The Joyful Sound of Water

We woke up yesterday to find our well tank empty and trouble building pressure. There's nothing much worse than getting up, turning on a faucet and nothing comes out. Add to that the double whammy of it occurring on a Sunday of Memorial Day weekend and it's just not a good thing. Fortunately, we found one well guy who was on vacation in Branson but willing to return our phone call and walk my wife through the process of getting the well up and going. Whew.

We too often take for granted the things we should be thankful for. Running water is one of those items on my list. As we finish the holiday weekend, I hope I will take the time to remember those who have sacrificed for me. Today, our attention turns to the men and women in the armed forces who are serving, who have served and who have gave their lives for the freedoms our country enjoys. Let's all say a prayer for them today.

As a Christian, I'm more thankful for Jesus who sacrificed His live that I can know true freedom. Sadly, I do take this for granted at times, focused on worldly issues instead of what needs to be central in my life, in my thoughts and in my actions. I want to make today and every day a memorial day for my Savior by living for Him.

The Essence of Life...Food and Sports

I had lunch at Sweetie Pie's Ribeyes yesterday. Eating at a place named Sweetie Pie's doesn't elicit a good picture in my mind but once I saw Sweetie Pie mounted to the wall, I figured it would be tasty. Chicken-fried steak and home cut potatoes with a salad topped with hot-bacon dressing and unsweet tea.

The renovations are great and the place looks really neat. There are a bunch of tables and they are all close together similar to Babe's in Roanoke. It was a soft opening so I didn't expect great service and didn't receive it. The salad with hot-bacon dressing was awesome. I've got a new favorite dressing now. They were out of sweet tea for those who had ordered it but when they came to fill up our glasses, we all got sweet tea even if we ordered unsweet. The meal took about 35 minutes from when we ordered to get to the table. The chicken-fried steak was a bit tougher than I would like but the potatoes were great. A friend had the ribeye and said it was good.

All in all, it was pretty good food and everyone at the table gave it a thumbs up. The kitchen and wait staff need a bit more polishing but I'm confident that will happen and this will be a good place to eat.
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I went to the Decatur HS baseball game last night after church. It's the regional semifinals and this was the first game in a best 2 out of 3 series with Snyder. Snyder had a good pitcher and two of their guys hit dingers with the wind blowing in. In the bottom of the 7th with Decatur down 2-0, one of the Staley boys made it to second after a throwing error by the Snyder pitcher and a sophmore came up to bat hitting a home run to tie the game. Two more hits and a walk later, the Decatur pitcher who had surrendered the two homers to Snyder was up to bat and hit a screaming grounder up the middle of the field into center scoring the winning run. What a great finish. Now I wish I had a quick way to get to Snyder for the next game on Saturday.
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Poor Mavs. I have several suggestions that they could have used last night. I'll wait for Avery's call!

Unbelievable

The Mavs won in overtime. I don't know how but they did. The refs rode them hard in the second half but I was exasperated that the Mavs didn't fight back. For most of the second half, they refused to drive hard to the lane and get fouled. Stackhouse drives me crazy with his desire to stay outside the 3 point line. Terry would drive and then pull up 7 feet away. Van Horn has only heard what it's like to shoot a layup. Dirk was the only one to push it and even he backed off some during the 3rd and early 4th quarter.

The oddest part of it all was watching my son yell at the TV screen. He yelled out fouls that the refs missed. He yelled at players for taking a bad shot or playing lousy defense. As if they could hear him, he kept yelling. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. The reason is, I yell at the TV during sporting events. I remember early on when dating my wife, she invited me to her parents house during a NCAA championship game (UNLV and someone) and I told her I couldn't go because I wanted to watch the game and yelled at the TV. She finally convinced me to go (the power of a pretty woman) and I controlled my yelling for the most part. So, when I see my son doing the same thing, I can't help but laugh. He's just trying to help. :)

NASCAR at church

I read a column over the weekend of how a church in Florida paid $3,000 to have one of Dale Earnhart Sr.'s cars at it's Easter church service. Each person attending got a ticket to have their picture made with the car and then they could come back to service the next week to pick up the photo. (This one is for you Rick.)

I was near a church yesterday that has so many people attending they need traffic control on the road and in the parking lot to get everyone in and out. It was a church that gave out t-shirts to people who attended Easter services instead of a race car.

I don't have any issues with people using some marketing effort to get people in their buildings. It's a way to try and touch people, to spread the seed and hope that lands on good soil. Our church does the same thing at times. Just last Wednesday, we had a special service to celebrate the students of our Mother's Day Out program that brought their parents to our building to hear a brief message from our preacher, to hear some of our singing and to meet our members. Over the years, we have had a few people who met us through that outreach attend our church. It can work.

My thought on all of this is that there are many, many ways to get people to come to church but how many leave with only the photo, the t-shirt or the Me Book? How many leave without Jesus? How many leave without the life-altering experience that only comes from knowing the Son who died for us and who redeems us?

My hope is that everyone who comes in contact with me takes Jesus with them. My hope is that they see the change in my life that only comes through my relationship with a loving and merciful Savior. While I feel certain that not all do, I hope. I hope with the knowledge that the blood of the Lamb and the mercy of God is waiting for them to claim. I will hope.

The End

Sit down and stop cheering. It's not the end of my blogging.

The end of school is near. The kids are excited and the parents are wondering what they are going to do with them all summer. Planning for camps, vacation, Six Flags, the water park and a million other things makes the long hot days of summer seem pretty short.

The end of ballet is near. Recital is quickly approaching and the end of the year is near. With the extra practices and stress of being ready, it may also be the end of ballet for my daughter. It is something she has done for 7 years and done well. I want her to make the decision of what she wants to do but I, for one, will miss seeing her perform. Yet, I'm thankful for what it has taught her. As I watch her gliding through the house, I know it has been beneficial in ways that will endure.

The end of baseball is near. We are on the go many nights a week and weekends with baseball and it does get to be a grind at times yet I enjoy it so much. Last night, we had 22 minutes left and were losing but it seemed as if only a few minutes had passed since we started. I enjoy the evening and night games and I enjoy watching my son perform - even more so when he has a good game like he did last night.

The end of Boston Legal. It's a quirky show that seems to be one that people really like or don't care for at all. Not much in between. I'm one who enjoys the show and it's one of the two I want to watch each week. The other is West Wing that ended last Sunday for good. I still haven't seen the final episode but have enjoyed the frenetic pace that was exemplified in the show. I think I would enjoy working in the White House with the exception of the hours that seem to be called for.

The end of the end. While all of these things are ending, they will either start anew soon or something new will take their place. It's one thing I truly love about each day. Whatever went wrong yesterday, today can be fresh and new and totally different. I hope your new day is a beautiful day for you.

Mother's Day

Thanks mom. Thank you for loving me when I said I would never come back to Tyler. Thanks for loving me by giving me all of those attitude talks. Thank you for traveling to all the sporting events and usually bringing cookies or treats for me and the guys who didn't have parents to follow them around. While I know I made it easy most of the time (hahahahaha), thanks for loving me when I wasn't so loveable. Thanks for giving much, much more than you ever wanted in return. Your heart, your spirit and your love will always endure. I thank God for you and your devotion to Him.

Thanks to my mother-in-law. You have raised a special family and a precious daughter. I couldn't have expected a mother-in-law who would treat me so well and always make me comfortable as a part of your family. Finding a Christian wife was a dream of my parents for me. Having a Christian wife is a constant blessing to me. I thank God for you and your devotion to Him.

To my wife, I thank God for you every day. While we may disagree on issues, I know we are both walking together on a path to our final home. I know our most important goals are aligned with our focus on God. You are a good and loving mother and your children adore you. You provide, you sacrifice and, most importantly, you love unconditionally. You are a gift, a blessing to your children and to me. Thank you for being the person you are and to constantly becoming the person God wants you to be. I thank God for you and your devotion to Him.

I have been blessed to have incredible women in my life.

Halfway There

It's Wednesday and the work week is half-over. For some, it's a moment of terror as they realize how much must be accomplished in a short amount of time. For others, it's the relief of the weekend to come. I'm not sure where I fall in the mix. I look forward to the weekend but realize that I have much to do and I'll be right back at Wednesday in no time. It's been a hectic week. I did find a new employee to handle the computer issues at work which is great so I have spent most of each day with him. I have reports do in the next few days that I still need to gather a great deal of information on. Push and pull.

In the midst of all of this, we have school issues and extracurricular activities. I can't seem to juggle all the balls as well as I need to but I keep juggling all the same. I look at my wife and see her juggling also while the kids simply march through life bouncing easily from one thing to another. I miss the days of being a child. If they only knew what we know, huh?

I suppose I have made it all sound dreary but there is another view of all of this. We are healthy enough to be doing a lot of things, there are sources of income that allow us to do what we do and there is a desire, if not a passion, for much of what we do. We love each other, we hug and kiss at night and in the morning, we share good times with each other, we laugh together (and at each other), we have an incredible extended family. On top of all of this, we have a Father who is so, so good, we have a Savior who has done infinitely more than we can imagine and we have a church family that is an anchor and support for us.

Someone used to tell me that my life would be what my attitude allowed it to be. I find myself repeating the same message often. I can allow my life to be governed by the attitude that would get caught up in the troubles of the first two paragraphs of this blog or I can choose an attitude that focuses on the good things in life. I think I'll choose the latter and be on my way smiling.

How Close Is Close Enough?

As I listened to people talk last night in our class, a recurring theme continually resonated in my head. When will I ever be close enough to God?

As we talk about church growth and the methodologies to make it happen, I often realize my own experience has been "in doing church" instead of really knowing God. For too much of my life, I've ventured into an intellectual relationship with God knowing what I should do but not having the emotional and spiritual relationship that makes me want to do His will. I've grown in knowledge but not spiritually. I've been regular in attendance but not an emulator of Christ in all that I do. I look around and I'm afraid I see people like me, people comfortable going to church but uncomfortable living Christ-like. I find people unloveable when I should be loving all people, I see people as high-maintenance when I should be full of compassion, I see people who can fend for themselves when I should be driven to serve them.

Why do I worry about what church uses an instrument or what church uses women in different ways or what church does this or that when I'm not worried that the people I come in contact with everyday don't see Jesus living in me? I don't have a problem debating some of the things we do or see in churches today but is Christ better served in my debate or in my desire to show the lost of the majesty and glory of being a child of God?

I pray that my focus forevermore will remain on Christ, that I will strive to know His will and be His servant.

As a New Week Begins...

I begin this week without my staff IT person. I will get most, if not all, the problem calls along with my normal job. I'm dreading it and the mental stress is building.

One of my nephews was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes over the weekend. He is doing good and I know he will be a success story for others with this disease. I also know that one of the challenges he will face at times is remaining mentally positive in his daily routine that comes with diabetes. Please join me in prayer that he will stay positive in his approach to living with diabetes and also that a cure for diabetes will be found in his lifetime.

Our Wednesday night class has been discussing dreaming and what a church with dreams can do. It's been a great study and one that has been encouraging as we talk about how we battle "dream-killers" and how we persevere in attaining our dreams. I read two interesting quotes over the weekend related to this topic.
The first stated, "The richest place on the planet is not some diamond mine or an oil field. It's a cemetary because we bury the inventions that were never produced, the ideas and dreams that never became reality, the hopes and aspirations that were never acted upon." How sad that this happens but it can be overcome. I believe the church in Decatur is preparing to overcome them.
The second quote is from Dr. Benjamin Mays and he says, "The tragedy of life does not lie in not reaching your goals, the tragedy lies in not having any goals to reach. It isn't a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideals, but it is a disaster to have no ideals to capture." I look forward to hearing the dreams of others and seeing the process begin to bring them to life.
Dream boldly.

A Tough Loss...A Joyful Ending

Our little guys lost again last night after carrying a lead into the last inning of the game. We had our best pitcher on the mound and he just couldn't get it going. Those are tough nights because the kids get so down on themselves. I know he was giving his best effort but it just wasn't working for him last night. My son has had the opportunity to be a hero at the end of the last two games and hasn't been able to get the big hit. It seems the shortstop or 2nd baseman is standing in the way. As coaches, we just want to see the kids succeed, to enjoy the game and have fun. We coach them to try and do everything with perfection but in the end, we just want them to work hard so they can play their best and enjoy what they are doing. It's the joy of the laughter in the dugout or on the practice field that makes it special.

At the end of the game, we saw a great deal of joy from the other team. They had a boy who is developmentally disabled in some way. I don't know what it was but after the game, he gets a bat and goes to the plate. One of the players on the team tosses him a ball to hit and when he hits it, he runs for the bases. The players all "do their best" to catch the ball while kicking it, dropping it and making a comedy of errors while the other youngster rounded the bases finally crossing home plate just as the ball was getting there. There fans cheered, our fans cheered, our kids stood and watched with smiles on the faces as this youngster, not being able to get out and play competitively, had his moment to shine.

What an incredible joy. What a beautiful lesson. I hope I will remember to serve as those youngsters served that young boy. I hope I will help others see and know the joy that I have in being a child of God, a sinner saved by the mercy of Christ's sacrifice.

Don't Drop the Ball

It's tough to watch your kids play athletic events and mess up. Whether it is missing a bump or watching a ball go through the legs, it's hard to watch. I want my kids to do well and when they don't it hurts because a) they've been taught how to do it right and b) I know it will hurt them that they messed up. When the games over and done, all I can do is give them a hug and tell them to keep working and prepare not to make that mistake again.

I think God does much the same with me. He sees the ball goes through my legs and knows I should have caught it. He knows I know what I should have done but for whatever reason, I didn't do the right thing. I'm blessed because my Father will lift me up when I've fallen, He will encourage me with His grace, His mercy, His promise and He will send me back out to try again to live a better life. I'm thankful to have a loving Father.

Coming Home

As I write this, I'm sitting in an airport in Chicago surrounded by people with laptops and cellphones who are much like me - ready to get home. It's been a good week and I've enjoyed the cool weather, sights and sounds and the food in Chicago but I'm ready to be home. I'm looking forward to the first hug (and the second and third), I'm looking forward to being in my comfortable surroundings, I'm looking forward to wide open spaces and hearing the voices of the people I love. It's good to get away sometimes but it's always great to get home. I've missed my wife and kids and I can't wait to see them. I'm trying to avoid looking at my watch because the hands are not moving fast enough. A scheduling error on my part prevented me from catching an earlier flight that might have got home a little earlier so I sit here looking at all these people I will soon be herded and crammed up with knowing that it will be just a few hours until I get where I want to be.
I'm ready to be home.

Hot Here, Cool There

I'm headed to Chicago tomorrow with someone who has never flown. He isn't sure why his seat is across the aisle from my seat but he keeps mentioning his nervousness to several people. We are headed up for a seminar and hope to get in a little sight-seeing and good food while there. I love going to Chicago but there are things I'm already thinking I'm going to miss while gone. I'll miss my wife. I'll miss her being next to me and watching our favorite show during the week. I'll miss the kids and our morning routine. I'm going to miss being in class Wednesday night for a great discussion (and of course the Mexican food before church). It will be a good trip but I'm already knowing it will be nice to be home.
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LTC was great. I'm so thankful for the ladies who organize it and all the people who put so much work into it. One of the most incredible things about LTC is seeing how so many in our church family are at the different events supporting the kids from our church. It's an incredible feeling of family and love that strengthens me.
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I'll try to blog at some point while in Chicago but in the event this is it for the week, I hope you have a good week.

Baseball, Volleyball and Heaven

As a kid, I didn't care much for baseball. It's the only sport I didn't start in so after two years I walked away. Actually, the third year I went to every practice just because it was where my friends were and I pitched batting practice but didn't develop the desire to start playing again. I didn't watch many Major League games, if any. I went to just a handful of high school games when my friends were playing. I just didn't care much for it. Times have changed. I have a new respect for baseball. It started when I moved to Ft. Worth and started attending some Ranger games but it really kicked in when my son decided to start playing. Now, I watch players movements to see how they throw, how they swing, their footwork or whatever else I can take away.
I've never been a fan of volleyball although I've "played" recreationally at times. Times have changed. This year my daughter started playing and I found myself watching the girls and how they approached the ball and hit the ball, the footwork and their placements and areas of responsibility on the floor. I'll probably end up watching some professional or college volleyball on TV when I can find it to learn more about it.
It's amazing how parents can get absorbed by what their kids interest are.
This weekend, my kids are participating in Leadership Training for Christ. They will be singing in a chorus and leading singing. They will be challenged in Bible Bowl and participating in puppet skits. They have been classroom teachers and given brief radio messages. It's been amazing to watch what they have done. My hope, my prayer, is that each of us will become more absorbed in knowing Christ, in living His will, in striving to know Him. I want to know what Christ is teaching me and be able to help my children apply that.
Oh, I love baseball and I'm quickly becoming a volleyball fan. I want to help my kids succeed as long as they want to play. How much more do I want to help my kids succeed in knowing Christ, in knowing His power, His majesty, His love and His mercy. My heart pounds with the desire to help them see what has taken me years to see. I want to help them find the path to Heaven and do all I can to help them attain the glory that awaits them.

Ephesians 3:19

I can't seem to write what I want to say today. This is the one of the many attempts I've made today to try and express what is jumbled in my head and I can't get it out in an understandable format. Yes, I realize some of you think this is normal for me. Anyway, I've decided I'm going the simple, short route until I can get a better handle on what I want to say.

Last night, our class discussed dreams for the work of our church, dreams for what our service to God can be and the fruit of those dreams - the growth we might see. We discussed how we typically measure growth (numbers, money, size) and how God might measure growth. Ephesians 3:19 hasn't left my head since. It says, "and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Oh my. If I can know that love and be filled with the fullness of God, I will have grown in the way I want to and the way God wants me to. If I can know that love and be filled with the fullness of God, I can live out the dreams God would have us dream. If I can know that love and be filled with the fullness of God, I will be bold in reaching out, I will be bold in proclaiming the good news, I will be bold in glorifying my Savior. If I can know that love and be filled with the fullness of God, I will be a warrior fiercely battling evil, I will be a peacemaker helping those in conflict, I will gently touch those who have been scarred, I will securely grab hold of those who are falling. If I can know the love that surpasses knowledge and be filled with the fullness of God, I will be the person I have dreamed of being.
I don't know that I can fully know the love described in Ephesians but I do know I must strive to know more of it every day, every minute, every second. I must grow in my knowledge of that love so that I can exhibit and share that love. I don't know how to measure it but I have a good idea of what it will look like and when I see it, I will know I am growing in the manner that God wants to see growth.
God, help me know your love better, give me strength to find it and courage to share it.

The Devil is Sneaky

He is. He shows up at the oddest places yet always remains in hiding. He's in our churches urging us to bicker about subjects that don't need to be bickered about. He's in our homes urging us to get upset about things we don't need to be upset about. He follows our families, urging one to do something to provoke another. He's at work, follows us at recreation times, during our down time. Satan doesn't take time off. He's always watching us, planning his time to strike.

God, help me remember you are with me always. Lead me to your arms, hold me and protect me from evil. Give me wisdom and give me courage to know when Satan is attacking me in the simplest of ways and give me strength to turn him away. Forgive me when I do fall for Satan's traps. I want to live for you, God. I want to glorify you.

Automatic Transmissions

I remember the first time I had to drive a vehicle with a standard transmission. I worked for Coca-Cola and had to take a delivery van to a store to drop off product and face the shelves (make sure all the product looked pretty on the shelf basically). There were several rough, jerky starts as I learned to use the clutch and get the van rolling. It wasn't a pretty sight at first and I'm sure the Coca-Cola logo was making an indelible impression on the people around me as they watched teh van lurch and sputter but I finally got the hang of it and now I enjoy driving a standard from time to time. However, automatic transmissions make things so easy. It shifts for you and the ride is smooth. There's nothing to think about, nothing to do other than just press the accelerator.

I think we are equipped with standard transmissions. Life certainly isn't always a smooth ride. Often, we deal with problems or do things that make life seem rough and jerky, just like my initial attempts to get the van rolling. Hopefully, we can learn how to get past the rough spots and keep things moving smoothly. Yet if we aren't careful, we can still end up stalling out because we lose focus on what we need to do. That's the way I feel this morning. The day has started off a little rough but I'm reminding myself to focus on God and allow Him to help me and I know things will get smoother. Too often when faced with some difficulty of any degree, I start thinking about me and what I'm going to do instead of turning to God and asking Him what I should do. Today, I will spend some time praying and trusting that the ride will smooth out as I go along.

It's Friday Again

It's another Friday and I feel myself already mentally decompressing early in the day. That's not a good sign for productive work but I'm sure I'll battle through it. Do you have those days when you just want to sit still, maybe even sleep a little, and let the world spin while you do not? It seems we are on the go all the time. I think sometimes we have reached a point where we do so much, we can't sit still because we feel like we are robbing time from something we should be doing. Yet we do, do, do and then feel guilty when we are not doing something. Yet, peace and stillness and quiet are tools to regenerate, recharge, be introspective, contemplate and formulate. Taking these times can truly make us more efficient and happier, more productive and supportive. In business, we often say you have to quit working in your business so you can work on your business. I get caught up in all that I need to do without taking the time to think about what is truly important, what I really need to get done and making a plan to do that.

I need quiet time with God too. I get so busy that I spend too little time with God, too little time contemplating His desire for me, to recharge and be prepared for the opportunities He presents me. I need to spend more time thinking about how to live out His will instead of just doing the things I always do. He has great plans for us if we will seek Him and His wisdom.

I hope you get to spend some time in peace and quiet soon. Use it well.

The Words We Use

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal today regarding the use of profanity in the workplace. It seems that using profanity is now a badge of merit in some companies whereby it shows you aren't afraid to "mix it up" a little. Of course, swearing more than the boss can be bad for your career track. What? When I read something like this, I just wonder what in the world is going on in some people's heads. Even more, what is going on in their heart?
I'm thankful I work in an environment where faith and serving God can be put first.

The End of the Road

Tonight is my last Wednesday to spend time with someone I've truly grown to appreciate. We have been studying David in our Wednesday night class and it has been such a blessing in my life. I have learned so much about David, but even more, I've learned so much about my relationship with God. I see parts of my life played out similar to times in David's life and it has given me a fuller appreciation of the pain we endure when we do wrong and the glory of God we experience when we walk with Him. I pray that I will spend more time walking in the glory of God as the days go by.

I'll miss our study of David because it has brought me to a better understanding of God but I know the stories will always be with. Much more than that, I know that God will always be with me. Even though we are leaving the study of David, we are moving forward with his example of dreaming what big things we can do with and through God. I look forward to these nights of being with brothers and talking about what big things we can accomplish as we live as Christ's hands and feet on earth. I expect amazing, exciting times ahead and thank God that he has brought us together with a body of believers that has a desire and passion to serve.