While drifting through my links here on my blog I read through "Pure Church", "Worship Matters", and "Together for the Gospel (aka T4G)". If you all have time I highly encourage you all to surf on over to each of these blogs and drink deeply God's grace. I am moved differently and to different extents each time - but I am never left the same.

Slow week

My pattern must be off. :) Since vacation I've been staying up too late and not getting up on time. Since Monday I've seemed to have learned how to turn off my alarm clock and not even break my sleeping rythm. Once night this week I missed a golden opportunity, and my mind just feels cloudy all week. The worst part is that I've not been getting up to read. I try and only read three chapters a day, but I've just finished Matthew today. Last night we had a friend over. He has connections to get tickets for Washington Redskins tickets. Off hand I asked him if he could get tickets for the Panthers game in November. Well, for $250 I could get three tickets in the upper deck on about the 30 yard line. The seats are nice, and this may be comparable to what the going rate is, but I just don't think I can afford what will amount to at least a $350-$400 day. For a 3 hour game. That's just me... and I'm glad there are others out there who can and want to do that. But it's just me. I encourage you all to just take some time this week. Relaxe, get away from the din of life, and spend time with the Lord and your family. Before I forget... I've really been trying to get to know other men in my life. By this I mean - taking the time to get to know them, help them around the house and develop a friendship with them. I don't want to be a 70 year old man and not have any friends. But I am still in a season of life where things are going constantly. But as a means of fighting this the husband of one of my beloved's friends and I sort of formed a 'barnraising fellowship'. Nothing fancy, but the second Saturday of the month we try and get together and help one another around the house. If the Lord blesses it - I'd like to see it expand where we are maybe going out and helping a widow or single parent with things around their house too. Hmm... who knows. Updates: 'Yarns' Verse for today: John 12:1-8, esv Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at the table. Mary therefore took a pound [1] of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii [2] and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it [3] for the day of my burial. The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” This is probably not a real parallel of my journal for today, but this verse came to mind when I was thinking about what verse to put in today. These verses are so deep. One could juggle this around in one's hands for some time...

The fog

Well, things are just a little off kilter here at work. Just too many spinning plates today so I do not have anything to really put down today... :( May the Lord keep and shower His peace and mercy upon you all. :) Updates: Campaign, Hiku Verse for today: Proverbs 9:1-6, esv Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, [1] and live,and walk in the way of insight.”

Coffee break

I received a copy of this in my e-mail. With nothing more "deep" to go with today I thought I'd just share it... A group of alumni, established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. The conversations soon turned into complaints about stress at work and with life. Offering his guests coffee, the proffessor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - some were porcelain, some plasitc or glass or crystal. Some were plain, some expensive others quite intricate. When he returned he told his guests to help themselves. After all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the proffessor: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress." "Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases, it's just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consiously went for the best cups, and then began eyeing each other's cups." "Now consider this: Life is the coffee, and the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, and the type of cup does not define nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us." God brews the coffee, not the cups... enjoy your coffee. Updates: None today - yet Verse for today: Psalm 36:7-9, esv How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

Home Again

Well, we got back on Saturday and it was nice to get away. On Thursday we checked into the hotel and then went to Luray Caverns in the afternoon. Before we got there the kids were all excited adn were chatting incesantly - but once we got down into the caverns... "are we done yet?" "I want to get out!" *sigh* what are you going to do. For the most part they behaved nicely and enjoyed the sights. S2 really got into the spirit of things. Afterwards the kids and I hit the Garden Maze which is a lot of fun. Afterwards we went back to the hotel we hit the pool and relaxed. Friday we stayed local and checked out a Farmer's market - which was fun. I love those places (usually) and really enjoy the smells and the wares. We then went back to the hotel and hit the pool again. Later we went to one of our favorite chain resteraunts - Chili's where we had fabulous service. Walked around the mall some to walk off dinner and picked up a couple of Christmas presents, then kicked back and watched an in room movie - "RV" with Robin Williams. It was a lot of fun, and the boys were laughing out loud. Our poor little girl though - she passed out hard! We enjoyed the movie so much we are considering getting the DVD at some point. On our way home we drove along the "middle section" of Skyline Drive. Beautiful scenery - and the weather was very nice. Low humidity and very good visibility. There are so many overlooks and hiking trails - one could plan an entire vacation just along this road. With a 35MPH speed limit throughout one does not make very much headway so after about 90 minutes and 30 miles we decided to head back down the mountain and get on home. We capped of the weekend with having a few friends over Saturday night, and then after church yesterday we just stayed home and relaxed. Well, a little. A lot of organizing and rearranging. But not too much. I read through my previous posts and it seems like being tired was a theme. Hmm... I hope it was not too boring. I always seem to have more ideas of what to write about than I have actual time to put down... updates: Hiku, and campaign blogs... Verse for today: Proverbs 7:1-5, esv My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”and call insight your intimate friend, to keep you from the forbidden [1] woman, from the adulteress [2] with her smooth words.

Day Trip

Well, I am back at work for today and then I am out again on a mini-vacation till next week. My mid-section still feels like I maxed out the sit-up section of the APFT for a 22 year old male. I finally have my hydration levels back to where I do not have a consistant headache, and I am enjoying soup once more. If I did not think that it was all just food in the digestive tract I'd be more happy about the 7 pounds I've lost in two days. But on the good side I was only off my feet a day and a half, and my beloved took very good care of me. :) I was going to post on Monday about my favorite American Football team - the Carolina Panthers. A lot of the 'trade' magazines have picked them as Super Bowl favorites which is disapointing to me. Not that I don't want them to go, but when every one expects them to go and they fall short it is disapointing. I just want to avoid the hype and enjoy football season again - which for me starts on 12-August when the Panthers open up the pre-season against the Buffalo Bills. Now, everyone knows that, the preseason does not mean anything towards anything other than player evaluation and the chance to practice game speed against unfamiliar players. But it does mean that I will be able to see some of the Panthers on the field for whatever reason. It's say an appetizer to get me to the main course - the regular season which begins (for me) 10-September when the Atlanta Falcons come to visit the Panthers in Charlotte. But I am most looking forward to the following games: 15-October @ Baltimore Ravens - why? Because most of the guys in my National Guard unit are Ravens fans. :) 26-November @ Washington Redskins - why? Because the Redskins used to be my favorite team until what they did to Art Monk. And the post Joe Gibbs era. But they faded from my fancy when I realized that the only reason I liked them was because my parents liked them. So I rebelled and struck out on my own when the NFL announced their expansion teams in Charlotte and Jacksonville. 17-December vs. Pittsburg Steelers - why? Because a very good friend of mine is a Steelers fan, and it has been many a year since these two teams have played against each other. The last time coming (if memory serves - which is touch and go ;-) ) when the Panthers beat the Steelers in Charlotte. Oh, and since the Steelers are the current Super Bowl chapions - it jsut makes it more fun. I also enjoy all of the divisional games. Atlanta just seemed to own the Panthers for the longest time. Even before the Panthers I was anti-Atlanta most due to Deon Sanders. his arrogance just seemed to annoy me to no end. But now with Micheal Vick this, and Michael Vick that - blech. The Saints have never been a consistant contender, but they always seem to play the Panthers hard, and many memorable games (for me) have come from this divisional rivalry. And for some reason I look forward to the Bucanneers games the most. I think this comes from when they were SB champs and Warren Sapp talking all that 'smack' and then getting their tails handed to them like 3 out of 4 games after their Super Bowl win. But one thing I love is the Bucanneer flash video's that they create for their website. They are fun to watch, and tastefully done. Well, I have rambled on long enough. And I could probably go on for a lot longer. But I really need to get back to work. See you all next week... and thank you again for your prayers. I will try and catch up on all the blogs I visit frequently - but I am not hopeful. please know that you guys are in my prayers as the Lord brings you to my mind. :) Verse for today: Psalm 8, esv O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [2] and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Yuck

I've been... indisposed for the past couple of days. Nothing glamorous to add today. Just wanted to let those who frequent my blog. I took my beloved out on a date Sunday afternoon/evening and apparently I got a bad batch of something. After spending most of the night, and some of yesterday, purging my system (I will leave the details up to your imagination) I feeling a little better today. I've lost 5 pounds since Sunday, and food comercials turn my stomach - but I feel better. I had to go renew my military ID today since I will be away for a short vacation later this week and I was able to get a military discount on the hotel room. I also had to pick up my car from the shop. $500 later - I hope everything's fixed. Well, I am going back to bed for now - I still feel pretty tired. Verse for today: James 4:13-17, esv Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.