I was reminded last week by loving friends that I was remiss in updating the blog on the MDA trip. Sorry about that!
Great trip out. Even Baton Rouge wasn't bad traffic-wise. (It was AWFUL for the return trip, but that's another thing...)
Stayed w/ a very sweet HS classmate again. (Reminder to USM types: she's a proud USM grad who represents the school well!)
Speaking of USM types who rep the school well, we rolled out there--again--in a nice ride loaned by another friend who's a proud USM type.
Thursday was bloodwork & P.E.T. scan day. As w/ the trip out, the waits were very short, which is good. (Especially given that I'm not allowed to have any food or--worse--coffee on P.E.T. scan day. *grin*)
Thursday night was a very nice Tex-Mex meal w/ another sweet HS classmate (who has let us stay @ her house as well...)
Friday morning: the latest most-important-Dr.-appt-of-my-life with Dr. Homsi who is my medical melanomam Dr. out there.
BOTTOM LINE: A good visit w/ good results.
Details:
Most important result: nothing new on the P.E.T. scan. That's huge w/ a history of metastatic melanoma.
Another very important result: the same little spot is still there on my chest wall. It's been there these last several trips, and is still there. (If you remember, I was to have surgery last May to remove this spot, but the surgery was cancelled after the P.E.T. scan then). They're not sure what it is. It has grown a little, but only a little. Thus, it's likely not melanoma, which tends to grow fast & aggressively. Dr. H. said it may not even be cancer at all. They don't know.
Therefore, we go back in May for another P.E.T. scan, and appt. w/ Dr. Homsi, PLUS, an appt. w/ Dr. Mehran the surgeon. My hunch is that they'll opt for surgery this time, tho I obviously don't know.
At any rate, a good visit, all in all. We're pleased.
I'll leave you with a quote from Dr. Homsi:
"You've already beaten all the numbers (odds) just by being here."
That is the handiwork of a sovereign healing God Who has chosen to keep the melanoma away and to keep me here for reasons that I'll not fully know this side of glory. It is certainly NOT because of intrinsic worth in this dude! I'm persuaded that in eternity we will discover that He chose to heal & keep me here in response to the prayers of so many of you. THANKS FOR PRAYING!!
Mike
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Back On the Road Again...
...and I'm not referring here to the excellent song by REO Speedwagon. (although that song is now officially stuck in my head...)
Lisa & I head back out to Houston Wednesday, 2/17. It's time for another batch of nuking & bloodsucking (as I so delicately refer to it).
Routine followup appt.
As if there will ever again be such a thing for me...*sigh*
The Schedule:
--Wed. - drive to Houston (in a nice borrowed ride, courtesy of a buddy here!)
--Thurs. - blood work + P.E.T. scan
Note: no bkfst, no lunch, no morning coffee = Bummer!! On the plus side, we'll have a HUGE supper with LOTS of good Tex-Mex food @ Gringo's w/ two HS classmates & friends who landed out there and whose homes we've invaded before. I'm planning on embarrassing everyone @ our table w/ the sheer volume of food I'll consume. You've all been warned...
;-{)}
--Fri a.m. - the next in a series of "most-impt-Dr.-appts.-in-my-whole-life"
--Fri. afternoon - celebrate while driving back to H'burg (well, that's our plan anyway...)
We'll be staying w/ one of the two HS classmates, who is graciously opening her home to us again. (Note to USM friends: she's a proud USM grad who was a Dixie Darling during her days here in town)
We'll also be rolling in a much nicer vehicle than any of ours, courtesy of another great sacrifical giving type friend here who's letting us borrow his truck.
=============================================
Prayer Requests:
--safe travels to & from, and safe driving in Houston
--accurate scans that show "nothing to see here..." (in other words, pray that there's nothing amiss, & that the scans show that)
--peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7)
--pray for these VERY generous friends who let us borrow cars and invade homes; Please ask God to bless both of these friends--one lives here, & one lives there
=================================================
The bottom line answer to this question: "so, what's it like walking into M.D. Anderson?"
Absolutely overwhelming! One NEVER wants to walk in there as a patient. Pretty much nobody gets referred there by being slightly sick. (Remember, mine was stage IV in both lungs when I first made the trip in 08...)
With that said, we have had AMAZINGLY GREAT Drs. & nurses & techs. Our MDA experience has been very good (well,...good within the context of the previous paragraph...)
This trip's medical stuff:
--bloodwork - no biggie; they'll draw several vials from my arm/hand. It is mind-boggling though how many people hang out waiting to get stuck.
--P.E.T. scan - get hooked up w/ IV device; get injected w/ the nuclear stuff (mildly radioactive sugar solution, more or less...the cool movie-effect part is that they wheel it in on a cart in a metal container that's smoking all scary-like); forced lie-still nap for an hour or so in a small room; then the scan, which lasts about 40 minutes; the most, um, exciting part is when the tech says over the speaker "OK, Mr. Madaris, here comes the contrast solution"...Have you ever felt like you were losing control of your bladder? Yeah, this feels a lot like that...only you can't move...(why I thought you'd all want to know that escapes me, but there it is)
P.E.T. stands for "Positive Emission Tomography"...or "Pretty Expensive Test" whichever. (*grin*) The results of the test are quite amazing; essentially a 3D set of scan results that the Dr. can scroll through & slice & dice in different ways. What they're looking for is spots that "light up" on the scan, meaning something is drawing in LOTS of the sugar solution, meaning something's amiss.
Based on my experience w/ bad scans, picture a satellite photo of a solar eclipse...w/ the light from the sun shooting out in rays from behind the moon. If something like that shows up on a P.E.T., that's bad. (Seen those results on previous scans!)
We'll do the medical fun Thursday from 8 - 1 or so (depending on wait times); Lisa will be bored out of her skull, as she'll spend all this time waiting...and waiting...a n d w a i t i n g...
We'll meet w/ Dr. Homsi, my medical melanoma oncologist Friday morning to get the results. (reminder: "medical melanoma oncologist" as opposed to Dr. Mehran, my surgeon, and Dr. Kim, my lung dude, and Dr. Hwu my immunotherapy guy.) Just the one appt. this time, assuming nothing lights up.
So, it's time to unblock the travel routes & details I've blocked for 5 months now. *another sigh*
Your prayers are MOST welcome and MOST appreciated.
With Love & Hope,
Mike
p.s. - THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS FOR US!!!
Only eternity will show you how much you & your prayers mean to Lisa and me...For now, "thank you" plus hugs to any whose path I cross will have to suffice.
Lisa & I head back out to Houston Wednesday, 2/17. It's time for another batch of nuking & bloodsucking (as I so delicately refer to it).
Routine followup appt.
As if there will ever again be such a thing for me...*sigh*
The Schedule:
--Wed. - drive to Houston (in a nice borrowed ride, courtesy of a buddy here!)
--Thurs. - blood work + P.E.T. scan
Note: no bkfst, no lunch, no morning coffee = Bummer!! On the plus side, we'll have a HUGE supper with LOTS of good Tex-Mex food @ Gringo's w/ two HS classmates & friends who landed out there and whose homes we've invaded before. I'm planning on embarrassing everyone @ our table w/ the sheer volume of food I'll consume. You've all been warned...
;-{)}
--Fri a.m. - the next in a series of "most-impt-Dr.-appts.-in-my-whole-life"
--Fri. afternoon - celebrate while driving back to H'burg (well, that's our plan anyway...)
We'll be staying w/ one of the two HS classmates, who is graciously opening her home to us again. (Note to USM friends: she's a proud USM grad who was a Dixie Darling during her days here in town)
We'll also be rolling in a much nicer vehicle than any of ours, courtesy of another great sacrifical giving type friend here who's letting us borrow his truck.
=============================================
Prayer Requests:
--safe travels to & from, and safe driving in Houston
--accurate scans that show "nothing to see here..." (in other words, pray that there's nothing amiss, & that the scans show that)
--peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7)
--pray for these VERY generous friends who let us borrow cars and invade homes; Please ask God to bless both of these friends--one lives here, & one lives there
=================================================
The bottom line answer to this question: "so, what's it like walking into M.D. Anderson?"
Absolutely overwhelming! One NEVER wants to walk in there as a patient. Pretty much nobody gets referred there by being slightly sick. (Remember, mine was stage IV in both lungs when I first made the trip in 08...)
With that said, we have had AMAZINGLY GREAT Drs. & nurses & techs. Our MDA experience has been very good (well,...good within the context of the previous paragraph...)
This trip's medical stuff:
--bloodwork - no biggie; they'll draw several vials from my arm/hand. It is mind-boggling though how many people hang out waiting to get stuck.
--P.E.T. scan - get hooked up w/ IV device; get injected w/ the nuclear stuff (mildly radioactive sugar solution, more or less...the cool movie-effect part is that they wheel it in on a cart in a metal container that's smoking all scary-like); forced lie-still nap for an hour or so in a small room; then the scan, which lasts about 40 minutes; the most, um, exciting part is when the tech says over the speaker "OK, Mr. Madaris, here comes the contrast solution"...Have you ever felt like you were losing control of your bladder? Yeah, this feels a lot like that...only you can't move...(why I thought you'd all want to know that escapes me, but there it is)
P.E.T. stands for "Positive Emission Tomography"...or "Pretty Expensive Test" whichever. (*grin*) The results of the test are quite amazing; essentially a 3D set of scan results that the Dr. can scroll through & slice & dice in different ways. What they're looking for is spots that "light up" on the scan, meaning something is drawing in LOTS of the sugar solution, meaning something's amiss.
Based on my experience w/ bad scans, picture a satellite photo of a solar eclipse...w/ the light from the sun shooting out in rays from behind the moon. If something like that shows up on a P.E.T., that's bad. (Seen those results on previous scans!)
We'll do the medical fun Thursday from 8 - 1 or so (depending on wait times); Lisa will be bored out of her skull, as she'll spend all this time waiting...and waiting...a n d w a i t i n g...
We'll meet w/ Dr. Homsi, my medical melanoma oncologist Friday morning to get the results. (reminder: "medical melanoma oncologist" as opposed to Dr. Mehran, my surgeon, and Dr. Kim, my lung dude, and Dr. Hwu my immunotherapy guy.) Just the one appt. this time, assuming nothing lights up.
So, it's time to unblock the travel routes & details I've blocked for 5 months now. *another sigh*
Your prayers are MOST welcome and MOST appreciated.
With Love & Hope,
Mike
p.s. - THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS FOR US!!!
Only eternity will show you how much you & your prayers mean to Lisa and me...For now, "thank you" plus hugs to any whose path I cross will have to suffice.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
She asked me out 1st...& then I returned the favor!
1981. Sadie Hawkins Valentine's Day Banquet @ the Baptist Student Union on the campus of the University of Alabama. ("Sadie Hawkins" = ladies ask the guys; totally old-school concept dating back to those quaint, honorable times when guys actually did the asking...)
Aside from my excessive hotness (*grin*), there was pretty much nothing to commend me as a good Sadie Hawkins ask target. Really, I wasn't much of a catch back then. I'm not much of one now either, but I REALLY wasn't a catch then. Thus, I threw myself at her shamelessly, until she finally got tired of it & asked me to the banquet.
Oh, we had hung out a bit in group settings, and she had humored me by patiently enduring numerous requests along the lines of "hey, listen to this obscure hard rock CD nobody's ever heard & with good reason". She & her roommates were friends with my roommates. Plus, most conveniently, our apt. was downstairs & across the breezeway from their apt. (The Lord knew that while I'm pretty clueless now, I was REALLY clueless then; thus this little bit of gracious providence for which I am eternally grateful...)
But Valentine's Day, 1981 was our first official date. It must have gone OK. There were other dates. Then *lots* of other dates. Then a fraternity pin (speaking of old-school cool-ness...)...followed by a proposal.
There was a wedding in Gilbertown, AL on June 2, 1984.
A move to Terre Haute, IN. A house purchase & everything. A kid playing grownup, with a house, a job as a professor, debt,...the works!
Then a son.
A move to Hattiesburg, MS in August, 1989.
Followed shortly by a daughter.
Along the way, there have been triumphs, tragedies, job changes, illnesses, financial (& other) challenges, successes, failures, joys, sorrows...But through it all, dreams fulfilled & prayers answered beyond my wildest imaginations.
She still pretty much looks the same; I singularly do not. Oh, what a journey it's been! Can't wait for the next 29 years! And it all dates back to Valentine's Day 29 years ago.
I'll let some songwriters complete this one.
"In joy and sorrow my home's in your arms
In a world so hollow, It's breaking my heart
Oh girl we are the same; We are strong and blessed and so brave
With souls to be saved, And faith regained
All our tears wipe away
In joy and sorrow my home's in your arms..."
HIM, "In Joy & Sorrow"
"But, Baby, what will we do when it comes back to me & you? "
Wayne Watson, "Watercolor Ponies"
(note: Is yours a child-centered home? Might want to re-think that if so. I'm glad our children knew/know they are DEARLY loved and HUGELY missed...and I'm VERY glad Lisa & I have spent some time on our relationship these past 25 years of married life! As Wayne W. says, "the watercolor ponies will one day ride away...")
"I often dream of nights I'd sit and watch the rising sun, and I spoke to you of life, and of the battles I had won. A warm wind blowing memories makes me long for home, and a cold wind blows much harder and makes me wanna roam...I search to find the meaning of the path that I am on, and I hope that my direction will not make me walk alone..."
Axe, "Battles"
(One of my all-time favorite songs...pulled me through some very dark days/months/years by giving me hope. Plus, it just kicks booty as a great rock song w/ a great guitar solo...*smile*
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
Genesis 2:18
(One can almost imagine the Lord looking forward in time at me & going "and it's especially not good for that guy to be alone...")
"And now a smile, a face, a girl that shares my name,
Now I'm through with the game, this boy will never be the same.
Even though we ain't got money, I'm so in love with ya honey,
Everything will bring a chain of love.
In the morning when I rise, you bring a tear of joy to my eyes,
And tell me everything is gonna be alright....
Loggins & Messina, "Danny's Song"
"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh..."
Genesis 2:24
"And my lady is the softness in my world...And my lady hears every note I play..."
Mountain, "My Lady"
(Another favorite by a favorite group. I sang along w/ this for years, dreaming the whole time...and then the dreams came through in Tuscaloosa, AL. I *love* the line "my lady hears every note I play" even though I don't play music any more. Excellent description of Lisa...)
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO MY AWESOME, LOVELY BRIDE!!!
With more love than I could ever capture in words,
Mike
P.S. - thanks for asking me out! ;-{)}
Aside from my excessive hotness (*grin*), there was pretty much nothing to commend me as a good Sadie Hawkins ask target. Really, I wasn't much of a catch back then. I'm not much of one now either, but I REALLY wasn't a catch then. Thus, I threw myself at her shamelessly, until she finally got tired of it & asked me to the banquet.
Oh, we had hung out a bit in group settings, and she had humored me by patiently enduring numerous requests along the lines of "hey, listen to this obscure hard rock CD nobody's ever heard & with good reason". She & her roommates were friends with my roommates. Plus, most conveniently, our apt. was downstairs & across the breezeway from their apt. (The Lord knew that while I'm pretty clueless now, I was REALLY clueless then; thus this little bit of gracious providence for which I am eternally grateful...)
But Valentine's Day, 1981 was our first official date. It must have gone OK. There were other dates. Then *lots* of other dates. Then a fraternity pin (speaking of old-school cool-ness...)...followed by a proposal.
There was a wedding in Gilbertown, AL on June 2, 1984.
A move to Terre Haute, IN. A house purchase & everything. A kid playing grownup, with a house, a job as a professor, debt,...the works!
Then a son.
A move to Hattiesburg, MS in August, 1989.
Followed shortly by a daughter.
Along the way, there have been triumphs, tragedies, job changes, illnesses, financial (& other) challenges, successes, failures, joys, sorrows...But through it all, dreams fulfilled & prayers answered beyond my wildest imaginations.
She still pretty much looks the same; I singularly do not. Oh, what a journey it's been! Can't wait for the next 29 years! And it all dates back to Valentine's Day 29 years ago.
I'll let some songwriters complete this one.
"In joy and sorrow my home's in your arms
In a world so hollow, It's breaking my heart
Oh girl we are the same; We are strong and blessed and so brave
With souls to be saved, And faith regained
All our tears wipe away
In joy and sorrow my home's in your arms..."
HIM, "In Joy & Sorrow"
"But, Baby, what will we do when it comes back to me & you? "
Wayne Watson, "Watercolor Ponies"
(note: Is yours a child-centered home? Might want to re-think that if so. I'm glad our children knew/know they are DEARLY loved and HUGELY missed...and I'm VERY glad Lisa & I have spent some time on our relationship these past 25 years of married life! As Wayne W. says, "the watercolor ponies will one day ride away...")
"I often dream of nights I'd sit and watch the rising sun, and I spoke to you of life, and of the battles I had won. A warm wind blowing memories makes me long for home, and a cold wind blows much harder and makes me wanna roam...I search to find the meaning of the path that I am on, and I hope that my direction will not make me walk alone..."
Axe, "Battles"
(One of my all-time favorite songs...pulled me through some very dark days/months/years by giving me hope. Plus, it just kicks booty as a great rock song w/ a great guitar solo...*smile*
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
Genesis 2:18
(One can almost imagine the Lord looking forward in time at me & going "and it's especially not good for that guy to be alone...")
"And now a smile, a face, a girl that shares my name,
Now I'm through with the game, this boy will never be the same.
Even though we ain't got money, I'm so in love with ya honey,
Everything will bring a chain of love.
In the morning when I rise, you bring a tear of joy to my eyes,
And tell me everything is gonna be alright....
Loggins & Messina, "Danny's Song"
"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh..."
Genesis 2:24
"And my lady is the softness in my world...And my lady hears every note I play..."
Mountain, "My Lady"
(Another favorite by a favorite group. I sang along w/ this for years, dreaming the whole time...and then the dreams came through in Tuscaloosa, AL. I *love* the line "my lady hears every note I play" even though I don't play music any more. Excellent description of Lisa...)
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO MY AWESOME, LOVELY BRIDE!!!
With more love than I could ever capture in words,
Mike
P.S. - thanks for asking me out! ;-{)}
Monday, February 08, 2010
For Bill & Traci
(note: I wrote this last Thursday, 2/4, with final edit & finishing touches today)
So, here I sit @ 12:15 a.m., well past my bedtime, pondering the depths of God's providence.
Our dear friends Bill & Traci Massey got the call NOBODY wants to get today. Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a.k.a., Hodgkin's Disease, is Traci's diagnosis. They go to the Dr. tomorrow. (update: and to the oncologist later this week)
Cancer sucks.
Not a word I use very often...but I use it here because it fits. How else to describe this wonderful, godly, servant-minded, Christ-centered, go-the-extra-mile couple with three young daughters getting the phone call today that changed the entire trajectory of their lives??
But cancer is most assuredly NOT ultimate!!
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair...So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:7-8, 16-18
*That* my friends, is what is ultimate. Re-read this phrase slowly: an eternal weight of glory...
My friends Bill & Traci already had one of those secured. Yet in His providence, our Lord has seen fit to somehow magnify their weight of glory.
I praise You in this storm, & I will lift my hands, for You are Who You are no matter where I am...and every tear I cry, You hold in Your hands...You never left my side...and though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm...
Casting Crowns, "Praise You in This Storm"
(press >>>THIS<<<>every Thursday night via ipod while driving back from night class)
Now I guarantee you that where they are right now, & where they will likely be in the days & months to come will NOT seem like a "light momentary affliction." But in light of an eternal weight of glory, it will be.
As Margaret Becker once sang, "when glory, ever more glorious, stands revealed" that eternal weight of glory will be seen. And in its light...in His light...Hodgkin's Lymphoma will seem like a blip on the radar screen.
But not yet.
Right now, it is an all-consuming thing that would consume Bill & Traci's every thought and devour every moment of time they have.
So would you please join me in praying that the sovereign Lord of the universe, who has called us by name & we are His, would sustain and encourage and empower and equip them?
And would you please join me in praying that my friend Traci would be totally & completely healed of this dreadful disease?
And would you please join me in praying that God would magnify Himself and His name and His character through Bill & Traci's time in the valley of the shadow?
Thanks so very much!
With a heavy heart,
Mike
p.s. - a passage my oncologist shared with Lisa and me on our first visit to his office in December '05:
But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Isaiah 43:1-3
Our dear friends Bill & Traci Massey got the call NOBODY wants to get today. Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a.k.a., Hodgkin's Disease, is Traci's diagnosis. They go to the Dr. tomorrow. (update: and to the oncologist later this week)
Cancer sucks.
Not a word I use very often...but I use it here because it fits. How else to describe this wonderful, godly, servant-minded, Christ-centered, go-the-extra-mile couple with three young daughters getting the phone call today that changed the entire trajectory of their lives??
But cancer is most assuredly NOT ultimate!!
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair...So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:7-8, 16-18
*That* my friends, is what is ultimate. Re-read this phrase slowly: an eternal weight of glory...
My friends Bill & Traci already had one of those secured. Yet in His providence, our Lord has seen fit to somehow magnify their weight of glory.
I praise You in this storm, & I will lift my hands, for You are Who You are no matter where I am...and every tear I cry, You hold in Your hands...You never left my side...and though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm...
Casting Crowns, "Praise You in This Storm"
(press >>>THIS<<<>every Thursday night via ipod while driving back from night class)
Now I guarantee you that where they are right now, & where they will likely be in the days & months to come will NOT seem like a "light momentary affliction." But in light of an eternal weight of glory, it will be.
As Margaret Becker once sang, "when glory, ever more glorious, stands revealed" that eternal weight of glory will be seen. And in its light...in His light...Hodgkin's Lymphoma will seem like a blip on the radar screen.
But not yet.
Right now, it is an all-consuming thing that would consume Bill & Traci's every thought and devour every moment of time they have.
So would you please join me in praying that the sovereign Lord of the universe, who has called us by name & we are His, would sustain and encourage and empower and equip them?
And would you please join me in praying that my friend Traci would be totally & completely healed of this dreadful disease?
And would you please join me in praying that God would magnify Himself and His name and His character through Bill & Traci's time in the valley of the shadow?
Thanks so very much!
With a heavy heart,
Mike
p.s. - a passage my oncologist shared with Lisa and me on our first visit to his office in December '05:
But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Isaiah 43:1-3
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
For Eddie
Every single guy wants to know that he has what it takes. Every one of us, at the core of our being, longs to hear this from one who matters. Ideally, this comes from Dad. Sadly--and this is the subject of another post for another day--increasingly few hear Dad say those most critical words.
Which goes a long way toward explaining a lot of guy behavior...stupid guy behavior. We seek out a place to be told "you have what it takes." By somebody. Anybody.
Teachers...gangs...coaches...mentors...we want to hear it said by somebody, and we will keep searching to find somebody to tell us. Desperately searching...
And that, ladies & gents, is why I'm so very delighted & honored to be a small part of this one particular ministry @ my church: tbcsports & Upward. I confess that when we built a gym & hired a Recreation Minister to run our new gym, I was a skeptic about it all (not about the guy, mind you; just about the importance of sports ministry in gen'l). And I was utterly & completely wrong.
That particular Rec minister has, in 10 years here in Hattiesburg, had a HUGE impact on many. On kids...on coaches...on referees...on our community...and on me. Eddie Baker is an incredibly effective minister of the Gospel. Well- and broadly-read, impact-focused, Christ-centered, organized, and always learning & tweaking to improve effectiveness. And through it all, overwhelmingly humble. (In fact, he won't like this particular blog entry...)
Eddie has comforted those who were mourning...and encouraged those (of us!) facing intense medical uncertainty (he himself has faced intense medical uncertainty)...and taught many how to be more Christlike in the totality of our lives...and pointed folks who were drifting back on-course...and answered questions from seekers, some of whom didn't even realize they were seeking...and calmed down those who have lost perspective on, say, the quality of refereeing at a kindergarten basketball game...
But beyond that, Eddie Baker is an amazing guy! He's one of my best friends. Has gone way above & beyond for me and mine these past 10 years. Eddie & I have prayed together, laughed together, cried together, discussed theology, shared secrets & secret struggles completely secure in the knowledge that they would stay secret...we've sat beside each other at football games at our alma maters (Bama for me, Ole Miss for him) and have listened with great interest to each other's stories of how we were changed by our time in Tuscaloosa/Oxford back in the day, and of memories we cherish from those days. And some we don't particularly cherish...(like, say, when I was taking Master's comps while his alma mater's team crushed mine just a couple of blocks away...on our homecoming day! *smile*)
Years back, another great friend of mine said we're lucky if we have half a dozen deeply intimate friendships in our lifetime. I scoffed, thinking, "I've got dozens...hundreds...of such friends..." (I do have a large number of great friends to whom I owe my life and whom I love dearly...) My friend in Indiana explained to me what he meant: "the friend I'm describing is one you could call at 2:30 a.m. & say 'I need you' and about halfway over to your house, this guy would think 'I wonder what he needs me for...oh well, I'll find out shortly when I get there...'" Narrows the field a bit doesn't it? (Aside: I really hope I'm viewed as such a friend by somebody...)
Do you have such people in your life? I do. Eddie Baker is one. I know this, because I have called & said "I need you" and he's put his life on hold for me. (albeit, not yet at 2:30 a.m....*grin*)
So why am I talking about Eddie Baker? Because this month marks 25 years since Eddie finished seminary and took his first full-time job in ministry.
I've read that roughly 2/3 of those in ministry are considering leaving it at any time. Not leaving a particular ministry job, but leaving the ministry After 25 years, my buddy Eddie is probably more excited about what our God is doing in & through his ministry than he ever has been. He is still growing & tweaking, pressing on toward the finish line that I hope he doesn't reach for many, many years yet.
It is one of my life's great honors that Eddie Baker lets me be a small part of his ministry. (Oh, how I wish you all could've hung out with me at the gym yesterday morning & seen life-changing ministry in action!) But it is a greater honor that Eddie Baker considers me his friend and partner in the Gospel.
Thanks, Eddie, for letting our God use you so powerfully in the lives of so many. Especially in my life.
I love you, Brother! Happy Ministry Anniversary! Many, many more...
Mike
p.s. - Following are several Bible verses/passages that come to mind when I think of ministers like Eddie Baker.
For they have gone out for the sake of the name...Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
3 John 1:7-8
Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. Phil. 4:14
For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. Philemon 1:7
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
1 Cor 15:58
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Romans 12:9-18
Which goes a long way toward explaining a lot of guy behavior...stupid guy behavior. We seek out a place to be told "you have what it takes." By somebody. Anybody.
Teachers...gangs...coaches...mentors...we want to hear it said by somebody, and we will keep searching to find somebody to tell us. Desperately searching...
And that, ladies & gents, is why I'm so very delighted & honored to be a small part of this one particular ministry @ my church: tbcsports & Upward. I confess that when we built a gym & hired a Recreation Minister to run our new gym, I was a skeptic about it all (not about the guy, mind you; just about the importance of sports ministry in gen'l). And I was utterly & completely wrong.
That particular Rec minister has, in 10 years here in Hattiesburg, had a HUGE impact on many. On kids...on coaches...on referees...on our community...and on me. Eddie Baker is an incredibly effective minister of the Gospel. Well- and broadly-read, impact-focused, Christ-centered, organized, and always learning & tweaking to improve effectiveness. And through it all, overwhelmingly humble. (In fact, he won't like this particular blog entry...)
Eddie has comforted those who were mourning...and encouraged those (of us!) facing intense medical uncertainty (he himself has faced intense medical uncertainty)...and taught many how to be more Christlike in the totality of our lives...and pointed folks who were drifting back on-course...and answered questions from seekers, some of whom didn't even realize they were seeking...and calmed down those who have lost perspective on, say, the quality of refereeing at a kindergarten basketball game...
But beyond that, Eddie Baker is an amazing guy! He's one of my best friends. Has gone way above & beyond for me and mine these past 10 years. Eddie & I have prayed together, laughed together, cried together, discussed theology, shared secrets & secret struggles completely secure in the knowledge that they would stay secret...we've sat beside each other at football games at our alma maters (Bama for me, Ole Miss for him) and have listened with great interest to each other's stories of how we were changed by our time in Tuscaloosa/Oxford back in the day, and of memories we cherish from those days. And some we don't particularly cherish...(like, say, when I was taking Master's comps while his alma mater's team crushed mine just a couple of blocks away...on our homecoming day! *smile*)
Years back, another great friend of mine said we're lucky if we have half a dozen deeply intimate friendships in our lifetime. I scoffed, thinking, "I've got dozens...hundreds...of such friends..." (I do have a large number of great friends to whom I owe my life and whom I love dearly...) My friend in Indiana explained to me what he meant: "the friend I'm describing is one you could call at 2:30 a.m. & say 'I need you' and about halfway over to your house, this guy would think 'I wonder what he needs me for...oh well, I'll find out shortly when I get there...'" Narrows the field a bit doesn't it? (Aside: I really hope I'm viewed as such a friend by somebody...)
Do you have such people in your life? I do. Eddie Baker is one. I know this, because I have called & said "I need you" and he's put his life on hold for me. (albeit, not yet at 2:30 a.m....*grin*)
So why am I talking about Eddie Baker? Because this month marks 25 years since Eddie finished seminary and took his first full-time job in ministry.
I've read that roughly 2/3 of those in ministry are considering leaving it at any time. Not leaving a particular ministry job, but leaving the ministry After 25 years, my buddy Eddie is probably more excited about what our God is doing in & through his ministry than he ever has been. He is still growing & tweaking, pressing on toward the finish line that I hope he doesn't reach for many, many years yet.
It is one of my life's great honors that Eddie Baker lets me be a small part of his ministry. (Oh, how I wish you all could've hung out with me at the gym yesterday morning & seen life-changing ministry in action!) But it is a greater honor that Eddie Baker considers me his friend and partner in the Gospel.
Thanks, Eddie, for letting our God use you so powerfully in the lives of so many. Especially in my life.
I love you, Brother! Happy Ministry Anniversary! Many, many more...
Mike
p.s. - Following are several Bible verses/passages that come to mind when I think of ministers like Eddie Baker.
For they have gone out for the sake of the name...Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
3 John 1:7-8
Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. Phil. 4:14
For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. Philemon 1:7
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
1 Cor 15:58
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Romans 12:9-18
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
To a particular Bama co-ed...
There's this Bama co-ed I know...
She's very friendly. You know, one of those who has never met a stranger.
She sees the good in everyone, which is sadly a rarity in our jaded, cynical society. (said the jaded, cynical blogger...)
She's generous. Which is a huge understatement.
She loves to help others learn & succeed. Hence her great success in her chosen profession.
She is very intelligent. Always reading something. Went back to Bama & got a Master's degree after being out in the workplace a few years.
She loves to travel, and has done so a *lot* since graduating from UA.
She laughs easily and is a great conversationalist.
She loves her Lord and her church, and is one of those faithful servants every church needs more of...she prefers behind-the-scenes service.
She loves her family. Even her extended family.
She'll blush & be dismissive of this next one, but her life matters to many people who have passed through her orbit...or her library...
Her life matters more than my feeble words can say to me...A few years ago, I wrote for her/ about her called "Relentless Love" & got it framed & gave it to her. I still think that's a pretty good phrase describing her: relentless love...
Today is her birthday.
Happy Birthday, Mom!
I join with many in celebrating you and all that God has done through your amazing life. God in His providence knew I'd need a whole lot of "mothering" & thus gave me to you...
I pray that He richly blesses you today and always.
With much love,
Mike
She's very friendly. You know, one of those who has never met a stranger.
She sees the good in everyone, which is sadly a rarity in our jaded, cynical society. (said the jaded, cynical blogger...)
She's generous. Which is a huge understatement.
She loves to help others learn & succeed. Hence her great success in her chosen profession.
She is very intelligent. Always reading something. Went back to Bama & got a Master's degree after being out in the workplace a few years.
She loves to travel, and has done so a *lot* since graduating from UA.
She laughs easily and is a great conversationalist.
She loves her Lord and her church, and is one of those faithful servants every church needs more of...she prefers behind-the-scenes service.
She loves her family. Even her extended family.
She'll blush & be dismissive of this next one, but her life matters to many people who have passed through her orbit...or her library...
Her life matters more than my feeble words can say to me...A few years ago, I wrote for her/ about her called "Relentless Love" & got it framed & gave it to her. I still think that's a pretty good phrase describing her: relentless love...
Today is her birthday.
Happy Birthday, Mom!
I join with many in celebrating you and all that God has done through your amazing life. God in His providence knew I'd need a whole lot of "mothering" & thus gave me to you...
I pray that He richly blesses you today and always.
With much love,
Mike
Monday, January 18, 2010
Narcissism
--noun--
1. inordinate fascination with onself; excessive self-love; vanity
2. erotic gratification derived from admiration of one's own physical or mental attributes, being a normal condition at the infantile level of personality development
Synonyms:
self-centeredness, smugness, egocentrism.
Some examples to ponder:
My project at work is the one that's most important and crucial to the organization's success. I'm amazed that the others don't recognize this.
My part of the city/state/region/country/world is the only one that's worthy of me living in it. All of you lesser folk can live elsewhere in lesser regions of the planet.
My church is the only one doing things the right way with the right approach & the right worship style & the right theology. Anyone who truly loves Jesus will see this clearly. If you disagree with this, you're unsaved, demon-possessed, and/or just clueless.
My pastor is WAY cooler than your pastor. And as we all know, "cool" is what it's all about...
My team is morally pure, and is coached by and populated by people who are as well. Not only that, but *our* fans are also right & pure. Your team? Not so much.
My Christmas traditions are way better than yours, which are not only less cool, but are morally inferior. We do it correctly; if you differ, you're wrong.
My alma mater is the single best school in the entire world, and is the right choice for all people at all times. I can see that you weren't qualified to go to such an outstanding institution. Sorry for ya!
I, uniquely among all people, am capable of judging the spiritual worth of my own actions nd those of others. Especially yours.
The ministry I work within the church with is the one you and everyone else should work with. If you're NOT part of it, well, clearly you don't love Jesus like I do.
Why aren't you gifted and temperamented like me?
My testimony of how God graciously saved me is far cooler and more significant than yours of how He graciously saved you.
I love God far more than you do, because I'm a lot busier at church & in ministry than you.
He's quite impressed with me...as are you, I'm sure...
bb
p.s. - Jesus wept (John 11:35)
1. inordinate fascination with onself; excessive self-love; vanity
2. erotic gratification derived from admiration of one's own physical or mental attributes, being a normal condition at the infantile level of personality development
Synonyms:
self-centeredness, smugness, egocentrism.
Some examples to ponder:
My project at work is the one that's most important and crucial to the organization's success. I'm amazed that the others don't recognize this.
My part of the city/state/region/country/world is the only one that's worthy of me living in it. All of you lesser folk can live elsewhere in lesser regions of the planet.
My church is the only one doing things the right way with the right approach & the right worship style & the right theology. Anyone who truly loves Jesus will see this clearly. If you disagree with this, you're unsaved, demon-possessed, and/or just clueless.
My pastor is WAY cooler than your pastor. And as we all know, "cool" is what it's all about...
My team is morally pure, and is coached by and populated by people who are as well. Not only that, but *our* fans are also right & pure. Your team? Not so much.
My Christmas traditions are way better than yours, which are not only less cool, but are morally inferior. We do it correctly; if you differ, you're wrong.
My alma mater is the single best school in the entire world, and is the right choice for all people at all times. I can see that you weren't qualified to go to such an outstanding institution. Sorry for ya!
I, uniquely among all people, am capable of judging the spiritual worth of my own actions nd those of others. Especially yours.
The ministry I work within the church with is the one you and everyone else should work with. If you're NOT part of it, well, clearly you don't love Jesus like I do.
Why aren't you gifted and temperamented like me?
My testimony of how God graciously saved me is far cooler and more significant than yours of how He graciously saved you.
I love God far more than you do, because I'm a lot busier at church & in ministry than you.
He's quite impressed with me...as are you, I'm sure...
bb
p.s. - Jesus wept (John 11:35)
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Some Goals for 2010...
(note: these are not in order of significance...they're pretty much in the order that my random mind captured them here)
--"Deliver the Baby" (in the great and painfully funny words of my family practice Dr. & friend Brett Robbins referring to the fact that I'm several inches too short for my weight...) It appears to be twins...*sigh*
--complete a 5k running (well, "running" needs to be defined very broadly there...and perhaps it'll even be a 10k...)
--read through the Bible using the chronological approach this time. (found >>here<<)
--eliminate a considerable portion of the crapola, er, stuff that's cluttering up my offices & my house
--re-institute a regular fast 1 day a week
--ramp up my reading program. I've started on 3 fascinating & substantial books, that will require concentrated reading time; all 3 authors use all of those big words & big ideas...*smile*
--ramp up my prayer life. It's there, but is not where it should be.
--re-discover the game of golf and try to get my score down to just two digits (of course, the (a) funding, and (b) time for this could be a challenge...but I'm gonna try)
--fish more (yet another sport that--like golf--I enjoy immensely and am not very good at...)
--have a "deck-raising," analogous to the old-school "barn-raising" (memo to all H'burg friends who have any building game...stay tuned! Remember, I have zero game in the area of building, except for driving nails as directed...)
--pass CFA level II exam in June (see "time to play golf hard to come by")
--go to Poland to speak at the Christian Professor Conference in August (I've been invited to do so, and am VERY excited about it!)
--significantly ramp up my teaching abilities in terms of Econ & Finance courses @ WCU; stop "doing the same things the same ol' way" while not tossing out the proverbial baby w/ the bath water...
--ditto, in terms of my Sunday School class @ TBC
--work harder at being an encourager to friends in ministry, whether it's their vocation or not
--make the latter half of year 25/first half of year 26 the best years of marriage yet; this will require considerble effort, as these last 25 have been great! But I still have a long way to go in terms of "love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5)...
--work hard at being a better, more loving, more encouraging Daddy. I'm still trying to figure out how this works when one's 4.5 hours away & the other 3.5 hours away...
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:15-17
Thanks for your prayers & friendship & encouragement! You are cherished greatly here @ Casa beach bum.
Happy New Year!!
bb
--"Deliver the Baby" (in the great and painfully funny words of my family practice Dr. & friend Brett Robbins referring to the fact that I'm several inches too short for my weight...) It appears to be twins...*sigh*
--complete a 5k running (well, "running" needs to be defined very broadly there...and perhaps it'll even be a 10k...)
--read through the Bible using the chronological approach this time. (found >>here<<)
--eliminate a considerable portion of the crapola, er, stuff that's cluttering up my offices & my house
--re-institute a regular fast 1 day a week
--ramp up my reading program. I've started on 3 fascinating & substantial books, that will require concentrated reading time; all 3 authors use all of those big words & big ideas...*smile*
--ramp up my prayer life. It's there, but is not where it should be.
--re-discover the game of golf and try to get my score down to just two digits (of course, the (a) funding, and (b) time for this could be a challenge...but I'm gonna try)
--fish more (yet another sport that--like golf--I enjoy immensely and am not very good at...)
--have a "deck-raising," analogous to the old-school "barn-raising" (memo to all H'burg friends who have any building game...stay tuned! Remember, I have zero game in the area of building, except for driving nails as directed...)
--pass CFA level II exam in June (see "time to play golf hard to come by")
--go to Poland to speak at the Christian Professor Conference in August (I've been invited to do so, and am VERY excited about it!)
--significantly ramp up my teaching abilities in terms of Econ & Finance courses @ WCU; stop "doing the same things the same ol' way" while not tossing out the proverbial baby w/ the bath water...
--ditto, in terms of my Sunday School class @ TBC
--work harder at being an encourager to friends in ministry, whether it's their vocation or not
--make the latter half of year 25/first half of year 26 the best years of marriage yet; this will require considerble effort, as these last 25 have been great! But I still have a long way to go in terms of "love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5)...
--work hard at being a better, more loving, more encouraging Daddy. I'm still trying to figure out how this works when one's 4.5 hours away & the other 3.5 hours away...
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:15-17
Thanks for your prayers & friendship & encouragement! You are cherished greatly here @ Casa beach bum.
Happy New Year!!
bb
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Join me, won't you?
Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
John 8:31-32
Many a university has the latter part of this passage inscribed on buildings: "you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." But there is a HUGELY significant "IF" at the beginning of the thought. "IF you abide in my word..." Other translations read "If you remain in my word..." Don't read the conclusion without the premise...don't focus on the "then" without the "if".
And thus, the challenge: Will you join me in faithfully & regularly reading the Bible this year?
I offer this with great humility as a fellow traveler who is flawed and imperfect. And who has experienced HUGE blessings from those times when I have faithfully & regularly read the Bible, including in 2009.
To make it easy, I commend to you >>this site<< . It has multiple options available.
The one I'm reading in 2010 is the "Chronological" plan that sets the books & chapters of the Bible in the order in which they occured. In 09, Lisa & I used the "One Year Tract Bible Reading Plan" at the link; that one takes you through the Old Testament once & the Psalms & Proverbs twice throughout the year. The site offers a brief description of the multiple choices there.
My challenge & encouragement to you is to make reading the Bible a priority in 2010!
The link above includes multiple options, and also includes the ability to add the plan to your Google calendar or to your Outlook, along with the ability to subscribe via RSS. You can get them emailed to you each day, and you can even listen to each day's readings. And of course, you can them online. In other words, the ESV site has utterly eliminated the vast majority of excuses.
Here's another plan that has readings from three different places a day.
This is the plan John Piper uses regularly. Through the whole Bible; only 25 days per month scheduled, which has built in catch-up or additional study time.
This site has 13 different reading plans.
This one has 5 different plans.
Here's one with 4 different plans, including a 2-year plan to read through the whole Bible.
This one goes from Genesis through Revelation in a year.
This one goes through the whole Bible in 2 years, alternating an Old Testament passage on one day with a New Testament passage the next.
And here is a 3-year plan with weekly readings, and a 3-year plan with daily readings.
Some words of encouragement & reminders, all of which are based on experience:
--DO NOT GROW COCKY BY DOING THIS!!
A huge temptation, especially as 2010 draws to a close & you find that you've been faithful.
--DO NOT PANIC NOR DESPAIR IF YOU MISS A DAY!!
If the enemy of souls can't make you cocky, he'll try to put you under the pile: "see, you knew you couldn't finish; why bother, you loser..." (etc.) Do NOT fall for this.
--If you're wondering if you're able to achieve whatever Bible reading goal you set for yourself, find an accountability partner.
Howard Hendricks says that the ideal accountability partner is someone who loves you but is not impressed by you. (great description!) Find someone who will hold your feet to the fire without slapping you around. Someone who--ideally--is sharing your Bible reading goal. And someone who loves you but is not impressed by you...
--Humbly ask the Lord to speak to you through His Word.
He will likely not do so every single morning...but it's a virtual lock that He will speak throughout the year.
--Get a notebook or journal & capture what He says.
I'm about to read back through my 09 journal rt now. Huge blessings from looking back & seeing what He has taught you.
I find great encouragement and challenge, along with some badly-needed reproof, correction, & training in Scripture. And a systematic approach helps me avoid proof-texting, wherein I select the verses I love that I know what they say & build my whole theology on those...thereby ignoring what theologians call "the whole counsel of God."
As I say, join me, won't you?
Looking forward to the journey,
bb
Monday, December 28, 2009
This time last year...
...I was celebrating still being alive despite having stage IV metastatic melanoma in both lungs
...I was still recovering from my 2nd lung surgery just 3.5 months earlier
...I was still recalling the breath-taking cycles (literally!) of high-dose immunotherapy the previous summer
...I was recalling an absent friend whose leukemia took his life the previous summer
...I was wondering whether I was on the tail end of my journey through the hell that is cancer...and hoping that I was near the end
...I was looking toward one more lung surgery
Now a year has passed:
--I'm feeling great! (well, for an old guy...*smile*)
--Incredibly, I have been sent home three times in a row from M.D. Anderson with no additional surgery required
--My next visit is in February
--I've just purchased some new running shoes & plan to put them to good use this year. (note: "running" here needs to be broadly defined...)
I'm currently pondering my goals for the year...and feeling like the luckiest man on the face of the earth.
Most grateful,
bb
...I was still recovering from my 2nd lung surgery just 3.5 months earlier
...I was still recalling the breath-taking cycles (literally!) of high-dose immunotherapy the previous summer
...I was recalling an absent friend whose leukemia took his life the previous summer
...I was wondering whether I was on the tail end of my journey through the hell that is cancer...and hoping that I was near the end
...I was looking toward one more lung surgery
Now a year has passed:
--I'm feeling great! (well, for an old guy...*smile*)
--Incredibly, I have been sent home three times in a row from M.D. Anderson with no additional surgery required
--My next visit is in February
--I've just purchased some new running shoes & plan to put them to good use this year. (note: "running" here needs to be broadly defined...)
I'm currently pondering my goals for the year...and feeling like the luckiest man on the face of the earth.
Most grateful,
bb
Sunday, December 27, 2009
White Christmas - beach bum style
I'm dreamin' of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the beaches glisten
And beach bums listen
to hear waves that evoke "Whoa!"
I'm dreamin' of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be sand-filled and bright,
And may all your beach-es be white!
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the beaches glisten
And beach bums listen
to hear waves that evoke "Whoa!"
I'm dreamin' of a white Christmas
With every Christmas card I write
May your days be sand-filled and bright,
And may all your beach-es be white!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Christmas 09
There's the one that says "First Christmas Together - 1984" & features an outline of a couple dancing.
And then there's the two "Baby's First Christmas" ornaments w/ pictures from 21 & 19 years ago.
And the building from "It's A Wonderful Life" that lights up.
Oh, and there's the white & black cat ornaments. For the previous 17 years, they both were here. Now the white one is gone.
And the bell from the lighted string that my Mom bought for us after her youngest grandson James ooh'd & aah'd over it @ the mall.
There's the "Mike" ornament that used to hang on Christmas trees in Ft. Walton Beach, FL. And the blue dove one that hung on trees in Silas, AL.
Of course, there's the crab ornament from Key West. And the "University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy" ornament that's new this year.
And the Lion King ornament featuring Simba on his Dad's back.
Across the room is a Santa Claus that dates back to roughly 1958. Purchased for an infant boy who never really liked it so much. His younger brother not yet born in 1958--a handsome fellow who blogs a bit now & then when not teaching Econ & Finance--came to love that Santa as dearly as a little boy can love anything. Of course, now that he's grown, that's abated. As far as you know.
Out front, are the poorly laid out Christmas lights. Think "Clark Grizwold minus the $$ & skill" and you're about right.
In the kitchen, of course, are the Christmas dishes that were purchased in Gatlinburg, TN with the last of the disposable $$ near the end of the honeymoon in June 1984.
Next to me is the giant coffee cup given by a former student. HS students give gifts to their teachers; college students not so much. Which I understand.
Near me on a shelf is a hand-carved wooden nativity purchsed in the amazing market located in central Krakow, Poland. Word is, that market has been in operation for over 800 years. I love that it has the traditional manger scene characters, plus a mountain farmer/shepherd on the side kneeling in adoration.
I love the stories behind the ornaments & decorations--and this is but a sample, I assure you. The history, and the instant triggering of vivid cherished memories. That's a big part of the magic of Christmas to me.
But more, I love the cherished memory that goes far deeper in my soul. Of great loss & seperation...and of promises...anticipation...and then their fulfillment in a child born to poor peasants in a backwoods wide-spot-in-the-road. And the restoration that child offers based on the gruesome end of his young earthly life on a hillside outside of town, not that far from where he was born.
Tonight, we'll go to the Christmas Eve service at church and cherish the friendship & celebration & worship & re-telling of the story that binds us together.
It is my prayer that 50 years from now, my grandchildren & great grandchildren will be remembering the stories capture in ornaments, decorations, & nativity scenes. Much more, though, I pray they will be celebrating the story of stories.
But you, OBethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me One Who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from old, from ancient days.
Micah 5:2
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name 'Immanuel' (which means 'God with us')
Matthew 1:21-23
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 14:6
Merry Christmas, my friends!
bb
And then there's the two "Baby's First Christmas" ornaments w/ pictures from 21 & 19 years ago.
And the building from "It's A Wonderful Life" that lights up.
Oh, and there's the white & black cat ornaments. For the previous 17 years, they both were here. Now the white one is gone.
And the bell from the lighted string that my Mom bought for us after her youngest grandson James ooh'd & aah'd over it @ the mall.
There's the "Mike" ornament that used to hang on Christmas trees in Ft. Walton Beach, FL. And the blue dove one that hung on trees in Silas, AL.
Of course, there's the crab ornament from Key West. And the "University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy" ornament that's new this year.
And the Lion King ornament featuring Simba on his Dad's back.
Across the room is a Santa Claus that dates back to roughly 1958. Purchased for an infant boy who never really liked it so much. His younger brother not yet born in 1958--a handsome fellow who blogs a bit now & then when not teaching Econ & Finance--came to love that Santa as dearly as a little boy can love anything. Of course, now that he's grown, that's abated. As far as you know.
Out front, are the poorly laid out Christmas lights. Think "Clark Grizwold minus the $$ & skill" and you're about right.
In the kitchen, of course, are the Christmas dishes that were purchased in Gatlinburg, TN with the last of the disposable $$ near the end of the honeymoon in June 1984.
Next to me is the giant coffee cup given by a former student. HS students give gifts to their teachers; college students not so much. Which I understand.
Near me on a shelf is a hand-carved wooden nativity purchsed in the amazing market located in central Krakow, Poland. Word is, that market has been in operation for over 800 years. I love that it has the traditional manger scene characters, plus a mountain farmer/shepherd on the side kneeling in adoration.
I love the stories behind the ornaments & decorations--and this is but a sample, I assure you. The history, and the instant triggering of vivid cherished memories. That's a big part of the magic of Christmas to me.
But more, I love the cherished memory that goes far deeper in my soul. Of great loss & seperation...and of promises...anticipation...and then their fulfillment in a child born to poor peasants in a backwoods wide-spot-in-the-road. And the restoration that child offers based on the gruesome end of his young earthly life on a hillside outside of town, not that far from where he was born.
Tonight, we'll go to the Christmas Eve service at church and cherish the friendship & celebration & worship & re-telling of the story that binds us together.
It is my prayer that 50 years from now, my grandchildren & great grandchildren will be remembering the stories capture in ornaments, decorations, & nativity scenes. Much more, though, I pray they will be celebrating the story of stories.
But you, OBethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me One Who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from old, from ancient days.
Micah 5:2
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name 'Immanuel' (which means 'God with us')
Matthew 1:21-23
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 14:6
Merry Christmas, my friends!
bb
Sunday, December 13, 2009
35 Years
I think I'll let others speak for me today.
Everything I Own - David Gates
You sheltered me from harm; Kept me warm, kept me warm
You gave my life to me; Set me free, Set me free
The finest years I ever knew were all the years I had with you
I would give anything I own
Give up me life, my heart, my home
I would give everything I own
just to have you back again.
You taught me how to love; What it's of, what it's of
You never said too much; but still you showed the way,
and I knew from watching you
Nobody else could ever know the part of me that can't let go.
I would give anything I own, give up me life, my heart, my home.
I would give everything I own just to have you back again
Is there someone you know; you're loving them so, but taking them all for granted?
You may lose them one day, someone takes them away,
and they don't hear the words you long to say
I would give anything I own, give up my life, my heart, my home.
I would give everything I own just to have you back again
Just to touch you once again.
Things I Wish I'd Said - Rodney Crowell
You lay there fighting for each breath while angels hovered round your bed
With open arms like God’s own smile they led you to the light
What a battle you have won and now your journey has begun
To the land where spirits fly and your soul will never die
So travel lightly in my heart. You and I will never part
Far beyond this world we see there’s a place for you and me
And I thank my lucky stars we had a chance to heal our scars
Now I don’t have to hang my head over things I wish I’d said
So here am I your only son; I’m thinking back on work we’ve done
You were strong and I was young; man we had our fights
And every thing I felt for you has been turned to something new
And this is love I feel today, it will never go away
And I thank the moon and stars we had a chance to heal our scars
Now I don’t have to hang my head over things I wish I’d said
I don’t have to hide my tears; I don’t have to drown my fears
And I don’t have to hang my head over things I wish I’d said
No I don’t have to live in dread over things I wish I’d said
(back to Mike: I actually wish this song were true...I do have to hang my head over things I wish I'd said. I hope he knew though; perhaps he did. Does.)
He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.
~Clarence Budington Kelland
Some of you guys think you're a man because you've done something my dog can do...Siring a child does not make you a man...
~Tony Evans
Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad.
~Author Unknown
Sherman made the terrible discovery that men make about their fathers sooner or later... that the man before him was not an aging father but a boy, a boy much like himself, a boy who grew up and had a child of his own and, as best he could, out of a sense of duty and, perhaps love, adopted a role called Being a Father so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a Protector, who would keep a lid on all the chaotic and catastrophic possibilities of life. ~Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities
The Gift - © Lea Gomez
I will never say goodbye to you my Father
'cause I know this is not the end for us to see each other.
You will only be going to a place where there’s no pain nor suffering.
I am happy for you, for you will be with God.
For now we need to go in separate ways.
I remember how your arms hold me and give me strength.
You were always there to listen, love, and defend me in everything.
You were my very best friend.
In my triumphs you were always proud.
I’m very grateful and proud to call you my dad.
Here deep inside my heart you’ll always be.
I would give up everything I have just to hug you one more time.
I remember the last time I held your hand and how you looked at me in the eyes.
If only I could turn back the time I would have never let you go.
I felt the world stop and my heart stop beating when they told me you were gone
How I wish I was only dreaming.
Just like the rain; tears fell down from my eyes;
I couldn’t speak for a while.
Thank you Dad….
For always understanding, listening , caring, and loving me for the rest of your life.
It’s difficult to let you go but I must…I must return the gift God gave me…
Till then;See you in Heaven…
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
Psalm 116:15
If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
1 Corinthians 15:19
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:22
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
1 Corinthians 15:26
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:51-58
Everything I Own - David Gates
You sheltered me from harm; Kept me warm, kept me warm
You gave my life to me; Set me free, Set me free
The finest years I ever knew were all the years I had with you
I would give anything I own
Give up me life, my heart, my home
I would give everything I own
just to have you back again.
You taught me how to love; What it's of, what it's of
You never said too much; but still you showed the way,
and I knew from watching you
Nobody else could ever know the part of me that can't let go.
I would give anything I own, give up me life, my heart, my home.
I would give everything I own just to have you back again
Is there someone you know; you're loving them so, but taking them all for granted?
You may lose them one day, someone takes them away,
and they don't hear the words you long to say
I would give anything I own, give up my life, my heart, my home.
I would give everything I own just to have you back again
Just to touch you once again.
Things I Wish I'd Said - Rodney Crowell
You lay there fighting for each breath while angels hovered round your bed
With open arms like God’s own smile they led you to the light
What a battle you have won and now your journey has begun
To the land where spirits fly and your soul will never die
So travel lightly in my heart. You and I will never part
Far beyond this world we see there’s a place for you and me
And I thank my lucky stars we had a chance to heal our scars
Now I don’t have to hang my head over things I wish I’d said
So here am I your only son; I’m thinking back on work we’ve done
You were strong and I was young; man we had our fights
And every thing I felt for you has been turned to something new
And this is love I feel today, it will never go away
And I thank the moon and stars we had a chance to heal our scars
Now I don’t have to hang my head over things I wish I’d said
I don’t have to hide my tears; I don’t have to drown my fears
And I don’t have to hang my head over things I wish I’d said
No I don’t have to live in dread over things I wish I’d said
(back to Mike: I actually wish this song were true...I do have to hang my head over things I wish I'd said. I hope he knew though; perhaps he did. Does.)
He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.
~Clarence Budington Kelland
Some of you guys think you're a man because you've done something my dog can do...Siring a child does not make you a man...
~Tony Evans
Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad.
~Author Unknown
Sherman made the terrible discovery that men make about their fathers sooner or later... that the man before him was not an aging father but a boy, a boy much like himself, a boy who grew up and had a child of his own and, as best he could, out of a sense of duty and, perhaps love, adopted a role called Being a Father so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a Protector, who would keep a lid on all the chaotic and catastrophic possibilities of life. ~Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities
The Gift - © Lea Gomez
I will never say goodbye to you my Father
'cause I know this is not the end for us to see each other.
You will only be going to a place where there’s no pain nor suffering.
I am happy for you, for you will be with God.
For now we need to go in separate ways.
I remember how your arms hold me and give me strength.
You were always there to listen, love, and defend me in everything.
You were my very best friend.
In my triumphs you were always proud.
I’m very grateful and proud to call you my dad.
Here deep inside my heart you’ll always be.
I would give up everything I have just to hug you one more time.
I remember the last time I held your hand and how you looked at me in the eyes.
If only I could turn back the time I would have never let you go.
I felt the world stop and my heart stop beating when they told me you were gone
How I wish I was only dreaming.
Just like the rain; tears fell down from my eyes;
I couldn’t speak for a while.
Thank you Dad….
For always understanding, listening , caring, and loving me for the rest of your life.
It’s difficult to let you go but I must…I must return the gift God gave me…
Till then;See you in Heaven…
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
Psalm 116:15
If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
1 Corinthians 15:19
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:22
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
1 Corinthians 15:26
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:51-58
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Maggie
(This post was started Tuesday, 12/8...and percolated on...and edited. So "today" in the post actually means "last Tuesday" This might be yet another post that cashes in some man-cards for me...and once again, I don't care!)
I'm a dog lover. Been one my whole life. We had one cat back when I was a kid. Briefly had a cat, that is. We were dog people. I am still one.
Having said that, I was deeply saddened earlier this week to say a permament goodbye to one of the world's great cats, "Maggie" Madaris. She was 17.5 years old, was part of our family for most of that time, and will be missed.
Today has been a day of clear mental images, memories from these past 17+ years. I still remember my little pre-schooler coming home from the USM Ctr for Child Dev'mt, looking up at me with his big beautiful eyes, and shyly saying, "um, Dad? Can we get a cat?" (oh, like you could've said no to those cute eyes...)
Maggie was actually a replacement cat. The initial baby kitten didn't last long...tragic choice to nibble on a power chord...But Maggie the replacement cat was a few months older & wiser when she arrived here.
She was painfully shy. Hid from us for the first number of days she was here. She was accidentally let outside by a houseguest the first couple of days she lived here, whereupon she instantly disappeared. But my wife and my son had faith that she would return (I didn't have that faith, frankly)...and after a day or two, we heard her under our deck. Lured her back inside. Whereupon she began to trust us.
She never liked company very much though. Would always hide under a couch when guests arrived. And re-appear immediately upon their departure.
She dearly loved us, even as we dearly loved her. Another clear mental image is 1.5-year-old Anne carrying her like a log...front legs over one of Anne's arms, back legs over the other. And Maggie just was her quiet self. With the occasional "get me out of here!" meow...
She had a very soft, gentle demeanor. And so help me, she came across as maternal. James & I used to go fishing in the canoe in the lake behind the house. Maggie would follow us to the lake and stand there sticking her paw into the water and just fussing at James & me. We could hear her all the way across the lake. (another abiding mental image)
Her demeanor was tested when a second kitten arrived a couple of years later. Molly (the black cat in the pictures) was smaller than Maggie, but much fiestier & more aggressive. Maggie was usually patient, but we did hear the occasional hiss followed by a swat...they became friends. Mostly.
And then Sam the very friendly puppy arrived, further testing Maggie's patience. They became friends too. Eventually. Sam learned to be very gentle & tender with Maggie, as this picture attests. The meanest I've heard Sam sound was the few times a rogue Tom cat would get after Maggie. He'd go tearing out of the house, growling & barking...presently, Maggie would come trotting in unharmed, with Sam following shortly thereafter.
Maggie loved the Christmas tree every year. She would climb up into it in her early years; in later years, she settled for the skirt around the tree base.
She loved to cuddle, albeit on her terms and on her schedule.
These last several months have been hard to watch & experience. I'll not elaborate. I prefer the other memories above.
So, earlier today she & I took the longest trip to the Vet that we've ever taken. I came back alone.
It was absolutely the right move, but dadburn was it hard.
I'm still a dog guy...but I will cherish the memory of a beautiful, gentle white cat who blessed our lives for a long time.
R.I.P., Maggie. We love you!
bb
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
To An Absent Friend on World AIDS Day
(Update of a post from a few years back)
He was a tall, strapping, muscular guy who had worked in the offshore oil business.
He had a very nice high tenor singing voice, and loved to use it.
He loved to talk. And to laugh. He & Lisa & I did both rather frequently.
And he had HIV. Which became full-blown AIDS. Which took his life far too soon.
The means by which he contracted HIV is utterly irrelevant here. HIV can be transmitted/contracted in multiple ways, some sexual--homosexual and heterosexual--and some not.
It's World AIDS Day. Which always causes me to remember my friend, and to miss his company.
I met him at the church I attend. His was a faith that inspired...inspires...me greatly. He confessed that he had not been faithful to live according to his faith. I assured him that I have my own batch of sins, which I submit is a much larger batch than his was. I 'spect you have your own batch too...we all do.
He taught me oh-so-much about love and grace. He gave both freely.
In one of our chats, he told me that he felt like a man without a country.
1. He said many in Christian circles who knew of his illness kept their distance from him because of his illness.
Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”
Luke 7:39
Shame on us!!
Then turning toward the woman he [Jesus] said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Luke 7:44-50
2. My friend also said that when he went to the AIDS Support Group meetings, they kept their distance because of his Christian faith. Ironic, isn't it? One of the more marginalized groups in our society would further marginalize one of their own because of his religious beliefs.
"I left the church because I found so little grace there...I came back because I found none anywhere else."
Philip Yancey
So what will you do with World AIDS day?
Will you ignore it completely?
Will you wag your finger & speak of HIV/AIDS as God's curse on a lifestyle?
(If so, you need to ponder how you'd respond to the heart-broken parents of an infant in, say, Africa, who has been diagnosed with AIDS & explain to them God's curse on their tiny baby's lifestyle...)
Will you wag your finger at the church and at Christians for the above finger wagging?
Or...
Will you honor the memories of those you know who have suffered and died from this horrible disease by how you live your life?
Will you pray for and love and serve those who have the illness now?
(BTW, what's your stereotype of an HIV sufferer? I ask, because I have a HS acquaintance who is HIV positive. And a fitness machine. A lawyer who rides his bicycle all over the place competitively & who does triathlons & such. He regularly does stuff like high-speed 100-mile bike rides. A few summers ago, he was the first openly gay, HIV-positive person to do Race Across the West where he competed with the world's greatest endurance athletes. The race is from Ocean Side CA to Durango CO. That's 860 miles in 3 days! It's billed as the toughest part of the toughest race in the world ["Ride Across America"]. Jim, too has helped crash my own stereotypes...)
Will you pray for and give toward those who are spending their lives to eradicate this illness?
God have mercy on us. All of us. Those with HIV and those without it. Help us be thankful for the days and the health you give us, and help us love redemptively and NOT judge pre-emptively. And above all, I ask You to magnify Yourself today on World AIDS day through Your church and Your people. May we reflect Your grace and demonstrate it far and wide. Today, and always. In the name of Your Son Jesus, Who was tortured and killed unjustly, Whose death offers redemption and life, Amen.
Thanks, Cecil, for all that you taught me. See you later. Can't wait for that next hug, bro!
Mike
He was a tall, strapping, muscular guy who had worked in the offshore oil business.
He had a very nice high tenor singing voice, and loved to use it.
He loved to talk. And to laugh. He & Lisa & I did both rather frequently.
And he had HIV. Which became full-blown AIDS. Which took his life far too soon.
The means by which he contracted HIV is utterly irrelevant here. HIV can be transmitted/contracted in multiple ways, some sexual--homosexual and heterosexual--and some not.
It's World AIDS Day. Which always causes me to remember my friend, and to miss his company.
I met him at the church I attend. His was a faith that inspired...inspires...me greatly. He confessed that he had not been faithful to live according to his faith. I assured him that I have my own batch of sins, which I submit is a much larger batch than his was. I 'spect you have your own batch too...we all do.
He taught me oh-so-much about love and grace. He gave both freely.
In one of our chats, he told me that he felt like a man without a country.
1. He said many in Christian circles who knew of his illness kept their distance from him because of his illness.
Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”
Luke 7:39
Shame on us!!
Then turning toward the woman he [Jesus] said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Luke 7:44-50
2. My friend also said that when he went to the AIDS Support Group meetings, they kept their distance because of his Christian faith. Ironic, isn't it? One of the more marginalized groups in our society would further marginalize one of their own because of his religious beliefs.
"I left the church because I found so little grace there...I came back because I found none anywhere else."
Philip Yancey
So what will you do with World AIDS day?
Will you ignore it completely?
Will you wag your finger & speak of HIV/AIDS as God's curse on a lifestyle?
(If so, you need to ponder how you'd respond to the heart-broken parents of an infant in, say, Africa, who has been diagnosed with AIDS & explain to them God's curse on their tiny baby's lifestyle...)
Will you wag your finger at the church and at Christians for the above finger wagging?
Or...
Will you honor the memories of those you know who have suffered and died from this horrible disease by how you live your life?
Will you pray for and love and serve those who have the illness now?
(BTW, what's your stereotype of an HIV sufferer? I ask, because I have a HS acquaintance who is HIV positive. And a fitness machine. A lawyer who rides his bicycle all over the place competitively & who does triathlons & such. He regularly does stuff like high-speed 100-mile bike rides. A few summers ago, he was the first openly gay, HIV-positive person to do Race Across the West where he competed with the world's greatest endurance athletes. The race is from Ocean Side CA to Durango CO. That's 860 miles in 3 days! It's billed as the toughest part of the toughest race in the world ["Ride Across America"]. Jim, too has helped crash my own stereotypes...)
Will you pray for and give toward those who are spending their lives to eradicate this illness?
God have mercy on us. All of us. Those with HIV and those without it. Help us be thankful for the days and the health you give us, and help us love redemptively and NOT judge pre-emptively. And above all, I ask You to magnify Yourself today on World AIDS day through Your church and Your people. May we reflect Your grace and demonstrate it far and wide. Today, and always. In the name of Your Son Jesus, Who was tortured and killed unjustly, Whose death offers redemption and life, Amen.
Thanks, Cecil, for all that you taught me. See you later. Can't wait for that next hug, bro!
Mike
Monday, November 23, 2009
The Iron Bowl
It's Iron Bowl week. There's nothing like it. (which is not all good, mind you...) One solitary football game that affects the vast, vast majority of the residents of the state of Alabama for an entire year.
Some years back, a relative of mine who married into the family, moved to Alabama. I advised her, "you'll have to choose." She said, "I'll stay a GA Tech fan"...I said "that's fine, but you'll still have to choose between Auburn & Alabama." She laughed. She called about a week & a half later & said, "Mike, I thought you were kidding..." I wasn't.
As a lifelong (3rd-generation) Bama fan, the Iron Bowl has always been a biggie. (Aside: the "Iron Bowl" is the annual rivalry football game between the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide and Auburn University's Tigers.) The two schools are located in the same state just a few hours apart. Auburn, AL is in the central part of the state over near the GA border, whereas Tuscaloosa, AL is not too far from the MS border & also in the central part of the state.
This is one of those games that affects everybody in the state. All will be required to choose upon entering the state. Alma maters other than UA & AU and previous schools supported do not matter; one will be asked which of these two schools one supports. Both fan bases are quite...fervent, let's just say. In addition to affecting everybody in the state, the Iron Bowl affects everyone all year long. The one day is discussed & celebrated & lamented for the other 364. Until one lives in the state, the obsessive, even excessive, focus on this one game can only be imagined.
MS has three D1 football programs, and has for decades. All three have been successful at times. LA has only had one that was competitive until fairly recently. TX has UT, A&M, TCU, TxTech, UTEP, SMU, Rice,...
Both schools are pretty good in the classroom across a wide array of academic disciplines. Auburn is the larger of the two schools. Excellent engineering program that claims a number of astronauts & NASA engineers among its graduates. Also outstanding in the sciences. Very good school of Veterinary Medicine. Alabama has a very good business program. A very good school of education and Law school.
None of which is discussed this week in coffee shops & restaurants & bars in Alabama.
It's Iron Bowl week. Conversations turn to memories of Iron Bowls past with the intent of attaching hope in this week's game to outcomes of previous contests. Auburn fans remember the "Punt, Bama, Punt" game...and Bo over the top...and 6 in a row. Bama fans remember "Go left, Bo" and "The Kick" and 36-0. On both sides, we remember almost exactly where we sat in our favorite Iron Bowls. Players, coaches, plays, radio calls,...both sides remember them clearly and either fondly or with disgust.
Me? Yeah...I'm guilty, even though I've not lived in Alabama in 22 years. I attended the Iron Bowl back when it was played in Birmingham's Legion field every year. Watched 8 in a row from the Bama side. Back then, the stadium would be half Bama, half Auburn. "Rocking" begins to capture the feel. Both student sections were open seating; thus, if you weren't there by two & a half hours before the game, you might not have a seat. The cheers would start. Back & forth. "Waaaaaar Eagle! Hey!"..."Roooooooll! Tide! Roll!" The two teams would stroll the field in their suits, eliciting cheers from one side of the stadium & boos from the other. By kickoff, I could hardly stand it! And I saw some great games, including some of those listed above.
This year, the game is back in Auburn. The site alternates now between the two campuses. I fully understand & appreciate the reasons. But I will always remember how very cool it was to be in a stadium split down the middle between AU fans & UA fans. James & I went a few years back to an Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa. Still great fun & a great memory, even though the wrong team won. Somehow, it seems there was more sustained electricity back in the Legion Field days. Oh well...still an awesome experience to have.
One can live in FL without being a UF or FSU fan. One can reside in TX and be a fan of numerous football teams. In LA, there's really only the one major team. Even Alabama now has two more D1 programs, with more on the way. But still, this week--and throughout the year until this time next year--it's the Iron Bowl. Alabama - Auburn. Us-them. We-you. Good-evil/wrong-right/darkness-light/(etc.).
Fans of both schools severely over-do this game, and severely overstate its cosmic importance, and severely over-demonize those on the other side.
God help me, I'm right there. But I've made substantial progress over the last two decades. Make no mistake: I hope my Tide thrashes the Tigers this year. And every year. But if that doesn't happen, I'll be OK (which is the substantial progress...*smile*). As a kid, or as a student back when, I'd be undone by an Iron Bowl loss. Now, I've made it to the point where I recognize that the outcome of an Iron Bowl has precisely ZERO to do with anything that is of ultimate importance. My family's love of (& grace toward!) me...my relationship with Christ...friends who love me regardless of which team I happen to support...my health...the joy of giving thanks for so much that I have been given...the amazing coming, living, teaching, dying, raising, & returning of my Lord...(and so on)
Auburn's recent successes in the Iron Bowl have had absolutely no effect on any of these ultimate things in the life of this lifelong Bama fan. Neither did last year's Alabama win. Good perspective to be reminded of this week.
It's Iron Bowl week. Is it game day yet? I can't wait! Roll Tide!
bb
Some years back, a relative of mine who married into the family, moved to Alabama. I advised her, "you'll have to choose." She said, "I'll stay a GA Tech fan"...I said "that's fine, but you'll still have to choose between Auburn & Alabama." She laughed. She called about a week & a half later & said, "Mike, I thought you were kidding..." I wasn't.
As a lifelong (3rd-generation) Bama fan, the Iron Bowl has always been a biggie. (Aside: the "Iron Bowl" is the annual rivalry football game between the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide and Auburn University's Tigers.) The two schools are located in the same state just a few hours apart. Auburn, AL is in the central part of the state over near the GA border, whereas Tuscaloosa, AL is not too far from the MS border & also in the central part of the state.
This is one of those games that affects everybody in the state. All will be required to choose upon entering the state. Alma maters other than UA & AU and previous schools supported do not matter; one will be asked which of these two schools one supports. Both fan bases are quite...fervent, let's just say. In addition to affecting everybody in the state, the Iron Bowl affects everyone all year long. The one day is discussed & celebrated & lamented for the other 364. Until one lives in the state, the obsessive, even excessive, focus on this one game can only be imagined.
MS has three D1 football programs, and has for decades. All three have been successful at times. LA has only had one that was competitive until fairly recently. TX has UT, A&M, TCU, TxTech, UTEP, SMU, Rice,...
Both schools are pretty good in the classroom across a wide array of academic disciplines. Auburn is the larger of the two schools. Excellent engineering program that claims a number of astronauts & NASA engineers among its graduates. Also outstanding in the sciences. Very good school of Veterinary Medicine. Alabama has a very good business program. A very good school of education and Law school.
None of which is discussed this week in coffee shops & restaurants & bars in Alabama.
It's Iron Bowl week. Conversations turn to memories of Iron Bowls past with the intent of attaching hope in this week's game to outcomes of previous contests. Auburn fans remember the "Punt, Bama, Punt" game...and Bo over the top...and 6 in a row. Bama fans remember "Go left, Bo" and "The Kick" and 36-0. On both sides, we remember almost exactly where we sat in our favorite Iron Bowls. Players, coaches, plays, radio calls,...both sides remember them clearly and either fondly or with disgust.
Me? Yeah...I'm guilty, even though I've not lived in Alabama in 22 years. I attended the Iron Bowl back when it was played in Birmingham's Legion field every year. Watched 8 in a row from the Bama side. Back then, the stadium would be half Bama, half Auburn. "Rocking" begins to capture the feel. Both student sections were open seating; thus, if you weren't there by two & a half hours before the game, you might not have a seat. The cheers would start. Back & forth. "Waaaaaar Eagle! Hey!"..."Roooooooll! Tide! Roll!" The two teams would stroll the field in their suits, eliciting cheers from one side of the stadium & boos from the other. By kickoff, I could hardly stand it! And I saw some great games, including some of those listed above.
This year, the game is back in Auburn. The site alternates now between the two campuses. I fully understand & appreciate the reasons. But I will always remember how very cool it was to be in a stadium split down the middle between AU fans & UA fans. James & I went a few years back to an Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa. Still great fun & a great memory, even though the wrong team won. Somehow, it seems there was more sustained electricity back in the Legion Field days. Oh well...still an awesome experience to have.
One can live in FL without being a UF or FSU fan. One can reside in TX and be a fan of numerous football teams. In LA, there's really only the one major team. Even Alabama now has two more D1 programs, with more on the way. But still, this week--and throughout the year until this time next year--it's the Iron Bowl. Alabama - Auburn. Us-them. We-you. Good-evil/wrong-right/darkness-light/(etc.).
Fans of both schools severely over-do this game, and severely overstate its cosmic importance, and severely over-demonize those on the other side.
God help me, I'm right there. But I've made substantial progress over the last two decades. Make no mistake: I hope my Tide thrashes the Tigers this year. And every year. But if that doesn't happen, I'll be OK (which is the substantial progress...*smile*). As a kid, or as a student back when, I'd be undone by an Iron Bowl loss. Now, I've made it to the point where I recognize that the outcome of an Iron Bowl has precisely ZERO to do with anything that is of ultimate importance. My family's love of (& grace toward!) me...my relationship with Christ...friends who love me regardless of which team I happen to support...my health...the joy of giving thanks for so much that I have been given...the amazing coming, living, teaching, dying, raising, & returning of my Lord...(and so on)
Auburn's recent successes in the Iron Bowl have had absolutely no effect on any of these ultimate things in the life of this lifelong Bama fan. Neither did last year's Alabama win. Good perspective to be reminded of this week.
It's Iron Bowl week. Is it game day yet? I can't wait! Roll Tide!
bb
Monday, November 16, 2009
In Praise of My Teacher...
He's a pediatrician by training.
But he will always be my teacher. He has discipled many through the years. And has taught many of us. If God had not called me to teach my own Sunday School class, I'd still be in his. I miss his teaching & think of it most Sunday mornings as I walk to teach my own class. I was just thinking of how amazing the following is to me: in 20 years of Temple Baptist membership, I've only been in his class a little less than 2 years. And yet, as I say, he will always be my teacher. But not just my teacher...
One of my life's great privileges is that he calls me a friend. We have laughed together--do so quite often. We have dreamed together...dreams for our children...for ourselves...for our church. We have prayed together. Often. But not often enough for my standards. And we have shed tears together. I have shared things with him that not one other person save Lisa knows. And I'm quite confident that he has kept my secrets in confidence.
His wise counsel has impacted lives all through the Pine Belt. Mine too. Marriages have been improved by his words and example. Mine included. Walks with the Lord have been challenged and substantially enhanced. Mine as well. Many have nervously raised their...our...hands in response to his regular question: "What's God done in your life or in the life of someone around you?" Parents have been encouraged and trained. Including me. Pastors & other ministers have been loved, encouraged, prayed for, and held accountable.
He is very humble, and would say that I might be overstating his import to the Body of Christ and to our community.
Only eternity will show the gigantic impact this one man has had. And the next time he's egotistical will be the first I've seen.
He laughs easily. Even at himself. (again, humility)
He's a proud grad of MS State University. As are all three of his beloved children. To all of his fellow MSU Bulldog alums out there, he represents y'all very, very well.
He has been used mightily in the life of my church since before we were members (20 years + a couple of months for us).
I wish...oh, how I wish!...that I were half the awesome father that he is. I shudder to think what I'd be like as a Dad had I not come under his influence not long after James Madaris arrived...I *love* his regular comment to his children when they were younger: "just remember, you're a Kent wherever you go..." And let me tell you--being "a Kent" means something around here
Tonight was his final session as chairman of our Deacon body at church. What a remarkable year it's been.
You might know him. If you don't, you wish you did. His name is Dr. Ronald S. Kent. But he'll always be Ronnie. My teacher, mentor, and friend. My brother. My example and counselor.
Thanks, Ronnie. I may not show it much, but your building into my life has most assuredly not been in vain. At least, I hope so. Thanks again, for everything, bro. This is very long overdue. I love you.
Mike
Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Psalm 37:3
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 17:17
But he will always be my teacher. He has discipled many through the years. And has taught many of us. If God had not called me to teach my own Sunday School class, I'd still be in his. I miss his teaching & think of it most Sunday mornings as I walk to teach my own class. I was just thinking of how amazing the following is to me: in 20 years of Temple Baptist membership, I've only been in his class a little less than 2 years. And yet, as I say, he will always be my teacher. But not just my teacher...
One of my life's great privileges is that he calls me a friend. We have laughed together--do so quite often. We have dreamed together...dreams for our children...for ourselves...for our church. We have prayed together. Often. But not often enough for my standards. And we have shed tears together. I have shared things with him that not one other person save Lisa knows. And I'm quite confident that he has kept my secrets in confidence.
His wise counsel has impacted lives all through the Pine Belt. Mine too. Marriages have been improved by his words and example. Mine included. Walks with the Lord have been challenged and substantially enhanced. Mine as well. Many have nervously raised their...our...hands in response to his regular question: "What's God done in your life or in the life of someone around you?" Parents have been encouraged and trained. Including me. Pastors & other ministers have been loved, encouraged, prayed for, and held accountable.
He is very humble, and would say that I might be overstating his import to the Body of Christ and to our community.
Only eternity will show the gigantic impact this one man has had. And the next time he's egotistical will be the first I've seen.
He laughs easily. Even at himself. (again, humility)
He's a proud grad of MS State University. As are all three of his beloved children. To all of his fellow MSU Bulldog alums out there, he represents y'all very, very well.
He has been used mightily in the life of my church since before we were members (20 years + a couple of months for us).
I wish...oh, how I wish!...that I were half the awesome father that he is. I shudder to think what I'd be like as a Dad had I not come under his influence not long after James Madaris arrived...I *love* his regular comment to his children when they were younger: "just remember, you're a Kent wherever you go..." And let me tell you--being "a Kent" means something around here
Tonight was his final session as chairman of our Deacon body at church. What a remarkable year it's been.
You might know him. If you don't, you wish you did. His name is Dr. Ronald S. Kent. But he'll always be Ronnie. My teacher, mentor, and friend. My brother. My example and counselor.
Thanks, Ronnie. I may not show it much, but your building into my life has most assuredly not been in vain. At least, I hope so. Thanks again, for everything, bro. This is very long overdue. I love you.
Mike
Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Psalm 37:3
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 17:17
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Want to save someone's life?
In the very literal sense of the phrase "save someone's life"...
Sign up to be a bone marrow donor. >>CLICK HERE<<
I signed up in 1994 when a wonderful young man in Hattiesburg was sick. (He died as a young man with HUGE potential...) MOST regrettably, I am no longer a donor candidate because, well, because cancer sucks.
But some of you reading this are potential donor candidates.
I go to church with a man named Charles. Charles also signed up in the registry in 1994. A couple of years later, he got a call. Which led to other calls. Which led to some medical things. Which led to him becoming a match for a leukemia patient out on the west coast.
Charles donated bone marrow. Said his lower back was a little sore for a few weeks. The recipient? Prior to the donation, the guy had NO hope. He & his wife had started getting his affairs in order in anticipating his passing. A young married man...with young kids...and no hope.
Then he got word that this guy in MS was a match & was willing to donate.
Now, more than 10 years later, the guy on the west coast is doing great...no trace of leukemia...enjoying life with his wife and kids. He's flown Charles out to visit a couple of times.
I do not have enough of a vocabulary nor of an imagination to try to capture what that first meeting would be like. I'm sitting here blubbering like a little girl just writing this!
So the phrase "save someone's life" is to be taken absolutely literally. And you...YOU...might be able to do it.
Click the link above & sign up. They mail you a kit, you swab your cheek, and you mail it back. And pray that you're a match for someone. So that you can--literally--save their life.
A closing question: Imagine my friend Charles arriving at the guy's house for the first visit, and meeting his wife and his kids. Do you think Charles thought or said anything like this? "yeah, this is pretty cool, but that needle spot hurt for 3-4 weeks, so I don't think it was worth it..."
Me neither.
Sign up. There's a link there for donating money too, if you--like me--are medically ruled out as a potential donor. BTW, there are also links there with FAQs about the marrow donation process, and with myths about the process. Read them. And then sign up.
bb
p.s. - Why are you still here? Go sign up to be a marrow donor! *smile*
Sign up to be a bone marrow donor. >>CLICK HERE<<
I signed up in 1994 when a wonderful young man in Hattiesburg was sick. (He died as a young man with HUGE potential...) MOST regrettably, I am no longer a donor candidate because, well, because cancer sucks.
But some of you reading this are potential donor candidates.
I go to church with a man named Charles. Charles also signed up in the registry in 1994. A couple of years later, he got a call. Which led to other calls. Which led to some medical things. Which led to him becoming a match for a leukemia patient out on the west coast.
Charles donated bone marrow. Said his lower back was a little sore for a few weeks. The recipient? Prior to the donation, the guy had NO hope. He & his wife had started getting his affairs in order in anticipating his passing. A young married man...with young kids...and no hope.
Then he got word that this guy in MS was a match & was willing to donate.
Now, more than 10 years later, the guy on the west coast is doing great...no trace of leukemia...enjoying life with his wife and kids. He's flown Charles out to visit a couple of times.
I do not have enough of a vocabulary nor of an imagination to try to capture what that first meeting would be like. I'm sitting here blubbering like a little girl just writing this!
So the phrase "save someone's life" is to be taken absolutely literally. And you...YOU...might be able to do it.
Click the link above & sign up. They mail you a kit, you swab your cheek, and you mail it back. And pray that you're a match for someone. So that you can--literally--save their life.
A closing question: Imagine my friend Charles arriving at the guy's house for the first visit, and meeting his wife and his kids. Do you think Charles thought or said anything like this? "yeah, this is pretty cool, but that needle spot hurt for 3-4 weeks, so I don't think it was worth it..."
Me neither.
Sign up. There's a link there for donating money too, if you--like me--are medically ruled out as a potential donor. BTW, there are also links there with FAQs about the marrow donation process, and with myths about the process. Read them. And then sign up.
bb
p.s. - Why are you still here? Go sign up to be a marrow donor! *smile*
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
If Time Travel Were Possible...
From a great thread on a Bama msg board I frequent. "If you could go back in time and watch any Bama football game, which one would you choose?"
(note: to use a borrowed phrase, there's a huge head fake in this topic...keep reading, even if you couldn't care less about Bama football games past or present...)
Naturally, I couldn't just pick one. So here are a few of mine, along with my explanation as to why I'd go watch...These are not in order, except for the last one, which would be my one first choice by a long way.
--Bama v. Auburn, Tuscaloosa, about 3 years ago. The good guys lost...but this was my 1st Iron Bowl with my son sitting beside me. He drove over from Oxford & met me; we had a BLAST. Thus, it will always be one of my favorite games, despite the outcome.
--Bama v. Miami, Sugar Bowl, 1993. We destroyed the 'Canes, made all the sweeter by (a) the non-stop noise talked by the Cane players and the media before the game, (b) the fact that this game led to us winning our 12th national championship. But beyond all that, I attended this game...with Lisa's Dad sitting right there beside me. A great, great evening & road trip because of the company I was keeping that evening.
--Bama v. Auburn, 1985, Legion Field, Birmingham, AL. This game will always be known as "The Kick". Van Tiffen--father of current Tide kicker Leigh Tiffen--kicked a 52-yard field with just a couple of minutes left in the game to win it 25-23. The new mrs. beachbum was, of course, sitting there beside me. The game was awesome, but going w/ her was incredible.
--Bama v. KY, Legion Field, 1980. Defending nat'l champs Bama thrashed the Cats. Tide linebacker E.J. Junior was a force; UK had no answer (nor did anyone else who had to face EJ that year...). But the utterly-cool thing about that game is that it was my first as an actual UA student after transferring from the U. of FL. I was in the company of a number of folks who would impact my spiritual life significantly over the next few years. I also found myself wondering about this former UA coed I know who watched her first game as a student some 30ish years earlier...did she have the same excitement and anticipation of the game?--but much more--of what her time @ UA would mean to her? Maybe I'll ask her over lunch today...she & her husband Leo are visiting us for the weekend. Love you, Mom! Roll Tide!
--Bama v. Auburn, Legion Field, 1982 (or so). We had no answer for the great Bo Jackson of Auburn. He ran for nearly 300 yards that day. We lost. So, why would I go back to that one?? Because it's still the single greatest football performance I've ever seen live & in person. Incredible performance, even if it was against my guys. The future mrs. bb was there by my side.
--Bama v. Penn St., Tuscaloosa, about 1986. We won 6-0 in one of the best games I've ever seen. Old-school defensive struggle, with guys regularly limping off of the field, only to return a couple of plays later after the hamster climbed back on the little wheel and after the application of copious amounts of tape. Hardest hitting game I ever saw. Cornelius Bennett must have had 20 tackles that day for us. Neither offense could move the ball. We got w/in field goal range twice, and that was it. mrs. bb was there, as was a friend & classmate from India who was watching his 1st ever football game. Naturally, the great Joe Paterno was on the sidelines that day as head coach of the Nittany Lions, which added to the experience.
--Bama v. Notre Dame, Legion Field, about 1986. This game's known among the Tide faithful as "The Sack." Cornelius Bennett came in untouched and blasted Notre Dame QB Steve Buerlein. A totally awesome play. The Tide won big. A couple of guys walked around late in the game with a sign that said "This One's for You, Bear". I had some flashbacks...
...which leads to...my favorite. The one I'd pick over all of these.
--Bama v. Notre Dame, Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, Sugar Bowl, January 1974 (or so). Pre-Superdome. Sat in the rain & watched my guys lose by one point to the hated Irish. Coach Bryant called this the greatest game he saw. So why in the round world is THIS one on the list? First, I met Coach Bryant after the game, which is just all kinds of cool. But much more, this was the only game I ever watched with James E. Madaris, Sr...my Dad, who loved the Tide more than most. He died suddenly the next December of a heart attack when he was 3 years younger than I am now.
I'd give pretty much anything I've had since then to be able to go back & sit with Dad at that game again, even with the same outcome. He was great at being a serious, passionate fan without becoming...well, a north end of a south-bound horse. That particular way of being a fan is fairly well a lost art these days. (Even at the high school level!) Anyway, what a joy it was to share that game with Dad--even tho the wrong team won! I've remembered that experience at every game I've attended--Bama's or anyone else's!--since then. I dearly love the game in & of itself...but I'll always wonder if part of the reason isn't that football in gen'l--Bama football in particular--presents one of my most vivid memories of time spent with my Dad. At pretty much every game since then, I've had a very powerful "Dad, I remember" moment.
So, did you catch the head fake? I even "head-faked" myself with this one. I started out writing about some of my favorite Bama football games. Turns out, though, that this post actually has very little to do with football. Which really makes me wonder...I LOVE football, especially college football, and especially Crimson Tide football. Have loved it all my life. I wonder, in light of the head fake here, if my love of the game isn't really a celebration by me of some key people in my life. Especially my wife...and of my kids who are now loving their respective schools' teams...and of my parents, one of which is a two-time UA grad & the other of which was a serious UA fan for his all-too-short 47 years on earth.
Make no mistake. I love the violence of the game...the hits...the blocks (as a father of a former offensive lineman, I really love the blocks!)...the strategies...the fakes...the scores...the interceptions...the strength & athleticism...God help me, I so very much love all of that. But I'm beginning to decide that much of what I really love is the people in my life who I remember each & every time I watch a game. Any game.
I can't wait until Saturday's games on TV. And the next USM home game I get to watch live. And my yet-untaken annual jaunts to Oxford and to Starkville to watch football, while hanging out with my favorite pharmacy student & my favorite psych major...And maybe, just maybe, a trip to Tuscaloosa will occur at some point in the not-too-distant future.
And once again, I'll choke back a tear as the team takes the field.
Roll Tide! Thanks Lisa...and James & Anne...and Mom...and Dad. Also, thanks Gary & Kelly & Ken & Aunt Daisy & Uncle George & all the rest who loved me when I arrived there in 1980 as an angry, childish, remarkably un-love-able lout. I hope you know that you've made a huge difference in my life.
bb
So, did you catch the head fake? I even "head-faked" myself with this one. I started out writing about some of my favorite Bama football games. Turns out, though, that this post actually has very little to do with football. Which really makes me wonder...I LOVE football, especially college football, and especially Crimson Tide football. Have loved it all my life. I wonder, in light of the head fake here, if my love of the game isn't really a celebration by me of some key people in my life. Especially my wife...and of my kids who are now loving their respective schools' teams...and of my parents, one of which is a two-time UA grad & the other of which was a serious UA fan for his all-too-short 47 years on earth.
Make no mistake. I love the violence of the game...the hits...the blocks (as a father of a former offensive lineman, I really love the blocks!)...the strategies...the fakes...the scores...the interceptions...the strength & athleticism...God help me, I so very much love all of that. But I'm beginning to decide that much of what I really love is the people in my life who I remember each & every time I watch a game. Any game.
I can't wait until Saturday's games on TV. And the next USM home game I get to watch live. And my yet-untaken annual jaunts to Oxford and to Starkville to watch football, while hanging out with my favorite pharmacy student & my favorite psych major...And maybe, just maybe, a trip to Tuscaloosa will occur at some point in the not-too-distant future.
And once again, I'll choke back a tear as the team takes the field.
Roll Tide! Thanks Lisa...and James & Anne...and Mom...and Dad. Also, thanks Gary & Kelly & Ken & Aunt Daisy & Uncle George & all the rest who loved me when I arrived there in 1980 as an angry, childish, remarkably un-love-able lout. I hope you know that you've made a huge difference in my life.
bb
Monday, October 26, 2009
A Common Thread
1. I've known her since she was in high school. She has always been an excellent role model of how the Christian faith should be lived out in the real world. Rock solid faith. Excellent character. A great role model in her professional life. Then an excellent wife. Now an excellent mother of three. Always smiling. Everybody's friend. This past Friday, she had tough and serious surgery. When she recovers, she'll have radiation & chemo.
2. I've known him for a few years. He has become a great friend. By which I mean, a servant who always has the best interest of others at heart. He is one of the great church members I've ever known. Again, servant minded. Takes his faith and the Bible very seriously, and yet is very patient with those who take them less so. A leader who leads by serving and by example. An excellent husband and father of four. This past Friday, his Dad was diagnosed with a very serious cancer. Earlier today, he took his Dad to the 1st, critical appt. with the surgeon. The news got worse. Chemo, radiation, and then surgery. This one will likely have a huge impact on a large number of family members.
3. I just met her this past weekend in person, although we've known each other through a mutual friend for some time. She is a sweetie, and is known as such by all who know her. Has always been known as such. Last year, she had surgery and chemo. Now, she is about to undergo treatment for her second go-round with a different type of cancer. She delayed this treatment in order to be available for her son's last summer before college. He graduated from HS in May, and began college this Fall. She has her priorities straight.
Catch the common thread? All three of these great folks have had their lives turned upside down & inside out by cancer. Their own or that of a loved one.
Forgive the coarseness, but cancer just sucks. In the midst of this fearsome dread disease whose mere mention evokes terror, a sovereign God magnifies Himself in the lives of His servants. He's doing so in the lives of all three of these friends. And their families. But from an earthly perspective, it just sucks.
Would you please join me in praying for all three of these friends of mine? The Lord knows their names. My life is better because all three of them are part of it. I'm so thankful that each crossed my path. My selfish prayer is for complete and total healing, followed by a long & joy-filled life. My slightly-less-selfish prayer is for God to pour out His Spirit on all affected by these three illnesses, and to draw each of my friends all the closer to him. (Although, all three are mighty dadburn close to Christlike already...). And that He would make each mindful of His awesome presence and love and power and fear-removing capabilities, along with the wisdom He bestows on Drs...
I consider it a huge personal favor for you to lift up these. Thank You for them, Father. And for all who will be praying for them in the days to come.
And while you're at it, please pray for all who are doing research desperately seeking a once-and-for-all cure. Thank You for them too, Father.
With love and hope,
Mike
Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?”
Job 26:14
2. I've known him for a few years. He has become a great friend. By which I mean, a servant who always has the best interest of others at heart. He is one of the great church members I've ever known. Again, servant minded. Takes his faith and the Bible very seriously, and yet is very patient with those who take them less so. A leader who leads by serving and by example. An excellent husband and father of four. This past Friday, his Dad was diagnosed with a very serious cancer. Earlier today, he took his Dad to the 1st, critical appt. with the surgeon. The news got worse. Chemo, radiation, and then surgery. This one will likely have a huge impact on a large number of family members.
3. I just met her this past weekend in person, although we've known each other through a mutual friend for some time. She is a sweetie, and is known as such by all who know her. Has always been known as such. Last year, she had surgery and chemo. Now, she is about to undergo treatment for her second go-round with a different type of cancer. She delayed this treatment in order to be available for her son's last summer before college. He graduated from HS in May, and began college this Fall. She has her priorities straight.
Catch the common thread? All three of these great folks have had their lives turned upside down & inside out by cancer. Their own or that of a loved one.
Forgive the coarseness, but cancer just sucks. In the midst of this fearsome dread disease whose mere mention evokes terror, a sovereign God magnifies Himself in the lives of His servants. He's doing so in the lives of all three of these friends. And their families. But from an earthly perspective, it just sucks.
Would you please join me in praying for all three of these friends of mine? The Lord knows their names. My life is better because all three of them are part of it. I'm so thankful that each crossed my path. My selfish prayer is for complete and total healing, followed by a long & joy-filled life. My slightly-less-selfish prayer is for God to pour out His Spirit on all affected by these three illnesses, and to draw each of my friends all the closer to him. (Although, all three are mighty dadburn close to Christlike already...). And that He would make each mindful of His awesome presence and love and power and fear-removing capabilities, along with the wisdom He bestows on Drs...
I consider it a huge personal favor for you to lift up these. Thank You for them, Father. And for all who will be praying for them in the days to come.
And while you're at it, please pray for all who are doing research desperately seeking a once-and-for-all cure. Thank You for them too, Father.
With love and hope,
Mike
Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?”
Job 26:14
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