You give and take away,
You give and take away,
My heart will choose to say,
Lord, blessed be your name.

Today is my mom’s birthday. Happy Birthday Mom! We spent last night celebrating by watching the Mavs beat up on the Atlanta Hawks. It was a fun game and a fun time to spend with my parents. What can I say about moms that hasn’t been said other than I agree with it all? Moms do it all for their children. Moms are given a special mission from God and my mom did an excellent job accepting that role. As hard as I fought against her at times, she always did what she believed was best for me and I give her an A+. No parent is never perfect in all their actions (as my children would attest) but a parent who always loves, a parent who always give, a parent who always nurtures, a parent who always cares – they are perfect and my mom is one who always loves, always gives, always nurtures and always cares.

Thank you mom. I love you.
_______________________________________________________

I had intended today to be a post just about mom but as the verse from the song at the top of the blog, God gives and takes away. While out last night, I received two calls from my wife about deaths of people who are close to us and special to us. I didn’t know one as well as the other but both have left legacies of a love for God, of Christian children, of goodness, of caring about others. My prayer today is that God will be with those families, to console, to comfort, to encourage and that those families will find comfort knowing their mom/father are now with God.
_______________________________________________________

To see the lyrics for Blessed Be Your Name, go to http://www.lyricsbox.com/matt-redman-lyrics-blessed-be-your-name-psf45jc.html

I’m headed to the Mavericks game tonight. They are playing the lowly Atlanta Hawks so I don’t know how much we will get to see Dirk and Josh play but I’m still looking forward to it. I’m taking my parents to see the game and hope it will be a good one. I’m not a big fan of pro basketball, I don’t watch many games on TV and I don’t get to very many games but it is still amazing what some of these guys can do. The Mavericks are building all the pressure for themselves this year with an incredible record. I heard on the radio the other day that the Mavs have the 4th best record at the all-star break in history and the teams that were in the 1st-3rd spot and the team that is now in the 5th spot on that list all won the NBA championship.
____________________________________________________

The Rangers are in training camp and Sammy Sosa arrived the other day with hundreds of reporters following. On one hand, I’m disappointed they brought Sosa in because of the potential distraction and his recent past history. On the other hand, it may be good for the Rangers to get a bit more publicity, get a few more guys used to the circus atmosphere and, who knows, Sosa could be the next Frank Thomas. If not, it doesn’t cost the Rangers much of anything and they still get a lot of publicity away from the east coast teams. Sounds like someone tore a page out of Jerry’s playbook.
____________________________________________________

Our preacher delivered a challenging message yesterday about prejudice. Whenever I hear the word, my immediate thought is towards race and while that is certainly still an issue, prejudice covers so much more for us in the church. Race, social class, clothing, history. I see it. I’ve done it. I’ve been more friendly to the people who looked and acted like me than I do to those who don’t. I’ve been more accepting of the person I didn’t know had a history of problems than the person I did know had a history of problems (gambling, porn, drinking, sex…you pick the problem).

I’m thankful for a Savior that doesn’t qualify me.

We were talking about favorite scriptures in our class yesterday. I think one of my tops has to be Romans 5:8. To paraphrase, it says that God loves us so much that he sent his Son to die for us, even while we were sinners. Wow, I don’t have to be perfect for God to save me. He doesn’t separate people into groups but saved everyone that could fall into the “sinner” group.

That’s power. That’s awesomeness. That’s true love.

I got an email from someone today saying they missed my blog. It’s good to have a fan, an encourager, a supporter. It lifts your mood, brightens your day, puts a smile on your face. I’m thankful for those who encourage me. It’s easy to get discouraged, to wonder if I make a difference. I think everyone shares in those feelings at times, as crazy as they are. I know I make a difference, you know you make a difference but it’s always good to have a little acknowledgement of that.

In that spirit, thank you to:
-my wife. She is a supporter, an anchor, a source of security.
-my parents. As hard as I may have made it at times, you set me on a path that will carry me through eternity.
-my friends. I hope you know who you are. I cherish friendships.
-my God. Daily, I find myself wanting a closer relationship with you. Daily, I find myself needing you more in my life. Daily, I find myself wanting to praise you for what you have done for me. Daily, I try to take in more of you and put off more of me.

I hope you have a good day. I hope you know you make a difference in someone’s life. I hope that today you will see God and His desire for you more clearly.

The weather pattern really needs to be more cooperative. Today, while I’m holed up in my office, it is beautiful and the forecast this morning predicted rain for Saturday. That’s just not right.

I heard an argument on the radio yesterday about the most popular sport. The commentator said she was a huge hockey fan and really believed that there were more hockey fans than NASCAR fans. She said the NFL and NBA had a much larger number of fans than NASCAR and went on and on. It was obvious she doesn’t watch NASCAR very much but I laughed at her efforts to downplay a motorsport that draws hundreds of thousands of people every weekend from mid-February into November.

My wife pointed out that Dale Hansen spoke up last Sunday stating that NASCAR drivers were great athletes. Most people don’t know that Howard Cosell had made the same comment about race car drivers many years before on a MNF telecast. Heady stuff for motorheads everywhere.

The one thing I heard commentators from several different sports shows (I was driving a lot yesterday) discuss was the ending of the Daytona 500. One race car driver crossed the finish line upside down with his car on fire (he was OK after the race). I can’t imagine a dunk, a home run, an eagle from 200 yards or any other sports feat more exciting than sliding across pavement on the roof of your car and flames coming out of it. It had to be one of the best 18th place finishes ever.

I might have mentioned that I was recently “selected” to be on long-term jury duty. It lasts 6 months and if all goes well we will only meet one day each month.

I had planned to take part to all of today off because the kids are out of school. Instead, I’m working because I got a notice that I have to be at jury duty on Friday. Hmmmm, day off with family or day of listening to a range of stupid to horrible things people have done. My past interest in attending law school makes being a part of a jury somewhat interesting but all things considered, I’d prefer not to go. The other interesting aspect of it is the dynamic of the group. It’s a fairly diverse group, some who are quiet and others who tell you exactly what they think, some who have been civil servants and others who own a business, some who have obvious religious convictions and some who are very cynical. From my interest in psychology point-of-view, this may be a more interesting aspect than the legal issues. I enjoy watching people and trying to figure them out. When I was in college, I would go to the local mall and sit on a bench just watching the people and coming up with what I thought was going through their heads. I still remember the day a kid came walking in with spiked hair, black clothes, gaudy rings on every finger – he was either part of a heavy metal band or a band of killers – and this older, petite, apparently upper-middle class lady stopped dead in her tracks staring at him. It was one of those moments that made bench watching worthwhile.

People are many different things and I know I will see that more and more in my service to local government.

There’s a good chance I won’t blog tomorrow as I plan to travel to some of our remote stores. Typing on the computer while driving just doesn’t seem like a good idea.

Have a super day!

It’s cold in Decatur, Texas. My thermometer showed 14 degrees when I left this morning and arrived at work to find we had no running water. Uh-oh. Fortunately all is well now without problems it seems. This winter weather has been very odd and this morning makes it hard for me to wonder about global warming.

My daughter is leaving for a youth group retreat tonight and my wife will be gone for the evening for a class she is taking. It looks like my son and I will travel to the big city (Ft. Worth) to look for Under Armour baseball cleats. You see, not just any cleats will do. Under Armour will surely make him run faster, hit further, throw harder and excel on the baseball field. Under Armour batting gloves would only further improve his performance.

It’s amazing how we get tied up in labels and brands. We certainly do our best at work to brand our customers and establish our brand in the marketplace as the premier place to buy tack and clothing for western enthusiasts. Has anyone heard of Bass Pro Shops? They’ve certainly stamped their brand on the outdoor community selling everything from fishing supplies to camo and guns. I’m a Rawlings guy for baseball gloves because I’ve always thought highly of their quality. In guns, I prefer Browning because my uncle thought they were good enough to buy and hunt with. I prefer Nike tennis shoes but will use New Balance also because they still use American made lasts.

What brands are you wearing? I look forward to some of your responses.

In case you missed it, there is a big world out there. I seem to forget that at times. There are wars going on. There are vicious crimes being committed. There are struggles for leadership of nations great and small. There’s a big world out there and yet I’m forever concerned about what I will do at the next basketball practice or how baseball tryouts are coming or where I might go eat on Friday. I get so caught up in my own little world that I easily forget there is a big world out there. I can let someone else handle that. There are people smarter than me to think through what is going on so I can worry about so much minutiae in my own life.

As I prepare to talk to junior high and high school students tonight about what we are to be as Christians, it strikes me that I must be aware of the world around me if I am going to serve the world around me. Whether it is taking care of my own family, helping someone in the community or praying for someone in another country I have to be aware of those people and not trapped in thoughts about me. There is a big world out there, a world we are called to serve, and we cannot do it by thinking that someone else with more time, more skill, more “smarts” will go do it. We must be willing to go and to serve and to do so we must be aware.

It is something I struggle with. Too often I am aware of my own needs and desires and too little else. I hope today and tomorrow and the days that follow I will become better at being aware of those around me, those who need me, those I can serve. I serve a Master who is aware, I serve a Master who serves multitudes and that is something I must strive to copy. If I am to be the hands and feet of my Master, I must open my eyes to see past myself.

A former NBA basketball player has recently announced to the world that he is gay. He has a book that will be released this week and has been in several news reports promoting his story and lifestyle.
I read a story on ESPN’s web site today where the guy points out that those who have spoken out negatively are either naive or ignorant. Now, Mark Cuban has joined in the fray calling the guy a “hero” for being willing to tell his story.
Once again, a lack of tolerance towards homosexuality gets you branded as naive (the kindest of insults) or backwoods stupid (the ordinary type comment). On the other hand, tolerance towards a viewpoint based on the Bible is considered crazy. My ranting and raving about this won’t change anything so I’ll just pray that one day those who prefer the way of Satan to the way of God will change their minds, their actions and their words.
________________________________________________________

On a brighter note, Spring Training starts in less than 2 weeks. I would love to be able to travel to Florida or Arizona and spend a few days watching workouts and games. The fresh cut grass, the sound a ball makes hitting the pocket of the glove, the sound of the bat hitting the ball, 90+mph fastballs and breaking balls that move 12 inches across the strike zone, climbing a wall to rob a home run and fireworks going off after a ball goes yard…it all starts soon. Let’s play ball!

Last week, we in Wise County found out a 14 year old in Decatur had made a public death threat towards a teacher at the high school. I cannot imagine what is going through the minds of those involved – the child, his parents, the teacher and her family, other students. It’s one of those events that makes me ask “Why?” and come up completely blank on answers.

It’s scary to think someone so young could be thinking of that type of action, even scarier that he would make it public. Thank goodness he did though as his MySpace page was what alerted his mom and then she called the police. What causes a child to think that way? Is it his parents? Is it society? We don’t know the answers and may never know or understand.

I know the teacher and have a high regard for her. I let her know she and her family were in my prayers and she responded that prayer is what is getting them through this ordeal. There is power in prayer, in people raising their voices to God, in asking Him for help for whatever the situation is. So often, I have seen the result of faithful prayer and I am ever-thankful we have that avenue to God.

There are so many things we can and should be praying about. If you haven’t talked to God today, I encourage you to stop now and lift up praise and petition to him for whatever is on your heart. He is faithful and He will hear you.

…and I can’t sleep. My brain will be dead in the morning so why not blog in the middle of the night? It’s getting cold again and it looks like a wet weekend. I’m glad for the rain and enjoy the cold weather but would prefer it comes Monday through Thursday and then warms up with sunshine for the weekend.

The weekend is almost here. Spring training is near. Happy thoughts abound.

I was throwing the baseball with my son the other night and he said he could “smell” a game at the high school field. I assured him the game was the night before and out of town. He responded that he thought he could smell a baseball game. I laughed…the thinking of a 10 year old. We left to go to basketball practice and guess what…the JV was playing a game. I’ll trust his sniffing ability from now on.

I’m getting sleepy…very, very sleepy. It’s way past time to be in bed so I will go there now and I leave with this thought swirling in my head – I have been saved by a Savior whose mercy I cannot fathom, whose love I can never match, whose joy I can never exceed yet I am content that I have all I need. I hope I will show mercy to all who need it, that I will show love to all who seek it, that I will show joy to all who want it. More than that, I hope I show the glory of my God so that those who need mercy, seek love and want joy will turn to Him, to the one who can give it all with abundance and will accept what only He can bestow.