One Solitary Life - an essay on the life of Jesus Christ

"One Solitary Life

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.
He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself...
While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth � His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress.
I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life."

Arlos V. Fee

Arlos V. Fee
Pleasant Hill
Arlos V. Fee, 80, beloved husband, father, and grandfather went home to our Lord on August 26, 2005, at Taylor House Hospice in Des Moines, after a long and valiant fight with cancer. The funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, August 29, with full military rites, at Sunset Memorial Gardens on Fleur Drive. Visitation will be Sunday evening from 5 to 7.

Arlos will be remembered and mourned by his wife of 50 years, Millie; daughters, Marsha Ver Steeg of Carlisle, Debbie Fee of Pleasant Hill, and Linda and Jeff Frey of West Point, NY.; grandsons Cory Frey of West Point, NY; and Chris Frey of Shaw Air Force Base, SC; granddaughters Kate Ver Steeg and Stephanie Ver Steeg both at home. He is preceded in death by his parents, Ores and Arnie Fee; his brother, Robert Fee; and sister, Ardythe Grove.

He serviced with the Army in World War II and the Korean War. He received a Purple Heart for injuries suffered in Korea. He was an avid gardener, keeping a large vegetable garden as well as several apple trees. He was also a skilled wood-worker.

The Fight Is Over

Dad lost his fight with cancer this morning at 8:15. My mom, sisters, and I were all with him when he passed. Linda called about 6:30 and said the nurse had told her Dad's passing was close, up to 24 hours away. Mom and I figured we had some time before we needed to go to the hospice. About an hour later Linda called again and said the nurse had come back and said that Dad's passing was very close and that we should get there as soon as possible. The hospice is only about ten minutes away, so we got there just after 7:30. I called my pastor, Alan, right after we got there and told him and he came right away and got there a half hour before Dad passed. Alan got the chance to pray with Dad one last time. I'm glad he got that chance. Dad prayed to accept Jesus as his savior not too long after he was told there was nothing more the doctor could do for him. That was my main wish for him.

The End Approaches

Sunday morning Dad made the decision that it was time to go to Taylor House Hospice because when he got up during the night to go to the bathroom he almost fell. He has gotten progressively weaker and unsteady on his feet.

This afternoon when he tried to get up to go to the bathroom he couldn't stand so he asked for a Foley catheter. He is getting so weak now. Mom says he has told her he is ready to go, he is tired of fighting. I can't say I blame him, he has been fighting this cancer for almost 5 years now.

Last night and tonight my sister, Linda, and her husband, Jeff, are spending the night at the hospice. Linda said that last night Dad would wake up and not know where he was for a few minutes. She would talk to him a little and he would be ok. During the day he is sleeping more and more. The hospice nurse that came to the house said that he would sleep more and would probably die in his sleep.

Linda is supposed to go back to West Point on Saturday. I don't know if she can get more time off or not, I hope so. I asked Chris, my nephew, how much time he had off from the Air Force. He said he could take as much time as he needed but after this weekend he would be in the negative for leave. I think Jeff can take as much time as he needs and that he probably has plenty leave coming to him. I don't know what will happen.

What's Your Pizza Personality?

Pepperoni Pizza

Robust and dominant. When you go for something, you go full force. You tend to take control of situations easily. And in return, you get a ton of respect.

What's Your Pizza Personality?

The Worst News

Tuesday Mom and Dad when to see his oncologist for the results from his blood work and possibly another chemo infusion. The doctor told them the last infusion hadn't done any good so he was recommending stopping all treatment. He said Dad could have 2 weeks, 2 months, or up to 6 months. They talked about all their options for home care, hospice care, or whatever. Today Mom called the Home Care service and the admitting nurse came out to help us decide what we wanted to do. Dad decided he wanted to stay home as long as we can take care of him. He is getting so weak he can't stand for long. Last night when mom and dad went downstairs to shower he had trouble getting back upstairs. This morning he couldn't even stand long enough to shave.

The saddest part is that Mom and Dad's 50th anniversary is on October 10 and Dad's 81st birthday is on October 24. I don't know if he can last that long. I hope he can. I want them to have that anniversary and I want him to have that birthday. I'm not ready to lose my daddy yet!

I was also told that Tuesday was the last day of my assignment at DataVision.

Today is the first day of the Iowa State Fair. I had planned on going today but with everything going on I'm still home and I'm not sure I will be going today. This will be the first time in 5 years I haven't gone the first day. Even last year, a month after my surgery, I went to the fair. I bought 2 tickets in advance so I hope I get to use them.

www.IowaGOP.org : News

"7/28/2005 - Vilsack calls for a partial repeal of the tax cuts Congress passed over the past four years.

In response to Vilsack's comments, Iowa Republican Party Chairman Ray Hoffmann of Sioux City said that raising taxes will erase the country's economic progress of the last few years.

'I think Gov. Vilsack just doesn't get it. Tax increases just don't work, they never have worked and I don't think they ever will work. A tax decrease has worked,' he said.

Read the Full Story By Dan Gearino Globe Des Moines Bureau here.

I couldn't agree more! All tax increases have ever accomplished is a cut in spending by businesses and reduced spending by consumers. You can't spend what the government takes away. And it seems the government is all too willing to take your money. Especially when the Democrats are in office!