Our church marquee made the pages of a blog I read. It's a liberal blog with a large number of people who bash Christians, churches and anyone who doesn't support homosexuals among other things. The blog author posted a picture of our sign with the message that we are to be witnesses, not lawyers and judges. One of the respondents posted Church Sign=Savage Hipocracy. I another wrote that most churches of Christ are judges.

I'm confident neither of these people have entered a church building in some time, at least not with the right attitude and intention of worshipping God and edifying the body. I'm confident they do not tolerate anyone who is not tolerant of their views. I'm confident they have no intention of looking for the good Christians do but only in their failings.

I hope God will work on these people, that He will open their hearts to the beauty and joy that I see in our family. I hope He will give them the ability to listen and understand as we worship together, as we lift each other up, as we rejoice with one another and cry with one another. I hope they will be able to forgive those who have hurt them and seek God's forgiveness for turning from Him.

I know our little church isn't perfect. We are all sinners yet I can look at all the people there and instead of seeing the ugliness of sin, I see the beauty of Christ, I see His cleansing and know that we are all loved, we are all covered in mercy from our Savior. I hope others outside of Christ can come to know that peace. I hope God will open their hearts and their minds and use us to show them the power of an incredible Savior.

It's Friday afternoon and I feel myself mentally shutting down. It's not something I want to happen because I still have stacks of things to do (if you've ever visited my office, you understand). Yet, maybe because of some of the issues I've had to deal with today, I am mentally drained at 3:00 in the afternoon. Do you have those days?

I'm looking forward to some rain this weekend. We need it so badly but I still laugh when people are happier than normal because it is raining. Last Sunday, it rained for the first time in a long time and many people looked like it was Christmas again.

My friend's dad is doing better today. Hopefully, they will see some continued improvement but it is still a waiting game for them right now. Another good friend (Monte) called today to tell me he and his wife are expecting a baby in August. He's 41 so we had a few laughs about how old he would be when the baby goes to school/graduates, etc.

The question of the day...when you need an answer to a problem, do you typically get your answer through working out a formula or through trial-and-error? For instance, one of my children had a math problem last night and one parent figured it out through taking numbers, making assumptions, making changes and finding the right answer. The other parent worked through a mathematical equation to also find the right answer. Which one are you? I'm looking forward to all the responses.

I experienced some raw emotion this morning watching a friend and colleague take in the news that his father is seriously ill and may be near death. He is old-school in that you don't show your emotions, you show up for work no matter what, you don't let personal issues get in the way of your life. Now, he has a very personal issue that caused him to leave work immediately, he couldn't think or talk very well. His emotions were overtaking him.
I hope he will talk to God and rely on God. We've talked about God before but I don't know that he has a close relationship with God. He might, I just don't really know. Yet, I hope in this situation, he might come to know God better.
In our Bible study last night, a question was raised on whether we could think that God might be punishing us when we experience the loss of a child (I suppose we could feel that way with any loved one). I certainly don't know the answer but one person in attendance certainly does. He has been there and lives with that pain. His answer was touching and comforting in saying that we make a decision how we will feel about God, we make a choice whether to turn to Him or away from Him.
We struggle with death yet often our struggle in purely selfish. We don't want to see a loved one leave us even when we know they are heavenward-bound. I think it's because we are too focused on the here and now and not focused enough on life with God. I might be wrong but it's just the way I see it. Oh, I know that when I lose a loved one, I will cry and hurt but I also hope I know there will be joy as they go to their real home, their permanent home with God.

This past Saturday night, our family went to Bass Hall to hear Asleep at the Wheel and the Ft. Worth Symphony play. It was a good show and entertaining but what really has stuck with me was how the show opened. The symphony was on stage and launched into the Star Spangled Banner at which point everyone stood up...and started singing. It was really a neat, neat moment to hear all these people singing the national anthem.
It seems we play the anthem at many sporting events and other venues but seldom do I hear the people sing and I'm typically one of the crowd not singing. On Thursday or Friday I had read an article stating that a growing number of people do not know the words to the Star Spangled Banner yet here we were, in Ft. Worth, Texas, with an incredible symphony playing and a large number of people singing.
The remainder of the night, a muted light continuously shone on the American flag stationed on the side of the stage. What a neat tribute to our country and to those who have served our country, both past and present.
The show was good but the experience of patriotism is what will remain with me about that night. Thank God for those who serve us, who keep us free and pray that we will be the people He wants us to be.

My 3rd/4th grade basketball team won 31-0 this past Saturday. It might have been a few points higher but I quit looking at the score after awhile. I enjoyed seeing my guys do well - everyone had a good game - but it was hard to watch for the other team. They tried and I don't think they ever quit but nothing went their way. Shots never bounced in, they threw passes to our defense even when we weren't guarding them very closely and I don't think shot much better than we have before in practices or games.
We practice Thursday night and it will be interesting to get a read on the boys. Will the bask in the afterglow of a 31 point bashing or will they think of it as just another game and be ready to work hard this Saturday? I've got my eloquent speech prepared just in case but I don't really think I'll need it. We'll probably end up just working on our plays a little more, running a few drills and scrimmaging for fun. I think most of the kids will have forgotten what happened last week.
The best part of the game for we was watching the improvement from the week before. The guys set screens where they were supposed to. They jump-stopped on layups and took a controlled shot. They hustled for rebounds and loose balls. They were in position on defense. Naturally, there are areas we will work to improve because improvement is all I really want to see. Sure, I want to win but even more, I want to see improvement, see growth in their abilities. That's what makes coaching fun for me.

I read an email from my cousin today which was truly sad. There church recently hired two ministers, one of which was a young family with a 5 year old and 6 month old. The wife was suffering post-partum depression and hung herself last week from a tree in their backyard. The husband and two children came home and apparently the 5 year old saw her first.

I can't imagine the pain and suffering they are all dealing with now. Yet, as I sit from afar thinking about it, I can almost envision how that church will come together around that family, how they will love and care for them. I don't know how the family will respond to what has happened but I know God puts our church family around us to support us, care for us and love us.

Today, I witnessed a young man asking for the prayers and love of his church family and saw a large number of people respond. I know of a number of people who have gone to Dallas over the weekend to be with a member of our church that is sitting with her family as her father is dying.

God shows us love, compassion, forgiveness. Our purpose is to be the hands, the hugs, the food preparers - the physical instruments of God. We are here to wrap the physical arms around each other as God wraps His love and compassion around us.

I truly hope this young minister and his family will feel the love of God from the family that will stand with them. I hope the people in our church family who are hurting will feel the love of God as we wrap our arms around them. I hope all who are hurting will feel the love of God that is so abundant and so comforting.

Lowe's opened today. Chili's before that and Starbucks awhile back. More restaurants all the time and now, even Paradise is getting a bank. What's going on? I remember moving to Decatur 9 years ago thinking I was headed to the country. I suppose in many ways it is still small town but it's not the quaint small town I've dreamed of living in. There's enough people in Wal-Mart at any given time to make it a small town of it's own. When we came here, 3 or 4 cars at the 287/51 red light was a traffic jam. Now, there might be 8-12 in both lanes. Yikes.

I don't really have anywhere to go with this other than thinking about Lowe's in Decatur. It just doesn't seem real but supposedly the ribbon cutting (or board sawing as I hear it) happened this morning and another big box retailer is off and running in our fair town.

I hope everyone enjoys the new stores and restaurants coming to town. As for me, I'd just as soon Mattie's still be open on the square and everyone else would go away. I long for a slower, peaceful type of life but I don't suppose it's something I'll see anytime soon. Work, baseball, ballet, basketball, musicals...on and on it goes. There's always something to do and somewhere to be. I guess I should quit typing this rampage against everything new and get headed to where I need to be next.

Have a great weekend!

I want to say thanks to those of you who read this blog. Recently, I've had a few people send me notes or mention that they are reading it and enjoy it. It's something I do for fun and a way for me to express myself in an environment I'm comfortable with. I'm sure at times I will say things that make no sense and other times, something that provokes you to think a little.

When I first came to Decatur, I wrote a little newsletter I called Current Times that had snippets of information about things on TV, court rulings and the like that could have a negative impact on the morals of our society. I'm not sure what the morals of our society really are but I know in many people's minds, we are a nation built on faith in God; that our country's founders ascribed to a Christian lifestyle. Much of this can and has been debated but as I see it, what they thought and did has little impact today. The question I ask is what are we going to say and do? What impact will we have on the country or even in Decatur?

I quit writing Current Times because a) I didn't feel like it was helping anyone make decisions about what they did and b) it was time consuming to put it together. Yet the idea and the questions that started it still remain. What will we do to turn back the wave of immorality that is rolling over us? What will we do to have an impact on the people we can see and touch? In my mind, it is a two-pronged approach. First, we must be concerned about what we see going on in our country. We must be concerned about what is shown on TV, about the growing effort to push Christ out of public places and the legitimization of drugs, divorce, homosexuality and the other sins. Second, we must be public about who we are and what we are here to do. If we stay in our church buildings, we can't complain about what happens in public places. If we don't reach out to the drug abuse, the couple struggling to hold it together or the people who got divorced and don't know where to turn now, if we don't talk about the ravages of sexual sin, we cannot affect it. We have to speak up, to be bold and courageous in our message and in our actions.

I know it's not easy. It's easier for me to write about it here than to actually do what I suggest. Yet, it is what I am going to have to find a way to do to be the man God wants me to be.

I had a good time yesterday. It started with me spending much of the day with my daughter, shopping, talking and laughing. As someone who breaks out in sweat at the thought of going to the mall, it's fun to go with her because she is so happy being there - looking at clothes, talking about what would go with what and pointing out some of the strange things other people wear. Yesterday, we noticed a younger lady wearing an AC/DC t-shirt. A band from 20 years ago and people still want their t-shirts. It's amazing.

On the ride down to Ft. Worth, we got to spend some time talking about our relationship with God. I never know if anything I'm saying is really getting through and I'm always looking for some spark, some connection to know what I'm saying is making sense. I certainly think she understands what I'm trying to convey and maybe she thinks I'm a little crazy for worrying about her ever ending up in the wrong crowd. Yet it can happen so easily.

I hope some of the things I said yesterday will help her. I hope some of those things will make her want to draw closer to God. I hope she will cherish and fuel that relationship much more than I did in my early years. I'm astounded at what kids are allowed to do today. I listen to a good friend who has high school age children talk about the numbers of his kids friends who use birth control, who drink regularly, who do many things they should not be doing and they do it with their parents consent. I believe that is what scares me the most. It makes me think I need to be more concerned with the parents of my daughters classmates more than the kids themselves.

Pray for our kids. Pray that they will seek God and desire to know Him. Pray that parents will discern what is good and right and healthy for their children and that they will do the things to reinforce the good and abstain from what is bad. We need God-loving and God-fearing families who will raise their children to know what is right and what is good. We cannot allow Satan to make any of us think that tolerance of evil is good.

I'm thankful my kids have a family that is full of Christians who want to live the way God wants us to. I'm thankful my kids have a church family that is there to support them, to help them, to encourage them in the right paths. I pray both of these families will beat back the devil's attempts to get into their lives. I pray God will continue to strengthen both our spiritual and physical families as we raise our children to walk in the light.

Today was a good day.

My basketball team had their first game of the season against a team that could very well be the stiffest competition we will face. We've had just a few practices and in each practice we have worked on our offense and inbounds plays. In the last few we've discussed at length defensive positioning and rebounding. So guess what happened in the game today. Yep, seldom did we run any of the offensive play correctly. Yep, the guys were out of position more than in the proper position on defense. Not much different from our most recent practice. Guess what else? WE WON! That's right, we won and we even came from behind to do it. It took a few time outs and reminders of what needed to happen and the kids kept battling, kept hustling and kept playing. After being down 10-5 midway through the game, we ended up on top 21-17.

I really appreciate the spirit of these youngsters. Even though they didn't do everything right, they kept trying to do their best. They didn't hang their heads or get down on themselves. They kept trying and it worked out in the end.

I hope I can remember their lesson for me. I know what I need to do but sometimes I can't get it right. In the heat of battle, I forget what God has told me and mess up. The key for me is that I have to remember to keep trying, to be focused and to keep listening to the reminders from Him of what I should do. With time, my young team will get better at doing what they should do. With time, I surely hope I continue to draw closer to God and finally, in the end, celebrate victory in heaven.

I am coaching a 3rd and 4th grade boys basketball team and our first game is tomorrow. In every practice, we have drilled on an inbounds play and an offense. We have discussed where I want players taking shots from and where they should play on defense. At the end of practice last night, I let them play a brief 4 on 4 scrimmage and I was disappointed (but not surprised) by what happened. No one played defense where I told them to play, shots were flying from everywhere, layups weren't done like we have practiced over and over and over. I wanted to pull my hair out watching these guys do the opposite of everything we have practiced for 4 weeks.

As I look back on my frustration, I wonder what God feels when he sees me doing the opposite of what He told me I should do. I wonder if He gets frustrated with me and wants to reach down, grab me by the ear and yell at me to do what He has told me to do.

My kids will play Saturday and next Thursday in practice, we'll go back to working on the things we did wrong and work on getting it right. In the end, I know it's just a game and nothing is really at stake.

I'm so grateful that God will be patient with me, work with me to fix what I'm doing wrong and help me do it right because the only thing that is truly important is at stake.

A few days ago, Pat Robertson was saying how God was punishing Ariel Sharon through health problems. Last night watching the news, they showed a clip from the trial of Dewayne Goodrich, a former Dallas Cowboy who ran over some people while driving drunk. He killed two and severly injured a third who is now permanently disabled. Last night during the clip, the man forgave Goodrich and in a follow up interview said he did it because he wanted to reflect God to Goodrich. Robertson professes to be a Christian while this man (I cannot remember his name) said he is Jewish. Who better reflects the price that was paid for my sins and my hope - the famous TV Christian or the simple man who now has to walk with a cane?

I'm thankful for this man, for his gesture and only wish it would get the international exposure that Pat Robertson got. More so, I'm thankful for a Lord who teaches us to forgive and to live in love instead of bitterness, anger and hatred. I'm thankful for a God who would allow His son to die so that I might live. I wish Pat Robertson would say it but I can only control what I do and with God's help, I will do my best to reflect His glory by being forgiving, by being loving and by being compassionate.

That was fun! Last night as I paced through the living room and was constantly told to "sit down" I thought how funny it must be for someone looking in from the outside to see me moving around as if I was the coach. I talk to the TV, to the officials, to the coaches and to the announcers...and obviously it worked. Texas won! What an exciting moment for Mack and Vince and all the players. I stayed up long after the game watching ESPN and saw several of the players still celebrating on the field after most everyone had cleared out. It was fun to watch.

I got an email from a friend yesterday, someone who helped raise me in some respects, encouraging me and saying some nice things about me. It really made me feel good and reminded me how important, how uplifting a kind word can be. I started thinking about all the people I needed to share a kind word with more often and thought of how often the people closest to me are some of the last ones I encourage. My wife would be forefront on that list. We work together to raise kids, build a home and do all the things we need to do and I take for granted she is always there, always working. Like everyone else, we have our moments where we don't see eye to eye but we've been able to move past those times and stay focused on what is important. She is so important to my life and I need to lift her up more often. Much the same for my children. They make me laugh, they make me cry and they remind me that life is not about me but about helping others. My boss, my friends, Elders at the church, teachers...there are so many that would benefit from a "thank you" and a little encouragement.

I hope I don't forget yesterday's email as I try to do better thanking others (even if it's just buying them a Diet Coke in the morning!). Most of all, I don't want to forget to thank God for His gift and His mercy. He has the words to encourage me daily and I need to always be lifting Him up and glorifying Him.

Tonight is the night. The Longhorns will defeat USC for the national title and watch Vince Young run off to fame and fortune in the NFL. It should be a great game and I hope it will be like the other bowl games have been - close and exciting. USC is a great team with several good athletes. The fate of Texas pretty well rests on Vince Young's feet. I have faith though and the Tivo is set.

I watched Boyd take on Paradise last night in basketball. It was another close game that shouldn't have been and Boyd ended up losing after being up 16-2 in the 1st quarter. The two are big rivals and it was a physical game. Two of Boyd's best players fouled out late in the game but I think coaching decisions are what did them in.

The bleachers are the best place to coach from. No one yells at you, no parents wait for you after the game to complain about how little Junior was treated, you get to forget the losses and remember the victories. It's an awesome place to coach. I know other people like that and I see them in everyday life. They would run a business a lot better than the people doing it. They would run the schools much better than the people doing it. They would make the church a better church than the people involved. Yet they never engage. They never step up to take responsibility at work, in the schools or at church.

In the past, these people have caused me a great deal of frustration. Today, not so much because in the end, they will be accountable for what they did or didn't do just as I will and the one thing I don't want on my resume is that I spent too much time being frustrated over people who complain so that I became a complainer about complainers instead of a worker for God.

I suppose I will always coach basketball games from the bleachers. It's a fun hobby and I'm pretty sure my decisions would have left each time I bleacher-coached undefeated. Yet, I hope I never become a bleacher-coach with the Lord's work. I hope I am engaged, active and vibrant in trying to live my life doing His will. I don't want to be a spectator of heaven, I want to be fully involved.

The Rose Bowl is getting closer. I'm excited because I've always been a Texas Longhorn fan even though I didn't go there. My cousin attended and played football for a couple of years and it was awesome having good tickets to big games. My first date with my wife was to a Texas game. I'm sure it was the best time she's ever had. :)

So who's idea was it to have the Rose Bowl on a Wednesday? That led me to my next thought that Tivo must have been invented by a Christian who was missing too many Sunday afternoon football games.

I have no real purpose for writing today, no underlying theme to my story other than to wish you a great day and hope that you will be blessed and will bless others.

As I limp into my 41st year with hurting knees and an arthritic back (I hear melodrama can be good for a story), I wonder what the new year will bring. I know my kids will become a year older (which scares me to death), I know there will be ups and downs at work, I am planning on traveling to Brazil and I hope to grow stronger in the Lord. The older I get, the more I learn and the more at peace I become with faith. I used to have more doubts and more questions but today I believe God exists more than ever and certainly have a better understanding of His love and mercy on me.

I also know Satan is alive and working. At times, I feel like Satan is in my face all the time. I don't talk about Satan much because I rather ignore him or deny that he is real than face the truth that he wants in, he wants to take over my heart and my mind. Our study yesterday morning in 2 Corinthians reminded me that Satan is very real and very sneaky. He divides us when we should pull together, he makes us think of ourselves when we should think of others, he makes us feel hurt and pain when others around us know more hurt and pain but we ignore them while he tells us they are just selfish.

While I thought about Satan during worship, the song leader led The Joy of the Lord. The joy of the Lord will be my strength. He will uphold me all of my days. I am surrounded by mercy and grace. The joy of the Lord is my strength. I want to live in the joy of the Lord. I want to live in thanks and praise to Him. I know Satan will try to pull me down and he will win sometimes but I know that my focus must be in the joy of the Lord, in knowing Him and with Him I will defeat Satan.

I hope the joy of the Lord will be your strength.