No More Night

For whatever reason, I've been led to the book of Revelation for reading during my quiet time. Ever since our pastor led a 14 week series on end times prophecies and Revelation, I've totally changed my view of this powerful yet somewhat confusing book.

Before I became radically saved, I'd always hesitated to read this book because of it's utter doom & gloom prophecies. See, when I was about 11 or 12 years old, our church had a film night where they showed one of those tribulation films where people are raptured away and non-believers are left behind. As scary as this thought was, this particular film followed a female character (who, oddly enough, happens to be the real life cousin of one of our best friends...who knew??) who is on the run from this one world government but is eventually captured and then faces the guillotine for refusing to take the mark of the beast.

This is talked about (the mark) in Revelation 13:16-18.

Anyway, the film ends as the woman is laid under the guillotine and all you see is the blade falling away. Nothing was shown but you can well imagine what the end result was. Now, couple that with the vivid imagination and impressionability of a young 11 year old boy and you've got a recipe for sheer terror...

which is what I felt.

Consequently, even after I was at the altar sobbing in utter fear, although I had my grandfather's supportive hands and arms around me, I don't believe my parents made me watch part 3 the following week. Thus, from that experience plus what I assumed the book talked about, I stayed away from Revelation. Who wanted to read about all that death and horror?

Yet, after Pastor Floyd described the events of this seven year tribulation, I felt like this was more of a book of hope for the believer...a light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, there are some horrific things that are going to come about in these last days but what excites me now as I read Revelation is the promise and description of Christ coming to earth (literally), defeating Satan and the Anti-Christ and then giving His rewards to His chosen people. His kingdom and reign begins for a thousand year period and the descriptions of the beauty & majesty of this reign are talked about in the latter part of Revelation.

I suppose fininshing up the Left Behind series has also given me a more literal, real-life sense of what could happen. Either way, I am so excited for Jesus to return with all His saints, taking care of evil and giving us the hope & peace He's promised in His word.

I woke up this morning with a song that sings about this awesome peace.

It's called "No More Night".

In Revelation 7:14-17, the Bible talks about those who are saved by the blood of Christ and who have their robes washed and made white through His blood. The Bible says:

"No longer will they hunger; no longer will they thirst, no longer will the sun strike them or any heat. Because the Lame who is at the center of the throne will shepherd them; He will guide them to springs of living waters and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Are you going through pain and sorrow today? Do you feel like no one cares or listens to you? Does your life feel like it's out in the middle of the ocean, being tossed about by the trials and tribulations we face? If so, my friend, if you come to know Christ as your Lord today, you can be assured that you too will be reunited with Him in Heaven one day. You can look forward to that time when we can worship Him face to face. We all can look to the future with great anticipation when we can live in those new homes He has gone to build for each of us.

See over there, there's a mansion that's prepared, just for me
Where I will live with my Savior eternally

And there will be no more night
No more pain,
No more tears,
Never crying again!

And praises to the great I AM,
We will live in the light
Of the RISEN LAMB!!

Can you just imagine that? A place where no pain, no sorrow, no grief will ever exist or be allowed!!! A place where utter joy and worship will rule, love will be our bond and we can rest in the presence of the One, the true and living God!!

(I'm getting blessed here at Panera as I write this. I'd start singing this song at the top of my lungs if I could but I don't want to cause small animals damage to their ears. Ha!)

Hey, I hope you have a great day and will just take some time to thank God, worshipping Him in your heart today. God bless you all!!

After Spending Over A Year Reading...

12 books are a lot to read. Whether it's 12 separate books or a 12 book series, that's a lot of words on paper to digest. However, as of 3:30pm this afternoon, I've just completed the initial 12 book series "Left Behind" by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins.

For those of you unfamiliar with the series, it begins with the lead character, Rayford Steele, flying home on a trans-atlantic flight. He's the pilot and as he focuses on getting home to his wife & kids (as well as contemplates beginning an affair with one of the stewardesses) when suddenly, several people on the plane just disappear!

What has happened is what many believers feel will happen much sooner than later...

The Rapture of the Church.

What this is is when in the twinkling of an eye, all earth-bound believers are whisked away to Heaven immediately, leaving only unbelievers here on earth. What begins next is a 7 year period called "the Tribulation" in which mass chaos overwhelms the entire planet and the one called the Anti-Christ begins to establish his one world society.

The Left Behind series picks up at the beginning of the Tribulation with the Rapture occuring and then goes through the next 7 years, chronicling the adventures, the life and death of those who come to know Christ during the darkest time in all of mankind.

The last book, "Glorious Appearing", is the culmination of the final battle on earth as Jesus Christ Himself appears, visible to every person and begins his righteous judgment on the Anti-Christ, the False Prophet and the millions of people who not only took the "Mark of the Beast" but are also literally fighting against Christ.

The book ends with a joyous reunion as Jesus begins to judge the righteous, giving them their rewards and reuniting loved ones. Those who died before the Trib, who died during the Trib and those who were raptured away before the Trib began. It's a truly wonderful thing to picture in your mind.

What got me about this book is how the authors described how Jesus talked individually to each of His followers, giving them words of wisdom, comfort and encouragement. As the song so eloquently says, "I can only imagine" what it'll be like to actually have Jesus Christ talk directly to me and I with Him.

There's just something so powerful about that thought and that image, it's humbling and overwhelming even to consider.

I really liked how the storyline and the judgments / events at the end of the book all followed Scripture. Sure, there had to be some interpretation in how things may turn out but as far as the 7 years and the 7 bowls and 7 vials and all that accompanies them, I felt they did a great job describing how they could unfold.

Although it'll take you several months or even a year or 2 to get through, if you're a slow reader like me, I think it's a good series to read. To me, it really gave me a more virtual interpretation of how life can be during that seven year period.

Truth is, even though this series is considered "fiction", it's ALL based on the truth and scripture found in God's Holy Word.

Jesus IS coming again...and I DO believe it will be soon. What an incredible day that will be, to finally be reunited with our Lord! To see His face, His hands & feet, feel His love, His joy and His peace, knowing that we shall go on to live with our Savior eternally!

As the words say in Revelation:

"Worthy is the Lamb!"

Ease The Pain

I have to admit that as I begin to write this blog this morning, I'm somewhat at a loss for words. I don't really have a clear direction on what I'm going to write about but I hope that as I go along, God will begin to reveal Himself through my fingers as this entry takes shape. There are little tidbits here and there that are bouncing around in my head this morning so I ask Him to help make things clear, to give me order and to give me some peace of mind.

There is a real sense of negativity around me today. I'm not saying I am negative but I'm feeling a dark vibe within people. Perhaps it's with all the upset fans here at the U of A and their displeasure of our head coach Houston Nutt. I don't think there are hundreds of thousands of upset fans (I can't see why they would be after a thrilling 1 point win over Alabama on Saturday) but I do know there is a good-sized contingent who are voicing their disapproval about a lot of things going on up at the Broyles Complex.

Some of these issues may be real but I know most of these are more baseless assumptions, specualtion and wishful thinking. While it's not worth going into all the hate being spewed forth toward Houston, from radio talk shows to newspaper editorials to internet message boards to even the television media, it seems that this pervasive conflict continues it's negative undercurrent, seeking to bring down as many as it can.

I feel for our coach today. Being someone in the public spotlight, I know how it is for people to want to take shots at you. For whatever reason, reasons that make absolutely no sense but are there nonetheless, there is this perception that if you are a public figure, we have the right to outwardly criticize you, even to the point of personal attacks. Constructive criticism is fine in any job. Disappointment and discouragement is expected all throughout our lives. But when that "criticism" turns to outright hate and despondancy, that's when the line gets crossed.

This contingency I spoke of earlier is on such a "hate" campaign that nothing less than the removal and firing of Houston Nutt will satisfy their bloodlust. Forget the fact that Arkansas is now 3-1 overall, 2-0 in SEC play. This is the first time in nearly 10 years the Hogs are 2-0 in the SEC. Yet, by starting the season off with a 30+ point beating at the hands of USC, we've set the table with not only a brutal defeat here at home but now the perception that the coaching staff is at each other's throats, running various forms of various offenses (not relying on the offensive coordiantor Gus Malzahn's schemes) and not being unified in their approach to winning games.

It's all a mad combo of negativity stew, full of venom, hate, discontent, slander, disrespect and insults.

Funny how yesterday, our pastor continued his series on "When My Pain Is Real...". His sermon was subtitled "They Just Don't Understand" and it spoke of how when people are hurting, many times, they don't feel like there is anyone they can share this pain with. People put on plastic smiles and plastic theologies and prop themselves up as either "know it all's" or "impervious to hurt". How far from the truth that is.

Pastor came up with an acrostic for the word "pain", which made a lot of sense to me.

P - personal
A - anguish
I - intense
N - now

Think of it. The hurt you feel in your life is obviously personal. Something you feel deep within you, down to the bottom of your soul. You anguish over it, hoping someone will either offer you support or direction...a way out. This hurt is extremely intense and seems to overwhelm you, blinding you to any sort of solution. And of course, this hurt you're feeling is going on at this very moment...now.

Pastor's been referencing this series from the book of Job. Yesterday, he spoke of how Job's three friends were all there, trying to offer support but ended up coming off as arrogant, pious and not listening to Job's story. In their "efforts" to help Job get over this pain (the loss of his 7 sons & 3 daughters, his home, his wealth, his status and his health), they ended up accusing Job of being on the receiving end of God's judgment for some sin in his life. Rather than going to meet Job where he was, loving him and accepting him right there, they all assumed roles of some outlandish doctor, attempting to prescribe more hurt and guilt upon him rather than easing his pain.

All throughout the service, I couldn't help but think of Houston Nutt and how people seem to be coming at him from all sides. Regardless of what he's trying to do as a head coach, no one seems to be happy with him. Unfortunately, I see him in a "no win" situation. If the offense gets better, Gus will get the credit. If the offense struggles, Houston gets the blame.

Look, I don't know all that goes on behind closed doors in coaching meetings. I'm not trying to pick sides and become divisive. What I'm trying to do is, at least in my mind and in prayer, hope that some relief will be given from this man's pain. I know he's suffering. Much of what he's going through reminds me of the kind of situations my dad used to go through in fighting certain persuasive members of his school board. These were the kind of people that would seek to not only remove a man from his position but drag his reputation through the mud and undermine his authority (my dad was school superintendent) along the way.

I see so many parallels with Houston Nutt's situation.

While I know I may never meet Coach Nutt and the odds of him just randomly stumbing across this blog are slim to none, I am praying that not only will he seek God's wisdom & discernment in this season of his life but that God will really work through him and bring him to the point He intended for Houston to be. I am aware there will always be negative people in this world. Like the saying goes, you can't please everyone all the time. However, as our church enters a new 50 Days of Prayer, my prayer & plea will be for a calming spirit to fall upon people. A sense of contentment and a respect of people will come about.

I pray that people will realize that they cannot keep running from God forever. I pray that this blog will be used as a tool for Him, to share His eternal message of hope & love and that many will come to recognize Christ as Lord & Savior in their own lives.

I'll close today by asking all of you who read this to keep in mind...if ever there is a time when you are going through a season of pain in your life, I hope you will never hesitate to contact me if you just want someone to talk to. I'm not going to "scripturalize" you, as Pastor Floyd mentioned yesterday in such a blunt yet truthful manner, but I will be there to love and support you just as Christ would and does.

I also hope that if you feel the need to just cry out, cry out to Jesus. There's no formal thing you have to say, no degree in theology you have to possess to talk to Him. Just be real. Just be you. He will answer, as His word says. Seek Him today.

I love you all and thank you so much for stopping by. May the pain you might be feeling today be replaced by the love & hope my best Friend can offer.

More Words of Wisdom

My grandmother sent me this email the other day. I figured since I was telling the story of my wife and her ability to relate such phrases to me with such relative ease, I'd give her some encouragement by showing her she's not the only one who mixes things up. LOL!

*****
A first grade school teacher in Virginia had twenty-five students in her class. She presented each child in her classroom the first half of a well known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the Proverb.

It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading, keep in mind that these are first graders, 6-year-olds, because the last one is a classic!

1. Don't change horses..........................until they stop running.
2. Strike while the..........................bug is close.
3. It's always darkest before...................Daylight Saving Time.
4. Never underestimate the power of ........termites.
5. You can lead a horse to water but ....... How?
6. Don't bite the hand that .................looks dirty.
7. No news is.......impossible.
8. A miss is as good as a .................. Mr.
9. You can't teach an old dog new ......... Math.
10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll .....stink in the morning.
11. Love all, trust .................. Me.
12. The pen is mightier than the ................pigs.
13. An idle mind is..... The best way to relax.
14. Where there's smoke there's ....pollution.
15. Happy the bride who..........gets all the presents.
16. A penny saved is ............. Not much
17. Two's company, three's ............... The Musketeers
18. Don't put off till tomorrow what ......... You put on to go to bed.
19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and...... You have to blow your nose.
20. There are none so blind as.... Stevie Wonder.
21. Children should be seen and not ..... Spanked or grounded.
22. If at first you don't succeed ... Get new batteries.
23. You get out of something only what you ..... See in the picture on the box
24. When the blind lead the blind ........... Get out of the way.

And the WINNER and last one!

25. Better late than.................................... Pregnant.

*****

I love those!! SO funny, especially since I have a pretty good chance of hearing them from either our kids or my wife! It just works on so many levels. HAHA!

Shiloh is in action tonight against Pea Ridge (we're probably not going to make it since it's an away game and Jennifer is on call) and the Razorbacks welcome Alabama to Fayetteville tomorrow. Plus, I'm still undefeated in my Fantasy Football league! It's gonna be a great next couple of days for some football, huh?

Have a great weekend!

Go Saints! Go Hogs!

Words of Wisdom

For any of you who know me, you know I have a sarcastic and funny side. Hopefully, some of these blogs have given you a glimpse into that side of me.

For those of you who know my wife, you understand I married above my head when we became husband and wife. Jennifer is such a beautiful, compassionate, smart and intelligent woman. I could never imagine my life without her.

Yet, for as smart and brilliant as she is, she has me in stitches a lot because she has an innate ability to mess up common catch phrases.

For example, when you and a person are in a debate and they say something that is not only way off base, but it's completely false, that person has to "eat crow" and take back what they've said. My wife, however, totally botched this one up one day when I came home mad about something at work. I don't even remember what I was upset about but I knew that I was right, as did my wife.

Bless her heart.

In an effort to encourage me, she said, as any supportive spouse would "well, when they see that you're right and they're wrong, they're going to have to eat COW!!"

"Cow?" I asked in a gigglish fashion. "They're going to have to eat 'cow'? You mean like steak?"

"Ummm...isn't that what it is?" she coyly replied.

At this, I lost it and said, through many laughs and guffaws "no, it's called 'eat crow'. You 'eat crow' when you are wrong."

So that has been a good laugh for my entire family for all these years. My wife topped those just this past weekend, not once but twice!! Two times she let out some gems of wisdom and thus, I feel compelled to share them with you now.

We were up late one night sitting around a bowl of cereal and talking about something. I honestly forget what it was but it began to rile Jennifer up. She was talking about how someone was wrong in their assessment of some situation and she, being in the right, was going to have to tell them "how the chicken was going to fly."

Without missing a beat, I said "yes, that's bothered me too for some time."

"What's that" she asked.

"How the chicken is going to fly" I replied in my smart-aleck tone...giggling.

"Stop it Jimmy. You are evil and you shall be destroyed" was her retort. It's become quite a common one at that.

The following day, we were driving through NWA, on our way home from a wedding. We noticed all the growth and construction that's going on and we wondered aloud what it'd be like to live in some of these fast-growing areas.

Again, a jewel of wisdom flowed from the lips of my beloved as she said:

"I don't know if I'd want to live near here because I'd feel like I was a mouse trapped in a hampster's cage."

The car almost left the road and no, it wasn't because of any ice patches. It was because I was laughing immediately at my wife's attempt to describe a closed in feeling by using some form of common slang. As of this day, I still don't know what phrase she was going for.

"A mouse in a hampster's cage?" I asked her giddily. "How's that any different than being trapped like a hampster in a hampster's cage?"

"Stop it, Jimmy!!" she said in a scolding yet amused fashion. She then proceeded to stick her tongue out at me and give me a rasberry.

Her words of wisdom do more to give me fits of laughter than words to live by but that's OK. She's still the love of my life and that's just one of those special things about her that make her unique.

That and the fact that she was smart enough to let ME think I was smart enough to work in radio yet marry a doctor. I think she's got me more figured out than I'm led to believe.

Tomorrow, more words of wisdom...

Three Days Later...

Every so often, I find myself rediscovering magnificent truths and awesome words of encouragement in Scriptures I've read so many times. I find myself sometimes glazing through these words of life, not because I don't believe them but I think as humans, we tend to almost forget the power that is in the written word. When we hear something so often, it may lose some of it's effectiveness on us. Yet, at the times when I most need to hear them, God sends these words of life to me...giving me that hope, that peace, that assurance I so desperately need.

These words can come from any source too. They can come from the literal Word of God on some early morning quiet time. They can come on the backdrop of an interstate billboard. They can come from a poster or t-shirt. They can come from an inspirational song. Such was the case for me yesterday and this morning.

I'd picked up the new live David Phelps CD and was eager to hear some of my favorites done live in concert. One of my all-time favorite songs is called "End of the Beginning", which he wrote. I don't know if you've ever heard it before, but I highly encourage you to visit his website and listen to that song.

www.davidphelps.com

You can find this video/song under the "media" section of his site.

The story of the song is a man who is taking a trip on a plane and begins to share the Gospel with a guy sitting next to him. It tells of of how Christ came to this earth from virgin birth, healed the lame and made the blind to see and how He ultimately came to give His life for each of us. The two men on the plane continue their dialogue. The skeptical man states how he doesn't believe the Bible and it's message and how it's basically a crutch for people who can't deal with real life. He concludes with stating that 'it's a nice story but what more can there be because you said they killed Jesus? How could there be anymore?"

But then, the other man says excitedly to him through the last chorus:

"I said I'll read it again but this time there's more
I believe this is true
His death WASN'T the end but the BEGINNING of life
That's completed in you.
Don't you see?

He did ALL this....for you!

He was born of a virgin one lonely night in the little town of Bethlehem,
Angels gathered 'round him underneath the stars
Singing praises to the great I AM
He walked on the water healed the lame
And made the blind to see
For the first time here on earth
We learned that God could be a friend
Though He never ever did a single thing wrong
He was the one the crowd chose...
For He walked then He died
But three days later
Three days later
Three days later...

HE AROSE!!!"

This is the simplicity of the Message and although I've heard it and believe it with all my heart, it felt like God turned on another light in my heart and mind, causing me to see the enormity of what Jesus did for me and for you. While the song and it's message are catchy and simple, the theme is utterly the most profound thing I could possibly try to share with anyone.

Jesus came to earth because He loved us.
He died on the cross to save us.
He arose from the grave to give life to us.

1 Corinthians 15 talks about how our faith and belief all hinges on His miraculous resurrection. It's because he rose from the dead that He displays His omnipotence over all things, including death. It's because He rose from the dead that we believe His word. It's because He rose from the dead that we now have hope and that we now have life.

One day, I will thank my Lord & Savior personally and rejoice with all the saints in Heaven!! He came because He loved me and it's because of His love and His grace & mercy that I am now FREE! Free to worship Him, free from spending an eternity in Hell and free from the shackles & bondage of sin!!

Now, I share this message with you today. You too can be free and look forward to eternity with Christ. It matters not what you've done or who you are or were. What matters is what you do with the rest of your life. You can find that peace and joy you've been searching for by accepting Him into your heart, submitting every aspect of your life to Him, walking by faith and belief that Jesus died for your sins, forgives you of those sins and now reigns forever in your life.

Seek Him while He may still be found. He is there, outside your heart this very moment, knocking on the door, waiting for you to invite Him in. Accept His gift of life because He wants you to have that life...and have it more abundantly!!

A Great Weekend Behind, An Expecting Week Ahead

What a weekend it turned out to be!!

First off, on Friday night, I mentioned I'd be announcing at the Shiloh Christian football game. It was a tight battle, an offensive struggle all night long. Our defenses weren't as sharp and both offenses were scoring almost everytime they had the ball. It literally came down to the final minute when Shiloh was down by 6 points. We converted on an extremely crucial 4th down pass play, setting up what would eventually be the winning pass to the endzone. We in the booth couldn't even see the corner where one of our star receivers, Crosby Tuck, caught the ball...because everyone was standing and cheering! LOL With less than a minute left, Shiloh went up 49-48 and it was up to our defense to stop them.

And stop them they did! I beleive we took over with less than :20 seconds left on the clock and we were content to just down the ball and let the clock run out. What a game!!

Then, the next day, the Hogs came out victorious over Vanderbilt. I wasn't able to watch or listen to the game but from all accounts, the game could've gone either way. Fortunately for the Hogs, Vandy missed a critical field goal and we were able to capitalize on it, winning by 2. Had the FG gone through the goalposts, our Offfensive Cooridnator Gus Malzahn was ready to go with our 1 minute offense. Gus' previous offenses he's coached in high school all had the ability to light up the skies with a potent aerial assault and many feel like he'd have been able to coach the Hogs to a victory regardless. However, we didn't have to find out as the Razorbacks escaped Nashville with a narrow in and a 1-0 mark in the SEC West.

Sunday, God moved in a mighty way during both of our services. Our choir and the music we sing have always been one of those things I absolutely love to be a part of. Yet on that day, it seemed like everyone's hearts and minds were lifted upward, focusing on His majesty and grace! Pastor continued his series on "When My Pain Is Real" as well as his 7 week study on Ephesians 3:20-21. I happened to chat with him for a few minutes after the Sunday evening service and thanked him for bringing such a timely message. That afternoon, it was kind of a cloudy, overcast, rainy day and a perfect time to just take a nap and wake up whenever. The kids were a little out of sorts, the wife had sinus headaches and my blood sugar was over 300. Needless to say, I didn't feel like going to a Sunday night service. But, I felt like God was really encouraging me to go and now that I've seen how He blessed that service, I'm so glad I did.

Not to say that I pat myself on the back for doing what I should have done anyway, but I'm grateful that God spoke to me and touched my heart that night. It was one of those times when I thought to myself as I drove out of the parking lot, "it's been good to be in the house of the Lord."

I hope that God will speak to you this week, giving you that guidance and peace you're looking for. As Pastor mentioned on Sunday night, humble yourself before Him. Seek Him and draw near to Him. The Word says "draw near to Him and He will draw near to you." (James 4:8)

"Ask and it will be given, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you." (Matthew 7:7)

May He reveal Himself and His purposes to you this week.

A Special Couple

Yesterday, September 17th, was the 61st wedding anniversary of one of the absolute dearest couples in my life...my grandparents.

I have talked about them in the past but today, I just wanted to dedicate this entry to them completely. They are so special to me and my family and I hope that they know how much we love them.

You know, 61 years is a long time to be together, married or otherwise. When we live in a culture that seems to almost encourage "drive by weddings" or even living together in a married fashion without actually being married, it's quite a testament to my grandparents' commitment and faith. Not only to each other, but ultimately, to our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.

My grandparents have shown me and my family so many things, taught us so many lessons without even trying. They've shown us what "love" is. I'm not talking about "smoochy woochy, lovey dovey" love but unconditional love. The kind of love our Father shows us. The kind of love where GG & Bapa will always be there for you, no matter what the circumstance, no matter what time of day (or night), no matter where you are, no matter what your need is.

They are always there, giving us that love and encouragement we need.

They have also have taught us how to have compassion for others. They've taught me at a young age how to not look at the outside of a person but look on the inside and to love people...ALL people, the same way that God loves us.

They've taught and helped reinforce critically important Biblical ideals to me. Things like tithing, honoring your mother & father, loving one another, telling the truth, trusting in the Lord, being an encourager to others, sharing your faith without being obnoxious, standing firm for what you believe and ultimately, teaching me how to recognize God's voice and accepting Christ into my heart.

For years and years, they always told me that they love me and Jesus loves me too. From my youngest memories, I can remember my grandpa and I sharing Bible stories and hearing my grandmother singing songs of the faith in the house as she was cooking a meal. I can remember sitting in my grandfather's church as he preached the Word of God. I can also remember how they would encourage me to live for Him and turn away from the bad influences in my life.

I, however, thought I knew best and decided that I had to do my own thing. Welcome to the rebellious years of a teenager and a twenty-something. While I never went completely off the deep end, I did get caught up enough in the radio, rock & roll, party lifestyle to know, deep down, I wasn't acting the way I should.

There's a song called "Somebody's Praying Me Through" and I can attest that after hearing that song and it's lyrics, I know without a doubt my grandparents prayed me through a lot of my rebellious phase.

I think one of the reasons I became so entrenched in my heavy metal music and drinking during my radio days was because I had a somewhat strenuous and tumultuous relationship with my stepfather. Although I knew that deep down he did love me, he had a hard time showing it to me. It caused the entire family many years of hardship and made family get-togethers stressful but even though I became extremely resentful of how my home life came to be on occasion, my grandparents were always there to offer me that love, support and guidance I so desperately wanted. In fact, I would say that today, my grandfather is more like a father to me than just a grandfather.

Our's has been an extremely special relationship for all my 37 years and I cannot imagine my life without him or my grandmother. My wife's mom & dad have passed and although my grandparents already loved my wife as much as their own daughter (or granddaughter), they stepped up to give her even more love and support, knowing that while nothing could replace the actual love a parent has with a child, they were always there to lend support, give encouragement and above all else...to love.

When our kids were born, my grandparents were there. God saw fit to bless us with a home within 2 hours of GG & Bapa's house, both in Columbia and here in Fayetteville and believe me, we took (and still do to this day) advantage of it!!

But in a good way, of course. HA!

They were there when the kids were born, they were there when the kids got sick and Jennifer & I were at our wits end with work and family. They've been there for the birthdays, for the anniversaries, for the school sing-a-longs, for the church services and choir concerts. They've been there for weekend visits and for overnight stays. Holidays. Special occasions. Daily phone calls (well...almost daily.)

Each time they've come, they've given of themselves so selflessly, never asking and never taking anything. Yet each time, they've always given the one thing we know we can count on.

Love.

Do you see a common theme here yet?

Yes, it's all about love.

GG & Bapa, we love you so much today. While words as simple as these can never measure the impact or the depth of emotion we feel for you, we just say we love you...again...and we know that your rewards in Heaven will be great. You are establishing a definitive legacy of believers. Whether it be from the thousands of people you have touched through your years of ministry to the ever growing number of people in your family, from your daughters all the way down to your great-grandbabies, always remember...

You are loved and oh yes...

Jesus loves you too!!

May God continue to enrich and keep you and may His blessings fall upon you like manna from Heaven.

We love you!!

UPDATE:

Let me also add, that after spending some quiet time with God this morning in the book of 1 Corninthians, I came across a passage that SO describes my grandparents. It comes from the version found in The Message...

"Love never gives us. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut. Doesn't have a swelled head. Doesn't force itself on others. Isn't always "me first". Doesn't fly off the handle. Doesn't keep score of teh sins of others. Doesn't revel when others grovel. Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth. Puts up with anything. Trusts God always. Always looks for the best. Never looks back. But keeps going to the end. Love never dies." (1 Cor. 3:4-7)

This perfectly describes the love my grandparents have for me, for our families and for all. Thank you both for your continued witness to His power that lives within us.

Looking To The Weekend

A few things to look forward to this weekend...

First off, the kids and the wife are headed out to the big Block Party at Kaitlyn's school. This is an annual event they do every fall where they bring out all kinds of bounce houses, burgers & dogs for folks to eat, plenty of games, some raffles and auctions and of course, one of the kids' favorites...the dunking booth. The poor principal always walks away wet at the end of the night.

I'll be announcing the game tonight at Shiloh Christian between the Saints (#1 in 3A) and the Greenwood Bulldogs (#1 in 5A). Shiloh is built for scoring and speed so I'm hoping that we'll be able to put some points on the board early and get those holes filled in on our defensive secondary. We have a lot of speed and talent on offense and last week's score was indicative of that, even though our defense got a few stingers thrown at them. Luckily, Shiloh still came out with the win. Hopefully at the end of the night, we'll be 3-0.

The Razorbacks travel to Nashville to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores. Last year, Vandy came here to Razorback Stadium and beat us, giving us that well-deserved wake up call. I'm hoping that the soap opera that's been going on up on the Hill this week has settled down and our coaches & players are focused and on the same page. If not, it's going to be a long day and a long plane ride home tomorrow night.

The game is on TV but we have a wedding to attend so I'll have to:
a) Tivo the game and
b) not listen to anyone give any updates or scores.

Sunday should be another great day! Our pastor, Ronnie Floyd, is leading a series from the book of Job called "When My Pain Is Real." Last week was the first message in this series and it was very informative and relevant. Sunday night, he will continue his study in the book of Ephesians (one of my all-time favorites) in a 7 week Sunday night series. I'm looking forward to hearing the Word this weekend and getting "fed" spiritually.

Take some time to give God thanks today for not only the beautiful fall weather we've been having but for His abiding faith and goodness to us all. He reminds me daily how He will never leave nor forsake me and I am so grateful that He has called me one of His own.

Have a great weekend!!!

Football, Radio and Football

Today's blog is coming to you courtesy of the server at Panera Bread here in Fayetteville. Unfortunately, their server is down and having "issues" so I'm stepping out on faith here that this thing will actually be published today. I've been trying for the past 15 minutes or so to get a decent connection and cannot get one for over 45 seconds at a time. Thus, I'm writing this on a WordPad page and will copy it to the blogger.com page when I get done...

or I feel lucky.

Kind of a hodge podge of things on my mind today.

First off, the soap opera that has become Razorback Football. Our team is in disarray, the coaches (apparently) are at each other's throats and can't agree on one central philosophy to get them through this season, the media is on a witch hunt, specifically our head coach Houston Nutt, and local radio talk shows have reduced themselves to insulting fans and people who post on message boards. You'd never know we have a game at Vanderbilt on Saturday. Oh yeah...I almost forgot. The media and Houston seem to be at odds and there is a perception that there are things going on behind closed doors that, of course, the media is whining about not being privvy to. Their mad about this, Houston is mad about the criticism he's been getting from the media and Marlena is possessed by the devil again.

Whoops. Wrong soap opera.

Onto other things.

I have talked about how we have XM radio in my SUV and I really love this thing. I don't find myself listening to much music on it. More talk shows and things like that that I may not have access to through normal radio outlets. A few nights ago, I stumbled across a station on XM that is broadcasting all these old time radio shows, including all kinds of radio mystery theaters at night. I was loving it as I drove home from McAllister's Deli on Monday night. They had one of these murder mysteries on, complete with sound effects, deep throated men and the ever-present cheesy organ music, complete with dramatic stings.

"Inspector, I believe I know who the murderer is...and he's right here in this room!"

(Dramatic organ music)

I laughed and screamed at the same time, only wanting to add to the moment. Yes, I can be cheesy alone or with other people. It makes no difference to me either. That's why I've often said my mind is such a fun place to be. Haha!

Hearing those mystery theater radio shows takes me back to when I was in 6th and 7th grade. I used to sneak an old AM transistor radio with earbuds into bed with me on Friday nights and at 10:30pm, I'd turn on WBBM-AM out of Chicago and listen to the CBS Mystery Theater. Man, you talk about some shows that'd creep me out. They had this old guy with one of those Dracula-butler voices who'd welcome you to the program and be your guide throughout the show. At the end, he'd offer you a less than sincere bidding of "pleasant dreams" as he'd begin to laugh sinisterly and the old creaky door would slowly slam shut.

Of course, I wouldn't look at my own closet door when this would happen 'cause I just knew something was in there, waiting for me.

Alas, I have now let out a deep secret of which many people will now laugh at me, poke fun at me and attempt to humiliate me. And that just describes my wife for starters!!

I was fortunate to have won the high score trophy in our small group's fantasy football league, scoring over 80 points. I felt like I had a good draft with several good players and team defenses. For those of you who play, here's who I've got.

QB's - Donovan McNabb & Chad Pennington (what am I, nuts? He'll be injured going to the Coke machine)
RB's - Ladanian Tomlinson, Willie Parker and Kevan Barlow
WR's - Marvin Harrison, Nate Burleson and Troy Brown
Team Def - Indianapolis and Tampa Bay
Kickers - Josh Brown and Matt Bryant

I still feel pretty confident with the majority of these guys. The only one I'm really worried about is Pennington and his injury-prone status. That and the fact both he and Donovan have the same bye weeks (Week 9). I'll need to find another QB by then but for now, I think I'm going to stick with these guys and see how far they take me.

Yes, I am now a fantasy football nerd.

Class Participation

Monday night was the first of our Parent Teacher Conferences for Kaitlyn. She's in the third grade now and brings home all kinds of homework assignments. Her teacher wanted to meet with all the parents as a group and explain the "how's and why's" of 3rd Grade homework. Of course, upon entering the classroom, I was immediately transported back to when I was in school and almost just as quick, the urge to start cracking jokes fell upon me.

Ahh yes...I remember wearing the crown of "Class Clown" and regardless of my being 37 instead of 12, it wasn't hard to put it back on. Yep...it still fit like a glove.

The teacher began by welcoming us to the meeting and started going over her goals for our kids this year. I was right there with her until she decided she wanted to break down the new way she teaches math. Now, math and I are two elements who never got along. In fact, once I realized I no longer needed math for any of my degrees or continued schooling, I had a restraining order taken out against math.

She did the same for me.

So, to be re-introduced to each other was...shall we say...awkward?

This new way of teaching math is called "trade ---" something or other. Here's how it's supposed to work:

385
-57
-----
????

Well, I would think you'd start on the right and work your way over to the left.

No. You start from the left and go right and add all kinds of confusion to the mix. Just enough to cause parents worldwide to doubt they even attended elementary school.

I decided this was too confusing for me and I did the problem the way I knew how and got the right answer.

228.

Jennifer, however, tried to follow the teacher's method and got it wrong. She wrote down:

227.

Well, me being the loving, encouraging husband I am, began to laugh at her and I took her paper and not only circled the problem with a giant checkmark next to it, I engraved a large, red frowny face at the top of the page. By this time, I was not only laughing at her error, I was stifling my laughter at being such a "funny guy."

Until...

I caught the teacher's eyes...who were focused narrowly on me. And that's when I got that exact feeling I used to get back in the day when, even amid my attempts to bring some levity to the situation, I got busted.

Apparently, parents of students can also get "busted" but with a glaring scowl.

I did what any rational mature adult would do.

I buried my head under my arms and slung down in my chair.

As I peered over the top of my hands, I noticed my wife...my friend, lover and encourager...pointing and laughing at me. I believe her exact words were "da-ha!!"

But the night wasn't over.

The teacher continued on and mentioned that there is a website the kids can go to for additonal help with math problems. On this site are not only extra word and numerical problems for the kids to work through, but there are also games they can play, reinforcing what they've just learned. The teacher asked us if we'd played any of those games yet, referencing the site and a note she'd sent home recommending the same thing.

Stifled laughter started up again from my wife and I thought "oh no...I'm not getting caught again, sister!!" I shot her a "what are you doing" glance and she quickly waved it off with a "I'll tell you later" whisper.

As the meeting let out, I said "what was the deal back there? Why were you laughing? Were you trying to get us tossed out?"

She began chuckling again and said "remember how the teacher asked if we'd played any games yet with our kids? Well, we did play some games with Kaitlyn but I think they were the wrong kind."

"What do you mean" I asked.

"I didn't read the note properly so when it said 'play games with your child', I did just that. That was the night we all played together as a family...

Duck, Duck, Goose."

As we laughed together down the hallway toward our car, I began to feel sorry for my wife. Pity even. To think that the woman who carried my spawn inside her for 9 months would be so swayed by misleading directions to suggest an evening of "Duck, Duck, Goose" instead of math games on the computer kind of caused me to just want to bring her to my shoulder, hug her gently and ask her if she also believed in the Tooth Fairy.

Considering the way she so easily came to a "Duck, Duck, Goose" conclusion, I was more than afraid of what she might say.

Poor lass. She's resting much more comfortably now.

All Access

Ephesians 3:11-12

"This is according to the purpose of the ages, which He made in the Messiah, Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness, access and confidence through faith in Him."

Have you ever sat back and just thought of how blessed we are as believers in Christ? To think of His majesty and glory, how He created the heavens and the earth, how He knows all and sees all, how He has His plans and His purposes to which He fulfills...and yet this God of all gods, the Creator of life has given us this privilege to have access to Him whenever, wherever, however we need Him. O what a humbling thought.

Thank the Lord for His promises and His faithfulness. I am so grateful He never has a CLOSED sign on the gates of Heaven. I am so awe-struck that He allows me to come before Him with prayers, supplications & intercessions and He listens. Can you imagine that? Someone SO mighty, so powerful and so vast will listen to my cries...and then, get this...He actually cares for me. He loves me and He calls me His own.

God is there for you, for me, for anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord. I know that yesterday was the anniversary of one of the absolute darkest days in human history and I know for a fact that people called upon the name of the Lord. Prayers for peace, for healing, for comfort and for restoration were offered. However, the "intellectuals" among us may doubt the existence of God and would even be so brazen as to shake their fists in the face of God, exclaimng "where was God on 9-11?"

Let me assure you, my friend...God was where He has always been.

On His throne and in control.

While this concept for some may be too hard to accept or believe, I am not ashamed to say that I cannot offer all the answers you may have the questions to. No one can offer you all the answers for no one can fully know the mind of God. It is not for us to be able to explain everything away when God's purposes are so much more than our finite minds could ever hope to comprehend.

Yet we believe and walk in our faith in Christ Jesus, knowing that everything works together for the good for those who love Him. (Romans 8:28 HCSB)

It is especially comforting to know that during these times of trouble and confusion, we can go to the Rock who is our salvation with our cries for help, our concerns and questions. It is during these times especially that we must reach out in love to those who are hurting, to those who need a shoulder to support them, "to walk in humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting one another in love, diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that bind us." (Ephesians 4:2-3 HCSB)

Thank God that by His grace & mercy we have that all access to come before Him without fear of finding a CLOSED sign in the window.

"Cast your burden on the Lord and He will support you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken." (Psalms 55:22 HCSB)

Five Years Ago

Where were you when it happened?

Today is obviously a somber, reflective day in the lives of all Americans as we think back and remember those horrific events that transpired on September 11, 2001 in New York City. We think of those people who bravely fought those who would attempt to crash a plane into the White House yet gave of their own lives as their flight sacrificially crashed into an isolated Pennsylvania field. We think of those who were lost in the Pentagon and in the towers of the World Trade Center.

On that day, I believe, America lost it's last ounce of innocence. We lost our last comprehension of what it was like to live our lives as a country "invulnerable" to any outside attack. The world became a suddenly much smaller place as we all felt the net of hate envelop our country, our lives and our world into a web of chaos and confusion.

Yet, for one moment, within hours and days of the attacks, America stood strong. UNITED. Determined. Resolved and of one mind. We would recover. We would grieve. We would mourn. We would consider all we had lost.

But we would stand tall again. And for just a moment, political parties, agendas and egoes were put aside as we literally joined arms together and became resolute as a nation. Our belief was one theme and our goal was a common one.

We would stand again.

Regardless of what your political views are of the current administration and where we are as a nation 5 years after the most devastating attack upon our soil, we need to remember and pray for those whose pain will never end. Pray for those whose loved ones will never come back through their doors. Pray for the families of the men & women who lost their lives in the Towers, in the Pentagon, on the planes...whether passengers, policemen, firemen, rescue workers, employees, janitors, cooks, tourists...these people belonged to families that loved and cherished them.

Remember their pain and anguish. As it may be easier for most of us to be able to set aside these feelings of grief and loss, these families deal with this pain constantly, dare I even say daily. They will continue to do so until one day, they can join their loved ones again.

May God give them a special touch of comfort and blessing today. May God continue to bring peace out of chaos. May God give you a sense of peace and assurance as we take time to remember everything about 9/11.

Gettin' Back Up On The Horse

Full weekend but it's now coming to a quiet end.

Our beloved Hogs got 50 hung on them last night from USC...AT HOME even...and we're all still licking our wounds. We had a few good things happen though. In fact, we got some brief glimpses into what our future program COULD become as freshman QB Mitch Mustain took over in the 4th quarter and lead Arkansas to a TD on his first ever series as a college quarterback!! I'd never seen Razorback Stadium so rowdy for being down by 30 points but I think Mitch's reputation and expectations were high on everyone's radar and I'd say, overall, he didn't disappoint.

Word has come late tonight that Mitch will start Saturday's game against Utah State. Former starting QB Robert Johnson has been moved from QB to Wide Receiver, a move he's been credited to doing with grace, poise and without pouting. If that is indeed the case, kudos to RoJo and his character as a man!!

The pendulum has swung back in our favor within 24 hours and Hog fans are eager to get it on this weekend! Now, to see if the wife & I can score some "walk up" tickets...

Speaking of new starts, I'm back on the lo-carb diet again. I'd lost around 20-25 lbs during the winter months and then kind of leveled off at around 197-202. I think the water weight was a bit unruly. Anyway, around March or April, I got off the diet and began to slowly add carbs back into my diet, if you can call it that, and didn't see any major changes.

Until a few weeks ago.

The scale said "look Hoss...you done good a few months ago, sticking to your diet, taking your meds and exercising...well, OK. 2 out of 3 ain't bad...but you're starting to pack it on again son so let's try this diet thing over again and dump some unwanted poundage."

What's that you say? Your scales don't talk to you? Hmmm...perhaps it must be a reaction to the appetite supressants.

If I can get rid of those unsightly jelly rolls around my mid-section, I won't have to worry about the wife & kids coming up and pressing my tummy in with their finger, trying to make me giggle like this guy here.

So, I've gone from 212 to 207 in only a few days. My hopes are that my system will be "shocked" back into dumping some weight and inches by October or November, setting me up for a slimmer winter season. If I can get my metabolism to kick it up a few notches and fool it into another 25 pound reduction, I'm hoping it'll level off around 185 or so.

My goal, ultimately, is 180-185.

Please pray I don't get bucked off Silver again until I get there.

A Whimsical Sonnet ("Ode To Ms. Muffet")

There once was a man whose name was Jim
He spent the afternoon outside
The children were laughing and running from him
Looking for a place to hide.

They were playing a game of Dodgeball & Tag
A combo of speed and good aim.
From tree to tree, from rock to crag
It was a wonderful game.

The temperatures rose as they became hot,
They paused for a nice cool drink.
The kids went in doors, tarrying not
As their father stopped to think.

"That garden" he thought "has become infested with weeds.
I think I shall yank them all out."
So he got on his knees, the sweat now in beads
His grasp was firm and stout.

Marigolds and lillies all overrun with grass
Such a shame to see them laden that way.
So he yanked and he pulled and tugged them en masse
Hoping to save them from decay.

The maple tree that was planted amidst in the garden
Had died a few months before.
It stood there all stark, barren and hardened
Never to bloom anymore.

As he continued his task, removing things never planted
That were now making the flowers' life ebb,
He noticed an eye level branch that was slanted-
Fastened to it was a sticky, spider's web.

He followed the line from the ground to the tree
To see where the web's line stopped.
What he saw made him gasp "you're kidding me"
Stunned & eyes wide, his jaw dropped.

There on the branch, a few feet off the ground
Sat a spider, black, shiny & yellow.
It had to have weighed at least 50 pounds
At least it was to this fellow.

Grabbing a twig, he attempted to pry
the spider away from the tree.
When all of a sudden came his son's feeble cry
"Daddy come play with me."

"Stay back Jake" Jim said "There's a big spider here.
I don't want you to get too close."
"Let me see" said Jake showing no fear
"Is that it? Ewww gross!!"

As Jake turned and ran, repulsed by what he saw
Jim realized what he must do.
He made the blow swift, quick off the draw
With the bottom of his Asics shoe.

He arose with some sadness, feelings of guilt
Emotions he now tried to buffet
For as he well knew from the friendships he'd built
They would now call ol' Jim "Miss Muffet".

Can You Feel It?

Excitement is in the air here in Northwest Arkansas. Football season is about to begin for real as the time for scrimmages is finallly over. High school and college football will permeate the televisions and radios all weekend. Men will rejoice as America's newest favorite pastime returns and women will mourn the loss of their husbands & sons for the next 5 months.

On tap tonight is the new rivalry between Shiloh Christian and Prestonwood Baptist in Dallas, TX. Shiloh is the school associated with our church and they've fielded an extremely competitive / athletic team the past couple years. Expectations are high for the Saints (Shiloh) to make it to the state playoffs (again). They've traveled down to Texas for a game tonight with one of the churches we do things with every once in a while. I'm not sure how good Prestonwood is supposed to be but it should be the start of a good-spirited rivalry between the 2 churches & schools.

The BIG game this weekend is Arkansas taking on #6 USC at home on Saturday night. The game is getting national recognition and will be broadcast on ESPN (in hi-def...can't wait to break in the new TV!!). The anticipation for the Hogs this year is the highest I've ever seen it. We've got a couple new breakout coaches in Gus Malzahn (our new offensive coordinator who last year led Springdale High School to an undefeated state championship...as well as he was the former Shiloh Christian head coach) and QB coach Alex Wood, who's got some big time NFL experience.

Add to that our stud stable of running backs, including Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, both of whom could really have breakout years and put their game (and Arkansas') on the map. Plus, the successful recruitment of some top high school althletes from last year, including the AP's Player of the Year Mitch Mustain, QB from Springdale High along with his teammates WR Damian Williams and TE Ben Cleveland, just to name a few.

USC hung 70 on us last year in Los Angeles so to say there's some pride and payback issues is an understatement. However, I am extremely confident the Hogs are much more prepared this year, both offensively and defensively, as we all hold our collective breaths to see how things wind up by 10:30pm Saturday night.

I'd say only the win over Texas a few years ago would rival the celebration that'll take place if we happen to stun the Trojans.

Surprisingly, even some of the bigtime ESPN and other college analysts aren't predicting a huge blowout. Some, pray tell, even suggest the Hogs could come out and upset USC.

Wouldn't that be an incredible way to start the season?

Oh yeah....football, cooler temps and a high level of anticipation.

It's gonna be a good day.


GO HOGS GO!!!