Heard Around The House

Seth - I want Victoria to come to our house. Can we give her a map so she knows where we live?

Me- Yes, Is Victorian your girlfriend?

Seth - No! (looking at me like I'm an idiot)

Me - Who is your girlfriend?

Seth - Marley. (said like this was common knowledge)

Dallas Cowboys' 2008 Draft

The Cowboys finished up their 2008 draft and I must say, I'm not too excited. Felix Jones is interesting but I have a problem drafting a running back in the first round that can't be your every down back.

Mike Jenkins might be an interesting player and with his addition along with Pacman Jones, a once very weak position might now be their strongest.

Here are the picks

1.(22 overall) Felix Jones - RB - Arkansas
2.(25 overall) Mike Jenkins - CB - South Florida
3.(61 overall) Martellus Bennett - TE - Texas A&M
4.(122 overall) Tashard Choice - RB - Georgia Tech
5.(143 overall) Orlando Scandrick - CB - Boise State
6.(167 overall) Erik Walden - DE - Middle Tennessee State

Pajama Day

Today we had one of our "pajama days." The theory is that we don't get out of our pajamas for the day and we do very little. As it was the case today, everyone stays in their pajamas except me. I just can't do it..

But, we did very little today and it felt nice.

Latest Cowboy Stadium Pics

Here are the latest Cowboy Stadium pictures.

Heard Around The House

Tonight while we were eating dinner Chase got mad at me and said.

Chase - Daddy, go to your room.
He didn't like the fact that I laughed and it made him even angrier he so he said then.

Chase - I am going to spank your bottom and send you to your room.

Then as I sat their laughing, Seth stands up and says:

Seth - I have to go poo poo.
Shelley - Ok, go
Seth - Mommy, I tell you because I want you to know.

Time for a new car

Well, I finally did it, I got a new car. This is a rare occurance for me considering the last time I bought a new car was over 8 years ago. On our way home tonight from the dealership, I told Seth, who is 5, that he needs to take care of this car because it could be his first car. One might think I'm kidding but Shelley knows, I am serious. :-)

Anyway, this is what I got.



It is a 2008 Saturn Outlook.

Parent Hell

What is "Parent Hell"? 3 words. Chuck E. Cheese.

Seth had a friend who had a birthday party there today and I have never been so happy to leave a place as I was when we left there tonight.

Full specs on the Dallas Cowboys world's largest 1080p LED scoreboards

The specs are here.

Contract Negotiations

Seth has a friend who gets paid $1 for every soccer goal he scores. This has been happening since last season and Seth has never asked for the same treatment, until this morning.

As we were getting ready for his game this morning Seth asked if he could get money for his goals. So I asked him what he thought a fair price would be.

Seth - 10
Me - 10 cents?
Seth - No, 10 dollars.

Athletes today!

So I countered with a dollar and he accepted.

He earned $2 today.

I just have to vent

As many of you know, my brother and I have a small business we have started that is a firearm retailer.

Yesterday I was preparing to do an email campaign to our customers and I had decided to try www.verticalresponse.com. They have a really cool product with some pretty neat features and it is also really affordable. I was really excited about it.

Well, I sent the first email last night and this morning I received an email from their support saying that they were not going to deliver my emails because it violated their policies. So, I called to inquire what was so offensive about my email but I knew what they were going to say. I got their support person on and asked why they weren't going to deliver my email. He reviewed the email and came back and said "well, its obvious why we wouldn't send this email."

"Obvious?" I asked.
"It's about guns, we wouldn't send something about guns"
I asked why they wouldn't and he said it was against their policy.
I asked, "why, are they illegal?"
He replied, "well, I don't know." So, I said "just so you know, they aren't. There is this thing called the 2nd Amendment"
Well, we just don't send things about guns, that is our policy. I inquired to see the policy and he couldn't provide them so I found this on their website.

Prohibited Content
5.1 VerticalResponse prohibits Customers from sending email messages with content that is of the following nature:
5.1.1 Messages that are in any way illegal such as sales of illegal substances, solicitation of escort services, or sales of any products or services that cannot be legally sold by Customer;
5.1.2 Pornographic messages;
5.1.3 Grossly offensive messages such as messages promoting hatred, bigotry, intolerance of religious beliefs, racism or any other messages that VerticalResponse, at its sole discretion, may deem to be offensive;
5.1.4 Includes images that are not expressly authorized by either VerticalResponse or the owner of such images;
5.1.5 Introduces any computer viruses, worms or software code that is detrimental to Customer's recipients;
5.1.6 Any messages that includes spam (See VerticalResponse's anti-Spam Policy); or
5.1.7 Any messages that are in any way prohibited by applicable law, would constitute a violation of applicable law or be inconsistent with community standards in any jurisdiction in which the recipient resides.

I emailed asking which part of their policy they referred to and just got a reply that it was against their policy to advertise the sale of firearms.

So, just know www.verticalresponse.com isn't on the side of the 2nd Amendment.

Talking Slooooow

Tonight Chase and I were have a disagreement on a few topics of fact. Chase believed that my problem was that I just didn't understand him so he started looking me directly in the eye and talking real slooooooooooooow. He just knew that would make me understand.

The Masters - A Disappointment

This year's Masters was a disappointment. It lacked all of the drama that is usually present because nobody made a charge. It was setup perfectly for Tiger to win but he just couldn't make that crucial shot when it was needed.

Shelley and I have been thinking about how life is just too short and one of my dreams is to go to the Masters. So I found these packages that you can purchase.

She says I should go but I don't think she has seen the prices.

Practice Round Packages

Tournament Packages

How Are You Living Your Life

Yesterday I went to a funeral and as I looked around at a thousand or so people who had come to honor her, I started thinking about my own life.

Am I living my life to have the kind of impact she did? Am I affecting people I don't even know?

Her death was tragic, she died way too soon. When I heard about her death my first question was why would God take her, she had so much left to do and so many people to touch.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about her since she died and I haven't stopped thinking about my own life.

Vanessa's work will continue on in her death because she did touch so many people including myself and I hope I can touch just a percentage of the people she did.

The Masters

The Masters started today and it is one of my favorite sporting events. I continue to have hope that I can go to it one day.

Bluebonnets

The Bluebonnets are out...

Prayers Needed

My journey to Christ was a lengthy one and it took several people to accomplish it. First and primary was my awesome wife who invited me to church and kept me going and showed me through words and actions what it meant to be a follower of Christ.

But, it also took an awesome church and and an awesome pastor. But, since I am hard headed and stubborn, I was going to need to hear his words as often as possible.

The thing that kept me going back to church initially was the incredible music ministry at our church and one of the people responsible for that was a woman named Vanessa.

She has the most incredible voice and on several occasions has moved me to tears. Now I am in tears for a different reason. She is fighting for her life. We have never been introduced nor have we ever even spoken but I have a special connection to her because of her role in my journey.

Please pray for Vanessa, we need a miracle.

Just When You Are About To Kill Them

Just when you are about to kill them, you hear this exchange in the backseat.

Seth - "Chase, I love you."
Chase - "I love you Seth."

Ahhh, brothers...

A Teenagers View of Heaven

I received this in an email the other day and just had to pass it on.

A TEENAGER'S VIEW OF HEAVEN

17-year-old Brian Moore had only a short time to write something for a class. The subject was what Heaven was like. 'I wowed 'em,' he later told his father, Bruce. 'It's a killer. It's the bomb. It's the best thing I ever wrote..' It also was the last.

Brian Moore died May 27, 1997, the day after Memorial Day. He was driving home from a friend's house when his car went off Bulen-Pierce Road in Pickaway County and struck a utility pole. He emerged from the wreck unharmed but stepped on a downed power line and was electrocuted.

The Moores framed a copy of Brian's essay and hung it among the family portraits in the living room. 'I think God used him to make a point. I think we were meant to find it and make something out of it,' Mrs. Moore said of the essay. She and her husband want to share their son's vision of life after death. 'I'm happy for Brian. I know he's in heaven. I know I'll see him.'

Brian's Essay: The Room...

In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read 'Girls I have liked.' I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was.

This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching.

A file named 'Friends' was next to one marked 'Friends I have betrayed.' The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird 'Books I Have Read,' 'Lies I Have Told,' 'Comfort I have Given,' 'Jokes I Have Laughed at ' Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: 'Things I've yelled at my brothers.' Others I couldn't laugh at: 'Things I Have Done in My Anger', 'Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents.' I never ceased to be surprised by the contents.

Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my years to fill each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.

When I pulled out the file marked 'TV Shows I have watched', I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of shows but more by the vast time I knew that file represented.

When I came to a file marked 'Lustful Thoughts,' I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content.

I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!' In insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it.

Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh.

And then I saw it.. The title bore 'People I Have Shared the Gospel With.' The handle was brighter than those around it,seemed newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.

And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt. They started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him.

No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own.

He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me.

Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card. 'No!' I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was 'No, no,' as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side.

He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, 'It is finished.' I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.

'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.'-Phil. 4:13 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.' If you feel the same way forward it so the love of Jesus will touch their lives also. My 'People I shared the gospel with' file just got bigger, how about yours?

The Perfect Push Up

One of the first things I learned about Shelley was she is a night owl. And, because of this trait she watches a lot of late night television and is always wanting to buy things from infomercials. She believes anything Billy Mays his selling is something is worth having.

I on the other hand, being as cheap as I am, have never really succumbed to the infomercial. Well, until now.

I bought the Perfect Push Up.



I have to admit they are the hardest push ups I have ever done. Ordinarily I can do between 30 - 50 push ups but with these I could only manage 12.

Now that I bought the perfect push up I may have to let Shelley and the boys get what they have been wanting.