Hayden Services

02/24/2026

The Truth Around Us
By Paul Hayden
February 23, 2026

The truth is all around us. At times it is just hiding there in plain sight. But we often don't see it. Our eyes get caught up with a quick movement or a shiny bling or a bright color. We don't give our minds the time or space to simply be in reality. That is where the truth is - in reality.

My wife and I attended a small birthday celebration recently for one of our precious clients, Crystal, who turned 100 on February 22 (2026). She can no longer walk herself after a fall and some broken bones. She is thin and frail. Her hair is nothing like it used to be, with just whisps of it remaining in gray and silver. She doesn't have much strength left in her grasp.

She remembered us, as we're the ones who brought some beautiful color into her home over the past decade or so. We first worked for her in August 2013, when we painted her wheelchair ramp and porch a light sky blue. Her husband was still alive then, but had recently taken residence in a nursing facility. He passed in 2017, only months before his 100th birthday.

Over the next few years, we removed some wallpaper, fixed some walls, painted over some wood paneling, and dressed up her south-facing sunroom-porch, where she loved to sit and soak up sun or listen to the rain. Her kitchen became a sort of statement in bright green - her choice, and she loved it! And when we went to paint her bedroom, in 2021, when she was turning only 95, she had already removed everything from her bedroom including the furniture - all but the bed. She was so excited!

We last painted for her in 2023, when we finished painting her living room after removing some offensive wallpaper that she couldn't wait to see gone! She was then 97, and she had outlived Lexie, her Shetland sheepdog who would protect her and warn her of the mailman and other such dangers like the handyman. We finally hung some family pictures that meant so much to her. She would recount the memories that popped into her thoughts as she soared back through the years in her mind.

I made her several heart-shaped cakes for her birthday a couple of those years, with it being so close to Valentine's Day. This year she got some of my homemade fudge, simple, delicious, with no nuts this time. It was nice to meet her kids, now in their 70s like me. It was special in a way because she was nearly the same age as my wife's mom Jeri, and my mom Bonnalee, who were both born a year ahead of Crystal in 1925. What a long time ago.

This reminds me of a couple of songs. One is by Simon and Garfunkel - the 59th Street Bridge.

"Slow down, you move too fast, you've got to make the morning last, just

kickin' down the cobblestones, lookin' for fun and feelin' groovy…"

The other song is Same Girl, by Twila Paris. You should search for it and listen to it. Here are the lyrics.

Picture with me if you can
A little girl in a younger land
Running, playing, laughing
Growing stronger
Now the aging limbs have failed
And the rosy cheeks are paled
Look behind the lines till you remember

She's still the same girl
Flying down the hill
She's still the same girl
Memories vivid still
Listen to her story
And her eyes will glow
She's still the same girl
And she needs you so

Picture with me if you will
A long white dress and a wedding veil
Two young dreamers pledge their love together
Now her lifelong friend is gone
And she spends her days alone
Look behind the lines till you remember

She's still the same girl
Walking down the aisle
She's still the same girl
With the shining smile
Listen to her story
And her eyes will glow
She's still the same girl
Same girl
She's still the same girl
Wiser for the years
She's still the same girl
Stronger for the tears
Listen to her story
And your heart will glow
She's still the same girl
And we need her so
She's still the same girl
And she needs you so

Crystal had beautiful flowers all over her yard, especially lilies. Well into her 90s, she would still go out and pull the weeds out of her flower beds. She lived in that simple, rustic home for around 75 years. Without her in it, and with her needing to live elsewhere of necessity, the family recently sold it, and it was torn down last week. Bulldozed. All the memories, all our paint jobs, all the flower gardens…gone. It was just a shell without Crystal there in it. It served its purpose as her shelter, her domain, a gathering place for her family.

The point of this story? I'm not sure. Simply enjoy wherever you are. Make the most of it. Take care of it. And treasure life. Don't make things too complicated or busy.

God Bless You All!

10/24/2025

10/28/2024

My article on Conservative Truth this week, concerning abortion.

I recently posted this meme (below in the comments) on Facebook concerning abortion. Because of my faith in Jesus Christ and the living God of the creation, I have quite strong feelings about abortion. The taking of any life is a most serious matter in this world. The following is a response from a Facebook “friend” to the meme I posted.

Jim W (comment on above meme) – 10/28/2024

Tell that to the women who are denied healthcare because the doctors are afraid they will be convicted. It’s just NOT as simple as black and white.

My response to Jim W – 10/28/2024

I deeply believe that it just is a lot more black and white than you must think. The sheer numbers of abortions reveal that the procedure of killing unborn babies is being used as "birth control" far more than to save lives, as convenience rather than responsibility.

As with the slave owners from 175 years ago and prior:

1. Slaves were not seen as human.
2. Slaves were the property of their owners.
3. Owners could do whatever they wanted to their property, the slaves.

Much of the discussion gets befuddled because the definitions of terms have been hijacked and messed up.
> PRO-CHOICE - This sounds really good, a lot like FREEDOM, but babies don't get any choice!!!
> HEALTH CARE - We all believe in having health care available to all, equally. BUT KILLING BABIES IS USUALLY NOT HEALTH CARE - There are many doctors who attest that abortions are rarely absolutely necessary for either the mother or the child in the womb.

It is a far deeper discussion than simply saying that abortion is “health care,” and a matter of each individual’s “choice.”

As a side note, a very disproportionate number of abortions are performed for blacks in our country. It is indeed very much BLACK AND WHITE! Here is a quote, to be found at the link below.

"Black women have been experiencing induced abortions at a rate nearly 4 times that of White women for at least 3 decades, and likely much longer. The impact in years of potential life lost, given abortion’s high incidence and racially skewed distribution, indicates that it is the most demographically consequential occurrence for the minority population. The science community has refused to engage on the subject and the popular media has essentially ignored it. In the current unfolding environment, there may be no better metric for the value of Black lives.”

The article goes on to say, “While induced abortion remains a contentious political issue, there is no credible scientific doubt that a unique human life begins at conception and, therefore, ends with an abortion. Even the Obama administration and the abortion-friendly Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have acknowledged “the critical importance of a child’s first 1,000 days after conception in determining a healthy and productive life trajectory…to ensure that all children…have an equal opportunity to survive and thrive.”1

“Yet, the evidence is clear that for many decades Black children in the United States have not had, and do not have today, an equal opportunity to survive until birth.”

Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7436774/

God help you and all those who believe in abortion as a right much like speech, religion, voting, and other rights outlined and protected by our Constitution! Without life, there would be no liberty or the pursuit of happiness and property.

Black women have been experiencing induced abortions at a rate nearly 4 times that of White women for at least 3 decades, and likely much longer. The impact in years of potential life lost, given abortion’s high incidence and racially skewed ...

10/15/2024

https://rumble.com/v5ih1yc-share-this-psa-illegals-voting-is-a-crime.html

Noncitizens are not allowed to vote in federal elections in the United States, as it is strictly illegal for them to both register to vote and to vote in federal elections. While you may have heard th

10/05/2024

Are you wondering how AI works, or works for you? Here's an interesting article.

09/16/2024

Just want to do my part!!

Do you hate guns and want them out of your life, for good? I have decided to take a stand and help out in the best way I can think of. If you or your friends have a pistol, revolver, shotgun, or rifle looking to be removed, I will take it (permanently) and ensure that it ends up in a safe place. I would normally charge for this kind of service, but I am willing to waive my fees because I care. Free pick-up service is also available within a 100 mile radius.
Private message me today so that your home can be a gun safe zone. I will give $10 gift cards to Starbucks (they are gun free, as well!) for semi-automatics, pre-WWII military fi****ms, and pre-1964 Winchesters. As a final safety precaution, I will take the ammo, too!
Thanks in advance.
If you're local and do have any old ammo laying around please message me and I can come get it!
Glad to be of service, this is my Public Service for all that need it!
Private Message me please!!
If you stand behind the 2nd amendment copy and post!!

07/08/2024

Link for my article this week - "LET FREEDOM RING..."

“America - Love It Or Leave It” This was a popular bumper sticker before memes were ever dreamed of. We have choices in life. There are not only two choices you have concerning the country you live in, mine being America. You don’t have to love it as it is, and you don’t ...

07/08/2024

My article this week on Conservative Truth:

"Let Freedom Ring..." by Paul Hayden - July 8, 2024

Having just celebrated the 4th of July for the 72nd time, thoughts of freedom and what that means swirl around in my head. Here are some of my thoughts.

“America - Love It Or Leave It”

This was a popular bumper sticker before memes were ever dreamed of. We have choices in life. There are not only two choices you have concerning the country you live in, mine being America. You don’t have to love it as it is, and you don’t have to leave it if you think it can be better. But for the sake of us all, let’s make it better. That is really the only reasonable choice that we have, that we must choose.

I am human. I am Christian. I am American.

I am human. If you are reading this, you too are human. We are the highest of God’s creation. God made us to have fellowship with Him, to enjoy His creation, to even work with Him to make His creation even better, if that is possible. He gave us creativity, adaptability, appreciation for life, beauty, and the rest of His creation.

I am a Christian - I believe in God, who created us and loves us. I believe in God’s Son Jesus, who was sent by God to deliver us from our sins, and to show us God’s love, indeed to reconcile us with our loving Creator.

I am an American because I was born here. You can be an American by choice or by accident. You don’t have to be Christian to be an American. But everyone should understand that the foundations of this country were born out of Christian faith and the Bible. Fallible men built this country using their limited understanding of timeless truth and principles. If we abandon those principles and deny their truth, we risk destroying the foundation and all that is good about our country. If we hold fast to the truth on which this country was founded, we can strive to make it even better.

Freedom. This is perhaps the most basic reason for which America was founded. Personal and individual and collective freedom. People who were steeped in God’s truth did not want rulers over them who dealt with them as tyrants. They wanted equal freedom and rights. They did not want some people to be dictating over “common people” without rules that did not apply to everyone the same, including those rulers.

Patriotism. Being an American does not make you better than anyone else in the world. Being American does not give you rights above anyone else. But it does provide you the freedom to take advantage of certain aspects of life that are not recognized or defended the same in all parts of the world.

Just because I love America doesn’t mean I think it is inherently more blessed by God than other countries, or that Americans are more entitled to God’s blessings. But I do believe that God is far more likely to extend His blessings to those who are consciously and deliberately choosing to follow His revealed will, His plans for those whom He created. If the government of a country (apart from individuals who believe otherwise) declares that there is no God, that man is primary and self-sufficient apart from God, then that country has removed itself from the realm of relationship with God.

Freedom – it can be used for good or for evil.

Life – we live and let live.

Wealth – many forms, especially monetary. With freedom and life itself, we can make for ourselves various forms of wealth, including a home, security, food, and other necessities. With these, we have what we need.

We have many choices in life.

Major choices: Make things better, or let things get worse. Love or hate. Think of yourself only, or consider others around you. How might you help them?

What is the overall choice you have made in your life?

YOU DON’T LIKE AMERICA? YOU WANT TO CHANGE IT?

So change it. Start something better. Give it some thought.

If any of these rioters (criminals) or protestors (change advocates, peaceful, reasonable) had to do in one day what President Trump has to do, they would freak out! I assume that I would.

Lay out your plans. Write up your proposals.

But make sure it covers every possible contingency.

What happens if people disagree?

Where are you going to get your financing?

Who’s in charge of what? Who decides?

For instance, do you want to get rid of the police? Let’s just see how that works out. Minneapolis – do a community, local, self-policing effort; just talk together and work things out. Drink tea and just discuss the problems – like drugs overdoses, robbery, murder, abuse, and so on.

Guns? Get rid of guns? Nothing could go wrong with that.

06/10/2024

Dear friends - Welcome to Conservative Truth.

In many ways, I look forward to Mondays. It's a new week - what will it hold? What can I do with it? In what ways might I see God's hand moving in my life and in the world around me?

It reminds me of a saying that I really like:

THOSE WHO PUT EVERYTHING IN GOD'S HANDS WILL EVENTUALLY SEE GOD'S HANDS IN EVERYTHING!

Living a life of faith in God is a mysterious thing. Sometimes we can wonder if He even exists, or if He cares about us or others, or "why does He allow evil..." God is available for your questions, and He has answers.

It is said that "...without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." Hebrews 11.6

I trust in God's love for us - for all of us. There is a peace that comes from trusting in God's love. Pull out a Bible and do some reading in the New Testament. It was written to share the story of God's love with everyone, revealed especially in the life and teachings of Jesus.

Blessings! Have a good week!
Paul Hayden

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05/27/2024

Thoughtful Memorial Day!

My article for this week.

Today is Memorial Day! Today our country honors and mourns those who have died in the service of our country while serving in the military. It is simply yet profoundly just that.

I did not serve in the military. My father was in the Navy in World War 2. He had a very deep sincere love and respect for our country and the military. Though he died when I was only 10, I still remember him having tears in his eyes during the playing of the national anthem. He believed in the best of what this country has represented and stood for in the world.

Of note this week, one article discusses the speech and, more, the reaction to the speech given by Harrison Butker at Benedictine College in Kansas. The speech is basic Catholic tradition and thought, along with some of what we could call traditional "common sense" thought about families in America and Western culture. That this speech drew such venomous and hateful reaction and rhetoric is quite indicative of where we are at in a very destructive culture war.

The First Amendment is under attack. If we all have the right to freedom of speech and religion, with all of our growing and widening differences, there will be conflict. The right to have differences of opinion and even lifestyle must be defended from and by all sides. Tolerance is sometimes difficult to practice if you are required to tolerate someone who does not tolerate you!

Inherent in "religion" is the whole subject of right and wrong, righteousness and sin, good and evil. It lends itself to some amazing and interesting discussions and much thought!

Blessings! Have a good week!

05/20/2024

UPDATE ON A-FIB PROCEDURE. Went well with one shock and back in normal rhythm. A-okay. Easy-peasey and back in rhythm for now. Just a little fuzzy cloudy from being under sedation. Hopefully good to go for a while. Thanks for the doctors and praise for God!

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers!