Watching My Words

As I write this morning, the streets and sidewalks are white with sleet. It has been coming down pretty heavily over the last 30 minutes. Today is my big study day, so I think I will settle in here at the house, build a fire, and do my studying.

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Last night, it was raining in sheets. We got to church in the middle of it. The building was flooding in some spots. We all gathered in the Fireplace Room (probably 50 who showed up) and had a devotional. It was a special "family" time. I really appreciated Craig Jordan's thoughts about our speech. I so want to be someone who could be described as Eliphaz described Job (Job 4: 4): "Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees."

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If you live in the area of this winter storm, PLEASE be careful today.

Let It Snow!

I love snow! If I lived somewhere where you had it all the time, it might change my feelings. But our annual snow that melts by the next day is always exciting to me. I love to go stand outside when it is coming down really hard. If you are somewhere that is quiet, you can hear each flake as it hits the trees or the ground. There is something that is just delightful about that to me.

So, I am rooting for at least two inches of snow by tomorrow. Our forecast here in Decatur calls for snow from about sun-up until early afternoon. I would love to spend tomorrow with my wife at home with a nice fire in the fireplace and watching a couple of DVD's.

Tuesday's Blog on Monday Night

I am writing this blog on Monday night. Tomorrow morning Beverly and I will be traveling to Mansfield for the funeral of Merle Foster's son who tragically died in a motorcycle accident last Wednesday. Please keep Merle and Ray in your prayers.

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Don't come by to look at our decorations for a few days. We have had a major malfunction of our "Santa and Frostie coming out of the igloo." It is a sad sight right now. I will have to try something different.

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So, Vanderjack (sp?) got cut. How could they do that to the self-professed greatest fieldgoal kicker in history? Now if they would just cut "Lead-hands" Owens -- I will be a happy Cowboy camper again.

How about them Mavs? As I write, they are beating up on the Timberwolves. Looks like their streak will reach 10. Wow!

Baptism

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. We certainly did at the Ross'.

Yesterday, my incredible son-in-law David came over and helped me put up Christmas yard decorations. Jenny and Malaya helped Beverly put up the inside decorations. David came even though he was not feeling well. He does such a great job!

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Last night a few of us gathered for a baptism at Craig and Deena Jordan's hot tub. It was a beautiful occasion as Tera Davis was immersed into Christ.

What made it all the more special is that yesterday marked Beverly's spiritual birthday. 39 years ago she put on her Lord in baptism.

While I believe that Scripture teaches that baptism is when we are joined with Christ, the meaning of baptism has taken on deeper significance for me through the years. I see it as serving the same purpose that a wedding does for a marriage. It is a marker. It is a reminder of vows / commitments once made.

I certainly think this is what the New Testament writers (mainly Paul) had in mind when they discussed baptism. After all, they were writing to the community of believers -- people who had already been baptized (that is a given, by the way). And they are not writing so much to give them a doctrinal discourse on baptism as they are to point back to it. "Don't forget your baptism." "How can you think of living in sin? Remember: You were baptized!" (Romans 6: 1-4). "Don't you remember that you were once an alien to God -- living in wickedness? But now you have been washed and sanctified." (Titus 3: 3-7). "How can you treat people as if they are 2nd class citizens? Don't you realize that when you were baptized, you were clothed with Christ? If we are all clothed with Christ, then there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female. We are all one in Him." (Galatians 3: 26-28).

Much as a marriage counselor might tell a couple, "Remember your wedding vows?" -- these verses are saying, "Remember your baptism?" What a beautiful marker it is!

What's On The Side?

I was so glad to see that O. J.'s travesty of justice got panned. I was sorry to hear, however, that he will probably still walk away with $3.5 million. What a vile man.

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Tomorrow is it: Thanksgiving! I live such a charmed life. I have so many things to be thankful for. My wife is THE most incredible person I have ever known. And I have the blessing of getting to spend this life with her. Of course, my family in general is a tremendous blessing.

But this year, I think the blessing most on my heart is the church I serve. I have been here for a year and a half now, and still feel like I am in the "honeymoon." I LOVE THIS CHURCH! I look forward to each assembly time. Obviously, because I love to praise God. But the fellowship is so sweet. I thank the Father for bringing us to Decatur!

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By the weekend, I hope to have Christmas decorations up. I am trying to decide whether to get one of those inflatable Santas to put on the balcony out from. I am leaning toward it because I think Malaya would like it.

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OK, today's topic: Side dishes. Beverly worked for straight hours in the kitchen yesterday preparing for Thursday. She fixes so many delicious things. Thanksgiving would not be the same without her gourmet potatoes (everyone in the family loves them). And she makes a good sweet potato dish. I'm not crazy about sweet potatoes, but I like to have one large spoonful of hers over the next several meals.

But my favorite has to be dressing. I don't like when it has big hunks of egg. But I LOVE dressing -- a little on the dry side. I like to get the edges. I probably will have 10,000 calories tomorrow in dressing alone.

I've never had "stuffing" before. Is that a Northern thing? I wonder if it tastes like dressing.

Where's the Beef?

Incredible! A month ago, nearly everyone was ready to write the Cowboys off (me included). Yet, after the Giants' loss last night, the Cowboys now stand tied for the division lead. And their schedule looks pretty favorable compared to others. I guess it helps being in the mediocre NFC.

And how about the BCS? Usually at this time of year, it seems that things are clearer than they stand this year. Of course, few would question that if Ohio State wins out, they are number 1. But from there, what? Even though MIchigan is currently number 2, according to what I read, if Southern Cal wins out, the computers will bump them to number 2. And then there is Notre Dame sitting close by -- playing USC this week. Arkansas could spoil things for Florida. It will definitely be interesting.

It is sad that there are no Big 12 teams lurking.

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OK, back to Thanksgiving. What is your favorite meat? While we have to have turkey, it is not my favorite meat. And I only like the white meat -- pretty dry. I probably prefer ham -- if it is a real ham and not the processed stuff. Beverly gets a spiral-cut ham shoulder and I love it! We are also serving brisket this year. Of those three, I would probably rank them: 1. ham, 2. brisket, and 3. turkey.

We have never tried fried turkey -- but I have heard it is delicious. So, what's your meat?

Tomorrow: Sides.

Thanksgiving Week

Poor Molly! She is not doing any better -- coughing her cute little head off. Not good.

This is Thanksgiving Week. Our kids will start arriving tomorrow night. By Thursday, we will have 16 people at our house. Beverly is taking this week off, and will begin preparation for "the Feast" today. The countdown has begun: 78 hours and counting.

OK, for the next few days, let's talk about favorite Thanksgiving foods. We will begin with desserts. I must tell you -- I am NOT a pumpkin pie fan. Probably because all I can think about is seeing that slimy stuff being dug out of the pumpkin. And mincemeat? I have to confess: I don't think i have ever tasted it. It just doesn't sound dessert-ish. About like blood pudding.

My favorites are pecan pie, buttermilk pie and coconut pie. Coconut would probably be my year-round favorite (with the coconut burned just a hair on top). But my Thanksgiving favorite would be pecan.

How about you?

(Tomorrow: Favorite meat)

If I'm Sick, Take Me To The Vet

I had to take Molly to the vet yesterday. She has had kennel cough for about three weeks, and it seems to be getting worse.

I really admire vets. I have taken our pets to a number of them through the years. I know this is somewhat of a generalization, but I have found them to be so much more compassionate and concerned for their patients than MD's are for theirs. Now before anyone gets after me, I have very close friends who are MD's, and I am grateful for what doctors do for us. It must be one of the most stressful jobs there is. But I think that human doctors, in general, could learn a lot by observing a vet's "bedside manner."

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Tonight, I am going with a buddy of mine to Texas Indoor Golf in Grapevine. You can play a simulated game of golf -- choosing from over 60 of the greatest courses in the world. I don't know where my friend will want to play. And looking over the list, I'm not sure either. Augusta is not on it or I would probably choose that. But Pebble Beach is. And St. Andrews. Also the beautiful course Beverly and I saw in Cabo San Lucas. So who knows where we will be "traveling" tonight.

Your News Source -- Right Here

The media is having a field day this week. What did you think of the Bobby Knight incident? I think the guy's track record suggests he has some real anger-management problems. But if any other coach had done what he did this week, would it be in the news?

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Then yesterday, the story broke about O. J. Simpson coming out with a book entitled, "If I Did It." This is classlessness taken to a new low. This guy is now going to make millions of dollars by exploiting the deaths of two people -- which, according to early reviews of the book -- he basically admits to killing. Because our Constitution says a person cannot be subject to double jeopardy (tried for the same crime twice), there is nothing that can be done to him.

I don't know why the earnings from this book cannot be garnished to pay for the 30+ million he owes from his civil trial.

Beverly, the ever-maternal one, said this morning, "How could he do this to his children?" Good question.

I am using much self-control right now, because I could really go off in a judgmental tirade about this man.

Remember after the trial, when he said he would spend his life looking for the killers? He must have reason to think they were golfers -- because he spends all his time on the golf course.

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And Tom Cruise is getting married in Italy. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Tozer on Sin

I haven't thrown any Tozer at you for a while, but today's reading hit me hard. We often think of sin as being only something we "commit." But sin is an outgrowth from what's in our hearts. Tozer's comments today were convicting to me:

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. --Galatians 2:20

To be specific, the self-sins are self-righteousness, self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love and
a host of others like them. They dwell too deep within us and are too much a part of our natures to come to our attention till the light of God is focused upon them. The grosser manifestations of these sins--egotism, exhibitionism, self-promotion--are strangely tolerated in Christian leaders, even in circles of impeccable orthodoxy. They are so much in evidence as actually, for many people, to become identified with the gospel. I trust it is not a cynical observation to say that they appear these days to be a requisite for popularity in some sections of the church visible. Promoting self under the guise of promoting Christ is currently so common as to exite little notice....

Self is the opaque veil that hides the face of God from us. It can be removed only in spiritual experience, never by mere
instruction. We may as well try to instruct leprosy out of our system. There must be a work of God in destruction before we are free. We must invite the cross to do its deadly work within us. We must bring our self-sins to the cross for judgment. The Pursuit of God, 43-44.

Beautiful Animals

Beverly and I went to Roger and Judy Armstrong's last night for supper. Because Beverly will be traveling to Kenya in March, they wanted to share with us some of what they had seen on their trip last year. It was incredible!

As I watched the many animals on their video, I was reminded once again how magnificent God is. The leopards, lions and cheetahs are so perfectly camauflaged that they fade into their surroundings. Absolutely awesome. Of course, there is the giraffe and the elephant -- that remind us that God has a sense of humor. And the jackal: It looks like it was made with left-over parts.

Several others were there last night, and I threw out that of all the animals on this planet, the Orca (Killer Whale) would make my top 5 most beautiful animals (Of course, Molly would make my list, too). Roger voted for the leopard.

What do you think? How about sharing your top choices. Of course, we know that Randy's is the prairie dog:)

A Waste of Time

Yesterday afternoon, I washed and detailed both of our cars. I love the way the cars look and smell right after I finish. At the time I did not know that rain was in the forecast for tonight.

I have not been very good through the years at keeping our cars clean. Something about washing a car seems like a huge waste of time. They look nice for a day or two -- and then they need to be washed again.

I'm not consistent in my application of this principle of wasted time. I love keeping a nice yard, which as you know must be done again in a week's time.

I realize that many things in life are like that. My youngest son used to complain about making his bed for the same reason. He thought it was a total waste of time, since he would be getting back into it that night.

What -- to you -- constitutes a waste of time? I already know what you NASCAR fans are going to want to write -- if you are truly honest.:)

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Josh chided me last week for my regular Monday trashing of T. O. So, I won't mention another couple of crucial drops yesterday by the self-proclaimed greatest receiver of all time.

Wow! What a shake-up in the BCS! I know fans from many schools are now thinking they have a shot at the national championship. I think I might pull for a real underdog -- Rutgers.

Congratulations to Decatur on winning the district championship in football. Go all the way to state!

Also, congratulations to Paradise and Boyd for making the playoffs. I hope all our local teams go deep!

Look Out For Falling Ducks!

I mentioned in my blog on Monday about the power outage at our house on Sunday night. I found out what happened this morning -- as it made the front page of the Wise County Messenger. A flock of ducks was flying over and was struck by lightning. Apparently they fell onto a transformer and blew it out. 26 ducks!

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I watched bits and pieces of the Louisville/Rutgers football game last night. It was a good game. Louisville entered the game ranked 3rd in the nation. Rutgers was ranked 15th, I think. Anyway, Rutgers was playing at home. The fans were absolutely going wild! They have not had a game of this magnitude in their history -- even though the 1st collegiate football game ever played included them.

Well, Rutgers won! It took two attempts at a field goal in the final seconds -- but they won. And the fans stormed onto the field like ants on an anthill if you stir it up. It was an incredible moment.

I like sports, but as I get older I think about how fleeting such moments of euphoria are. And I wonder: Why don't we get as excited about this: God loves us -- even in our sin! Jesus took our sin debt -- and nailed it to the cross. The Holy Spirit lives inside us to help us to live victoriously! There is a place called Heaven -- where we can live in the presence of the Father for all eternity!

And yet, for the most part -- we get more excited about some reality TV show than we do with that.

The Godhead

I must admit the Rumsfield resignation took me by surprise. I am wondering: If he was such a political liability, wouldn't the resignation have made more sense prior to the election rather than the day after?

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It seems to me that the subject of the Godhead comes up a lot these days. It is a very difficult concept. After all, Islam accuses Christians of being polytheistic.

I really do believe that this is one of those concepts that we humans will never fully comprehend. Kind of like a 5th dimension. And any illustration one uses has its weaknesses. I have found the most helpful illustration to be comparing "the Trinity" to water. Water can be a gas (steam), a solid (ice) or a liquid (water). But it is still only one element.

I've also used the candle illustration. You have the candle itself (Jehovah), the light it gives off (Jesus) and the warmth it radiates (the Holy Spirit).

Again, any attempt to compare the Godhead to such things has its inherent weaknesses. It is a concept I will continue to wrestle with. Any ideas?

Post-Election Observations

Well, it the US House is going to the Democrats -- with several seats to spare. The Senate is still in question. The political landscape today certainly looks different from the last 13 years when the Republicans took over both House and Senate.

While I have voted Republican for quite some time, I must say that I have been somewhat disappointed with what the Republican party has accomplished (or failed to accomplish) while they have been in power. They were given an opportunity by the American people with their "Contract for America." And while conditions are certainly not terrible in our nation, I think the public expected more.

So, it will be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of years. I could not help but notice, however, how giddy the TV news people were last night.

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On a related note, I went to vote yesterday afternoon. Back when we moved to Decatur, I had updated Beverly and my driver's licenses on line. There was a place on there to update our voter's registrations -- which I did. But when I handed the lady my driver's license yesterday, she said I was not registered. So, I will have to wait until the next election. Oh, well.

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Wow! What is happening to Metroplex sports? The Cowboys get No-Catch Owens. Now the Rangers are talking about going after Barry Bonds! What's next? The Mavs trying to work a trade for Kobe?

It's Election Day

Today is mid-term election day. This may prove to be very interesting. Does America want to stay the current course? Or are we wanting drastic changes. Because it seems to me that the two parties are further apart ideologically than perhaps ever before.

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So, Saddam Hussein has been sentenced to hang. I have found the feedback from the world to be interesting. Bush has commended the passing of the death sentence. Tony Blair has commended the guilty verdict, but is opposed to the death penalty. Among the Iraqis themselves, there appears to be both jubilation and "blame the Americans" (what a surprise).

I have been wondering lately: Would the world be better off if there was no USA? I think many in our own country believe that. I find myself disappointed in the way we tend to politicize so much in our foreign policy. But we are also an extremely benevolent nation -- unlike any other on the planet.

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If you live in the vicinity of Decatur and have wondered about a good work that you could volunteer some time to, I would recommend that you check out WARM. They are in desperate need of volunteers for such things as answering the phone, stocking groceries, packing food boxes, etc. If you might be interested in giving an hour or two a week, call them at 626-4676.

Get This Clown Out of Town!

Sorry I'm a little late with my blog. I have been playing "Grampy" this morning -- taking my daughter-in-law and grandson to my daughter's house in Keller.

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So, T.O fans: Is "the Disease" worth $10 million? I watched about 10 minutes of the game yesterday. I saw him score a touchdown, and do his cute little "nap." He got what he wanted -- a lot of attention. Who cares that it came with a 15 yard penalty? It could have been a momentum booster. Instead, it seemed to fire up the Redskins. But he got on ESPN -- that's what he cared about.

And then he drops a 75 yard sure touchdown! A ball I could have caught (even at 50). Probably was thinking, "How can I top my last cute endzone show?" Well, it probably cost them the game.

Get this clown out of town!

I am so disappointed. A team that used to be the envy of the league. A proud francise. And now it is the joke of the league. All so a multi-million dollar owner can stoke his ego and pretend that he is a football man. Jerry Jones as General Manager is a joke! Do you think any other team in the NFL -- if they were looking for a General Manager -- would say, "Let's get someone like Jerry Jones!'

And Bill Parcells. No doubt he was once a great coach. Not legendary, but great. But here in Dallas he has been mediocre. His boorish behavior in interviews doesn't endear him to anyone, either. He seems to me to be a man who is just biding his time until he retires.

GO SAINTS!

OK, that's my rant. I feel better now.

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Last night as we were finishing supper (about 7:40), the lights went out. They were out until about 12: 30. We managed to round up a bunch of candles and sat in the den until about 10. It was pretty nice, really. We just talked. Jennifer said, "I wish I could just turn off the electricity at my house every once in a while." Yeah, I agree.

Painting: Resurrection Morn

Beverly and I were visiting one of our sweet members (Dorothy Paul) out at Governor's Ridge Tuesday night when I noticed a painting on her wall. It is called "Resurrection Morn." Dorothy is an avid reader of Civil War history and had gotten the picture at one of the battlefields.

She told me to read the back. The story is incredible. It went something like this. During a lull in the fighting, the two armies were camped opposite each other with a river in between. In the Confederate camp, a chaplain was holding a Bible study. One of the young men decided he wanted to be baptized. He was told that it would be too dangerous, but he insisted.

So, the Confederate troops laid down their weapons and approached the river. When the Union army saw them at the river's edge, many of them came closer to see what was going on. As the baptism took place, troops from both sides were at the water's edge.

After the baptism, the Confederates began singing a hymn (I can't remember which one). The Union soldiers joined them in the singing.

You can see the painting at www.markscollection.com/civil-war/resurrection-morn.htm. It's by Hong Min Zou.

A Great Story

Maybe you have heard the story of Dick and Rick Hoyt. I first heard it on Good Morning America several years ago. Since then, I have been reminded of it on a number of occasions -- and every time I have cried. So, read the story. And then be sure to go to the link at the end and watch the video.

P.S. There are still heroes in this world.
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A Rick Reilly column in Sports Illustrated :

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swim meets.

But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheel chair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.

Dick has also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. "Put him in an institution.''

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. "No way,'' Dick says he was told. "There's nothing going on in his brain.''

"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain.

Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? "Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, "Dad, I want to do that.''

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self- described ``porker'' who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. "Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. "I was sore for two weeks.''

That day changed Rick's life. "Dad,'' he typed, "when we were running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

"No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, "Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? "No way,'' he says.

Dick does it purely for "the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time'? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a
wheelchair at the time.

"No question about it,'' Rick types. "My dad is the Father of the Century.''

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. "If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' one doctor told him, "you probably would've died 15 years ago.''

So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

"The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, "is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''

Here's the video.... if you don't watch it, you will miss something VERY special….
Now watch the video - and don't say I didn't warn you.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryCTIigaloQ

Happy Birthday, David -- But Don't Eat the Cake

Today is my son-in-law's birthday. The Rosses have been so blessed to have David as a part of our family. When he asked me if he could marry Jenny, I asked only one thing of him -- that he guard her heart. He has done that so well.

We have laughed so many times as we think back about the way David tried to impress us when he first started dating Jenny. Intentionally losing card games with Beverly. Pretending that I was so overpowering as all the boys wrestled in the swimming pool on vacation. (David, you might want to take some acting lessons).

And what a wonderful father he is to my granddaughter. My heart wants to explode sometimes as I watch him with Malaya. He is such a good daddy.

Besides all that, David is an extremely hard worker. And his love for the Lord is so obvious.

So, happy birthday, David. I love you.

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I was watching ABC news day before yesterday. They were doing a report on fat content in foods, and how New York is considering passing a law that all restaurants must stop using trans-fats. I am glad to see that many food chains are voluntarily removing such fats from their foods.

But one statement really caught my attention. They said, "MacDonald's is making us obese." I turned to my mom, who was visiting, and said, "They aren't making me obese." I mean, I have yet to see Ronald MacDonald holding a gun to anyone's head and telling them to eat 6 Big Macs.

Don't get me wrong. Any move to make food healthier is good. But is this something the government should get involved in? Are they going to tell me that I can't have an occasional Blizzard at Dairy Queen? And if fast food places are responsible for obesity and heart disease -- what about grocery stores?

This is Political Correctness run amock. What has happened to personal responsibility and self-control?

Please tell me: Am I missing something here?