike a certain person. Consequently, it seems they can’t do anything right. Sometimes, we’re the dislikee-or the person disliked. We may sense the hostility, or not realize that a certain person doesn’t wish us well. Nevertheless, you can rest assured that nothing you can do will change their mind. You can volunteer in Africa, or give a million dollars to their alma mater. Doesn’t matter. No matter what you do, their opinion of you will remain the same. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle are a perfect example of this phenomenon. No matter where they go, someone is going to criticize them. They’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

If they had stayed too long at the Queen’s platinum jubilee, they would have been accused of trying to steal the spotlight. However when they decided to leave early, the critics accused them of snubbing the Queen. They can’t win.

The Meghan haters declared from the git go that she was nothing but a gold digger. That seems pretty insulting to Prince Harry, who happens to be quite a hunk. To me, a gold digger is a young woman who marries an older unattractive man, simply because he’s rich. Harry is young, charming and personable. Therefore, I would imagine he could have attracted a pretty wife even without his royal title.

Apparently, the English consider Harry to be an ungrateful traitor to the crown. He was supposed to spend his life attending boring ceremonies and playing second fiddle to the future king, his brother William. What’s so terrible about deciding he didn’t want to do that? How many American men leave home at a certain age, and strike out on their own?

They said he trashed the monarchy with his Oprah interview. I can’t see where he trashed anyone. He didn’t criticize prince Charles for ruining his own mother’s life. Didn’t accuse anyone in the royal family of doing anything illegal or unsavory. He simply explained why he wanted to leave England and start a new life in America.

Right now, they are doing what any sensible people in that same position would do. Ignore the critics who can’t be pleased, and go on with their own lives. They’ve done the best they can. They aren’t hurting anyone. If English broadcaster Piers Morgan dislikes Harry and Meghan, it’s on him. Because they’re damned if they do, and damned if they don’t.

June 16, 2022June 16, 2022

HOW TO SURVIVE A HEATWAVE MELTDOWN

The first heatwave has come on way too early this year. We expect it in summer, but it’s still officially spring. Global warming may or may not be to blame, because I can remember a few heatwaves when I was growing up in Indiana. There was no air conditioning in those days, unless you went to a department store or movie theatre. Most of us just sweat it out at home in various degrees of undress. As kids, we ran under a garden sprinkler hose to cool down. But grownups had to keep on going to work, taking care of children, cooking, doing laundry. Nowadays, most everyone has air conditioning. Except, sometimes you don’t. Even without a power blackout, the air conditioner often gets overloaded and breaks down. What to do? How to survive a heatwave A/C meltdown:

While you’re waiting in line for a repairman to come and fix whatever’s broken, here’s what you can do to cool a house with damp towels. This also works if you have a two story house, with an upstairs room that the air conditioning doesn’t reach.

1. Close all windows and doors in the early morning. Draw all the shades and pull the curtains shut.

2.Find every fan you have in the house, on the porch, garage, or basement and turn them on. .

3. Go to your linen closet and pull out some bath towels. Soak them in cold water. A damp towel, preferably light-colored, should hang in a window or in front of a fan, where its trapped water evaporates and cools the air flowing through it. Your rooms may not get as cold as they would with an air conditioner, but the towels and fans will alleviate the worst of the heat. And the noise from a fan is far less than a window air conditioner.

How To survive a heatwave meltdown. Hang a wet towel in front of your window. — How To Survive A Heatwave Meltdown. Hang a wet towel in your window and turn on a fan.

Meanwhile, turn off the oven. Eat cold cuts, or go for carry out.

Believe it or not, some people don’t have air conditioners at all. 87% of Americans have some type of air conditioning , but that’s true in only 8% of the rest of the world. You, too, can survive a heatwave without an air conditioner.

Finally, you might download you tube music “HeatWave,” , and listen to Irving Berlin’s popular song from the thirties https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5PpCCfhBhY

How to survive a heatwave meltdown. Listen to Ethel waters sing "Havin A Heatwave" — How To Survive A Heatwave Meltdown. Listen to Ethel Waters sing while hanging wet towels in front of fans.

Oh! We’re having a heatwave, a tropical heatwave
The temperature’s rising, it isn’t surprising,
She certainly can the can-can
She started a heatwave by letting her seat wave,
In such a way that the customers say
That she certainly can can-can

June 12, 2022June 12, 2022

SHOULD LILIBET’S DRESS BE IRONED?

One of the best photos that came out of the Queen Elizabeth’s 70^th Jubilee was the adorable picture of Prince Harry’s baby girl. If you’re old as me, you can remember when Harry had that same silky red hair. And her shy little smile, brought tears to my eyes. How could anyone find anything to criticize? But guess what. Some mean spirited, prissy women did just that. Posted online that Meghan should have ironed Lilibet’s little blue dress. OMG. Is this angel supposed to sit in a starchy, stiff dress while posing for a photo shoot? Should Lilibet’s dress be Ironed? I vote a resounding No!

How many people actually iron their clothes anymore? When I retired as a hospital department manager 23 years ago, I swore there would two things I would never do again: A) wear panty hose and B) Iron my clothes. I had worn a starched, stiff, ironed lab coat to work every day for over a quarter of a century. And followed the hospital dress code requiring a woman wear panty hose even in the heat of summer. I’ll admit that I’ve occasionally broken my vow. Panty hose might be worn to weddings and funerals—but not always. And sometimes an iron is needed to smooth the creases in a garment mailed from Amazon. But I’ll be darned if I’ll iron tops and pants before going to the store or any casual social occasion.

Clothing manufacturers know we hate to iron. Most fabrics are wrinkle free if taken out of the dryer in time. And if they’re a bit wrinkled? So what. A little baby girl is meant to held and hugged, without worrying about wrinkling her dress. She’s also expected to crawl, roll on the floor, or jump on a sofa without a second thought as to her apparel.

What kind of women would expect a baby’s dress to be ironed? Possibly, someone like an ex-mother-in-law from hell. An up tight control freak who’s just looking for some little something to criticize, instead of simply relaxing and enjoying the miracle of a beautiful one year old child celebrating her first birthday.

Should Lilibet’s dresses be Ironed? Let’s hope not.

June 5, 2022June 5, 2022

GAS PRICES, HALF EMPTY LOTS, LOADED CARTS

Have you ever made the mistake of going to the store on a Friday afternoon? It’s typically a crowded tangle of payday shoppers, weekend partiers, moms with school kids, all jamming the aisles and running into each other. No retired person would voluntarily choose this day and time to shop. But sometimes, it’s a necessity, if you need something at the last minute. So, you grit your teeth and prepare to fight the crowd. However, it didn’t happen last Friday. Higher gas prices have led to half empty store parking lots and loaded carts inside.

I found a parking place right near the entry way. The store was eerily quiet for a Friday afternoon. And there were no long lines at the checkout. However, I didn’t see any light shoppers. Everyone appeared to be saving gas by shopping big. Loading up their carts with enough food and supplies to get through the week or more. Many customers had helpers with them because their top and bottom baskets were filled to the brim. It was a major undertaking to get the stuff loaded on the store conveyor belt, checked, bagged, and finally loaded into the back of an SUV in the parking lot.

Of course, if you don’t drive, it doesn’t cost anything but wear and tear on your legs to walk to the store. Ditto for bicycling. You can’t buy as much ,but it doesn’t really matter because you can go back at anytime without paying $5 a gallon for gas to get there. .

It reminds me of the old days, back in the 40’s. There was a grocery store on every corner, because many folks couldn’t afford to own or maintain an automobile. Those small grocery stores were gathering spots for the neighborhood, and provided the grocers a means to support their families. It would be nice if we could go back to those days, but we probably won’t. For now, the only way to save money on gas is to load up on groceries one day a week…or month..

High gas prices lead to half empty parking lots and loaded shopping carts. Now, where to put everything once you get it home?