When did I have my first date.

I did not have much success with dating. I tried to get my first date in 6th grade to a Christmas event at a local theatre and she originally said yes but changed her mind and said later no. That kind of set the course for all the school days ahead. I never really could get dates in junior high or high school and my cousin Wally finally decided to make it his mission to find me a date for the prom. Turns out the only reason that she wanted to go to the prom was that her younger sister had a date to the prom. They were both from another school. My dating didn't really start until I met my first wife in the back hills of Missouri in the small town of Washington. It was frustrating at the time but now that I look back on it, it was probably a good thing.

Admiration for a famous person

I didn't really have an admiration for a famous person. I thought the Astronauts were pretty cool. Especially those that landed on the moon. Famous people really didn't interest me. They were just to make movies and play sports. I didn't have much interest in famous sports figures either. Maybe my Dad was the hero in my life. He always seemed to know how to build, fix, or repair anything. I think I have inherited some of that general knowledge. Ideas about how to do things just seem to come into my mind when working on a project. It's not usually the best way but it usually works. It takes me a little longer to figure it out than Dad.

Nicest Thing done for Mother and Father

The nicest thing I can remember for my Mother and Father they celebrated their 25Th wedding anniversary I and my sister bought an organ for my Mother to play and my Dad to listen. Mom was always the musician and played guitar, harmonica, and piano/organ.

High School Extacurricular Activites

I played football starting in Junior High and played all through High School. I liked the physical contact of the sport as well as the team working together. I ran track and did OK but wasn't among the best. It was required to be on the football team and if that weren't the requirement I probably wouldn't have done that sport. I started weight lifting in hight school and liked that, but never entered any competition because it wasn't in my high school.

Hideaway or Clubhouse

We had a clubhouse behind the house on Myrtle street in Sioux City. We had the rule of when we said a bad word we would have to stay in the shed for 10 minutes. My friend Doug was spending all his time in the shed so we quit doing that. Bill and I decided to put a stove in the shed one winter to stay warm and lit the wood with gasoline and practically burned ourselves up. We climbed out a window and after the firemen put out the fire we were given the lecture. That was kind of the end of the clubhouse.

My favorite school teacher

The first teacher I can remember was my 5th grade teacher who's name was Mrs. Wanerholm. I don't know why she stuck in my mind except I had just moved into town and she was the first teacher in that school. In High School, the teacher that most influenced me was the Physics teacher whos name I can't remember. He sparked my interest in electronics which set the course of my career in life. In college it would be Mr. Prendergast. He could start with the simplest of equations and progress into proving the most complex of equations. He impressed me for sure.

Crazy fads from school days.

I think my generation invented crazy fads. We went from the Bobby socks with poodle skirts, slicked back duck tail hair on boys, and jitter bug dances to flat top hair cuts with rolled up sleeves on T-shirts and penny loafer shoes. Then we progressed into long hair Beetle hair cuts and polyister clothes with bell bottoms. Hair styles changed to the Afro look and then morphed into just about any of the past or present styles were good. I participated in the long hair hippie look with a beard which I still have. However the hair is gone on top and cropped short on the sides these days. I participated in the polyister shirts and bell bottom pants. I was always about one style behind the current trend. Today I just like denum kind of modern western look with sneakers and ball cap. However I do have a cowboy hat with western boots for special occasions. I have a Nebraska game day outfit with hat and have purchased a NASCAR jacket for #17 Kenseth DeWalt car and a hat.

What were my favorite TV shows

I had many favorite TV shows over the years. My Dad brought home our first TV when I was about 5 years old I think. The first favorite show I can remember was the Flash Gordon shown on the Commander 4 program. That started the love for SCI-FI which moved into the 60's smash hit show Star Trek and all the generations of Star Trek that followed up into the new century. By then there were many spin off shows and Star Gate with all the factions that spun off from that show as well. Of course the Star Buck and Battle Star Galactica shows were on the list as well. Other shows from childhood were Maverick, Sugarfoot, Davey Crocket, and Danial Boone. Saturday morning shows included Fury, My Friend Flicka, Roy Rogers, and Sky King. Then there was Father knows best, Leave it to Beaver, Lassie, and Mr. Ed. Who could forget the Life of Riley and Ozzie and Harriet. However the absolute best was the late night Japanese monster movies with King Kong and Godzilla. Every week Tokyo was destroyed.

What about mischeivous pranks

Mischievous pranks were not something I ever did much of. I was always serious because I would usually take the prank too far and end up hurting someone's feelings. However, the last time in Louisiana disaster relief I came across a pastor in the church there that seemed to bring out the prankster in me. As the pastor was cutting out the window and door openings with a saws all I sneaked up on the back side and nailed a piece of 2X4 across the cutting path. Upon hitting the board with the saw and immediately slowing the cutting process to almost a halt, the pastor poked his head around the corner to see what was happening only to see my smiling face. He pointed his finger at me and said, "OK, let the games begin." The next day right before noon the pastor talked about how the woods around where we were working was full of Donkeys. Then he proceeded to talk about how he played pin the tail on the donkey when he was a child. We had a good time talking about that subject. Later in the afternoon when I removed my tool belt I found that I had a tail fashioned out of rope hooked to my tool belt. It had been swaying in the breeze all day long. A couple days later the pastor once again talked about how there was a vine in the woods that was poison that turned the skin orange. I kind of figured this time something was up. Later that day I turned up with orange hands so I started looking around for something with orange powder and found the chalk line power to be the same orange color.

What was my favorite hobby or past time as a child.

I tried to have hobbies of stamp collecting and coin collecting, but these didn't fit my personality too well. I liked being outside and exploring creeks, ditches, and woods. Starting at about 14 years of age, I became interested in motors and minni bikes. My best friend Bill had many small engine parts and we entertained ourselves by taking parts and assembling them into working engines. A couple years later, we graduated to cars with bigger motors and parts to take apart and put together.

My first communion.

My first communion took place at a little church in Walthill Nebraska. Some weeks of instruction took place before the event that offically made me a member of the church. At 12 years of age it made little difference for involvement in the church other that attending Sunday services. I came to an understanding about what the Lord had done for me on the cross during those instruction weeks.

What I think makes a good friend.

A good friend to me is one that listens more than talks. It's someone that I can not have to say anything to be with. A good friend is someone I can spend hours sharing life experiences with. A good friend is someone who always has time in the hectic schedule to listen about the good or the bad day's activities. A good friend will be forever and always. A good friend is always willing to help in any way possible. A good friend is always just a phone call away.

Who gave me my first job?

My first job would be working on my uncle's farm. I would earn $20 to $30 dollars for an entire summer's work. I really didn't consider it a job because to me it was fun to be able to drive tractors and run machinery all summer long. I had the best fun when group events took place like baling hay or combining the small grain.

What chores did I do when growing up?

The first chores I remember doing was filling up two 55 gallon drums with water that were setting on a skid. The water was to water the animals in the barn. My Dad would come home from work and take the water up to the barn by pulling the skid with the tractor. I didn't have many chores until later when we moved to town. Then we had a large yard that needed mowing and so yard work became my chores. Inside the house the only chores I recall were the weekly burning of papers and drying the dishes to put away. Later the year before College, I had the duties of milking morning and evening 13 cows and feeding hogs. After I left for college, the herd was quickly sold. Allowances started at the age of 9 years old and consisted of 35 cents a week. I managed to save enough to by a bee bee gun for $15 out that allowance. I still have that gun.  I worked my way up to a whopping $10 dollars a week during the cow milking year. It was enough to keep gas in my car. Back then gas was .30 a gallon unless there was a gas war then it would get down to .20 a gallon. You just got to love the 1960s. 

Did I ever get into fights with other kids?

I can only remember being in two fights both of which were in grade school and both of which I lost. I decided it was better if I didn't do that any more. I came close to fight with a bully in Junior High but became friends with him after I decided to standup to him and his buddies. I expect angels were present and help to protect me from the decision I had made. I thoughly expected to be beaten up and was quite surprised at the outcome.

What about Mom's cooking?

My Mom's cooking was mostly very good. At times she would have some real blunders. Kool Aide without sugar, potato salad with raw potatoes, exploded eggs in the microwave to just name a few. She still made the best apple pie and that became my favorite thing she made. I have yet to find anyone that can compare with those pies. She could bake just about anything from scratch, but had a bad habit of not watching the time and would come rushing into the kitchen when Dad would say, "Do I smell something burning?"

What animals were in the home while growing up?

We always had animals in the home while I grew up. They were dogs that mostly stayed outside until my Mom became interested in Toy Manchester during my High School years and after I had left home for College. The first dog I can remember was a Cocker Spaniel named Hazel. I never knew what become of her until my Dad said she was killed. She was an outside dog on the farm and would disappear for days at a time. Next came a boxer named Mitsi, then an Irish Setter name Cocoa that loved to chase cars and eventually got run over by a tractor. After that came Taska the German Shepard with a litter of pups soon after we got her. After leaving home and having my own family, we acquired a mixed breed dog named Lucky which we got to help my oldest daughter get over nightmares of dogs biting her. Then there was Gidget and Bootsie mixed breed dogs and a black cat named Casey Mae. We then were given a dog named Gretchen who had a litter of pups which a dog named John Jon was born. This dog was part of the family the longest of any of the other animals. He finally had to be put to sleep around 15 years old after Dottie had died and Lydia the last of the children left home.

I don't expect to have any more animals in my lifetime.

Did I go to ball games as a boy?

I didn't go to ball games to watch until well into my twenties. I played football in High School and played in many games in those years. The town that I lived in, Sioux City, really didn't have any ball games or stadiums for that matter outside of School. It just wasn't big enough to support such activities.

When did I become a Christian?

I always thought that I had become a Christian when I was 12 years old. The Caticism class for the Luthern church I attended was coming to an end. The pastor asked if we were standing at the door of heaven and God asked, "Why should I let you in? What would your answer be?". Most said they weren't sure, but one girl said, "Because Christ died on the cross so we could ask for forgiveness of our sins." It clicked in my brain that it was the correct answer. Forty some years later upon reflecting on my childhood life with a friend, I began telling him about praying for family members and pets at the age of eight. It was at that time that I began to understand that I had a relationship with God much earlier than I thought. So I guess my answer would be I don't know when I became a Christian. It appears at an early age. I know that in my early 30s I prayed the prayer of repentance and asked Jesus into my life and was baptised by immersion. It was all pretty much a conformation of what I had already knew to be true. It was more of a public confession of what had been in my heart for many years.

When did I get my first bible and who gave it to me?

I don't remember who gave me my first bible. The first bible I can remember given to me was from Dottie. That bible inspired me to learn more about God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. It was probably the first bible I read cover to cover. It was the American Standard verison. I still have it and after 20 years and most likely will have it until I die. I don't use it much now as I do most of my reading and study on the computer. The Bible has brought me to a place of no turning back. It's only forward to eternal life and glory with Jesus.

How far did I travel to school?

I started school riding a bus to kindergarden. We lived on a farm 3 miles from school. I changed schools in 3rd grade to a one room country school about one mile away. The Junior High was about 5 miles away and I would ride my bicycle to school when the weather was nice. In 8th grade school boundries changed and I went to a different school but continued to ride the bus and bicycle. I went to Central High for High School and started driving myself to school the beginning of 11th grade. At the beginning of 12th grade we moved to the farm outside of Sioux City but I still finished High School at Central High so that was about a ten mile round trip each day.

The best Valentine Day I remember

Valentine's day was not a holiday that I really got into. I, like most guys, was not much of a romantic. My second wife, Dottie, taught me much about romance. I mainly had to watch what others did to learn how to be a good husband. It took many years of watching and learning and doing before I became any good at romance. With the death of Dottie I am not expecting to have to continue learning in that area of life.

My best memories of Valentine's Day was the parties that my wife Dottie would have for the singles of the church we were in. She would have a special Black Forest cake made in the shape of a heart and play games. 

What is my calling or purpose in life?

At age 54 I started a search for what God would have me to do. This was right after Dottie had died. I connected with Pastor Eric at Trinity church and began a journey into prayer. It seems only natural now that this would be what the Lord had in mind for me all along as I began my life by praying for family and pets. My search lead me to a point where the Lord gave me a new name of "Worshiping Warrior David". I have been drawn into being and intercessor and a watchman. In the year of hurricane Katrina and Rita, 2005, I volunteered to go on a Rapid Response team to help the areas hit with recovery. This hit a chord in my heart and now I believe that the Lord has put me on course to be engaged with this type of activity full time.

I believe that God equipped me while I was being formed in my mother's womb to help others in many different ways. whether it be disaster relief for just being available to take those without a car to run errands, help family with transportation, or just sit with an aging mother in law to help ward off loneliness. Long phone calls and encouraging email messages for the heart lonely. Life changes as we live it. 

Did the Pastor or visiting Missionary eat at my house

I can't remember a Pastor or Missionary ever eating dinner at our home. My parents were not ones to get involved in church activities when I was at home. I grew up with a belief that I should go to church every Sunday, but church involvement was for others. As a child we lived some 50 miles from the church we attended. At 30 years of age, by spiritual life awakened through the help of a Baptist church and my attitude changed about church involvement. I drove the church bus, and even helped with back yard bible classes. Later in life I lead a grief share class, was in a home bible study, was part of a small group, and was a squad leader for a group of ten intercessor men.

Five important lessons learned in life.

1. Pursue God with all your heart, soul, and mind. 2. Life doesn't remain the same. I have lived several different seasons of life and probably will have more to come. 3. Relationships are the most important thing. 4. Communication is the most important thing in relationships. 5. Do not believe what people say but instead watch what they do for the truth in the matter.

What was my greatest fear?

My greatest fear was the bully in Junior High School. He would stand at the door to the play ground and would not let me pass by intimidating and indicating bad things would happen if I tried to pass so I would stay inside until time for class to start. He always had 2 or 3 buddies with him. There came a day when I decided it was enough. I challenged him full well knowing that I probably would be beaten to a pulp. To my surprise he let me pass. Some time later he and his buddies came and sat at the same table for lunch with me. All in the room were watching to see what would become of me. After a few minutes he offered me part of his lunch that he didn't want. This became a normal thing and we became friends. It really shocked me for sure.

Description of my Grand Parents

Grandparents on my Mom's side were the ones that taught me to fish and have a good time in living life. Grandparents on my Dad's side owned a restaurant in a small town. It was most enjoyable to visit their restaurant and eat dinner. My Grandma cooked and Grandpa collected the money and took the orders. My great Grandparents on my Dad's side were similar in situation to Dottie and I. His wife was sick for years and he too had to care for her as well as run the household. My Aunt Barb indicated to me that this was a learned trait for Great Grandpa as before his wife got sick, he didn't help much around the house. I guess we all can learn new things if we have to.

Praying in my childhood

The earliest I can remember praying on my own was about 3rd grade. I always prayed for my Mother, Father, Sister, and pets. I once prayed to see a vision of my future wife and actually saw her in a dream that night. I wasn't really able to see the face and only from far away. The only feature I knew to look for was dark hair. Both my wives had dark hair.

Where were my childhood homes?

I had several homes growing up. The two most enjoyable places were the one in Sioux City where I met my best friend, Bill and the farm just outside of Sioux City where I spent much time learning about farming. When I was younger, I wanted to become a farmer. The fascination of new technology and school lured me away from that desire. I often wonder what my life would have been if I had pursued that path.

My favorite sport

My favorite sport was fishing up until high school. Then it was football. I played right guard on the offense first string team for four years. Turns out my senior I was the fastest on the first string. Other players were faster, but weren't on the first string. It was an exciting time that has left me many good memories. We were undefeated my senior year. I heard that the next year was a undefeated year as well.

My Mother's Occupation

My mother was mostly a homemaker. She did occasionally do house cleaning for extra money. Her days were mostly spent cooking, sewing, and cleaning for our family. She was actually the most organized person I have ever known. Everything had it's place and was in it's place. I don't remember my mother being gone from the home very much. She did belong to many clubs such as stamp, coin, weight loss, etc. Her life was continually filled with organizing things.

Memories of church in my childhood

I attended a church at a small Luthern church in Walthill Nebraska. My memeries of this church were of the Sunday School classes in the basement which were partioned with hanging curtians. I learned the basic foundation of Christ and what His death meant for me. I believe I became born again in this church. These teachings have continued to be a part of my life to this day.

My favorite childhood room.

I had many homes in my childhood. The earliest was a farm house in Winnebago Nebraska. The next was a house near Dakota City Nebraska. Then it was another country house in Jackson Nebraska. After that a house in Sioux City, Iowa at 3096 Myrtle St. During high school we moved back to a farm house in Correctionville, Iowa. My favorite room was probably my bedroom. It was quiet and many books were read there. The next favorit room was the living room because that's where the TV was.

What was my father's Occupation

My father was mechanic all of his working career. He first worked at a dehydrating plant as a mechanic on tractors and other equipment. When I was about 10, he changed jobs. He worked for a fruit company and repaired their fleet trucks. After I reached adulthood, he started his own business which lasted over 20 years. I was interested in mechanic work and my Dad and I had many special projects together.

Where I was baptised.

I was baptised at a small church in Walthill Nebraska by Reverand Warner. I later at age 12 was confirmed into the church body at that same church. Later in life I came to believe that baptism should be done after receiving the Lord known as being born again. At that time I was baptised again with my wife, Dottie. I believe the second baptism was the corect and biblical way.

What I remember about my first kiss

I was Sixteen at the time and knew nothing about such activities. However my high school buddies decided one night after they were off work to hook up with a group of girls and ride around the town. Well, of course, as it would happen the driver of the car stopped at a convenient spot to aah, well you know. I being really naïve and didn't have a clue what was going to happen. Anyway the girl next to me looked at me in anticipation and I just looked back. I happened to notice all the others in the car were swappin' spit. Well, I figured I'd give it a try. I puckered up, shut my eyes and leaned into it. It was probably the worst kiss the poor girl ever got. After about 5 minutes of trying to figure out the whole procedure, I was glad to end the adventure and head back to our cars to go home. I don't think I ever became a good kisser.

Insights for working well with others

Working well with others in my opinion has to do with making the job fun. I have developed over the years a knack to work hard but make it fun. If I can make the job fun then others will have a good time working with me and the job will get finished and leave others in a good mood. I learned that from my Uncle Don.

Who was my name sake

My mother worked for a country doctor's family in Bancroft Nebraska as a house keeper. She did house keeping chores for the family. This family had three children as I recall. One of the children was named David. My mother always liked that name so when I was born I was named David. This same doctor delivered me when I was born and continued to be my doctor until I became an adult. I have fond memories of visiting the doctor's house and playing in the basement with the doctor's children. They had the neatest horse swings hung from the ceiling and would swing back and forth almost up to the ceiling. The doctor's offical office was on the second floor of a store front in down town Bancroft. I can remember climbing what seemed like the longest set of stairs on the planet every time I went to the doctor. The remedy to what ever I had was usually a shot the bottom.

Most memorable books read as a boy.

 When I attended a one room country school, our teacher would read to us while we ate lunch. The book she was reading when I came to the school in the middle of 3rd grade was one of the Hardy Boys books. It sparked my interest and my Mom encouraged me to read by taking me to the small town one room library at Dakota City, Nebraska. Population only a few hundred. It was the coolest library and they had a whole shelf of Hardy Boys books as well as a series of Poppy Ott books. I don't remember that thirst continuing when we moved to the city. Over the years I've read more books but usually not for pleasure. Now in my aging years it's mostly magazines as my attention span is about as long as a magazine article.

Special person that helped with Christian walk

Family finances while growing up

How I learned about sex

Three things I wish I had done during Junior High

Life as a teenager

What my family liked to do on weekends

Childhood memories of my best friend

Favorite Mother Memory

Image of Father that was most striking

Special memory about sister

Father's attitude about life.

What I enjoyed most about childhood

I was alone most of the early childhood years. I played with imaginary friends. I had three imaginary friends. Their names were Gokey, Honey, and Little. I don't remember playing with them after age 10. I had moved to Sioux City and had made friends with the neighbors named Doug and his brother Bill. Bill was actually the first to come over and meet me and became my best of friends through High School and collage years. We did many things together until adult lives parted our ways. I kind of miss those times. The earliest I can remember playing under a porch with an old popcorn popper in the dirt. This would be about at the age of 3 according to my mother. I was a curious boy which got me into many situations such as in a freshly dug outside toilet hole, into a barrel of oil, and head first in a huge pig waller hole. Other stories that circulated the family were about stuffing my dad's watch down a rat hole and dropping my belt down the outside toilet hole.

Those were good memory years. Mom always had chickens, geese, and a big garden. I don't remember helping her in the garden but I do remember watching her plant, tend, and harvest the garden. I don't remember her processing any of the garden harvest but the under ground cellar always had shelves full of canned vegetables. Mom was a great cook if she stayed in the kitchen but there are many family stories about her failures when she would get distracted from the kitchen. Dad took everything in stride and never made a fuss about it. I think I have inherited that easy going life style from him. I don't get too excited about the journey of life and all the ugly things that pop up.

Probably the best thing I enjoyed about childhood was country living and the best thing about that was driving tractors. I don't remember the first time I got to drive a tractor but I suspect it was on my Uncle Don's lap. I rode the tractor many miles while he worked the land and soon I was doing every thing from plowing, disking, harrowing to cultivating, mowing and raking hay, and running the hay stacker. Throwing bales was hard sweaty work but Uncle Don always had a way to make it fun.

I suspect all that country Midwest farm expose fed the DNA that was already there. By the time I was in middle school Dad had me farming with the old time F20 and F30 tractors that started with a crank and had power nothing. One even had steel wheels. They had a whopping 15 and 20 horsepower. I have very fond memories of wrestling those tractors around the fields. Later Dad bought a newer tractor but still no power anything.

Life was good for me growing in the country.

Not all childhood was in the country Fifth grade through a Junior in high school was spent in the city. City life was different but still the place we lived had an acre of land behind the house and Dad convinced the neighbors to let him use the acres behind their houses. One year we planted potatoes, another it was sweet corn, and another it was field corn.