I’m aliv. We played our first church league basketball game and I ended up playing much more than I thought I would and survived pretty well. I got to sleep late and have a few sore muscles today so I think I’m about 80% (4/5 of the word “alive”). To top it off, we won! I’m looking for an undefeated season now. haha

Our ladies team played before us and lost by 1 point but played hard. I’d be scared to play them.
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I read an article on Joel Osteen this morning that has me thinking. While I don’t agree with all of his philosophy, one thing he said is resonating with me this morning. He said something to the effect that his gift is to encourage people and lift them up. He stays away from doctrinal preaching, instead choosing to focus on what will help people today.

I thought it was interesting for him to say his gift was one of encouragement. What a great gift to share. Again, I don’t know if I agree if being an encourager is a gift or an attitude but that doesn’t really matter as long as I go out today and try to encourage people. Whether it’s my gift or not, it’s still a precious gift to give someone else.

Today is one of those days where there is nothing in my head to write about so it will be just wild ramblings of things that pop into my head.

Today is our monthly store manager meeting. We spend most of the day discussing what is happening in the stores and what our plans are for the coming months. The holiday selling season will be the main topic of conversation today.

I cannot believe Thanksgiving is next week. It doesn’t seem possible.

Our church basketball teams play our first games tonight. I’ve signed up for one but don’t know how I will hobble down the court on a hurt knee and out of shape. The last time I played, I tore my calf muscle so I hope paramedics are standing by. I remember when I was younger and expected to play all the time. That’s certainly not the case for tonight.

The Decatur cross country teams both performed well at the state meet last weekend. The boys got 3rd place and the girls claimed 5th. Those kids spend HOURS preparing for something that lasts 15 minutes and my hat is off to them for their hard work.

Decatur football plays Abilene Wylie this Friday. Wylie has been our nemesis in football and baseball over the past few years but especially in football. They seem to be the team we just can’t figure out.

That’s all from me. I hope you are having a great day.

I had the great fortune of attending church at Fortress yesterday, an inner-city mission in Fort Worth. We had a good time and got to meet some fun young kids but the lesson of the morning really struck a chord with me. Sometimes I read scripture over and over and out of the blue, something pops out to me in a way I hadn’t thought of it before.

The topic was love and the question the teacher asked was “what does love look like?” We read the scripture in 1 Corinthians 13 about love but I read it in a way different than I usually do. I inserted “God” instead of “love” in the verses and got a better understanding of what love looks like.

God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. He is not rude, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails.

Wow, that is love. I kept thinking about what love looks like right now, today, here in Decatur and I read the scripture again.

Jeff is patient, Jeff is kind. Jeff does not envy, he does not boast, he is not proud. Jeff is not rude, he is not self-seeking, he is not easily angered, Jeff keeps no records of wrongs. Jeff does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Jeff always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Jeff never fails.

If only that were true. If only. However, it is a great reminder to me what I should be, how I should act, what people should see. I’m not those things as much or as often as I am but I know what love should look like. It should look like me being patient and kind, not easily angered, not failing and the rest.

Oh God, help me to look like love.

I am often confused by the term “relevant” because it so often seems what is relevant to one person is not at all relevant to another. I had a discussion the other day with a friend about what people are looking for from a church, what is relevant to them. It’s a question that has been in my head for some time now. In the Churches of Christ, one of which I attend, we have long held the tradition of having church on Sunday night and Wednesday night and for as long as I can remember the attendance has been significantly lower than on Sunday morning. I can imagine several reasons for that over time but today’s biggest complaint is usually that those services are not relevant and I have had trouble understanding what that meant until a recent conversation I had with another friend who attends a different church. To paraphrase, he said he didn’t want to be sitting around with a bunch of people acting religious, he wanted to be out doing what Jesus would be doing. He is a guy who will be at church every Sunday morning and believes the worship time is a very special time and something he will always be active in but the rest of the week he wants to devote himself to study and to serving others. Service to him is more relevant than sitting in a class a couple of nights a week.

I know these ideas can open up a can of worms with people but the idea of service to others is not one that can be debated, not one that can be ignored and is certainly one of relevance. So is the fact that what is relevant to one person is not always relevant to another and our church leaders need to be aware and helping secure opportunities for all members to serve God.

There is much left for me to think through on this and I hope no one will take this as my definitive stance. This is my blog and my space to post my thoughts, many of which are half-baked at any given time. For me, writing my thoughts is my best and easiest way to start thinking through them so share this time and space with me. My challenge for me and for you today is to think about how you are serving God and how you are making yourself relevant in the pursuit of His glory.

My cell phone quit on me yesterday. I was loading an upgrade to the software, followed all the rules, and when it was done there was no service. I called tech support to no avail. I’ve been with Sprint for several years and keep contemplating a change because Sprint has delivered the absolute worst customer service on a consistent basis that I can imagine. It’s difficult to get anything done and I don’t remember ever calling and having to speak to less than 3 people to find out they couldn’t or wouldn’t do what I was asking.

My only quandry at the moment is how long to go with the “broken cellphone” theme. It’s a step back in time to a more peaceful era and I kind of like it.
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Basketball season is cranking up – my favorite time of the year. I have a draft for my 6th grade team tonight. I’m playing on a church team that starts games next Tuesday. The high school team has their first game next Tuesday, college basketball is getting rolling and the pros (not real basketball in my mind) have already started. I think I’ve already watched more pro games this year (3) than I did all of last year so I’m ready for the college season to get started in earnest. I can’t wait for March Madness.

Who’s your favorite team?

I have been serving on a committee for the school district looking at the current facilities and preparing to make suggestions for what needs to be considered for the next 5, 10, 15 years. There have been 20-30 people at each meeting and it’s been interesting to watch and listen to other people’s perspectives when we went to a facility. Everyone can be looking at one thing and seeing many different things but there was one place we visited that people either seemed to see black or white – the football stadium. I missed the big powwow Monday night where the final recommendations were made but heard that when it came to proposing a new football stadium, there were definitely two different camps.

The hope for our group is that we would reach a consensus, not a majority rule but a consensus where we could make a recommendation that all might not agree with but there was some common ground. It sounds like that happened with the football stadium…down the list aways…with plenty of reservations. It will be interesting to see how it turns out someday down the road.

Yet what struck me was the idea of consensus. An idea of agreeing to find common ground. It might require compromises, adjustments, modifications but it’s the idea of working together to get to a common point – not my point or your point but a common point – that struck me about this exercise and this group.

I enjoyed my time on the committee, saw things I hadn’t seen before and met some people I didn’t know. It was a good experience and I hope to see the recommedations come to fruition because most of them will certainly enhance the academic experience and opportunities for our children. Secretly, I hope we get a new stadium too.

I head back home today and I’m ready. I miss being with my family and I’m ready to get back to them. It’s really cold today. The high is going to be 42 and with the wind, it will feel more like 35.

I went to see American Gangster the other night, not realizing it was 3 days long. I had mixed feelings but in the end wasn’t overly impressed. Both characters were flawed in opposite but similar ways but the storyline had a hard time of really exploring the characters. It was part action and part narrative, never really developing much traction on either side. On the other hand, it was interesting to see what both people went through and provoking some thought on how they got to where they were.

Speaking of movies, the keynote speaker at our conference with Chris Gardner who the movie Pursuit of Happyness was about. He was interesting and he told a good story, was funny and sobering. I can’t imagine living the life he went through but it does show what hope can do for you. One of the interesting things I learned was that his son was only 14 months old when they were living on the street. The movie version has an older child because, as Gardner said, 14 months old don’t carry much of a dialogue. There were a few other differences but nothing significant and Gardner says they are considering a sequel.

No others thoughts of interest (as if the above was) so I’m off for a shower, a very cold stroll and a haircut before getting the bags packed and heading out.

I really enjoy coming to Chicago. It’s a great place to be…for 3-4 days anyway. I find it an interesting place compared with Decatur. All the people, the houses jammed together, the greenspace for the dogs that are couped up in apartments and condos and the people picking up the dogs mess in a bag, the shops on Michigan Avenue, the frenetic pace of people going here and there, the street performers…and the food…yummy. I feasted at Gino’s East Pizza last night. Chicago pizza is my favorite and Gino’s does it really, really well. I want to eat at Gibson’s before I leave but don’t know that I’ll make it this trip but it’s one of my favorite places to sink my teeth into an incredible steak.

I’m surrounded by this mass of humanity and I wonder how many know God. I wonder how many have the same hope that I have, the joy in a Savior that I have. I hope the number is much bigger than I think but I hear their conversations and get a sense of their direction and it makes me wonder. Maybe I’m walking a mission field, I don’t know.

I do know this. The Republicans are not poised to win in Chicago. In the elevators, on the street, in the hotel lobby all I hear is Obama, Obama, Obama with some Hillary thrown in. Not one good word about Bush which seems to be the new synonym for Republicans.

I’m off to class…and then back into the mass of humanity.

I’m taking my baseball playing boy to Flower Mound tonight to try out for a team. It’s getting harder and harder to put a competitive team together in our small town so we are hitting the road to see what options are out there. The deck is stacked against him. He’s trying out for a team that has been playing fall ball while he’s been taking it easy. They are in Flower Mound and the coach is already hesitant I’ll make the haul on a regular basis.

I think he’s ready though. I’ve asked several times if he really wants to do this and he affirms it each time. I just hope he will perform well and see improvements in his own abilities.
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We missed Halloween! It was a church night and by the time we got home, most trick-or-treating was done. The kids didn’t seem to mind as both wanted to be at church anyway and I don’t think the lack of all that candy will do us any harm. Still, it was odd not to be hauling them door to door to get their loot.
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I leave tomorrow for the Windy City. I ask for your prayers for safe travel and for my family while I’m gone.

I heard on TV this morning that there may be a change on the Supreme Court’s thinking on the death penalty. It’s something I wrestle with a little because I’ve not been in the position of someone who has been a victim of one of the criminals that was subject to it. On the other hand, and I realize my position may knock me off the Republican Party Christmas card list, I am not a proponent of the death penalty. I just don’t see where we have the right to choose if someone should live or die, that we have the right to take someone’s life into our own hands. I can’t reconcile Christ-likeness with the death penalty.

Do I think criminals should be punished? Definitely. I think there was probably some benefit to the chain gangs and hard, hard manual labor. Maybe some authorities didn’t handle it properly but I think it’s a much better alternative to the death penalty. When Clayton Williams ran for governor several years ago, one of his theme’s was “busting rocks” which is what he wanted the criminals to do. I think he had a lot of support until he made a stupid comment about rape but his hard work for criminals seemed to strike a chord with many people.

I want feel bad to see the death penalty go away but I would like to see more stringent penalties for those offenders who might be in line for it.
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The Rockies-Red Sox series didn’t go the way I wanted it to but it was a good example of momentum ruling the day. The Sox had it and the Rockies had been sitting still too long but it was still neat to see them make it that far. As for the Rangers…maybe next year.