I’m dealing with mindless things today because I can’t break down what’s on my mind for a blog post yet. Just warning you.

How about Kim Clijsters? Off the tennis circuit for a couple of years to have a child and then comes back to win the US Open. Way to go mom!

Was it Venus or Serena (I can’t keep up) that went on a verbal tirade against an umpire at the US Open? It’s going to cost her some moolah but I wonder if it will hurt her reputation. She was mad, no doubt about that.

I don’t understand the Rangers. The beat the Angels and Yankees and fold against the Mariners. Granted they are young. Granted they haven’t been in a playoff race before. Granted it rained alot and the winds blew from the east and yada, yada, yada. Pitching is breaking down and as it goes, so goes the playoff hopes.

As much as I want to see the Rangers make it to the World Series, it doesn’t look like this is the year but I still repeat what I have said before. Last year, I couldn’t give away tickets to a Rangers game in August, much less September. This year, people still want to buy them. It’s been a fun year.

Is Romo the greatest QB ever? OK, just kidding. I had the game on yesterday but I’m not sure I watched 10 plays the whole game. I’ve really lost interest in cheering for the Cowboys and, I guess, pro football in general. The media has as much to do with it as anybody because I get so tired of hearing the writers and announcers griping/chastising/self-righteous rants. I’ll realign my cheering to the Chargers and Broncos and maybe the Bears. I like Chicago’s coach, middle linebacker and history but their QB is flaky.

I’m playing fantasy football for free with a bunch of people from a random group on the ESPN site. My QB…Jay Cutler, the flaky Chicago QB. Nothing like 4 interceptions to wind up on the bench.

Did you hear Michael Jordan’s HOF induction speech? I didn’t but read some excerpts and if the tone of his speech was as bad as the reading made it sound, MJ fell several notches in my book.

The rain has been really nice. It means mowing again but that’s a small price to pay for a little coolness and moisture.

As I wrap up, something I always thought I would mention and haven’t is why I started ending my blog the way I do. I was listening to a sermon podcast one day while mowing and the preacher ended with “grace and peace to you.” I can’t explain it but felt a calmness come over me as I thought about what he said. So, I end my blog with that refrain not so much for the reader but for the writer. I hope it brings something good into your life. I know it brings something good into mine.

Grace and peace to you.

I remember this day 8 years ago. I remember someone coming in saying a plane had flown into one of the towers and thinking how bizarre that was. I remember turning on the TV and watching as another plane flew into the other tower. I remember sitting in a meeting and hearing bits and pieces of information and watching TV that night catching up on all that had happened.

September 11, 2001 was a tragic day. It was a day that will be in our minds forever. It was a day where people lost their loved ones and friends. It was and continues to be a day that pushed this country and others to go into battle.

Not to take anything away from 9/11 but I cannot help but think how incensed people become talking about that day and wondering why more people are not incensed about an innocent man being hung on a cross and the answer slaps me across the face. On 9/11, something was done to us. On the day of Jesus death, something was done for us. One leaves us ready to act, to fight, because someone hates us while the other leaves us able to do nothing because God loves us. One death brought us suffering while the other death was caused by us.

I want to do a better job remembering the debt that was paid for me. I want to honor God through what I do today. I cannot change what happened yesterday or the other days that are gone but I can honor God today.

I pray for the people who lost someone on 9/11, for their wounds and for their hearts and I pray for myself, for my heart and for what I will open it to today.

Grace and peace to you.

Colossians 3:15 is stuck in my head this morning. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (all emphasis mine)

I was called to peace yet much of my life I haven’t lived in peace but in turmoil; turmoil created by my desire to do everything and know everything and set everyone else straight. Life events have brought me to the point where I have realized that not only am I incapable of doing everything right but the effort was creating turmoil in my heart and blocking me from hearing God. The peace of Christ didn’t come from the fact that he was God or that he was perfect. Instead, it came because he listened to God and sought to do God’s will in everything he did. I have started to learn something from that and through what could be tumultuous times, I have found peace.

But it doesn’t end there. And be thankful. It is an idea both combined with the previous and stands unto itself. And be thankful. Thankful for the hard times? Thankful for the good times? Thankful for my job, my family, my church? Today, for me, it is simply being thankful for Christ and the peace I can have through him. Thankful that he cleared the path to my relationship with God for eternity. Under the umbrella of that thankfulness I can surely be thankful for everything else in my life but it’s God and the Christ that are the pinnacle of what brings me peace and what I am thankful for.

And be thankful.

Grace and peace to you.

Elvis Andrus, the youngster the Rangers brought in to play shortstop while asking a Gold Glove’r to move to 3rd was the #3 Play of the Day on ESPN this morning. Two incredible plays against the Indians and it’s little wonder why the Rangers wanted him at short this year.

I did get an email showing an old trailer with Elvis and Michael Jackson hanging out together. Funny in a weird way.

I always want to spell weird with the i before the e.

I read this yesterday in an email I get from Os Hillman:
“When our concern for serving Jesus exceeds our need to be with Jesus, we are in danger of focusing on the lesser thing. The hardest thing to do for most workplace believers is to sit and listen. It is easier to do.” A good reminder for me to not live on the edges – either doing too much or too little and not living in the middle, listening and learning what my Lord wants to lead me.

Grace and peace to you.

Retail never sleeps. It’s very slow at times though and I’m thinking today will be one of those days. I’m in to get some stuff prepared for meetings tomorrow and then I am headed to Jerry World to watch some high school football and take in the monstrosity in Arlington.
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It’s striking how many people have developed their intimate, passionate love of God through hard times. I know a lot of people who say they love God and put him first but most of the people I know who truly long to be a disciple of God have had to hit a very low spot in their life. In my own experience, it’s because I wanted to be in control and call on God to lend a hand. It’s really goes deeper than that though. It really goes to where my heart was and what was driving me.

I am praying today that I open my heart to God’s workings, that I am broken of my desires and filled with his desires for me and that my thoughts, my actions and my words will come from him through his spirit that is in me.

Grace and peace to you.

Friday night football cranks up in Decatur, Texas tonight.

I’m hoping to get away from a bit of work on Monday and head over to see some high school football at the new monstrosity in Arlington. I’m thinking it’s the cheapest way I’ll get in to see a game in the stadium!

I watched a bit of the Boise State-Oregon game last night. It’s weird watching a game on that blue field. Go Broncos! One Oregon player started throwing punches at players and fans after the game. Think any other teams will try to get in his head?

The Horns are getting ready to start the national championship run against some powerhouse school in Louisiana (West Monroe or something like that – not LSU). People complain about big schools playing cream puffs but a) a playoff system would remedy teams avoiding big games early and b) it’s not the Longhorns fault that other big schools are afraid to play them.

Colt McCoy should win the Heisman…just because I like him if for no other reason.

I interviewed 3 people for a sales position in one of our stores yesterday. Two of them talked about Christian books they were reading and their faith. That surprised me a little.

A good friend reminded me yesterday that God doesn’t move. We don’t have to wander around searching for Him because He stays in the same place. It’s easy for us to seek Him and find Him if we want to. He also reminded me that God has prepared us for battle and we must be willing and ready to fight when the battle comes to us. I always enjoy good friends and good conversations.

Grace and peace to you.

The Rangers won the last 3 against Toronto and still have a good shot in the division and wild card races. They have several games coming up against the Angels…who knows what might happen?
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I feel like I’m in a desert-place with God right now. I don’t want to be and desperately want to find my way back but it’s difficult for some reason. I feel disconnected but don’t want to be disconnected. It’s frustrating. I hope to find my way out…and soon.
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I love the Psalms. Reading David’s struggles reminds me that anything I go through, good or bad, has happened to someone before and reading David’s thoughts encourage me to revel in good times with God and trust deeply in Him in the bad times.
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I have been blessed with some incredible people in my life. I hope I make sure they know it.
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A waiter told me an off-color joke at lunch today. It was in poor taste and offensive but it caught me off guard and I couldn’t figure out how to respond.

I remain disappointed in the jokes and emails I continue to hear about the current President. It simply reminds me many people will spend their days complaining while a few will spend their days doing. I hope I’ll be a doer.
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I think Thursday will be a good day.
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Grace and peace to you.

I went to the Rangers game last night. OUCH. It started ugly, got better and ended ugly.

They lost 2 of 3 in Minnesota and got off to a BAD start last night. I want to see how they bounce back…if they bounce back. They are still 4 games out of the Wild Card race so the hope remains they can pull it off. It’s been a great year and I hope it goes a little further.
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Tough nights and days come for all of us. They are never pleasant, never wanted or welcomed but they come just the same. We learn much about ourselves in our response to those times.
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I think I have mentioned my new habit of listening to sermons while I mow. It has made mowing something I look forward to because it is a period of filling myself with a message from God and it has given me insights into so many areas I want to know more about.

One of the concepts that I keep hearing is the idea of discipleship. I have grown up going to church and have experienced the idea that people need to be there but not much was done to take the church to the people. That seems to be shifting also as the idea of being a disciple continues to move ahead. I look forward to the day when Christians are simply known for their love – through their compassion and service to others – instead of by their denominational moniker or their disputes and I look forward to a day when I am more representative of a disciple of Jesus than I am today.
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Grace and peace to you.

The Rangers took 2 of 3 against the Yankees. Wow. Chris Davis hit a homerun and had a Top 10 Play of the Day on ESPN. Nippert pitched horribly and the Rangers still won. Kinsler is out of control. This is fun!
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Did you hear the story about the girl who was kidnapped in 1991 and showed up yesterday? It’s a tragic story but such a happier ending than we are used to hearing in these situations. I know she has a long road to mental recovery and hope she will be surrounded by people who can help her.
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I’m so tired of Michael Vick protesters. Dog fighting isn’t right but his offense has raised a bigger stink than the guy who kidnapped the girl in 1991 will raise. Seriously, what’s the worst offense?
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Jerry Jones finds ways to stay in the news. Who would think the screen at his ego-plex could be the biggest story going on around the Cowboys? People are goofy.
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I’m almost of the mindset to boycott the Jerry’s Ego-Plex just on principle but there is a high school football event on Labor Day that has me seriously interested in going. Even better, the Texas Longhorns play the North Carolina Tar Heels in basketball there later in the year. I am touching base with every connection to get tickets to that one. If you are loaded and feel the need to do something nice for me, courtside seats are running about $500 each.
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High school football kicks off in earnest this weekend. It looks like I may be hitting games tonight and tomorrow. Fall in Texas.
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I hope you see God in all you do today.

Grace and peace to you.

Have you ever cried out to God? Do you know what it is to be sad, upset, angry, frustrated in the core of your being? Psalm 42 gives us a glimpse of David calling out to God, ” ⁵ Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and ⁶ my God. My soul is downcast within me…“

Some people reach a place where they are so hurt, so broken inside there is nothing left but God to cling to. Some choose to stay in that empty place, hurt and broken, instead of reaching out to the hand of God that is extended to them. I went to a memorial service yesterday for a young man who was hurting so much that he took his own life. I don’t know that anyone who hasn’t taken that action truly understands the pain he must have been in but I know God’s hand was extended to him and for some reason he couldn’t reach out and grab on to God.

I do not pass judgment on the path he chose but I feel confident in saying at that moment, tears flowed from God because the young man could not get past the pain. I am also confident in saying that God is the God of the hurting, God of the downcast, God of the saddened, God of the broken. While I hear people pass judgment on the one who chose to end his life, I can’t help but wonder if God has more compassion for the hurting than the judges.

I am praying today that I empty myself of me and allow God to fill me up. Like everyone else, I find myself crying out to God, wondering if He is still with me and in those times, I eventually find Him, his hands extended to me, His love overwhelming me.

Draw me closer Lord, closer Lord to you.

Grace and peace to you.