Dallas Cowboys' Stadium Update

Here are a bunch of new photos of the Cowboys' Stadium. These pictures don't give you a true impression of just how big this thing is.

It's HOT

I love living in Texas but this is the time of year it really test my love.

The Dark Knight

Shelley and I went and saw The Dark Knight last night and all I can say is "WOW."

It is very, very dark but it is a thrill ride. I was exhausted after it. I spent over two hours on the edge of my seat.

I recommend going to see it.

Cowboys' Training Camp Starts Tomorrow

Dallas Cowboys' training camp starts tomorrow. I love this time of year.

Hype: The Movie

Hype: The Movie

Adventure Weekend

We just wrapped up Adventure Weekend, our church's version of Vacation Bible School. Shelley and I volunteered, Seth was in the Kindergarten class and Chase was in pre-school childcare.

It was a long couple of days but I can tell you it was awesome. Volunteering was a blast but exhausting. I know Seth had a great time. He had 7 friends he had invited and I think they all had a great time. (I'll let Shelley tell you the other cool part of the story). And while it was a long day for the little one, Chase had a great time as well.

We go to a really cool church and I know they affected many lives this weekend.

I Quit Another Job

I have now quit another job. This is now twice in 14 months that I have quit a job.

This is a big step because I don't have a paying job that I am moving to. As many who read this know, about 18 months ago, I started my own business. This little venture has grown quite a bit despite me only working on it a few hours a week. Now, my brother has been working it full time since last October but we still haven't been able to pay him and don't anticipate being able to pay either one of us for at least a few more months.

So, why I am I doing this? Well, I've always had a feeling that God had something great planned for me and so Shelley and I have prayed and feel this is the best time to try this. I haven't ever been someone who felt that God had spoken to them but I have to say, over the last few months God has been very clear. If this will work, I don't know, but I do know that God has great things planned and this is the first step to get there.

Lordy, Lordy Look Who's 40

Happy Birthday to my wonderful wife.

My Wife

I just want to go public and announce that I have the most fantastic, amazing and incredible wife.

She is my rock!

She has shown incredible faith and given immense support to me. We are in the middle of some BIG life changes and she is behind me yelling "Go, Go."

We have prayed and prayed and prayed and done our best to listen to God and both feel this is what we are supposed to do. This gives me a lot of strength to push forward but without the support of Shelley it would be so easy to just give up on the idea.

I love her with all my heart.

I'm not good at being sick

One thing I'm not good at is being sick. I've been sick for the last 3 days and I hate it.

I hate going to the doctor and usually wait too long before giving in and going. I am also very needy. I don't like to be alone in my suffering. I think Shelley has had her fill of me and is ready for me to go back to work.

Ten Commandments of Fatherhood

I got this from A Family Runs Through It and just had to share it. Plus I wanted it so I could easily reference back to it.

In his 1998 book Tommy and Me, Ben Stein chronicles his feelings of frustration and joy of being a father. It's a short book, at 152 pages, and contains many insights into parenting that made me stop and think. I especially enjoyed his concluding chapter. Here it is (in abridged form):

Ben Stein's Ten Commandments of Fatherhood:

1. Time is of the essence. Spend large amounts of time with your child. Kids don't want "quality time"... They want you to be there all the time.

2. Share your strength with your child. Be an ally, not an adversary. Share with him stories of your own fears, failings, and anxieties and how you overcame them.

3. Do not expect your child to make for your own losses when you were a child. Let your kids pursue their own hopes and dreams.

4. Look for the good in your child and praise it. Children are nurtured by praise as plants are nurtured by water. Deny it to them at their peril and yours. Children who are told that they can succeed in fact usually do succeed.

5. Do not allow your children to be rude. Being polite is a basic foundation of human interaction, and kids will not succeed in life if they're surly and disrespectful.

6. Patience is indispensable. Children's behavioral flaws cannot be corrected by flipping a switch. It takes a long time and a lot of patience to teach positive behaviors. If you are an impatient, demanding, short-fused dad, you will get that irritable, demanding kind of kid.

7. Teach your child and let him teach you. Children will tell you what they want and need. Dads get into trouble when they do not listen to their kids and dismiss their feelings as not important. Also, your child should get the benefit of your wisdom and experience about life, so tell him what you know about the world around you. Learn from your children and let them learn from you.

8. Value your child for what he is, not for what you think he should be. I want my son to know that whatever he becomes in the future, he is prized just for being my son, right now.

9. Raising a child is a job for Mom and Dad. Children with absent fathers are wounded for the balance of their lives. Dad should and must be in there pitching along with Mom, helping out as an equal partner in the tough job of raising children. The true heroes of our generation are at home with their kids.

10. Being a Daddy is priority number one. When you decide that your kids come before your sales quota or your poker-playing schedule or your overtime to make partner, then you will find that all of the other pieces of Daddyhood fall into place - teaching and learning, patience, looking for the good and praising it. When you put your kids first, you are far less alone in this world. What's more vital, so are they.

Heard in the car

On our way to see fireworks Seth asked, "why do they call them fireworks?"

Chase replied, "because they have Fire and they Work"

3 Ways To Lower Gas Prices

Video Link

Sign the Petition for "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" here.

Living Alone

I have spent the last 3 nights home alone as the boys are at their grandmother's and Shelley is volunteering at a church camp. What have I learned? I don't like living alone.

The first night I was laying in bed with a strong urge to talk to someone and this is from someone who really doesn't like to talk. I even had the thought, "why am I feeling this way?"

After thinking about it I realized in my nearly 42 years, I have lived alone for only 28 months.

I lived at home until I was 18 when I went off to college where I always had roommates. After graduating from college I continued to have a roommate until I got married at 23. I was married for 6 years and then I got divorced thus starting my 28 months of living alone. But, I really wasn't alone because I had my trusty dog that greeted me enthusiasticly when I came home. And yes, I did talk to her.

But, now I sit here alone with my only communication with the outside world being Twitter.