Enter the Fight: Round 2

I know it's been a while. I'm sorry. I've been struggling with a lot of stuff for the past few weeks. Sure, I've been busy, but more than that, I've been trying to get over the fact that I may have really missed something at the men's retreat.

Remember this post? Yeah, well, I thought I had that figured out, too. What I wrote was part of the word the Lord had for me, but it was really more of a personal warning, or a personal call to action: Enter the fight! It was a word for the me entering the men's retreat. And I missed it.

Ron DePriest was great. His messages were stirring, and God was moving, and I really got a lot out of it. Appreciated it. Good stuff. That part was spot on. The rest of the time, well, that's where I feel like I missed it.

Thursday night: I was tired. I'd been up since 4:30, had driven for a little over 2 hours, it was 10 o'clock at night; I was tired. An extremely good friend of mine, Chenson (names have been changed to protect the innocent), and I hadn't eaten, yet. So, we went with Poby to get some dinner. We got back sometime between 11 and 11:30. Quite understandably, I was ready for bed. I had the privilege of rooming with another of my extremely good friends, Poby. However, we had several people come to our room, and after they finally left, Pob and I got our guitars out and actually wrote a song using some words from another song I had and several of our notes from the evening's session. Great stuff! We were up till around 3, I think. Around 6, I get a call from work. I was on the phone twice with them for a total of 45 minutes. Luckily, the first session wasn't until 10, but still, bed late + up early = not a good combo.

Friday: I was tired. Another great session. Poby, Chenson, and I were going to take the afternoon free time to get me registered to vote, get Chenson a GPS for his wife's car, and come back and hang out with the rest of the fellas. Well, we wound up going with Estevie to Guitar Center in OKC. I did get registered to vote, we did get Chenson's GPS, but we got back just in time for dinner. No time spent with other guys (outside my usual "circle of friends"), the pastor, nor the speaker. Not a problem, we still had Friday night.

Friday night: Over by 9-ish. Another great session. More great stuff. So great, in fact, I found Poby afterward and told him I thought we had more writing to do. We went back to the room, pulled out the guitars, and started writing again. A few guys came through. We talked a lot about different stuff. Good time with Poby and with Chenson. Went to bed around midnight-ish (I think). Again, no time spent with the leadership.

Saturday morning: Skip breakfast and show up for the morning's session; the last one. Suddenly I'm hit with the feeling that I've completely missed out on something I was supposed to get. I didn't know what. I still don't. I just had knots in my stomach all morning long. What did I miss? Then the words came floating back into mind: Enter the fight. Had I entered the fight all weekend? I don't know. Suddenly, what was a fun weekend turned into a stressful, spiritual debate. What had I gotten out of the weekend? A song? More time with great guys I already spend a lot of time with? Had I served anybody throughout the weekend? Therein lied my answer. NO.

Realization: I had taken all weekend. Oh, sure, I ran the words for worship every session but the first, I went with Estevie (also a good friend, btw) to Guitar Center, listened to Poby and Chenson, but I never sacrificed anything all weekend. I never helped in the kitchen. I never took out the trash. I never helped any other guy with any other thing all weekend. I never did anything that I didn't want to do. It was a completely selfish weekend. Not the trait of a servant-leader. If that's the kind of leader I want to be, then I completely blew my chance that weekend. That is what I missed, and that is what felt so horrible.

Clarification: I LOVED hanging out with Pobias and Chenson. Always do. In fact, the song Pob and I wrote, we sang in church that Sunday. Our worship team is going to pick it up. Exciting stuff! I cherish that time we got to spend together. I know that was part of what God wanted me to get out of the weekend. I just wish I had taken extra time to seek out the leadership, to give to other guys, and entered the entire fight. You know, get everything God has for me.

So, my encouragement to you comes from Isaiah 55:6-9

6 Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. 7 Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will
forgive generously.
8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the
earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your
thoughts.

Just because you think you've got God figured out doesn't mean that you do. Seek Him. Ask Him. Be encouraged. Enter the fight.

Soli Deo Gloria

Thoughts About the Church

Tall Skinny Kiwi strikes another (although not original) thought about the church. Bridge and I have felt similarly for some time, although not necessarily as strongly as we once did. This is a great reminder about what being the church means. Makes me think. How about you?

Soli Deo Gloria

A Family Poem

I have a little, 3 bedroom house

With a dog, a girl, 3 boys and a spouse.

We keep the dog outside

Where she likes to bark at all she can find.

But the dog is lame when it comes to sound

When compared with others that are around.

The girl likes to scream and giggle;

Oh, the sight when she starts to wriggle!

Music can really make her go,

And when she dances, she puts on a show!

The boys are older and far more advanced,

But still get grins when they start to dance.

And, oh, the symphony of noise

That comes from a girl and 3 boys!

It's quite a sound you can't ignore,

Even when you close the door.

But when it comes time for bed,

And I get to kiss each little head,

The joy of my family

Resounds throughout eternity!

At last, a word about my spouse:

She is the sweetest sound in all the house!

Enter the Fight

ACF opens its staff prayer time in the morning to the congregation on Tuesdays through Fridays. The theater (which we own and in which we meet) isn't but a couple of blocks from where I work, so I walk to prayer when I can make it. Lately, I've been able to go 3 or 4 times a week.

Yesterday, walking to prayer, these words flashed through my mind:

"Enter the Fight"

I was already a little jazzed from a morning espresso, but I was just overall excited about things. Our men's retreat is coming up this weekend, Bridge and I are doing "the special" on Sunday, and I had just successfully arranged a rehearsal with some of what I'm going to call Kingdom Band to play the song on Sunday, too. So, I had a few things going my way.

"Enter the Fight"

Ok, so a few thoughts: I didn't figure God was wanting me to pick a fight with someone; I knew that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 6:12), and, at the time, I felt it meant by singing a song I had written. You know, I was entering the fight with a tool or weapon that I had made.

Then, we started to pray. God immediately revealed a whole new world of warfare to me. This was the fight to which He was referring. Believe it or not, prayer is spiritual warfare. God calls us all to enter the fight. We enter the fight by hitting our knees. (How many of you actually hit your knees, or kneel, while praying?)

We also enter the fight in other ways. Singing, writing, painting, building, using your gifts for His glory are all ways to enter the fight. How many of you have been moved by a song, a poem, a good book, a piece of art or photograph, a magnificent structure? Inspiration, conviction, love, mercy - these come from godly things. Condemnation, hatred - these come from ungodly things.

So, you who are prayer warriors; you who are writers, artists, musicians, craftsmen, enter the fight! Stand up and be counted. Remember, "for though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." (2 Cor. 10:3-4)

Your songs may not be sung nor heard by everybody, but you don't stop writing or singing; your books may not be read by everyone, but you don't stop writing; your hand-made jewelry may not be worn by every person, but you don't stop making it. To someone, somewhere, your gifts make a difference. God gets the glory, and that is always a good thing. "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." (Eph. 6:10)

Soli Deo Gloria

Wake Up Call

This morning, I checked up on some blogs that finally posted after a few days absence. I also checked out Tall Skinny Kiwi's blog on the "10 Commandments of Blogging." I then read his previous post, and was suddenly awakened to a side of the world I usually choose to ignore. It's not pretty.

The IDOP (International Day of Prayer) is coming up November 16. While our nation needs prayer, so do these guys. Check out the web site OpenDoors.

"You cannot pray for revival for one half of the body of Christ while forgetting
the other half which is suffering under restrictions." - Brother Andrew

I don't know who Brother Andrew is, but he is so right. Our praise team worked on a new/old song last night. It talks about hearing God speak and "oh, this changes everything." Yes it does.

Soli Deo Gloria

"...therefore...hope..."

ACF's men's retreat is this weekend. As of right now, I'm going. However, I'm not sure what my boss was thinking when he said I could go, unless he thought the rest of the employees at the station could handle both him (station manager) and me (program director) being gone. To add to the distress, our AM morning guy informed me that he would not be there Thursday or Friday. I will be gone Friday. Matt is gone all week. Added pressure will be upon the rest of the staff. Can they do it? I think so. They're going to have to handle it. Fun stuff, I'm sure.

I'm currently reading from the gospel of John. This morning was the passage about Jesus turning water into wine. The commentary from my Life Application Bible mentioned how most of Jesus' miracles were the renewing of fallen creation: blind to see, lame to walk, dead to rise, etc.

That is interesting. I guess I never looked that much into it. It makes sense. The Author of Life rewriting a bad story line. Isn't that what he does for you and me? He redeems fallen creation. Thank you, Lord, for being our savior. This from Lamentations 3:21-24:

But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,
"therefore I will hope in him."

I give you the situation at the station and the men's retreat to ask for your prayers. I give you the passages of scripture to encourage you. Therefore hope.

Soli Deo Gloria

More Stuff

Isn't this what got us into our nation's financial mess in the first place?

Ahh, true happiness. There's a lesson in here somewhere. One of many passages of scripture to check out:

"Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, 'I will never leave you or forsake you.'" Hebrews 13:5

Be blessed; be encouraged; be content.

Hold Fast

Words of encouragement and a MercyMe song. Really great song. I actually play it quite often on KQ106. I first heard the song a year ago. Then, back in December, I came across this verse:

"The Lord your God you shall follow, him alone you shall fear, his commandments you shall keep, his voice you shall obey, him you shall serve, and to him you shall hold fast." Deut. 13:4

Great verse, isn't it? I have it written down in three or four different places. Then, a little over a month ago, I came across this little gem in Isaiah:

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 26:3-4

For whatever reason, God wanted me to share these verses with you. Be encouraged. He is with you; He is for you. Hold fast.

My Sacrifice

It's a Creed song. But that's not the point of this post. As I've mentioned before, my alarm goes off at 4am. Notice how I always say that my alarm goes off then, and not that I get up then. A couple, ten presses of the ole snooze button allows me some extra sleep. I'm usually out of bed by 4:30.

My morning routine consists of bathroom time, batcave time, bathroom time and leaving. Sometimes, I sneak a breakfast time in there, but not very often. It's just hard for me to eat at 4:30/5 in the morning. Besides, I'm usually hungry again around 10-ish.

My batcave time consists of Bible time, blog time, between-God-and-me time (you knew I had to keep the whole "b" thing going) and body building time. That sounds grand, but it's usually just some push-ups and sit-ups. The only thing really consistent in the the batcave time is the between-God-and-me time. I hit the rest most of the time, but some mornings I may spend more time in the Bible and not get to blog, or vice versa, or I won't build my body, or whatever.

My morning routine seems to get easier everyday. It's still not easy. But it has come a long way from whence I started. I fought God on it for a long time. It's just very, very early. My turning point came one morning (before I started writing down stuff) as I was doing my sit-ups. I remember laying on the floor and asking God why it has to be so hard. You know? I was tired; I was trying to do sit-ups; I wanted to be back in bed. Why are things so hard, God?

"It wouldn't be a sacrifice if it was easy."

Whoa. You answered me? I'm sacrificing for You right now? Talk about an attitude change. Here I was thinking I was just going through some tough times, and God saw it for what it really is. It's a season. And, during this particular season, some sacrifices have to be made. So, me getting up every morning to have my time alone with God is a sacrifice. You know, Psalms talks about bringing the "sacrifice of praise." And look at Romans 12:1

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to
present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is
your spiritual worship."

Even now, what can I say? My early morning hours are an act of spiritual worship to the creator of the universe. I'm sure it's much sweeter to His ears now. I don't gripe and complain nearly as much as I used to.

What is your act of spiritual worship? Is God asking you to sacrifice anything right now? Remember, it's a season; seasons change. God is here, lovingly walking you through this time, and He's already in the next season lovingly waiting for you. Are you kicking and screaming your way through this time? I was. Maybe it would help if you could see it for what it is. A season. A season of sacrifice. Your living sacrifice; your spiritual worship. Be encouraged.

Soli Deo Gloria

Instinct

Two Sundays ago, after church, I was standing on the stairs that lead to the balcony of the sanctuary/theater with my youngest son. He was just a few steps up from the floor holding some papers from children's church and his gameboy. His hands were full. Suddenly, my "spider-sense" went off and I turned to see him stumbling down the stairs. However, not being trained on my "spider-sense", I did not react in time to try to catch him. It was like a scene out of the Matrix.

As he stumbled, his feet stayed put on the step they were on, and his knees hit the step below. Then, as he's falling forward, sure to do a face plant into the tiled, lobby floor, he quickly releases everything from his grip and springs his arms forward to catch himself before he hits ground zero! Wow! It was actually pretty cool; like a superman discovering his powers, or something. He stayed there, with legs up on the stairs and hands on the ground holding himself up like a strong ninja move, or something.

I said, "whoa, buddy, are you alright?" He said that he was, and I helped him back up and gave him a high-five for his actions. His papers and gameboy were ok, too. I couldn't believe his wits. He was aware enough to let go of everything in his hands to catch himself and keep from getting hurt. I just knew he was a goner. You know, what 4 year-old kid knows to drop his gameboy and save his hide? I was impressed with his instinct.

A few days later I was driving and heard the Gloria Gaynor song, "I Will Survive". I immediately thought of the episode with my son and his instinct of self-preservation - his instinct to survive. I guess that instinct comes naturally to us. Or, at least, to most of us. Adam and Eve had to develop that instinct after they sinned. One of the first things they did was fix some clothes to hide their nakedness.

Yeah, looking out for "#1" usually comes pretty easily. What's not so easy is looking out for the other guy, or taking care of others. That's more of a pastoral instinct. A pastor is more like a shepherd. He is to care for, feed, protect, and love his sheep. Jesus is the Great Shepherd. This particular instinct came naturally for him. It's not so easy for us. We have that other instinct with which to compete.

A pastoral instinct comes from spending time with God. The more we read his words to us, the more we talk to him in prayer, the more time we spend with him, the more we become like him. While some people are given an extra grace and anointing to pastor, the pastoral instinct is one that, I believe, can be developed in anybody. But like anything else worth having, it takes time and discipline to learn. Some learn it easily; some don't. But, it is the instinct that needs to prevail.

Don't get me wrong. An instinct of self-preservation is important, too. Especially if you're stumbling down some stairs. But, when it comes to dealing with other people, we need to learn to sacrifice a little. Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) If people looked out for their fellow man more than themselves, I believe this world would be a much better place in which to live. Don't you? Let's show the world His love. Let's develop the right instinct.

Be encouraged.

Happy Birthday, Bobo!

My #1 son turned 10 this past Saturday. Wow. He's so old. And he's getting so big. The circumstances surrounding his birth and early years were not so great, but he is my pride and joy. Well, one of them anyway. He is awesome! Below are 10 of my favorite memories from his first 10 years (in chronological order - as best as I remember it)

1. his birthday (born in OKC on September 27, 1998 - I was a very proud dad)



2. it took him forever to sleep through the night (I mean forever - thankfully, we learned from him and had the others sleeping through the night within a few weeks)



3. he once stuck some keys in an electrical socket outside my office in KY (I could hear him hitting the wall with the keys, but didn't think about a socket until he got real quiet before he started crying really loudly)



4. he would pronounce the letter W "double doo!" (he spent a weekend or something with my parents who taught him his letters - that one was his favorite)



5. he loved the American flag (he always shouted "A flag! A flag! A flag!" until we finally acknowledged that he was seeing a flag)



6. he was George Washington in a school "play" (I think it was President's Day or something in either the first or second grade - he read a few lines)



7. he had to have glasses (there was a prophet at our church who was healing some people of eye problems - glasses, etc., he stood for a moment, then sat down and said that he liked his glasses)



8. his violin recital (he's really gifted)



9. playing baseball (he had the highest on base percentage on the team, because he kept walking, and he was a pretty decent second baseman)



10. his prophetic word (wow, what a word spoken over him - if you want to hear it, make your request known in writing and send $1 to.... - just kidding about the dollar, but it's worth hearing, just not on this blog - sorry)

There they are. My wife calls him Bobo on her blog, so we will too. Happy birthday, Bobo! I love you, buddy.

Love Note Day

Today is Love Note Day. So here are a few notes of love:

To my wife:
I love you. I can't describe it any better than that. You are my sunsushine. You make me happy; you can make me mad, but you don't do that very often. You put up with me. God has said that our marriage was a miracle; well, I'm glad it's our miracle. I'm proud of our children. You are a wonderful mother, and you'll only get better. Thank you for 10 1/2 years of marital bliss (most of the time)! I love you.

To my children:
I love you. You guys are the best. From #1 son to baby girl, you are my pride and joy. You are so much fun, and I love coming home to a family excited to see me. Thanks for being so cool! I love you.

To my family ('rents and others):
I love you. Thank you for your love and support throughout my life. Thank you for loving my little family. Thanks for letting us use your pool and cable and internet and sugar and kool aid and Oreos and everything else. You guys are my foundation. I love you.

To my friends:
I love you. Whether you're a new friend or one who's been with me through the permed hair and Speedo stages of life, you are one of my most valued treasures. Thank you for making me laugh, for laughing with me and at me. You are the best. And I'm sure you owe me money. I love you.

To my God:
I love You. You saved my life. You are my rock, my fortress, my provider, my savior, my joy and my strength. You are the Ancient of Days. You are the Alpha and Omega. You are awesome. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for loving me and forgiving me and bringing me this far. I look forward to continuing our journey together. You are life. I love You.

Huh

Since I seriously started writing stuff down two days ago, I've seemingly been writing something down every time I turned around. I thought, "Wow, this is great! I'll never forget a thing!" Today, on the other hand, I haven't had anything to write down. I've written nothing down.
Morning time with God - great scripture passages - nothing.
Prayer at church - nothing.
All day long - waiting, listening - nothing.
Was God not talking to me today? Was I expecting too much? What happened? Where's the beef?
You know, I could go all psycho and think God doesn't love me today, and that I've heard all I'm going to learn. But, I'm not. Curious, and honestly, a little disappointed, but not upset or frustrated or anything like that. Just wondering. Out loud. Or at least online. Huh.

No More Sleepy Prayers

This morning came early. Of course, when bed comes late, morning tends to do that. SLEEEEEPY! I know I have a long day ahead of me. Usually, I have a chance at a nap around lunch time, but today I have a remote from 1 to 4, so no nap today. Early bed is a possibility. We'll see how it goes.

My only option then is to completely rely on God. So, I pray. "God be my strength, and my sustenance. Be my joy, and give me energy for the day." Oh, it is very easy to lay my head down on my desk and snooze for another 30 minutes, or so. But, I know that God wants to meet with me. And I want to meet with Him.

So, I read a little; I pray a little. I read a little, I pray a little. I don't close my eyes - that could be dangerous. I look at things I've written down over the past couple of days (which is quite a bit, actually). I start searching through my notes: several ideas for blogs, or lessons, or sermons, or something. I start looking up different scripture, like a treasure hunt. I start praying in the spirit. I suddenly find myself awake and not near as sleepy. The Lord has given me strength and energy for this morning meeting. Don't get me wrong, I could go back to sleep pretty easily. But the trick now is I don't want to go back to sleep.

The past few times I've had the privilege to pray with a group of people have been interesting. One meeting, I walked in after they had already started praying, and the room was quiet. At first, I was afraid I had missed an ominous announcement or something. The prayers seemed timid; everything lacked punch or enthusiasm, or something. God was stirring in me. I didn't want to come in with some big, boisterous prayer, but I felt God was wanting more out of what was going on. So, I started quietly, but then allowed the Spirit to build up. I kept hearing, "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Be alert! Be alert! Be ready! Be ready!" I could tell as I was praying, that the Spirit started moving among the others. It was as if new life had been breathed into the soul of our prayer time.

Just a few days later, I had a similar experience. The first couple of people to pray prayed long, relatively boring prayers. Had I kept my eyes closed, I would have fallen asleep. I know this because I suddenly jerked up after a couple of minutes of "meditation." Embarrassed, I opened my eyes and looked around to see if anybody noticed. Satisfied, that I wouldn't undergo any significant ridicule for sleeping through prayer time, I decided I better keep my eyes open. In fact, I got up and started walking around. Again, I could hear the words, "Wake up! Be ready!"

So, I wrote this down: Do I have a blood lust? What is this desire to wage war on the enemy? This passion? This burning, yearning for more - NO MORE SLEEPY PRAYERS! Wake up! Be alert! Jesus is coming!

Oh, I really want to press in to God. Press in to the things He has for us. Jesus is preparing a place for his bride; His bride (us, the church) should be preparing for his return! We don't want to be found asleep and unprepared do we? I sure don't. Wake up, church! No more sleepy prayers!

Father, help us to find the balance between this passion for more and the rest we find in Your tenderness. Your love is amazing, and Your grace is sufficient. Wake us up. No more sleepy prayers.

Music Permit

If you make a rule, then some idiot's going to try to enforce it. This morning's "Eddie's Stuff" produced this little gem:


Amazing how quickly we forget the original meaning or intent of a rule or law. We do it today with the seperation of church and state, and so many other things. I received this email from my father yesterday:

THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WAS INSTITUTED TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL. NOTE: IN 2008 THE BUDGET FOR THIS DEPARTMENT IS NOW AT $24.2 BILLION A YEAR. THEY HAVE 16,000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND APPROXIMATELY 100,000 CONTRACT EMPLOYEES. What do they do?????

How quickly we forget. Reminds me of the pharisees. In being so strict in following the law, they forget why they were following it in the first place. So strict, so literal. No room for interpretation. No room to use your brain and do the right thing at the right time. Thank You, Lord, for Jesus and His love. Thank You for Your grace.

Sharp Dressed Man

Ahhh, yes. How many of you immediately thought about ZZ Top? Kudos to you. If you don't know who ZZ Top is, well, granola bars to you. For those of you who don't remember that Kudos were actually (if they aren't still now) some type of granola bar, just know that I'm not crazy. Seriously. Back to the song.

On my morning show, there is a segment called "Eddie's Stuff". Our AM morning personality comes over, and for 10 minutes, or so, gives us his unusual "stuff" for the day. Today, he talked about the "Shower Suit". It's a suit made of 100% wool and is supposed to dry very quickly. You can shower in it or hang it up and run water over it. It's designed with the always-on-the-go business exec in mind. So, the song I played following "Eddie's Stuff", and tying in with this last story of the morning was, indeed, "Sharp Dressed Man."

All of that to get here:
I look good today. Seriously. Khaki, flat-front pants, nice, button-down green striped shirt. I look sharp. I am, indeed, a sharp dressed man. However, before you get too jealous of my wife, please know, that when I sit down, my pant legs hike up to about my knee. Well, maybe not that high, but I do, in fact, look like I have "high-waters" on. Yes, a lot of sock is showing. Fortunately, my socks are similar in color to the pants, but still. Yikes! It's like they don't fit right or something.

Lesson: humility
You know, just a bit of humility to keep me from getting "too big for my britches."

Be encouraged.

P.S.
Learning from my "10 Lessons", I wrote this little anecdote down this morning, so I wouldn't forget it. Aren't we all glad I did?

Don't answer that.

Top 10 Lessons I'm Learning

10. be on time (it's a courtesy to those who are depending on you)
09. be professional (echoes #10)
08. even if the cat's away, God is still watching (so do your job anyway)
07. tithe (the first fruits of your money and your time - give God the first part of your day)
06. spend time with God (you can't get to the next level without Him)
05. pray with your kids (teach them early)
04. pray with your spouse (stand in agreement)
03. do what your wife says (this is a lifelong lesson)
02. communicate with your spouse (makes things a whole lot easier)
01. write it down (Habakkuk 2:2 - you can't remember it all)

29 Reasons Why I Love My Wife

in no particular order...

1. she's hot (I seriously could end here)
2. she can sing (you need to hear her)
3. she makes beautiful babies (have you seen our children?)
4. she's a great mother (to 4 kids!)
5. she's a good cook (creamy baked chicken, baby!)
6. she lets me make her laugh (maybe she's just laughing at me)
7. she's desperately in love with Jesus (I'm not jealous)
8. she washes my clothes and cooks my meals (this is a good thing, people)
9. she rearranges our house at least once month (change is good)
10. she's not the neatest painter (seriously, check her clothes and look at the ceiling)
11. she loves to decorate (seriously) (and she's good at it)
12. she sings a lot around the house (see #2)
13. she shows me things only I get to see (and I like what I see)
    
14. let's just call this one an elaboration of #13 (4 kids, natch)
15. she prays for me (Lord knows I need it)
16. she prays with me (important to stand in agreement)
17. she prays with our children (see #4)
18. she likes to watch movies with me (so what if I like "Pride and Prejudice"?)
19. she blogs a lot (check it out here)
20. she talks a lot (this can be a good thing)
21. she likes to make music with me (have you heard some of our songs?)
22. she had the words, "pastor's wife" spoken over her in high school (we were just given the pastoral nod this past weekend) (more on that later)
23. she bought me at my fraternity's date auction (I'll let her tell you what I cost) (she got a good deal)
24. she loves my family (and they love her)
25. she likes to buy things (but only when we have money) (which isn't very often)
26. she likes to buy me things (not as much as I'd like for her to, though)
27. she likes to look pretty for me (I did a "top 5" today on my show - #2 was "women are infinitely more concerned about what they wear then men are; in fact, if you met us at the door naked, you wouldn't hear a complaint from us)
28. she's my Bridy Girl (and my sunsushine)
29. she loves me (I couldn't ask for anything more)

When she turns 30 next year, I'll add another one. I love you, Bridy Girl!

My 9/11 Post

I know that today is September 15, but I wanted to post something about 9/11. When today's "One Big Happy" cartoon came out, I thought it would be apropos to go ahead and post something. (wow - that's the second time this morning that I've used that word) Here's the cartoon:

The following is the timeline for 9/11 that I read on air during my morning show at 7:46 CDT, the time the first plane hit the north tower:

9/11 Timeline
(All times EDT)
Please note that the precise times may vary, depending on the source. For this report we used the timeline from the FBI, Time magazine, ABC and Washington Post.
7:59 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 11 takes off from Boston’s Logan International airport with 95 people onboard.
8:14 a.m.: United Flight 175 takes off from Logan with 65 people onboard.
8:20 a.m.: American Flight 77 takes off from Dulles near Washington, D.C., carrying 64 people.
8:21 a.m.: Flight 11’s transponder is turned off. Shortly afterward, the plane turns south toward N.Y.C.
8:40 a.m.: The FAA notifies NORAD that Flight 11 has been hijacked.
8:41 a.m.: United Flight 93 takes off from Newark with 44 people aboard.
8:43 a.m.: The FAA notifies NORAD that Flight 175 has been hijacked.
8:46 a.m.: American flight 11 slams into the World Trade Center’s north tower at 400 mph.
8:50 a.m.: The first New York Fire Department trucks arrive at the World Trade Center.
8:52 a.m.: F-15s from Otis Air National Guard Base are scrambled.
9:03 a.m.: Flight 175 crashes into the World Trade Center’s south tower at more than 500 mph.
9:16 a.m.: The FAA informs NORAD that Flight 93 may have been hijacked.
9:21 a.m.: The FAA notifies NORAD of a suspected hijacking of American flight 77.
9:31 a.m.: Bush makes his first public statement saying the country has suffered an “apparent terrorist attack.” He asks for a moment of silence.
9:37 a.m.: American Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon.
9:45 a.m.: The FAA orders the shutdown of U.S. airspace, a first in U.S. history.
9:48 a.m.: The U.S. Capitol and White House are evacuated.
9:55 a.m.: Bush leaves Florida on Air Force One. He phones Vice President Dick Cheney and puts the entire U.S. military on high alert. He also receives word of the plane crashes at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.
9:59 a.m.: The south tower of the WTC collapses.
10:03 a.m.: Flight 93 crashes into the ground near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
10:10 a.m.: A portion of the Pentagon collapses.
10:28 a.m.: The north tower of the WTC collapses.
1:27 p.m.: A state of emergency is declared in Washington D.C.
2:30 p.m.: The FAA announces that there will be no U.S. commercial air traffic until noon EDT September 12 at the earliest.
2:51 p.m.: The Navy dispatches missile destroyers to New York and Washington.
3:07 p.m.: Bush convenes the National Security Council, holding a videoconference with council members in Washington from his bunker at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.
5:20 p.m.: Building 7 of the World Trade Center complex collapses.
6:54 p.m.: Bush arrives at the White House aboard Marine One, the helicopter used to take Bush from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to the South Lawn.
8:30 p.m.: President Bush speaks to the nation, telling Americans: “Thousand of lives were suddenly ended by evil... These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.”
· 343 firefighters died (60 of them were off-duty).
· 23 police officers died.
· 75 Port Authority employees perished – including 37 of their own police officers.
· 10 bystanders were killed by falling debris.
· 16 people escaped the south tower from above the floors where the plane hit.
· None escaped the north tower from above the floors where the plane hit.
· 18 survivors were found in the debris – 12 fire fighters, 3 police officers and 3 civilians. All were found by September 12th.
· 2,823 – the total number of dead.
· Total cost of the destruction estimated at $60 billion.
· 3.1 million man-hours went into the rescue and recovery over an eight-month period.
· 1.8 million tons of debris was cleared from the site.
· The 110-story south tower was reduced to a four-story pile in just 10 seconds. It registered 2.3 on the Richter scale.
· The second tower collapsed in just eight seconds.
· More than 300,000 tons of steel, concrete and glass hit the ground.
The plane that crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, hit a section that had recently been renovated and was still only partially occupied. Authorities say the death toll would have likely been much higher if the area had been fully occupied. The crash caused a gash on the west side of the Pentagon measuring 30 yards wide and 10 yards deep; 185,693 square feet were damaged and 37,161 square feet were destroyed. Three of the five Pentagon rings were damaged. It cost $501 million to repair the building; repairs were finished within a year of the attack. The Pentagon Memorial will be unveiled today on the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attack. It’s being called “The Park.” The memorial’s focus is 184 benches built over a pool of water – 59 of the benches face the Pentagon and represent the passengers killed on American Airlines Flight 77. The remaining 125 benches face the opposite direction to memorialize those killed in the building. Each is engraved with the name of one of the people killed.

It was tough to get through it. Our AM station morning guy, couldn't even read it. I played an audio montage after I read the timeline. He tried to read the timeline after the audio montage, which was a 13 minute montage of several radio stations in Manhattan from 9/11/01. It's amazing how much it still affects me (all of us, I'm sure) 7 years later.

I've got some great stuff to post later (probably tomorrow). Be blessed.

Head....Swimming....

Sooooooo many thoughts and stuff going on inside the ole brain. You could call it a brain storm, but I wouldn't.

First, yesterday. 9/11. I read a timeline of the events and played a radio montage from various stations in Manhattan from the day of the event on my show. It was very, very tough. Even now, 7 years later, it still affects me.

Second, yesterday. At work by 5:45a, a remote from 1p to 4p, doing the public address for three Jr. High football games starting about 4:15p and getting home around 9:30p. Only to get up and be at work by 5:30a this morning.

Third, this week. Our church's staff meets every morning in the theater for prayer at 9. Anyone is welcome to come Tuesdays through Fridays (the staff prays just as a staff on Mondays). I try to go as often as I feel I can get away from the station. I made everyday this week. I do enjoy praying with those guys and gals. It's good stuff.

Fourth, my thought keeps developing. The whole "our fears are fueled..." bit. It has now evolved to

"Our fears are fueled and our faith is felled when we forsake the Father's favor."

Sometimes we don't forget, we just plain ole rebel.

Fifth, Ike. He sure is causing a lot of trouble. This morning during prayer, one of the pastors was praying concerning Ike, and I had a vision of hundreds of little groups, just like ours, gathered together to pray. It was like a line of defense up and down the Gulf Coast. Then, another man there started to pray and asked if we dared to rebuke the storm. Jesus did. Why not us? So he rebuked the storm. I then realized that this "line of defense" was for more than just Ike. The groups spread all over the world. War was being fought in the spiritual realm, and it was goose-pimply to see believers praying with us and for us from around the globe.

Sixth, this blog. In my own vain efforts to sound so spiritual and profound, I lose sight of the personality that God has given me. I love to laugh. My whole family does, as do most of my friends. Yet, I'm so serious on the blog. I'm sorry, guys. I shall try to do a better job of just being me. Oh, don't get me wrong. I am spiritual and profound, but just not all the time. So, I will try to blog more, and just see where God leads things. Sound good?

Seventh, I like odd numbers.