I’m working on thoughts that might make the blog next week. It’s kind my mental motor locked down right now.

ESPN’s #2 Play of the Day last night – 2 clips of Elvis Andrus making some lights out plays against the Evil Empire. Rangers win! Rangers win!

I wonder what they will do with Vincente Padilla. I can’t imagine they will get much for him in a trade but I wonder if they would want much. He’s supposed to be the number 2 guy but he’s a bit of a head-case. Dump all or most of his salary with the plan to bring in Ben Sheets and pull Perez up from the minors? Is a Blalock for a pitcher trade still in the works? It’s going to be an interesting year.

Did you hear about the banker jumping from the 14th floor of a parking garage yesterday? Saw a snippet that the ME ruled he jumped on his own. Tragic. I can only imagine the pain that drove him to do that.

I’ve only heard snippets about Obama’s speech in Egypt yesterday. I wonder how he’s been received and I wonder how he’s representing the USA. I used to be much more wrapped up in all of that but don’t have near the concern or time for it anymore. I’m not too worried about what Obama is going to do because I have come to believe this country has been on a downhill slide for several years and it has little to do with who’s in office but everything to do with the condition of the people of this country.

Kids sure spend a lot of time on Facebook while they are in school. Social media is one more avenue that good things can come from but a whole lot of bad things can come from. It’s another one of those things that can be neat but we would not be any worse off if it went away.

I upgraded to 5MB Internet service at home. I’m not sure I can tell the difference yet.

I love reading Romans. There’s more to learn every time I open it up.

I was up later than I wanted to be last night and I’m feeling it this morning. I’m wondering if anyone will mind me drinking coffee straight from the coffee pot.

I think the Yankees have the Rangers number. Things looked good with Cruz hit his 3-run homer to put the Rangers ahead 3-2…then the Yankees tacked on 10 runs and it didn’t look so good. Thank goodness the Angels were facing Roy Halladay and lost. Maybe tonight will be better for the Rangers but I’m starting to think the pinstripes are the Rangers kryptonite.

Can someone turn the humidity down? Please.

Hope is a wonderful thing. Remaining hopeful seems to lift me up, boosts my spirit, keeps me smiling and singing (at least on the inside). At times, hope seems to wane but my faith in God keeps bringing it back. I thought about how hope works in my life as I read the following from John Eldredge:

If for all practical purposes we believe that this life is our best shot at happiness, if this is as good as it gets, we will live as desperate, demanding, and eventually despairing men and women. We will place on this world a burden it was never intended to bear. We will try to find a way to sneak back into the Garden and when that fails, as it always does, our heart fails as well. If truth be told, most of us live as though this life is our only hope.

In his wonderful book The Eclipse of Heaven, A. J. Conyers put it quite simply: “We live in a world no longer under heaven.” All the crises of the human soul flow from there. All our addictions and depressions, the rage that simmers just beneath the surface of our Christian facade, and the deadness that characterizes so much of our lives has a common root: We think this is as good as it gets. Take away the hope of arrival and our journey becomes the Battan death march. The best human life is unspeakably sad. Even if we manage to escape some of the bigger tragedies (and few of us do), life rarely matches our expectations. When we do get a taste of what we really long for, it never lasts. Every vacation eventually comes to an end. Friends move away. Our careers don’t quite pan out. Sadly, we feel guilty about our disappointment, as though we ought to be more grateful.

Of course we’re disappointed—we’re made for so much more. “He has also set eternity in the hearts” (Eccl. 3:11). Our longing for heaven whispers to us in our disappointments and screams through our agony. “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy,” C. S. Lewis wrote, “the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”

(The Sacred Romance , 179–80)

It was pouring down when I took the kids to school. Once I dropped them off and made my way into the office, it stopped. I’m OK with it raining on Mondays and Tuesdays between 8 and 11 in the morning and after 9 at night. I should avoid getting wet and it leaves the weekends open for outside activities. Seems reasonable, doesn’t it?
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Rangers play in New York tonight. It would be good to win this series before heading into Boston. If the Rangers come out of this with more wins than losses they have to be considered as a contender. If they don’t, it shows there is more work to be done which isn’t all bad either. The bullpen still isn’t as good as anyone would want it. I’m guessing the coming months will bring a trade for some pitching and the signing of Ben Sheets. If Nefatali Perez is able to come to the bullpen with his 100mph heat, Holland continues to be steady, Feldman continues to improve and Sheets can be a reliable starter…wow. This could be really fun.

Consider that and the idea of Hamilton and Chris Davis hitting like they are capable of and you’ve got a good mix if everyone can execute. WOW. This could be really fun!
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I’m just a few days reading into Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost for His Highest and loving it. It’s as if he was writing it just for me and his comments challenge me to go deeper with God and remind me to wait on Him, rely on Him, trust in Him, live for Him.

The 50th anniversary party for my parents was great. I got to see some old friends I hadn’t seen in 20 years and catch up with some of my high school friends. Of course, it wasn’t about me but I enjoyed it. It was good to see so many people come, some from far distances, for my parents. It was special to see so many, young and old, come to honor them for 50 years of marriage and for being a part of the lives of so many people.
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The Rangers are still tearing it up. There’s still room for some of you nay-sayers to jump on the bandwagon.
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More Oswald Chambers that struck me last week…”We seem to think that God wants us to give up things! God purified Abraham from this error and the same process is at work in our lives. God never tells us to give up things just for the sake of giving them up, but He tells us to give them up for the sake of the only thing worth having, namely, life with Him.”

I have struggled with all the stuff I have and all the stuff I do and have, at times, agonized over what it meant for me as a Christian. Over time, I have come to realize that what I have isn’t the issue. Instead, the issue is what I willing to give. Am I giving my money? Am I giving my time? Am I giving my heart? As I draw closer to my God, it’s easier to understand that He isn’t a God desiring to take away but a God desiring to give. If I am going to walk with God, I must be prepared to give and the life and things that I have will take care of themselves.

I am looking forward to finding what God calls me to give and I am looking forward to building my relationship with Him as I learn to be a servant.

This weekend, my parents will celebrate 50 years of marriage. It is a great testament to love and devotion and I honor them at this special time. I can only imagine that over 50 years there have been ups-and-downs that they have weathered and enjoyed. I have heard stories of tough times when money was tight. I’m also aware of 18 years of pure bliss – the years I was living at home being a perfect angel.

I am thankful for my parents and thank God for them and all they have taught me and for the love they have given me. On this special weekend, I pray that they feel the love God has for both of them and thank Him for their love for me and so many others that they have touched.

Mom and Dad, thank you for all that you are and all that you do.

No need to mention the Rangers today.

I’m still stuck on the song I mentioned a few blogs ago, “The Motions” that Matthew West sings. It keeps me thinking about where I’ve been and where I hope to go and how different those two episodes of life might look.

I watched a video that struck me the other day too. A speaker was telling the audience that he thought we could see a better idea of what God intended the church to be at an AA meeting than in an institutional church setting. I don’t believe I disagree with him. You go to AA because a) a judge has ordered you to or b) you’ve got some problems you need to find a way to deal with. For those who go because of “b”, there are some really honest stories told, some tough thoughts/feelings/actions are opened up and healing can happen. That’s what church, the body of Christ, should be because that is what Christ is; the one I should be really honest with, the one I should bear all my ugliness, my hurts, my scars, my sins to and the one who will begin the healing.

I have grown up in churches where I have heard more complaining or gossip about what someone is doing than being aware of people going to help the hurting. I have heard people spend time asking what the one who went forward did or say “what a shame” or “they brought it on themselves” and other things of that nature but did not stop to offer prayers or help or a shoulder to cry on. I wish I could say it was someone else but I am just as guilty.

I don’t want the church to be more like AA; I want it to be incomparable to any organization we can imagine. I don’t want the church to be a place where brothers and sisters feel safe but a place where brothers and sisters and people dealing with every kind of sin Jesus so their healing can begin. I don’t want to be a part of a church that is going through the motions but a church that is the active body of Christ – one that certainly teaches truth, but even more, lives it, exudes it, a church that shows the irresistible nature of the Christ.

The challenge is that it doesn’t fall to the Elders or the ministers – it starts with me. What will I do today? How will I show Christ to people today? How will I let people know there is healing for their pain and suffering, that there is grace and peace and salvation in our Lord?

At 44 years of age, I realize I just can’t stay out as late as I used to. I had the joy of experiencing the Rangers 2 1/2 rain delay last night. We hung on until the 6th inning but had to call it a night which put me to bed way late. I’ll be paying for it today but it was great seeing a Rangers win against the Yankees.
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I hope my title isn’t taking badly but it’s a question I have asked myself several times. Each day, a random verse pops up on my blog and every now and then, when I’m really hitting a low spot of some sort, the verse speaks volumes to me. I have jokingly said God must be reading my blog and giving me the exact scripture I need that day. I like to think there might be a little truth to that but the real story is that the Bible is full of hope and compassion and love and reading a little bit of scripture every day reinforces the real importance of being in God’s word all the time. I have read more this year than I have in a long time, maybe ever, and I feel the benefits of the time I spend in how I feel on the inside. It doesn’t take away my problems but it gives me so much peace in living through them and helps me remember to trust God – trust that He will carry my load.

God may not read blogs but I am reminded over and over how important it is for me to read God’s words. My words might bring a laugh or a tear but His words bring life.

The Rangers loss yesterday…that was a hard thing in a relatively insignificant way. It was hard to watch for a fan but not such a big deal in considering all that is happening in the world.

I was forwarded a video by a missionary friend of mine that is a hard thing to watch. The closer I get to God, the harder this type of video is to watch. Not hard in a sad or disgusting way but hard in that it turns my stomach that people live in the condition they do. At the same time, their thankfulness for scraps speaks volumes about the lives that most of us live. If you’ve got about 6 minutes, watch this: http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/1081/Chicken-a-la-Carte

Having a rough day? Read this http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/090520-space-urine.html then enjoy a nice, refreshing glass of water and relax.
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A song I keep playing over and over lately is “The Motions” by Matthew West. If you haven’t heard it, go to YouTube and search for Matthew West The Motions and you’ll find a couple of videos to watch. Basically, the song is about a person not wanting to just go through the motions but to find the true passion that God can give us. For me, it’s a song with words that are powerful.

For so long, I have heard the alarm, got in the shower, took the kids to school, went to work, ate lunch, went back to work, go home, eat, go to baseball practice/church/volunteer activity, go home, watch TV, go to sleep, heard the alarm, got in the shower…you get the idea. Coming to really experience God has given me a better vision of what God sees and what I can be doing to help someone, to live with more joy in my future and more joy in knowing God.

At 44, my life is likely half over and I do not want to spend the last half just going through the motions. I want to live in the freedom and joy and jubilation that comes through a relationship with God and I want to spend my days looking for the ways He wants me to serve and help and love. With God, the simplest of things seem bigger and the biggest challenges seem easier. Going through the motions makes the simplest of things seem a burden and the biggest challenges appear impossible. I want to go with God, to revel in His love, to share His mercy and grace and compassion and hope.

I hope your day is filled with the peace that can only come from God.

How fast can the Rangers get out of Detroit? It’s not fast enough.
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Yesterday’s lunch was refreshing. Beautiful. Peaceful. It started with 3 tacos to go from Primo’s. I love the pork tacos with cilantro, onions and lime juice. They are tasty with great flavors but I digress. While I did enjoy the food, I snuck off to a secluded spot, sat at a picnic table under a giant shade tree and ate while seeing the beauty of God’s creation and listened to the birds sing. After the feast, I opened up My Utmost for His Highest written by Oswald Chambers. A sister-in-law gave it to me about 3 years ago but my heart is only now prepared for some of the thoughts Chambers expresses in his writing. Below is a portion of what I read yesterday that resonated with me.

Once we get intimate with Jesus we are never lonely and we never lack for understanding or compassion. We can continually pour out our hearts to Him without being perceived as overly emotional or pitiful. The Christian who is truly intimate with Jesus will never draw attention to himself but will only show the evidence of a life where Jesus in completely in control. This is the outcome of allowing Jesus to satisfy every area o life to its depth. The picture resulting from such a life is that of the strong, calm balance that our Lord gives to those who are intimate with Him.

Lord, take me there. Keep drawing me closer to you and help me to live in your goodness.