The Story of a Lifetime - The Meaning of Life

The Meaning of Life

This is part 4 of the series The Story of  a Lifetime that Shelley and I are doing.



This is a hard one for me so I did what I always do when I’m looking for an answer to a question I went to Google.  A Google search for “The Meaning of Life” brings up 102 million results.  Ok, so it’s not an original question.

Next stop was Dictionary.Com to find some definitions of “Meaning”.  Here are some of the results.

To have as a purpose or an intention
To design, intend, or destine for a certain purpose or end
An interpreted goal, intent, or end

So, maybe the question can be “What is the purpose of life?”

I believe we are wired to worship. God created us to worship him but he didn’t require it so that is why so many choose other Gods or material items as their choice of worship.  

I also believe we have another purpose that God created us and that is Evangelism.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit - Matthew 28:29

I know that this response may have been a more simplified answer to this age-old question but I believe the Bible explains that life isn’t that complicated but it isn’t easy.  Life starts getting complicated when people start searching for answers to their questions and fail to turn to God and the Word of God for those answers.

2005 In Review

Just a few highlights from 2005

1. Chase was born 6/14
2. We said good bye to Dusty
3. Shelley and I both started Blogs
4. First family vacation to Glen Rose, TX
5. Hurricane Katrina
6. Seth told us for the first time "I wuv you"
7. Chief Justice Renquist died and Judge Roberts selected as his replacement.
8. Chase rolled over, had his first real food and got 2 teeth.
9 Seth started using the potty and has been almost 2 weeks without diapers as of this writing.
10. Iraq had its first Elections.
11. Patriots won the Super Bowl, Spurs win NBA Championship, there was no Stanley cup winner because the NHL was on strike, and the White Soxs won the World Series.
12 Tiger Woods won the Masters and British Open, Phil Mickelson won the PGA and Michael Campbell won the U.S. Open.

Novel in 30 Days

My friends Paul and Tammara got me hooked on this idea of writing a novel in 30 days. They found this book called No Plot? No Problem! A low strees, High Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days.

They have been at it for about 2 weeks and each have written over 20,000 words.

I've purchased the book and am going to give it a shot.

The concept is that you just need to start writing and not concern yourself with making it perfect, just get words on paper and then go back later and clean it up.

The object is to write 50,000 words in 30 days or 1,667 words a day. I plan on starting January 1 and will post updates on my progress.

Pray for me...

Just me and The Boys

A few days ago I worked from home and watched the boys while Shelley went to her office for a meeting. Things were going fine for the first thirty minutes and then...

Just moments before I was going to ask Seth if he needed to go potty, he got this stunned look on his face and then his sweats got drenched in pee. Not only did he pee he also pooped his pants so I swept him up and ran to the bathroom to clean him up and change his clothes.

At this exact moment Chase started acting fussy. I figured he was needing something to eat so I finished cleaning up Seth, threw the clothes in the washer, read him a quick story and tucked him in for his nap.

I then ran to Chase, scooped him up to take him to the kitchen to make a bottle but to my surprise I pulled back a hand full of poop. His diaper had overflowed all the way up to the mid-part of his back and now I had a handful of poop.

Now, I can handle a lot of things but poop and blood are two things I can't handled especially if its not mine. So, I screamed like a little girl, fought back my gag reflex and raced him to the other bathroom to wash my hands (yes, that was my priority) and then clean him up.

My jeans fell victim to this as well as the carpet and a few towels.

So, within thirty minutes of Shelley being gone, both boys had pooped themselves, we had all changed clothes and the washer was working overtime. But, we didn't have to make any runs to the emergency room and when Shelley returned she still had two little boys and a husband so I consider it a successful time of watching the boys.

Yak Shaving

I often find myself shaving a lot of Yaks. What does that mean, you ask?

Well, MIT Media Lab turned it into a computer term about 5 years ago and it is defined as:

Any seemingly pointless activity which is actually necessary to solve a problem which solves a problem which, several levels of recursion later, solves the real problem you're working on.

Here is a non-technical way to explain it:

"I want to wax the car today."

"Oops, the hose is still broken from the winter. I'll need to buy a new one at Home Depot."

"But Home Depot is down the tollway and getting there without my toll tag is miserable because of the tolls."

"But, wait! I could borrow my neighbor's toll tag...."

"Bob won't lend me his toll tag until I return the mooshi pillow my son borrowed, though."

"And we haven't returned it because some of the stuffing fell out and we need to get some yak hair to restuff it."

And the next thing you know, you're at the zoo, shaving a yak, all so you can wax your car.

I find myself doing this whenever I am working in the yard, working on my car, cleaning the house or basically any type of activity.

Do you often find yourself Shaving a Yak?

Where The Wild Things Are

Where The Wild Things Are is one of the few children's books that I can remember from my childhood. In fact, if you asked me to name some prior to having kids I probably would have named a few Dr. Seuss' books and Where the Wild Things Are. I think it really sparked my imagination when I was younger.

Well, we bought Seth a copy for Christmas and it has become one of his favorites too. We have to read it every night and a few times during the day as well. He says he wants to "read about Max" (Max is the little boy in the book).

It is one of those timeless treasures.

Optical Illusion

Go here and see a pretty cool optical illusion. Shows that what you think you see isn't always what you are actually seeing.

This is legit and there isn't going to be some monster jump out and scream at you so feel safe in staring at the screen.

Christmas 2005

Here is a little recap of this year's Christmas.

It was Chase's first Christmas and while he is only 6 months old and doesn't truly understand what it is all about, you only have 1 first Christmas.

This was my first Christmas in 16 years without Dusty and as anticipated I missed her.

This was Seth's third Christmas and he is finally started to understand and anticipate the day and getting presents.

As tradition holds, we went to Shelley's Grandmother's for Christmas on Christmas Eve. Shelley counted 55 people there at one point (out of a possible 90+) and this is in a house that isn't 2000 sq.ft.

Seth loves being up there and all of his cousins take very good care of one of the youngest members of the family. Jake let him play football for a little while with the "big boys", Shane and Garrett kept him entertained with a variety of games and Jessica just kept an eye out for him when he wanted to go out side.

Chase is the youngest member of family right now and he kept all of his cousins entertained. He was passed from lap to lap and everyone was just delighted with his demeanor. Again, there were many comments that just prove, "it's not just us".

This was the year of musical instruments and trains. Seth got a ukulele and an accordion to go with his growing list of instruments. Chase got his own assortment of Kinder Musik instruments that he is truly enthralled with. We got Seth a wooden train table and train set and I have to admit, it's pretty cool. He also got a variety of accessories to go with it that have added to the fun. There were many other items to lengthy to list but they have loved everything they received.

This evening Chris, Valerie, April and Brannon came to visit. Seth eagerly awaited their arrival all day, continually asking about Chris and Valerie. When they arrived he literally jumped for joy and took everyone into the play room to show them all of his new things.

This visit was capped off with a jam session between Seth and April that words can't describe. April was on guitar and Seth was playing his new pitch pipe. A video will soon be released of this awesome session. Amazingly, Chase slept through it all.

Merry Christmas

Out of My League?

Today Shelley and I had a conversation that started about dreams but then led to a conversation about how women are attracted to men with money and power and men are attracted to women based on appearance. Read about the conversation here.

We agreed that men with power and money had a greater selection when it came to women and that women used such filters as the type of car, dress, job, etc. to quickly evaluate the man's earning power. Men are attracted to women initially based on their appearance and the more wealthy and powerful men could choose from the more attractive women. This ends up putting everyone in their own "league" per se.

Shelley implied that when we met, I didn't initially measure up to her standard for financial security but she saw potential. This indicates that she felt I wasn't in her league but she was willing to date down because of some potential she saw.

This leads me to wonder if she was correct or had she miscalculated what league she was in.

If she miscalculated what league she was in and now that I have elevated to a much higher earnings status and thus a different league, am I eligible to change leagues?

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm???

Online Safety for Kids

I got these links from Musings on Information Security. I thought I would pass these on to people who aren't so geeky that they read blogs on Information Security.

This is an article from the FBI website for parents.

http://www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm

And here are some kids rules for online safety.

http://www.safekids.com/kidsrules.htm

Joys of Fatherhood #18

Seth

Seth is at his Grandmama's and today I called to talk with him. When he was called to the phone and told it was me, I could hear him scream with joy as he ran to the phone. He then quickly recapped his visit of which I didn't understand much of what he said but he ended with a "I love you" and some kisses into the phone. He was then gone as quickly as he had arrived.

Chase

Chase has learned how to make a raspberry like sound and he is really enjoying his new skill. It is fun to watch him fine tune his craft and the joy in his face. He also has the cutest laugh.

No Christmas Service on Sunday

There is a big debate in Christian and non-Christian circles about some churches choosing not to have services on Sunday, Christmas Day. Here is a good article on the subject. I fall on the side that it isn't that big of a deal if a church chooses not to worship on Christmas Sunday, especially if they are offering 11 other services that week as my church is.

But, I think the more important issue is the NFL's decision not to play many games on Christmas Day. Of the 15 NFL games this week, only 2 are being played on Sunday. While Sunday is known for church worship, I think it is known equally for NFL football. I am not sure why there isn't more of an uproar about this because I am very disappointed that I won't be able watch football on Sunday.


p.s. - my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek.

The Story of a Lifetime - Higher Education

This is Part 3 of the series The Story of a Lifetime that Shelley and I are doing.

Where did I go to college and why?

Read Shelley's answer here.

I went to high school in a small town called Kearney, Missouri, just 22 miles north of Kansas City. During my senior year all my friends were picking their colleges and most were choosing the directional state schools. You know, South East Missouri State, North West Missouri State, etc. Some also chose the University of Missouri or the University of Kansas. But, I knew I wanted to be different and go somewhere out of state. The problem was, I didn't know where. I had grown up a University of Arkansas fan and loved the Razorbacks but for some reason that just didn't feel right to me.

I procrastinated the decision and it got to where I had to make one or I would miss critical deadlines so I just chose a small private college 10 miles from my house called William Jewel College. My thought was I would live at home and would spend my freshman year looking for a college.

I quickly found that I really like the small private college atmosphere and that became a key element of my search.

My best friend at the time, Eric Lambertus, had gotten a full academic scholarship to Texas Christian University. So in January of my freshman year I made a journey to Fort Worth to spend the weekend with him and check out TCU. I instantly fell in love with it. It had everything I was looking for. It was a small private school but it also played big time Division I sports. It was in the Southwest Conference of which I was very familiar with because of my love of the Razorbacks. They even played in the Blue Bonnet Bowl against West Virginia that year and I got to watch them on TV. That impressed me so I decided to transfer.

The rest is history..

A Christmas Poem

I read this at Lori's World and just had to pass it on.

Thank You to all of our troops for what you are doing.

A DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS POEM

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
A lone sentry with his rifle, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light.
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."

"It's my duty to stand in the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a December day,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."


My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.

"I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?"
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.

Missing an Old Friend

My heart has been heavy lately and I have been trying to surpress it but Shelley wrote a post that brought all of the emotions to the surface. I can't say it better so just go here to read it.

History in the Making

Iraqis are going to the poll today in an historic election as they vote to elect their new parliament. In 3 years the Iraqis have gone from dictator to democracy. It took the United States 13 years from the time the Revolutionary War started to the first ballots for President were cast.

It is an amazing thing the Iraqis have been able to accomplish.

Buried Car

I saw this on Bag of Nothing.

Apparently, in 1957, the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma buried a brand new 1957 Plymouth Belvedere along with a variety of other items under the front lawn of the Tulsa County Courthouse. Citizens of Tulsa were asked to guess what the population of Tulsa would be in the year 2007. The guesses were then recorded on microfilm and sealed in a steel container buried with the car. When the car and artifacts are excavated, the person whose guess is closest to Tulsa‘s 2007 population is to be awarded the Belvedere. If that person is dead, the car is to be awarded to his or her heirs.

Go here for more information.

Working from Home

First, a disclaimer. I have never once said or thought that what Shelley does is easy. I also, have never come home and wondered what she had done all day as everyone was still in their pajamas.

Shelley had to go to her office today so I worked from home and took care of the boys. We all had a good time together and everything went rather smoothly but I have to say I am looking forward to going to work tomorrow so I can get some rest.

I love you honey!!!

Chase is 6 Months Old

Today Chase turned 6 months old. Time has really flown by, it just seems like yesterday we were in the hospital with him.

Happy Birthday little one...

I want Christmas back

I was going to stay out of this discussion but I just can't. December 25th is Christmas, the day Jesus was born and a day millions of Christians around the world celebrate. Why is everyone trying to disguise what this time of year is about by saying "Happy Holidays", "Seasons Greetings", etc. Just say Merry Christmas because that is what it is all about. If in September they want to say "Happy Ramadan", or in November "Happy Diwali", or "Merry Kwanzaa", feel free. If a clerk tells me "Merry Kwanzaa", I'll just politely say "Thank You", take my change and be on my way. Just be honest that this time of year is about Christmas and that this is a country of Christians and that is what we are all celebrating.

Something New I Just Learned

After 2 years of dating and over 6 years of marriage, tonight I learned my wife can make a pretty mean paper airplane. Pretty cool, I wonder what other surprises she has for me?

Cowboys vs. Chiefs

It was 1972 when I first became a Dallas Cowboys fan, I was 6 years old. We moved to Kansas City in 1978 when I was 12 and that is when I became a Kansas City Chiefs fan. Fortunately they are in different conferences and I have been able to share allegiances. But, they have played 6 six times since 1978 and tomorrow will be the 7th. In the past I don't remember the games being important to both teams so I was always able to root for the team that the win would help the most. I don't have that luxury tomorrow because both of them need this win badly. I have thought about it and I don't think I will be disappointed either way but I am going to be pulling for the Cowboys. I have been a fan longer and I have always bled blue and silver.

Update: - Wow! What a game. It was a bitter sweet victory for me because I really love my Chiefs and hate to see them lose, especially since they are in such a tight playoff race.

Seven Things

Bowden tagged me with the seven seven's meme. Here it goes:

Seven Things I want to Do Before I Die:
1. See both of my boys accept Christ and get baptized.
2. Write a book
3. Go to the Master's
4. Play a round of Golf at Augusta National
5. Go to Israel
6. Be Self Employed
7. Ride in a Hot Air Balloon.

Seven Things I Cannot Do:
1. Dance
2. Sing
3. Work on my car
4. Pick out clothes that match. I'm color blind.
5. Imagine not being married to my wife and having my kids
6. Give up Diet Coke
7. Understand Liberals

Seven Things That Attract Me To My Wife (romantic interest, best friend, whatever applies to you)
1. Her Beauty
2. Her wonderful sense of humor
3. Her spontaneity
4. She's a wonderful mother
5. Her "spunkiness" (if you know her, you know what I mean)
6. The way she takes care of me. She is an awesome helper.
7. Her commitment to family.

Seven Things I Say Most Often
1. I need a Diet Coke
2. I love you to my wife.
3. I'm going to go work out.
4. I've got a problem at work.
5. What's for dinner?
6. I'll try
7. I've got a meeting.

Seven Books, Or Series, That I Love
1. The Bible
2. The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel
3. Tom Clancy's First 5 books
4. Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway
5. The Millionaire Next Door
6. The Stand by Steven King
7. 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

Seven Movies I Would Watch Over and Over Again
1. Citizen Kane
2. Caddy Shack
3. Star Wars
4. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
5. The Graduate
6. Blazing Saddles
7. Bill and Ted's Most Excellent Adventure



Seven People I Want To Join In To
1. Shelley - A Proverbs 31 Woman
2. Paul - Where to From Here
3. Terry Storch
4. Brian Bailey - Leave It Behind
5. Perry Noble
6. Jeremy - Life of An Ant
7. Michelle - Mommy of Angels

Technology I Can Live Without

Several months ago we lost our electricity for about three hours, it drove me absolutely nuts. We also had our refigerator go out not long ago and again, I was just craving something cold. If we were to lose our satelite tv I don't know what I would do and I don't even want to think about losing our internet connection. But, a few days ago our microwave broke and I haven't even noticed it. We still have five more days before a repairman can get out to fix it and I am not marking the days off of the calendar.

I also would love to get rid of my cell phone if my job would allow it. Actually, I would love to get rid of phones entirely, I can survive with email only. That sounds pretty anti-social doesn't it?

What technology could you live without?

Joys of Fatherhood #17

Seth made a big step in his potty training today and he actually went and peed in the potty on his own. Now he hasn't done it since so we aren't over the mountain yet but we are making progress.

But, potty training isn't what this is about, it's about watching my kids learn something new. Whether it is Seth learning he can actually pee in the potty, or how he has learned to take cough medicine on his own or watching Chase get so close to crawling, it is just a thrill to see.

I hope I can always enjoy the thrill of them experiencing something new.

What Part of No Don't I Understand?

Today at dinner Seth didn't have anything to drink. Shelley had asked him earlier and he had politely declined but I thought I would ask again. Here was our conversation:

Me: Seth, would you like some orange juice or gatorade or maybe a Sprite?
Seth: Nope
Me: Well, just let me know because I will gladly get you something.
Seth: Didn't I say nope?

The Story of a Lifetime - Love and Marriage

This is the second installment of this joint series between Shelley and myself. You can read her version here.

What was your first year of marriage like? What was the hardest adjustment you had to make that first year? What things did you argue about most in the early years? How did you and your significant other resolve conflict?

Shelley and I got married during the summer of 1999 and from the start it proved that it would be a challenge.

The first thing we did when we got married was rent a house, the "yellow house." The owner had painted the house canary yellow and he had even painted the mailbox the same color. You can see a good picture of it over at Shelley's blog. Painting the house yellow wasn't the only unusual thing about the owner of the house, he also would just "pop in" at night because he claimed that he either forgot our phone number or it had changed. He was usually drunk when he would do this.

Since we were married in the summer that also meant that Shelley's brother's kids were visiting for the summer and since Shelley had always had the bigger place to live, the kids always stayed with her. This meant our house was usually full with our niece, nephew, Shelley's brother and her mom. This didn't really cause any problems but it did make the first few months of marriage interesting.

One of our first arguments revolved around house cleaning. I had always lived previously with other people that were very neat oriented and this had become my way as well. Shelley on the other hand didn't have house cleaning as a priority but this wasn't something that was a surprise to me. So, I figured that once we were married I would take this responsibility. Well, I remember Shelley getting upset with me because either when I got home from work or on Saturday's I would be cleaning and she felt I needed to be spending that time with her. One of our first arguments was passive aggressive and revolved around a sugar canister. I came through the kitchen one day and their was a sugar container on the counter so I just put it up in the cabinets. Apparently Shelley wanted it on the counter and she replaced it back on the counter. The next time I saw it on the counter, I put it back in the cabinet. Everybody Loves Raymond had an episode that revolved around whether Ray or Debra were going to move a suitcase up stairs, this was very similar. If you read this post on Shelley's blog you will see that this is something we are still working on.

We also had disagreements around finances. I was 32 and Shelley was 30 when we got married and we both had been on our own for awhile. Shelley actually made more money than me at the time and she was use to spending "her money" "her way" and to say I am a little frugal would be kind. Hours of counseling has finally helped us work through this issue.

Our biggest challenge to our marriage came six months into it. Shelley's company offered her a significant promotion and raise but it was going to require us to relocate to Lafayette, Louisiana. I knew if Shelley wasn't married to me she would jump on this opportunity but I wasn't prepared to move. So, we made an agreement with her company that she would take the job on a trial basis and we would make a decision in 6 months. But, this still required her to move to Lafayette where she got her own apartment. She would fly home Friday night and would fly back to Louisiana on Monday morning. Having only been married six months and now only seeing each other two days a week was a big challenge and we ultimately decided Dallas would be our home.

Pandora

Brian Bailey at Leave it Behind turned me onto this.

How would you like to create your own radio station or control the format of your favorite radio statio? Well with Pandora you can almost do that.

You can create different "Stations" based on your favorite artist or song. It will then play songs that have similar musical qualities. You can then vote as to whether you liked a song or not and this will enable it to "learn" and provide a better match in the future. And, if you like a song you can link directly to iTunes and buy that song or go to Amazon and buy the album.

Check it out...

Recycling

We don't (or at least didn't) recycle and I'm not ashamed to say it. But, yesterday I got a message from Shelley asking "Where is our recycling container?"

Me: You me the one we got when we moved in 5 years ago?
Her: Yes
Me: In the attic. I'm using it to store some leftover building supplies. Isn't that what it's suppose to be used for?
Her: I want to start recycling.

So, when I got home she had sorted out that day's trash and had the recycling items laid out.

Me: What has gotten into you?
Her: Just wanting to do my part.

So, up in the attic I go, clean out the blue container and drag it down.

Then we start going through the trash. We can recycle this, throw this away, recycle this except for lid and so on. I then found out I also had to rinse everything out as well.

Now, I am having to organize my trash and to make things worse I have to CLEAN my trash.

It is TRASH, why can't I just throw it away?

What's Your Religious Philosophy

You are a Believer

You believe in God and your chosen religion. Whether you're Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or Hindu.. Your convictions are strong and unwavering. You think your religion is the one true way, for everyone.

What's Your Religious Philosophy?

Joys of Fatherhood #16

Shelley referenced this on her blog but I just had to tell the story because not all "Joys of Fatherhood" are positive experiences, just memorable ones.

Yesterday I had the brilliant plan to take the family to the Cavanuagh Flight Museum in Addison Texas. I just had visions of the joy on Seth's face as he got to see all of these wonderful planes up close and personal. I envisioned him running one to another and then when we get home he would call his Nana and Grandmama and try and re-tell the story to them. But, he would be so excited and talking so fast they wouldn't be able to understand him.

Well, I was wrong.

We hadn't even gotten out of the car when he started to ask to go home. He even pulled the "going limp" trick when I got him out of the car. Then once we were in the museum I had to literally drag him into the area where the planes were located. And all of this time he just keeps saying he wanted to go home. I was undaunted as I tried to enjoy the museum because it did have some cool exhibits.

Then when we were finally home and trying to get him ready for church, he says "I want to go see the planes." My entire life force drained out of me at that point.

The Story of a Lifetime - My Mentor

Shelley and I are starting a project where we each answer the same question about our life and then collecting the answers for our children. This week's question is "Who is a mentor you have had?" Here's Shelley's answer.

I haven't ever had a true mentor, someone who took me under their guidance and provided guidance over a period of time. But, I have worked for some good people who I have observed and who had an influence on me. Two of those people were Jim Parmley and Dennis Lewis.

From watching them I learned a calmed, unhurried style to approaching problems. I also learned not to micro manage but to hire good people and not get in their way but just provide direction so everyone is headed down the same path.

I hope I can pass these lessons to my boys.

The Bridge

At my wife's grandmother's house there is an old rickety single lane bridge that crosses over a small creek. There isn't anything especially spectacular about this bridge except all the childhood memories that span multiple generations that it has been a part of. My wife and all of her cousins share memories about being at Grandmother's and "going down to the bridge". In fact, this bridge and it's memories are so important that one thing my wife shared with me on my first trip to her grandmother's was "walking to the bridge". Now, this tradition has passed on to their kids and now multitudes of great grandchildren have made the trek down to the bridge.

Yesterday Seth gathered up everyone because he wanted to "go to the bridge". So, Shelley, April, Seth and I went to the bridge and threw rocks off the bridge into the creek. I don't know what it is about this bridge but it has captured the imaginations of many a child and now it has become a part of my son's childhood memories.

Happy Thanksgiving

$1.99

Gas at my local QT is now $1.99. Why don't we hear endless stories about gas prices going down? Or, why aren't we hearing discussions that the stock market is only 84 points away from crossing the 11000 mark?

I think we know the answer but I thought I would pose the questions anyway.

PocketDish

This is really cool, its the PocketDish. Now you can transfer programs that you recorded using your Dish DVR to a device small enough to put in your pocket. It can also store mp3s and up to 400,000 photos.

Christmas Lights

I have always loved the Christmas season, it is one of my favorite times of year. But, one tradition I never participated in is putting up Christmas lights. Then I had a son who really likes Christmas lights so last year I paid someone to put them up for me. Big rip off... So, this year I am venturing out and doing it myself and I have found I like it. Look out Clark Griswald, I can see this getting out of control. If you see a large glowing light over North Texas, it just might be our house.

Armed Citizen #8

From the Arlington Sun Gazette.

An armed citizen confronted an alleged burglar inside his Northern Virginia home. The intruder ran from the family room towards the bedroom of the homeowner's teenage daughter. A struggle ensued and ended when the homeowner shot the intruder. The intruder fled on foot and was arrested at the hospital when he sought treatment.

What I Don't Like About My Church

I first want to make it clear that I love my church. I have posted on here many times how much I love what is going on at my church and how proud I am to be a part of it. Also, I have defended my church and "Big" Churches in general on other blogs.

But, I do have one issue with my church. My church is different than most churches because the membership isn't really involved in running the church. Members don't vote on the budget, large expenditures, hiring staff, etc. Instead, it is run more like a company with the church executive team deciding the direction and executing. I don't have an issue with this and actually prefer it. I have been involved and have seen other churches become divided over some decision that the membership can't agree on.

But, because of a lack of involvement by the membership in decisions we as members don't always know what is going on within the church. Fellowship started a blog and I was excited about it because I thought this more informal means of communication would allow the church to communicate things that might not necessarily get communicated. But, unfortunately it turned into just a way to communicate the weekly announcements and has since been discontinued.

In the early days of the church the website contained the pictures and bio of the management team. While you might not know them or even ever have an audience with them, you at least knew who they were. Right now, I really don't have an idea who does what at our church. And recently there was a large shake up and many of the pastors changed roles so I really don't know who does what now. I would have liked to at least had it communicated who was going to be doing what and maybe a little explanation as to what the thinking was behind the changes.

Also, we had a worship leader who had been there ever since I have attended the church and I owe a large portion of me becoming a Christian to Rob. If it hadn't been for the way he did music, I probably wouldn't have continued to return to Fellowship. He is suddenly gone and not even an announcement that he chose to pursue another opportunity. It reminds me when you tune into your favorite classic rock station and now it is a country station and nobody even addresses the change. Everyone just goes on as if it has always been a country station.

I don't mind running the church as if it is a company but don't treat me like a customer, I want to be treated as a stakeholder. Also, I'm not asking for a voice in the church, just an ear.

Something Else I Don't Understand

I know this has been going on but I had never really encountered it until recently. Now I seem to be running into it all of the time. It usually goes something like this:

I walk in and hear "No, I didn't see that, when was it on? Yes, I know, we have to go to." FLUSH. Or some similar type of conversation.

What is it with people talking on a cell phone while they are using the bathroom? What could be so important that it couldn't wait or you couldn't just say, "Can I call you back in 5 minutes?" And these people don't seem to be making any effort to hide where or what they are doing.

Also, for some odd reason I feel like I am intruding in some way. That I'm eavesdropping on some private conversation.

There is not a single person, including my wife, that I will talk to while I am using the bathroom. And, no body better call me while they are using the bathroom and if they do they must be sure I don't know it or they will hear a dial tone.

Express Lane

Am I the only one that does this? Whenever I am in the express lane at the grocery store I always look at what the people around me are purchasing. I then try to imagine what events occurred that caused them to rush out in the middle of the night to purchase these items.

For example, tonight I was behind a guy who was buying two frozen enchilada dinners and a bottle of Scope mouthwash. So, I figure he is a newlywed whose wife's dinner didn't quite cut it, so he rushed out to get dinner and something to get the taste out of his mouth. This probably isn't true but it makes the wait more interesting.

Oh yeah, I purchased a pound of ground turkey and a can of Spot Shot carpet cleaner. I'll let your imagination run with that one...

Five Months Old

Chase is 5 months old today.

Happy Birthday little one!

Armed Citizen #7

I took this story from here.

A 66-year-old woman shot an intruder who she found hiding in her home.

The man, 22-year-old Christopher Lessner, had just fled from police after being pulled over for speeding on Interstate 30. He fled along a creek bottom and eventually scrambled into the woman’s backyard on Northhaven Court.

The intruder tried to break into the house at least twice. There were muddy hand and foot prints on the back of a Suburban parked in the carport. Lessner apparently grabbed onto the back of the car port, got himself up onto the house and tried to break in through a second story window. When that didn't work, he apparently walked along the top of the roof then jumped into the backyard and then ended up kicking in the back door.

Once inside, Lessner hid in a front room closet. Little did he know, Buxton, a concealed handgun license owner, would find him.

According to reports, when Susan Buxton found the man she told him to “lay down and stay still” as she held her handgun drawn.

“He ignored her and tried to grab the gun and even then she didn't shoot, she just backed away and told him again “lay down, be still or I will shoot,” said Shelly Bugenis, Buxton’s daughter said.

Lessner darted from the home after Buxton shot him in the leg. He later was found hiding on a nearby balcony.

Lessner is recovering at Harris Methodist Hospital. Officials say he faces charges of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, evading arrest, criminal mischief and criminal trespass.

Arlington police do not anticipate filing charges against Buxton.

Veterans Day

Thank You to all Veterans!

I Hate Being Sick

I hate being sick. I use to never get sick, in fact I have rarely taken a sick day in the last 10 years. I guess that is why I have over 90 days of available paid time off.

But, I remember when my wife was pregnant with our first child a friend of mine who had 3 kids at the time warned me that I would now start getting all sorts of illnesses. Well, he was correct. Now that I have two kids or should I say "germ factories", I have been sick twice this year and I have even had to go to the doctor. The last time I had been to the doctor was 17 years ago. I might even need to change the title of my blog to "The Journey of a Happily Married Man with Two Germ Factories".

I know it isn't all their fault because they have friends that are "germ factories" as well and it just keeps getting circulated through the community.

This weekend our Pastor made a comment that "with sacrifice, comes blessings" and if my sacrifice is getting sick every once in awhile, I will definitely take my two blessings. I love my two little blessings.

Kids, Germ Factories, Blessings... I doubt Websters has those listed as synonyms but they are to me.

Way to Go Kansas

Yesterday the Kansas State Board of Education passed new Science Standards that will treat evolution as a flawed science and at the same time help promote the teaching of creationism.

Read the story here.

Roger Staubach Blog

One of my childhood sports heroes, Roger Staubach, now has a blog. Check it out here.

Trash Day

After Shelley and I had our first child we realized we were different from most of our neighbors. Now, I'm not talking about some of the obvious differences but we were different when it came to trash day. Since they didn't have a baby which is just a trash producing machine they just had one or two bags of trash on their curb, while I was lugging arm loads of bags out to the curb.

When one of our neighbors had their first child, Shelley and I waited anxiously for that first trash day. Yes, vindication! Their one bag that was always just half full had multiplied to four, all just by the addition of a 17 inch, 7 pound baby.

Well, today when I went to take the trash out, I was stopped in my tracks as I bent down to gather up the bags to take to the curb. There were just two bags, yes, only two bags. I paused to figure this out and then I remembered, I was home the last 3 days by myself.

Our trash producing machines had been in Oklahoma doing their work.

Separation Between Church and State

Shelley posted this but I had to link to it because it is so good.

Read here.

Batman Begins

When I was a kid I was a big fan of Super Heroes. My favorites were the big 3, Superman, Spiderman and Batman. Batman was always my favorite because he didn't benefit from any super powers. Everything he did, he did with either is own intelligence or ingenuity.

I have been mostly disappointed with all of the movies made regarding Super Heroes. The Christopher Reeve Superman movies didn't do much for me, the first Batman was ok but the next three didn't do a whole lot for me. Now, the two Spiderman movies were pretty good and up until I just watched Batman Begins, were my favorites. But, last night I watched Batman Begins and was really impressed. By far, it is my favorite of the Super Hero movies. It finally captured the story how I saw it in my head when I was a kid. Maybe the other movies were how those directors saw the stories when they were a kid but this one really seemed like the comic book came alive for me.

Super Friends and Office Space

I found this on BagofNothing. If you are a fan of the Super Friends and Office Space then you will enjoy this. Watch it here.

A Weekend to Myself

My family has gone out of town this weekend. Don't get me wrong, I REALLY MISS my family but I am enjoying the quiet. I had a friend ask me if I was going to go out with "the boys" this weekend since I was going to be alone and truthfully the thought of going out never even crossed my mind. My plans all centered around renting a movie, watching football, watching the History channel and reading blogs.

I am old and boring. But, I also know that all my friends are also old and boring and they are all married with kids as well. Since they probably wouldn't be subject to the benefit of having their families out of town I doubt any of them could have gone out anyway. So, if I had asked them to go out, I would not only be home alone, I would have also been suffering from the rejection of my friends.

Well, the excitement continues here tonight, Miami is beating VA Tech 10 - 0 and its half time. Time to see what is on the History Channel.

Big Night

It was a big night in our house. Chase rolled over from his back to his stomach and I was there for this one. Seth is back to trying using the potty. While he didn't actually potty he sat on the potty for a long time. The potty training boycott might be over, at least for a little while at least.

Samuel Alito

Based on everything I have read and heard about President's Bush latest nomination to the Supreme Court I am very pleased. It does make me wonder why he wasn't the initial choice but if he is confirmed I will quickly forget about the process.

Also, based on Hugh Hewitt's Blog Poll things are looking good for Alito.

Watching Cartoons

If you have checked out Shelley's blog then you know our entire household has been sick the last few days. So, the last two nights have been spent with all four of us sitting in our bed watching a Scooby Doo marathon on boomerang. Granted, it isn't probably the most constructive way to spend our time but I have really enjoyed the time. Plus, it has been very relaxing.

I Missed a First

I missed a first today with Chase. He rolled over from front to back and I didn't get to see it. I was in the room but I was up on a ladder when the big event occured. Naturally, now that he has proven he can do it, he has no interest in doing it again.

Peer Pressure

Shelley wrote a post on peer pressure and one of our son's first experience with it. When I read the story it made my heart ache because I would love it if my sons could grow up and be so comfortable with who they are that they wouldn't experience "peer pressure". I know that isn't realistic but I do hope that God can give Shelley and me the skills to raise them so they experience as little "peer pressure" as possible.

When I was growing up I was always compared to other kids and I would often hear, "why can't you be more like ___?" It has taken me 30+ years to get to the point where I am mature enough and comfortable enough in my own skin that I know I am who I am and I really don't have a need to meet other people's expectations. It really is freeing and I wish I had this level of comfort and maturity when I was younger. It would have prevented me from making some poor decisions and bad choices.

Todd Dewald and Brian Miller, I don't know where you are and I hope you are having a nice life, but I'm glad I wasn't "more like you."

Harriet Miers Withdraws Nomination

Word just out that Harriet Miers has withdrawn her nomination. I am sure there are many conservatives that are happy to see this but I'm not. While I was not comfortable with her as a nominee, I still wanted her to go through the process. Now, we will never know...

Psalm 23 for Work

A friend sent this to us and I have seen it before but I think it deserves a post.

The Lord is my real boss, and I shall not want.
He gives me peace, when chaos is all around me.
He gently reminds me to pray and do all things without
murmuring and complaining.

He reminds me that he is my source and not my job.
He restores my sanity everyday and guides my decisions
that I might honor him in all that I do.

Even though I face absurd amounts of e-mails, system
crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping
co-workers, discriminating supervisors and an aging body
that doesn't cooperate every morning, I still will not stop---
for He is with me! His presence, His peace, and His power
will see me through.

He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me.
He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens
to let me go. His Faithfulness and love is better than any bonus
check.

His retirement plan beats every 401k there is!
When it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot
longer and for that, I BLESS HIS NAME!!

Expect It When You Least Expect It

Last night I started to video tape a brief clip of Chase. He was laying on a blanket and with the clothes he was wearing he appeared to just blend into the blanket and I thought it looked pretty cool.

I had just started taping when Seth came and laid down by Chase and starting talking to him. He then went and got his orange juice and was trying to share it with Chase. Seth then began getting blankets and covering up Chase's feet because he thought he was cold and then he went and got a pillow for his head. I guess it looked comfortable to him so Seth then decided to just lay down with his head on the pillow and continued to talk to Chase.

My 30 second video clip extended to 5 minutes as I captured this unscripted moment between big brother and little brother.

You can't create quality time, quality time comes out of quantity time.

A Present For Mommy

Yesterday Seth placed in a box his prized Blue's Clues notebook and some of his pencils and then presented it to Shelley as a present. He looked so proud and excited as he watched her open his "present". When she displayed her natural joy and excitement with this gift from her little boy, he looked so happy.

He really seemed so grown up at that time.

Armed Citizen #6

A Wal-Mart customer with a concealed-carry permit came to a female employee's rescue when violence erupted in a crowded store. Police say an employee was working in the deli when her ex-husband leapt across the counter and began stabbing her. That's when 72 year-old Due Moore intervened, shooting and killing the ex-husband.

Little Mickey Mantle

Seth loves to play baseball and by that I mean he has a plastic bat, ball and Tee that he hits off of in the backyard. He's really good at it and he has a lot of power for a two year old. The interesting thing is he hits left handed so he could be the next great left handed power hitter. I'm trying to hold off on calling Cooperstown and having them start making his bronze bust but I think it is inevitable. No pressure though...

Joys of Fatherhood #15

Watching a 4 month old baby laugh and grin. Chase's eyes just sparkle when he laughs and he thinks almost anything I say is funny. I could watch him for hours.

Pan Handler versus Person in Need

I would like to think I am a charitable person. But, I don't believe in charity for charity sake. I want to give to people so that they can begin helping themselves.

I say all of that so I can ask the question, how can you tell the difference between a pan handler and a true person in need. The other day as I exited a local Quik Trip, I was hit up by someone who claimed he was from New Orleans, his car was broken down and he needed money to fix it so he could get to a shelter.

What do you do? I just explained that I couldn't help him but as I drove off I wondered what if that was me. Would someone help me or would everyone just dismiss me as a pan handler. How do you know?

What a Week

This past week has been one of the roughest weeks I have had in recent memory. I had to travel, we did an upgrade on a major system at work and then there were a variety of assorted other problems at work.

Tonight as I sat in church and listened to Tianne speak about identifying and hearing the voice of God, I realized I hadn't cracked open my Bible once this week and had not spent my usual quiet time in prayer each morning. I know God was talking to me through Tianne tonight. I hear you and lesson learned...

How Much is Your Blog Worth?

My blog is worth $4,516.32.
How much is your blog worth?

Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act

Congress passed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act 283-144. This Act will protect legal gun manufactures and retailers from large crime-victim lawsuits. These lawsuits were being initiated by the gun control lobby. Read more here.

His Needs

In an earlier post I talked about "Her Needs" from the book titled "His Needs, Her Needs". I listed out the five things a woman needs. Now, here are the 5 things a man needs based on the book by Willard Harley:

1. Sex
2. An attractive spouse
3. Recreational companionship (a playmate)
4. Domestic Support - A solid home
5. Admiration - tell me how great I am.

As a man, I can say this is a very accurate list. But, I'm sure most women's reaction to this list is that it is shallow and superficial. This is why most men won't admit to these being their most important needs because they don't want to be seen as shallow and superficial.

There is a stigma associated with being shallow and superficial but I don't think men need to be ashamed of being men. This is how God created us; visual, physical beings.

Then why the stigma? I blame Oprah. Actually, I blame the whole Oprah, self-help industry. They have made thousands of tv shows and written thousands of books based on the woman's need for romance, communication, sensitivity, etc. and they have placed these as more valuable needs versus those needs of men. You can't blame them because that is their target market. Men aren't watching those shows or buying the books, the woman are.

But, I do believe when society minimize the man's needs because they are "shallow" or "superficial", they are doing men a disservice. We are being how God created us and to try and make us something we aren't isn't fair to anyone.

Nana has Gone Home

My mother was here for the last few days and we all really enjoyed it, especially Seth. She left today while he was taking his nap and when he woke up he asked, "Where's Nana?"

I replied, "Nana has gone home."

"On the Plane?" he asked.

"Yes."

And then the tears started to flow. Seth's, that is, but it made me want to cry as well.

Nana, we are ready for you to move here. But, no pressure....

Burger King

Am I the only one creeped out by the new Burger King ads? Just asking..

Why Do Women Cry

I stole this from here and here but it is too good not to pass on.

A little boy asked his mother, "Why are you crying?"

"Because I am a woman," she told him.

"I don't understand," he said. His Mom just hugged him and said, "And you never will."

Later the boy asked his father, "Why does mother seemto cry for no reason?"

"All women cry for no reason," was all his dad could say.

The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.

Finally he put in a call to God. When God got on the phone, he asked, "God, why dp women cry so easily?"

God said, "When I made the woman, she had to be special. I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort. I gave her inner strength to endure childbirth, and the rejection that many times comes from her children. I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining. I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly. I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart. I gave her wisdon to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly. And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers exclusively to use wheneverit is needed."

"You see my son," said God, "the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way that she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides."

Always remember to let your wife, and mothers know how much they mean to you. They are God's gift, and should always be remembered. We are all blessed...............

Shield Law

Are Bloggers Journalist?

Well, if the new Federal Shield Law is passed, then no they aren't. The new law is designed to protect the rights of journalist and to do this then a "journalist" needs to be defined. According to the law, a journalist is:

"any entity that disseminates information by print, broadcast, cable, satellite, mechanical, photographic, electronic, or other means and that publishes a newspaper, book, magazine, or other periodical in print or electronic form; operates a radio or television station (or network of such stations), cable system, or satellite carrier, or channel or programming service for any such station, network, system, or carrier; or operates a news agency or wire service."

The co-author of the bill, U.S. Senator Richard Luger (R-Ind), says a bloggers would "progably not" be considered a journalist under the new legislation.

I have a few issues. First, why do we need to define a journalist, doesn't the First Amendment already serve the function to protect the journalist, and finally why would a tabloid rate higher in the journalism food chain over a blogger?

I may not consider myself a journalist but I know there are many qualified bloggers that are.

Her Needs

At church we continued our series on Adultery and this week Ed had an interview with a local Christian counselor, Jonathan Cude. Dr. Cude made many interesting points but his analogy regarding the construction of a swimming pool really struck me. He explained how when a couple builds a swimming pool they work together in picking out the shape, the color of the tile, what the deck around it will look like, what type of diving board, how deep it will be, etc. But, after it is built and they both walk out on the diving board and one spouse falls in, its not just that spouse's fault. They both participated in the construction of that pool. Meaning, that if one spouse has an affair, the non-adulterous spouse is as much to blame because they were a part of building the relationship to the point where an affair became possible. God meant for marriage to be a oneness and it needs to be approached as that.

He also talked about the very good book, "His Needs, Her Needs" by Willard Harley.

I could talk about "His Needs" but for me the most important thing is "Her Needs." These needs kind of make up my "job description" as a husband.

Her 5 needs:

1. Affection - Romance or non-sexual touching (apparently that exists).
2. Conversation - Being a good listener.
3. Openness and honesty - Needs me to be vulnerable.
4. Financial Security - Needs me to take care of her.
5. Family Commitment - Needs to know that I will be there for her.

Armed Citizen #5

A "Good Samaritan" came to the rescue of a woman who was the apparent victim of a sexual assualt in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The man was surveying possible construction sites in the area when he saw two partially disrobed people struggling in an alleyway. When the woman screamed for help, the man ran to assist her. The suspect jumped into his vehicle and tried to hit his victim with the car. The Samaritan drew his .40-cal handgun, fired several shots and killed the attacker.

Another Milestone

Chase hit another milestone today. He had his first servings of cereal. He wasn't a fan but we told him it is an acquired taste.

Harriet Miers cont...

Many conservatives are wanting Harriet Miers to withdraw her name as a Supreme Court nominee. I hope she doesn't succumb to this pressure. Don't get me wrong, I'm still not sold on her as a nominee because I think there are better choices but I do want her to go through the hearings. I want to see what the President sees in her, maybe I will be pleasantly surprised.

Joy

Seth loves music and has been blessed with some natural ability. He actually has rhythm and this is something his Dad seriously lacks. We were in the car today listening to a CD when The Newsboys' song "Joy" came on and he really enjoyed it and I don't blame him, it's a good song. But, I guess I was enjoying it too much because I was kind of moving to the music and Seth suddenly yelled "Stop". I guess he believes it would be best if I left that to the professionals.

If you want to here a bit of the Seth's new favorite song then go here. link

Harriet Miers

I have really been struggling with developing an opinion about President Bush's latest Supreme Court nominee and so far all I can come up with is that I am disappointed. She may be a very fine Justice in the long run but I think the President had many better choices. I'm not sure if he is playing politics or just knows something we don't but I don't know if I want to take the chance with a life time appointment.

We have the numbers, we won the elections and we need to take advantage of this opportunity.

Marriage

Here is a really good post on marriage. Read it here.

W-A-L-K

One of our family activities is our family walks. Shelley and I have been doing them since our family only consisted of her, Dusty and myself. When we originally started them we had to spell the word "walk" anytime we talked about it because it was one of Dusty's favorite things to do and just hearing the word, "walk" would send her into crazy excitement. So, we might say something like "Do you feel like going on a W-A-L-K tonight?".

Well, we have continued with the walks but now our family makeup has changed. I remember the first time we went for a W-A-L-K after we lost Dusty and I spelled it out of habit. It made me sad but the tradition has continued because now Seth associates going on a W-A-L-K as going to the park. So, again we have a need to spell it but I know it won't be long before Seth can spell but maybe Chase will help us continue the tradition.

Joys of Fatherhood #14

I came home today from a very trying day at work to find Chase in his bouncy chair watching a Baby Einstein DVD. When I walked around him and sat in the floor in front of him, he gave me the biggest grin. I instantly forgot what had gone wrong today.

Google Ads

I've added Google Ads to my blog as an experiment.

Volunteering

Shelley and I volunteer each month in the pre-school area at our church. We watch a group of 3 year olds while their parent's attend the 6:30 service on Saturdays. This offers many challenges but also some awesome rewards. One of my favorites is when a parent drops off a child who obviously doesn't want to be there and we are able to calm the child and they end up having a wonderful time. The parent will then come to pick them up and they will always ask, "How'd she/he do?" and when you tell them "Great!", there is a noticeable show of relief on their faces.

Also, during this time we always teach a bible lesson. Last night we talked about how Moses led the people and God pushed back the water so they could cross the sea. We played follow the leader to demonstrate Moses leading the people and then did a pushing motion with our arms to demonstrate God pushing back the water. Truthfully, Shelley and I didn't think anyone was paying attention to us but we forged on.

Then today Seth picked up the coloring sheet we were using to tell the story and pointed to the man and said "Moses" and then he started doing the pushing motion with his hands.

He was paying attention! Maybe the others were to...

How an Aggie prepares for a Hurricane

I don't know if I have any Aggies reading my blog but in case I do, the boards go on the outside of the window.

A new KISS?

When I was 12 I was a huge KISS fan. Now that I'm old I don't listen to them anymore but I'm still disappointed that they are considering putting together a new band with new members to wear the make up and tour. They are viewing it more as a brand name or franchise and that people don't care who is behind the make up. This is probably true but I am still not crazy about the idea.

Read the article here.

Texas

I was born in Missouri, not Texas, so when someone asks me if I am from Texas I will say "No, but I got here as quick as I could."

Here is a good article about Texas. Read it here.

Congratulations United States

The United States beat the International team 18 1/2 to 15 1/2 to win The Presidents Cup. If you have never watched one of these competition, either The Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup, I highly suggest you do. It is some of the best sports viewing you will find, even if you don't enjoy watching golf normally.

Ten Commandments to my Wife

To my wife:

1. I will love you as Christ loves the Church.
2. I will always obey the 7th Commandment (thou shall not commit adultery)
3. I will commit to have at least one date night a month.
4. I will never make fun of you in front of other people.
5. I will always make our marriage my first priority.
6. I will be open, honest and direct.
7. I will be spontaneous.
8. I will never go to bed angry with you.
9. I will create an environment that makes you feel safe, secure and loved.
10.I will avoid places and people that can be harmful to our marriage.

I Almost Said It

Last night we were all in the living room and Seth was waving a poster in the air. At one point it came very close to hitting Chase and I said, "Seth, be careful, you could..." and then I stopped because I almost said "put an eye out with that."

Uggggg, What will I say next? Will it be, "When I was your age I had to walk 10 miles up hill, in the snow, to get to school."?

I guess it is official, I'm a parent.

Adultery

Fellowship is in the middle of presenting a message series on adultery called Love Affair. It has already had an impact on me but not because I ever had an affair or even contemplated it but quite the opposite. I always told Shelley that one thing she never had to worry about was me having an affair. Well, when Ed started the series he said if you are one of those people who have said they you wouldn't ever commit adultery then this message is for you.

The reason for this statement is because no one is immune to adultery, it could happen to anyone and if you aren't protecting your marriage from it because you don't think it can happen, then you are susceptible to it. The only way prevent it is to realize it can happen and then building a wall of protection around your marriage.

Also, current stats indicate that 80% of all marriages will be a victim of an affair at some time. Eighty percent!!! This again shows how it can happen to anyone.

I can't do it justice so I encourage you to either go to Fellowship or watch the messages online at www.fellowshipchurch.com.

Also, they did a very touching song that when you listen to the words, it really makes the pain of adultery real. You can watch it here. One note, the girl singing is whose pictures are being shown but her husband didn't cheat on her, they just volunteered their photos for video.

Rita

Hurricane Rita is about to pound the Texas coast and the current forecast indicates that it will hit Dallas on Sunday and it will still be a Category 1 hurricane with winds up to 75 miles an hour. If you aren't familar with Texas, Dallas is about 250 miles north of Houston.

I am struggling with what to do with my family. I believe I am going to encourage Shelley to take the boys to Oklahoma this weekend.

I Wuv You

For months Seth's vocabulary has been virtually unlimited. Plus, he has the ability to repeat anything he hears. But, he has had what seemed like his own personal boycott on saying "I love you." Shelley and I tell him daily that we love him and all we ever got back was a blank stare. Well, tonight when I put him to bed, I said "I love you" and he returned "I wuv you." Nothing has ever sounded sweeter.

Armed Citizen #4

Gayle Martin was sound asleep when the doorbell rang at 5 a.m., but he didn't open the door because he didn't recognize either of the two men standing on his porch. He continued watching the men through his front window as they went around his house and began battering his back door. Within moments, the two thugs came crashing through the door into the kitchen and living room area. That's when Martin drew is .357 Magnum and fired three shots, causing the men to run away. Authorities found the home invaders nearby, both suffering from gunshot wounds.

No More Anonymous Comments

I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this but I have eliminated the ability for people to comment anonymously. The spam comments I am getting is starting to get ridiculous so I am choosing to remove this capability. I hope this doesn't discourage anyone from commenting in the future.

The Pledge

I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands:
one Nation under God, indivisible,
With Liberty and Justice for all.

Another Judge in the crazy 9th Circuit has declared the Pledge unconstitutional. It is absurd and it is now time for an amendment to the constitution that will remove this as an issue.

Home Sick

I'm home in bed sick. Being sick is something I really hate and usually go into denial when I'm not feeling well.

Dig a hole to China

Here is another cool use of Google Earth and it disproves the old theory that if you dug a hole in the earth you would end up in China. Actually, it is somewhere in the Indian Ocean. To end up in China you have to start somewhere in South America.

Go here.

Chase is 3 months old

Chase is 3 months old today. Time is flying by..

Back on the Job

Yes, I returned last night to my position as Seth's Official Bed Time Story Reader.

Google Blog Search

Google has launched a blog search.


http://blogsearch.google.com/

I got fired

Shelley and I have some defined jobs in our household and one of mine has been reading Seth his bedtime stories. Last night he fired me and decided to go with Mommy. I was shocked to say the least and truthfully I didn't feel she was up to the responsibility. But, I reviewed her performance last night and she does seem to have the necessary skills but I haven't given up. I put her on notice that I wasn't going down without a fight.

Joys of Fatherhood #13

Chase has started smiling and giggling. I can hold him for hours and just look at his smile.

The "Tell"

In poker they say everyone has a "Tell". This is some sort of nervous habit or body language that gives away whether they have a good hand or if they are bluffing.

Well, we have finally figured out Chase's "Tell". He actually has two, one is a little yawn and the other is when he sticks out his bottom lip. If you see either of these your time is running out and you need to fix whatever is bothering him or you will really regret it.

I know the "Tell" but I'm still working on the solution part.

Brain Pattern

This is pretty weird. I looked at all of the pictures and kept coming back to this one. Amazing how accurate it is...

Your Brain's Pattern

Structured and organized, you have a knack for thinking clearly. You are very logical - and you don't let your thoughts get polluted with emotions. And while your thoughts are pretty serious, they're anything from boring. It's minds like yours that have built the great cities of the world!

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

September 11

Just remembering...

Noise

In Seth Godin's new ebook, "Who's There", he talks about the amount of "Noise" there is in society. Examples of the "Noise" we face every day is:

80,000 new blogs every day
19 flavors of Oreos
172 professional sports teams in the United States
17,000,000 podcasts

What if we were transported back in time when there were just 3 television networks, 3 car companies, 2 kinds of laundry detergent, etc. you might go crazy because it seems so "Quiet".

This past weekend we went to visit Shelley's mother in Oklahoma and this is an area where there are only 2 television stations, dirt roads, no high speed internet, and there aren't even stop signs at intersections.

It was very "Quiet" but I did find myself looking for that distraction from the "Noise". I think I need to spend more time in "Quiet" environments.

Is it Lego or Legos?

If you go to www.legos.com you get the above message. Well, excuse me...

Legos, Legos, Legos, Legos, Legos, Legos....

Katrina Timeline

A very good post outlining the timeline of Katrina is located here.

It's long but here are a few things I pulled out of it.

First, Katrina hit New Orleans at 8 am, Monday, August 29th.

The morning of Saturday, August 27th President Bush declared a state of emergency in Louisiana authorizing federal emergency management officials to release federal aid and begin coordinating relief efforts.

At 5 pm on Saturday a voluntary evacuation order was issued.

A mandatory evacuation order was issued Sunday morning. Just prior to this announcement President Bush personally called Governor Blanco and appealed for a mandatory evacuation.

The Superdome opened at 8 am on Sunday and began taking people in.

11:30 am on Sunday President Bush issued a statement vowing to help those affected by the hurricane.

Overnight and the morning of Monday 4,000 National Guardsman were gathered in Memphis preparing to help New Orleans police.

It goes on and on with a lot more information. I won't say mistakes weren't made but it is obvious this wasn't being ignored and people were preparing to do the best they could.

The New York Times Short Memory

Interesting post from the guys at PowerLine

It is an excert from the NY Times critisizing some Bush legislation from earlier this year to increase funding to the Corp. of Engineers for flood control along the Mississippi.

Read it here.

God Bless Texas

I had the opportunity to watch a good bit of the Katrina coverage this weekend and one thing became very evident, Texas really stepped up to the plate to handle all of the Katrina victims. Currently Texas has over 250,000 victims in arenas, convention centers, churches, etc. It also seemed that Texas was a lot more prepared to handle a crisis like this than New Orleans or Louisiana.

It was also nice to see that it wasn't going unnoticed. I heard many times when they interviewed victims the comment "God Bless Texas".

Chief Justice Rehnquist Dies

Chief Justince Rehnquist passed away yesterday. Link

TCU

TCU beat OU 17-10 today.



Riff Ram Bah Zoo
Lickity Lickity Zoo Zoo
Who Wha Wha Who
Give em Heck TCU

QT

I really love Quik Trip and I go there frequently. They are clean, the staff is always friendly, quality gas and an awesome fountain drink selection. But, I may go there too often. Here is how the events of my visit this morning occured.

This morning when I arrived besides Jeff, the regular assistant manager on duty, there was also now Nicole. I know Nicole but she usually works the afternoon shift and Saturday and Sunday. (If you know their names and schedule, are you going there too much?).

Well anyway....

Jeff commented that he really knew his customers and to prove the point he knew I would get a 44 oz. fountain drink. Nicole countered that yes she knew I would get a 44 oz. fountain drink but also did he know that my son's favorite drink was a Strawberry Banana FreezOn?

Yes, I go there often.

Katrina

I'm not sure what to say regarding Katrina. I haven't posted about it yet because the magnitude of it is still sinking in. My company has a client that is one of the top 100 largest credit unions in the country and they lost their home office and five branches. As of this afternoon they had only located two of their employees and these two were trying to recover all operations. I'm not saying that all of the employees are lost but some many either have evacuated or can't be located because of down phone lines and no power.

Shelley has a post that is very moving. Link

Here is a link to another blog that has a lot of places to go if you want to contribute to the relief efforts. Link

No Power

Last night we lost our power for about an hour. It is amazing how something as powerful as electricity is taken for granted until it's not there. I found myself saying, "It's going to get hot, I'm going to turn on all of the ceiling fans." Now, how would I do that without electricity? Or, "I'm hungry, I'm going to cook something to eat." Again, with what?

I quickly realized how dependent we are on electricity and then my thoughts went out to the people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Our prayers go out to them.

The Newsboys

Our church is amazing. Shelley and I went to what we thought would be a typical Saturday night service at Fellowship. We should know now that nothing is typical at Fellowship. Tonight Fellowship had the Newsboys leading the worship service. Yes, the actual Newsboys.

It was amazing. Fellowship is amazing, the Newsboys are amazing.

Sex Offenders

Here is a good website to track sex offenders in your neighborhood. It uses a combination of Google Maps and the Registered Sex Offender database. It will also allow you to enter your email address and receive alerts when a registered sex offender moves in near to you. Send this to all your friends.

The Filling Station

When Shelley and I were dating we once went to a restaurant called The Filling Station. During that date Shelley entered into a conversation with a woman at a neighboring table and discovered that the man she was with was married. She was the "other woman". Shelley evangelized and lectured her that she needed to change her ways. When her date returned from the bathroom he was not too happy about the conversation but didn't take his anger out on Shelley but on me.

I'm telling this story because last night Shelley and I went on a date. We went out to a restaurant that we had to wait an hour to get a seat and it didn't have a kid's menu. We had a wonderful time and during this date it made me remember times such as the one described above when we were dating.

Our pastor, Ed Young, always talks about the importance of married couples having a "Date Night". Shelley and I have done a poor job of following his advice but now that we have 2 children and very little quiet time, I am realizing how important it is. Last night energized our relationship and I hope we can continue this practice. I'm reaching out to our family to be there when we need that babysitter.

I'm Back

I'm back. After taking a week off from posting so that I could clear my head, I am ready to begin blogging again.

Good Bye Dusty

This is a post I knew I would have to eventually write but it still doesn't make it any easier. Yesterday I had to say good bye to a member of our family and a faithful friend. We were together for almost 16 years and I am thankful to God for every moment we had together.

Dusty was a very special dog and I don't say that just because she was mine. I think if you ask anyone who knew her they would tell you the same.

I wish I was better with words to give her an appropriate tribute but I can't so all I can say is that I will always love her, I will miss her incredibly and I'll never forget the impact she had on my life.

Dusty,
* I will always remember the day I picked you out at the North Richland Hills Humane Society. You were the only one awake among your brothers and sisters and I just knew you were special.

* I will always remember you sleeping in my lap on the trip home from the Humane Society and thinking you were going to be a calm dog. I was wrong about that. :-)

* I will always remember how you loved to play ball. You could always out last me and I would end up kicking the ball because my arm was getting tired.

* I will always remember our walks together.

* I will always remember sleeping on the couch with you during those stormy nights.

* I will always remember how you loved to play with a rock and a shoe.

* I will always remember how good you were with Seth and Chase.

* I will always remember all of the trips to Kansas City we made together and how well you traveled. You were always so patient.

* I will always remember the feel of your cold nose on my cheek.

* I will always remember the frantic call I got from Shelley one day needing me to come home because you had a rat and wouldn't put it down. I assumed you had found a dead one in the yard but I was surpised to find it still alive. How you caught it I'll never know.

* I will always remember how Jeff Nickerson's laugh would always excite you.

* I will always remember how you greeted the Jehovah Witness's that one morning and amazingly they never returned.

* I will always remember the sound of your scratch on the back door when you wanted out.

* I will always remember how you loved uncooked pasta.

* I will always remember our morning routine of me making my lunch and you eating one of my carrots.

* I will always remember how you loved to play tug-of-war.

* I will always remember you making "spit holes" in the carpet and how it just drove Shelley crazy.

* I will always remember how like Houdini you could escape from your kennel. I will always wonder how you accomplished it.

* I will always remember how you would hide under the bed when something scared you.

* I will always remember how you ate the window sill in the apartment and tore up 2 door frames in our rent house.

* I will always remember how you just loved to lay in the yard and smell all of the smells of the neighborhood.

* I will always remember how you loved to fight with Shadow, Shelby and Sheena.

* I will always remember the time I almost burned my apartment down how you greeted me at the door, wagging your tail and holding a ball as if nothing was wrong.

* I will always remember how you got bit by another dog when Shelley was walking you and Shelley and you ran all of the way home and we thought it might send Shelley into labor.

* I will always remember right after we brought Seth home from the hospital and I was just learning to take care of a baby. When he would be with me and start to cry, you would run into the room and look at me as if to say "Do I need to go get Shelley?"

* I will always remember how you were there for me through two marriages, one divorce, the birth of Seth and Chase, through layoffs and promotions and every other significant event in my adult life.

I love you and will miss you.

(Shelley wrote a good post that you can read here.)

Marathon Withdrawals

I have run 5 marathons in the last 6 years but have made a decision to take this year off because of the recent birth of our second son. I made the same decision when our first son was born. But this past weekend would have been my first weekend of training if I was going to run in the Dallas White Rock Marathon and I'm missing it a little.

Shelley has encouraged me to stop running marathons but no formal decision has been made. I am taking this year off but no retirement decision has been made. But you never know when a press conference might be scheduled.

Morning Good Bye Kisses

I usually leave for the office very early in the morning and Shelley is almost always asleep. This morning she was awake and I got to kiss her good bye. This made me realize a small change that having children brought to our lives.

Prior to having kids, every morning before leaving for work I would kiss Shelley on her cheek while she slept. Once we had Seth I remember the first time I attempted this. Just as my lips made contact with her cheek, she lept about 3 feet in the air and instantly began checking on her sleeping baby. My lovely wife was now in "Mommy Mode." No longer would she sleep so soundly that I could kiss her without disturbing her. She now sleeps with one ear listening for that next hungry cry.

Chase is 2 Months Old

Chase turned 2 months old this past Sunday. It's hard to believe we have already had him for 2 months.

Congratulations Phil!

Phil Mickelson won the 2005 PGA Championship.

Armed Citizen #3

Two teenage thugs in Dayton, Ohio had the tables turned on them when one night in June they targeted a man licensed to carry a firearm. They approached Mark Hill and one of them shoved him. When he turned around, they both flashed handguns according to the police report. Hill backed away and then pulled out a Glock 23 and fired, hitting one of the gunman several times. Both men fled shortly thereafter. The men were later arrested when they sought medical attention.

Cowboys Pre-Season Game 1

Yuck!

That is all I have to say. If you can't think of something good to say then don't say anything at all.

Why I Blog

The other night Shelley commented that she thought I was addicted to blogging. This statement had been preceded by me rattling off various stats like the number of first time visitors, returning visitors to my blog, page loads, my Google Page rank and other various search engine results.

This morning two buddies that I work out with asked "How do you have time to blog?" and "Why do you do it?"

First to my wonderful wife, I'm not addicted to blogging, I can stop any time I want. Yes, I can stop any time I want. :-)

Now, why do I blog? The reason I blog is to:

Evangalize
Politicize
Socialize
Plagarize (with given credit of course)
and
hypothesize