Eager anticipation

We are leaving in two days for Summer Camp 2k6 in Glen Rose. It is one of those things where you put so much physical and mental energy into a project and you are excited to see it all come to completion. Last September we started this journey with a simple prayer: Yes Lord,_______.

My team and I have been relying on Him to fill in the rest of the blank, and He has to abundant extremes.

I am eagerly anticipating seeing my Heavenly Father reveal Himself to teens this weekend and become the Hero in their lives story. God is good and I am blessed to be called His.

I imagine this will be my last blog until afterwards so please take the next few days and ponder this question:
If a chicken and a half
lay an egg and a half
How many shingles does it take
To pancake a dogs house.

Heart and Soul
BAG
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Character is the compass

"Character, is the moral compass that points to the right directions in the absence of other clues."
Quote from The Wizard and The Warrior (leading with passion and power)

Life at times may leave one searching for a choice, this or that. The challenge is that one choice has to be made or else you stand there and life passes you by. Opportunities are missed, goals are not met, growth is thwarted. Making the right decision can be equally as difficult. Character plays an important part of the equation in the lives of every person, much more in the lives of Christ followers. Our compass reflects the One that not only made right decisions. He made all right decisions to perfection. We are not afforded the luxury of living in hindsight (which wouldn't be as much fun as we tend to think---there is greater growth in the mis-steps) but still decisions have to be made.

Character points us toward the right way, now you have to take the first step.

Heart and Soul
BAG
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One minute left and we were powerless

Our weekly softball game was tonight. We drew the 6:30 and the 8:30 games. Which mainly means we spend two hours sizzling likes eggs on a skillet considering the sauna like weather we are having. We lose the first game to a team that played a little bit better than we did. Not a big deal the world continues to turn.

The second game was the interesting one. We were playing a team that is a regular in this league. We were the home team, with time running out and two outs we needed 7 runs to win. There is literally 1 minute before the time expires. Either we score the 6 to go into extra innings, 7 to win, get out before the time expires which forces another inning or get out to lose. 1 minute left and the team decides to change pitchers to use up a little of the remaining time left on the clock. With about 45 seconds left the pitcher can not stall with warm up pitches any longer. Our teammate steps to the plate (we told him to bunt if it came to him because that would be an automatic out). The new pitchers proceeds to do a fake pitch that looks a lot like what you would do to a dog if you were trying to fake him out by acting like you were throwing a ball but the entire time holding it. The clock runs out but because we are in the middle of an at bat we have to finish out the inning. Our guy pops out, game over, we lose.

At the end of each game both teams shake hands, we have been doing this since the beginning of little league ball. As I was shaking hands with the other team (a feat I was not to inclined to do, to be honest) I noticed the windmill pitcher jawing at our team as he was headed to his dug out without shaking our hands. This is where the story changes course into an actual blog moment.

I followed the guy into the dug out and said something like this: "Hey sir, if you are going to play that kind of softball, at least give me the courtesy of a hand shake like the rest of your team." He shook my hand with quite a cocky smile on his face. I walked out as if I had done something significant.

As I was driving home I relieved the moment in my head. I am a pretty cool headed guy and for the most part make pretty good decisions. As I was driving home I realized:

NOT ONLY DID THIS GUY BEAT ME ON THE FIELD, HE BEAT ME IN MY HEART.

The heart is where it matters most. Rec league softball games come and go, but I allowed this guy that I don't even know to win the battle for my heart. I allowed an invader to take charge and effect my judgment.

Was what I did mildly amusing? Yea, I did it with a smirky attitude
Was what I did justifiable? Of course, this guy embarrassed our team by his actions.
Was what I did the person my Heavenly Father is calling me to be? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Pastor Jess and I are talking in large detail this concept of the attitude we should possess
in Eph. 4 and I am learning each minute how significant this is to our reflection of our Heavenly Father.

So I pray that this opportunity will present itself again. And in that moment I would hope that I would learn from the mis-steps of the past and reflect the love of my Creator.

Heart and Soul
BAG
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ESPN should look like a cartoon

Monday mornings I wake up with Barak. It's the least I could do considering Misty wakes up with him the rest of the week due to my unusual need for large quantities of sleep. Usually during his breakfast he watches a baby einstein thing (poetry, animals, sign language). Afterward it is dealers choice (which usually means Barak's choice). My preference is Sportscenter so I can catch up on what is happening in the sports world. However, Barak is not into the dark colors of the show. Let' just say this, on Dora the Explorer we learned all about the Chinchilla and Blue just got an email. Barak keeps his attention on these things. In fact he is currently standing in the living room holding a horse figuring out how to help Blue in his latest endeavor.

So here is my proposal:

ESPN should go to a cartoon style show. That way kids are entertained, dad's get the info they need and ESPN gets credit for bringing dad's and kids closer together in such an important area of life.

Heart and Soul
BAG
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Ode to Thursday

Why hello Thursday,

Where did you come from?
Last I checked it seemed like Monday and I
had an entire week ahead of us.
Did I sleep through Tuesday and Wednesday?
Did I notice when you were on the horizon?
Did I take note that tomorrow is Friday yet?
Why, Thursday, have you forsaken my week?
Can I have Tueday and Wednesday back?
Just a few of their hours would be suffice.
Is it your fault I feel you snuck up on me?
Were you approaching incognito, masked as something else?
Or is it my fault for taking for granted that
Tuesday and Wednesday blew by without me slowing down
enough to experience the greatness of the day?

Goodbye, Thursday, we hardly knew each other.
Maybe next week we can sit and chat a while.
Please call ahead because I here Friday is just around the corner


(i realize that i may be the biggest geek in the world--
please don't write and inform me of this)

Kindness opens doors

I play on a softball team Monday nights in White Settlement. Our team name is Third String and if you see us play you wouldn't doubt our name selection. We are a bunch of young guys just hanging out and clinging to a few more innings before we hang it up and just talk about how good we used to be (most a fabrication of our own perceptions). I at 26 am the oldest guy on the team. I realized this tonight as I stood on first base watching the 18-20 year olds chase balls in the outfield.

This was my first encounter with playing first and I love it mainly because it closer to the dugout but also because pretty much only my team knows of my calling in being a pastor. First base allows me to be just a kind, outgoing guy. I had many conversations about nothing and gave many compliments to guys as they were running past me on their way to another double.

Kindness matters!!! In a world where we are increasingly becoming more introverted you would be amazed at the difference kindness can make. Take the field umpire in the second game, (MIKE-- a 70 looking year old, retired fire fighter from Cleburne) We had the opportunity to spend 5 innings just chit chatting about his life in the firehouse and the change retirement has brought. In the last inning he asked me what I did, and I told him that I worked at Ridge Community Church as one of the pastors.
He looked at me as if the light bulb went off in his head and with a half smile said,

"I knew there was something different about you, that was it, you know the Lord."

I smiled and replied, "My boss at least hopes so." We laughed a bit and the game finished. As Mike and I were walking off the field he thanked me for taking the time to talk to him. I thought nothing of it and offered the same thanks to him.

As I was driving home I was reliving the conversation in my head and thought how interesting it was. Umpires usually get a bad rep for not making every call according to the other persons expectations. Mike to me for the night was just a guy that I chose to be kind to. Because of that he saw there was something different in my spirit.

Kindness goes a long way.
Try it out today.

******two great books about kindness are both written by Tim Sanders --- Love Is The Killer App and The Likeability Factor. Give them a glance sometime*******************


Heart and Soul
BAG
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Pirates sold out, so we settled for Cars

Misty and I went to the movies tonight attempting to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean flick. But is was sold out. (Please do not shoot me an email on how you can now get tickets online--- I am aware of the century and technology we are living in. Besides that is not the point) We settle on seeing Cars, a movie I personally was not to excited about seeing but since Misty wanted to see it and I enjoy spending time with her I decided it beat staring at a wall for the evening.

What I enjoyed most about the time in the theatre was not the movie (though it was pretty good). I enjoyed seeing the experience of this boy a few seats down. He looked about 3 or 4 years old. As soon as the movie started you heard ooohhhhsss and aaaaawwwwwwsssss coming from him. He was thoroughly impressed, amazed and enthralled in the moment. The funniest part was when he turned around from his dad's lap to tell him to quieten down.

The time is 10:46 and Sunday morning is rapidly approaching. I wonder how I will go to church in the morning. As the guy that has been to thousands of movies or the kid that is amazed at just the previews.

I wonder if there is something to that whole statement Jesus said about coming to Him with the faith like a child. I wonder what Sunday morning would look like if we all showed up like 4 year olds.

I don't know.

Snack time would probably be pretty cool

Heart and Soul
BAG
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Living life faster than your heart can beat.


I got home a few minutes ago from the JSM service and am just now realizing that this is the quietest the day has been. Every light in the house is off, no t.v., Misty is outside talking on the phone. In fact the only sound I hear is the hum of the computer and the typing of the keys.

The thought crossed my mind that if we are not careful we can go entire days without slowing down enough to hear nothing. My heart is beating at a much slower and more manageable rate.
Life is not intended to be lived at a rate where your heart has to catch up.

Please don't read this as if I am complaining that my job is to hectic or noisy. That is not the point of these words. I love the calling God has placed in my life to play in His epic story and I especially love the place He allows me to call home. I write this merely to say that slowing down is a good thought.

That's all

BAG
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Wounded Warriors Fallen Heroes



The time is 1:22 a.m. and i am getting in from the WWFH event. I consider myself incredibly lucky considering that my assumption is that there is probably still people there and that volunteers have given so much of their time and effort toward such a worthy cause.

If you volunteered I pray that you would realize the difference that it made both for your God, your church and yourself. You have represented all three with great class. The sunburns will heal, the sore feet will ache a bit longer and I am confident that your shoulders can't hurt the rest of your life. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you did today.

I realize that this took such a team effort but I would like to say that I am amazed at the vision of Stan Denman for this event. He continually raises the bar in The Ridge staff and it truly is an honor to work with him. STAN WAY TO GO, FRIEND!!!!

The hour is late and my wife has jsut informed me that I stink and need to take a shower. (apparently my B.O. is not a fragarance she enjoys).

Thanks again for the difference you have made in your community.

Heart & Soul
BAG
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