It's Primal

I have another great book to let you know about.

One of my favorite authors has just finished his third book. "Primal," by Mark Batterson should be in stores soon. The premise of this book is Mark encouraging and calling readers to get back to the basic, fundamental elements of our faith in Christ. He highlights the fact that we as Christians tend to cimplicate our walk with God. Batterson recognizes that the reformation our world needs will be a result of stripping Christianity to the raw elements of what matters in our relationship with Jesus.

This is a great book and would be a great first book to read in 2010. Batterson does such a great job of writing in a manner that is easy to follow and understand. Any time I read his work, I feel like he is on the couch beside me, explaing his insights and truths.

Below is the link to where you can purchase the book. Take the challenge to return to the fundamental aspects of your faith.

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601421319

A Fantasy of Heartbreak.

I have a had a decent fantasy football season. My team was extremely injury prone, but I was able to escape several close games to have a 7-5 record going into the last week of the regular season. I was one spot out of the playoffs, playing one of the two people ahead of me by one game. The Johnson duo (Andre & Chris) both scored 41 points and helped me win by five points.

Unfortunately for me, the second guy I needed to lose did not. Therefore, I was left out of the playoffs in a tie-break. I have to say...IT STINKS!

Book Alert

With only 9 days left until Christmas, shopping is in full force.

I want to help.

I have a book that would be a great gift or stocking stuffer.
The book "40 Loaves: Breaking Bread with Our Father Each Day." It is written by C. D. Baker.

This work is a compilation of daily readings with the purpose of helping the reader renew their spirit to hunger after God. Each day's reading is about four pages in length, centered around a specific spiritual question. For example, Day one is Why do I want Jesus in my life? Day nineteen is why is my life such a mess?

I found this style of book to be very effective for me. The daily amount of reading is manageable, but the topic and insights are something I can take with me throughout my day. If you are looking for something to help you renew you walk with the Lord, this is a great option.

Below I will link to a site where you can purchase this book.

http://www.amazon.com/Forty-Loaves-Breaking-Bread-Father/dp/0307444902/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261011734&sr=8-1

All Night Long

I am a fan of ESPN's college basketball tip-off marathon. Heck, I had a waffle and a basketball game for breakfast. How great is that? Not only are there a bunch of games, but there are some really nice match ups tonight. Here's to you Tip Off Marathon.

Q & A

Q: You know what is the best part about having your fingers smell like chicken wings?

A: There is a pretty good chance that you have recently eaten some chicken wings.

Blue Whales

Did you know that the tongue on a Blue Whale is the size of an elephant? And the heart is the size of a car? Its blood vessels are so big that a human can swim through them. Is God incredible or what?

Depends on who you ask

This past weekend, I participated in a community service project with a group of guys from Mercer University. We went to a neighborhood to pick up trash in the streets. As we drove into the neighborhood, there were several guys who commented that the streets were already clean and we didn't need to be there. As I scanned the same streets, I too noticed that the streets appeared to be clean.

We got out of the cars and met up to begin the cleaning. As we walked the first street, one of the guys mentioned that he didn't mind helping, but he didn't think we were doing any good. Despite a few trepidatious attitudes, we continued picking up what trash we saw. It didn't take long to realize that when you look passed the asphalt and into the grass, that there was plenty of trash to be picked up.

What I realized is that as we drove into the neighborhood, the streets appeared clean, consequently making our presence their needless. But we were looking at the streets only because it required less effort to clean the streets. The level of effort we would need to get the trash that was in the yards, the weeds, and in the briars was much higher. With trash bag in hand, it only took a few minutes to realize that the pieces of trash may be small, but the overall amount of trash was plenty. Sometimes, it takes more than a drive-by inspection to see the areas that need cleaning.

As I worked in the back of our group and I was able to watch the group walk the neighborhood. The group began interacting with the residents as we picked up trash. I watched as the folks in the neighborhood shared their delight and appreciation for what the guys were doing. It was obvious that seeing a group of young men serving their neighborhood was a blessing in and of itself.

I propose that the interaction with the residents was of greater influence than picking up trash. The act of removing trash had an immediate impact, and will be felt for a time. But the inspiration given to the young people who watched our group of young men do acts of service and the adults who drew inspiration from the fact that the next generation can be selfless and serving minded can have an impact for the coming months and even years.

Our purpose was to pick up trash. Instead we planted seeds of hope and joy. The needs we met were not noticeable from the comfort of our cars. If you had asked us if we were making an impact, the answer would have been a resounding NO. But we were't the correct people to ask.

Good Book Alert

In the midst of the mountain of school reading that I have this semester, I have been working my way through "You Were Born For This" by Bruce Wilkinson. I have not quite finished it yet, but I am loving every page.

The premise of the book is that God desires to move through our lives on a daily basis. He points out that most of the time we try to do great things by our own might, when God would love to make things happen through us. The book encourages the reader to apply several steps that will help the reader position themselves in a place that is ready and willing for God to move.

The style of writing is very pleasant. The author does a great job of intermixing stories along with the teaching. If you want to better understand your purpose as a believer in Jesus, this is the book for you. I will list the link if you would like to look into it further.

http://www.randomhouse.com/gm/results.pperl?title_subtitle_auth_isbn=you+were+born+for+this

You Make An Impact Even When You're Unaware

Here's the second part of the lesson I learned about impact during the long weekend of Labor Day.

2) You make an impact even when you are unaware. Perhaps, you make more unintentional impacts that intentional. Let me explain.

When I was young, there were a handful of college students who were generous enough to babysit my siblings and myself, so that my parents could go on dates and stuff like that. I don't remember a lot of those times, but the memories of the babysitters that I do have are very clear.

While sitting around the supper table during the Labor Day reuinion, one of the ladies (who was one of the baby sitters) asked me if I remembered her and her husband. More than likely, she asked me because it had been 15 years since I had seen them, I was a kid the last time we were around each other, and nothing out of the ordinary happened when we were together.

Much to her and her husband's surprise, I began rattling off memory after memory that I had about them both. With each detail hat I shared, her mouth dropped open a little more. She was shocked. In fact, she didn't remember most of the specific details that I remembered. After a few more minutes of talking about days gone by, she closed the topic with a very profound statement, and it was this, "It is amazing. You never know what people will remember about you and what impact that will have on them."

That is exactly the point. We walk around doing the everyday things that make up our lives, and we have in our heads what it means to "make an impact." When we enter a situation that we deem impactful, we prepare ourselves to put our best foot forward. But the truth is that every minute of every day is an opportunity to make an impact. And the tricky part is that you will rarely get to choose to make an impact. These opportunities will take place whether you decide to step up or not. The words out of your mouth, the actions you take, the attitudes you project are all things that are seen by others and make an impact in one way or another.

Walk through your day with intentional purpose to exhibit Jesus in all you do. Some situations may seem insignificant, but you never know what someone will remember about you and the impact that will have on their lives.

It's All About Impact

This past weekend, Mandie and I traveled (south) to Brooklet, Ga for a reunion of a bunch of folks who attended the same church during the late 80's and early 90's. I had a blast as I spent a day and a half with old friends at a beautiful retreat center. We ate, played volleyball, half-rubber, ate, worshipped, and ate some more. The entire thing was a little surreal as I was surrounded, mostly by people I had not seen in 15 years. Fifteen!

Now on the back side of the reunion, there are a couple of things that I carry away from the weekend regarding impact. I thought I would share them with you.

1. The manner in which you deal with people is longer lasting than you can imagine while in the moment. The centerpiece of the reunion was my Dad. He would never say that and would be embarrassed to see it written, but he was the pastor, therefore he gets thrown into the middle of all of the action. For two days, I watched a group of 100+ people fawn all over my Dad. Due to the impact that he had on their lives, these folks showed back up to not only see a bunch of old friends, but to spend some time with my Dad.

It is the time he spent allowing Jesus to be Jesus through him all those years ago that still influences these people today. They can look back to a particular time in their lives and pinpoint a specific moment that Dad had an impact in their lives. This weighty realization has inspired me. If you had asked my Dad during his time in Brooklet, he would never have guessed that his impact would be this great. But that is exactly the point. You and I have absolutely no idea how big an impact we may have in a person's life. If we walk through our day, being obedient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we will perhaps look back, fifteen years down the road, and be able to see an impact that God made through us.

I'll share the second one tomorrow.

BP Magic

This past weekend, I went to a couple of Braves games. My brother drove in with a couple of friends from Oklahoma, and the parents came up from south Georgia. Both games were good. We lost in the ninth inning Friday and won in the ninth on Saturday.

The most memorable part of the two games was batting practice. I am a life long batting practice attendee. To this day, I bring a glove and long for a ball like I am 8 years old. In my career, I have officially grabbed 1 ball. I was in high school and I caught a ball hit by Joe Carter. But that has been it.

This past weekend, we had a batting practice for he ages. Between the four of us (Caleb, his two buddies and myself), we got five BP balls. That's right, Five!

I started things off by catching one. Then five minutes later, Caleb picks one up off the ground after it bounces off of a couple of folks. Three minutes later, Riley makes a mid-air grab from a ricochet off of two guys.

Saturday: We had just walked in the stadium, and the Phillies were on the field, but had not started hitting. I look up and see Pedro Feliz take his first swing. Before I can get my glove out of my back, his second shot is a laser just in front of us and to the left. Caleb goes down three steps, crosses over the rail and jumps in between three people (who were not even watching) to make a spectacular grab. It was one of the best catches I have ever seen in batting practice.

Five minutes later, he was outdone by Riley, who ran 25 feet to his left and spun as he jumped to correct his course. He made the grab over his shoulder, in a manner that would make Wilie Mays proud.

The only one to not make a grab was Zack, who did a tremendous job of looking like a champ in the outfield with a catchers mitt.

Both games were fun. BP was a blast!

Coke: It's Still the Real Thing

With some friends in town, we trekked up to the new and improved World of Coca-Cola. It was a blast to check out the new experience. It's in an entirely new location from the last time I visited (4 years ago). It's right across the street from the Aquarium, and on the end the edge of Centennial Olympic park.

Inside was just as impressive as the outside. There are only two levels instead of three, and it is much easier to get around. They have included an actually bottling exhibit, and at the end of the tour, you get your very own 8 oz. glass bottle.

A tour of Coke world would not be complete without a trip to the flavors of the world exhibit. This is where you can taste 60 different flavors from around the world that are made by the Coke company. Beverly is one flavor that is so nasty, I can't bear to even put it on my lips. I always try my best to make it sound so good, and dupe my friends to try it. You will be glad to know that Teresa and Mandie both fell for my trickery. This was the third time that Mandie has been tricked by me. The first time we visited, I got her TWICE!

In conclusion, the day was a blast.
Got to love the World of Coke.

Grace in all things

One of the great things about grace is that it can be present even when you don't acknowledge it. God provides you and I with multiple levels of grace every day.

One major way I am experiencing God's grace right now is the location of our new apartment. Choosing a place during a hectic whirlwind tour of Macon, was nerve wracking, and tough decision. But with each day that passes, I find more reasons to love our location in Macon.

1. It's easy to get almost anywhere in town.
2. Surrounded by trees, I feel like I live int he middle of the country, not town.
3. It's 3 miles from Wal-Mart.
4. Equal distance between I-75 & I-475.
5. And we're 3 miles from Wal-Mart.

Need I say more!

BGC

I have found my home course here in Macon. It has taken a couple of rounds, but I have found what I hope will be o'l faithful. The course I speak of is Bowden Golf Course. It's a municipal course, opened in 1940, on the southeast corner of town.

The layout is sweet, with rolling hills and a couple of ponds. The fairways and greens were in great shape. It is not incredibly difficult, but you must hit the shots if you want to score well. I was so relieved to find a solid track to play. The best part is that it cost $10 to walk.

The other course in town that I can afford to play on a regular basis was over grown and over run with old members, who think they run the place.

Hopefully, I will find some time to play once school starts back up.

Two Weeks

I finally finished up my Summer class at the beginning of last week.
It was a lot of fun and a great benefit to learn about the history of Christianity since the reformation.

Now I have two weeks before school starts back again. I will be attending the extension center in Atlanta this year, since we moved to Macon. I look forward to meeting a whole bunch of new folks.

In my few weeks away from school, I am working on a couple of projects on my to-do list. Namely, I am finishing up my novel. I have sent it off to the my Mom, so she can do some editing. Hopefully, there won't be too much more to correct.

T-DUB

The dude in the red shirt is filthy good.
Once again, Tiger starts the 3rd round with the lead and he finishes the deal.

My question is, why doesn't it get old watching him win?
I love it!
Even though he wasn't pushed today,
I watch it like he was trying to win a major.

Friday (2nd) Funday (in a row)

Thursday funday was off the chain. I will be sure to post some pics soon. This afternoon, I surprised Mandie with a getaway weekend in Savannah. We got here around 7:30, checked in the hotel, and headed for River St. We ate at One Eye Lizzie, which was delish. We got one of the coveted balcony tables that over looks the river. After supper, we strolled River St, and visited every candy shoppe on the block. We watched some guys make pralines, and salt water taffy.

Tomorrow...Beach.

Thursday, Fun Day

I am so excited about tomorrow. I have an 8:15 tee time at the Alfred "Tup" Holmes Golf Course in Atlanta. It's a municipal course, built in 1940 on a civil war battle field.

After the links, I am making the six mile drive over to Turner Field to watch a business man's special. The Braves go for the 4 game sweep of the Giants. The best part is a got a free ticket from the Braves for my birthday. It will be the first Braves game I have been to in years. I am pumped!

I'll be sure to show you some pics from the day.

Black Friday

It's true, the unthinkable has happened.
Tiger Woods missed the cut at the Open Championship.
As bummed as I am, I can't help but think that he earned it.
Tiger spent a good bit of time in uncharted territory (for him), building upon mistakes with more mistakes. Tiger normally limits his mistakes, but this week he was unable to stop the bleeding.

Even though TW will be out of the picture, I am looking forward to watching a bunch of links golf this weekend. There is something so fun about watching links golf. I am becoming obsessed with heading over to Scotland to play some golf by the way.

Good Book Update!

In the midst of my busy Summer, I have been doing a little reading.

Holy Roller is one Lady's experience of searching for God in the midst of a tough part of town in Dallas, Texas. Julie Lyons is a crime reporter for a local paper in Dallas. At a point in her life when the day to day grind of seeing the effects of evil became overwhelming, she searches for relief.

Her search takes her to an inner city church in one of the most crime-ridden sections of Dallas. She discovers a church that is a true light in the midst of the darknes. This church reaches out to the community and allows God to do a work through the lives of the members of the church.

This book is not just an interesting read, but an encouragement to the reader, a reminder that God does still move. That no situation is beyond the miraculous power of God.

If you're looking for a good read for the second of half of your Summer, check out Holy Roller.

http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Roller-Finding-Redemption-Forgotten/dp/1400074959/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247775897&sr=8-1

Has it been 2 months?

Unbelievable!
It has been two months since I last posted.
All I can say is that it has been a heck of a two months.

In a nutshell:
I went on an eight day cruise to St. Marten, Puerto Rico, and Haiti.
Taken a summer school class.
MOVED to Georgia. Celebrated my Birthday and 2nd Wedding Anniversary!

Now that we're are a little more settled, I will do a better job at posting on a regular basis.

Wings and Goodness

Wing night was good. Gator Dockside does pretty good wings.
It was fun to sit around the table with 15 guys from class.

There is something very important about guys being able hang out together. Dudes need to be a part of a brotherhood.

Wings and Things

Our Sunday School class is having our first official guys wing night tonight.
Man am I excited to fellowship around the dinner table full of wings.

I will let you know how the wings at Dockside are.

Up Close & Personal

I went to the Rays game last night with a couple of buddies from church. JD got tickets from work and we sat in the best seats I have ever had. We were on the 1st row, in the first seats just past the Rays dugout. We were in the middle of all of the action. I leaned over the wall and touched the astroturf.

It was a true blasty blast for a nosebleed heckler like myself, because we sat close enough to the 1st base umpire that he could hear me. I rode him like he wasmy prize winning horse in the Kentucky Derby. My voice is gone and my throat is swollen from all of the yelling, but I gave him a hard time all night. For the record, he only missed only one call. And I didn't use any foul language, and only through my glove and hat a couple of times.

Despite our prime position, we only had ONE opportunity for a foul ball. Kevin got it, but gave it to a girl because he thought it hit her. Unbelievable!

We managed to make it on TV twice and I made all kinds of friends, apparently due to my antics. When the game was over, people came up to me and congratulated me on "getting in the head" of the ump. A couple of security guards said I need to come back more often. I told the guard "I think the ump knew I was here." He laughed and said "the entire right side of he ballpark knew you were here."

On top of all that fun, the Rays won! They were down 7-0 after the 4th inning, but they clawed their way back and BJ Upton hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth.

It was a good night.
Thanks JD!

Mentor

No matter who we are, we all need someone investing in our lives. I began meeting with a guy this semester and it has been awesome. We meet for breakfast on Friday mornings and just talk. It is amazing what topics will come up during the length of a semester. It has been such a blessing to have someone who is father along the road of life that I can pick his brain on subjects, ask his advice on decisions and watch him model what it means to be a man of God.

The goal of discipleship is to have someone help you grown in your walk with the Lord, and then you turn around and do it in the lives of others. So if you are out there right now and you don't have someone pouring into your life. Ask the Lord to provide that person. It is amazing what will happen.

Star Date 200912

With school finally over, I treated myself to a movie this afternoon. It was the first movie I have seen in the theatre sine the Tuesday after Christmas.
I saw Star Trek and I loved it. I am definitely not a trekkie, but I like the original show and movies. I was told this weekend that it was exceptionally good, so I thought I would check it out. It did not disappoint.

The casting was awesome. The characters looked like they could be younger versions of the originals. The writers also did a good job of foreshadowing the original movies. There was a good balance of character development. It won't take away any enjoyment for someone unfamiliar to Star Trek to see the film, but if you know something about the story line, it will only add to the enjoyment.

It was so good that on the way out of the theatre, I passed a seeing-eye dog sitting on the fifth row and he had both paws way up!

Examens

You will be glad to know that I am done with finals for this semester.
The spring term has been a long haul, but it has been good.

As I look back on the semester, I think the best part has been the three guys I carpool with to school. Three buddies from church also attend my extension center. The opportunity to hang out with these guys on Monday's has been a blessing. It makes me feel like I am right back in college.

The semester has been a success. I completed ten more hours. Help create a game called Qball (more on this in the future). And ate chick-fila or Moe's every Monday for 16 weeks.

I have to admit, I am glad it's over!

Hot

I was in Oklahoma City this time last week, and it never made it out of the 50's.
The high today in Lakeland was 96 degrees.
It's amazing what 1200 miles can do to the weather!

1st time ever

We had another softball game tonight.
Another W for the good guys.
We were able to get our record back to 2-2.

I had a first on the softball field tonight.
I struck out the side in the 2nd inning.
That's right, I struck out all three batters in one inning.
One was swinging and the other two were looking.

It wull probably never happen again in all my days.

Oklahoma

I was in Oklahoma this weekend for Courtney's graduation. She is the third graduate from Howard Academy. She had a celebration party Saturday morning, where she put me on ice duty.

The visit was good. I actually got to stay an extra night because we were super delayed Sunday night. It was a good chance to see some friends.

It's been a while

I am officially out of hiding.
I have spent the better past of my last two weeks working on four papers for school.
Those are behind me now and I should be back on blogging track.

A Taxing Time

Just wanted to remind you that your taxes are do today. If you forget or haven't done them yet, go ahead and freak out for ten minutes..then go do 'em

A couple of Books

I have two books I want to put on your radar.

The first is "Experiencing the Spirit" by Henry and Melvin Blackaby. This book is a great teacher about living life in the power of the Holy Spirit. So many folks know about the Holy Spirit, profess belief in His power, but don't truly seek His movement in their lives. This book helps the reader get a better grasp of the possibilities that exist through the Holy Spirit. This book is formatted well and I found it easy to follow the truths being set in front of the me.

The link for this book on Amazon is:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_0_23?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=experiencing+the+spirit+the+power+of+pentecost+every+day&sprefix=experiencing+the+spirit

The second book is "The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the secret of Joyful giving" by Randy Alcorn. This is a small book with giant truth. I found this book to be very appropriate for my life because it can be tough for me to give with a joyful heart. The premise of the book is to remember why we give and to ensure that our value system mirrors that of God. I encourage you to grab this book and find a whole new perspective on giving.

The link for the Treasure principle is:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_0_22?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+treasure+principle+by+randy+alcorn&sprefix=the+treasure+principle

Both of these works are great reads...I encourage you to get these books and allow the Lord to challenge you through their pages.

Bracketology 101

Ahh, how I love March Madness. It is hard to believe that it's been three weeks since selection Sunday. I hate how quickly the NCAA tournament passes. Now, I must wait another 49 weeks for the next one. As we close another glorious tournament, I have a couple of reflections.

1) I still love making giant brackets.

I have made a giant bracket (1 poster board for each region) since my sophomore year. I want to give mad props to my wife who lets me take down several pictures to clear space for the madness montage.

2) Sometimes it is fun to see the big dawgs eat.

I love upsets as much as anyone, but it was refreshing to see the powerhouses, who had been dominant all year slug it out in the final three rounds.

3) I didn't win either one of my pools, finishing second in both. But I did pick the National Champion.

4) I want the song "one shining moment" played at my funeral.

Caleb has committed to creating a slide show to be shown while the song plays.

As we conclude another great tournament, I hope you enjoyed the madness! See you in 49 weeks.

Catch Me if You Can

Everyone has those movies that they end up watching anytime they come across it on TV (no matter what part of the movie is playing). One of the movies for me is "Catch Me If You Can." I love it! Tom Hanks, who is one of my favorites, is amazing. Leo Dicaprio is what the girls call dreamy.

The sound track is good, the wardrobe is even better, and it's pretty clean. It's just a good movie.

Immediate Regret

You know those times in life when you think you want something one way, but then when you get your wish, you immediately regret your decision, wishing your could reverse the decision? Well, this past Tuesday, I gave my two weeks notice at work...and it feels really good! My joy is not because I hate my job or the people. In fact, I love being around my co-workers. My joy comes from the weightlessness of obedience. God gave me a word that was tough to follow through on, but I did and now that the decision is made, I feel great.

My encouragement to you is this:
When God calls for you to act, even when it's tough, He will supply the courage to do it. Your obedience may leave you in a tough spot, but God's grace is present to allow you to experience Joy in the midst of strife.

Go ahead, be obedient...I dare you!
I promise you won't regret it.

I love grapefruit

I caught my second spring training game this afternoon.
It rained and rained last night. Even at noon today, it was raining. But the rain finally stopped, they pulled the tarp off the field and by two o'clock we had baseball. The Braves were in town facing the Tigers. We sat on the berm in left field and had a great baseball day. Jeff Francour hit a shot 30 feet over my head. I ate a torpedo dog, popcorn, a coke , and a lemonade. By the 4th inning the skies were clear, with a slight breeze. It was a great day at the ballpark.

He Did It Again!

Tiger Woods!
He birdied the 18th hole (again) to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the 7th time.
The dude is simply ridiculous. It is amazing to watch how he gets better when the pressure gets heavier.

It's good to have him back on tour.
Well done Tiger!

Done-zo

It's official, I can't win either of the two brackets I am entered in.
I admit that this angers my competitive self, but I love the madness all the same.

I cannot wait to see how many Michigan State fans will pack into Ford Field for the in-state Final Four in Detroit.

Out of the clear blue

I was laying in bed Sunday night, and God brought my buddy Blaine to mind. Blaine and I went to India on a mission trip together four summers ago. We don't talk much, but the twice a year conversations keep us up to date. So when God brought him to my mind, I knew it was time to give the boy a holler.

Well, he beat me to the punch. Monday afternoon, while sitting in Systematic Theology, my phone starts buzzing. Sure enough, it's Blaine. I finally got a hold of him this evening. Turns out, he is on his way to Iraq for a seven month tour of duty.

So I want to ask that you would be praying for my friend, as well as all f the other thousands of folks serving around the world.

Blaine, take care of yourself my friend!

Day Four

My first bad day.
I was 4-3.
I continue to lode the close ones.
I fell back a little in my bracket polls,
but I am still within striking distance.

Day Three

I was 7-1 on day three. Unfortunately, my one loss was the Oklahoma game. I picked them to lose to Clemson. Michigan beat Clemson in the first round, and was not the match-up problem that I thought Clemson would create for Oklahoma.

The bad news is my bracket took a hit.
The good news is that Oklahoma is on the sweet Sixteen.

Day Two

I mirrored my first day with an 8-4 showing.
Not all that great, but I didn't kill my chances.

Day One

My record after day one is 12-4.
I had three losses by a combined 8 points (Butler, VCU, and Clemson).
I need a good day two to catch back up.

New clothes

My softball team won the league championship Tuesday night, and all I got was a totally awesome T-shirt. I don't know who decided to replace trophies with t-shirts, but I want to shake his or her hand. I love a good championship shirt.

Our team game from a run down in the bottom of the 7th to clutch victory. Mad props to Chuck who drove in the winning run with two outs in the last inning.

It was great season. everyone contributed. I love them boys.

March=Madness

The ball has tipped...and I am in sports heaven. Few sports events are more precious to me than the NCAA basketball tournament.
I have my bracket filled out 5-2 thus far) and I watching like my life depends on it.

I'll keep you posted on my record.

Productivity

I recently read that a Nasa study found that their pilots were 34% more productive after they took a nap. Figuring that whatever is good for Nasa is good enough for me, I just took a nap, and I am about to jump on a full night of studying.

My hands are screamin'

I was going to blog something very inspirational, but I have been making note cards for almost four hours. My hands hurt. I am done for the night.

See ya tomorrow.

Are you really good

Each day, as I walk the halls of the main office at the Sheriff's office, I constantly exchange pleasantries with co-workers. "Mornin," Good afternoon," and "how are you?" are some of my favorites. If not careful, I always answer the last question with a resounding "great!" But if I get honest, I don't always feel great. I just don't want to let on that something may be going on or that I am less than good.

So that got me thinking, do other people do the same thing? I believe the answer is an overwhelming yes. And that begs the question, why?

First conclusion: Asking how someone is doing is many times a formality, not genuine interest. We don't answer honestly because when we do people look at you like they want to poke their eye out. Our culture wants to appear to be nice without the effort required.

Second conclusion: Staying surface level can cause you to miss out on blessings. This morning, a worker friend of mine asked me how I was, to which I almost blurted fine, but I realized that I wasn't fine; actually, I felt a little down, so I answered a "little down." She stopped what she was doing and proceeded to bless my socks off. Her encouragement put my focus back on God (away from me) and completely changed my frame of mind for the rest of the day.

So my encouragement to you is to be genuine. When you ask someone how they are doing, mean it. And when you are asked the same question, answer honestly. You never know how God will utilize that short exchange.

Bamboozled by the Strawberry Festival

The dreaded call came at 2:37 pm this afternoon. Our softball games had been canceled for the Strawberry festival that takes place in Plant City every year. That's right. You heard correctly. My next shot at recreational immortality was put on hold for short cake.

Everything is alright, though. I capitalized on the free time and worked on note cards for the THREE tests I have this Monday.

Another Week...Another Blessing

Life moves fast!
It feels like every other day is Sunday.

I am usually a proponent of time moving quickly. But what I have realized is that when life rushes by, I spend so much of my attention on trying to keep up, that I fail to recognize and appreciate the blessings God is pouring out upon me.

This past week I had a down in the dumps, freak out moment. And my wife was there to listen, build me up and pray for me. I could easily go on from that moment, concerned solely on whatever is next on my to do list. But instead, every time I can slow down and remember that moment, I can give praise to God for being faithful and providing such a great wife.

When we slow down to see the blessings in life, we gain better perspective and we're in a better position to give praise to God.

Pitcher's Duel

We split our two softball games tonight.
We lost the first game 13-1. I don't want to talk about it!

But...in the second game, we eeked out a squeeker, 8-7.
In the top of the 7th, the opposing team is threatening to score with two men on, and two outs. A lefty at the plate, hits a rocket towards Chuck Fink, who is playing second base. The certified laser, strikes Chuck on his bare, throwing hand and rolled off to his left. Instead of falling to the dirt and sobbing like a baby (which I would have done, and never made fun of him for doing), Chuck keeps his bearings, steps to his left, and in one smooth motion, grabs the ball with his gloved-hand and flips the ball to Holbrook who is standing on second. The fabulous play ended the inning and the scoring threat.

Riding the wave of momentum from Chuck's web gem, we scored in the bottom of the 7th to win. The Green monster had the winning RBI (That stands for Run batted in...Babe).

Much love goes out to Chuck and his swollen right hand!

It's been a good long while

Life has been and continues to be a blur. School is in full swing and I can't stay caught up on the reading. I've been playing softball on Tuesday nights and we have actually been winning. I am the pitcher! Thus far, through 8 games, I have only three walks and given up two home runs.

I'm all excited because we're heading to Nana Howard's for the weekend.
I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

Rodeo Drive

I am headed to the Rodeo!
JD has tickets for the PBR rodeo tonight in Tampa.
This will be my first and I will be sure to let you know how it goes.

Hi Bill!

I just want to give a shout out to Bill Horn.
He's been looking for my blog and I want to be the first to welcome him aboard.

Bill's a stud. He can sang real good.

Love you Bill!

For the writers in the room

Just wanted to make you aware of a tremendous reference for those of you who aspire to write. I recently got my hands on the "Christian Writer's Market Guide: 2009." This book by Sally Stuart, is slammed full of various magazines, websites, and publishing companies who are interested in free lance writers. It just released a few weeks ago, so it is as current as you could hope for. This book serves as a how to guide for getting your work published.

As you browse through the pages you will find folks looking for anything from fiction work to a witnessing how to guide. Your eyes will be opened to the numerous types of christian writing that is desired.

I realize that many people aspire to write and have their work published. This a is a great resource if that is a goal of yours. I will list a link below for a place to purchase this guide book.

http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Writers-Market-Guide-2009/dp/0307446433/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233282195&sr=8-1

Right in the back of the head

You never know what's going to go down at the Sheriff's Office. Earlier this week, I got slapped in the back of the head, by a co-worker. It wasn't full fledge assault, but it definitely wasn't a joke. It was my first day working with this guy. I think the folks working around me were as surprised as I was. The situation was quickly resolved and everything is cool.

I am in the market for a hockey helmet to take to work, preferably in white. I need something that I can wear with my dress clothes.

Softball

The YMCA class had our first two softball games tonight. It was mid forties, and Oklahoma windy, but we played and played well. We won both games, and play some pretty supurb defense along the way. I would like to point out that Jd and I were the only two that chose to wear shorts, and the only bad thing was that my legs got ashy in between games. Next time, someone must bring the lotion.

The night was a blasty blast. Thank you Brian Gullet for putting our team together. The whole thing just felt so natural.

2-0 to start the season.
Feels good.

Brother Bear

My brother was in Orlando last week with some friends. They spent four days at Disney World, riding rides, not eating, and taking pictures with every character they laid their eyes on.

The crew came through Lakeland and spent a couple of nights with us. It was nice to see the brother. Like only he could do, he came to Sunny Florida and got a big time cold. He spent Sunday night in the bathroom being sick. I told him it couldn't possibly be all of the coke, mountain dew and overall junk food that he consumed in a seven day period. I can't say too much, because I do the same thing. Fortunately, he got sick at the end of their trip.

I saw on a Facebook status a moment ago that they had arrived safely back in Norman.

Hope your feeling better brother!

Just one of those weeks

You ever had one of those weeks that just knock you around?
Well, I am in the midst of one.
Good new is that Jesus is still Lord, and He loves me like crazy!

Knuckle Sandwich

Last week I read a fiction book titled "Knuckle Sandwich." Written by Adam Palmer, this book was an easy read that detailed the journey of a college band. His style is extremely funny and entertaining. He rarely gets bogged down in excessive details or needless information. I thoroughly enjoy his style.

I enjoyed this book because, even though it was a christian book, it tackled some tough subjects. I wanted to let you know about a good, quick christian fiction read. Below is a link to a spot where you can buy it.

http://www.amazon.com/Knuckle-Sandwich-Sometimes-Rock-Roll

Baby Brother

My brother is coming to visit this week. He and three/maybe four friends left this evening at 10 pm EST in a jeep, headed for Fla. They are going to spend some time at Disney World, and hang out with us in Lakeland. Should be great!

Churchie von Church Church

It was good to be in the house of the Lord today. It had been a couple of weeks since I had a normal Sunday at my church.
Worship was great.
Pastor Jay's sermon was awesome.
Our Sunday School class was a blessing. We had 7 visitors.

It is a giant blessing to have a church that i love to attend.

Time has told

Oklahoma played well, but not well enough.
Florida 24
Oklahoma 14

I was bummed, but am doing well now.

It feels like I've been here before

Four years ago, I and three buddies drove from Oklahoma to Miami for the National Championship game. We got stomped by USC (by 30+ points) and it was a long drive back to the Sooner state.

Again,tonight, the Sooners will play in the Orange Bowl for another National Championship. The past five years has seen OU have great seasons end with bowl game disappointment. I certainly hope thy can put all the pieces together and construct a masterpiece.

Only time will tell.
8:15 PM on Fox

Pray for Him

I met a guy this afternoon in the Lakeland Regional Hospital.
His name is Jaquezz, and if I had to guess, I would say he is in his mid-fifties.
He was having some aches and pains a few days ago and now he is battling cancer. He was in a dark hospital room all by himself. I haven't felt such a strong loneliness is a long time. You could hear his pain in his voice.

Would you please take some time and cry out to the Lord on his behalf. I don't even know the whole deal on his condition. I just can't shake him from my mind. His painful facial expressions are imprined on my eyes right now. It's as if I am seeing everything through lenses imprinted with his face. He greatly needs us to cry out on his behalf.

Pray for his healing.
Pray for his pain to subside.
Pray for him to feel the Lord's presence around him.

He may feel alone..He may appear alone in a hospital room...but he is not alone.
God is there and God is good in all things.

Random Thoughts

So the Falcons lost...And no, I am not over it.
I have actually done some writing the past two days.
I will be going to the work for the first time in 13 days tomorrow.
I can't get myself to watch the Ohio State-Texas game...It does nothing for me.
I saw Marley and Me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I love my wife and she works way too much...But I love her anyway.

Falcons

The Falcons play their wild-card playoff game in 30 minutes. I am so pumped! I hope they can show up and play a good game.

Rest assured that I will have my jersey on and queso dip on the table with an ice cold coke in my hand.

Go Dirty Birds!

It's been how long?

I can't believe that it has been 23 days since my last post.
I have been too busy!

But I am back and ready to blog.