Daily Grit by Wes Thorp

News media deserves some of blame in St. Clair County

When I graduated from journalism school at Michigan State University in 1969, being a reporter was like receiving a special call from God.  You had a responsibility to search for truth and full information, regardless of the level that you covered.

How things have changed.

An example:  In St. Clair County, Michigan, local officials are at the tail end of building a new jail.  Revised cost estimates are coming in at $10 million over what was anticipated.  It's a small county just north of Detroit and that's a lot of money.  Local politicians are wringing their hands, getting angry and blaming each other.  What  happened?

Waking the Dead on cold Saturday a.m.

My pastor is calling all men in our congregation for a new 7:30 a.m. Saturday group on John Eldredge's book Waking the Dead.  I've committed to go and so has my son Justin.  PM, as my pastor is called, had his spiritual heart jumpstarted by Eldredge's writing and his guidebook that accompanies it.

Guys--actually, everybody--can get in a rut and live their day to day lives in a mechanical way that builds ruts and takes more than four-wheel drive to get out of.  I think his goal is to light some fires under the men in his church.

Here in Lansing, Michigan the temp is hovering at zero or below.  The only way that kind of weather is comfortable is when you watch it on television.  How many men will show up?  Will there be coffee there?  Those that come, will they come back a second time and will they read the book?  Stay tuned.

For all news junkies

If you like reading newspapers, you'll love this website shared by Crawford Kilian, a college professor  from Vancouver, B.C. that provides links to papers from around the world.

I remember my days as a journalism student at Michigan State University when I would spend hours going through papers from around the country.  I was fascinated to read them and I still am.  Best present for me is a newspaper from a spot visited. 

Take your son with you

I took my son, Justin, to PK when he was about 10-years-old.  He will be 21 years-old in June.  It has become something we both look forward to doing together.  I'm sure that he couldn't relate to many of the issues talked about when he first started going, but he sure can now.

It has been a great time to talk openly about anything and to do fun stuff together.  He sees thousands of guys who are growing in the Lord together.  My guess is it's something he and his sons would do together when that time comes.

Some kids may not be ready, but many are.  Consider it.

Raising minimum wage in Michigan

The Lansing State Journal this morning has a story about how the Dems in the Michigan House and Senate will make a big push to raise the minimum wage  in our state to $7.15 per hour.  That would make it one of the highest in the nation.  This is an old issue.

National Fatherhood Initiative training

For those interested in a fatherhood training program that they can use in their community, check out the latest offering from the National Fatherhood Initiative.  They are offering free training in Fort Wayne in February.  I've used both their old community program and their in-prison program for dads, called Long Distance Dads.

Identity--where do you get yours

Identity has bugged me most of my life.  When I was a baby my dad flew the coop and never came back.  Nothing.  No calls, letters.  No word.  I had trouble sorting out the other half of me.  I don't think my mom and my aunts and uncles understood what that meant to me.

Here's an answer and it's the one I choose:
It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.  Ephesians 1:11 MSG

As I get closer to sixty, I'm starting to find more and more of the puzzle pieces of life.  I'm taking them out of the box and I'm turning them over and fitting them into the larger design.  The identity piece is a big one.  I looked in the wrong places to find my real father.

In Good Company, a movie worth seeing

It was a Monday afternoon and my teacher wife had the day off, so we decided to see a movie.  Last time, we did that we saw Alfie and what a waste.  Jude Law should be embarassed by the character he played and the gratuitous sex. 

Wife and I decided to gamble and see Dennis Quaid and cast in the new release In Good Company.

We were pleasantly surprised.  It was a good story that elevated the institution of marriage, the family and fatherhood without sounding and looking like something out of Mr. Rogers.  You felt good when you walked out, not like some movies where you go into a newsstand and you find that it's a disguised porno shop.  I'm glad we went.

Dr. Randy Carlson on Starved For Affection

Just released:  New book by Dr. Randy Carlson titled Starved For Affection.  From his call in radio program--Parent Talk--he describes his target audience, couples dealing with need for affection.

Ariana's bill was signed by Gov. Granholm

It was a good day Monday when Gov. Granholm signed my former boss's  bill to provide strengthen the Michigan Office of Childrens Ombudsman.  The new law was the result of the tragic and brutal beating death of one of his constituents--two-year old Ariana Swinson.

She was murdered by her parents, now in prison.  Her brothers and sisters came for the bill signing.  They know she will not be forgotten.

My former boss--Rep. Lauren M Hager--is a retired special education teacher from Port Huron and took on the needs of abused and neglected kids as a special mission.  He did a great job, considering all the obstacles.

The real heroes are her aunts and uncles who are caring for them and providing them with love and a family.