Watching the Diet

I stayed home yesterday and tried to just relax. My blood pressure has been escalated for a few days, and I thought it might help to have a "chill" day. I have tried to get in to see my doctor, but they are moving offices and their phone is out of service.

While I was home, I finished reading a novel by Francene Rivers. I finished the 2nd in a 3-book trilogy. It is the story of the movement of faith in the generation after the resurrection of Jesus. She really pulls you into the lives of a handful of characters, and the 2nd book's ending had me crying (I don't cry easily).
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Tiger did it again! I never would have thought I would see a golfer better than Jack Nicklaus come along. But we are watching one right now. He comes to the 72nd hole needing two putts to force a playoff. So what's he do? Drains a 25 footer to win! And the scary part is -- everyone expected him to do it!
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We are getting some much-needed rain today. Already had over an inch and a half, and it's still pouring. It has been wonderful!
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I am really trying to watch what I eat more closely (no smart comments here, please). Realizing I need more fiber, I have been eating homemade granola over some low-fat vanilla yogurt for breakfast each morning. It is really good. We got the recipe when we were at a bed-n-breakfast in Kennebunk, Maine year before last.

I'm also TRYING to eat more grilled stuff instead of fried. I'm actually finding that I like it. In fact, one of THE best out-to-eat meals I have had in a long time was last week at Cheddar's. I got their grilled talapia topped with grilled shrimp. It was absolutely delicious. If it wasn't 30 minutes away, I would have gone back for more!

Any suggestions for tasty food that's heart-healthy?

Calling Oprah's Hand

Today I am taking the risk of ruffling a few feathers. I want to like Oprah Winfrey. She seems to be a kind woman who does many good things through charities she supports, etc. Yet some of the things she says and promotes would cause people to rise up against her -- if she were not Oprah Winfrey. It's like she is untouchable. Millions of people bow down to her every whim. Actually, it is pretty scary.

Let me begin by saying I get real tired of receiving emails that run down celebrities and politicians -- making all kinds of slanderous accusations about them. For Christians to take part in the spreading of gossip and untruths intended to destroy a person's character is sinful. But I have found the following information on Oprah's own web site. I have read a transcript of a discussion she had on her show in which she doggedly asked a Christian man how he could say there is only one way to heaven. And she claims to be a Christian! Listen, my brothers and sisters: If any other celebrity had done that, the Christian people of America would be boycotting him or her. Imagine if Tom Cruise said that. Or John McCain. Or Hillary Clinton.

But of greater concern perhaps is her promoting of "A Course on MIracles" -- a daily feature on her XM radio program. This is new age to the core. I have gone to the web site and read up on it. It promotes all religions as paths to God. It claims that we are our own god. It says (these are quotes): A "slain Christ has no meaning." It says, "The journey to the cross should be the last useless journey." Here is a great quote; try it at your church this weekend: "Do not make the pathetic error of clinging to the old rugged cross." Or this one: "The name of Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol . . . It is a symbol that is safely used as a replacement for the many names of all the gods to which you pray." And finally, "The Atonement is the final lesson he (man) need learn, for it teaches him that, never having sinned, he has no need of salvation."

This attacks the Christian faith at its very core. Again, I want to like Oprah. I do not thing she intends to be a conduit for evil. But I DO believe that she is vulnerable to the tug of new age religion. And her endorsement of anything has tremendous power. Remember what Paul warned (2 Corinthians 11: 14) "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light."

Birthday Shoutout

Nine inches of snow! Who would have believed it? It is SO beautiful. Yesterday morning about 11, I had to run to Fort Worth to pick up some books for Beverly. I thought I would beat the storm home, since the weathermen had said it would hit late afternoon. Well, I ended up coming home in the worst of it. By the time I got home, we already had 5 inches on the ground. Incredible!
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__ years ago today, a little girl was born into this world in Pasadena, Texas. Who could have warned the world of what it was in store for? She was born with a heart for people -- a compassion that is extremely rare. And she was born with an energy level that would allow her to pour herself into the lives of people -- and rarely become tired. She bore three incredible children -- and instilled in them a love for the Lord and the things of the Lord that causes me to stand back in amazement. She has loved her man like no one ever could for 31 years. She has been at the top of her profession as a homemaker (14 years), a teacher (12 years) and a marriage and family therapist (6 years). She has mentored women into intimate relationships with the Lord. She is equally gifted in teaching a large group or investing herself one-on-one. And as a Grandmother (Grammy), she has no rival. Her love for the Lord is absolutely contagious. I know, because I caught it from her.

All this to say: Beverly, you are my hero. I am SO blessed of the Lord. So, I hope that today is an incredibly rewarding day for you. Happy Birthday, my precious bride.

More Quarterbacking

Yesterday's (Wednesday) Star-Telegram headline on the front page of the Fort Worth section said it would be a while before we saw any snow again. Yep. 48 whole hours. In Jack Bauer's hours, that is a long time. The weather service is predicting that we will get 3 inches tonight and into tomorrow morning.
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I mentioned the top quarterbacks in the game yesterday, and realized as I wrote it that the question I asked was a no-brainer. The talk on ESPN sports yesterday was this: Who are the top 5 quarterbacks in history? THAT is a tough question -- with lots of opinion involved. So, take part in my poll. Who would you say are the top 5 EVER? It's hard because some quarterbacks might not have been so good had they not been surrounded by a good team (Terry Bradshaw comes to mind). Others might have been great, but were stuck with mediocre teams (Dan Marino, for instance). One important characteristic to me is how the individual elevated his team to a new level.

Here is my list (I admit a bias):
1. Joe Montana (GREAT leader)
2. Johnny Unitas (Elevated the position of quarterback to what it is today)
3. Troy Aikman (probably should be lower, but I just love the guy. May be the most pinoint-accurate passer ever. Great leader)
4. Bret Favre (gotta love him!)
5. Peyton Manning

I know, there are many I left off. This is really hard! I grew up idolizing Roger Staubach, and now he doesn't even make my list. But his career was not all that long. He was a great champion, though. And Elway, Bradshaw (5 Super Bowl rings), Brady (needs more time), Moon. Wow.

So take the challenge. And John: Tell Eric not to EVEN bring up Mark Brunell.

Quarterbacks

I'm going to miss Bret Favre. Professional sports needs more athletes like him. He was easy for everyone to relate to. He never lost his childlike passion for the game. He seems to be an incredible family man. He has known the struggle of battling through addictions -- and winning.

And the records! He leaves the game as #1 in yards, attempts, completions, TD passes, wins and, yes, interceptions. That is pretty much every quarterback record. Amazing!
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I wonder if Tony Romo is sorry he didn't wait and test the free agent market. Certainly after watching Ben Roethlisberger sign for more than double his contract, he might be having second thoughts. Jerry Jones is probably feeling pretty smug. I would hardly rank Ben in the top 5 quarterbacks in the game.
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Who would be your top two quarterbacks in the game right now? Mine would be Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Is that too no-brainer a question?

What Would You Do?

I love snow! There is something so peaceful about watching it fall. It's almost gone already, but the 2 inches or whatever we got last night was nice. I was resigned to the fact that we weren't going to see any snow this year. So I thanked the Father this morning for its beauty.
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Beverly and I watched a new show last night called "What Would You Do?" It was interesting, as it sets people up to deal with ethical and moral questions -- as well as some that are just funny. The funny ones are like if a person has a piece of spinach stuck in his/her teeth, would you tell them?

One of the situations was of some teenage girls who were unmercifully tearing down another girl in a park. They were calling her a loser, telling her she was ugly, pushing her and doing things with her hair (all the girls were actors). But hidden cameras were filming bypassers' reactions. What would you do? Some women stopped to intervene. One man told them to stop or he would call the police. The commentator mentioned that more women intervened than men. I'm not sure that particular setting was a fair assessment of what men or women would do. For a man to intervene in a park with teenage girls is a setup for a sexual harassment charge.

What would you do?

In another scene, a woman came into a donut shop outside of Waco dressed in Islamic wear (an actor). The clerk (an actor) told her that he didn't serve her kind. He told her to get on her camel and go back to her homeland. He claimed he was a true American. Amazingly, some people cheered him on. One man even chimed in with him against the woman. Fortunately, most of the people turned on the man. Several said they would never be back to that establishment.

What would you do?

Interesting. As we consider what we would do, we need to ask ourselves, "What would jesus do?"

Hillary's Ad Campaign

The Mavs are now 4-3 with Jason Kidd. They have not beaten a team with a winning record. They played competitive games against San Antonio and LA, but I don't think competitive games is what they were hoping for.
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I don't ever want to use the pulpit for political purposes. And I really don't want this blog to become that either. Even as I express views from time to time, I hope that the reader does not know who I am actually voting for.

However (you knew that was coming, didn't you?) I will make it obvious today who I am NOT voting for. I don't get Hillary's new ad campaign. It is a scare tactic that was used by Barry Goldwater back in the 60s. The basic premise is: Who do you want answering the phone if a crisis call is made to the White House?

1. I voted for George Bush in the last campaign. I must admit, I have been disappointed in him. But while the popular thing to do these days is to bash him over everything he does -- let's give him credit: There has not been another attack on America.

2. Out of the remaining three legitimate contenders for president (Clinton, Obama and McCain), Hillary is the last one of those I would want answering that phone. I just don't see her shrill voice steering us through a crisis.

It just seems like this ad campaign will work against her. Does she think that since Obama did not vote to go to war in Iraq -- that would mean that he could not lead us through a crisis. That is the obvious implication. But it just seems to me that given the choice between those two -- America would not choose her.

This is not intended to be a political statement. Simply an observation of character and leadership skills. Agree or disagree?

The Cross

This Sunday I am going to begin a 3 week series on the cross. Take it back to its original setting, and the cross is a scandal. It would be like taking on the symbol of a hangman's noose. That scandal was a stumbling block to Jews that prevented many of them from accepting Jesus as Messiah. It was equally as revolting to the Romans.

The cross has lost its scandal. It has become for us an almost sentimental symbol. We think of Jesus there -- and we cry. Or, in today's religious climate -- many talk around it. "Sacrifice? Blood? That seems barbaric. Let's just talk about the love of God." But you can't talk about the love of God without going to the cross.

We need to return to the crisis of the cross. The cross is not something we simply acknowledge. It is something we take up. We are to share in Jesus' suffering. it is a symbol of denial. It is a symbol of surrender. Yes, it is even a symbol of death.

It is scandalous! Yet the irony is: It is our only hope.

And That's the News

I would invite you to take a look at my friend Jeff Jones' blog today. The link is to the side of my blog. He brings up some interesting thoughts about the Lord's Supper. I wonder if we are aware at all how much what we do in our worship services today has been shaped by the transition in the early years from meeting in homes to meeting in cathedrals. Within our current model, it's hard to know how to translate the intent of the early church's worship.
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Interesting tidbits from the news:
1. Last night, Charlie Gibson reported that "experts" are saying gas will be $4 a gallon by late spring. Yee-haa! I bet Exxon-Mobil is giddy. Their record quarterly profits should go even higher as they drive our country into recession. If gas goes up another dollar, that will affect the price of everything. The oil companies have helped to establish a society that is so dependent upon gasoline that they can now do whatever they want. Here again, my cynicism comes out. But I am VERY cynical about the major oil companies. I think they control the politics and wars of much of the world.

2. It seems like only a couple of years ago, I was hearing that African elephants were close to extinction. I read an article this morning that said the elephants have recovered so quickly that several African governments are thinking about killing some of them. They are putting a huge strain on the food and water supply.

3. People will be making a huge fuss over Barack Obama donning the traditional clothing of his native homeland when he went for a visit. I'm sure this will fuel those who perpetuate the slanderous rumor that he is an Islamic terrorist. Yet it has been the custom for a long time for American visitors to wear the clothing of the native people so as not to offend them.

4. In America, people are bailing out on their traditional religious upbringings. They are either giving up the Christian faith all together, or opting for a "more individual" faith (meaning "I can be a Christian and not be a part of a church." This ought to challenge us as a church to ask, "What can we do to better communicate our message?" Where have we failed in our representation of community and fellowship? I find it especially sad because as more and more people are working in cubicles or from their homes, isolation is going to be a tremendous problem. People will need community more than ever. But our culture is making it harder and harder.

Praise to God

Nearly a year ago at our church, we got involved in a program called "Friend Speak." It is a program that teaches conversational English. For the 1st few months, the going was slow. But in recent months, the numbers of people coming have really picked up. And then last night, we were able to witness the new birth of one of our readers. I was brought to tears as one of our members who has been his reading partner spoke of how they had become close friends over the last year.

As I witnessed our brothers baptism last night, I thought back over the last month or so. I don't think there has been a time in which we were meeting for the last 4 or 5 weeks in which we have not been able to witness a new birth. In fact, there have even been a few instances where it was a gathering on a weeknight.

It is an exciting time to be a part of the Decatur Church of Christ. I'm not sure what the Lord is doing, but I sure want to be a part of it! I just pray He will bless me with eyes to be able to see His activity -- and jump into it!

Praise to You, our gracious Father!

The Oscars and Morality

After two rounds of the Accenture Match Play Championship, the totals are: Beverly, 33-15, Rick 29-19.
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As we get ready in the mornings and eat breakfast, Beverly and I watch Good Morning, America. This morning was almost totally about the Oscars. I hear that this is one of the most watched shows of the year. But I don't know anyone who watches it. Years ago I did occasionally, but I got sick of the winners' patronizing political speeches. They all seemed to say, "You lowly people of America are not nearly as enlightened as we actors are. The world would be so much better if we had more abortion rights and gay marriage."

Does anyone out there actually watch this?

There was another feature this morning: A preview of tonight's 20/20. Apparently, they secretly recorded people who had been put in situations in which they had to make moral decisions. The one they showed this morning involved a woman who had a friend who has just moved in with a man in a "committed relationship" (we used to call a committed relationship "marriage," but not in this wiser, more enlightened society). The set-up is that the man goes to a restaurant with another woman , where this friend happens to also be dining. The question: Will the woman tell her friend or not? My thought was that if she is a moral person she will tell her friend that living together outside of marriage is immoral. But obviously, that was not an issue here.

The "new morality." New? No, actually it is strikingly similar to the morality of the Roman Empire of 2,000 years ago -- in its waning years before it fell apart from within.

Sorry to be so cynical today. So, have a wonderful weekend!

Idol and Golf

Beverly and I have been watching American Idol as we multitask on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. She is usually doing job related computer work and I am usually reading. But it seems to me that there is better talent this year than in years past. Of course we already have our favorites.
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Tiger Woods keeps adding to his legendary career. I was working out yesterday afternoon before church and watched one of the most incredible comebacks I've ever seen. He is really incredible.

This week they are playing the Accenture Match Play championship. There needs to be more match play tournaments in professional golf. They are fun to watch. Anyway, it is bracketed -- with 64 golfers playing 32 matches. I took two copies of the bracket home at lunch yesterday, and Beverly and I each filled one out. Well, guess what? She drummed me! She had 23 wins and 9 loses. I had 19 wins and 13 loses. Maybe I can catch up in round two.

I was cracking up as I listened to her reasoning in her choices. "I don't like Rory Sabbatini (who was a 3rd seed)." So she picked his opponent -- who won!

She's being a real good sport about it. Hasn't rubbed it in at all. Other than telling her ladies' class last night. And constantly telling me that she will be glad to help me with my picks.

Anniversaries and Phobias

I read this yesterday in a "Smart Marriages" email:

Clarence, 101, and Mayme Vail, 99, celebrated their 83rd anniversary Sunday, possibly making them the longest married couple alive in the United States.

Wow! I can only hope as much for myself. Isn't that incredible?
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I was watching Good Morning America this morning. They are doing a segment right now in which each of the people on the show is confronting a fear he or she has. Robin Roberts already did hers. I think they went easy on her since she is recovering from cancer surgery and chemo. But hers was appearing in a fashion show. Today Chris Cuomo faced his fear of heights. He jumped from a 50+ story building in Atlantic City. Of course he had cables attached to him, etc. But as he was being urged by the stunt director to push himself off the ledge of the building, I could feel exactly what he was feeling. His fingers were holding onto the concrete lip of the building -- and he did not want to let go. My body was tensing up just watching him.

I don't fear heights like being on a roof or in an airplane. But standing on the edge of a cliff or at the top of a building gives me the willies. As a result of Tim McGraw's song, "Live Like You Are Dying " -- I have challenged myself in some ways to things I would not normally do. A couple of years ago, I did the bungie chair thing. And I NEARLY went skydiving with my boys last summer. I know, nearly doesn't count. But for me to have even considered it is a big step.

I think my only other phobia is rats and mice. They creep me out.

Monday Minibytes

Beverly and I are so blessed to have kids by marriage who will come to stay with us. I don't know how they could honor us more. This weekend we have had Kayci and Truitt with us -- and we have been BLESSED! There is no feeling like a baby smiling at you or falling asleep on your chest. It has been great!
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Well, it looks like the "Kidd" trade is going to go through after all. I guess once it leaked, they could hardly go back. That would have left those who had been involved in the trade feeling on the outside. I still think it is a bad trade.
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I heard on the news this morning about a program in inter-city schools -- funded by donations, not tax dollars -- to pay kids for making good grades. My 1st reaction is "That is ridiculous." But not being an educator, I don't know. What do you think?
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Here is a quote from Deitrich Bonhoeffer, one of my heroes in the faith. It sounds a lot like a commentary on 1 Corinthians 12:

In a Christian community, everything depends upon whether each individual is an indispensable link in a chain. Only when even the smallest link is securely interlocked is the chain unbreakable. A community which allows unemployed members to exist within it will perish because of them. It will be well, therefore, if every member receives a definite task to perform for the community, that he may know in hours of doubt that he, too, is not useless and unusable. Every Christian community must realize that not only do the weak need the strong, but also that the strong cannot exist without the weak. The elimination of the weak is the death of the fellowship.

Sports Talk

There are several sports-related stories I am following right now that are of interest:
1. The Roger Clemens story is one of the most bizarre since the O. J. trial. I admit my bias. I was against Barry Bonds nearly from the start because of his career-long attitude problems. But I was wanting Clemens to come out OK. But after hearing some of his testimony, I'm beginning to think that every time he opens his mouth -- he looks more guilty.

You would think these athletes would learn that if they would just tell the truth--the public is pretty forgiving. For instance, Jason Giambi and Andy Pettite have just admitted it-- and it is forgotten. The ones who continue with negative public sentiment are Mark McGwire, Raphael Palmeiro and Barry Bonds.

And why are America's tax dollars being spent on Congress being involved in this? You would think they have enough on their plates with the national debt, health care, social security and a war.

2. The Blockbuster trade bust. When I heard about the Mavs trade Wednesday night, I was thinking, "This sounds like another Hershel Walker deal." Jason Kidd? I like him. He has been one of the most exciting players in the league since his days with the Mavs. But why trade an up-and-coming point guard (Devin Harris) for a 35 year old worn out one? I'm kind of grateful that Devean George has blocked it. If the Mavs need anything different, they should have gone after Kevin Garnett.

3. I'm interested in the possibility of Darren McFadden being a Cowboy. I know some of you think that Marion "the Barbarian" Barber is the answer to the running back position. I think an all-purpose back like McFadden would be a tremendous boost the the Cowboys. Other than safety, I think this is their greatest need. Go get him, Jerry!

Brokenness

Last night in our men's class we talked about brokenness. I made the comment that God cannot REALLY use us until we are broken. We talked about how there are differing degrees of brokenness. For some, it may be as dramatic as Saul (Paul) on the road to Damascus. For others, as me at one point in my life -- it was an awakening to the wonder of God's grace. It made me aware of my sin and broke my heart.

The church should be a magnet for the broken. However that is not always the case, as the following story illustrates:

Fred Smith loves to ask people this question: "If you were caught for drunken driving, and the headlines in your local newspaper that Sunday morning said, 'So-and-so Arrested for Drunken Driving,' would you go to church?"

I've watched men blanch when Fred asked that question. When he asked it of me, I said: "Fred, I'm the preacher. I'd have a serious problem if I were caught driving drunk."

He asked, "Would you go to church?"

And I said, "No. I'd take a sabbatical for about a month and then try to weasel back in if I could."

And he said, "Steve, that's stupid. It's sort of like a man who's hit by an automobile, and he's got blood all over the place, and his bones are broken, and they try to take him to the hospital, and he says: 'Wait. I'm a mess. Let me go home and get cleaned up. Let me get these bones set, let me heal, and then I'll go to the hospital.'"

I grew up in churches like that. I pray to God that the Decatur church NEVER be that. EVER!

The Holy Spirit: Wild-eyed Fanatics

Listen to these observations from A. W. Tozer, probably written 30 years or so ago. I think his illustration applies to a number of things we have done through the years -- determining our "faith" by knee-jerking to that of others. I pray that we might base what we believe and practice on the Word of God and not as a reaction against something else.

The Holy Spirit: Wild-eyed Fanatics

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. --1 Thessalonians 5:19-21

This is a crude illustration, but let me tell you what we did after planting a field of corn when I was a young fellow in Pennsylvania. To save the field of corn from the crows, we would shoot an old crow and hang him by his heels in the middle of the field. This was supposed to scare off all of the crows for miles around. The crows would hold a conference and say, "Look, there is a field of corn but don't go near it. I saw a dead crow over there!"

That's the kind of conference that Satan calls, and that is exactly what he has done. He has taken some fanatical, weird, wild-eyed Christians who do things that they shouldn't, and he has stationed them in the middle of God's cornfield, and warns, "Now, don't you go near that doctrine about the Holy Spirit because if you do, you will act just like these wild-eyed fanatics." The Counselor, 63.

AWESOME

"Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite."
C. S. Lewis

I came across this quote this morning. It got me to thinking how often I do that. I will say something is "awesome." You don't get much better than awesome. In fact, truth be known -- only God is awesome. So when I say a meal or a movie or a golf shot was awesome, what word is left beyond that to describe something that truly is awesome?

Devo and Pebble

We hosted the junior high and high school devo at our house last night. It was wonderful to see nearly 40 kids singing praises to God. Of course, Beverly outdid herself in the food preparation department. I feel so blessed to be part of a church with such a great youth group. Obviously that reflects on the parents. But I give a lot of credit to Jacob and Heather, too (our youth minister and his wife). They are awesome!
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I was watching the golf tournament for a while yesterday. It was at Pebble Beach. What a gorgeous place! About half of the holes actually run right along the Pacific coast -- with breakers crashing in down below. Sea lions were sunning on the rocks. Whales were surfacing. Wow!

Did you know that Pebble Beach is a public golf course? That's right. Of course, you have to get a tee time about a year in advance. The cost for a round of golf? $495 -- not including a cart.

News of the Week

Interesting items in the news this week:

1. Mitt Romney postpones his campaign. This came as a huge surprise to me. I guess he figured he had won all the states he had a shot at. This is leaving much of the Republican party in a quandry, since they have been so critical of John McCain. Seems that he is just not conservative enough for many.

2. Bobby Knight resigns from Texas Tech mid-season. Here's a guy who has always been so hard on his players about not giving their all -- and he just quits. I don't know, maybe there is something going on in his personal life. I thought Jay Leno's comments were funny. Explaining why Knight walked away: "He said he wants to spend more time throwing furniture at his own family." Then Leno added, "You could tell he was a little old . . . like last week, he threw a Craftmatic Adjustable Bed."

3. Willie Nelson has come out saying that we have all been fooled by our government about 9-11. He said that it was not foreign terrorists who committed those atrocities. He believes that the buildings were imploded. I think Willie has been smoking the loco weed way too long.

4. Nolan Ryan has accepted the job as President of the Texas Rangers. Bless your heart, Nolan. You are a cult hero in Texas. And you want this to be a part of your legacy? Just a thought: Maybe Nolan will come out of retirement. I bet even at his age, he could improve the Rangers' pitching staff.

5. If you want to see a cute video (golfers will especially like it), go to www.youtube.com and enter "Tiger Traps." Then watch the video. I am coming out of the closet to admit something today: If I have a man-crush, it is for Tiger Woods. Not only is he an incredible athlete, he is just a good person.
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