The beginning of a short/long week

Well, I have a short work week as far as my civilian job is concerned. I only work 3 days this week because I have a four day National Guard drill weekend. I've been doing this for a little more than twenty years now (I received my official letter a week ago) and the long weeks wear on me now. Essentially these become twelve day work weeks. Don't get me wrong, I've loved serving, but the weeks wear me down now. Although this might be my last drill weeekend. I'm not sure. More on that in some future blog. :) The Carolina Panthers won on Saturday night. I love DVR because the NFL channel is replaying a lot of the preseason games and I was able to record it (at like 7:00 AM Sunday morning) and watch it. The first string offense and defense looked pretty good. I know it's just preseason - the teams do not really game plan for their specific opponents, and the teams are rotating so many players in to see how they do, and the plays are not a full blown set. but it's fun to watch the team again. Next week the Panthers travel to Jacksonville - their expansion rivals. I like it when the Panthers beat them no matter when it is. But to be fair, the Jaguars have pretty much owned the Panthers during the regular season when they've met. I think they've met 3 times (I'll have to check my spreadsheet that I keep) and the Jags have won it twice - and overall the team has a better win-loss ratio. But with Coach John Fox the Panthers are much improved. And a 1-15 season is mighty hard to overcome record-wise. :) One thing I'd like to see some improvement on is the number of penalties I was seeing. Again, it's preseason, and it's the first game at full speed so... Yesterday I caught bits and pieces of a few shows that got me to thinking. One was Pay it Forward with Helen Hunt, and a couple of other actors (I'm terrible with theirnames). About a school project to try and make the world a better place. I am a gooshy movie kind of guy. I really do not like sad endings (usually) so I was disappointed with it. Another show was on ABC Family - 3 Moons over Milford. Now neither of these shows really kept me rivited to the screen. Mostly because I was doing other things at the time and just had the tube on for some background noise, but they did get me thinking. As a Christian we are to constantly be 'paying it forward'. Nothing in this world lasts and we are to store up our treasures where moth and rust cannot destroy. But sometimes its hard to know how or when to invest it. Lately I've been a little convicted in the cavalier attitude I've had towards my tithing. I want to make sure that I am not being legalistic about it, but at the same time there should be a reverences, an acknowledgement, of what it's about. The last show that had me thinking was The Ron Clark Story. At least that guy has, and I believe still is, making a difference in those he comes in contact with. There are times I wonder about how well I am doing. Updates: none today - yet Verse for today: Psalm 70, esv Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me! Let them be put to shame and confusionwho seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire my hurt! Let them turn back because of their shamewho say, “Aha, Aha!” May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!” But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!