Today's post will be brief because a very busy day is ahead. We are trying out a new song leader this Sunday morning and I have offered to help him with his song selection to go along with the sermon as well as putting together the order of worship. I've also got additional preparations of my own to do for Sunday. Perhaps brief messages are better sometimes. We are having a big event at church on November 8. It is "Meet Our New Preacher Day." As part of that we are putting advertisements in the local newspaper to encourage people to come to visit with us. One part of the ad has comments from the members about me and my preaching. A high school senior offered this comment: "Gary Frazier is great. His sermons are short, but he still gets the message across. I feel very proud for having him at our church." I think that is a compliment. I hope you get a chuckle out of it like I did.
Keep your eyes on the prize! Have a great day and an excellent weekend! God bless!
Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Off the charts!
There are a couple of reasons why I've called this post "Off the charts!" One is because of the gorgeous day we enjoyed in north Texas yesterday. It was about as beautiful a Fall day as you could imagine. It started off cool, crisp and clear so that you needed a jacket to start the day. The temperatures gradually warmed so that by noon the jacket was unnecessary. Into the afternoon and evening the weather was just about perfect. A glorious day!
The second reason for the title of the post is because of the news report where head football coach Mike Leach was going off about the #21 ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders loss to the Texas A & M Aggies last Saturday. In case you missed it, the Aggies thrashed Tech by a score of 52-30. This was after the Ags were humiliated the week before at Kansas State where they were favored to win by a couple of touchdowns. Nobody expected the Aggies to win at Tech. In fact, they were expected to lose by three touchdowns. As you can tell by the score, the Aggies went to Lubbock and shellacked Tech. Adam works out nearly every day in the same facility with the A & M football players. I asked him what he thought made the difference in the team and he said that he heard from a few of the players that their coach came down on them pretty hard last week, even to the point of questioning their manhood, so they were mad and fired up and ready to take it out on someone last Saturday. Anyway, back to Leach. In a postgame interview he was saying that his team listened to "their fat little girlfriends" too much instead of listening to the coaches and getting ready for the game. His conclusion was that their girlfriends convinced them that they were going to steamroll the Aggies. Further, he said he was going to make the team pay for their lackluster performance this week with some tough practices and if "their fat little girlfriends" didn't like it, that was tough. Isn't that incredible? It is "off the charts" foolish for a man in his position to talk like that. I was talking with Adam some more about it last night and told me that Leach even has a Juris Doctor degree (lawyer). That makes it even more amazing to me that he would talk like that. Maybe he is trying to get his team fired up and mad for their next game.
Choose your words carefully, especially to the people you love. The old school yard rhyme is not true. "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Words have tremendous power, both for positive and negative results. Do your best to use your words to bless the lives of those around you. Have a great day!
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer every one. (Colossians 4:6)
The second reason for the title of the post is because of the news report where head football coach Mike Leach was going off about the #21 ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders loss to the Texas A & M Aggies last Saturday. In case you missed it, the Aggies thrashed Tech by a score of 52-30. This was after the Ags were humiliated the week before at Kansas State where they were favored to win by a couple of touchdowns. Nobody expected the Aggies to win at Tech. In fact, they were expected to lose by three touchdowns. As you can tell by the score, the Aggies went to Lubbock and shellacked Tech. Adam works out nearly every day in the same facility with the A & M football players. I asked him what he thought made the difference in the team and he said that he heard from a few of the players that their coach came down on them pretty hard last week, even to the point of questioning their manhood, so they were mad and fired up and ready to take it out on someone last Saturday. Anyway, back to Leach. In a postgame interview he was saying that his team listened to "their fat little girlfriends" too much instead of listening to the coaches and getting ready for the game. His conclusion was that their girlfriends convinced them that they were going to steamroll the Aggies. Further, he said he was going to make the team pay for their lackluster performance this week with some tough practices and if "their fat little girlfriends" didn't like it, that was tough. Isn't that incredible? It is "off the charts" foolish for a man in his position to talk like that. I was talking with Adam some more about it last night and told me that Leach even has a Juris Doctor degree (lawyer). That makes it even more amazing to me that he would talk like that. Maybe he is trying to get his team fired up and mad for their next game.
Choose your words carefully, especially to the people you love. The old school yard rhyme is not true. "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Words have tremendous power, both for positive and negative results. Do your best to use your words to bless the lives of those around you. Have a great day!
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer every one. (Colossians 4:6)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
A good Monday!
Why does Monday have such a bad reputation? Is it worse than any other day of the week? It seems to me that Monday has gotten a bad rap because most folks have been off work on Saturday and Sunday and they are not ready to go back to work on Monday. Therefore, Monday is to be blamed for them having to return to work and anything negative that happens on Monday further reinforces the idea that Monday is inherently a bad day. Poor, poor Monday. The way you feel about Monday is just about like anything else that you do not particularly like. If you change your attitude about it, you will change the way you feel about it. Be glad you are healthy enough to go to work on Monday. Be glad you have a job. Be glad you live in America where there are still many great opportunities, even in a struggling economy. See? It's better already!
I had a really good Monday yesterday. It was cool, gray and rainy all day long and it is even more chilly this morning. My car thermometer said 48; had to get a jacket. Anyway, back to Monday. The work in the office flowed very well. I consulted with our representative at the local newspaper about an advertisement for the "Meet Our New Preacher Day" at the church on November 8. They did an excellent job on it. We are aiming at a goal to have 200 in our morning worship on that day. After I met with the folks at the newspaper, I went over to visit at the home of one of the members who had asked me to come over. He makes handcrafted pens from unusual materials and showed me a display case of some of his work. He then let me pick out one for Merilyn and one for myself. I got her one made of live oak wood. Mine is made of deer antler. They are both beautiful.
Since it was raining in the afternoon my elder friend let me come over to use the treadmill at their home. His wife invited me to stay for supper but I declined because I was all sweaty and also because Merilyn had sent me some homemade chili when I returned to Texas on Saturday. I explained to his wife that I had been looking forward to the chili all day and since it had been rainy and cool all day, it would be a perfect evening for a bowl of hot chili. She understood.
In the evening I got a load of laundry going then went back to the office to make some phone calls. Then in between taking care of the laundry and watching the Redskins get stomped by the Eagles, I even got some more studying done. So, all in all, a very good Monday!
I forgot to mention yesterday that Adam got a big boost over the weekend. The Texas A & M football team has been having some major struggles lately and they went to Lubbock to play the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Raiders are a tough football team. I thought the Aggies were going to get slaughtered. When Adam called on Saturday evening to tell me the Aggies won by a score of 52-30, I could hardly believe it! Of course, he was thrilled and now has hope that the Ags can win enough games to become eligible to go to a postseason bowl game.
It is a gorgeous Tuesday morning in north Texas...blue sky, no clouds, cool, crisp fresh air. Count your blessings and be happy today!
This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
I had a really good Monday yesterday. It was cool, gray and rainy all day long and it is even more chilly this morning. My car thermometer said 48; had to get a jacket. Anyway, back to Monday. The work in the office flowed very well. I consulted with our representative at the local newspaper about an advertisement for the "Meet Our New Preacher Day" at the church on November 8. They did an excellent job on it. We are aiming at a goal to have 200 in our morning worship on that day. After I met with the folks at the newspaper, I went over to visit at the home of one of the members who had asked me to come over. He makes handcrafted pens from unusual materials and showed me a display case of some of his work. He then let me pick out one for Merilyn and one for myself. I got her one made of live oak wood. Mine is made of deer antler. They are both beautiful.
Since it was raining in the afternoon my elder friend let me come over to use the treadmill at their home. His wife invited me to stay for supper but I declined because I was all sweaty and also because Merilyn had sent me some homemade chili when I returned to Texas on Saturday. I explained to his wife that I had been looking forward to the chili all day and since it had been rainy and cool all day, it would be a perfect evening for a bowl of hot chili. She understood.
In the evening I got a load of laundry going then went back to the office to make some phone calls. Then in between taking care of the laundry and watching the Redskins get stomped by the Eagles, I even got some more studying done. So, all in all, a very good Monday!
I forgot to mention yesterday that Adam got a big boost over the weekend. The Texas A & M football team has been having some major struggles lately and they went to Lubbock to play the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Raiders are a tough football team. I thought the Aggies were going to get slaughtered. When Adam called on Saturday evening to tell me the Aggies won by a score of 52-30, I could hardly believe it! Of course, he was thrilled and now has hope that the Ags can win enough games to become eligible to go to a postseason bowl game.
It is a gorgeous Tuesday morning in north Texas...blue sky, no clouds, cool, crisp fresh air. Count your blessings and be happy today!
This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
Monday, October 26, 2009
Now Is The Time To Go To The Ozarks!
Merilyn and Mollie sitting beside War Eagle River
On the river bridge with War Eagle Mill in back
A view into the War Eagle river valley
A shot from the car on I-540 south of FayettevilleEven though I have seen the beauty of the fall season in the Ozarks many times, it never fails to amaze me again at just how spectacular it is. The pictures will give just a little bit of an idea how pretty it is but it is difficult to capture the splendor of a huge panorama of hills blazing with fall colors.
This trip back home to see Merilyn, Sarah, Blake and many friends was a great blessing for me in many ways. First, I got to meet with my Thursday night Bible study group. This is always such a boost for me to be with these fellow Christians who are so eager to study the Scriptures. After the study one of the couples invited Merilyn and me to go with them for supper on Friday evening and then to a performance of Riverdance at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville. It was so much fun to enjoy an evening like that together. We had supper at Bordino's Restaurant, an upscale establishment on Dickson Street in Fayetteville. Then we walked down the several blocks to the theater. At the performance we also saw several other Christian friends, which made the evening even better. The Riverdance show is just amazing. The dancers are almost unbelievable in their abilities to move their feet with such speed and precision. We are equally as impressed with the four musicians who provided all of the accompaniment to every part of the show. Their sound filled the auditorium as if there was a 50-piece orchestra. I think the musicians got about as much of a workout as the dancers did, especially the drummer. It was a wonderful evening all the way around.
On Saturday morning Merilyn and I drove around northwest Arkansas to enjoy the glories of God's creation in the changing seasons. It was a gorgeous day and so good to be able to spend that time together. Sarah and Chloe, her little Maltese, came over around lunch time to visit. We always have fun watching Chloe and Mollie play together. They are just like a couple of kids.
My drive back to Ennis was nice and uneventful. With the sunshine, it seemed that the colors on the hills were even more brilliant. I almost ran off the road once or twice while engrossed in looking at the hillsides.
Sunday was an excellent day, as usual, just because of the privilege of gathering with fellow Christians to worship. This Sunday was even better because my mother was here for a visit. At the West Side church in Russellville, Arkansas she has a good friend whose sister is a member of the church in Ennis. She was coming to visit her sister for her birthday so Mom and another lady friend of theirs came along for the trip. It was so good to see her and enjoy the Bible class and worship time and then lunch together. I took Mom on a tour of my office and then over the my apartment. I think it helped her to see that my work and living conditions are good. They had a safe return to Arkansas yesterday evening.
Sunday became even more excellent in our evening worship time when I had the privilege of baptizing one of our teen young ladies. She is a sweet girl and was overjoyed to the point of tears at becoming a Christian. She and her family were thanking me profusely but I told them it was an honor for me to be able to help in that way and that is what it's all about...helping save souls for the Lord.
We're getting off to another rainy start this Monday morning in north Texas, but we can always have the sunshine of God's love in our hearts. Hope you have a good day today!
For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
(2 Corinthians 4:5-6)
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Autumn wonders
Each season of the year has its own special beauty and wonders. It would be difficult for me to pick out my favorite because I like them all. Sarah told me yesterday that the colors in northwest Arkansas are really amazing right now. I am looking forward to my drive home later today and I will definitely enjoy seeing the wonders of God's handiwork in nature. Of course, I will enjoy getting to spend some time with family and friends, too. It looks as if it will be a rainy day for most of the way but it's freeway all the way so it shouldn't be too bad.
Are you using your Germ-X regularly? The swine flu seems to be spreading fairly extensively throughout the country. There was a graphic in the newspaper yesterday that indicated quite a few states where up to 30% of the population has been infected. I find that a bit difficult to believe. One out of every 3 people with swine flu? Anyway, take appropriate precautions and keep yourself well.
I will write a little less than normal today because there are things I still need to get done in the office and I am going to try to get away a little earlier than usual. The inclement weather will slow me down some. I always look forward to meeting with my Thursday night Bible study group in Springdale and I don't want to be late.
Have a good day and a good weekend. Keep your eyes open to the wonders of the Autumn season around you and thank God!
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature, namely, His eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. (Romans 1:19-20)
Are you using your Germ-X regularly? The swine flu seems to be spreading fairly extensively throughout the country. There was a graphic in the newspaper yesterday that indicated quite a few states where up to 30% of the population has been infected. I find that a bit difficult to believe. One out of every 3 people with swine flu? Anyway, take appropriate precautions and keep yourself well.
I will write a little less than normal today because there are things I still need to get done in the office and I am going to try to get away a little earlier than usual. The inclement weather will slow me down some. I always look forward to meeting with my Thursday night Bible study group in Springdale and I don't want to be late.
Have a good day and a good weekend. Keep your eyes open to the wonders of the Autumn season around you and thank God!
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature, namely, His eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. (Romans 1:19-20)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
And the rains came...again
I am sitting here drying off after my dash to the car this morning. It sure would be nice if apartment owners would offer garages to their tenants, or at least covered parking with covered walkways. Can you tell that I am missing the nice comfy garage with the automatic door opener back home? The rain is supposed to be short-lived this time, lasting just through this evening and into tomorrow morning. The forecast is for 2-3" during the day and into the evening. Then a cold front is supposed to come through to lower the daytime high temperatures into the mid 50's. My farmer friend at church says the rain is coming at just the wrong time for him. He is trying to get what is left of his cotton crop harvested and about the time the fields dry out enough to get into them, here comes another dose of rain. But as another friend at church said, we better be grateful for it when we can get it. True!
While loading some of my pictures from our adventures last weekend on Facebook, I saw a message from some good friends in Springdale that their little kindergarten age boy, Lane, is sick with swine flu. Please remember him in your prayers. It seems that this illness is hitting youngsters harder than anyone else.
Sarah has been troubled with a nagging cough for the past week or so, especially at night when she lays down to try to sleep. I was reading the Dallas Morning News last night before I went to bed and I saw something that might help. There is a column that runs weekly called "The People's Pharmacy" written by a couple named Graedon . They are both pharmacists. People write in with questions and comments about medicines and unusual remedies which have been found to work. The one that made me call Sarah was that people have found relief from persistent cough by rubbing Vicks Vapo-Rub on the soles of their feet. I know it sounds crazy, but the Graedons said they have had that verified by others even though they have no idea how or why it would work. Sarah said she had some and was going to try it. I'm anxious to talk to her today to see if it worked.
Speaking of work, I'd better wrap this up and get to my work for the day. I hope your day is filled with showers of blessings from God!
Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you are serving the Lord Christ.
(Colossians 3:23-24)
While loading some of my pictures from our adventures last weekend on Facebook, I saw a message from some good friends in Springdale that their little kindergarten age boy, Lane, is sick with swine flu. Please remember him in your prayers. It seems that this illness is hitting youngsters harder than anyone else.
Sarah has been troubled with a nagging cough for the past week or so, especially at night when she lays down to try to sleep. I was reading the Dallas Morning News last night before I went to bed and I saw something that might help. There is a column that runs weekly called "The People's Pharmacy" written by a couple named Graedon . They are both pharmacists. People write in with questions and comments about medicines and unusual remedies which have been found to work. The one that made me call Sarah was that people have found relief from persistent cough by rubbing Vicks Vapo-Rub on the soles of their feet. I know it sounds crazy, but the Graedons said they have had that verified by others even though they have no idea how or why it would work. Sarah said she had some and was going to try it. I'm anxious to talk to her today to see if it worked.
Speaking of work, I'd better wrap this up and get to my work for the day. I hope your day is filled with showers of blessings from God!
Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you are serving the Lord Christ.
(Colossians 3:23-24)
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Can It Get Any Better?
The OU Schooner as it passed by us.
Merilyn is not too sure about this fried delicacy; I don't know if it is the fried Oreo or the fried Moon Pie.
BEVO, the Texas mascot, on the field of the Cotton Bowl
Merilyn, Sarah & Blake checking out the Cotton Bowl
Texas coach Mack Brown in the team bus telling Sarah that he won't come out.
Merilyn and the Texas band marching past.
Sarah & Blake with the OU equipment truck
Crowds!
More crowds! Wall-to-wall people everywhere!
Blake & Sarah trying some fried Oreos.
Watching the game on the big screen.The weather for the past several days has been just about perfect. Yesterday was another day of gorgeous blue skies, temperature about 75, low humidity, and a light breeze blowing. I looked forward all day to my exercise time. It did not disappoint. A few weeks ago, I would be drenched with sweat after exercising. Yesterday I didn't even sweat enough to get my shirt wet.
Here's some more news from the State Fair of Texas. The Dallas Morning News reported that Saturday had the biggest one-day revenue in the 123 year history of the SFOT at $3.4 million. Let me see if I can get some of my pictures to import into the blog. Well, I figured that the pictures would load underneath but they went to the top. No big deal. Hope you enjoy them!
Have a good day today!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Excellent weekend and Sunday!
After a run of gloomy weather that set a new record for the month of October in the Dallas area, it ended last Thursday evening. Friday, Saturday and Sunday brought beautiful blue skies and daytime temperatures in the low to mid 70's with low humidity. As far as I am concerned, that is just about perfect! In addition to the great weather, I had the pleasure of having Merilyn, Sarah and Blake come for a visit. They arrived around 9 p.m. on Friday evening. We got them settled into my apartment then we got to bed at a reasonable hour so we could be ready for Saturday's activities...the Oklahoma-Texas football game at the Cotton Bowl and the State Fair of Texas (SFOT)!
We decided to go on up to Fair Park in Dallas before the 11 a.m. kickoff because some of Blake's buddies told him that they had been to the game before and there were some big screen TV's around the grounds. That way we could watch the game and be there to enjoy the SFOT, too. We left Ennis around 9:45 for the 30 minute drive to Fair Park and everything was going smoothly until we got about 1/2 mile away from the park. What a madhouse! There were traffic jams and people everywhere. We saw a sign that said the public parking areas around Fair Park were full so we started looking for one of the numerous private parking places. The folks around the area must make a lot of money during SFOT time. Everyone who had space in their yard or a parking lot were packing cars into every available spot. We ended up paying $20 to park but we ended up only about 2-3 blocks away from the main entrance so it wasn't too bad. Then when we were in line for our tickets, some nice lady came and gave us coupons for $4 off each ticket. Bonus! Once we got in the gate, our first order of business was to find a TV. We got around and found where they did ESPN Game Day. They had a huge TV up so we thought we were in good shape. About 2 minutes after we got there, they turned it off and started to take it down! We saw some Dallas Police on horses, asked if they knew were a TV was and they directed us to the Toyota display. We scrambled over there and found a pretty nice set up where we could watch the game with 500 or so other fans. I've never seen so much burnt orange color before. It was an exciting game just because it was so close, but both teams made lots of mistakes.
At halftime we went to find something to eat. The first place we tried was an indoor food court. There were so many people in there that it was almost claustrophobic so we left. If I have ever seen a place that was more crowded with people, I can't remember where it would have been. There were over 96,000 people in the Cotton Bowl for the game and I have to believe there were 2-3 times that many out in the SFOT. Just about everywhere we went, it was wall-to-wall people. I'm planning on having some of my pictures downloaded to the computer today and I will see if I can post some on the blog tomorrow. Anyway, we went on down the lines of food vendors and finally found an area toward the rear where it was less crowded. During the course of the afternoon, we enjoyed several of the delicacies of the SFOT: sausage on a stick, famous Fletcher's corny dogs, fried butter, fried Oreos, fried Moon Pie and fried churros. Fortunately, we shared most of the fried foods so none of us got too sick from the intake of those items. Sarah's tummy got a bit queasy later in the day, but overall it was OK.
As we were wandering around we just happened to come upon the area where the Texas and Oklahoma football teams were boarding their buses to leave. Not long after we got in there, security cordoned off the area to prevent the crowds from coming in. We were in there with player's families and others who were supposed to be there. We saw Sam Bradford, Trent Williams and several other OU players. Both the Texas and Oklahoma bands marched right past us playing their marching music. The Oklahoma Boomer Schooner drove right past us. We saw Mack Brown, the Texas coach on one bus. Sarah motioned to him to come out because she wanted a picture with him, but he motioned to her shirt and shook his head "No." She was wearing an Oklahoma Sooner shirt. After the buses left, we were walking back around the Cotton Bowl. Sarah was saying she wished we could go inside. We passed by an open gate and there was a worker there. She asked if we could go in and he said, "I don't care. I'm just a TV guy." So we went in. There were quite a few workers going about their business. On the field there was a number of TV sports reporters wrapping up their reports. We got to walk into the lower seats of the stadium and stayed as long as we wanted. Sarah and Blake went down on the field and got a picture. BEVO, the Texas mascot, was laying out on the field with several folks around him. That is one big piece of longhorn beef!
After all that we were all ready to take off. We made our way back to the car and had a surprisingly easy time of exiting the area. Since we were fairly close to the headquarters of the Dallas Police Department, I drove over there so Merilyn, Sarah and Blake could see it. We all like to watch The First 48 police show on TV and they show the front of the building on it when they have episodes from Dallas. We came on back to Ennis, ate at Taco Cabana and got back to the apartment for the last few minutes of the Arkansas-Florida football game. What a heart breaker for the Hogs! We got showers and spent the rest of the evening relaxing and watching more football on TV.
Sunday morning was another beautiful day weather-wise. It was great to have Merilyn, Sarah and Blake with me for worship. Quite a few of our folks were out of town but we had a good morning. One of our elders and his wife took us out for lunch to a nice Italian restaurant then we got back to the apartment and loaded up for their return to Springdale. Fortunately, they had an uneventful trip back home. Merilyn and Sarah were surely glad to see their "babies," Chloe and Mollie. Merilyn had arranged with a co-worker's daughter to stay at our house and watch the dogs. The rest of my Sunday went well. Of course, I was a bit lonesome after everyone left but I am surely glad we are close enough so that we can still see each other every so often. It is always better to count your blessings than to count your troubles.
God is good. He will take care of us and work everything out for our benefit as long as we will be faithful to Him. It looks like it is going to be another beautiful day in north Texas today. I hope it is a good one where you are. Enjoy it, and thank God for it!
We know that in everything God work for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
We decided to go on up to Fair Park in Dallas before the 11 a.m. kickoff because some of Blake's buddies told him that they had been to the game before and there were some big screen TV's around the grounds. That way we could watch the game and be there to enjoy the SFOT, too. We left Ennis around 9:45 for the 30 minute drive to Fair Park and everything was going smoothly until we got about 1/2 mile away from the park. What a madhouse! There were traffic jams and people everywhere. We saw a sign that said the public parking areas around Fair Park were full so we started looking for one of the numerous private parking places. The folks around the area must make a lot of money during SFOT time. Everyone who had space in their yard or a parking lot were packing cars into every available spot. We ended up paying $20 to park but we ended up only about 2-3 blocks away from the main entrance so it wasn't too bad. Then when we were in line for our tickets, some nice lady came and gave us coupons for $4 off each ticket. Bonus! Once we got in the gate, our first order of business was to find a TV. We got around and found where they did ESPN Game Day. They had a huge TV up so we thought we were in good shape. About 2 minutes after we got there, they turned it off and started to take it down! We saw some Dallas Police on horses, asked if they knew were a TV was and they directed us to the Toyota display. We scrambled over there and found a pretty nice set up where we could watch the game with 500 or so other fans. I've never seen so much burnt orange color before. It was an exciting game just because it was so close, but both teams made lots of mistakes.
At halftime we went to find something to eat. The first place we tried was an indoor food court. There were so many people in there that it was almost claustrophobic so we left. If I have ever seen a place that was more crowded with people, I can't remember where it would have been. There were over 96,000 people in the Cotton Bowl for the game and I have to believe there were 2-3 times that many out in the SFOT. Just about everywhere we went, it was wall-to-wall people. I'm planning on having some of my pictures downloaded to the computer today and I will see if I can post some on the blog tomorrow. Anyway, we went on down the lines of food vendors and finally found an area toward the rear where it was less crowded. During the course of the afternoon, we enjoyed several of the delicacies of the SFOT: sausage on a stick, famous Fletcher's corny dogs, fried butter, fried Oreos, fried Moon Pie and fried churros. Fortunately, we shared most of the fried foods so none of us got too sick from the intake of those items. Sarah's tummy got a bit queasy later in the day, but overall it was OK.
As we were wandering around we just happened to come upon the area where the Texas and Oklahoma football teams were boarding their buses to leave. Not long after we got in there, security cordoned off the area to prevent the crowds from coming in. We were in there with player's families and others who were supposed to be there. We saw Sam Bradford, Trent Williams and several other OU players. Both the Texas and Oklahoma bands marched right past us playing their marching music. The Oklahoma Boomer Schooner drove right past us. We saw Mack Brown, the Texas coach on one bus. Sarah motioned to him to come out because she wanted a picture with him, but he motioned to her shirt and shook his head "No." She was wearing an Oklahoma Sooner shirt. After the buses left, we were walking back around the Cotton Bowl. Sarah was saying she wished we could go inside. We passed by an open gate and there was a worker there. She asked if we could go in and he said, "I don't care. I'm just a TV guy." So we went in. There were quite a few workers going about their business. On the field there was a number of TV sports reporters wrapping up their reports. We got to walk into the lower seats of the stadium and stayed as long as we wanted. Sarah and Blake went down on the field and got a picture. BEVO, the Texas mascot, was laying out on the field with several folks around him. That is one big piece of longhorn beef!
After all that we were all ready to take off. We made our way back to the car and had a surprisingly easy time of exiting the area. Since we were fairly close to the headquarters of the Dallas Police Department, I drove over there so Merilyn, Sarah and Blake could see it. We all like to watch The First 48 police show on TV and they show the front of the building on it when they have episodes from Dallas. We came on back to Ennis, ate at Taco Cabana and got back to the apartment for the last few minutes of the Arkansas-Florida football game. What a heart breaker for the Hogs! We got showers and spent the rest of the evening relaxing and watching more football on TV.
Sunday morning was another beautiful day weather-wise. It was great to have Merilyn, Sarah and Blake with me for worship. Quite a few of our folks were out of town but we had a good morning. One of our elders and his wife took us out for lunch to a nice Italian restaurant then we got back to the apartment and loaded up for their return to Springdale. Fortunately, they had an uneventful trip back home. Merilyn and Sarah were surely glad to see their "babies," Chloe and Mollie. Merilyn had arranged with a co-worker's daughter to stay at our house and watch the dogs. The rest of my Sunday went well. Of course, I was a bit lonesome after everyone left but I am surely glad we are close enough so that we can still see each other every so often. It is always better to count your blessings than to count your troubles.
God is good. He will take care of us and work everything out for our benefit as long as we will be faithful to Him. It looks like it is going to be another beautiful day in north Texas today. I hope it is a good one where you are. Enjoy it, and thank God for it!
We know that in everything God work for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Another broken record
Official confirmation came on the news last night. It is not just my perception of the weather situation here in the Dallas area. The weather reporter said that this October has new entered the record books as officially the gloomiest start to the month ever. He said that since October 1, we have not had sunshine for 86% of the time. I'm glad to know it was not just me! We got some sunshine yesterday afternoon and it surely warmed things up. By the time I went out to the park for my afternoon exercise it was close to 90 degrees. It was nice to have the sunshine, though, and the forecast is for a cold front to come through today that will clear things out so that the weekend is supposed to be clear with high temperatures in the upper 60's to lower 70's. Now that is just about perfect!
The sports pages in the newspaper this week are full of stuff about the Red River Rivalry, which is what they call the Texas-Oklahoma football game. As you might expect, most of the writers are choosing Texas to win the game, but they also say that you can never know what will happen in such a contest. I'm glad that Sam Bradford is back as the quarterback for the Sooners. With both teams at full strength, it should be a whale of a ball game.
I am especially looking forward to the weekend because Merilyn, Sarah and Blake are coming for a visit. Blake is a huge OU fan so it will be fun to watch the game with him. Afterward we are going out to the State Fair of Texas which is held in the Fair Park area of Dallas. That is also the location for the Cotton Bowl where the Texas-Oklahoma football game is played so the crowds and traffic will probably be crazy but I reckon we'll just get in there and be crazy with them.
Have a good weekend and Sunday. Enjoy the beauties of the Fall season!
The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims He handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. (Psalm 19:1-4)
The sports pages in the newspaper this week are full of stuff about the Red River Rivalry, which is what they call the Texas-Oklahoma football game. As you might expect, most of the writers are choosing Texas to win the game, but they also say that you can never know what will happen in such a contest. I'm glad that Sam Bradford is back as the quarterback for the Sooners. With both teams at full strength, it should be a whale of a ball game.
I am especially looking forward to the weekend because Merilyn, Sarah and Blake are coming for a visit. Blake is a huge OU fan so it will be fun to watch the game with him. Afterward we are going out to the State Fair of Texas which is held in the Fair Park area of Dallas. That is also the location for the Cotton Bowl where the Texas-Oklahoma football game is played so the crowds and traffic will probably be crazy but I reckon we'll just get in there and be crazy with them.
Have a good weekend and Sunday. Enjoy the beauties of the Fall season!
The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims He handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. (Psalm 19:1-4)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Broken record?
Back in the "olden days," if someone kept repeating something you could say that they sounded like a broken record and everyone would understand what you meant. Everyone would have had the experience of putting a record on the record player and if the record had a bad scratch or a crack, the needle would hit it and keep repeating a short part of the song. Now if you say "record" or "record player," most folks under the age of 25 or 30 don't know what you are talking about. How long has it been since you have even seen a record player? Ah, the wonders of the digital age! Anyway, my point in saying all that is to say that we have had another day of rain in this part of the world so I know I am sounding like a broken record. The weather report last night said we got another 2-3" which caused some flooding in the surrounding areas. The reporter also said that we have had rain for 11 of the first 13 days of the month of October. That is on top of the 12-13" that we got during the middle parts of September. If this keeps up, we may be living in the middle of a tropical rain forest before too long! But relief is on the way. The forecast is for sunshine to return tomorrow afternoon and then for the weekend to be beautiful with temperatures right around 72. Merilyn, Sarah and Blake are coming down for the weekend and we are planning to go to the Texas State Fair in Dallas on Saturday so I hope the forecast is right.
There was an interesting article in the Dallas Morning News yesterday about the worst cities in the nation for allergies. Dallas ranked #11. It had a listing of the top ten and most of the worst places for allergies are in Texas. Whether it is the rainy weather causing mold, or ragweed, or some other allergy producing cause, it seems that nearly everybody down here is fighting some kind of upper respiratory congestion. Lots of folks are sick with sinus infection, bronchitis and other ailments like that. I talked to Sarah last night and she sounds like she's coming down with something like that, too. I hope she can get it treated and squared away so she can feel good for their trip down here this weekend.
Enjoy the day. Be grateful for every blessing you receive from God today!
This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)
There was an interesting article in the Dallas Morning News yesterday about the worst cities in the nation for allergies. Dallas ranked #11. It had a listing of the top ten and most of the worst places for allergies are in Texas. Whether it is the rainy weather causing mold, or ragweed, or some other allergy producing cause, it seems that nearly everybody down here is fighting some kind of upper respiratory congestion. Lots of folks are sick with sinus infection, bronchitis and other ailments like that. I talked to Sarah last night and she sounds like she's coming down with something like that, too. I hope she can get it treated and squared away so she can feel good for their trip down here this weekend.
Enjoy the day. Be grateful for every blessing you receive from God today!
This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Guess what?! Guess what?!
Can you tell I'm really excited? (Not really). It's raining again. Now I like rain as much as anyone. I want it to rain with some regularity but this is going on about two weeks straight of gray, cloudy, dreary weather. It has not rained every day in that time but there has been little to no sunshine either. The weather man last night was saying that the area has received an average of 8" of rain already in October and the average for the month is usually around 4". That's about enough of my whining and complaining for the day. It seems to be one of the quirks of our human nature, doesn't it? When it's hot, we want it cooler. When it's cold, we want it warmer. When it's dry, we want rain. When it's rainy, we want it dry. It would be good if we could just learn to be grateful, wouldn't it?
Yesterday was one of the more productive days I've had in a while, especially for a Monday. Thoughts and words were flowing so that I was able to get a good jump on the week's work. If this keeps up, I may be able towards the end of the week to put away the rest of my stuff after moving into my office. Yes, I still have a few stacks of stuff that are sitting out. But even if I do say so myself, 96% of my office looks really good.
I got a call from our church secretary late yesterday afternoon. She went to the doctor and found she has a full-blown case of bronchitis which is on the verge of becoming walking pneumonia. The doctor put her on antibiotics and said she needs to stay home until at least Thursday. I encouraged her to be sure to do that. Another call came to the office to let me know that a 15 month old boy who was visiting his grandmother here on Sunday morning was taken to the hospital on Sunday evening with the flu. I'm using my Germ-X several times every day, especially if I touch anything out in public like a shopping cart, gas pump, door handle, etc. Do all you can to keep yourself healthy!
Boy, the sports writers in the Dallas Morning News were blasting the Cowboys and coach Wade Phillips with both barrels in the paper yesterday. The Cowboys beat the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night but it was an ugly game. The Chiefs are one of the worst teams in the league right now and the Cowboys just barely beat them. Jerry Jones said in a TV interview last week that he was going to stick with coach Phillips through this season, but it wouldn't surprise me too much to see him change his mind. There are not too many happy Cowboys fans in Big D right now.
My TTD list (Things To Do) is calling for my attention. Even though the weather may be gray and dreary, remember the love and goodness of God towards you so that your heart and mind may be illuminated with His radiance, joy and peace.
For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
Yesterday was one of the more productive days I've had in a while, especially for a Monday. Thoughts and words were flowing so that I was able to get a good jump on the week's work. If this keeps up, I may be able towards the end of the week to put away the rest of my stuff after moving into my office. Yes, I still have a few stacks of stuff that are sitting out. But even if I do say so myself, 96% of my office looks really good.
I got a call from our church secretary late yesterday afternoon. She went to the doctor and found she has a full-blown case of bronchitis which is on the verge of becoming walking pneumonia. The doctor put her on antibiotics and said she needs to stay home until at least Thursday. I encouraged her to be sure to do that. Another call came to the office to let me know that a 15 month old boy who was visiting his grandmother here on Sunday morning was taken to the hospital on Sunday evening with the flu. I'm using my Germ-X several times every day, especially if I touch anything out in public like a shopping cart, gas pump, door handle, etc. Do all you can to keep yourself healthy!
Boy, the sports writers in the Dallas Morning News were blasting the Cowboys and coach Wade Phillips with both barrels in the paper yesterday. The Cowboys beat the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night but it was an ugly game. The Chiefs are one of the worst teams in the league right now and the Cowboys just barely beat them. Jerry Jones said in a TV interview last week that he was going to stick with coach Phillips through this season, but it wouldn't surprise me too much to see him change his mind. There are not too many happy Cowboys fans in Big D right now.
My TTD list (Things To Do) is calling for my attention. Even though the weather may be gray and dreary, remember the love and goodness of God towards you so that your heart and mind may be illuminated with His radiance, joy and peace.
For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
Monday, October 12, 2009
Great weekend, soggy Sunday
What was so great about the weekend? The #1 thing is that I got to go back home to Arkansas and see Merilyn for a few days. Other things that made the weekend a great blessing for me included getting to be with my Thursday night Bible study group, getting to visit with Sarah and Blake, seeing some friends in town, getting some chores done around the house, seeing the beauty of the fall foliage as it begins its spectacular show in the Ozarks, and having the blessing of safe travel. Although Merilyn and I have to be separated most of the time, I am grateful to God that He has provided me a place to work so that we can still see each other from time to time. It was definitely cooler in northwest Arkansas than in the Dallas area. When I left on Thursday it was about 84 degrees and when I got to Springdale it was about 56. But the cooler weather really makes it feel like the changing season is coming and that's kind of nice. That cooler, wet weather has crept down into Texas over the weekend, too.
How about those Razorbacks?! Merilyn, Sarah and I got to watch the first part of the game together and then they watched while I listened in the car after I took off to return to Texas. When a couple of the ESPN commentators chose Arkansas to upset Auburn, I thought they were wacky. They obviously know more than I do, especially Lee Corso who said Arkansas would just score and score and score. That is exactly what happened in the first half and it's good for us it did because Auburn surely tried to roar back in the second half. But the Hogs bucked up, scored some more points and got a convincing win. Whoooooo, Pig, Sooooooie!
Our Sunday in Ennis was good, but soggy. It was raining first thing in the morning and continued until after lunch. It let up for a little while then started again in mid-afternoon. When we met for the 5 p.m. worship time, it was pouring. I was grateful to see everyone who braved the inclement weather to come to the worship and Bible study time. I started a new series of lessons on the Sermon on the Mount and I believe we had the largest number in attendance on Sunday evening since I've been here, in spite of the bad weather. That is encouraging!
Oprah Winfrey is at the State Fair of Texas to tape a segment of her talk show this morning. The ads in the paper last week said it would be done "rain or shine." Looking out my window right now, it appears that there is a good chance it will be done in the rain. She came into Dallas yesterday and went out to the State Fair to scope it out and eat some fried butter and other goodies. By the report they had on the news last night, it looks like she is being treated like a visiting head of state. It should make for an interesting show whenever it airs.
Monday is always a jam-packed day in my office, catching up from the weekend and Sunday then looking ahead to all that needs to be done in the coming week. I did not see our church secretary yesterday so I asked her husband and kids about her. They said she has a deep chest cough that sounds like bronchitis or maybe the start of the flu. Her daughter said she almost always gets walking pneumonia around this time of year. They have encouraged her to go to the doctor so I asked them to tell her that I added my encouragement to theirs. I hope she will go today and see what she's got.
Have an excellent day today! It is a gift from God so count it along with all of your other blessings and be grateful.
I asked God for all things that I may enjoy life. He gave me life that I may enjoy all things. (Author unknown)
Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. (Proverbs 12:25)
How about those Razorbacks?! Merilyn, Sarah and I got to watch the first part of the game together and then they watched while I listened in the car after I took off to return to Texas. When a couple of the ESPN commentators chose Arkansas to upset Auburn, I thought they were wacky. They obviously know more than I do, especially Lee Corso who said Arkansas would just score and score and score. That is exactly what happened in the first half and it's good for us it did because Auburn surely tried to roar back in the second half. But the Hogs bucked up, scored some more points and got a convincing win. Whoooooo, Pig, Sooooooie!
Our Sunday in Ennis was good, but soggy. It was raining first thing in the morning and continued until after lunch. It let up for a little while then started again in mid-afternoon. When we met for the 5 p.m. worship time, it was pouring. I was grateful to see everyone who braved the inclement weather to come to the worship and Bible study time. I started a new series of lessons on the Sermon on the Mount and I believe we had the largest number in attendance on Sunday evening since I've been here, in spite of the bad weather. That is encouraging!
Oprah Winfrey is at the State Fair of Texas to tape a segment of her talk show this morning. The ads in the paper last week said it would be done "rain or shine." Looking out my window right now, it appears that there is a good chance it will be done in the rain. She came into Dallas yesterday and went out to the State Fair to scope it out and eat some fried butter and other goodies. By the report they had on the news last night, it looks like she is being treated like a visiting head of state. It should make for an interesting show whenever it airs.
Monday is always a jam-packed day in my office, catching up from the weekend and Sunday then looking ahead to all that needs to be done in the coming week. I did not see our church secretary yesterday so I asked her husband and kids about her. They said she has a deep chest cough that sounds like bronchitis or maybe the start of the flu. Her daughter said she almost always gets walking pneumonia around this time of year. They have encouraged her to go to the doctor so I asked them to tell her that I added my encouragement to theirs. I hope she will go today and see what she's got.
Have an excellent day today! It is a gift from God so count it along with all of your other blessings and be grateful.
I asked God for all things that I may enjoy life. He gave me life that I may enjoy all things. (Author unknown)
Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. (Proverbs 12:25)
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Long, but good, day on Wednesday
Upon arriving at my office yesterday morning, the first thing I did was write another blog entry. I'm getting into that habit on Monday through Thursday then I usually take a break from it on the weekend and Sunday. Afterward it was a full day of study and preparation for Bible class last night as well as final preparations for lessons this Sunday. The exercise time out at the park was good with nice, mild temperatures but the humidity must have been close to 100%. I've gotten acquainted with a Hispanic fellow named Manuel who is probably in his mid-60's and is always there when I am. He always wears work clothes like he works in a machine shop or is a mechanic. He is real friendly but he speaks about as much English as I do Spanish. But we are able to greet each other and exchange a few pleasantries so that's nice.
After the exercise it was back to the apartment to clean up and dash to the Family Life Center where we feed the teenagers every week at 6 p.m. A good number of adults come as well and it is a good time of fellowship for all of us. From there it was directly to my adult Bible class where we are studying Dr. Neil Lightfoot's book, How We Got The Bible. It is an interesting study. Dr. Lightfoot was a long time professor at Abilene Christian and a well-respected scholar. You can get an updated version of his book at amazon.com for around $10-15. After Bible class we had our monthly elder, deacon, ministry leader and minister meeting. It was a good and productive meeting but by the time it was over at 10:15 p.m., I was about worn out for the day. It was a blessing to get to lie down in my nice, comfortable bed and close my eyes to rest.
This morning I've got several things to wrap up as quickly as I can and head north to Arkansas. I'm looking forward to meeting with my Thursday evening Bible study group in Springdale, but most of all to see Merilyn, Sarah and Blake. The weather forecast is calling for rain most of the way so I'm going to try to get away a little earlier than normal in case it slows me down.
As always, thanks for reading. Let anyone else who you think may be interested know about my blog. Have a good weekend and may God bless you!
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)
After the exercise it was back to the apartment to clean up and dash to the Family Life Center where we feed the teenagers every week at 6 p.m. A good number of adults come as well and it is a good time of fellowship for all of us. From there it was directly to my adult Bible class where we are studying Dr. Neil Lightfoot's book, How We Got The Bible. It is an interesting study. Dr. Lightfoot was a long time professor at Abilene Christian and a well-respected scholar. You can get an updated version of his book at amazon.com for around $10-15. After Bible class we had our monthly elder, deacon, ministry leader and minister meeting. It was a good and productive meeting but by the time it was over at 10:15 p.m., I was about worn out for the day. It was a blessing to get to lie down in my nice, comfortable bed and close my eyes to rest.
This morning I've got several things to wrap up as quickly as I can and head north to Arkansas. I'm looking forward to meeting with my Thursday evening Bible study group in Springdale, but most of all to see Merilyn, Sarah and Blake. The weather forecast is calling for rain most of the way so I'm going to try to get away a little earlier than normal in case it slows me down.
As always, thanks for reading. Let anyone else who you think may be interested know about my blog. Have a good weekend and may God bless you!
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
A gray, dreary day but...
This morning is what I think the weather must be like in Seattle. Gray, wet, dreary, chilly. It has been this way for several days now, so much so that a sports reporter in the Dallas Morning News made a comment about it in his article yesterday when he was talking about what he considered the dreary play of the Cowboys in their loss to the Denver Broncos last Sunday. But I am grateful that my "oogy Tuesday" has not carried over into today. I was a little concerned yesterday that I might have been coming down with something, but after a good night's rest, I am feeling much better today.
I enjoyed having lunch in the home of a couple from church. They are interesting folks. He is a blue grass music fan and musician. While his wife was preparing part of the meal, she told him to show me his "play room." Among other things of his "man stuff" in this room he has his banjo, 2 acoustic guitars, a bass fiddle, a violin, a mandolin and a baritone ukulele. I'll have to go out to hear him play with his buddies some time at one of the local blue grass/country music venues. She made a good vegetable beef soup with cornbread for lunch and finished it off with pound cake topped with fruit and Cool Whip for dessert. I really enjoyed being with them. Then when I left she gave me a good size container of soup to take with me. I suspect it will be even better after it sits a few days. Mmmmm, good!
A couple of our dear friends in Springdale got a scare yesterday. She had a mammogram recently which came back with some abnormalities. Her doctor got in touch with her yesterday morning and wanted to rush her into a biopsy procedure in the afternoon. Her mother had breast cancer and a mastectomy so our friends were quite upset. Merilyn gathered the kids after school and kept them until the evening. Fortunately, it turned out that the abnormalities were benign calcifications. Her husband is a doctor and he said they got her into this rush care and gave her about 3-4 days of treatment and test results in one afternoon. We are thankful to God for this good outcome.
God is good to us, even in the midst of the struggles that we face. Have a good day today!
Some people complain because God put thorns on roses, while others praise Him for putting roses among the thorns. (Author unknown)
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)
I enjoyed having lunch in the home of a couple from church. They are interesting folks. He is a blue grass music fan and musician. While his wife was preparing part of the meal, she told him to show me his "play room." Among other things of his "man stuff" in this room he has his banjo, 2 acoustic guitars, a bass fiddle, a violin, a mandolin and a baritone ukulele. I'll have to go out to hear him play with his buddies some time at one of the local blue grass/country music venues. She made a good vegetable beef soup with cornbread for lunch and finished it off with pound cake topped with fruit and Cool Whip for dessert. I really enjoyed being with them. Then when I left she gave me a good size container of soup to take with me. I suspect it will be even better after it sits a few days. Mmmmm, good!
A couple of our dear friends in Springdale got a scare yesterday. She had a mammogram recently which came back with some abnormalities. Her doctor got in touch with her yesterday morning and wanted to rush her into a biopsy procedure in the afternoon. Her mother had breast cancer and a mastectomy so our friends were quite upset. Merilyn gathered the kids after school and kept them until the evening. Fortunately, it turned out that the abnormalities were benign calcifications. Her husband is a doctor and he said they got her into this rush care and gave her about 3-4 days of treatment and test results in one afternoon. We are thankful to God for this good outcome.
God is good to us, even in the midst of the struggles that we face. Have a good day today!
Some people complain because God put thorns on roses, while others praise Him for putting roses among the thorns. (Author unknown)
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Oogy Tuesday
Have you ever felt oogy? You probably have but you may call it something else. This is a word I use when I'm not feeling just right...not sick...just not feeling tip-top. It may have as much to do with the weather and the time of year as anything. I enjoyed a nice exercise time outside yesterday afternoon. It was cloudy with intermittent mist and very humid but the temperature was only about 72. One thing that may be a factor in my oogyness is that one of the folks at church Sunday told me that ragweed is growing like crazy right now. He said he saw some 12 feet tall! I am not sure if he was pulling my leg or just trying to stay with the theme that everything is bigger in Texas. In the evening I was able to catch up on some cleaning chores in my apartment while watching the Monday Night Football game between the Vikings and Packers. It was an excellent game. You've got to give ol' Brett Favre credit...he's still got it! I woke up at 4:30 this morning with a splitting headache. Whether it was from the weather, ragweed or sleeping in an awkward position, I don't know. I got a couple of ibuprofen and went back to bed. Fortunately it was mostly gone by the time the alarm went off but it is still just kind of hanging around in the back of my head and neck. This morning it is so warm and muggy that it feels like you're walking in pea soup. The weather report is calling for possible severe storms this afternoon through north Texas. I believe it! These things seem to be working together to make me feel a little oogy starting off today but I am confident it will get better as the day progresses.
Well, I'd better quit babbling and get to work. Hope everyone has a better than oogy Tuesday!
Well, I'd better quit babbling and get to work. Hope everyone has a better than oogy Tuesday!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Excellent weekend and Sunday!
Friday got the weekend started in fantastic fashion. The weather was about as nice as you could imagine...brilliant blue sky, cool, low humidity and a nice breeze. I was able to open up my apartment for most of the day while I did a top-to-bottom cleaning in preparation for Merilyn and Sarah coming to visit. The airing out finally seemed to get rid of lingering odors left by the previous tenants and everything came out spic-and-span. It's not like I live like a slob when I am here by myself but I do have to admit that I may not be quite as careful to keep everything ship shape. In the afternoon I enjoyed a great 4 mile run/jog/walk at one of the local parks. The temperature was so mild and humidity so low that I barely broke a sweat the whole time. Perfect!
I got my supper, got cleaned up and began to anxiously await the arrival of my girls from Arkansas. They were able to get away shortly after 1 p.m. so I was expecting them around 7:30. I knew they would have to make more stops than usual to let the dogs out and for Sarah to stop at Jack In The Box (she's looney about their tacos). They did not have any huge problems but they ran into a traffic jam around Atoka, OK in a construction area and again when they got into north Dallas so it was about 9 p.m. when they arrived. We didn't do anything big while they were here...just went over to Waxahachie for a bit of shopping, toured around Ennis and fixed up a nice chicken fajita supper to enjoy while we watched the Arkansas vs. Texas A & M football game on Saturday night. The Hogs won, 47-19. Of course, all the Arkansas folks were rejoicing but I felt bad for the Aggie fans, especially since Adam is such a big Aggie fan. Hopefully, both teams will go on to better things from here.
Beginning about mid-afternoon Saturday, the rains began again in our area. From then until Sunday morning, we got about 1 1/2 inches and it was pouring during the Bible class and worship times. Our numbers were down a bit on Sunday but it was surely good to have Merilyn and Sarah here. Also we had the great surprise of a visit from our dear friends, Bill and Joyce Davenport, from Alvin, Texas. They were in Dallas for a wedding on Saturday, stayed the night and come to worship with us Sunday morning. They also took us out for lunch to a nice Italian Restaurant here in town. Even though the weather was dreary, it was a great morning. Merilyn and Sarah got away about 1:30 p.m. and arrived back in Springdale around 8 p.m.
The rest of the day went well for me. A group of us gathered at one of the member's homes in the afternoon for a prayer meeting for several who are battling cancer. The evening worship time went well and I believe the members are getting excited as we approach the first of several special events we have planned over the next 6 months.
It looks like we are in for a whole week of gray, rainy weather in this part of the world but I know it's all part of God's plan to refresh and replenish the earth so I am grateful for it. When you can grow in your faith and trust in God and then develop a heart of gratitude and genuine appreciation for the blessings you have from God, it helps tremendously to enable you to be happy, to be satisfied, and to deal with the challenges and difficulties that life inevitably brings your way. Have a wonderful day in the Lord today!
I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me; you were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I complain of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:10-13)
I got my supper, got cleaned up and began to anxiously await the arrival of my girls from Arkansas. They were able to get away shortly after 1 p.m. so I was expecting them around 7:30. I knew they would have to make more stops than usual to let the dogs out and for Sarah to stop at Jack In The Box (she's looney about their tacos). They did not have any huge problems but they ran into a traffic jam around Atoka, OK in a construction area and again when they got into north Dallas so it was about 9 p.m. when they arrived. We didn't do anything big while they were here...just went over to Waxahachie for a bit of shopping, toured around Ennis and fixed up a nice chicken fajita supper to enjoy while we watched the Arkansas vs. Texas A & M football game on Saturday night. The Hogs won, 47-19. Of course, all the Arkansas folks were rejoicing but I felt bad for the Aggie fans, especially since Adam is such a big Aggie fan. Hopefully, both teams will go on to better things from here.
Beginning about mid-afternoon Saturday, the rains began again in our area. From then until Sunday morning, we got about 1 1/2 inches and it was pouring during the Bible class and worship times. Our numbers were down a bit on Sunday but it was surely good to have Merilyn and Sarah here. Also we had the great surprise of a visit from our dear friends, Bill and Joyce Davenport, from Alvin, Texas. They were in Dallas for a wedding on Saturday, stayed the night and come to worship with us Sunday morning. They also took us out for lunch to a nice Italian Restaurant here in town. Even though the weather was dreary, it was a great morning. Merilyn and Sarah got away about 1:30 p.m. and arrived back in Springdale around 8 p.m.
The rest of the day went well for me. A group of us gathered at one of the member's homes in the afternoon for a prayer meeting for several who are battling cancer. The evening worship time went well and I believe the members are getting excited as we approach the first of several special events we have planned over the next 6 months.
It looks like we are in for a whole week of gray, rainy weather in this part of the world but I know it's all part of God's plan to refresh and replenish the earth so I am grateful for it. When you can grow in your faith and trust in God and then develop a heart of gratitude and genuine appreciation for the blessings you have from God, it helps tremendously to enable you to be happy, to be satisfied, and to deal with the challenges and difficulties that life inevitably brings your way. Have a wonderful day in the Lord today!
I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me; you were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I complain of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:10-13)
Thursday, October 1, 2009
October already?!
Where does the time go? When I was young (and knew everything) I used to get amused by old folks who would make comments like that. Now that I am middle age (see, I am going to live to be 120-130 or so), I am beginning to understand better why they made comments like that. It seems to me like months go past as quickly as weeks these days. I reckon the best thing about that is that before we know it this life will be over and, through faith, we will be in Heaven with God!
From what the weather reporter said last night, it looks like the Midwest is going to be in for some rumbly, stormy Fall thunderstorms later today. If you are in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas or Texas, look out!
Yesterday was a pretty normal day in the office...finishing my sermon and PowerPoint for Sunday morning, planning an outreach for a special day (Meet Our New Preacher) we will have at church in November, and preparing for Wednesday night Bible class where we are studying Dr. Neil Lightfoot's book, How We Got The Bible. This is an excellent resource. If you do not have it, you may want to get it. It is available on amazon.com for less than $10. In the afternoon I enjoyed my regular 4 mile exercise out at Lion's Park. It's nice to be able to go outside again but I miss the weight lifting part of my exercise. A friend told me about using a kettle ball so I'm going to look into that. The church does a neat thing on Wednesday evenings. Various members rotate the task of preparing a meal which is primarily for the teenagers but everyone is invited to come. It is served at 6 p.m. and provides an excellent time for fellowship and interaction amongst the older and younger folk.
Merilyn and Sarah are planing to come down for a visit this weekend. I am really looking forward to that. We will enjoy watching the Arkansas Razorbacks and Texas Aggies football game on Saturday evening. Have a good, safe and blessed weekend and Sunday!
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)
From what the weather reporter said last night, it looks like the Midwest is going to be in for some rumbly, stormy Fall thunderstorms later today. If you are in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas or Texas, look out!
Yesterday was a pretty normal day in the office...finishing my sermon and PowerPoint for Sunday morning, planning an outreach for a special day (Meet Our New Preacher) we will have at church in November, and preparing for Wednesday night Bible class where we are studying Dr. Neil Lightfoot's book, How We Got The Bible. This is an excellent resource. If you do not have it, you may want to get it. It is available on amazon.com for less than $10. In the afternoon I enjoyed my regular 4 mile exercise out at Lion's Park. It's nice to be able to go outside again but I miss the weight lifting part of my exercise. A friend told me about using a kettle ball so I'm going to look into that. The church does a neat thing on Wednesday evenings. Various members rotate the task of preparing a meal which is primarily for the teenagers but everyone is invited to come. It is served at 6 p.m. and provides an excellent time for fellowship and interaction amongst the older and younger folk.
Merilyn and Sarah are planing to come down for a visit this weekend. I am really looking forward to that. We will enjoy watching the Arkansas Razorbacks and Texas Aggies football game on Saturday evening. Have a good, safe and blessed weekend and Sunday!
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)
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