Josh and I went to see the mighty Boyd Yellowjackets take on the Bridgeport Bulls in basketball last night. It was a good game and I was a little surprised to see Boyd come out on top. They've got some good shooters but make too many ball-handling mistakes. Still, the season is early and there is time for improvement. Bridgeport came in with taller players who jumped better but they seemed out of sync all night. Their fans were upset and shouted at the refs, the players and the scorekeeper. That's the funny part, the scorekeeper is Phillip Ritchey and if you know Phillip, he's a pretty big guy. They yelled at him about the possession arrow, they yelled at him about putting fouls on the scoreboard and they used a 4 letter word at one point during their frustration. Phillip turns around to me at one point and says something to the effect of "these people make it hard to keep your Christianity sometimes." Now, he said it somewhat jokingly but he was right. I was listening to this ranting and raving and I was wanting to turn around and tell them #$*@(@_)!*#*^%&@()@_)#*&%.

It is hard at times to maintain the good thoughts we need to maintain when we see people around us acting so bad. It's hard when you hear about someone shooting a police officer to think of them as a child of God. I am faced with situations every day that test what I think and what I do. Too often, I don't pass the test but I'm thankful God keeps wiping the slate clean and letting me start over. And I'm thankful that even though I fail too many of my tests, they really aren't hard tests like David or Paul or many other Bible characters endured.

May God grant you and me the ability to stand up to temptations, to defeat the devil's tricks and to give us victory with Him.

Thanksgiving was good to me. Turkey and dressing and peach cobbler at the Beard's on Thursday, then fried chicken, black-eyed peas, hot water cornbread and lemon icebox pie at the Jones' on Friday. Life is good. What was amazing at both places was the amount of food still on the table when we were finished stuffing ourselves (well, I was stuffing myself and not paying much attention to other's eating habits). I am always surprised when I can eat so much good food that I love and there is still enough of it sitting before me that it would feed twice as many people.

I was driving home last night fighting the wind gusts and the back pain and thinking about all that food and saw a billboard for some church that had an image of Jesus and wording that said something to the effect of finding peace through Jesus. That shifted my focus a little and I started to think how God loves us, how He sheds His mercy on us and realized I had a visual of that idea looking at the table. No matter how much we absorb His love and take His mercy, there is always more, enough to cover us everyday and to cover so many others.

Thanksgiving is a time of food and fellowship but also a time to be thankful to our Father, the giver and provider of more than we can ever hope for.

UPDATE:
I realize now I was a bit abbreviated in my last blog as to what was going on. I've been suffering from some increasingly bad back pain and finally decided it wasn't going away and I should seek some medical attention before I couldn't stand up. Anyway, I was sent to the Baylor-All Saints Imaging Center today and only had some x-rays done. I wasn't sure if it would be an MRI or what but it turned out to be fairly benign except for having to wear that stupid gown. At any rate, it will take up to 48 hours for the x-rays to get to the doctor and get a response.

Thanks for the comments and prayers.

I don't like going to the doctor very much. I don't like going for X-rays or whatever else it is I have to go get today either. It gives me the feeling something is wrong and I don't care much to feel that way. The pain makes it obvious but I can live with the pain thinking it will go away and everything will be OK.

Going to church is like that sometimes. I don't want to go because I'll see that something is wrong with me. I rather hope that the pain will go away. Our preacher preaches a sermon and I ask "how did he know that about me?" Teachers teach classes and I read scripture thinking "I'm not really like that person am I?"

I suppose all in all, it's good to get the diagnosis so the problem can be cured. We just have to decide whether to take the therapy recommended by the doctor. If we do, we'll feel better and be healthier.

I'm guessing my tests today will reveal that I need to get some therapy, maybe do specialized exercises, possbily take some medicine or (yuk) require something more involved. I don't know but I'll soon find out. I'm thankful that God's medicine usually includes a lot of love and a double meaure of grace. It makes me feel good. It tastes good going down and when I let the medicine work, I can feel the curative powers throughout my mind, my body and my soul.

Dennis and Rick, thank you so much for your help around the house. You are invaluable. Once you have mowed, pulled weeds out of the flowerbed, trimmed the trees by the road and washed all the windows, I'll be sure to give you a public praising. What would we do without you?

It is a beautiful day. The sun is out, the temperature is great (for me, at least) and I'm reflecting on how many good things I have in my life. Thanksgiving is coming and I always ask myself this time of year if I can mentally list all the things I'm thankful for. It's tough, it really is. I encourage you to try it, to really think about what you are thankful for. Think back into your past to today and think about what you believe the future holds.

I don't know how long it would take me to write that list down. I could start with things from years past like my purple bike or the great memories I have with David Cheek and bring myself to the present with the relatively good health that I have today and the hope for a cure for diabetes tomorrow, my parents, my family and on and on. You've got 6 days to Thanksgiving - start making your mental list today.

I have so much to be thankful for that it is almost funny when I start to think about the "bad" things in my life. I am blessed beyond imagination. I trust that God is giving me all that I need and all that He needs for me to have. Most of all, I'm thankful I have His mercy and the blood of His son to cover me. What more do I need?

My daughter emptied the dishwasher this morning. Without anyone asking her to. And she was smiling. Prepare for an earthquake!

Isn't it a joy when someone does something unexpected for you? I wish I was better at doing that. It may be a kind word or some small action or just a smile and a pat on the back. It may be a backrub or an empty dishwasher or the dirty clothes picked up off the floor. It may even be time spent with someone in your presence, even in complete silence. What a joy we have from people when they do the littlest of things for us. I came home last night and noticed the bathroom rugs had been washed and the room cleaned. (Kelly, if you are out there, THANK YOU! I forget to tell you far too often.) It made me feel good.

Little things like that are emotional deposits made in our "account" by someone. Eventually, they will need to withdraw on some of those deposits but if they've made enough deposits, they will not be overdrawn with us. I think I make far too few deposits and too many withdrawals with people. I do that with God too. I make more withdrawals for His love and mercy than deposits doing what I should. With people, eventually we are bankrupt. With God, He keeps giving us what we need. We are never bankrupt in His eyes.

To those of you who respond to my blog (OK, that's Rick and Dennis), have you ever tried to make words out of the letters you have to enter in to post? Some of them can be quite funny.

I always listen to ESPN radio in the truck and driving to work today they were talking about Rick's old friend, Terrell Owens, and how he should be treated. One analogy they made was of someone wanting the best surgeon they could get and didn't care if he was a murdering, drug dealer who dressed up like a woman in his personal life as long as he was the best surgeon. However, if he spoke bad to his nurses and made the workplace (operating room) a bad environment, they wouldn't want his operating on them.

They went on to say how the things TO has done is not bad compared to people selling crack, killing people and whatever else. What's worse?

What is this world coming to? Where is the good news? Where is there something to brighten our day? I'm blessed to have the answer. He is all I need.

Feeling bad isn't fun. I got a request today to send a friend an email to cheer them up. They are going through some rough times mentally and several people are going to email him and try to help encourage him. He's one of those guys that many would envy. He's got a good job and a good family and he's a really neat person so most people couldn't imagine he's down. He's a Christian and he knows what is most important in his life yet he's still struggling because of things going on around him. Sound familiar? I know it does for me. There are struggles I face and I just don't see the situation improving. I pray and feel like I'm waiting on God but I haven't seen the result I'm hoping for yet. After a while, it is easy to start feeling mentally and physically worn down. I know I have better days ahead of me, I know heaven waits for me yet I only see today.

I've found there is only one thing that beats the "blues" for me and that is to pray more and put all my faith in God. I don't know the timing of how he will help me, I don't know what he will do. It's quite possible that the issues I battle will remain issues for me and the obstacles will challenge me to be stronger in my faith. I don't know what God has planned but I know He has done more than anyone can or will to make my future brighter. I will continue to face things in life that can wear me down, I will continue to let people down, I will continue to let God down but He will remain faithful, He will uphold His promise to me.

People may not see the best in me and people may not see the worst in me. Either way, only God can make me whole. Only God can lift me up to where I truly want to be. Please dear God, help me keep my eyes and thoughts focused on you. Please remind me how much you love me and let me know that through anything I face, you remain true to me.

I hope my friend will find peace. I hope the emails he gets will remind him that people love him even when they aren't with him. More than that, I hope that he will stay focused on the love God has for him and that love, more than anything, will help him find peace. I hope the same for you.

It was disappointing to see Boyd lose last night. It was the first Yellowjacket game I've been to that they lost. Afterwards, I was down on the field watching some of the players struggle with their emotions, receiving hugs and for some, planning for next year while others knew this was their last game. One thing I did notice was something I've seen at almost every game I've been to but it never struck me until last night. Phillip Ritchey is a coach for Boyd and there are a group of girls he coached in Junior High that make their way to him and always give him a hug. Maybe they do that with all the coaches but it is obvious that Phillip has had a positive impact on their lives. It really hit me last night after one of the football players came over to Phillip and with tears in his eyes thanked Phillip for "coaching me and helping me."

It's great to watch people who have such a positive role in the lives and developments of others. I'm sure every coach and teacher can have a positive impact but I'm convinced that Christians who also coach and teach have an ever greater influence in helping shape the lives of young people. I appreciated seeing and understanding the responses that were coming to Phillip last night.

That's the lesson for me. I'm a Christian who is also a businessperson and I must remember that order to have a truly positive impact on someone's life. You may be a Christian who is also a roughneck or a Christian who is also a mom. Whatever your "job", you can be an force of good in people's lives because you are a Christian. I want to be a person who will and can do that for others. I appreciate the many, many examples of Christian living and Christian leadership I have around me and I pray that God will give me wisdom to use that role for His glory.

Hatred. It is a cancer that will tear a person up. Physically, emtionally...spriritually, hatred destroys people.
I was listening intermittently to a new show this morning talking about the recent bombings in Iraq. I believe one mentioned had a suicide bomber walking into a wedding killing people. Others have been in buses, shopping markets, restaurants and other places. Can you grasp the hatred these psychopathic (my own medical diagnosis) people have for others? I'm not sure I can but I know it is something horrible to convince them strapping a bomb to their bodies and killing randomly is a good idea. Hatred has killed them long before the bomb explodes.
I can't fathom it. In America, we are truly blessed. Yes, we have had instances of killing and bombing at abortion clinics, hate crimes committed again gays, blacks and others. We are not immune to it but thankfully it hasn't taken on the fanaticism it has in other parts of the world.
I pray that God will wipe out hatred. Even at it's smallest level of infection, it can eat people up. Just carrying the hatred, not acting on it, will tear us down and tear us away from God.
Lord, give me strength to remain righteous in your eyes.

In life, there are questions we wrestle with always desiring an answer yet never finding one. Here is one of those questions; when someone says something is "out of whack", what's a whack? Or, is it wack? Here's another; why is a "fat chance" and a "slim chance" the same thing?

Have a great day.

A shout-out to newsworthy. You know who you are. :)

Joshua has been elevated to the status of Waterboy for the Boyd Yellowjackets. Phillip Ritchey lets him come down on the sidelines and get bottles of Gatorade or water to the players. At a recent game, I noticed Joshua and a couple of the other kids were having a much better time laying on the bench, kicking a plastic bottle around and generally goofing off during part of the game. Afterwards, I explained to him that he was there to serve those players and he needed to pay attention to when they needed water and be ready. This past Friday, before arriving at the game, I again explained that he was there to serve, not to play and that he should take his role as a servant seriously. During the timeouts, I would see him running instead of walking onto the field. He followed the flow of the game on the sidelines so he would be closer to guys coming out of the game and get them a drink. He took his servant role seriously that night.

We are all servants. We serve God and we are to serve mankind. Do we run or walk when we serve, or do we look for a way out? Do we pay attention to who might need us, to whom we can serve? Jesus washed the apostles feet. He turned his attention to those in need. He died on the cross for me...and for you. He, who is so much greater than me, was my servant. I hope I learn to be His. I hope I learn to run to those I can serve. I hope I learn to walk the sidelines looking for whom I can assist. Joshua learned that little lesson last Friday night. I hope I can do as well.

A small tragedy struck our house yesterday. We lost another pet as our cat, Tigger, died after having been attacked by something. That makes 3 dogs and 1 cat that I've buried since we've been in our house and 1 dog and 1 cat that have just disappeared. It's been a tough run on animals.

It's interesting to see how everyone handles it. Kelly's maternal instincts come out and I can see her hurting for the loss, deeply saddened. Kory does her best to put on a stone face and act like it doesn't bother her yet you can see in her eyes the pain and sweet little Joshua let's his emotions flow out. I'm not sure how I deal with it. Having grown up with dogs that always seemed to get in the street and run over, I'm used to some turnover in animals and have come to view it as part of life. I miss them but they are usually replaced and we move on.

How does God view us when He loses us, even for a small time? I get a mental image that God weeps, not just tears in His eyes, but truly crying as if hurt. I believe the pain He feels is gut-wrenching and I hate to think how many times I have caused that pain.

We often feel that pain when we lose a loved one. We weep and we mourn and we wrestle with the loss yet I think that might be when God's face shines because another saint is coming home. Oh, I know He feels for our pain yet I think He rejoices when another soul makes it home to be with Him.

That's the lesson for me. I need to feel the pain when I see my loved ones drift off course and I need to react to that, to reach out to them and try to help. And, when someone passes from this life that I know has a new, beautiful, glorious home I need to rejoice that they have attained what I truly want. Life with God. I know the pain of loss will still hurt and I know I will miss something I once had but those thoughts need to turn to God and His love and His promise for me...and for you.

I think this is pret

I think this is pretty neat. Go to the link below and answer 5 short questions. Your answers will create a reply that compares you with a book of the Bible. I thought mine was pretty accurate (Ephesians).

http://quizilla.com/users/reflectedgrace/quizzes/Which%20book%20of%20the%20Bible%20are%20you?/

What's on your mind today? Let me know. (Since most of you reading this haven't mastered the art of signing up so you can respond, I won't be checking back often for responses. Oh well, just the thought of it makes me laugh.) :)

Hi Dennis. I know you're out there. :)

The question of why bad things happen to good people is as old as the ages and I don't believe people will ever stop asking it. Just last week, a Baptist minister was electrocuted while preparing for a baptism. Last night, we found out a young lady at our church has a very serious illness and prayed for another lady who is going to take cancer treatments in hope of living long enough to see her daughter graduate. These are just examples of tragedy we face and we ask "why God?" and yet we never have an answer. I'm sure we all have theories or have answers that at least pacify us until tragedy strikes again. My answer is pretty simple. In all these things, all we can do is either rely on God or turn away from Him. These tragedies allow us to choose our path. Will we draw nearer to God or step further away?

There are questions I have that I want to ask when I get to heaven. Asking God why he didn't prevent tragedies I've experienced through friends and family is certainly one of those questions. (All the while, I don't really think those questions will be an issue for me when I get to heaven.) Yet, while I'm here and can't question God, I choose to trust in His will, in His mercy and in His peace that only God can give.

Pray for those who are facing grief, tragedy and turmoil that they may find the peace and comfort that God provides and pray that we will be there to help them, that we will be God's hands and heart on earth.

After an evening of dinner, talking and laughing, I've found that some of my friends are a bit odd. Like the one friend who has a weight bench for a boat seat. And the guy who meets strange men in parking lots. Then there's the "picking up the mower in the barn story". OK, you had to be there to hear the whole story(ies) but it did include a lot of laughing.
I had a blast last night. Kelly and I were eating with two other couples who are both our friends, but more importantly our brothers and sisters in Christ. Then, another couple from church comes in and then two more couples come in. As we were getting ready to leave, I listened to all the talking and laughing and wondered what it was going to sound like when we walked out. I bet it got quite and the atmosphere, the mood, of the room changed.
That's just the way it is when we are connecting with our Christian family. It's a time of joy and gladness, love and laughter. Even in sorrow, we have each other and we hold on to each other. Isn't that what you want for your family? Our God, our Creator has given us this family that is so special, so loving and so caring and when they are not there, it's quiet.
I am a person who doesn't care to talk much, who enjoys my time alone, who could go most of the day without talking to anyone. But I never take for granted that I have my family nearby, that I have so many brothers and sisters in Christ to spend joyous times with, to spend sad times with and in all times, they lift me up, they strengthen me.
I want to thank God for giving me such a wonderful family and I want to thank my family for showing me God through their lives.