I talked to a friend yesterday who just quit his job. Yep, just quit. He doesn’t have another job lined up. The job he had paid him as much as his previous jobs had paid in 2-3 years. He just quit.

OK, he didn’t just walk out. He talked to his boss, the owner of the company, before walking out. They had a talk and then he quit.

Crazy, huh? In this economy, who in their right mind quits his job? And what would possess someone to do something like that?

My friend and his boss, the owner, were interviewing a guy for a position at the company. They had asked if the guy was willing to move and the guy responded to the effect of “yes, my wife and I have been praying about it so that we make the right decision for our family and we think God is leading us to move.” At this point, the boss excuses himself to go to the restroom while my friend finished the interview.

After the candidate is gone, my friend finds the boss and asks what he thought. “I left because I’m not hiring another Christian hypocrite around here. I’m not interested.” There was more to it than that but you get the idea.

My friend wrestled with it for a few days. He had promised his high school aged daughter he wouldn’t move her again. He was making good money. He called someone and they suggested he talk to his daughter and tell her what happened to which she responded, “you can’t stay there daddy.” So he told his boss how he felt and his boss told him he didn’t care. So he quit.

Strength. Not muscles, not force but a strength that comes from a faith I wonder if I would have. Strength that allows him to trust that God will take care of him. Strength.

Grace and peace to you.

Technology can bring good and bad to our world. Twitter is one of those things I’ve been somewhat fascinated by because lots of people use it and it doesn’t make the company any money. I guess that’s perfect in this economy but it doesn’t seem like a long-term solution.

Anyway, Twitter was planning to shut down this weekend for some maintenance and has been asked by the U.S. government to postpone it so protesters in Iran can communicate what is going on using Twitter. The Iranian government has stopped most news outlets from reporting and people are using their cell phones and Twitter to let the world in. Crazy.

I still think Twitter is going to have to find a way to make money.
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If you fly much, or even if you don’t, and want to read something fun, google “29E letter” and read the comments from a passenger who was having a bad flight. There is some coarse language so beware but the letter is one of the funniest things I’ve read. There’s a similar letter from a guy flying from Mumbai to Heathrow on Virgin Airways that ranks right there with it. You can find it through google also.
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The Rangers won in extra innings last night. I’m glad we are beating the bad teams but want to see us beat a Boston, New York or Los Angeles Dodger type team before I get too excited about making any trades to make a run this year. There are still too many holes to begin giving up valuable talent in the farm system to hope for a Series this year.

No one from the Rangers has ever asked my opinion.
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Grace and peace.

Word out that Sammy Sosa tested positive for steroids in 2003. Really? OK, everyone who is suprised to hear this, raise your left hand. The numbers are skewed and there’s no going back so let’s move on. No one cared when it was happening – not MLB or the Players Association, not owners, reporters or fans. Now people are outraged? Give it up and move on.
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Obama is proposing several new positions to monitor private industry. It’s hilarious to think some government nerd really has a clue what happens in the real world but big business sure seems to have trouble policing itself and it’s owners (stockholders) want immediate returns so what does anyone expect but short term thinking and pushing to make numbers look pretty? Anyway, throw the government beauracracy in the mix and prepare for disaster. Not that business managers won’t bring disaster on themselves anyway. Remember MCI? Enron? Hundreds of other companies that went belly-up because of bad management and took lots of people down with them?

The danger, to me, is that people begin to focus on the government agencies as the problem when the people running the company are the problem – but make millions and millions and get to walk away financially secure while the line workers lose their retirement.
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That leads me towards another post I’m working on that asks how much we should care and where our focus and efforts should be. Some people will think I have lost my mind…and I couldn’t disagree with them.
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Grace and peace to you.

Not really any deep stuff here today.

Letterman has apologized to Palin for his jokes. This little explosion, what little attention I’ve paid to it, simply disgusts me. Letterman’s joke was out of line regardless of which daughter he thought was at the ballgame. Plain and simple out of line, inappropriate and crude. He should know better and should have apologized immediately. On the other hand, Palin continues to use it for her political stature. Someone asked me what I would have done had it been my child. I hope I would have been forgiving and merciful and let it go. Does it help the girl that her mother keeps beating the dead horse in the public forum. Surely not. It drags it on and on. I hope Palin apologizes for her actions. She did far more than defend her daughter, she exploited it for her own gain.

This ordeal only brings me back to the way I am trying to see things in my life. Do you really think this was just a bad actor and an overzealous politician…or is it something more, something darker that wants to use just these actions to pull our thoughts away from Christ-like living? I reserve the right to be dead wrong but I tend to see these things as part of the spiritual warfare that is going on around us. Would satan rather us be caught up in a battle between people or service to our Savior? Who looks at Letterman and Palin as simply a late night TV guy and a politician and who sees them as falliable children of the Creator? Does seeing them as children of God, made in His image, susceptible to lure of evil just like me, change the way I feel about them?
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It’s this kind of baloney that has pushed me to quit watching the news programs. Local, CNN, Fox…they are in business to sensationalize information so as to get the people watching and listening up in arms. What drives ratings? The crazy and the bizarre.
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If you find yourself looking for stuff in the Bible, try http://www.biblegateway.com. It’s a great tool with a good search function and works similar to a concordance but does even more.

Grace and peace.

No more posts this week. When I’m done with this one, you will likely I think I was done with posts yesterday.

The Rangers won a 1-0 game last night that was over at 9:45. The Rangers. Yes, a game won with pitching and defense! A Ranger game that took less than 3 hours. A Ranger game won with pitching and defense…did I mention that one already? Who is that team playing in Arlington and what did they do with the guys we are used to watching?

Anyone watching 4th and 1 on SpikeTV? It’s Michael Irvin’s reality show that started with 6 receivers and 6 defensive backs competing for a spot at Cowboys training camp. I’m pretty sure Jerry is behind it somehow since it’s promoting his team but I think I’ll be pulling for whoever wins to make the team. So far, all these guys seem happy to have the opportunity. It’s Irvin being the taskmaster with Bill Bates as the defensive coach and Joe Avezzano as the offensive coach. Irvin has the line he gives them whenever he cuts one but each guy that got cut is respectful and thankful for the shot.

One of the last things I heard on Good Morning America this morning was that we would all get to hear one of the American Idol people say these 3 words, “I am gay.” But GMA isn’t about sensationalism. Seriously? Sadly, there are people who will tune in just to hear the big news with some thinking he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread for coming out and others who will hate him for it.

I wish GMA would roll the I Am Second lineup of folks out on their stage so they can say those words to the world. Josh Hamilton, Jason Witten, Darren Waltrip, Brian “Head” Welch, Jason Castro and a bunch of others…why not make that the big news?

Whew. Breathe deeply. Calm. Imagine your favorite peaceful place. OK, I’m better now.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and remember that God loves you tremendously.

Great Bible verse today. Psalm 46:10.
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Why do tragedies occur? Why do we hurt each other and do things that are so senseless at times? You have probably heard about the white supremacist that entered the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. yesterday and started shooting people because he hates Jews and blacks. I haven’t heard the whole story but know he killed at least 1 person.

I don’t know that I can fully imagine the evil influence a person is under to want to kill people because of the color of their skin or their religious beliefs. The murderer and his victim were both created in the image of God, yet one of them chose to hate the other.

We are all caught in a spiritual battle. Our feelings may not be the same as the man who decided to kill but the goal of the battle is just the same, to steal our heart and soul from God. My prayer is that we can see our battles and seek God with all of our strength to overcome satan and his evil plans.

The Rangers aren’t surviving their battles against Toronto very well. Last night was so ugly I quit watching it. And Elvis made an error. I think the world’s axis must have tilted off course last night.

I love Colossians 3:13. I have appreciated it for a long time but I have learned to love it powerfully the more I have come to know God.

I got an email that asks, “If satan and his demons were having a board meeting about their competition, would your name come up? Would they know you were a threat?” What a great question. How many professing Christians roam the world and pose no threat to satan? I ask because there was a time I was that description fit me well. I hope that’s not true today.

More from Os Hillman:
If you are seeking to fully follow the Lord, you can expect harassment from the enemy. God permits temptation because it drives us deeper into the soil of God. These times reveal God’s power to keep us and walk us through the temptations. Our message becomes fruitful when it is born out of obedience and suffering for His name. Do not consider it strange if you find yourself fighting major battles the more obedient you become to the Master. God desires each of us to become a feared enemy of hell in order to affect satan’s domain. When you begin to feel harassed, chances are you are beginning to affect the kingdom of darkness, and satan doesn’t like this. So, how many demons do you think are assigned to you?

I hope I lead a life that disrupts satan’s plans and brings the light of God into the world. I’m still traveling a path to a better understanding and knowledge of God, of what the Holy Spirit can and does do in my life but as I walk, I hope my light will begin to shine brighter and brighter to a lost world that is full of satan’s work.

Breathing in dust, grass clippings and other factors are causing me to go into mental shutdown this morning. The yard looks pretty good (thanks to lots of God’s watering) but I still have to do the back this evening…meaning more dust, grass clippings…yoweee.

It was a baseball whipping yesterday. Rangers picked up the option on Ron Washington’s contract for next year. That’s not saying a lot for the Rangers but the first time Ron’s had any job security. Josh Hamilton will have surgery. Not good for us Hamilton fans. Brandon McCarthy has a stress fracture in his shoulder and will be out for a month or more. Not good for pitching fans. Frank Francisco is having shoulder trouble again. Not good for those of us who white knuckle the arms of our chair every time C.J. Wilson runs on to the field. The Rangers lost to Toronto last night. They made a good run at it and a Hank Blalock shot last night with Nelson Cruz on deck almost made it really good but, unfortunately, Hank hit it towards centerfield where the very, very capable Vernon Wells hangs out. Wells made the catch and that was that.

The Longhorns beat TCU to earn a spot in the College World Series. I would have loved to see TCU purple in Omaha but not at the expense of burnt orange being there.

That’s all for today.

The Rangers go to New York and Boston and leave with a 3 wins and 3 losses record. WOW! For Rangers fans who have suffered through years of bad pitching and bad defense, the start to this season is fun to watch. I bet there are plenty, like me, who keep preparing for the wheels to fall off but I’m not so sure they will. Nelson Cruz, the guy who was out of options, who couldn’t get off to a good start at the top level, has gone deep 17 times. Kinsler, Andrus, Young, Davis…strong. Millwood, Feldman, Wonderboy (Holland)…steady. Padilla…a nut job who can pitch pretty well when his head is in the game. This is fun, really fun to watch.
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Have you ever waited on something to happen and thought it never would? Did you get frustrated? Ready to give up? I know I feel that way at times and I wonder if God ever does. For some of us, coming to a true relationship with God has taken a long time with several missteps (to put it kindly) along the way. I wonder if He ever got frustrated? Ever wanted to give up?

Can you imagine hearing God say “(state your name), I’m tired of trying, I’m tired of waiting, I’m frustrated and I’m ready to give up on you.” The first time I imagined that question with my name in the blank, it brought me to tears and sent chills down my spine. It still does at times because it’s a question I continue to use when I feel myself drifting away from complete trust and faith in God, a trust and faith that He will bring to a place greater than what I am hoping for, greater than I can likely imagine. It doesn’t mean the path is all sunshine and roses because there are evil forces along with the way wanting me to quit, to give up. But God is good, He’s never given up on me, He never quit trying, He never quit loving me…and He never will.

I still hear the voices and feel the pull to walk away but the question hasn’t let me do that. I want to live in the answer, the answer that says “I am with you always…”

I have a friend who is leaving for a Colorado vacation today. Lucky dog.

That, in itself, pretty well has me shut down from having any other thoughts today.

The only “do what?” thought is that he is going to be camping the whole time. He said he probably spent more on camping equipment than he would have on a nice hotel but he didn’t want a TV wherever he was.

I’m not sure the idea of unplugging the TV crossed his mind. Even cutting the power cord off the TV and paying to replace it would be worth it when considering sleeping in a bed or on the ground at our advanced ages.

OK, I’m picking at him because he will spend the next week in Colorado and I won’t…but my day is coming quickly!

I hope to be back next week with some better thoughts to go exploring with. Have a great weekend and remember that God loves you and wants you in a relationship with Him that is full of the best He has to offer – amazing grace, incredible love and compassion and a beautiful hope for what lies before us.