( OK, Todd, you can do this. Take a deep breath...) Been a while since I last posted anything. (Come on, big boy, you can do it.) I have been pretty busy lately, ah! that's not the truth!! (Easy, easy!) Actually, I have been busy but that is not the only reason for not writing anything for so long. Please bear with me as I try to get through this as I have alot running through my mind right now and writing without it all spilling out on to your monitor is difficult. (That a boy! One paragraph down, you can do it, I know you can!)
My wife told me I write too much about things that I don't like; things that are bad or that I think are stupid like the show "24" whose ratings are DOWN this season!! HAHAHA Jack Bauer, take th(OK, settle, settle down, deep breath...) So, anyhow, I want to tell you about some good things that have been going on in my world and my goal is to not to dwell on the craziness that I see all around me. To tell you the truth, I wonder sometimes if it is not me that has gone crazy. My therapist says "crazy" is not the right word for it but WHAT DOES SHE KNOW? ALL SHE DOES IS SAY "HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?" I COULD DO HER JOB AND SAVE ALOT OF (ok, Todd, calm down, breathe, find your happy place.) Sorry. A couple of anger management two-day follow-ups and I'll be right as rain. (Smile, breathe.)
I took a little time off from work lately. My therapist was probably right about my need for that. Something about my co-workers appreciating it. I took my motorcycle for a nine-day southern state tour partly to see my sister and her family in Georgia and partly to silence the voices in my, well, nevermind, I wanted to see some new country. And I saw some gorgeous country, too! And when I have to find my happy place, it could very well be Deal's Gap, North Carolina next to the little brook in the mountains. That is, before it stormed and the tree nearly fell on me in my tent. I survived (but didn't sleep that night) and had some great adventures that I will never forget. My Dad called me an idiot for going. Yes, my own flesh and blood father. But he also told me to make sure I kept gas in the motorcycle so the "idiot" thing sluffed off pretty easily. (Now you're in the flow, kid, keep going, breathe.) Hang on, it makes me wonder about people calling other people names. (Don't go there! Go back to Deal's Gap!) No, of course it's wrong but what's the big deal? People have called other people names since at least Noah's day and only recently have people been so "sensitive" about it. When someone calls someone else a derogatory name or describes them unfairly that says alot about that person saying it. Don Imus is a bitter old man who used his microphone to disparage everybody and my point is: Who cares what he says or even what he thinks? Who is he to cast judgement on anybody? He's the idiot! So quit worrying your nappy heads about what other people that do not even know you say about you or yours! Should everybody that says something unflattering about another person be fired?! THEN GET TO FIRING THE POLITICIANS AND ALL THE KIDS ON THE PLAYGROUND AND SHOOT ROSIE O'DONNELL IN THE BIG, FAT HE--oh, my brain hurts! (take a break, lay down.)
Believe it or not, the list of people I do no like is not a very long one. I still have faith in people in general and believe that there is good in everyone and I try to look for that good instead of always focusing on the negative. I am a very "glass is half full" kind of guy even in these days when just watching the news can be hazardous to your health. I like nothing better to hear about talented and courageous cops, soldiers and teachers who do their job everyday for little pay and everyday are part of at least minor miracles. The problem seems to be that there is not enough time on stations like CNN to run all the news like that. You know, because we need to hear for two straight months about the death, albeit tragic, of a no-talent, physically over-enhanced, blond "bombshell" and, you know, we need to see 24/7 news showing our political leaders demoralizing our troops in Iraq and, sure, we need to spend every spare second FORCE-FEEDING OURSELVES ON THE COTTON CANDY ISSUE OF GLOB (Oh, no, not yet, please stop!) ....... What are we thinking? What kind of garbage are we allowing into our houses and into our minds? Tell you what. You say you care about our kids. You say you support our troops. Turn off the television news and prove it!
I admit I may have some anger issues but I promise that most of the time I am a very laid-back, fun-loving guy who my wife thinks does not worry about much of anything. Most of the time she is right. I find worrying doesn't seem to help much but I do have issues about which I am concerned. I have faith in sovereign God that He will protect me and that nothing will happen to me or my family that He does not allow. I cannot explain how God chooses to work and to tell the truth, that should make us all feel good! If I was able to explain God, He would not be much of a God. I do know, though, that God does not want us to be doormats and patsies lazily sitting on the couch waiting for the world to collapse. Some righteous anger placed in precise places can be as wonderfully effective as dynamite to blow away the complacency of a distracted life. I also realize that because I am human my anger is not always 100% righteous. (OK, sorry Rosie.)
I have realized that with age comes shifting, not dying, passions and with that shift I no longer care as much about how my hair looks (although I did not really have a choice) and I care more about the future. My future, the future of my wife and kids and the future of my country all weigh on my simple brain. I see all of us making poor choices and focusing on things that do not matter and I have to wonder how much longer this country will be the world leader that it is today. How much longer will the world have any respect left for us as a country? God's Word tells us that there are benefits of obedience and consequences of disobedience for us as individuals but also for our country and my concern is the speed at which our love for ourselves is overtaking our basic goodness. It is starting to make me mad and the problem is, I have to be mad at myself just as much as anybody else! (Hey, maybe I'm making some progress here! The first step is admitting you have a problem...) Hopefully, though, I am getting better all the time and I know I am feeling better just writing about it! In fact, maybe I can write about "it" now. (Oh, please be careful!!)
Here goes. (Easy...breathe...easy) I could get very frustrated with "it". (Take it slow...) "It" is the leading cause of my therapist driving a Jaguar. "It " is probably going to make me shoot blood out of my eyes if I hear anymore about it!! (Go to the happy place for a minute...) "It" is...I hate to even say it...I'll spell it. G-l-o-b-a-l W-a-r-m-i-n-g. AAUGGH!! Am I the only sane person in the world or am I the only crazy person who thinks global warming is a scam and a lie?? Let's just talk about the earth getting warmer. OF COURSE IT IS, AL GORE, YOU INCONVENIENT IDIOT, THE EARTH HAS ALWAYS WARMED AND COOLED IN CYCLES SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME!!! (Aaahh!! What does an aneurism feel like?) Look, I am no scientist, but I am a thinker and I think it is great to want to save energy and protect the planet but you are not going to save the world by installing different light bulbs and driving a Prius when there are 1.37 billion people in China alone who couldn't care less! Sure, do your part but shut up already about things that you do not know about! (Oh, gee, I think I just pulled a muscle. I could be out again for a while!)
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Jihad for Jesus!
By now you surely have heard the blasphemy. Titanic director James Cameron has produced a documentary that he says will rock the foundation of Christianity. You can read the whole article here about how he has supposedly found the coffin of Jesus Christ. I want all the world to know that this pack of lies will not go unpunished. This is a direct insult to Christians the world over by saying that, in essence, Jesus was not resurrected. This is easily refuted in Don Dodson's excellent blog that you can read at this link but the insult remains! I, for one, will not tolerate this disrespect and now call on all good Christians to stand up and protest! I will not go to work tomorrow so I can join the outcry in the streets of our towns and villages calling on the immediate death of James Cameron! In fact, I will not rest until the whole Cameron family has been removed from this living world! James Cameron! Kirk Cameron! Cameron Diaz! Cameron University! Death to them all! Join me in the streets tomorrow as we burn them in effigy! Give me a few minutes to go to the effigy store and I will lead the crusade jumping up and down chanting a phrase that doesn't make any sense! We will not be dissed!!
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Finally...
It is so refreshing to see Britney Spears making some wise choices finally. Obviously, only one day in rehab was all she needed to start turning her life around beginning with adopting my own sensible haircut!
Saturday, February 10, 2007
I'm in it to win it!
One of the greatest things that we as Americans have today is the freedom to make our voices heard, the freedom to stand up and be counted with the scores of American men, women and children who have sacrificed so that our vote and our voice will not fall on deaf ears. That very ideal is the defining quality that sets our country apart from every other country on the planet and is why I feel honored to live here and humbled to make this announcement today. I would have you to know in your heart of hearts that I do not take for granted the rights and liberties that come with citizenship in the United States nor the responsibility that comes with it. That is why today I feel it is my resposibility as a citizen and a patriot that has heard your voice to announce my candidacy for President of the United States!
I do not make this decision lightly. After organizing a small exploratory committee and giving them both a dog bone, Bo and Sara both agree that I am the best person to lead this country on a new, unleashed journey to transform this nation in a new generation. I understand the need for an Independant Republican candidate to be able to espouse the views and issues that concern mainstream America in a simple and easy to understand manner or fiord. I hope to make a more hopeful America, one that hopes against hope for the hope that Americans have hoped for for thousands of years and I hope to be the man who brings that hope back to hopeful Americans. I appreciate your support and I look forward to going back to our roots as I address the major issues that have come before us and have backed this great nation down from it's height as a forward-looking super-power.
The two biggest issues that I will face as President will, in my opinion, be the war on terror and illegal immigration. I have a plenary plan to place at the plantarie of placating people all over the planet that will solve both perplexities. For years, we as Americans have tried to put a band-aid on the broken leg of illegal immigration by trying to physically stop people from crossing the border when what they need is the mental and financial persuasion to make them stay where they are. Mexico is the fourth richest country in the world with export amounts of oil second only to Middle-Eastern countries and produce export amounts behind only the United States. The problem is and always has been governmental corruption that steals the resources and motivation from its citizens by taxes and tariffs that line the pockets of government officials and especially President Vicente Fox. Mexico's underfunded, unmotivated army is in shambles and would be no more than a speedbump to the Army of the United States which has always been the policeman for the world community. The win-win situation would be to merge the two countries with control resting with the United States government. This would completely and finally solve the immigration problem. With the increase in revenue and decrease in liabilities this would free up billions of dollars that could be used for a massive troop surge into the Middle East. In fact, since nothing ever newsworthy ever comes out of Canada we could secede them as well and as the new United States of Amexada we could become the kings of the world like we are entitled to become.
As President, there are other vital issues to address such as the pandemic of Bird Flu and Mad Cow Disease. Never again will these diseases kill another American! And since no American has yet been killed by either of these horrible diseases that just shows that my plan is working and will continue to work with your help. This will be a long, difficult battle and Americans need to ready themselves for tough times in the days ahead but I have faith in the American people as overcomers.
Global warming is not just an American problem but as the name suggests is a global problem and as such will require a global effort to reverse. Our world has never seen a potential disaster of this magnitude and, if elected, I have a plan to deal with it. All scientists agree that the earth is getting warmer. In fact, in the past one hundred years the temperature has increased seven-tenths of one degree and at this rate my great, great, great, great children will have to leave their air conditioners on longer and that is a price I am not willing to leave for future generations to pay. We have all seen the pictures of the polar bears trapped on the melting icebergs. How many more polar bears have to float off before we decide to make some changes?! My administration will be the administration of change and we look forward to tackling global warming by taking the extremes of nature and using them for our benefit. My committe has released its findings on this and what became obvious is that global warming is significantly reduced in winter and significantly higher in the summer months. It also shows that the warming is more pronounced in the southern regions as opposed to northern where it stays colder a lot longer. My plan will be to take the massive ice and snow build-ups in the far north and spread it out over the southern parts of the country creating a cooling effect to counterbalance the effects of global warming. This is also my employment plan as it will require massive amounts of manpower that will obviously benefit the unemployed by giving even unskilled workers jobs.
Many of you have asked about my plan for health care and I am excited to now reveal it on this exciting web site. All Americans, regardless of age, income or nationality, deserve quality health care at an affordable price and with my plan we can all have it and not just affordably but completely free. There are even two options from which to choose. Option number one is to be included in a totally free health plan that the only time you have to pay any money is after you see the doctor of your choice you would pay a tax of equal to or no less than 100% of the bill the doctor issues. This is an exciting new way of providing health care to the less fortuunate by assuring that only those with the need to see a doctor are actually paying the taxes. You only pay for what you use. My second option is what I like to call the Blair-Witch plan. You can choose to opt out of the medical tax all together if you see a certified witch doctor as witch doctors usually only take payment in farm animals or blood. So obviously either choice will save Americans money in the long run and that is one of my main platforms on which I am running this race.
This is a very exciting time for me and my family as I press toward my lifelong goal of becoming the leader of the greatest and most powerful nation on the planet but I cannot do it without you. I have many more ideas that I am anxious to share but I need your help. I know that it will take resources (money) and commitment (future money) from all of us but I am hoping that most of it comes from the citizens of these United States who I hope to represent. I pray that you will join me in my fight to further liberty and that you will stand beside me as we shout with one voice the slogan of this campaign, "Todd! He makes as much sense as anybody else"! I am excited about this slogan as it is considerably better than the Democrats slogan which is "Hey, I'm not Bush"!
I do not make this decision lightly. After organizing a small exploratory committee and giving them both a dog bone, Bo and Sara both agree that I am the best person to lead this country on a new, unleashed journey to transform this nation in a new generation. I understand the need for an Independant Republican candidate to be able to espouse the views and issues that concern mainstream America in a simple and easy to understand manner or fiord. I hope to make a more hopeful America, one that hopes against hope for the hope that Americans have hoped for for thousands of years and I hope to be the man who brings that hope back to hopeful Americans. I appreciate your support and I look forward to going back to our roots as I address the major issues that have come before us and have backed this great nation down from it's height as a forward-looking super-power.
The two biggest issues that I will face as President will, in my opinion, be the war on terror and illegal immigration. I have a plenary plan to place at the plantarie of placating people all over the planet that will solve both perplexities. For years, we as Americans have tried to put a band-aid on the broken leg of illegal immigration by trying to physically stop people from crossing the border when what they need is the mental and financial persuasion to make them stay where they are. Mexico is the fourth richest country in the world with export amounts of oil second only to Middle-Eastern countries and produce export amounts behind only the United States. The problem is and always has been governmental corruption that steals the resources and motivation from its citizens by taxes and tariffs that line the pockets of government officials and especially President Vicente Fox. Mexico's underfunded, unmotivated army is in shambles and would be no more than a speedbump to the Army of the United States which has always been the policeman for the world community. The win-win situation would be to merge the two countries with control resting with the United States government. This would completely and finally solve the immigration problem. With the increase in revenue and decrease in liabilities this would free up billions of dollars that could be used for a massive troop surge into the Middle East. In fact, since nothing ever newsworthy ever comes out of Canada we could secede them as well and as the new United States of Amexada we could become the kings of the world like we are entitled to become.
As President, there are other vital issues to address such as the pandemic of Bird Flu and Mad Cow Disease. Never again will these diseases kill another American! And since no American has yet been killed by either of these horrible diseases that just shows that my plan is working and will continue to work with your help. This will be a long, difficult battle and Americans need to ready themselves for tough times in the days ahead but I have faith in the American people as overcomers.
Global warming is not just an American problem but as the name suggests is a global problem and as such will require a global effort to reverse. Our world has never seen a potential disaster of this magnitude and, if elected, I have a plan to deal with it. All scientists agree that the earth is getting warmer. In fact, in the past one hundred years the temperature has increased seven-tenths of one degree and at this rate my great, great, great, great children will have to leave their air conditioners on longer and that is a price I am not willing to leave for future generations to pay. We have all seen the pictures of the polar bears trapped on the melting icebergs. How many more polar bears have to float off before we decide to make some changes?! My administration will be the administration of change and we look forward to tackling global warming by taking the extremes of nature and using them for our benefit. My committe has released its findings on this and what became obvious is that global warming is significantly reduced in winter and significantly higher in the summer months. It also shows that the warming is more pronounced in the southern regions as opposed to northern where it stays colder a lot longer. My plan will be to take the massive ice and snow build-ups in the far north and spread it out over the southern parts of the country creating a cooling effect to counterbalance the effects of global warming. This is also my employment plan as it will require massive amounts of manpower that will obviously benefit the unemployed by giving even unskilled workers jobs.
Many of you have asked about my plan for health care and I am excited to now reveal it on this exciting web site. All Americans, regardless of age, income or nationality, deserve quality health care at an affordable price and with my plan we can all have it and not just affordably but completely free. There are even two options from which to choose. Option number one is to be included in a totally free health plan that the only time you have to pay any money is after you see the doctor of your choice you would pay a tax of equal to or no less than 100% of the bill the doctor issues. This is an exciting new way of providing health care to the less fortuunate by assuring that only those with the need to see a doctor are actually paying the taxes. You only pay for what you use. My second option is what I like to call the Blair-Witch plan. You can choose to opt out of the medical tax all together if you see a certified witch doctor as witch doctors usually only take payment in farm animals or blood. So obviously either choice will save Americans money in the long run and that is one of my main platforms on which I am running this race.
This is a very exciting time for me and my family as I press toward my lifelong goal of becoming the leader of the greatest and most powerful nation on the planet but I cannot do it without you. I have many more ideas that I am anxious to share but I need your help. I know that it will take resources (money) and commitment (future money) from all of us but I am hoping that most of it comes from the citizens of these United States who I hope to represent. I pray that you will join me in my fight to further liberty and that you will stand beside me as we shout with one voice the slogan of this campaign, "Todd! He makes as much sense as anybody else"! I am excited about this slogan as it is considerably better than the Democrats slogan which is "Hey, I'm not Bush"!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
It could happen.
President George Bush, under pressure from the Iraq Study Group to open negotiations with Iran, today named a lead negotiator whom he said is already on the way to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Jack Bauer, a freelance intelligence contractor and former agent with the Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU), has been dispatched to Mr. Ahmadinejad’s office for a “diplomatic listening session” aimed at determining the best way to halt Iran’s nuclear weapons program, and shipment of arms to terrorists in Iraq.
“For some reason, people like to talk to Jack Bauer,” said Mr. Bush. “He’s a straight-shooter, good at establishing mutual understanding and I think he and President Ahmadinejad will come to a rapid agreement on terms favorable to global peace and security.”
Although Iranian government officials said no negotiations with the U.S. had been scheduled, Mr. Bush described the talks as a “unilateral diplomatic initiative that will be under way before they know it.”
From: http://www.iconoclast.ca/mainpage.htmlSaturday, January 27, 2007
Dreaming
If you could be successful at any career on earth, what would you do? Relax your brain a minute and humor me. I mean if you could have the talent to do anything at all and be the best at it, what would you do? President of the United States? Architect, engineer, movie star? I love that question! I think the answer tells something about a person but I am not sure exactly what. I just like to think about it. It makes one wonder why one would want such a career. Is it for the money, fame, power? Maybe you just want to have the most fun? Or maybe it is a combination of it all? There's nothing wrong with that, in fact, if all you wanted in you dream career was a lot of money or a lot of power there might be something wrong there. Even if all you wanted was a lot of fun, that might not be the best thing either. So probably your dream career should be a combination of money, fame, power and fun and probably several other things, too.
I have to admit that my dream job leans heavily to the "fun" side. Maybe it is because I have never had a lot of the other things and I do not know how much I would enjoy them. Money is nice but money is just a tool for happiness. I have never had any kind of fame but I can imagine some serious drawbacks and power would be nice but with power comes corruption and greed and who has time for all of that drama? Boys just want to have fun! Sure, my dream job is accompanied by some of that stuff but it also has other benefits such as self-expression and the ability to help others enjoy themselves as well. Also, as long as we are dreaming I would want my dream job to remain balanced and not become something that brings too much money, fame or power. That might be hard, though, if I were the best!
I remember going to see Garth Brooks in the height of his career at Reunion Arena back sometime in the nineties. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget. It was incredible not so much because I was such a Garth Brooks fan but because of the whole experience. The entire stadium was filled to capacity. Not a person there was sitting down the whole show and everyone was singing along to every song as loud as they could. Garth was singing and performing like there was no tomorrow and I thought that must be the greatest feeling! He was telling stories with his music and the crowd was just so into it! They were eating out of the palm of his hand. That was when I knew. I knew...that was never going to happen to me. But I could dream about it!
Even years before that concert I think I was being prepared to have this dream. While I have always been a country music fan, the eighties were the golden years (of my life) for rock music. Not just any rock but especially for the heavy-metal hair bands. If you do not know what a hair band is just think about eighties rock for a second. Rock 'n rollers have always had long hair (part of the rebellion thing) but the eighties were the time to have really long, really "big" hair. It was great! Not that I ever had hair like that. By the time I could make that decision to have long hair, I started losing my hair. It was probably for the best. But I could dream!
When one thinks about eighties rock and the great bands of the era, several groups come to mind. Aerosmith, AC/DC, and ZZ Top are all ubiquitous choices for great eighties rock but the greatest, without a doubt...Van Halen!! Yeah, Dude, they rocked!! See, it's coming back to me and making me want to say "Dude"! Eddie and Alex Van Halen with Michael Anthony and of course, David Lee Roth. Yes, they were still good with Sammy Hagar doing vocals but Van Halen just was not the same without David Lee. The scratchy voice, the attitude, the outfits-what a character! Who has not sung along with Dave belting out "Jump" or "Panama" or played air drums along with " Eruption"? Dude, that's fun! I even used to try to do that spread-eagle jump thing that Roth used to do off of the stage. I never could pull it off like he did maybe because I was not wearing leather pants. But I could dream about it!
I have always loved to sing although I am not good at it. I do not know how to read music and I do not have the voice for it. But that is my dream career. No, I am not going on that stupid "American Idol" because I know I do not have the talent but I will continue to sing. We have an extremely talented musician at our church that leads our worship time every Sunday. I am very proud to call Mel my friend as he is awesome at everything musical. I am sure that he could go somewhere else and make a lot more money and have a lot more prestige than he does at our church but for whatever reason he and his wife choose to stay with us at Hulen Street Baptist. Sunday morning worship time is my favorite time of the week because not only does it not matter that I can't sing but I get to truly worship God in a way that I only get at that time. No, one does not have to be in church to worship but one would surely miss out on a very special time found when worshipping with friends and family who have come to speak to and hear from Holy God. Now I do not know that even Mel could do the spread-eagle jump off the stage wearing leather pants like David Lee Roth nor would I recommend that he try but I would rather be worshipping with Mel and the rest of my Hulen Street family than even seeing Roth do it. There is even talk of an upcoming reunion tour with the original Van Halen getting back together and that would be fun but you will definitely find me singing at my church every Sunday. I look forward to Heaven when I will have a perfect voice but until then I will just have to dream.
I have to admit that my dream job leans heavily to the "fun" side. Maybe it is because I have never had a lot of the other things and I do not know how much I would enjoy them. Money is nice but money is just a tool for happiness. I have never had any kind of fame but I can imagine some serious drawbacks and power would be nice but with power comes corruption and greed and who has time for all of that drama? Boys just want to have fun! Sure, my dream job is accompanied by some of that stuff but it also has other benefits such as self-expression and the ability to help others enjoy themselves as well. Also, as long as we are dreaming I would want my dream job to remain balanced and not become something that brings too much money, fame or power. That might be hard, though, if I were the best!
I remember going to see Garth Brooks in the height of his career at Reunion Arena back sometime in the nineties. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget. It was incredible not so much because I was such a Garth Brooks fan but because of the whole experience. The entire stadium was filled to capacity. Not a person there was sitting down the whole show and everyone was singing along to every song as loud as they could. Garth was singing and performing like there was no tomorrow and I thought that must be the greatest feeling! He was telling stories with his music and the crowd was just so into it! They were eating out of the palm of his hand. That was when I knew. I knew...that was never going to happen to me. But I could dream about it!
Even years before that concert I think I was being prepared to have this dream. While I have always been a country music fan, the eighties were the golden years (of my life) for rock music. Not just any rock but especially for the heavy-metal hair bands. If you do not know what a hair band is just think about eighties rock for a second. Rock 'n rollers have always had long hair (part of the rebellion thing) but the eighties were the time to have really long, really "big" hair. It was great! Not that I ever had hair like that. By the time I could make that decision to have long hair, I started losing my hair. It was probably for the best. But I could dream!
When one thinks about eighties rock and the great bands of the era, several groups come to mind. Aerosmith, AC/DC, and ZZ Top are all ubiquitous choices for great eighties rock but the greatest, without a doubt...Van Halen!! Yeah, Dude, they rocked!! See, it's coming back to me and making me want to say "Dude"! Eddie and Alex Van Halen with Michael Anthony and of course, David Lee Roth. Yes, they were still good with Sammy Hagar doing vocals but Van Halen just was not the same without David Lee. The scratchy voice, the attitude, the outfits-what a character! Who has not sung along with Dave belting out "Jump" or "Panama" or played air drums along with " Eruption"? Dude, that's fun! I even used to try to do that spread-eagle jump thing that Roth used to do off of the stage. I never could pull it off like he did maybe because I was not wearing leather pants. But I could dream about it!
I have always loved to sing although I am not good at it. I do not know how to read music and I do not have the voice for it. But that is my dream career. No, I am not going on that stupid "American Idol" because I know I do not have the talent but I will continue to sing. We have an extremely talented musician at our church that leads our worship time every Sunday. I am very proud to call Mel my friend as he is awesome at everything musical. I am sure that he could go somewhere else and make a lot more money and have a lot more prestige than he does at our church but for whatever reason he and his wife choose to stay with us at Hulen Street Baptist. Sunday morning worship time is my favorite time of the week because not only does it not matter that I can't sing but I get to truly worship God in a way that I only get at that time. No, one does not have to be in church to worship but one would surely miss out on a very special time found when worshipping with friends and family who have come to speak to and hear from Holy God. Now I do not know that even Mel could do the spread-eagle jump off the stage wearing leather pants like David Lee Roth nor would I recommend that he try but I would rather be worshipping with Mel and the rest of my Hulen Street family than even seeing Roth do it. There is even talk of an upcoming reunion tour with the original Van Halen getting back together and that would be fun but you will definitely find me singing at my church every Sunday. I look forward to Heaven when I will have a perfect voice but until then I will just have to dream.
Friday, January 26, 2007
A visionary...
I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined this government: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.
-Winston Churchill
May 13, 1940
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Is it really necessary?
Are you spoiled? I am spoiled. I am very spoiled and I just recently found out just how spoiled I am. I just spent eight days in Managua, Nicaragua teaching English to some of the neatest people I have ever met. I went with some dear friends from my church led by Jody and Trisha Kennedy on a mission trip partly to teach English but mainly to make friends "for the sake of eternity" as my pastor says. It was an eye-opening trip in many ways including showing me what it means to live and live abundantly.
I have been on several trips with Jody to various places including Mexico, Germany, and several different prisons and every time I go I come back considerably more blessed than anybody I talked to while there and with an appreciation for the effort that Jody puts out to make it a success. I told Jody that I would go anywhere with him and if he said we needed to go to Mount Everest to teach the Sherpas English then I would go buy a coat. The real reason that we went to Nicaragua was to tell the people about Jesus but we offered an English class to make it worth it for them to come hear us. If one would think that to be sneaky or deceptive let me assure one that this was an incredibly professional English course that was well-planned and very informative. The people really learned English no matter what level of knowledge they had and we were trained to do it. And, yes, the people I taught now speak English like a redneck! I taught them "y'all" but "Git 'r Done" was difficult to explain!
Managua is the capital of Nicaragua and as such the residents are far better off financially than most of the rest of the country due to better job opportunities. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the western hemisphere next to Haiti, though, so "better off" ain't so great. Most of the people in town were fairly well-dressed but the houses were pathetic structures made from cinder blocks and corrugated tin. We stayed at the local baptist church and did not have time to go very far from there except for a couple of hours one day when we drove about an hour to visit the children's home outside of town. A family in our church provided Christmas stockings to all thirty-eight kids in the home and I wish you could have seen those kids' faces. It was worth the trip! If you have ever seen a prisoner or homeless person or anyone else who never gets a gift finally receive one you know that they do not open it right away. These kids would just walk around with their stockings unopened relishing the fact that they had a gift. It was very humbling. Humiliating might even be the better word.
At the church we slept on cots in non-air conditioned rooms with a couple of fans blowing. It was not too bad at night as it would drop to about seventy-five degrees overnight which is pretty good for sleeping. The mice, spiders, ants and flies seemed to like it! It did not take long for me to miss my bed back home that was filled with pillows, blankets, comforter and beautiful wife but I slept very soundly while there. During the day it would reach about ninety degrees which is not the hottest I have been but not very comfortable. You would think that a cold shower would feel good but they have no hot water anywhere and I remember the first shower I took there. I remember thinking that there was no way I could take showers all week without any hot water and I thought shaving would be impossible. I would love to be able to tell you that I finally started enjoying the cold water but that would not be correct.
In the eight days we were there we made many new friends and came to see many of them start a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. I will never forget the way that they were all always smiling and happy. It made me wonder about what it takes to be happy. As a Christian, I believe I know what it takes to have joy, but I am still trying to understand happiness. These people have very little in the way of material goods. They barely have the basics much less the affluence we enjoy in the United States. It made me realize that the vast majority of the "stuff" that I have is just really not necessary. It is not necessary to survive and it is not necessary for happiness. John 10:10 talks about having an abundant life. I realize now that it never says anything about air conditioning or hot water.
I have been on several trips with Jody to various places including Mexico, Germany, and several different prisons and every time I go I come back considerably more blessed than anybody I talked to while there and with an appreciation for the effort that Jody puts out to make it a success. I told Jody that I would go anywhere with him and if he said we needed to go to Mount Everest to teach the Sherpas English then I would go buy a coat. The real reason that we went to Nicaragua was to tell the people about Jesus but we offered an English class to make it worth it for them to come hear us. If one would think that to be sneaky or deceptive let me assure one that this was an incredibly professional English course that was well-planned and very informative. The people really learned English no matter what level of knowledge they had and we were trained to do it. And, yes, the people I taught now speak English like a redneck! I taught them "y'all" but "Git 'r Done" was difficult to explain!
Managua is the capital of Nicaragua and as such the residents are far better off financially than most of the rest of the country due to better job opportunities. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the western hemisphere next to Haiti, though, so "better off" ain't so great. Most of the people in town were fairly well-dressed but the houses were pathetic structures made from cinder blocks and corrugated tin. We stayed at the local baptist church and did not have time to go very far from there except for a couple of hours one day when we drove about an hour to visit the children's home outside of town. A family in our church provided Christmas stockings to all thirty-eight kids in the home and I wish you could have seen those kids' faces. It was worth the trip! If you have ever seen a prisoner or homeless person or anyone else who never gets a gift finally receive one you know that they do not open it right away. These kids would just walk around with their stockings unopened relishing the fact that they had a gift. It was very humbling. Humiliating might even be the better word.
At the church we slept on cots in non-air conditioned rooms with a couple of fans blowing. It was not too bad at night as it would drop to about seventy-five degrees overnight which is pretty good for sleeping. The mice, spiders, ants and flies seemed to like it! It did not take long for me to miss my bed back home that was filled with pillows, blankets, comforter and beautiful wife but I slept very soundly while there. During the day it would reach about ninety degrees which is not the hottest I have been but not very comfortable. You would think that a cold shower would feel good but they have no hot water anywhere and I remember the first shower I took there. I remember thinking that there was no way I could take showers all week without any hot water and I thought shaving would be impossible. I would love to be able to tell you that I finally started enjoying the cold water but that would not be correct.
In the eight days we were there we made many new friends and came to see many of them start a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. I will never forget the way that they were all always smiling and happy. It made me wonder about what it takes to be happy. As a Christian, I believe I know what it takes to have joy, but I am still trying to understand happiness. These people have very little in the way of material goods. They barely have the basics much less the affluence we enjoy in the United States. It made me realize that the vast majority of the "stuff" that I have is just really not necessary. It is not necessary to survive and it is not necessary for happiness. John 10:10 talks about having an abundant life. I realize now that it never says anything about air conditioning or hot water.
Nic Pics
This is one of the three English classes we taught. Danny and Donny are the other two guys from the U.S.
Nic Pics
This poor little child just walked up by herself outside the children's home. Breaks my heart every time I see it.
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