Much is being made of Rosie O’Donnell’s recent comments on The View that radical Christianity is as dangerous as radical Islam. I’m not Rosie fan (nor a fan of Barbara Walters or any other TV mouthpiece) but her comments are being discussed by many in liberal and conservative camps with very little support for what she said.

Comments like these are the danger of TV, radio and even blogging land. Something you say can easily be taken out of context or said without thought to a wider interpretation of what you mean. It’s dangerous to open your mouth sometimes.

Rosie’s comment received applause on the clip of the show I was able to see and I’m sure she has supporters but most of what I’ve seen and heard as been negative. Then again, I don’t run in the most liberal circles in the land so maybe I’m just missing alot.

In my mind, the key to her comment was “radical Christians”. I’m not completely sure what she meant by that but would agree there are some in our country who kill and hurt in the name of Christianity. I am saddened when I hear of someone blowing up an abortion clinic in the name of Christianity. I don’t think that is what Christ would have us do. At the same time, I believe we must speak up, we must teach and not to those who are right in front of us but also to the masses. I’m all for a campaign to ABC wanting a retraction of that statement and even to have someone like Rosie pulled from the show but I also worry about the language or tone some would use in doing that.

I hope we will see Christ using people to combat ludicrous comments made by people who are just like us, sinners in need of redemption. I hope they will speak in a way that will show the love and compassion of a Savior and I hope that people will see Christians as radical only because we believe in something that we cannot see and cannot touch but know in our hearts that exists…a loving God and a beautiful future in eternity.

The trouble with work is that there is so much of it. Some of you have asked why I haven’t blogged as much of late. I used to do it first thing in the morning before starting my work day but lately the work is starting earlier and earlier and I haven’t been able to write. I’ve tried writing in the evenings on occasion but after working with a computer most of the day, I really don’t want to touch one at home. Calgon, take me away.

I had a great lunch yesterday. My UPS rep is also a preacher for a church in Rockwall. He has been encouraging the eldership there to look at joining in support of a foreign mission work. I had told him awhile back about my trip to Brazil and so yesterday we met to discuss the work Randy is doing in more detail. He’s going back to the Elders to ask them to consider joining in. I ask for your prayers that they will be able to help in this incredible effort.

Today I’m having lunch with one of our Elders to discuss a new mission work we want to begin supporting. I’m excited about it and hope we can add this to our missions program.

I was telling my UPS/Preacher friend yesterday about how I used to agree that missions was one of the things we needed to be able to check off on our church to-do list but the last few years have opened my eyes. Getting to know Randy and getting to spend time in Brazil has given me a deeper love for missions and a greater appreciation for God’s calling to go and teach. I’m thankful the Decatur church supports our missionary so strongly and look forward to building a stronger presence in the mission fields.

During the 9/11 memorials and shows much was said about so many sacrifices that have and will be made to protect us and our interests. We often have to sacrifice to get what we want and when we truly want it, the sacrifice never seems too great.

I heard the President talk about a woman whose husband was a New York City fireman who lost his life on 9/11. Her sons have since joined the Army and the FDNY. They were taught that sacrifice was good for them and good for those whom they would serve. The mother willingly accepts that her children may also give as much as her husband did to defend and protect us. The boys have willingly accepted that service to others is noble. What an incredible family and incredible example.

As I thought about this, it wasn’t a far jump to think about the sacrifice that was made for me on a cross. I have such respect and admiration for those in public service to others who make my life easier and more enjoyable. That said, how much more I am thankful a Savior who gave his life for me, not that I would have an easier life but that I would have an eternal life.

I am glad people are willing to sacrifice for me but it doesn’t compare with the sacrifice that was made to take away my sins, to cleanse and purify me and to send me home to be with my Father.

I was listening to one of the yapping morning shows when an interview with Hillary Clinton came on. Fortunately, the sound went out during most of it but I did hear one comment she made that I agreed with. “We need new leadership” Ms. Clinton claimed. How true, how true.

I wonder what challenges our children will face. We hear the term ‘public service’ thrown around when people are running for office but it doesn’t seem they are always trying to serve the public. On the other hand, even good political leaders get slapped around by their opponents, typically groups on the extremes of normal society.

One of my favorite movies is Dave, a story about a decent guy who is an identical match for the President who suffered a stroke. The President is a sorry guy listening to some sorrier advisors and when he is hit with the stroke, these sorry advisors find Dave to people a talking puppet for them because they don’t like/trust the VP. Dave turns out to be a leader, fights off the advisors and becomes a leader of the people. It’s a feel good story but one I can almost imagine. Just imagine if we had a bunch of political leaders who spoke to and for the common people of this country, not the noisy extremists.

I never imagined myself agreeing with Hillary but today I do. We need new leadership.

I had so hoped to be watching playoff games this year at The Ballpark (I still refuse to call it by it’s new name). We are sharing tickets with a group of people and have enjoyed going to the games and at one point not long ago, the prospects of the Rangers making the playoffs looked pretty good. Even though they beat Oakland last night, it seems they are just playing out the season. It will be an interesting off-season. Michael Young needs to be locked up with a new contract because they have him for little money right now – that won’t be the case very long. Is Gary Matthews Jr. the real deal or a one year wonder? Can Carlos Lee make this a better team?

The Longhorns played a meaningful game against North Texas last weekend (not) in preparation for the Ohio State Buckeyes this Saturday. So how do the ‘Horns celebrate such an illustrious win (not) over the Mean Green? Well, a starting cornerback thought smoking pot was a good idea apparently. Since he was arrested for marijuana AND gun possession, he may not be thinking it was such a good idea now. Yes, yes, there may have been a mistake and we don’t know all the facts yet but it doesn’t look good for the young man.

Go Rangers! Go Longhorns! For one team, it is playing the rest of the season to get by. For the other, it is playing the rest of the season without anyone else getting high.

I’m laboring on Labor Day – the joys of retail being all that it is. It’s a nice, rainy day when there isn’t much else I could do but lay on the sofa looking out at the rain, relaxing, maybe reading a book and resting. Yes, I am glad to be at work!

I am thankful for the rain and cool weather. The summer has been brutal and most of you reading this know all the ill-effects we have suffered. We continue to have problems with our well and it scares me to think the water issues that may be slowly creeping up on us. I’ve heard it said that we could easily face a water shortage in our children’s lifetime. I’m no scientist and don’t know the facts but the thought of it after waking up several mornings with no water in the tank is a scary proposition.

But today it is raining, it is cool and I will enjoy today. Many have prayed for rain and today we will feel blessed to have it.

It’s a rainy day and people are happy. That isn’t the typical response to a rainy day but under current conditions in Wise County, rain is a good reason to smile, cheer up, jump for joy and dance (Dennis, don’t start dancing until you are in your house). It’s a beautiful sight after the paper’s front page showed dried and badly cracking ground where livestock used to drink. Let it pour!

I appreciate school administrators and teachers. They have jobs that I describe as tough (being that I couldn’t be in a room with that many kids for 30 minutes, much less all day) and the majority that I have met do it because they love the kids. We dealt with one such administrator today who kindly listened to us, talked to us and helped us find the best solution to an issue we had. With all the problems that public schools get beat up for, there are a lot of good people and a lot of good things that happen through the school system. I am thankful for them.

Tonight is the fantasy football draft for some guys from our church who have played for a few years. It’s always a fun time and makes for an interesting football season. I truly think I could care less about professional football if it wasn’t for this goofy league we have. The players are spoiled and pampered far too much for my taste but the camaraderie and trash talking among my friends makes it a fun experience.

If you are from my generation, the title might invoke the memory of a song that used to play on the radio. I don’t know why it popped into my head this morning but it did and now it won’t go away.

Tomorrow will be a fun day for my son and me. We’re going to the Rangers picnic where he will be able to get autographs from some of the current and past Rangers, tour the dugout and pressbox and do some other cool stuff. I’m hoping it will be as fun as it sounds. Any chance of a cold front blowing through?

My daughter has been working to run a mile in a set amount of time for her athletics class at school. She tested earlier this week and while she didn’t make the time mark she wanted, she did shave off nearly 4 minutes in a week’s worth of practicing. How incredible is that? I’m so proud of her effort and hope it will remain a memory with her that if she sets her goals high, she can achieve some great things. You go girl!

Have a great day!

We left our meeting yesterday hurrying to reach the airport to try and catch the 4:45 flight out of LA instead of the 7:45 flight. The first flight would get us home around 9:30, the second around midnight. We get to the gate and are told we will be on standby but a good chance of making the flight AND whether we make that flight or the later one, our luggage will go out on the first flight.

Sure enough, we get on the first flight and are quite happy knowing we will get home at a semi-reasonable hour. As we taxi to the runway, we stop and see a couple of flight attendants talking to someone in the front our of section. We wait…and wait and then the pilot comes on to notify us that someone doesn’t want to be on this plane and we have to turn around. You can imagine the conversations that started all around us. We get back to the gate, they get the guy off (he looked like he might have been a gangbanger at one time) and come on to tell us that everything’s OK, that his luggage was screened and they are sure it’s OK to fly with us. This raises the panic level for many people who now want to get off the plane also and about 10-12 do so. We sit and sit while the police are interviewing the guy and members of the airport staff are checking they guy’s seating area and overhead area for who knows what. Finally they tell us they will remove his bag from the plane so half of the people who got off now get back on.

As the story goes, he was leaving his wife but had second thoughts (maybe it was the idea of coming to 100+ degree weather). I don’t know why he couldn’t have had that revelation an hour earlier before we were ready to take off but we were finally off.

Remember me saying the guy at the ticket desk said our luggage would make the first plane no matter what? HA! My luggage was leaving this morning while the luggage of the guy with me had already left and was coming this way. We had to fill out baggage claims which was an unduly slow process and then they told the other guy he would have to come back and pick his up since it was already in the air. That took another 20 minutes of calling supervisors and arguing. Finally they agreed to deliver his luggage to Decatur.

I hate stressful travel. I couldn’t sleep when I got home and I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck this morning…but I’m home. I got to see my wife for a few minutes (she had an early day) and hug my children and that makes it all OK.

I walked over to Venice Beach last night. There were people enjoying the sun and sand, fishing from the pier and surfing. There were several tourist types also. I don’t know if the non-tourists types were tourists/vacationers or if they lived there but they all seemed to have one thing in a common – a desire to slow the pace of life down, to soak up the sun and enjoy the moment. If I could bottle it and bring it back with me, I would. I saw the same thing while in Brazil. The desire to enjoy the moment and not worry about all the things I too often let pressure me.

We worry so much and create so much stress for ourselves, it’s no wonder we find ourselves weary, beaten down and ill. We create a world where there is so much to be done, we never find the time to do it all. (I realize this is a generalization and doesn’t apply to everyone.) I applaud those who find ways to minimize the clutter and maximize peace in their lives. I even envy them a bit because I think of myself as one to shun creating that cluttered, busy, stress-filled environment but then find myself with something to do or somewhere to be each night of the week.

I hope I can learn the lesson that life is too short to fill it with worry about tomorrow, about tasks, about things I cannot control and that I fill it with the joy and peace God wishes for me. I hope you find it too.