Pamplona, Spain: It’s time again for the “Running of the Bulls”! This happens each year starting with the second week in July and last one week of joyous celebration, maybe a bit of sipping of the vine and merry making in general.

Why did this tradition begin centuries ago? Well, it seems it started when a butcher shop owner negotiated the purchase a bull for slaughter. The owner of the bull thought it amusing to release the bull in front of the man’s shop which fronted on a narrow street. The butcher was outside to receive the prize meat when the bull charged. From that point the entire village was entertained for some time as the bull chased the butcher through the town.

Now days, the Celebration festival of Sanfermines in honor of San Fermin has attracted world wide attention when dozens of young men are accepted to lead the bulls to the bull ring. It begins with the firing of a rocket at 8:00AM. Minutes later another rocket is fired to notify the runners (50 yards from the bull pen gate) the bulls were released. For over 800 yards the race is on! It was the original intent to lead the bulls in this manner to the famous ring for the evening bull fights. The enticement by running ahead of these surely dangerous animals causes the bulls to become quite accommodating.

If you are wondering if this event is really popular, the answer is with the travel agents world wide. A whopping one million persons go there to attend the running of the bulls in Pamplono each year. Balcones are a prize but parts of the streets are barricaded with heavy board fences to protect the spectators. So if it is your desire to go, make reservations early and put on your party clothes as no one is a stranger there.

Furthermore, if you desire to make the run yourself, you are invited. However, there are some rules to become a ‘contestant’. The first one is you must be eighteen years of age, sober, carry nothing in the runway except a roll of newspaper to attract the bulls, you must start at the beginning and you begin by running backwards toward the bulls to attract their attention; then the race is on. You are especially required to wear proper attire as a contestant. White trousers and shirt, a red scarf to be tied around your waist and a red handkerchief.

It certainly would seem dangerous but not quite so much compared to some of our freeways. Since 1910 there have been only fifteen people killed in the event. Of these there has been only one American killed. He hailed from Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Naturally, there have been numerous injuries but most due to frantic falls or slipping on the cobblestones and even at that, of those fifteen killed five have been fatally injured inside the bull ring after the finish and not on the street run. They were trying to mimic the trained and talented matadors by flashing their red scarves at the bulls.

Not to be outdone, animal rights groups have tried to upstage the running of the bulls just prior by running nude through the streets of Pamplona. They call it “Off with the old, on with the nude”. They feel this will attract attention to the cruelty considered. What it really does is attract a lot of laughs by hoards of enthusiastic party goers.

All of us have heard of this for many years. World wide television reports it as their rating demands in most countries. What is even more interesting is one of the contributing factors that called the MOST attention. It was an author of two books. The fascinating stories by a Nobel Laureate in Literature describing colossal affairs including the celebrations, historical recognition of one of the patron saints of Pamplona and the beginning of the bull fight season.

The novels responsible are on most book shelves today. One is The Sun Also Rises and “Death in the Afternoon” by Ernest Hemmingway.

-Bob Jamison is a columnist for several publications.
jbobalong@yahoo.com

Most people in our culture never take the time to practice a quiet time. Even Christians, who have been taught the value of meditation, rarely practice it. We live in such a fast-paced world that we act as if noise is imperative. When we are riding in our cars, the radio has to be blaring. When we get home, our television is flipped to our favorite channel even if we know we are not going to watch it. Even when we are in church, we get uncomfortable when the music stops if the preacher does not get going immediately. We like noise and sometimes it seems like the more noise we have, the better we like it!

Quiet time needs to be productive time. We do not need “accomplish nothing time”, but a time for daily devotional time can be the difference in growing Christians and stunted ones. Please allow me to help give you some principles that will help as we establish a quiet time each day.

Schedule it! The best time to have quiet time is different for every individual. For some it will be in the evening; some will find more quality time in the middle of the day; but for most it will be in the morning. In the mornings, we are more likely to be rested, our minds are less cluttered, and our surroundings are the quietest of the entire day. People of old rose early to meet with God. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Job, David, Daniel, and Ezekiel each took time early each morning to meet with God in a time of quietness. Even Jesus chose to begin each day with a time of prayer and meditation with His Father. Beginning every day with a time of prayer demonstrates that meeting with God is the first priority of our day’s activities. Whenever you choose to establish your time, give the best part of your day to God. Choose a time when you are alert, and schedule the same time each day. Be consistent!

Some good meaning person may have told you that you must spend at least one hour every day in devotions. The Bible does not specify the length of a quiet time. I remember, when our church was preparing for a community outreach, Pastor Bakker asked for commitments from us who would spend at least one hour in prayer. I was just 14 at the time and wanted to be a part of this effort, so I volunteered. I remember that I went to our pond and sat on its bank to fulfill my commitment. I prayed for everything I could remember and everyone I knew. I even began asking the Lord to bless people I did not know – “Lord, if there is a Dewayne that needs your help, please help him!” After this arduous task, I looked at my watch and realized I had spent a whole five minutes praying! I started over my list again and this time the minute hand only moved three places. Then I knew I was going to be a failure and allowed guilt to come in because I could not pray my hour! It was several years later that I realized that prayer is “conversations with God”. My praying had been “lecturing” God, telling Him what He needed to accomplish to make my life or the lives of my friends better! I learned that God had many more things of importance to say than I did, so I learned the best devotional time is spent with me expressing my ambitions and giving the bulk of the time to listen for His voice.

I have never read in Scripture that there is a heavenly reward allocated for the length of devotions. As we begin, the quantity of time will grow as quality time begins to be developed.

Choose a place! Jesus went to the Mount of Olives for His prayer time. It was a habit He developed. We also need a place where we can be alone without interruptions. For some, their place may be in the backyard or on the deck. For others, it may be a room at the church, or even a closet in their bedroom. Make the space comfortable and personal.

Gather resources! What will we need for our quiet time? Here’s a list of what I find comforting: my Bible, not just any Bible, but the one that I use most often – one I have underlined in and written notes in the margins. I also need a notebook because the Lord may speak to me something that is too much for my Bible margins. I even like to bring an old hymnal with me because I often find that the words of some old songs express what I feel toward God in that moment. Praise always helps me find entrance into God’s presence!

Adjust attitude! I need three attitudes that will make my quiet time effective: Reverence – I cannot rush into God’s presence because He is God! Expectancy – I know that the Lord wants to meet with me more than I possibly can desire to meet with Him! Willingness to obey – I must be ready to follow the directives He provides in my quiet time!

Follow a plan! There are no formulas that must be followed for quiet time experiences. However, we will often find our time will be more productive if we have a plan and follow it. Here is a sample 15-minute plan that can serve as an example, however it can be adjusted for each person:

Relax (1 minute) – Be still and quiet. Slow down. Prepare your heart. Wait on God. Get comfortable and forget the pressures of the day so you can focus on God.

Read (4 minutes) – Begin reading where you left off the day before. Read until you feel God emphasize something personal. Then stop and think about it. Resolve to learn something each day from God’s Word.

Reflect (4 minutes) – Seek to understand how to apply what the Scriptures have said to you. Take the thought God gives you and think on it again and again. Look at the passage you feel God is trying to teach you and do these five things: -Picture it. Visualize the scene in your mind. Imagine yourself in the historical context. What would you have done in the situation? How would you have responded? What emotions would you have experienced if you had been there? -Pronounce it. Say the verse out loud. Emphasize a different word. Each emphasis gives you a slightly different impression. -Paraphrase it. Rewrite the verse in your own words. -Personalize it. Replace the pronouns or people in the verse with your own name. -Pray it. Turn the verse into a prayer and pray it back to God.

Record (2 minutes) – Write a personal application statement that is practical, possible, and measurable. This will become a personal record of your spiritual journey.

Request (4 minutes) – Conclude your quiet time by talking to God about what He has shown you and making requests from your prayer list.

The key for quiet time is to take the time to be quiet in God’s presence. The benefits will amaze you in a very short time. You will feel closer to the Lord and more confident in your relationship with Him!

The Racing Aces in the Aviat Husky as they taxi towards the apron at Mobile Downtown Airport in Alabama.

Day one of the race and there we were, flying west; destination Rawlins, Wyoming. Our mission was to hold several Girls with Wings presentations. I can count on one hand all of the places which I have traveled, so you can imagine my excitement to soar above the mountains, hillsides and plateaus. Our ETA was 4:30 pm and just in the nick of time for the first presentation at 5:30 pm. The Racing Aces were in flight to Great Bend Municipal Airport (KGBD) in Kansas. We were scheduled to meet up in Alabama in two days.

Dianna (Stanger) later told me, “The winds would push us and over forty; the visibility was good and we made the two hour flight. With all the delays, weather and eight hours of flight we decided, after making sure winds were favorable the following day, to not press on. We were experienced and fatiguing. Besides the winds were to be just as good…well the forecaster lied. The next morning the winds were not in our favor and a storm cell had popped up on our route to Hutchinson County Airport (KBGD) in Borger, Texas.”

Victoria (Holt) said, “The plains of Nebraska and Kansas were an awesome wonder with golden fields of tall grass dancing in the wind. That same wind saw favor on Classic #9. Our ground speed was outrageous! We flew our machine through the windmill farms in the Great State of Texas. We were close enough to them to see their giant blades spinning effortlessly powered only by the invisible wind!”

In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, the Aces were making headlines everywhere! I had snapped what seemed like a million and one photographs and we still had four more days of ARC. The experience was absolutely amazing! A unique aspect of the race is that it takes you to places which you often would not consider as a travel destination. I don’t think Rawlins, Wyoming would be first on my list; however it’s a nice, quaint town. I enjoyed the overnight stay and look forward to returning one day.

The weather was a definite foe in this race; we woke up to storms brewing all around us. Lynda called earlier than expected and advised we leave asap before we were grounded in Rawlins for an extra day. That means we would then have to endure a nine hour flight the following day to make up time and ensure we reached Mobile, Alabama in time to capture the Aces crossing the finish line.

Luck was also a factor in the race. There are many elements that could delay your timing. What if four other planes landed at the same airport and all needed to be fueled? Mechanical problems, instrument issues and so forth. Basically a lot to worry about.

We flew that day to Tulsa International Airport (KTUL) in Oklahoma and settled in for the night. I was anxious to speak with the Aces and find out their progress. “Passing over hills, Victoria took advantage of every updraft she could find. This was a candy store for her as her initial pilots license was given in a glider! She enjoyed this part more than any other part of the race as she picked her clouds and set our plane to sailing,” Dianna said.

The next morning we had an early departure, 5:00 am! We had to get to Mobile Downtown Airport in Alabama before Dianna and Victoria. Indeed, we arrived about an hour before the Aces and I quickly grabbed the two video cameras, digital camera, tripods and recorder. I set up on one of the aprons and waited… it didn’t take long before I heard and saw the Husky begin to descend, approaching the runway. They taxied and began to tie down the airplane when a young girl ran to them and started talking a hundred miles a minute. It was Katherine French, the girl that was paired up with the Aces in a program via the Boys & Girls Club of Mobile, Adopt-a-Racer. Katherine had been following the Aces through out the race. How fun!

As they packed up, Victoria said, “The 2011 Air Race Classic was a spectacular adventure! We flew Classic #9 all over the mid section of the country and we saw beautiful scenery from a low altitude. Quite a change from my routine!” And that was it, the Racing Aces officially crossed the finish line. Matter of fact, they were the only tail dragger to complete the race.

In the end, the Racing Aces ended up placing in the middle of the pack. Both Dianna and Victoria were first time racers. Both learned the ropes and picked up tactics and techniques for the following year. Dianna said, “The volunteers from start to finish made it easy for first timers and always had an answer with a smile. All the participants were great people with the same passion: aviation. The fact that we were all female made it a very special club of women which I am very proud I was part of.”

You know what they say… luck be a lady; although we were not dealt the hand we had hoped for, the experience was spectacular! We are already planning for the 2012 Air Race Classic! Till next time, blue skies.

A view of Elk Mountain on the way from Alliance, Nebraska to Rawlins, Wyoming.

The Seadrift Lions installed their officers for the 2011-2012 Lion Year. They are (from Left to Right in the photo) Lynn Reeves (Second Vice President), Lion District Governor Randy Morton, Peggy Gaines (President), Joanne Mueller (First Vice President), Mike Mueller (Lion Tamer), Nan Burnett (Membership Chair), and Kathleen Lambright (Secretary). Not pictured is CJ Garriott (Treasurer).

John Hardy “Jack” Brewer Sr. of Magnolia Beach, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away June 17, 2011, after a courageous battle with esophagus cancer. He was born March 18, 1921 in Austin to John Hardy and Willie Mabel (Burkett) Brewer. He moved to Houston as an infant. He graduated from Milby High School. He served in the United States Marine Corps in WWII from June 1942 to June 1946, fought in the South Pacific, and was stationed at Guadacanal. He met his wife in Brawly, California while stationed there. They married October 30, 1945 in Oceanside, California.

After returning to Houston, he attended the University of Houston and spent most of his career in geophysical sales. In early 1972 he and Gloria moved to Junction, and then in 1997 moved to Magnolia Beach. He loved the water and fishing. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Indianola. He loved his Lord Jesus Christ. He always said he knew that when the Lord came for him, the gates of Heaven would open up and he would be in the arms of his Lord. He loved his kids, and no matter what they needed, he would do his best to help them.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and his brother, John Cecil.

Jack is survived by his wife, Gloria; two sons, John Jr. of Magnolia Beach and David A. and wife Jane of New Braunfels; daughter, Carol Lynn and husband John Paul Henderson of Junction; five grandsons; and three great-granddaughters.

A memorial was held on July 9 at the First Baptist Church of Indianola.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of South Texas or First Baptist Church of Indianola.