It seems like everyone around me is coming down with the flu, sinus infections, colds, bronchitis, and all sorts of airborne illnesses. I had my fair share of them for almost the entire month of December and on into January. Of course I resisted going to the Dr for as long as I could, otherwise my sinus infection would've been short lived.
I am not taking any chances this time however. I've been washing my hands just about every hour!
Friday, February 25, 2005
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Friendships
"The better part of one's life consists of his friendships".
-Author: Abraham Lincoln (1809-65), 16th US President, Republican
Blogging is a great past-time.
You people see a side of me, perhaps in someways a little less fallible, and in others a little more. It is here that I anonomously express those thoughts frustrations, doubts and also those dreams about who I would like to be.
I also am grateful to God for authentic friends I see in flesh & blood, who are by nature a lot less intense than me - but alot more fun!. Some of the guy's I have known since school, or just a little later, and one is as close as a Brother. They are my "best men", and also those to whom I am honored to be a 'God parent' to their own children. These are men I know I can trust.
It's good to have that inner circle. It reminds me of that "Circle of Trust" Robert DeNiro refers to in "Meet the Parents". That's a wacky illustration, but it's true.
-Author: Abraham Lincoln (1809-65), 16th US President, Republican
Blogging is a great past-time.
You people see a side of me, perhaps in someways a little less fallible, and in others a little more. It is here that I anonomously express those thoughts frustrations, doubts and also those dreams about who I would like to be.
I also am grateful to God for authentic friends I see in flesh & blood, who are by nature a lot less intense than me - but alot more fun!. Some of the guy's I have known since school, or just a little later, and one is as close as a Brother. They are my "best men", and also those to whom I am honored to be a 'God parent' to their own children. These are men I know I can trust.
It's good to have that inner circle. It reminds me of that "Circle of Trust" Robert DeNiro refers to in "Meet the Parents". That's a wacky illustration, but it's true.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Joke of the week
It was getting crowded in heaven, so, for one day it was decided only to accept people who had really had a bad day on the day they died. Peter was standing at the pearly gates and said to the first man, "Tell me about the day you died."The man said, "Oh, it was awful. I was sure my wife was having an affair, so I came home early to catch her with him. I searched all over the apartment but couldn't find him anywhere.
So I went out onto the balcony, we live on the 25th floor, and found this man hanging over the edge by his fingertips. I went inside, got a hammer, and started hitting his hands. He fell, but landed in some bushes. So, I got the refrigerator and pushed it over the balcony and it crushed him. The strain of the act gave me a heart attack, and I died."
Peter couldn't deny that this was a pretty bad day, and since it was a crime of passion, he let the man in.He then asked the next man in line about the day he died.
"Well, sir, it was awful," said the second man. "I was doing aerobics on the balcony of my 26th floor apartment when I twisted my ankle and slipped over the edge. I managed to grab the balcony of the apartment below, but some maniac came out and started pounding on my fingers with a hammer. Luckily I landed in some bushes. But, then the guy dropped a refrigerator on me!"
Peter chuckled, let him into heaven and decided he could really start to enjoy this job."Tell me about the day you died?", he said to the third man in line."OK, picture this, I'm naked hiding inside a refrigerator..."
So I went out onto the balcony, we live on the 25th floor, and found this man hanging over the edge by his fingertips. I went inside, got a hammer, and started hitting his hands. He fell, but landed in some bushes. So, I got the refrigerator and pushed it over the balcony and it crushed him. The strain of the act gave me a heart attack, and I died."
Peter couldn't deny that this was a pretty bad day, and since it was a crime of passion, he let the man in.He then asked the next man in line about the day he died.
"Well, sir, it was awful," said the second man. "I was doing aerobics on the balcony of my 26th floor apartment when I twisted my ankle and slipped over the edge. I managed to grab the balcony of the apartment below, but some maniac came out and started pounding on my fingers with a hammer. Luckily I landed in some bushes. But, then the guy dropped a refrigerator on me!"
Peter chuckled, let him into heaven and decided he could really start to enjoy this job."Tell me about the day you died?", he said to the third man in line."OK, picture this, I'm naked hiding inside a refrigerator..."
Monday, February 21, 2005
Trainspotting
I rather enjoy my twice daily train ride into the City. Its a time to talk to new people, and sometimes reaquaint with old friends that you have not seen in the best part of a decade.
But most of all its a place to think, read and reflect.
This is time, precious time that can be used to grow. Interestingly, the majority of Sojourners aboard the train will fill their minds with lessons on 'how NOT to do life' from the tabloids. I hope they are learning too.
Oftimes, the train is so full that I don't get to read. This morning was one of those mornings. So today, I was a more than a little presumptious and could not but help but read from the pages of a book of a young lady seated near me. (I still fell guilty, - hearing my mother's voice echo in my ears "reading over anothers shoulder is the height of rudeness").
But it was the pull quote that caught my eye:
"If we live in the light of eternity, we cannot help but live with a different set of values".
It's funny, that this one sentence has being playing on my mind all day.
And this thought has been hung, drawn and quartered by other things that I have seen and heard. Including the lyrics of a Robbie Williams number "I want to live before I die" amongst other things. (Does God speak through these things I wonder or is it just the strange and random musings of a distracted mind??).
As trivial as it all is, I just wanted to capture the thought here.
But most of all its a place to think, read and reflect.
This is time, precious time that can be used to grow. Interestingly, the majority of Sojourners aboard the train will fill their minds with lessons on 'how NOT to do life' from the tabloids. I hope they are learning too.
Oftimes, the train is so full that I don't get to read. This morning was one of those mornings. So today, I was a more than a little presumptious and could not but help but read from the pages of a book of a young lady seated near me. (I still fell guilty, - hearing my mother's voice echo in my ears "reading over anothers shoulder is the height of rudeness").
But it was the pull quote that caught my eye:
"If we live in the light of eternity, we cannot help but live with a different set of values".
It's funny, that this one sentence has being playing on my mind all day.
And this thought has been hung, drawn and quartered by other things that I have seen and heard. Including the lyrics of a Robbie Williams number "I want to live before I die" amongst other things. (Does God speak through these things I wonder or is it just the strange and random musings of a distracted mind??).
As trivial as it all is, I just wanted to capture the thought here.
2 kinds of people
I have observed there are two types of people - two types of Christians:
1. The person who lives their life with an attitude of gratitude. They seem to have an engine of thanksgiving, amazed at life & God's goodness.
2. The person who is always living as if God were holding out on them. So it's the next big thing they're waiting for, the next conference, meeting, blessing etc. while missing the wonder of now.
1. The person who lives their life with an attitude of gratitude. They seem to have an engine of thanksgiving, amazed at life & God's goodness.
2. The person who is always living as if God were holding out on them. So it's the next big thing they're waiting for, the next conference, meeting, blessing etc. while missing the wonder of now.
Shout out to Clark!
I just finished listening to a tape a friend had sent me of Pastor David Carr from Renewal Chrstian Center (www.renewalcc.com) in Solihull, UK.
It was about finding our area of ministry. He made the point that what we do in the first 20 years of life is often what God uses in our Ministry for him. He then llustrated a few things from the life of David:
1. He was obedient to his Father.
2. He Learned to Kill a 7ft bear therefore Goliath was only a 2ft problem.
3. He was anointed.
4. He carried an anointed man's shield.
Awesome!
Also, my friend Clark McDaniel asked me to give him a "shout out" here on my blog today. So here goes....HEY CLARK! Can you bring me my chapstick!
It was about finding our area of ministry. He made the point that what we do in the first 20 years of life is often what God uses in our Ministry for him. He then llustrated a few things from the life of David:
1. He was obedient to his Father.
2. He Learned to Kill a 7ft bear therefore Goliath was only a 2ft problem.
3. He was anointed.
4. He carried an anointed man's shield.
Awesome!
Also, my friend Clark McDaniel asked me to give him a "shout out" here on my blog today. So here goes....HEY CLARK! Can you bring me my chapstick!
Friday, February 18, 2005
Things God is teaching me this week
1. How we worship God determines the kind of people we become.
2. Doris Day was wrong, the future is ours to see.
3. Life is for living...have fun!
4. Get a clear vision of what God wants, not just what you want.
5. Your vision will be your guide in the night season.
6. Sing.
7. Live from vision and not from duty.
2. Doris Day was wrong, the future is ours to see.
3. Life is for living...have fun!
4. Get a clear vision of what God wants, not just what you want.
5. Your vision will be your guide in the night season.
6. Sing.
7. Live from vision and not from duty.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
A question
This question doesn't really have an answer, but I was thinking about it today. Why do people write blogs? Who are they communicating to? Is it a way to just get their thoughts out of their heads and onto virtual paper? Is it for friends to hear what's going on with them?
Some people get into very personal aspects of their life on their blogs, to the point of "wow, I can't believe they said that in public!" I generally don't do that, instead talking about the strange things that I notice. But I am considering becoming more personal, especially in living out my faith for others to see. It's kind of difficult to live that out over a blog, ya know? I'll have to figure out how to do that one. My "Bout with Doubt" blog entry back in January of this year was a step into that direction though. Expect more of those!
A related question is why do people read blogs? Do we enjoy peeking into other people's lives? Do we want to see ourselves mentioned on one of these blogs, to kind of validate our existence? I'm always shocked that people actually make time to read the rants and raves on my blog!
Some people get into very personal aspects of their life on their blogs, to the point of "wow, I can't believe they said that in public!" I generally don't do that, instead talking about the strange things that I notice. But I am considering becoming more personal, especially in living out my faith for others to see. It's kind of difficult to live that out over a blog, ya know? I'll have to figure out how to do that one. My "Bout with Doubt" blog entry back in January of this year was a step into that direction though. Expect more of those!
A related question is why do people read blogs? Do we enjoy peeking into other people's lives? Do we want to see ourselves mentioned on one of these blogs, to kind of validate our existence? I'm always shocked that people actually make time to read the rants and raves on my blog!
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
My plea to Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds did not, all by himself, make the periodic table part of baseball's stat panel. There are others who must answer for the game's atomic asterisk as well. But if he continues in his pursuit of the remaining home run milestones -- with 703, he's got Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron in his sights -- he will surely be the point man in what promises to be an ugly debate on the chemical perversion of performance.
If he stays, every at-bat will be a call for suspicion, every home run a reminder of corners cut, the game cheated, fans fooled. Every record he reaches a sad, cynical testimony: Crime does too pay.
Bonds, because of generational timing and an apparent willingness to ingest rocket fuel, is a kind of test case for our moral tolerance. His prime was in that sordid sweet spot, right after the explosion of hormonal additives and right before baseball's belated decision to start testing for them. He and more than a few others fattened up during this era, taking advantage of both an illicit science and a three-monkey commission that seemed to have seen nothing, heard nothing and certainly said nothing. The home runs were thrilling, the records astonishing. Bonds's devotion to self-improvement was ... what? Pretty much wrong, apparently.
If Bonds does continue, now past his synthetic prime, it will only serve to invite shame. Did we really go along with this cheating for the sake of a home run chase? Did we really enjoy all those blasts, sort of knowing they were forged with everything but artificial coloring? We're going to feel really cheap. It was one thing to marvel at a physical specimen just coming into his own in his mid-30s, his hat size climbing along with his home run totals; it's quite another to condone the underground chemistry that placed everybody else at a disadvantage.
Here is my modest proposal: Barry, leave now. Spare us the hangover from our home run binge, save us from a season of regret, rescue us from the guilt of being entertained by your fake power. Do not linger for the purpose of surpassing either Ruth's total (714) or Aaron's record (755), both of which will only draw attention to your own character failure.
This is not only doing the right thing, it's doing the smart thing. We'll not forget the excitement you brought to the game just walking to the plate. Even knowing that you were juiced, which you admitted in grand jury testimony, does not entirely diminish the theater of each moment.
Even if you leave now, you're not going to get away with everything. The scarlet "S" will hang from your neck, like so much negative bling, for as long as you're remembered. But you will at least prevent the kind of postscript that dooms you to historical villainy or, worse, buffoonery. You don't want to play clean and hit, let's say, 18 homers, do you? You'd regret this season far more than we would, trust me on that.
You will not enjoy the run-up to Aaron's record either, during which your chemical enhancement will come to be seen as a surprisingly large and unfair influence on your achievement. In fact, anything you accomplish from here on will be in the context of an extended con. And anything you don't will refocus your deceit. Really, you can't win.
If he stays, every at-bat will be a call for suspicion, every home run a reminder of corners cut, the game cheated, fans fooled. Every record he reaches a sad, cynical testimony: Crime does too pay.
Bonds, because of generational timing and an apparent willingness to ingest rocket fuel, is a kind of test case for our moral tolerance. His prime was in that sordid sweet spot, right after the explosion of hormonal additives and right before baseball's belated decision to start testing for them. He and more than a few others fattened up during this era, taking advantage of both an illicit science and a three-monkey commission that seemed to have seen nothing, heard nothing and certainly said nothing. The home runs were thrilling, the records astonishing. Bonds's devotion to self-improvement was ... what? Pretty much wrong, apparently.
If Bonds does continue, now past his synthetic prime, it will only serve to invite shame. Did we really go along with this cheating for the sake of a home run chase? Did we really enjoy all those blasts, sort of knowing they were forged with everything but artificial coloring? We're going to feel really cheap. It was one thing to marvel at a physical specimen just coming into his own in his mid-30s, his hat size climbing along with his home run totals; it's quite another to condone the underground chemistry that placed everybody else at a disadvantage.
Here is my modest proposal: Barry, leave now. Spare us the hangover from our home run binge, save us from a season of regret, rescue us from the guilt of being entertained by your fake power. Do not linger for the purpose of surpassing either Ruth's total (714) or Aaron's record (755), both of which will only draw attention to your own character failure.
This is not only doing the right thing, it's doing the smart thing. We'll not forget the excitement you brought to the game just walking to the plate. Even knowing that you were juiced, which you admitted in grand jury testimony, does not entirely diminish the theater of each moment.
Even if you leave now, you're not going to get away with everything. The scarlet "S" will hang from your neck, like so much negative bling, for as long as you're remembered. But you will at least prevent the kind of postscript that dooms you to historical villainy or, worse, buffoonery. You don't want to play clean and hit, let's say, 18 homers, do you? You'd regret this season far more than we would, trust me on that.
You will not enjoy the run-up to Aaron's record either, during which your chemical enhancement will come to be seen as a surprisingly large and unfair influence on your achievement. In fact, anything you accomplish from here on will be in the context of an extended con. And anything you don't will refocus your deceit. Really, you can't win.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Up & Down Temps
Sunday, Monday, and today have been awesome. The high is 82 here today. Tomorrow, however is a different story. The high is supposed to be 55. I guess since it's technically still Winter for another 4 weeks, it's allowed to do that.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
American Mullet
This has to be the funniest site of the week. Be sure to visit the gallery where you can see Jerry proclaim that his mullet is "a symbol of freedom".
http://www.partyintheback.com/
http://www.partyintheback.com/
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Mobility!
I picked up my new laptop this weekend. All I need now is to hop on over to Fry's and pick up a wireless network adaptor and I'll be all set. You know, it's amazing how well the earth got along without email and cell phones 10 to 15 years ago. When I was in college, no one had them. Now you can't get by without 'em! In fact, I don't even have a land line at home any more. It's much more cost effective to just have the cell phone.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Best SuperBowl Ads
Best Superbowl Ads
1) Cat and spaghetti sauce
2) Bud Light / Skydiving
3) Anything with chimps
Watch them all at:
http://dyn.ifilm.com/superbowlads/
1) Cat and spaghetti sauce
2) Bud Light / Skydiving
3) Anything with chimps
Watch them all at:
http://dyn.ifilm.com/superbowlads/
Thursday, February 03, 2005
New notebook
My older brother, Todd, called me today and told me that the laptop that he had ordered for me was here. He was able to get me a Compaq EVON-610C notebook with Pentium 4, CD/DVD ROM, the works. He was able to snag a terrific deal on it, which I promised him that I would not divulge. So let's just say that I am extremely grateful for what he was able to do for me. I'll pick it up this weekend. WOOHOO!! Thanks older brother!!
Heartburn
I have never had the privelage of experiencing this medical phenomenon until this week. And let me tell you that it stinks!
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Winter Wonderland
Well, it usually happens this time of year, so I can't say that I'm suprised. Just a week and a half ago it was 79 degrees, and this afternoon, we are going to get anywhere from 2-4 inches of snow. It's not anywhere near cold enough to stick (it's about 38 degrees right now) and it won't get below 32. It could be worse though. Boston had 3 feet of snow I heard last week. If that happened here in Dallas, there would be mass panic everywhere. We wouldn't know what do to with ourselves!
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