Enough Already

I realize I've been on a Rangers kick of late but they are keeping me up watching late inning comebacks and it's kind of fun. I'm headed to the ballpark on Saturday and ended up scoring some tickets on Monday for the Yankees (upper deck seats that will probably be surrounded with Yankees fans - fight, fight!). Saturday will be a cool day. My son and I get to play catch in the outfield before the teams take the field for batting practice. We've done it once before and it's a neat experience. It's amazing how expansive the outfield is and how much ground they have to cover. Maybe I will get some pictures.
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I don't know how many of you saw the "Wife Swap" episode that included a family from Alvord (Wife Swap is a TV show where they take a mom from two families and swap them. The women and families are VERY different and the families live with their new moms with the regular rules for a few days and then live with the new moms rules for a few days. Alvord is just north of Decatur.) but one of the kids from the Alvord family was at church last night. The show portrayed them as out of control kids but the one I met was very nice and polite. I can only imagine the show eggs on a bit of drama for the ratings.
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We got rain yesterday. It was wonderful and I can only imagine some people will feel better today because of the rain yesterday. I think I do!

I'm praying for peace today - peace for the battles going on in the world and peace that only God can bring to our lives.

Comebacks

I almost gave up on the Rangers last night. I was ready to turn it off after CJ Wilson came out for another lackluster performance and Ramon Vasquez made his 3rd error of the night that cost 2 runs putting the Mariners ahead of the Rangers. I was tired and ready to sleep but couldn't push the button to turn the game off. What a finish. Vasquez had been booed after his 3rd error (something I hate the fans to do) but came up to bat with two men on base and ripped a shot to the right-center gap just out of reach of Ichiro scoring the two baserunners and giving Texas the win. Cool stuff.
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We got a (very) little rain overnight. It didn't register in the rain gauges apparently but it was good to see a little water on the ground. It just feels cooler outside.
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Here'a poem I got by email the other day. It was a good reminder for me.

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all
Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp,
The thieves, liars and sinners
The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from 7th grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice,
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

Herb who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Sitting pretty on cloud nine
Looking incredible well.

I nudged Jesus and asked what's the deal?
I would love to hear your take,
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

And why is everyone so quiet
So somber - give me a clue,
Hush child, He said, they're all in shock
They didn't think they'd be seeing you.

I'm captivated today by how God looks at sinners because that is what I am - no better and no worse than the next one. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.

2 Negatives

Last night, I took my son to a Best Buy store to find a game he wanted. They didn't have the game but what disappointed me was the poor service we got when asking about the game. The answer was basically "we don't have any and don't know when we'll get it." No offer to call another store, no offer to find out when it would come in. Nothing. We did have one employee tell us on the way out that a truck would be coming in the next few days but she didn't know what would be on it. I don't expect much service in stores anymore but last night fell below what I wanted.

We came home to watch the Rangers and that didn't go well either. They are playing lowly Seattle and couldn't win. The had 1 out with men on 2nd and 3rd and couldn't get them home. Vasquez got thrown out at 3rd and then Josh Hamilton struck out to end the inning. Hamilton has created an expectation of home runs and you could almost feel the air go out of the stadium through the TV when he struck out.

It's still hot outside. I walked last night around 9:00pm and it seemed like there was a bit of humidity in the air to add to the late night heat. I don't know much about global warming (actually, I think it is an issue somewhere between the "sky-is-falling liberals" and the "ignore it and maybe it will go away conservatives") but the part of the globe I was standing on last night was HOT.

Time to go to work. Have a good day.

All Those Zeros

Manny Ramirez and the Boston Red Sox are at odds again. It seems like this happened this time of year for the past 3 or 4 years. I'm not sure what Manny gets paid but did hear he has an option next year for $20 million. $20 million. That's a lot of zeros at the end of a number. I guess it just goes to show that money can't buy happiness.

The Cowboys are back on the practice field so now we'll get to hear about Tony and Jessica, TO and Pacman non-stop.

Some ESPN radio guys were debating whether the Josh Hamilton story was worthy of all the news it got. One guy said it's not a big story because Hamilton made the decision to use drugs and just did the right thing to stop using them. He compared it to a cancer victim who didn't elect to get cancer and has battled back and that being a true feel-good story. Having seen the Hamilton story play out in Texas and having read some stories about him a few years ago, I can't imagine someone saying his story isn't a great one. Should he be considered a hero? Maybe not in the classical sense but I think he is a hero to people who have had to battle the demons of drugs. I appreciate the fact that he is so open about his faith and God's place in his personal battle to overcome drug addiction and hope he continues to thrive and be a spokesman for good.

It's another HOT, busy week. Stay cool.

Going to War

I was up late last night wrestling with the idea of spiritual warfare, a battle I cannot see but know that I am actively involved in. I am beginning to see, ever so slightly, how Satan uses my weaknesses, my blindspots, my pride, my selfishness and worldly desires to wear me down and play a part in my sin. The responsibility for my actions are mine but I believe there is another force that is stronger than me pushing me towards those bad decisions. The sad thing is, there is a force even stronger than me or evil that I could call on - if only I would.

A man in our community was arrested yesterday for a hideous crime. I don't know whether it is valid or not but the fact is that the information is circulating that he did this. He's an acquaintance of mine and I have always thought of him as a good man. He has raised good children, he's always nice and I know many people he has helped. Yet, it would appear he made a grave mistake and it is something that will haunt him and hurt him for years to come. Evil forces were at work on him finding his weakness and exploiting it. Yet the battle of evil doesn't stop there. Satan will use this to take on others, people who will treat this man like Satan wants them to treat him, not how Christ would want him treated. The battle is on.

I am a weak, sinful creature. I do not understand why God continues to have mercy on me but I believe He does. I believe He loves me unconditionally and gives me strength that I cannot imagine if I will take hold of it. I am a wreck but He uses amazing grace to carry me forward. The only way I can overcome the forces of darkness, the only way I will win the battle here and today is to live in the knowledge that God loves me no matter how weak I am, no matter how sinful I am, no matter how wretched I am. He will give me the love I need and the strength that comes with it to win the battle if I will only reach out for Him.

There is a battle raging today. It's a battle for your heart and my heart. Two forces are at war for how we will treat each other, how we will see each other, how we will respond to each other. Far too often, I have sided with the wrong force, done the wrong thing, made the wrong decisions. Today, I pray for the strength to join forces with the one who has already won the decisive victory so that I can win the battle today.

Back Again

I've returned from Salado and the humidity generated by Hurricane Dolly. My son and I went to a Round Rock Express baseball game Tuesday night and 30 minutes or so before the game, a downpour rolled in. It looked like it was pouring down over the field and barely raining in the parking lot. Within 10 minutes, it was gone as fast as it came.

Nolan Ryan and his family own the baseball team and through a connection I have, we were setting in their family seats. Unfortunately, Nolan wasn't available to sit by me and carry on a long conversation but we did sit next to his son Reid for a little while. It wasn't a good game for the Express but we had fun watching a bunch of guys who are a pulled groin or sprained ankle away from moving up to the big leagues.

It's good to be home for a bit. Since June I have been on the go and kept my suitcase sitting out ready for the next trip. I was able to put it away for awhile yesterday and was glad to see it go for a bit. Now I'm just waiting on cooler weather. Whew.

49 Weeks

That's how many more weeks I have until I return to Colorado for vacation.

It's hot in Decatur. I never really enjoy starting my truck, looking at the temperature gauge and seeing anything starting with a 9, much less numbers in triple digits which is what I saw yesterday.

My baby girl is in Ft. Worth this week visiting Fortress. Fortress is located in a rougher area of Ft. Worth and is a mission field started by several churches in the North Texas area. It serves underprivileged children and our kids are down there this week working with these kids and showing them that there are people who care about them. Some of these kids don't know their parents, some of them have parents who are in prison or have been killed in violent crimes and some just live in poor conditions. I know it will be a great experience for my daughter and the kids that went from Decatur and I pray that it will be a time of planting seeds about God that will one day bear great fruit.

Yesterday, we heard from a missionary working in Ecuador. His family runs an orphanage and a school in a very poor area of the country and are doing some incredible things. What most struck me was his heart for what he is doing and the fact that he gives God the glory for everything that is working. It was an uplifting time. Justin Snyder is the missionary and they have a web site you can see at http://www.hohministries.com. Justin is in the states raising money for a new building to house their growing school and we were fortunate to have money to help with their cause.

I'll be on the road for the next couple of days visiting one of our stores so I'm not sure I'll get anything posted but you never know.

Have a great week.

Short Days

It seems like the 6 days since I came back from vacation have flown by. I've still got so much work to do and it seems like a lot has been done. I remember the 2 week vacations we used to take when I was a kid and can't imagine what it would be like to come back in the office after two full weeks - but I might still like to try!
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I wonder what the attendance figures will do at Ranger games after Josh Hamilton's show at the All-Star Weekend. I'm ready to get back out to the ballpark and hope they have installed air conditioning units in the seats. I talked to a guy who went to the game last Sunday, a day game, and he lasted about 6 innings before the heat drove him out. Yikes.
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The price of crude oil has been dropping. Yahoo! I wonder how long it will last and when it will show up at the pump? I noticed diesel in Decatur was 20 cents a gallon higher than in Saginaw yesterday. It almost seems like it's worth a 20 mile drive to buy diesel. Crazy.

Have a great weekend.

In The Groove

It's tough getting back in the groove after a vacation. I'm struggling to do that now but I witnessed quite a groove on TV Monday night. Did you see Josh Hamilton in the Home Run Derby? WOW! It was a show though the ending was anti-climatic with Hamilton seemingly worn out from his first round phenomena. Just goes to show it's not how you start but how you finish.
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My trip to Colorado was wonderful. We stayed at Fun Valley, our regular hang-out since 2003 and met up with the Medford family that has been in the cabin next to us for those years. We enjoyed camp fires at night (can you believe that if you are living in Texas?), good fishing during the day in 40-50 degree water, good food (not the best but the hamburgers are cooked on an old grill and come out juicy) and plenty of games of air hockey. We had a family tournament. I was the #1 seed going in to the bracket play and came out in 4th place. My son won barely beating my daughter for 1st place. Just 51 more weeks before I go back.
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How 'bout them Rangers? They probably won't contend for the World Series but I've been with them through seasons where I couldn't give away tickets in July and August but the guys are playing good ball through the first half of the season and making it fun to go to the ballpark. I'm looking forward to the August 2 game against the Blue Jays. If all things work out, I'll be there with my son playing catch in the outfield before the game. Fun stuff and great memories.

Almost Done

Today is my last day in Colorado and I am not happy about it. I love it here. The weather has been cool to warm and the fishing has been decent. I don't look forward to heading back to Texas but all good things must end and regular life will take over. I look forward to sharing some moments and maybe a few pictures when I get back.

Going...Going...Gone

EDIT NOTE: After writing my blog, I went to Melissa Taylor's and saw that she is posting pictures of our Brazil trip. Check them out at http://thetaylorfamilytree.blogspot.com.

The last day of work before a vacation is always hard. I feel like I have started to mentally check-out but still need to get some things done today while my mind is already headed up 287 on it's way to cooler climate, fish and camp fires. I'm looking forward to our annual retreat and what it always does for me mentally and emotionally. I can't wait.

One of the things I always appreciate the most about this time is seeing the majesty of God in His creation. The mountains and streams of Colorado are also my picture of heaven (my picture includes bigger fish and more stamina to get up and down the mountains) and when I am there, I can't help but take time to just look and see what He can do. It's a beautiful place and when I am there, I always feel pulled closer to God.

If the campground has any Internet access, I might blog about something going on but for now I plan to be taking the next several days off from blogging. I hope to have lots of good fishing stories when I get back.

What Did We Learn?

A thought that has been rolling around in my head since returning from Brazil is "what did we learn while we were there?" We saw several things while we visited a foreign country - from poverty to joy, from sensual influences to pure love. I guess my question isn't as much about what we learned as it is about how our lives will be affected, how they will be changed as Christians. I hope my life is changing everyday - more towards Christ and away from evil. It's hard at times though. I get desensitized to so much of what is around me, to the hurting, to the hungry, to the poor, to evil. I see it so much it becomes a blur in the speed of life. Too often it happens with those closest to me also. I don't slow down to see them and to hear them. I bounce from one thing to another lost in a sea of business - not hearing God. I hope our trip opened many eyes and is working on many hearts. I know it happens to me each time I visit and I thank God for the opportunity I had that let's Him into my heart more and more.
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From one trip to another. I am headed out of town again this week and hoping my destination still has little, if any, cell phone service or Internet access. It's nice to get away and decompress, to stop living in the things that occupy my day and see God's glory around me. I may get another posting or two up before I leave but if not, I hope you live in the peace of God and His forgiveness and mercy.

Home Again

I'm back in Decatur and had a good night sleep in my own bed. It was a wonderful feeling to be home and without much problem. Our trip to Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil was wonderful and I believe God was active in everything we did. We saw and experienced some wonderful things and met old friends and made lots of new ones. I hope the seeds we planted in Aracaju bear fruit and the church there grows in spirit and number. Just in case you missed it, check out http://decaturmissions.blogspot.com for information from our trip. I hope to have some pictures and video posted online before long but need to get caught up in several places first.

It was so nice to see my wife and children when I stepped off the bus. Being home is a great feeling after being gone so long. It was also nice to ride in a suburban and truck some yesterday after going everywhere in either a subcompact taxi or on a bus.

I'm still in a bit of a fog. My exhaustion from the trip hit me hard yesterday afternoon and I sure haven't recovered yet. I came to work a bit earlier than normal today because I'm sure this afternoon will go downhill mentally at some point.

I'll try to get back in the posting groove before long but bear with me. I've got a busy 6 days ahead of me before leaving for a Colorado vacation with my family.

Between the Eyes and Straight to the Heart

Today's scripture hit me right between the eyes and is seeping into my heart as I think about it. Even in our evil ways, if we are working to do good, the Lord gives us the Holy Spirit to help us. God is good. I have been overwhelmed in the past few years as I have studied and prayed for God to reveal Himself to me by His mercy and love for me. I am slowly realizing that no matter what I've done, no matter what has happened to me in this life, there is One who will give me anything and everything I need - even though I do things I shouldn't, things that are not in God's will - I can return to Him. I have learned what it is to feel His forgiveness and I feel like the next step in my journey is to learn to use the Holy Spirit to help me be strong in times of weakness.

I ask for your prayers today. Sunday I will be leaving home and family for Aracaju, Brazil. I ask for strength to focus on God's call for me while I am there. It's hard to be away. I also ask that you pray for my family while I am gone and that they feel my love for every one of them even though I'm not there for a period of days.

I am brimming with excitement and fear as I leave for this journey. I am praying that God will use me and mold me while I am gone and that He will prepare the way for me when I return.

Crazy Stuff

Last night's lesson was what it would look like if we truly let our love for God show. What kind of (seemingly) crazy stuff would we do? What have you done in the past for/with people you love? Stay up all night talking? Do things with them or for them you don't normally do? Change your habits, your appearance, your talk?

What would the world look like if we put God first and our desires and dreams and problems a distant second?

When the question was asked last night, "what would doing something crazy because you love God look like in the eyes of the world?", the first thing that came to mind was the young girl at Columbine High School, who when confronted with a gun to her head and asked if she loved God replied yes knowing the answer would get her killed.

If I were willing to give my life for God, what would I do while alive to live in His will? What would I do for my family? What would I do for Christian brothers and sisters? What would I do for complete strangers?

I pray that I will live crazy in the world's eyes - that I will overcome, that I will change directions, that I will go where I'm not comfortable - that I will do anything I can to live a life that is worthy of the love God has shown me.

So Much To Do

I'm just 5 days from leaving for Brazil. What a whirlwind. There is so much going on, so much to do and life's problems in between. Today's scripture on my blog was one of my favorites - from the book of Psalms - "Be still and know that I am God." There are things going on around me right now that I simply can't control, much less even keep a handle on. All I can do is turn to God and trust Him but it is hard. I want to keep thinking of something I need to do, ways I need to respond but my prayer is that I will let God direct me.
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I am hoping to blog about our trip as much as possible. The mission blog space can be found at decaturmissions.blogspot.com. I hope you will visit it during our trip (leaving 6/15 and returning 6/25).
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I hope to post a couple of times before leaving but I ask that you include me and all those on our trip in your prayers.

9 Days and Counting

Our Aracaju travel group leaves in 9 days. My son goes to camp in 2 days. We have some birthdays to celebrate within the next 2 weeks. Work is piling up around me. My suitcase needs to go on a diet. There are some things involved in preparing for a trip that create moments of stress and I think I'm finding a few of those.

I am still soliciting your prayers for our team that is going to Aracaju. We leave next Sunday and will return 10 days later. Everyone who has been is excited and all the new travelers have a mix of excitement and trepidation over what they are going to experience. There will be some specific prayer requests found at decaturmissions.blogspot.com and there will be updates from our trip posted when possible. I ask you to be in prayer for us today and throughout our trip, that our time and our message will glorify God and lead the lost to Him.
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I watched some of the Celtics-Lakers game last night. It seemed to be tight until the 2nd half (which I saw less of). I'm not sure who I would prefer to win and I'm not cheering for either team but there is a chance I'll watch more pro basketball over the next week than I have all year. Then again, maybe not.

The Rangers are back to .500 but can't get over the hump. They're only 6.5 back and the Angels never know when the injury bug might bite. So far, the Rangers have lost the games I have attended but won the following night so anyone interested in going should call, get my schedule and go the next night.

Foggy Headed Thursday

My mind is mush this morning. I'm starting to feel the strain of getting ready to leave the country in 10 days and all that comes with it from work to home. I'm sure it will all come together but it seems overwhelming today. Packing restrictions in Brazil is the biggest headache at the moment.
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I wish I was up on the latest news better. I know Obama won something earlier this week and Hillary may be dropping out and may be or may not be positioning herself for a VP slot. I'm predicting the wildest and ugliest campaign season yet.
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The kids got out of school yesterday with a couple of awards and a desire to get summer vacation started. My daughter was up running EARLY this morning with the cross country team so I will be interested in hearing how that went. I don't think it was what she was wanting to do early this morning when it was time to get up. I'm proud of her for doing it though.
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I've set up another blog, decaturmissions.blogspot.com for our Aracaju trip. I don't know how much I will be blogging here while we are gone but will be trying to update that site as often as possible while we are away.

What A Day

If you read my post yesterday, you know I was struggling through it being a mentally-manageable day. In the end, it was much more trying than I would have ever expected but also I constantly reminded myself to trust God to help me carry the burdens of the day and it was more peaceful than I first imagined. What I really brought home at the end of the day was the desire to grow into a relationship with God where I instinctively rely on Him instead of reminding myself that it's not all about me and what I decide to do.
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If you are reading this on June 4, please be sure to read the verse of the day on the right-hand side of my blog.
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This weekend is my son's last baseball tournament of the year. He's playing better than ever and I'm sad to see the season come to a close while he's having so much success but it's time for Camp Deer Run, a trip to Brazil, Uplift, vacation and Fortress - trips all or some of us are involved in. As I look at our full agenda for the summer, the one thing that makes me smile is that so much of what we are involved in is related to a desire to serve God and to grow in our relationship with Him. I don't say that out of personal pride but joy and thankfulness that God has surrounded me with so many people, especially family, that love Him. God is good.
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Tonight I get an opportunity to speak to our youth group about prayer. I have wrestled with this topic for several weeks now and it is something I will be studying for weeks to come because I feel like I'm only scratching the surface of what God wants me to understand. I worry that I won't be able to present what I'm feeling very well but have an excitement inside me because of what I have started to see and understand. I am praying that God will let His message come through me tonight and I will be able to share some of the joy I am finding in this study with the kids tonight.

I hope you join me today in a journey to seek God and know His peace.

When the Walls Close In

Do you ever get that feeling that the walls are closing in on you? I had that feeling this morning - the pressure that comes with forgetting to turn things over to God, the pressure from thinking I am in control, that I can handle all my problems and issues I have to deal with.

I am slowly, very slowly, learning the peace that can come when I put more trust in God; when I seek His help and turn over my worries, when I quit spending my time trying to think through everything and I spend more time talking to God. I wonder why I don't let go, why I let the stress and pressure of doing it all myself beat me down.

I have to make a trip to Ft. Worth today for a business problem and I hope to spend some of that time in the car visiting with God, asking for His help and thanking Him for caring so much about me. I believe if I can do that, the walls will start pushing back out, the light will come in and I will feel lighter and peaceful.