On my mind today

A father and son running a tri-athalon together. Did I mention the son is a quadrapledgic? Take a look.

Officially, I'm on sick leave today. After church yesterday morning, my fever began to shoot skyward. It finally topped out at about 8 PM at 104. Sometime last night, it finally broke. I feel much better today, but I'm not getting carried away. I'm home today - Julie and the children went to Tyler to do some shopping. It's the first quiet I've had at home since they arrived three weeks ago today. Pray for an end to all this sickness, won't you? I know I'm ready for it to end.

Okay - we hit the ground running this morning with the crank-up of our annual Vacation Bible School. This was the first major event I was here for last year, so it seems right to get it back up on it's feet this year! A special thanks is due to Katrina Holmans, our VBS Director. It's hard work to put all the pieces in place and then hope you've hit the right combination. We'll be posting pictures on our website so check there to find your kid!

I've always been told it's difficult to get an act of Congress done. While I've enormous respect for work our lawmakers do and the difficulties involved, I wonder if they've lost connection with those of us who live in the "real world." Little things, like the lightbulbs I use in my home, are now issues Congress wants to dictate. Hmmmmm. I'm not sure the framers of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence had this in mind. Watch the video below from Rep. Poe, proudly serving the state of Texas with a good health dose of common sense.

When I was a student at Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth, TX, I was privileged to sit under the instruction of Dr. Jack MacGorman, longtime professor of New Testament. A man of passion for Christ and his kingdom, his class made me want to serve Christ more fully as opposed to some classes that just filled my head. He was a learned man with two earned Ph.D.'s. Why someone would need two, I don't know! Unfortunately, Dr. MacGorman informed us, he earned those degrees at the expense of family time. He was quite an old man by the time I knew him and here's what he told us - "Gentlemen, I would gladly trade both of my PhD's for the opportunity to go back and be a better D.a.D." I've thought often of Dr. MacGorman and his wisdom - and I appreciate it more now than I ever have. I've been blessed with the educational opportunities the Lord has provided me. I've been trained in 5 languages and picked up a couple more along the way. I spent more t...

Under the heading "Now THAT looks like fun" I present my Rangers at Shea Stadium in NYC. During a rain-out on Saturday afternoon, Ian Kinsler, Josh Rupe, Michael Young and Milton Bradley decided to have a little fun. Using the infield tarp for a giant slip-n-slide, they got down and soggy!

I'm a techno guy, in case you hadn't already figured that out. One of the things I enjoy about tech stuff is the constantly changing face of it. There's always something new coming out or a new way to think about things. That's almost always good - except when technology is used by the unscrupulous to carve deeper into your wallet. Take for example the recent decision by the Associated Press. You remember them - newspapers across the country have bought their stories and published them for decades. With the advent of the internet and technology, however, fewer people are purchasing newspapers since people now typically get their news online. The AP decided getting their slice isn't enough. Now, they desire to get paid if you link to their stories no matter of you're a news service or a blogger (like me! It's reminiscent of the Recording Industry and Movie Industry, but that's a blog for another post. )The Washington Post has a response to this...

My sisters, Karen Cotter and Winona Wood, are amazing ladies. Each quite successful in their fields - Karen in nursing and teaching and Winona as a medical trainer. I'm so proud of the lady each of them are and will be. Recently, Karen was honored for her teaching work at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, OK where she's an assistant professor of nursing working toward her PhD. Here's the link to the story . Congrats, Karen, and keep up the fine work! Winona, on the other hand, just returned from a medical conference in (get this) Hilton Head, SC. For those of you who aren't golfers, let me just tell that where golfers hope to go when they die. At least this golfer hopes Heaven is like that! Welcome home Winona and keep up the good work!

Sgt Morvant was deployed to Iraq this past Saturday - for the second time. His mother is a member of FBC and quite proud of her son. I'd like to honor him today for his service. There's a great article about him in this week's news. Here's the link.

I've reflected all week on the message I presented Sunday - about allowing the Calling of God to guide you, even if you don't think you're properly equipped. Moses certainly felt that way - ill-equipped for the calling God had placed before him. Aren't you glad it's not about you? Aren't you glad it's not about how qualified you are or how gifted? It's not a matter of performance as it is a willingness to be used by the Lord. This has been an interesting week for me, challenging me on a number of levels. It's funny when you commit to following the Lord's plan - you never know where he's going to take you. Pray for us as we seek the Lord's direction as a church.

Meet Adam Bender, an 8 yr old little leaguer from Lexington, Kentucky. Adam plays catcher and hits - all with only one leg. You've got to read the whole story for yourself. Here's the link to it . An unbelievable inspiration to all of us! I coached High school basketball for three season and I'm coaching T-Ball this season and I've enjoyed it throughly. But a few of the kids I've coached in the past have been a little weak in the work ethic or passion department. I'd take an army of Adams and whip the lot of you! If you're an FBC member, I can promise you this is a kid you'll be seeing as an illustration.