Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is a day we traditionally gather for lots of food, football and maybe even a little sleep. We celebrate all that we are thankful for and, at least for me, that has usually been just the good things in my life. To some degree, Thanksgiving has even been a day of excess at times but this Thanksgiving, I'm also going to think about the tough times that have strengthened me and pulled me closer to God and pray more for those who have nothing or have losses they are struggling with - a prayer that in what seems like the worst of times, they find a God who loves them and will give them all they really need. I remain thankful for family and friends who have blessed me in so many ways and I will be extremely mindful of my Savior and the gift He gave me but also want to be more mindful of those who will have trouble expressing thanks on the day our country sets aside for that idea.
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The following is worthy of it's own space but I think it fits well with the idea of thanksgiving. It's from a blog written by Josh Ross and something that is so appropriate for me to remember. I have grown up in a country of plenty but as I thought about these words, it reminds me that the financial crisis, the new President and any other thing I can come up with doesn't go my way is really not relevant to the greater power I serve. Maybe it will help you, spur you to deeper thinking or just lay thoughts on your heart that might bless you.

From Rob Bell's new book Jesus Wants to Save Christians:

Most of the Bible is a history told by people living in lands occupied by conquering superpowers. It's a book written from the underside of power. It's an oppression narrative. The majority of the Bible was written by a minority people living under the rule and reign of massive, mighty empires, from the Egyptian Empire to the Babylonian Empire to the Persian Empire to the Assyrian Empire to the Roman Empire.
This can make the Bible a very difficult book to understand if you are reading it as a citizen of the most powerful empire the world has ever seen. Without careful study and reflection, and humility, it may even be possible to miss central themes of the Scriptures.

Losses

eHarmony lost a court case last week because they did not provide online matchmaking service for homosexuals. Now they have to or get shut down. That's just crazy. It's a sad day when a business owner can't run his business they way he wants to. And we thought we were a capitalist society.
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Can you believe Tech got blown away like they did? Wow. It makes Zero U look really impressive and that's just sad.

Since I'm speaking about losses, I have to mention West Texas State getting beat by the fightin' Christians (ACU-my alma mater) 93-68. The fans didn't even have time to shout "defense" as fast as those two teams were scoring.
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Several of us lost a friend and example with the loss of Jerry Nicholas on Friday. Jerry and Anna have made an incredible impact on so many people in Decatur and Jerry will certainly be missed. His battle with cancer was fought with such dignity and grace, but most of all, peace. Jerry was a teacher and incredible example to me of being at peace because of what Jerry knew was waiting for him after he left this world.

My prayers are with Anna and their family. Anna has been another example of a loving wife and incredible companion. I heard Jerry refer to her more than once as his angel and she exhibited angelic qualities through good and bad.

I know God has blessed me with Jerry and Anna and I thank Him for their friendship and example of Christ-likeness.

State Champions

The Decatur girls cross-country team is the 2008 3A State Champion in overwhelming fashion. They scored 27 compared to the 2nd place team's score of 85 (I won't go in to the scoring system by 27 is awesome). It was cold and windy and after the medal ceremony the girls and coaches all took a dip in the lake. Crazy stuff but I don't think many of them felt anything but victorious.

The varsity team consisted of 1 senior, 1 junior, 1 sophomore and 4 freshmen. I think there will be a few more trips to Round Rock in the next few years.

Wisdom in Strange Places

I just finished reading Same Kind of Different As Me. It's worth the time to read it and may open your eyes to what God can do in your life. The story is about a well-to-do couple getting involved in a homeless mission in Ft. Worth and their relationship with one of the people they meet (I'm withholding much of the detail in case you read it). The homeless man exhibits plenty of wisdom from God and one passage won't leave my mind because it is something I'm learning to live out. Denver, the homeless man, states, "Our limitations is God's opportunity. When you get all the way to the end of your rope and there ain't nothin you can do, that's when God takes over."

The greatest peace I have ever experienced is when I finally realized that I am not in control. It's not the way I think but I'm learning that I can't fix everything; shoot, I can't fix much of anything really - but God can. Maybe if I let Him start leading me, maybe if I keep my mouth shut and let Him speak, maybe if I humble myself and let Him work, things will go better for me.

It's crazy in a way to think that while I wait on something, when I am still, I can have more peace than I have ever known, that I can accept whatever comes because I know God is at work. As crazy as that may be, it's even crazier to think that God would send His only son to die for my sin. It makes no sense. I put Christ on the cross. He had to suffer for me but God still loves me, still forgives me, still opens His arms wide and then embraces me when I come to Him.

I hope I will become quicker to realize my limitations and see where God is finding opportunity. I hope I will relish the peace that comes by letting God work in my life instead of me messing it up.

God is so good.

Veterans' Day

Google is so cool. They have great graphics on special occasions and this is the one for Veterans' Day.

I am so thankful for our veterans. As a country of individuals, I think we too easily forget the price that has been paid for what we have. We complain about rules and rulemakers while men and women are giving their lives for us and I am guilty of letting my thanksgiving for these people slide by.

Today, let's all be thankful for these people who are serving or have served us and our country.

A Monday

Too many things floating around in my head today to really write anything. Just some observations.

Bama is #1 and Tech is #2. Texas is perched at #3 just waiting for one of them to fall. Good stuff for Longhorn fans.

Decatur ended a brutal football season with so many injuries it looked like a re-run of MASH at times. A tough year for some good people. I'm wondering how the injuries affect basketball and/or baseball for the Eagles this year. Ouch.

The Decatur Eagles ladies cross country team won 1st place at regionals and are headed to Round Rock this weekend for state. The boys missed the trip to state by 3 points.

The Cowboys had another week just like the past 2 or 3 - they didn't show up to play. Hahaha. It was a bye week, thank goodness.

The thing I kept hearing on the news this weekend is how Obama is going to reverse a bunch of Bush's Executive Orders. I thought Obama was about changing the way things are done and offering hope, not simply salivating to reverse Bush's decisions. I realize that will happen but I'd much prefer to hear how he's going to turn the economy around and actually see a plan laid out instead of hearing that he is going to reverse decisions on abortion and domestic drilling. Where's the "change" in that? It's just typically politics and sounds like a little gloating to go along with it.

I hope for hope in our national politics and for the country. I just don't have high expectations.

I'm Probably Wrong but...

I think George Bush's greatest fault, the thing that has brought his approval rating tumbling down, the biggest factor in him being vilified by the press is...ready for this...his public speaking ability. Yep, I think his ability, or lack thereof, to effectively speak to the public is what has killed people's opinion of him. When he speaks, he seems unsure of himself too often, pausing to look at the teleprompter a moment too long. The 9/11 days were days where he spoke from his heart, often impromptu, and the true nature of the man came through but make him deliver a prepared political speech and he seems lost.

Many people think he may be the least intelligent President we have seen. I tend to think it's just his demeanor when speaking that leaves that impression. I honestly think he has dealt with some crisis that we do not and may never know. I think he has had to take the bullet on popular opinion because he was smart enough to keep some things out of the public media.

Maybe it's because I think Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have swept into office on their charisma, not policies. I remember listening to Bill Clinton in the early days thinking how good he was but it wasn't his policies that were good, it was his ability to make me believe he was just like me. I snapped out of it but he had me for a little while. We see it in our churches sometimes. The preacher may not be saying anything but he does it so well that we hang on the words. There are plenty of TV preachers that can preach a good sermon full of nothing and there are plenty of people who would be incredible preachers of truth but their presentation wouldn't capture our attention.

Yep, I think Bush's inability to effectively mesmerize the masses was and is his downfall. He has had to deal with issues, most of which were not his making, that many Presidents have not known. I think history, if it all comes out one day, will be kinder to George Bush than the current opinion of him. I'm probably wrong but...

Giving Thanks

Last night, we talked about giving thanks. There are so many things in our life that are easy to be thankful for. Our families, friends, health, baseball, Texas still being ranked #4 with a shot at the title game and on and on. The focus of our lesson turned to Paul and his desire to be thankful to God in any situation he was in. In prison, he gave thanks. Shipwrecked, he gave thanks. People threw stones at him and he gave thanks. For what? What in the world could he be thankful for enduring some of the most brutal moments of life?

An answer can be found in James where we are told to consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds because the testing of our faith builds perseverance. I have to really such myself to see if I have the desire to give thanks during times of trials, if I will consider it pure joy to endure tests. It's not my nature but being thankful to God in times of struggle, times of pain, is what builds a deeper relationship with God, a relationship of overwhelming trust and peace when all I can do is rely on Him.

A New Day

History was made last night as Barack Obama was elected to be our new President. Now we sit back and wait to find out who he really is. There are those who believe he appeals to the left because that is who he is. Others wonder if he appealed to one group to get elected and will move more to the center to stay there for a second term. Who knows? All I know is the high school still had kids pulling in this morning, plenty of folks are still headed to work and the Starbucks line was backed up 7 cars deep. I am confident there will be a number of new laws that I am not going to be happy with in the coming years but I'm still mystified by what I hear from some people. It was an overwhelming victory and the people of America will get what the majority asked for. Now we find out what that is.
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I watched our two 7th grade teams whip up on Bridgeport last night. I figure we better get it where we can this year because the likelihood of it being anywhere near a win for Decatur on Friday is slim. My nephew QB'd one of the 7th grade teams and ran or threw for a bunch of the points scored. Pretty cool stuff for a 12 year old.
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Basketball tryouts start on Thursday for 7th graders. I have one that will be out there battling for a position on one of the teams. I think there are about 40 kids trying out for 20 spots so several will go home disappointed. I always hated tryout days.
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God is alive and well, powerful and majestic, and ready to work in our lives. That's THE good news for today.

Election Day in the U.S.A.

I've tried and tried and keep writing essays, not paragraphs so I'm going to try one more time to boil my thoughts on today down to a manageable length. Today is a day many look forward to and many dread. We will elect a President today that one group or the other thinks will lead us to the brink of the abyss if not take us over the edge. I just don't believe it. Will either candidate do the things I think they should all the time? NO. Will either candidate make decisions that will harm me all the time? NO. In my lifetime, we've survived Nixon, Carter, Clinton and the Bushes and we will survive either Obama or McCain. In fact, I've too often only seen the greatness of this nation when in a crisis. When times are good, I see excess. When times are tough, I see people being friendlier, working together. I have already voted for the candidate I believe will most closely act in favor of my interests but should the other candidate win, I will wake up tomorrow and head to work and go to church just like I do most Wednesdays. Tomorrow will begin a new series of illuminating days where we learn more about the agenda of the winner. Either way, there will be some scary ideas and actions but the greatness of the American people will survive, maybe even thrive as we endure the challenges of life in this country and the world.
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In the end, we aren't called to serve either candidate as authority over us for our greatest purpose. We are called to serve God, to be Christ-like to those around us. Our words and actions should reflect Christ and the more each of us can strive to that goal, the world will be as good as we make it.
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Tech's #2 and Texas is #4. There's still a decent shot the Horns can move back into contention for the national title. Surely they can whip up on Baylor this weekend and then it's the A&M game.
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I tried to watch the Mavericks last night. It reminded me that I just don't care for pro basketball. Catching the highlights on ESPN is good enough for me.
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Wasn't it just January a couple of weeks ago? How did it get to be November so quickly?

Not #1 No More

Yes, it's bad grammar. Yes, it was a horrible first half. Yes, Tech played a great game. It doesn't make the losing any more fun though. I won't guess what the two Texas players involved in the last two plays of the game were feeling. One let a game-ending interception slip out of his hands. The other got beat by the best receiver in college football for the game winning TD.

Texas still has a great team and if they will bounce back they may have a shot at the title before it's all done with. I hope Texas fans will realize it's more fun to have a team that can compete for a #1 ranking than to go 7-3 every year.
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How 'bout them Cowboys? Where have you gone Jimmy Johnson? What have you done to us Jerry? I didn't sit down to watch that game - thank goodness - and didn't stay up to hear Dale Hansen's commentary but I'm thinking the Cowboys are in a tough spot right now.
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The mighty Decatur Eagles got roughed up by Vernon this weekend. Bridgeport is next week. Uh-oh.