Primetime

I got a primetime speaking slot last night. Jacob is out of town and asked me to teach the youth class. It's the Wednesday after school starts so most everyone is back and we had somewhere over 40 in class last night. Way cool. I love these guys because I look at them and see hope. I hear prayer requests like "pray that our youth group will reach out to be at school" and I look around to see several visitors that our kids bring with them. I have high hopes for what these young people are doing today and will do in the future for the kingdom. They encourage me. They lift me up and push me forward in my walk. They challenge me in many ways. I am thankful for my time with them. I hope God is using me to help them but I know, I feel it, that he is using them to help me.
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Put Bill Clinton in front of a camera and he is just good. I heard most of his speech last night and the guy is talented. He was better than the VP-elect but I guess they couldn't let Bill upstage him. If I was inclined to vote for Obama, I think Bill would have sealed the deal last night. I didn't care for him as a President and I don't think he really engineered all he takes credit for but the guy can speak in front of a crowd.
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The news hit last night that McCain has picked his running mate. I've heard pro-life and pro-choice candidates, men and women, Republicans and Democrats. I wonder who it will be.

The thing that makes me feel bad for our country is that I don't think the running mates of either nominee make much of a difference and I don't think things will change much (other than tax rates) whichever candidate is elected. The world didn't come to an end with Clinton was President even though that's what we were told and all things considered, things haven't been so great with Bush in office.

I think there is room for a lot of social changes and tax changes and health care changes. Universal health care scares me but I'm also tired of paying 5-figures for health care and medicines every year. I'm highly interested in the election but in the end I don't think either candidate is going to have much impact on my life. Do you?

The End of Summer

We're in Day 2 of school which is hard to believe. College football kicks off this weekend and the Friday night lights for high school football cranks up in the next week or so. The Rangers have folded up again though they did finally win one against Kansas City last night. The Cowboys are the talk for most people around town. Yep, summer is about over and fall is on the way. Here's to hoping it brings cool days and crisp nights and plenty of wins for our teams.

I mention football only because it is the biggest sport of fall but our high school volleyball teams have already played a number of games and our cross country team kicks it off this weekend.
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Did anyone watch the Democratic convention last night? I caught Michelle Obama's speech and Barak's interaction with her afterward. I was struck by how many "holes" there seemed to be in their talking giving me the feeling they are much more nervous and not quite as cool as their handlers would hope for. Ms. Obama had several pauses in her speech in mid-sentence and when Barak appeared on the screen, he couldn't remember if he was in Kansas City or St. Louis.

I sure couldn't pull it off but I expected a little more seamlessness from him than what I saw last night. Don't get me wrong, I'm not hammering Obama or saying he's a bad guy - just not as polished as I was expecting to see.

I think the next 2 weeks are going to be media crazy. The Republicans have a "war room" set up near the Democratic convention so they can respond and attack at the drop of a hat. I'm not too sure "war room" is the best terminology for the Republicans to use in the midst of such dissension on the troops being in Iraq but what do I know?

Ouch

I took my baby girl to high school today. Neither she nor I am old enough for her to be going to high school. I remember walking her to her kindergarten class holding hands. That certainly wasn't an option today! My baby girl is growing up into a beautiful young woman and I am so proud of her. I wish I could hold back the years and stop the aging process but know it isn't possible. Instead, I will keep trying to learn to live today and help prepare her for tomorrow. She has been a gift from God and I am thankful she is in my life - even if it means she is going to grow up on me.
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I took my little boy to his first day of middle school. He's growing up too fast also. I remember when he was in kindergarten and I got to walk him to class the first few days of school. I pull up one day and he says "I got it Dad." He didn't need me to go with him anymore. Brutal.

I have been blessed with two incredible children. I thank God for them and hope they will spend their lives striving to know Him and being a light to the world.

Where's Your Sign?

One of the country comedians had a big hit a few years ago with a "where's your sign?" bit aimed at stupid questions and a lack of common sense. It was pretty funny and has hung around for awhile. I got to thinking a few years ago that church might be better served if we wore our signs in - our signs that listed our sins and our failings - not so that we would feel bad but that we would remember we are all sinners without the grace of God, not that we would call attention to ourselves but that the hurting that came in would know they were not alone.

My cousin (thanks Linda!) sent me an email with a link to Cardboard Testimonies on YouTube. (It appears this church read my mind!) For me, it's a powerful video because a lot of the signs could be mine. They remind me that I am worthless without God - that my life means nothing until I can hold up my sign showing my sin but be able to flip it over and show what a wonderful, powerful, loving God can do in my heart.

Old Friends

I got to see John Scott last night and while it was brief, it was fun to spend just a little time visiting with him. John preaches at Saturn Road Church of Christ in Garland but I met him 20 years ago in Fort Worth when I moved there for an accounting job. John was preaching at Southside where I attended on some sort of basis (not frequent enough at the time!). John always caught me at the back doors while I was trying to hurry out and made me feel comfortable and glad I came. Even when I missed a couple of weeks, he would make sure and catch me before I got out the doors. His love for me led me in a path I needed to be taking and over the years, he has become a very special person in my life. I started teaching a Bible class when he left for Garland and while I didn't want to do it at the time I see now that his move started me in a Bible study that I might have avoided otherwise. He is someone I was around for only a short time but who has made a big impact on my life. I am thankful that God led us to cross paths because I am better for it.
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I am getting more and more emails about politics and religion. You would think McCain is one of the original apostles and Obama is Satan himself. What I hear is that God will be pleased if McCain is elected while Obama will drag us to the gates of Hell.

Here's my trouble with all these emails and it's my opinion alone. Walk away thinking I'm a fruit loop if you want! The United States is not a Christian nation. (How's that for a bold statement?) God called each one of us to follow Him. He didn't call our country or our government or our politicians (in their role as a politician) to live in His will but he called you and me. Can I be in an uproar about government legislating prayer in schools if I don't pray with my kids on a regular basis, if I don't help the suffering around me, if I don't see people through Christ's eyes instead of my own?

I will not be defined by who is elected President of the United States. Instead, I will be defined by how my life measures up to that of my great example - Jesus, my Lord and my Savior. Oh, I certainly have a LONG way to go to be the person I need to be but my focus will be on me and what I need to do to be right with Christ instead of what Barack Obama has or hasn't done.

More Rain

It was pouring hydrogen and oxygen this morning. It's great other than I have Rangers tickets tonight. All in all, I wouldn't mind a rain out if it keeps the temperatures down awhile longer.

Rumor has it the Cowboys have played a couple of preseason games. I haven't seen a lick of it and haven't been watching the news lately due to the Rangers and Olympics. Does Romo and TO still play for the Cowboys? I'm truly oblivious and couldn't care less.

The Rangers are stinking it up. I'm trying to remember why I'm going tonight.
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I missed the debate with McCain and Obama at the church in California this past weekend but wish I would have seen it. I've read stories about how impressed people are with Obama's compassion for people. I can only assume it is genuine and hope that the idea of compassion comes through in the final results of the winner.

People get so mad about candidates changing their thoughts or positions on different things but I wonder who never changes a little. As I grow closer to God, as I think I come to understand Him more and what it takes for me to live Christ-like, my compassion for people is growing. I'm not just talking about people who are going through life's ups and downs but people who are truly in the grip of evil.

I think I've reached a point where I would question a candidate who hasn't changed their thoughts at all in the past 10 years - especially where it comes to social justice. Obama still isn't my candidate but I think the party I tend to vote for more often certainly needs to be more compassionate.

Rain, Rain, Rain

It's raining in Decatur, Texas and the temperature is in the 70's. I can't help but think it will go away soon and we will be living with highs in the 100's soon but I am enjoying today.

The Rangers have gone in the tank. Tom Hicks was quoted as saying that paying for free agent pitchers is the biggest gamble in baseball and he wants to cultivate the talent they have in the minors. Uh, Tom...isn't paying hundreds of millions of dollars for a professional sports team a gamble already? Wasn't paying A-Rod $250 million a gamble? Picking up Milton Bradley? It's all a gamble but buying free agent (proven) talent isn't the same gamble as being able to prepare your own pitchers (which the Rangers have never done). Let's see, we heard all about John Danks and Edison Volquez and where are they? Danks is doing well for the White Sox and Volquez actually made the All-Star game. Yep, the Rangers do a great job developing their own talent.

I'm going to go scream now.

Sick of Spam

I'm so tired of spam. At work, we utilize a special software to filter spam because our public domain name makes us an easy target. Lately I'm getting bombarded by CNN Special Alerts that want me to buy some penny stocks. Fortunately, they are all getting caught in my spam filter and a quick press of a mouse key makes them go away but I still have to check it periodically just to make sure email I do need isn't lost in the filter.

I see spam around me more and more often now. I'm constantly bombarded with messages I don't need or want. Whether it's provocative TV and billboard ads, people who are always negative, junk on TV, crazy drivers - whatever it is that is at work to draw my attention away from where it needs to be, it drives me crazy. As I turn my focus more and more to the spiritual battle that is going on around me, a battle that I cannot always see or define but that I know is actually being fought for my heart and my mind, I realize the spam in my life is the devil at work trying to draw my attention and focus away from God. Fortunately, God equipped me with a spam filter - the Holy Spirit - that I can use to trap the spam and remove it from my sight. All I have to do is use it.

What Makes Me Turn Off The Olympics

Coming home last night with my son, we're listening to the Rangers game as the score goes to 10-0 with Boston leading after the 1st inning. Yes, the 1st inning. Big Papi hit two 3-run homers in the 1st inning. Yes, the 1st inning. Game over, right?

We get home, settle in and flip on the Olympics and then decide to run get something to eat. We're back to the Rangers on the radio and hear that it is now a 2 run game. We get back home and watch the Rangers lose in a 19-17 slugfest. Incredible. I hate the Rangers are still lagging too far behind in the wild card race but compared with last year's team - this is still a little bit of fun.

Tell me if you've heard this one before. If we can just bring in some pitching...

CC Sabathia, Ben Sheets and A.J. Burnett are all free agents after this year. I don't know what it would cost but put those 3 guys with this offense and the Rangers would have the potential to rule the baseball world.
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The Shack is still in play. I talked to someone yesterday who just finished it and had a similar response to me. "Man, there's some stuff in there that's too far out but it has expanded my thinking and understanding of God in ways I didn't know possible." I think it is a book that will be debated on it's merits for awhile but I simply see it as a tool to reach different people in different places. If we are to come to God as we are, all the books and all the preachers and all the teachers and all the evangelists and missionaries and active Christians can't do everything the same way. People come in various forms and while there is only one God, He sees us as he created us, not as we see each other. I'm the only father my children have but I do not always respond to them in the same way because they are different children with different personalities. I want the same thing for both of them but getting them there may take different approaches.

The Shack will be a re-read for me, not to wrestle with the parts of the book I didn't like but to see if there is more there that God wants me to know about how I can approach Him and serve Him.

If you have read it, I would love to hear your thoughts on it sometime - either here or in person.

The Olympics

I am caught up in the Olympics. At any other time, I would flip the channel away from men's gymnastics as fast as I could but during the Olympics I sit and watch marveling at what they do. The same goes for women's gymnastics, swimming and many of the other Olympic sports. I think it's the fact/allusion that the Olympics remain an event primarily for amateur athletes who train diligently in relative obscurity in the hopes of standing on a platform, wearing a medal and hearing our national anthem play. Michael Phelps will make a lot of money in endorsements when this over but he appears no happier than the USA gymnastic guys I saw last night throwing their bodies around in incredible feats of strength and power with smiles from ear to ear when they completed near perfect routines. Oh yeah, how about synchronized diving? Let's gather up a few of us and go do that to perfection a few times. Wow.

The opening ceremonies with the drummers is one of the neatest visual experiences I've ever seen. The Chinese may have horrible views on human rights but they have some good drummers and brilliant imagination. How about the guy running through the sky carrying the torch. Really cool stuff.

I'll be torn tonight. Texas is playing Boston with (slim) hopes of hanging around for the playoffs. I may have to find my old portable radio to listen to the game and watch the Olympics.
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It's 72 degrees this morning and the ground is wet. I wish there was a way to bottle this morning and open it up every day from now through mid-September.
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What's your favorite summer Olympic sport? I suppose my favorite is still basketball but I will spend more time watching individual sports like swimming and gymnastics.

Whew...Glad That's Over

Yesterday I had the opportunity to make a presentation to our church about our trip to Brazil. Because I have gained so much from my trips to Aracaju, I was excited to do it but getting up in front of a crowd on Sunday morning still makes me pretty nervous. I thought I had it worked out to go about 25 minutes and no more but I have a problem with thinking of stuff I want to say as I go sometimes so I ended up going longer than planned. Fortunately, our song leader and planned for my rambling and cut the song service a bit shorter than normal. All that to say, there is so much more I wish I could have shared, so many experiences that have impacted so many lives, so many moments seeing people do things to help others, to make them laugh, to lift them up but that could take a lot of time.

Our church is a wonderful place. I feel hearts busting open to God's desire all the time and the effort and assistance that was given to help us get to Brazil and hold us up while we were there is a wonderful glimpse into the hearts of our church. My focus on yesterday was about the body of Christ that meets at the Decatur Church of Christ that is impacting lives in Wise County and around the world. It is a body that is working for God, a body that lives in the grace of God.

I'm glad my presentation is over but even happier, more joyful, that the work that will be done for the kingdom will keep going and keep growing from right here in little ol' Decatur, Texas.

Early Days

My little girl runs cross country. That means that every morning except Sunday, her mother or I (or both) are up at 5:30 A.M. to take her to practice. This makes for some very long days, especially when I may not get to sleep until 11:00 or later at night. I could moan and groan about it I suppose - and sometimes do - but the fact that my daughter is out running miles and miles is motivation to me. I know she doesn't always enjoy it because sleeping late is more her style but most days she comes in with a great attitude, she's incredibly fit and I love to watch her run when she kicks it in. She almost glides over the ground. The thing is, even though she rather be sleeping, she keeps pushing, keeps going forward, keeps working hard. For that, I thank her because she is an example to me. Thank you girlfriend!
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The Rangers split 4 games with the Yankees. David Murphy is hurt and I'm wondering how that will impact his Rookie of the Year chances. I hope it doesn't because he has played as well as anybody and better than anyone expected from him a year ago. I think everyone holds their breath when Josh Hamilton comes to the plate and the game on the line. It's like we all expect a home run everytime he swings. That's a lot of pressure on one guy but I suppose he may not feel it. I wonder what the Rangers will have to do to get 2 or 3 great pitchers in here. I think it will cost billions.

Have a great weekend. Seek God.

Talking to God

Have you ever struggled talking to God? I feel that at times, that my requests are all the same, that my words are not appropriate, that I've overextended my prayer minutes and God can't fit me in again (I'm picturing God looking at His called ID and groaning, "not him again"). Sometimes I have trouble and all I can ask is that God look into my heart and hear my plea. The Bible says the Holy Spirit groans for us so that God will hear our plea. I am thankful for the gift of the Holy Spirit that God gave to me.

I know God hears me. I know He doesn't check called ID but I still struggle at times. I wonder why that is? I'll give Satan some of the credit. As I come to truly believe there is a spiritual battle being fought in me and around me this very second, believe that anything that comes between me and God is an attack from Satan's demons on my heart wanting me to believe God isn't listening; that He doesn't have time for me.

The war has been won but the battles are still being fought. I will have struggles but know there is something awaiting me that is wonderful and I can take hold of it today if I keep my heart open to God's will and desire for me. I may struggle but He will pick me up if I just extend my hand. There is joy in knowing that.
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Favre to the NY Jets. Whoopee. I guess that will be the story of the football year. Jerry Jones must be fuming. :)

Comeback Kids

OK, I'll try to make this my last Rangers-centric post for awhile but last night's game was incredible. I was able to get some tickets to the game last night a little higher up than my normal vantage point but it didn't matter with the ending the Rangers gave us. I got home rather late but couldn't sleep so I got to see SportsCenter and the Rangers had the #1, #3 and #6 plays of the day. Not bad for a team that doesn't get much respect or time from ESPN.

Naturally, the Rangers were down early but hung in there and tied it up in the latter innings. The game went into the bottom of the 9th tied 5-5. The bases get loaded with 2 outs and I'm thinking extra innings and a very, very late night when Marlon Byrd blasts a walk-off grand slam to win the game.

I'm impressed with these guys. They aren't a great team but they do battle and I appreciate that. I never expect the Rangers to do alot but I do want to see some competitive baseball and they are making it fun this year. Go Rangers!
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Tonight should be fun. We are taking several young ladies to Ft. Worth to eat celebrating my little girl's impending birthday. I wonder if it will ever be quiet at the table? I hope not but that they have so much fun it is noisy the whole time. I'm looking forward to it.

It Was HOTTTTTTT

Saturday was a rather warm day but it was the day my son and I got to play catch in the outfield of the Rangers ballpark. It is amazing to stand out in centerfield and see how much real estate those outfielders have to cover and it's amazing to realize how far a baseball has to travel to make it 400 feet. While all that was fun, it was just the time throwing a ball with my son that was the best part of the whole day.
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If I only knew then what I know now. Ever made that comment? Experience is a great teacher but sometimes the experience gaining part of the lesson isn't so great. The closer I grow to God and the more I move my focus and desire from what I want to get done to what He wants me to do, I realize that I have learned a lifetime of lessons that would I have had my eyes and heart open to God, would have been much easier learned. I hope the next 43 years are approached with my relationship with God in check before I think about anything else.

Phooey

It was almost another comeback night. The Rangers lost but made it a bit exciting in the 9th.

Is Gagne still pitching? I don't hear his name anymore.

I really thought the Rangers would make a move before the trade deadline. I'm surprised it didn't happen but glad they didn't make a trade just to make one. I wonder how much influence Nolan Ryan has in who stays and who goes. I'm not sure what the President of a baseball team does.

Rumor has it Nolan and "W" are going to buy into the Rangers when Bush comes back from the White House. Not sure if Hicks stays or not and I heard it from a source who is on the way out fringes of the baseball world.
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I love the Bible verse today. "God is my refuge..." Daily I am realizing how far away from God I have been. I feel like I have danced with God at an intellectual level for some time but have not really known God. I hope that is changing daily and I think it is. I want a real relationship with Him that goes beyond anything I have known or can imagine even today.
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I hope you find peace in your day and joy in your heart.