Valentine's on the 15th

Okay, this year my wife and I did something we have often heard about but never actually done ourselves - celebrate Valentine's Day on the 15th instead of the 14th. Don't worry guys, we talked about this weeks in advance. This year it seemed to work out pretty good being that the 15th was on a Friday. I have to admit that when the 14th rolled around, it was very difficult not to pull out the flowers, balloons, candy, etc. On the night of the 14th, we actually baby sit for some friends of ours who went out to eat (they returned the favor on the 15th - saved some nice $ with that move!).

After it was all said and done, we had an amazing Valentines (15th) Day! And, I must admit, that we learned some great benefits by waiting until the 15th.

1. It is easier to get a reservation at a restaurant. (I started calling the second week of January!) We ate at the famous Del Frisco's in Fort Worth. WOW! Amazing place - highly recommend it.
2. It is easier to find a baby sitter. Although we did work out the free babysitting gig (see above notes).
3. You can get through the card aisle at the Hallmark store much easier than the day before - AND, you would be surprised how many cards are left over.
4. You never have to worry about flowers being delivered on time. The day after Valentine's may be the slowest day of the year for florists.

They key to the whole thing is simple. It really is not about a particular day, but the fact that you take time to celebrate the one you love and to show them how much you care. My wife is my best friend, and I love spending time with her. Even after almost 12 years of marriage, we still never run out of things to talk about. So, start now to make your plans for the new Valentine's Day - February 15th!

My Bucket List

Wow! It's been awhile since I put anything on here - my fault. Things have been very hectic lately. You may or may not know about a new movie that is in theaters right now starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. It is called "The Bucket List". It is the story of two older guys who are friends and they are both diagnosed with some type of life ending ailment. They begin thinking about their time on earth and all of the things they "wished they had done". So, they create a list of things they would like to do before they "kick the bucket" - hence the title of the movie.

That got me thinking about what I would like to do before I "kick the bucket". No, I don't have any terminal illness and I am only 34 years old - but, it is never to late to get started. Here it goes, my bucket list (in no particular order):

1. Go to one Super Bowl game - any one will do.
2. See a baseball game at Fenway Park.
3. Vacation in Hawaii with my wife.
4. Run a marathon (not a big one - maybe a 10k).
5. Meet and talk to a sitting President and walk through the Oval office.
6. Meet Michael Jordan.
7. Run through the "T" at a Tennessee football game (the last guy to do this donated one million dollars to the University).
8. Earn a million dollars.
9. Slap a bull on the backside (see the movie Wild Hogs).
10. Fly in a helicopter.
11. Write a book.
12. Ride the zamboni at a Hockey game.
13. Give someone a car.
14. Go to any summer Olympics opening ceremony.
15. Drive a race care around any NASCAR track.

Who knows, check back periodically and I'll let you know if I get to cross any off my list. The main thing is to enjoy life everyday! God has given us so many wonderful things, so start living!

Focus on Jesus

Life can be hard. For some in the metroplex, today is especially hard because the beloved Dallas Cowboys lost in their playoff game against the NY Giants. In the grand scheme of things (and by that I mean life) it really is not that big of a deal. However, many will wallow in their misery this week as if someone literally ripped out their heart.

There are people today who are dealing with much greater troubles. There is a sweet lady in my ministry who found out this past week that she has cancer and will need surgery in the next week to remove it - then chemo - then a lot of prayer. On our church prayer chain, I read about a family who lost their dad and husband at the age of 38 because he was serving his country in Iraq. When I think about these situations and the similar times of disappointment or grief that I have experienced, I am reminded that the "storms" of life are inevitable. Everyone experiences storms in his life. They are sometimes unpredictable, always devastating, and can come quickly or last a very long time. Regardless of who you are, you will experience storms.

How do you handle those storms? Who do you turn to for answers? Those are difficult but great questions. In Matthew chapter 14, we read about the apostle Peter stepping out in a great act of faith. Verses 22 through 32 document the story of Jesus walking on water. If you have grown up in church, you know what happens.... Peter asks to join Jesus on the water, Jesus says "come on out," Peter steps out of the boat, stands on the water and doesn't sink. If the story ended there you would say, "WOW!", "GREAT!", "That-a-boy, Peter!"....but something happens. Verse 30 of Matthew 14 tells us that "...he (Peter) saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink, cried out, Lord, save me!"....

Did you notice the first phrase? "....he SAW the wind..." Interesting, isn't it? Would you not say that he felt the wind? The point that is being made here is subtle but simple - Peter took his eyes of Jesus and put them on the wind around him. When you focus on the storm or your circumstances and problems that surround you, rest assured that you will begin to sink in the midst of those circumstances or problems. But when you keep your focus solely upon Jesus... you will find safety, peace, and comfort. It does not mean that the storm will go away. That storm may whistle and blow hard but the key is this: where will you put your focus? On the storm or on Jesus?

American Gladiators

Oh yes, you know what I am talking about. If you went to high school in the 80's or early 90's, you know all about American Gladiators. The Joust, the Eliminator, the Rings, and much more crammed into one exciting hour of breathtaking television entertainment! Well, it's BACK and bigger than ever. Plus, for us "teens of the 80's", they have added Hulk Hogan as a host - how awesome is that, BROTHER!? (If you are a Hulk Hogan fan, then you understand the "BROTHER" reference). Last night, I watched the premier of American Gladiators on NBC - and I have to admit, it was very good. They have kept most of the old events and added some pretty cool new events. What's wild is the fact that I am sitting in my living room watching this show with MY KIDS! And they love it!

Now don't get me wrong, it is purely for entertainment purposes. There is no educational value (maybe healthy living - but that is a stretch, I know), or nothing that challenges your brain or makes you think. It is purely average American people (who happen to be in really great shape) getting a chance to put on head gear and beat the fool out of muscular models - with the chance to earn money doing it. In the words of boxing promoter Don King, "Only in America!"

It is important to understand that the people who apply and are able to go on this show are in amazing condition. Last night, a Marine lady and kick boxing lady were on the show and they were literally dusting the gladiators. I started thinking, who do I know that could go on this show? Obviously not me! There is a guy in the Bible Fellowship that I used to teach in Tennessee named Jack - he is in the FBI. He is a small guy who stays in great shape - probably knows about 31 ways to kill a man with his hands type of guy - he would be good on this show with his quickness, small but strong size, and his anger management issues.
My current pastor could go on this show - he is 6'5" and about 260 solid (That is him on the left - Hulk Hogan is above - didn't want you to get them mixed up). He could hold his own - and how cool is that - to have a pastor who could go on American Gladiators? That would be classic! I could see it now: "Now that I have beaten Wolverine (Gladiator man's nickname on the show) in the Joust - can I have one conversation with you if I could only have one?"

Ok, I am ranting, Happy New Year to everyone! I hope 2008 is the best yet. God bless...

Shaking the doldrums

As you can see in my previous post, I truly love Christmas. Now, comes the hard part - getting myself back in the habit of actually being productive. I get used to sleeping in, taking it easy, going to see holiday movies, eating out, eating at home, playing the X-box with my son, and just hanging out. Don't get me wrong, everyone needs "down time" and I enjoy taking mine every year. The difficult thing is getting out of the "down time". I have heard people say if they won a million dollars they wouldn't change a thing - that they would keep on working like they do today. Really? Welllll, not me.... I wouldn't mind trying it out for awhile.

The one thing that gets me back in gear and going again is the fact that I am blessed. I remind myself that many people this past week worked every day. Some people don't have a choice. They have to get up at early hours, work late into the day, and work very difficult jobs. To some, Christmas is just another day in the week. Those people didn't get "down time" or the opportunity to see a holiday movie. I think about that and how much I actually enjoy my job (to the point that it doesn't seem like a job), and I don't have any trouble getting back to the reality of my life. God has blessed me and my family. I remind myself of this truth and allow it to help me shake the doldrums and get back to work!

Kids and Christmas - the True Meaning

During this time of year, I become like a big kid. I enjoy everything about Christmas - cookies, presents, shopping, lights, cold weather, cookies, Christmas pageants, the Charlie Brown Christmas special, Santa, cookies, time with family, and Christmas music. Did I mention cookies? My mom for years has made these great cookies (just for me by the way!) with chocolate icing on top - oh my word! I could eat two dozen - and probably do every year. Christmas means different things to different people. For some, it is a joyous occasion while for others it can be a sad time without beloved family or friends who have passed on. It also seems that our culture has become afraid to say this time of year is the "Christmas season". We know call it the "Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, holiday, festival time of year" (I would like to see you create a song with that title!) But in reality, this time of year should mean one thing for everyone - a time to be thankful and reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ.

As a Christian, I am aware of the importance of Christ's birth, but I far too often don't appreciate and value it the way that I should. As we approach December 25th, I am challenging myself to remember the true reason for this holiday. While I enjoy all that comes with Christmas, I am able to do so because of the birth of Jesus. Our family will take the time this year to teach our children this important lesson. My wife and I have worked to develop certain traditions in our home that emphasize the importance of Christmas. Each year, we all go see a Christmas production that tells the story of Christ birth and then talk about it on the way home. We read the true Christmas story from Luke chapter 2 on Christmas Eve before going to bed. We also take the kids to a Wal-Mart or shopping mall and let them pick out an angel tree gift to buy and give away - because not every child will have presents this year.

I love celebrating this season, especially with my kids. We do it all - as you can tell in the picture above! But the most important thing we do is consistently remind them of that important event that happened about 2,000 years ago in a very small town called Bethlehem. So as you snuggle around the fire with your family on Christmas Eve, take a moment to look out the window at the starry cool evening and remember what Luke told the shepherds on that similar night: "I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!"

College Football and the BCS

Okay, this may not be a post that would interest all of you, nor will it be one of my more spiritual post. With that said, occasionally, I think it is good to get things off your chest - I call it venting. This vent is in regards to the college football ranking system and championship formula known as the BCS. Now let's get one thing straight - I am a die hard Tennessee Volunteer.
So, I don't have a dog in this fight (as my old high school basketball coach used to say - for an explanation look up a redneck dictionary). Back to my venting. For the life of me, I don't understand why we cannot have a college football playoff. It does not have to be like March Madness College Basketball with 64 teams. Rather, something very easy that could be implemented tomorrow. Here is my plan (I am sure that I am not the original author of this plan, but I will take credit for it). First, make all 6 major conferences have a championship game like the SEC and ACC do currently. To have this conference championship game, you would need at least 12 teams in the conference so that you could split teams up into 2 divisions.

To accomplish this task, move Notre (we are the most over hyped overrated team in the history of college football) Dame and move them to the weakest conference in America - the Big Ten. That would give the Big Ten twelve teams - thus a championship game. The Big East already has enough teams, so they can have a championship game. For the Pac-10, put Hawaii and Boise State in that league to give them 12 teams. Now, all 6 conferences (SEC, ACC, BIG TEN, BIG 12, PAC-10, BIG EAST) have a championship game.

The winners of those games make it into the BCS championship tournament, and the final 2 spots are determined by the BCS ranking of the highest team that did not win their conference championship game. Let the BCS poll seed the teams, and play them beginning January 2 as not to detract from the New Year's Day Bowl games. Let the playoffs be played in the stadiums that house the Sugar, Orange, etc. so that they will not lose their money, and the other 34 teams left out of the BCS tournament can play in the bowl games named after corporate sponsors. There.... I feel better. It will never be done, but I feel better. For now, we have to put up with this craziness of the BCS and hope that it changes soon. In reality - in the grand scheme of this world - it really is no big deal. Enjoy your college football and GO VOLS!