Attention Georgia Residents:
Let's set the record straight. You have "ok" barbecue in this state. But compared to my homestate, Alabama, you are Jr. Varsity.
Now hold on a second...not trying to start a fight (ok, maybe a little)...just sayin' - seriously - bbq is way much better to the West. Different style. Different sauces. It's "wet" bbq over there.
Mmmmm. Good stuff. Sweet Home.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
politics schmolitics
This time of year just cracks me up.
Listening to these schmoes on TV (especially the Dems), it appears the government is going to give me:
Free healthcare
Free college tuition
Free pay increase at my job
They are going to stick it to the rich, therefore making me feel better (Psst....look at the real numbers, EVERYONE'S taxes will go up)
Freedom from any problems, whatsoever
Man, how in the world do people fall for this?!?!?
Relying on the gov't to fix your problems...now there's a bright idea
Listening to these schmoes on TV (especially the Dems), it appears the government is going to give me:
Free healthcare
Free college tuition
Free pay increase at my job
They are going to stick it to the rich, therefore making me feel better (Psst....look at the real numbers, EVERYONE'S taxes will go up)
Freedom from any problems, whatsoever
Man, how in the world do people fall for this?!?!?
Relying on the gov't to fix your problems...now there's a bright idea
Monday, February 25, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Moment To Shine
So I've told you I coach my 6 yr old and 4 yr old in basketball, who play on the same team. It's the Upward Basketball League at a local church here in town. Well, today we had a special moment. So allow me to brag and pretend to be interested.
Logan, our 4 yr old, had his day of glory. You see, Braden, our oldest, has been a good player. He's one of the tallest kids on the team and has some previous experience. He usually scores a couple points every game. Logan, on the other hand, is one of the shortest on the team and this is his first year. Generally, when Logan shoots, the ball either hits the front of the rim or just brushes the net.
But today...today was a great day. Logan was standing there making faces at people on the sideline, watching the other game on the other court, and daydreaming about the Capri Sun and Cheezits that awaited him after the game.....when all of a sudden he found himself with an offensive rebound and standing around the freethrow line. Realizing this was a golden opportunity for him, I yell, "Dribble and shoot buddy, dribble and shoot!" And in that moment, his eyes lit up...something internally starting clicking...a gun went off...and with bright eyes and a renewed focus, he tucked the ball like a running back (yes, he tucked the ball and ran...he did not dribble...most kids at this age struggle to dribble - funny stuff), he got just at the right spot and with all his might he managed to push the ball high enough to get over the front of the 7.5 ft rim and fall through the hoop.
I set aside my coaching role and became an ecstatic parent! (It was almost a miracle!) I went straight to him and gave him a high five. His face said it all. He realized just how BIG this was. He knew how hard he had tried SO MANY times to get that daggum ball in that goal. And now not only had he scored, but he scored IN THE GAME! Dana and I made a big deal about it for the rest of the day - telling grandparents and anyone who would listen. (But also telling Braden how proud we were of his 2 buckets.)
Now we are working on the slam dunk. Why not just skip all the fundamental stuff?
:-)
Logan, our 4 yr old, had his day of glory. You see, Braden, our oldest, has been a good player. He's one of the tallest kids on the team and has some previous experience. He usually scores a couple points every game. Logan, on the other hand, is one of the shortest on the team and this is his first year. Generally, when Logan shoots, the ball either hits the front of the rim or just brushes the net.
But today...today was a great day. Logan was standing there making faces at people on the sideline, watching the other game on the other court, and daydreaming about the Capri Sun and Cheezits that awaited him after the game.....when all of a sudden he found himself with an offensive rebound and standing around the freethrow line. Realizing this was a golden opportunity for him, I yell, "Dribble and shoot buddy, dribble and shoot!" And in that moment, his eyes lit up...something internally starting clicking...a gun went off...and with bright eyes and a renewed focus, he tucked the ball like a running back (yes, he tucked the ball and ran...he did not dribble...most kids at this age struggle to dribble - funny stuff), he got just at the right spot and with all his might he managed to push the ball high enough to get over the front of the 7.5 ft rim and fall through the hoop.
I set aside my coaching role and became an ecstatic parent! (It was almost a miracle!) I went straight to him and gave him a high five. His face said it all. He realized just how BIG this was. He knew how hard he had tried SO MANY times to get that daggum ball in that goal. And now not only had he scored, but he scored IN THE GAME! Dana and I made a big deal about it for the rest of the day - telling grandparents and anyone who would listen. (But also telling Braden how proud we were of his 2 buckets.)
Now we are working on the slam dunk. Why not just skip all the fundamental stuff?
:-)
Friday, February 22, 2008
Tip Drill
So we are in some new office space. Lots of it. What is now a huge open room will eventually be filled with cubicles. Until then, though, me and my co-workers enjoy random breaks tossing a soft football that I brought in from home (an Auburn football of course).
Waste of time? Absolutely not! We work hard, really hard. And we work smart. And we work long hours. And this sporadic football tossing has reminded me of the importance of taking a deep breath every once and awhile. Furthermore, I've realized that I GOT TO HAVE days where I "shut it off" for awhile. No emails, no phone calls - full devotion to what matters more --> the wife and kids.
p.s. I run a mean post route.
Waste of time? Absolutely not! We work hard, really hard. And we work smart. And we work long hours. And this sporadic football tossing has reminded me of the importance of taking a deep breath every once and awhile. Furthermore, I've realized that I GOT TO HAVE days where I "shut it off" for awhile. No emails, no phone calls - full devotion to what matters more --> the wife and kids.
p.s. I run a mean post route.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
church softball prayer
I had a random flashback the other day. I thought about playing church softball...some of the fun we had...some of the tourneys we played in...those were good times. And I think back to the pre-game prayer. Since it was men's church softball, we would huddle with the other team around home plate and have a quick word of prayer before the game. It was always the same prayer: "Dear Lord, thank you for this beautiful day you've given us (even if a thunderstorm was approaching and they were about to call the game), thank you that we have all gathered at this place to play this game, I pray that you will keep us all safe and that we will honor you with our attitudes, AMEN."
Now before I go into my attempt at humor, hear me clearly - I think praying before anything is a good idea. And certainly praying that God would protect you from harm is always OK.
But this random thought I had was this: HOW FUNNY would it have been to huddle one evening and heard a prayer like this:
Dear Lord, please help us to crush the living daylights out of this team. We are bigger, faster, stronger, and have a lot more experience. We should destroy them. Lord, I thank you in advance for the victory you've already given us. Help us to lay claim to it. I pray for safety, but only for our team. If someone on their team gets hurt, I hope it's not too bad...but that would obviously help and give us a better advantage. Thank you for this beautiful day. The blue sky looks very similar to the blue sky that we played under the last time we destroyed this team. I pray we can once again experience the mercy rule - therefore ending this game early so I can go home and play Nintendo. (We didn't have Xbox360 back then.) I also pray for the umpires. They are smart, intelligent, dedicated, hard -working dudes (slip them each a $20 bill). Please light my bat on fire. I pray for 2 homeruns per teammate....well, except for Fred, who is 75 but still plays with us...I just pray he lives through another game. Also Lord, bless the concession stand food. AMEN.
Sorry, random I know. But that would have been funny.
Now before I go into my attempt at humor, hear me clearly - I think praying before anything is a good idea. And certainly praying that God would protect you from harm is always OK.
But this random thought I had was this: HOW FUNNY would it have been to huddle one evening and heard a prayer like this:
Dear Lord, please help us to crush the living daylights out of this team. We are bigger, faster, stronger, and have a lot more experience. We should destroy them. Lord, I thank you in advance for the victory you've already given us. Help us to lay claim to it. I pray for safety, but only for our team. If someone on their team gets hurt, I hope it's not too bad...but that would obviously help and give us a better advantage. Thank you for this beautiful day. The blue sky looks very similar to the blue sky that we played under the last time we destroyed this team. I pray we can once again experience the mercy rule - therefore ending this game early so I can go home and play Nintendo. (We didn't have Xbox360 back then.) I also pray for the umpires. They are smart, intelligent, dedicated, hard -working dudes (slip them each a $20 bill). Please light my bat on fire. I pray for 2 homeruns per teammate....well, except for Fred, who is 75 but still plays with us...I just pray he lives through another game. Also Lord, bless the concession stand food. AMEN.
Sorry, random I know. But that would have been funny.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Superhero
She might kill me for mentioning it, but it's worth the risk. My mother-in-law, Sandra, is a super hero. Late Monday afternoon, she saved someone's life - literally. I don't have all the details, but here's the skinny:
2 elementary aged boys are goofing off on Lake Lanier. Decide to float out to an island on some rickety flotation device.
(Keep in mind we are in the middle of February.)
Wind picks up.
They fall in.
She sees it, grabs her cell phone and runs down to the dock.
Grabs two life vests and plops herself on a raft.
Paddles out to where they are.
One is under water, turning blue.
Grabs him, manages to pull him up on the raft, and swims over to the shore.
According to paramedics, it was close. Too much more time in the frigid water and it would not have been a happy ending.
Everyone is OK. She's a superhero.
This very awesome event reminded me of how thankful I am for people like Sandra. I have parents and in-laws and brothers and extended family and in-town friends and out-of-town friends THAT ARE THERE FOR US, always. They have supported us along this crazy journey known as life - through multiple moves and four children within 8 years of marriage. And people like Sandra are so vitally important. They often serve quietly. You won't see them on a stage anywhere. But when they are needed most...when chaos strikes...when you need help - they are right there ready to spring in to action b/c they've been watching and caring the whole time.
Thank God that this particular event had a happy ending. Way to go mom-in-law!
(Does this get me any free babysitting? Can you come over Saturday night? Ha.)
2 elementary aged boys are goofing off on Lake Lanier. Decide to float out to an island on some rickety flotation device.
(Keep in mind we are in the middle of February.)
Wind picks up.
They fall in.
She sees it, grabs her cell phone and runs down to the dock.
Grabs two life vests and plops herself on a raft.
Paddles out to where they are.
One is under water, turning blue.
Grabs him, manages to pull him up on the raft, and swims over to the shore.
According to paramedics, it was close. Too much more time in the frigid water and it would not have been a happy ending.
Everyone is OK. She's a superhero.
This very awesome event reminded me of how thankful I am for people like Sandra. I have parents and in-laws and brothers and extended family and in-town friends and out-of-town friends THAT ARE THERE FOR US, always. They have supported us along this crazy journey known as life - through multiple moves and four children within 8 years of marriage. And people like Sandra are so vitally important. They often serve quietly. You won't see them on a stage anywhere. But when they are needed most...when chaos strikes...when you need help - they are right there ready to spring in to action b/c they've been watching and caring the whole time.
Thank God that this particular event had a happy ending. Way to go mom-in-law!
(Does this get me any free babysitting? Can you come over Saturday night? Ha.)
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Under New Management
I passed by a local shop recently that had the typical "Under New Management" sign displayed out front. A number of questions arose:
* How effective are those signs? Does it really help draw people in?
* I'm always very curious, what happened? A family dispute? Does cousin Vinny now own it?
* Besides new management, what have you done to improve your service/product? If it was a bad burger before, it will be a bad burger now...just a different person overseeing the crew. Probably more important than telling me there's a new Sheriff in town, tell me what has changed, what has improved?
After rattling those questions around the ole noggin, I then thought about how it would be a good title for a sermon series - maybe a stand alone message. As a follower of Christ, prior to trusting Him, I ran the show. I seemingly had good control over everything and thought calling all the shots was how it was supposed to be. Well, come to find out, you don't want to go down that path. Instead, both at the time of conversion and now a daily symbolic thing: we give over management; we hang the sign out front; we say to God, You're running the show now. I give up my title as manager.
* How effective are those signs? Does it really help draw people in?
* I'm always very curious, what happened? A family dispute? Does cousin Vinny now own it?
* Besides new management, what have you done to improve your service/product? If it was a bad burger before, it will be a bad burger now...just a different person overseeing the crew. Probably more important than telling me there's a new Sheriff in town, tell me what has changed, what has improved?
After rattling those questions around the ole noggin, I then thought about how it would be a good title for a sermon series - maybe a stand alone message. As a follower of Christ, prior to trusting Him, I ran the show. I seemingly had good control over everything and thought calling all the shots was how it was supposed to be. Well, come to find out, you don't want to go down that path. Instead, both at the time of conversion and now a daily symbolic thing: we give over management; we hang the sign out front; we say to God, You're running the show now. I give up my title as manager.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Swings, Spuds, Mercy, and Hives
Quite the Saturday afternoon:
Me and the Fam checked out Kennesaw's largest (brand new) park: Swift-Cantrell Park - a massive awesome park with multiple playgrounds and some new, fun stuff to play on. Kids loved it.
Then we ate at McAlister's Deli. We rarely go to the local one here b/c it's not that close to the house. But going there tonight was a trip down memory lane. When we lived in Auburn, not a week went by that we didn't stop in for a sweet tea.
Ahhhh....the mercy part. Uh, yeah....do we have to cover this one? Hmmmm...ya sure? Ok, ok, ok. I'll keep it short: I ran a red light tonight. The cop that pulled me over showed mercy. (Actually, it was a combination of mercy and the fact that he had run out of citations and needed to refill.)
Braden ate something (possible a cookie) that contained peanut butter or something he's allergic to, and broke out in hives. Not cool.
Me and the Fam checked out Kennesaw's largest (brand new) park: Swift-Cantrell Park - a massive awesome park with multiple playgrounds and some new, fun stuff to play on. Kids loved it.
Then we ate at McAlister's Deli. We rarely go to the local one here b/c it's not that close to the house. But going there tonight was a trip down memory lane. When we lived in Auburn, not a week went by that we didn't stop in for a sweet tea.
Ahhhh....the mercy part. Uh, yeah....do we have to cover this one? Hmmmm...ya sure? Ok, ok, ok. I'll keep it short: I ran a red light tonight. The cop that pulled me over showed mercy. (Actually, it was a combination of mercy and the fact that he had run out of citations and needed to refill.)
Braden ate something (possible a cookie) that contained peanut butter or something he's allergic to, and broke out in hives. Not cool.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Hardened
Business can harden you. Life can harden you.
I've noticed something that I don't like. (A little confession time here for ya.) Business can harden you...as it has me at times...to the point where you are not compassionate towards others. I don't think I'm alone in this. I think many people (especially guys) struggle with this. We are so driven in our work, and so desire to succeed and to accomplish our goals. And in the middle of our dealings with co-workers, managers, assistants, bosses, partners, etc, the drive towards success makes us forget that we are dealing with people. Here's what I'm getting at: You can be a nice guy, yet still have lost compassion for people. In the midst of leading people and pushing them towards your vision, you can forget to truly care about them. I've done it before...will probably do it again. I don't like it.
If you lose it with a co-worker, or if you vent about someone behind their back (once again, guilty)...it doesn't gel with the Holy Spirit. And as soon as you've done it, you have this overwhelming thought: What am I doing? I gave up all rights of revenge when I committed my life to Him. Jesus says to pray for those who would do you harm. I'm a goob.
So my challenge to myself and to others: BE COMPASSIONATE. Remember that God is full of kindness and grace...and mercy that endures forever. Be the same. Go beyond just being a nice co-worker - truly care about others and don't allow your work to harden you toward those that need to be blessed.
I've noticed something that I don't like. (A little confession time here for ya.) Business can harden you...as it has me at times...to the point where you are not compassionate towards others. I don't think I'm alone in this. I think many people (especially guys) struggle with this. We are so driven in our work, and so desire to succeed and to accomplish our goals. And in the middle of our dealings with co-workers, managers, assistants, bosses, partners, etc, the drive towards success makes us forget that we are dealing with people. Here's what I'm getting at: You can be a nice guy, yet still have lost compassion for people. In the midst of leading people and pushing them towards your vision, you can forget to truly care about them. I've done it before...will probably do it again. I don't like it.
If you lose it with a co-worker, or if you vent about someone behind their back (once again, guilty)...it doesn't gel with the Holy Spirit. And as soon as you've done it, you have this overwhelming thought: What am I doing? I gave up all rights of revenge when I committed my life to Him. Jesus says to pray for those who would do you harm. I'm a goob.
So my challenge to myself and to others: BE COMPASSIONATE. Remember that God is full of kindness and grace...and mercy that endures forever. Be the same. Go beyond just being a nice co-worker - truly care about others and don't allow your work to harden you toward those that need to be blessed.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Questions I'm Asking Today
* How long can I ride on bad brakes? Can I spend $744 for the brake job without vomiting? Why are most car repair places difficult to trust?
* Why do most people in our country not vote? And for those that do, why do most not truly research the candidates, but simply vote for the party their parents and grandparents voted for?
* Who or what can our Journey Group (at church) adopt and make a huge difference in their life?
* Will residents of GA ever understand the simplicity of being an Auburn fan? We are the Auburn Tigers and our battle cry is "War Eagle!". It's not that difficult.
* Will our tax system ever be fair? Will it ever become more simplified?
* What am I doing to make sure, that above all else, my kids are becoming Christ followers?
* How often am I praying for those who have hurt me?
* How many ice cream sandwiches will I consume today?
* Why do most people in our country not vote? And for those that do, why do most not truly research the candidates, but simply vote for the party their parents and grandparents voted for?
* Who or what can our Journey Group (at church) adopt and make a huge difference in their life?
* Will residents of GA ever understand the simplicity of being an Auburn fan? We are the Auburn Tigers and our battle cry is "War Eagle!". It's not that difficult.
* Will our tax system ever be fair? Will it ever become more simplified?
* What am I doing to make sure, that above all else, my kids are becoming Christ followers?
* How often am I praying for those who have hurt me?
* How many ice cream sandwiches will I consume today?
Monday, February 11, 2008
Monday's Quote
I was speaking with a 70 yr old lady today...talking about raising children and life, etc. When she found out how young my kids were, she told me to enjoy these early years...and that though it seems difficult now, it only gets harder. (Gee, thanks for the encouragement - ha.) She then passed on this nugget:
Little Children, Little Problems
Big Children, Big Problems
I guess time will unravel that for us.
Little Children, Little Problems
Big Children, Big Problems
I guess time will unravel that for us.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Time To Journey
Dana and I began hosting another Journey Group tonight. ("Small Groups") It had been several several (I think a whole bunch of) months since we had been in a journey group. How refreshing to be back together! I'm convinced that growing in your faith just simply does NOT happen unless you are in constant fellowship/accountability with other believers. God clearly set it up that way.
We are ready to serve this community like nobody's business! There's so much momentum and so many good things happening at Oak Leaf Church. Time to Journey.
We are ready to serve this community like nobody's business! There's so much momentum and so many good things happening at Oak Leaf Church. Time to Journey.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Props Buddy
A good friend of mine from Huntsvegas (that's Huntsville, AL, for those not in the know), has become a great news dude in Bham (has been for some time now). We grew up in the same church. It just cracks me up to think back to all the jokes he told and just what a funny character he is. When I watch his news reports, like THIS one, I'm just waiting for him to bust out a joke or start laughing. He's so professional now. Good stuff. Props Stephen! Excellent work my friend.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Classic
I watched the Duke / Carolina game last night while sending out email and catching up with work. Whether you like college basketball or not...whether you have a clue as to what is going on in the game...even if you have no ties to the State...that is one FUN game to watch. It's a CLASSIC. Last night, Duke's 3 pt shooting helped them win in a tough environment. UNC couldn't figure out how to keep getting the ball down low---if they had, they would have won by double digits. The rematch at Duke should be exciting.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Forgive Me Fellas
To all my buds. To all my dudes. To those who I've sweated with on the ball field. To those who've I've been fishing with. Poker buddies. Gentleman.
I've disappointed you. Though recoverable, I've made a mistake.
I used an Arbonne product this morning. Some kind of soothing lotion cream to be exact. But don't go taking points away from me just yet. I didn't purchase it myself. My wife gave it to me. It was some kind of gift to us from a friend. It apparently is supposed to calm you or something. Who knows. But as soon as I used it, I knew I'd have to come on here and make this confession. Please forgive me.
To make up for it, I will either shoot a squirrel this weekend or maybe just burp a lot.
:-)
I've disappointed you. Though recoverable, I've made a mistake.
I used an Arbonne product this morning. Some kind of soothing lotion cream to be exact. But don't go taking points away from me just yet. I didn't purchase it myself. My wife gave it to me. It was some kind of gift to us from a friend. It apparently is supposed to calm you or something. Who knows. But as soon as I used it, I knew I'd have to come on here and make this confession. Please forgive me.
To make up for it, I will either shoot a squirrel this weekend or maybe just burp a lot.
:-)
Pure Oxygen From Heaven
A/C, to me, is like pure oxygen from Heaven. When I look up at my vents, at work, and feel the cool air coming down....that is bliss.
Which brings me to today's debate. Hot natured vs. Cold natured. Allow me to make this very clear to the world: HOT NATURED WINS. Every time. No contest. If you are hot natured (which only proves you are working harder than everyone else....ha), then you know what I'm talking about. You hate stuffy rooms. You can't breath. You can't stand it when someone bumps the air up to 78....when you know good & well that room temp is 72. In fact, you've even turned it down to 70 before.
Cold natured people: get a clue (said in love). YOU can put on clothes. We cannot take ours off. You can put on long sleeves and a jacket if you are cold. We cannot work in the buff.
We win. End of story.
Have a great....cool day everyone.
Which brings me to today's debate. Hot natured vs. Cold natured. Allow me to make this very clear to the world: HOT NATURED WINS. Every time. No contest. If you are hot natured (which only proves you are working harder than everyone else....ha), then you know what I'm talking about. You hate stuffy rooms. You can't breath. You can't stand it when someone bumps the air up to 78....when you know good & well that room temp is 72. In fact, you've even turned it down to 70 before.
Cold natured people: get a clue (said in love). YOU can put on clothes. We cannot take ours off. You can put on long sleeves and a jacket if you are cold. We cannot work in the buff.
We win. End of story.
Have a great....cool day everyone.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Buy 4, Get 1 Free
My Random Monday 5:
1. I predicted the Giants would win the Super Bowl about 2 months ago. (Wish I was a bettin' man....ha.)
2. 1/2 our family has/had strep throat here recently. The bad part about this strand? 24 hours of vomiting.
3. The main point of the lesson on Sunday - K thru 5th grade - was Disciples of Jesus use their gifts to help others.
4. I would love to live in Charleston, S.C. again. I lived there for a summer back in 98. Man, that place rocks.
5. While coaching Upward Basketball, it's difficult to keep resisting the temptation of grabbing the basketball, dunking it on the 7 ft goal, and then saying, "Ha, take that you 1st grader!" Ok, just playin.
1. I predicted the Giants would win the Super Bowl about 2 months ago. (Wish I was a bettin' man....ha.)
2. 1/2 our family has/had strep throat here recently. The bad part about this strand? 24 hours of vomiting.
3. The main point of the lesson on Sunday - K thru 5th grade - was Disciples of Jesus use their gifts to help others.
4. I would love to live in Charleston, S.C. again. I lived there for a summer back in 98. Man, that place rocks.
5. While coaching Upward Basketball, it's difficult to keep resisting the temptation of grabbing the basketball, dunking it on the 7 ft goal, and then saying, "Ha, take that you 1st grader!" Ok, just playin.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Front Porch Light
Every morning, while taking my 6 year old to school, I pass by a house that ALWAYS has their front porch light on. I began observing this several weeks ago and I thought a ton about it this morning. I'm curious. I want to know why it's on. And this morning, in between pumping my body full of caffeine and chatting with my son, I started thinking about front porch lights.
Some of them are on because the homeowner forgot to turn it off.
Some of them are on because a Mother is still waiting for a child to come home. (Some have been waiting for years.)
Some are on to show support for our troops.
Some are on during an October evening as an indicator that candy is inside.
Some are on because they want your business. PROOF
Some are on because an abusive spouse has a restraining order against them and the light provides extra security.
And some are just on to show off a well painted porch and high dollar landscape.
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