W!T AND CR3AT1V!TY

I love coming across random flashes of wit and creativity in unexpected places. This example was found on a hotel sign on S. Main near a SuperTarget in Houston.

Lifting Up A Brother

William Taylor, the Minister of Missions at Houston's First Baptist Church, is going on a spiritual sabbatical from January 1 through January 31. Please keep William and his family -- Nancy (his wife) and Will and Sarah (his kids) -- in your prayers. Praise God that William is able to take such a break in order to seek God's will and be refreshed in his spirit -- and to have some time to relax!

I am continually amazed at the amount of work our Missions office does, especially with such a small staff. Certainly, William's passion for our Lord and for telling others about Him are what helps keep that office running! It is so great to be a part of a missions-minded church.

S'FORE!

I love being a kid. Or, at the age of 35, I guess I should say that I love being around kids. It gives me an excuse to be a kid again -- or at least it provides a legitimate way to get away with acting like one. Regardless, it's fun being a kid.

On Christmas day, I gave my niece and nephew matching marshmallow guns -- original creations of Catha Duck. They were a hit. Kyle and Kristin and I went out on the fairway behind my parents' house to test 'em out, each with our own Zip-loc baggy of marshmallows.

After a few minutes of aimless firing at each other and a brief contest to see who could shoot theirs across the pond, we came up with the idea of marshmallow golf. (Since I had more experience with the guns, they jumped at the idea of doing something that would not involve my whacking them in the face with marshmallows.)

Here's how it worked: We started on the tee box by each firing our guns in turn. Then, we went to where our respective marshmallows landed and shot from there. We continued this until we made it on the green and shot the marshmallows into the hole. Fortunately, my parents live on a par 3 hole. We each shot a 22. (Actually, Kristin shot a 23 but she refuses to admit it.)

We decided to play the hole backwards from the hole to the tee box. (Again, I think there were trying to avoid any activity in which their faces were my targets.) We all shot a 9 going back. Why the significant improvement in our scores? Well, have you ever tried shooting a marshmallow into the wind? That's what we were up against on the first round. The tailwind helped on the way back.

So, that was part of my Christmas day -- blowing marshmallows through a piece of pipe along with a couple of 11 year olds. Regrettably, I introduced them to the fact that wet marshmallows stick to people. Things got ugly after that.

Told You So!

According to a study conducted by a UCLA political scientist, bias in the media is real. You can read an article about the study for more detail, but here are a few key points:

• Of the 20 major media outlets studies, 18 scored left of center
• The most left-leaning were (1) The Wall Street Journal (news pages), (2) CBS "Evening News," (3) The New York Times, and (4) the Los Angeles Times
• Only Fox News "Special Report with Brit Hume" and The Washington Times scored right of the average U.S. voter

Rumor has it that KUHF (88.7FM) scored so left of center that it was considered an anomaly and was not included in the final results.

Do You Have Water Weight?

I received this e-mail today. Perhaps you've seen it before, but it was new to me and I really like the illustration. As a Christian, I see how it is not a perfect illustration when you consider that we do not (or should not) go back to our burdens and pick them up again -- rather, we lay them down once and for all at His feet.

That said, here you go . . .

-----------------------------------------------

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water? "

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.

"If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.

"If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.

"If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

"In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."

"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Relax. Pick them up later after you've rested."

I Like Martha Stewart

I like Martha Stewart. There. I said it.

Now that that is out in the open, let me explain. But before I do, let me address all of the normal complaints that people have about her.

"She doesn't do all of that herself!" Um, has she ever claimed to? Of course she has legions of minions behind the scenes doing the work for her. Do you think Bill Gates design or builds every program for Microsoft? Of course not.

"Women can never live up to her standards!" Of course not ... unless you have the aforementioned minions on your payroll. And for the record, we men can never live up to Bob Villa's standards, either. He has his own minions, too. I am pretty sure that I will never be able to tear down a wall, install a skylight or build a multi-level deck. But I'm not accusing him of setting me up for failure.

So why do I like her? I like her for her business sense, her tenacity and her ability to laugh at herself.

Sure, making your own marshmallows is absurd. But people are buying what she's selling -- and they're buying a lot of it. Despite a five month stint in prison she's back in the saddle with two TV shows and no apparent end in sight. Along the way, she cracks jokes about her criminal record and allows people to make fun of her, too. (Did you see David Spade dress up as Martha on her new daytime show -- with a house-arrest ankle bracelet, too? Hilarious.)

Not really sure why I felt compelled to post this. Lord only knows what level of grief I am going to get for it. But I say, "More power to ya, Martha!" Hers is an American story -- blemishes and all.

Prayer For Ricky

Please pray for Ricky, my friend in India. He is still searching for a job. This is the e-mail that I received from him today (presented here just as he sent it to me):

Dear brother

JAI MASIH KI

Brother i have not got any job Sofar. my Dad talked to our village head.He suggested to us to change religion and make certificate of being SIKH. then only i can get job in ARMY because there are many battlions of SIKH but not even a single battalion of CHRISTIAN.My dad and i were not agreed with his advice and we can die of strvation but cant change the religion. Chances of getting job are very grim. Actually i dont want to tell you about this. i am very sorry. Still its going fine.

YOURS RICKY

My heart aches for him knowing what a dark world in which he and his family are living. Please commit to praying for encouragement and strength -- and for God to continue to provide for their needs.

I am in regular e-mail contact with Ricky, and plan on sending him a package soon in time for Christmas. If you have any particular prayers for him or any scriptures to share, please post them here. And if you have any other recommendations of things for me to include in the package (particular books? supplies?), please let me know.

We're The Fourth House Down On The Right. You Can't Miss It.

I wonder ... would this family still be considered "white trash" if they left THIS up all year long?

Click here to see (and be sure to have your sound on).

My Tour Of Duty

For me, jury duty is like a dream vacation with so many of my passions coming together into one experience.

A variety of people from all walks of life. Exposure to the legal system. Anticipation about the surprises -- and drama -- that may be around the corner. A great equalizer where all people -- regardless of race, age, gender, income, education, etc. -- have an equal say in the process. Democracy in action. A day off from work. I love it.

So you'll understand how disappointed I was when my juror number was never even called. I never left the assembly room except to go to the vending machines and the Burger King (or "Burger Doodle" as the bailiff called it) across the street. It's like going on that dream vacation but never getting off the airplane.

Regardless, I enjoyed my time there.

In a room of hundreds of people randomly selected from throughout Harris County, I saw four people that I know (to varying degrees, of course). Actually, to say that I "know" some of them is a real stretch.

There was a maintenance guy from M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (where I work). I do not know his name. There is a guy who I know has visited HFBC, but who really attends Second Baptist (I think). I do not know his name. There was the former CEO of ConocoPhillips -- a Christian man named Archie Dunham. I recognized his name when it was called out by the bailiff.

And then there was Laura Wilcox. She is the only person I can say that I really "knew" at jury duty. Laura and I met through our mutual friend Lane Alexander. Lane and Laura (and Kelley Kirby) went to NYC on a mission trip after 9/11. Laura is on staff with Priority Associates here in H-Town, the marketplace ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. She was quick to express her disappointment that "Murray Christmas" had been cancelled.

I wish I had more to share about my tour of duty today. But not much transpires in the assembly room. I read a little, text messaged a little, played Bejeweled on my cell phone a little, watched TV a little. I was surprised that they had Fox News showing in the assembly room. Couldn't stories about crimes (with images of suspects) potentially bias jurors right before they are put on a panel?

Anyway ... my dream vacation was cut short. They sent me home at 3:00 pm. For the record, I have seen WAY too many episodes of Law & Order for them to put my sharp legal mind to waste. WAY too many!

Separated At Birth ... Again?

Thanks to my good friend Stan Kwan for indulging me ...

Always Get It In Writing

Some guys ask random women for their phone numbers. In my case, I ask them to write down their compliments (when I actually get them).

Here's an unsolicited comment from a sales clerk at a store in Ft. Worth. When I told her I should get it in writing so my friends would believe me, she did not hesitate for a second.

Thoughts From The Road

As I type this, I am in Magpie's Newsstand and Cafe in Durango, Colorado. Just a quick jump on the internet to check my e-mail and how much cash I have to burn at the Polo outlet down the street.

(For the record ... I have not seen a single cloud since we left Texas on Monday morning. Bright blue skies and temperatures in the 50s to low 60s. Perfection, I tell ya. Perfection!)

Anywho ... if you ever stop off at the Whole Foods in Santa Fe, New Mexico, please be sure to wear a t-shirt with something to the effect of "I [heart] George W. Bush" or "That Tree You're Hugging Will One Day Be The Wood Paneling On The Dashboard Of My Gas-Guzzling SUV" or anything along those lines.

You'll be sure to get a few looks ... and sneers.

Thank you, Matthew

That does it.

There is no way I'm going to give up my longer hair now.

People magazine has named Matthew McConaughey the "sexiest man alive."

So, for all of you who have commented to me (or to a mutual friend behind my back) that I should get a trim, you'll have to wait until Bruce Willis wins the title.

I ain't lettin' go of all THIS!

Seeing Is Believing

Here's a reluctantly-posed-for picture of my niece and nephew, Kyle and Kristin, taken a couple of Saturdays ago. Many of you have heard me talk about them and the athletic prowess they inherited from me, so here's some proof that they do exist and they do got game.

Unfortunately, their games were at the same time that weekend. So, we went to the first half of Kristin's soccer game and the second half of Kyle's football game, making the way from one venue to the next across town with lawn chairs in tow. Oh, the weekly rituals of elementary school sports fans!

Kristin prefers to play with her glasses on and has never been known to pull her hair back from her face. But it all seems to work. The girl can play. Check out the action shot below of her scoring one of her goals. That's right. One of her two goals.

Kyle plays with his contact lenses ... if he remembers to put them in in the morning, of course. I'm not sure if things are blurry for him out on the field, but it's pretty hard to miss the endzone as long as you're running in the right direction. And speaking of being blurry, that's what Kyle is as he flies down the field. The shot below shows him scoring one of his three touchdowns in that game. That's right. One of his three touchdowns. The only three touchdowns in the whole game.



I know, I know ... you're probably thinking, "Well, let me tell you about my niece/nephew ..." I understand that Kyle and Kristin aren't the only kids in America who scored that day. But I'm their uncle, I'm proud of 'em, I love 'em ... and you can go start your own blog! ;-)

Collector's Items

Buy these two stamps and you'll still have 25 cents left to call a friend and tell him about the newest addition to your collection. Get 'em now before they run out!

Praying For Pujols

I was at Game 5 of the National League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park. With just one strike away from finally realizing what I've longed for for decades as an Astros fan -- a trip to the World Series -- Albert Pujols hit a three-run homer to left field putting the Cardinals ahead by one run (5-4).

My guess is that most of you saw it on TV. What you didn't see was that ball falling down from wherever it went above us in the Crawford Boxes -- and landing at the feet of the people in the row in front of me. Fortunately, the guy who picked it up was a man of great integrity and unquestionable character. He quickly threw the ball back onto the field -- right where it belonged.

Today, I placed "warning" signs on my office door declaring the space (and a 5 foot radius around me) as a "No Astros Discussion Zone" -- a clear sign to my co-workers that I do not want to talk about the game. And as of 4:40 pm today, I have avoided all such conversations.

But then my friend Lisa Karabatsos forwarded me an article which snapped me out of my funk -- or, I should say that it "convicted" me out of my funk.

It's an article about Pujols -- the Villain of Game 5 and the man whose name I have made fun of for years. In the article, I learned that Pujols and I will be spending eternity together singing the praises of our Heavenly Father. As it turns out, Pujols is a Christian. And as if God were specifically trying to get my attention to snap me out of the (dare I say) "hatred" I have been feeling toward Pujols today, the headline proclaims him to be "the real deal" -- the very name of the new Bible study that I am teaching on Sunday nights. (DOH!)

During the game, I told my friend Rolly how great it is to have a home-town team with so many believers -- Berkman, Ensberg, Everett, Pettitte, Lidge, Lamb, owner Drayton McLane. So, if I want to be "the real deal" myself, I have to find it within me to rejoice in Pujols' faith, too, and to be thankful that he has a platform to reach people for Christ, to pray that he would be a man of integrity in his professional life, and that he would do all things for God's glory. Even if that includes beating the Houston Astros.

Man. Living the Christian life and being "the real deal" really isn't easy, is it?

1 + 1 = Proposition 2

On November 8, Texas voters will decide how the Lone Star state defines marriage. On their ballots, they will indicate whether they are "for" or "against" the following proposal:

"The constitutional amendment providing that marriage in this state consists only of the union of one man and one woman and prohibiting this state or a political subdivision of this state from creating or recognizing any legal status identical or similar to marriage."

Many opponents of this proposed amendment (Proposition 2 on the ballot) will argue that state law already prevents same-sex marriages, and that this proposal is unnecessary and simply adds insult to injury.

While it is true that same-sex marriages are illegal in Texas, it would not be difficult for that to change based on the decisions of an activist judge or a liberal-leaning legislature who decides to change the law. A constitutional amendment, on the other hand, places the decision directly in the hands of Texas citizens. We have the power to define marriage as one man and one woman -- period.

Since most people reading this are my friends and folks who know me, I am pretty sure that I am preaching to the choir on this issue. However, what you believe does not concern me. What does concern me is that you actually vote.

Unfortunately, this is not a presidential, congressional, or gubernatorial election year. There are no major, high-visibility elections to draw people to the polls (with the exception of municipal elections -- Houston mayor, city council, etc.). Traditionally, only about 5 to 7% of registered voters vote in years such as this. Even in a fairly conservative state such as Texas, that may not be enough to ensure that this proposal passes. We have to get people to the polls.

Of course, this is not the only item that voters will weigh in on. There are a total of nine proposed amendments to the Texas constitution, and like I mentioned, local city elections as well. For an advance look at everything you will see when you vote in Harris County, take a look at the sample ballot. (Keep in mind that this is not precinct-specific; therefore, it includes all of the positions and not just the ones relevant to where you are registered to vote.)

Finally, be aware that early voting begins October 24 and runs through November 4. Election Day itself is Tuesday, November 8. For a listing of times and locations, visit the Harris County Clerk's website and click on "Early Voting Info" in the left margin.

My Brothers

Few people know that I am one of five identical brothers. Here they are from our last get together. (I was taking the picture, so I'm not in it.) We each have our own personalities and hair-care needs.

Like Uncle, Like Nephew (?)

The star of the Stephen F. Austin Gators football team in Baytown -- Kyle Murray.

My 11-year old nephew scored all three touchdowns in their 21-0 victory this past Saturday.

As he ran along the sidelines after the third touchdown (giving high-fives along the way to his adoring fans), he shouted, "This is getting boring!" After the game, I asked him what his secret was -- how is he able to score so often?

"RUN!" Enough said.

Updated pictures of my niece, Kristin, are coming soon!

We're Coming To Toyota ... TODAY!

I love seeing living legends.

My first concert was Frank Sinatra. Since then, I've seen Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Billy Joel, Madonna, Willie Nelson, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross ... and George Strait, of course. Not only do (or did) I like their music, but I would be able to tell my kids and grandkids that I saw so-and-so back in the day.

To that list I will soon be adding Neil Diamond.

And you, too, could add The Diamond to your list by going with us! We have two extra tickets in the group that's going on Tuesday, October 11, at the Toyota Center. Among the folks who are going so far are David, Lori, Lisa, and Debbie (she doesn't have a blog, but we still like her).

So if you're interested, let me know.

Yada Yada Yada

The best TV sitcom ever made is Seinfeld. Period.

If you disagree, you can either:

(1) leave this blog right now, or
(2) post your reasons why another show is better.

For those of you who agree with me and are looking for another time waster to add to your day, check out this Seinfeld blog. You'll find quotes, sound clips, a glossary, and more. For a listing of episodes and quotes from each, check out this site, too.

Oh, it's got cachet, baby! It's got cachet up the ying-yang!

Bless Their Hearts

Bless their hearts.

If I had a dollar for everytime I have received this picture from somebody, I would also have a dollar for every point Baylor scored against A&M last year.

(For those of you wondering what that would be, refer to my previous post.)

However, since I am in a lifelong process of practicing the act of extending mercy, let me be sure to add this -- an explanation of the photo take from an urban legends website.

(Hmmmm ... I wonder if there is "more to the story" behind every other Aggie joke?)

35-34

Time is running out to brag about this, so I need to milk it while I can.


Next week, I'll have to brag about this year's victory, instead!

My kinda gal

Here's my favorite quote from an on-line article about Houston returning to normalcy:

"I was without power yesterday for about five hours, but now that it's back on, I'm hungry and need some beef," said Yvette Gatling, a 34-year-old lawyer.

In second place:

The upscale Galleria mall was open. Armani's doors were closed, but J. Crew and Kate Spade did brisk business. Fast-food establishments started opening, too — and some had drive-thru lines that rivaled the gas stations.

I (heart) H-Town ... don't you?

Thanks, Ken

Thanks, Ken Hoffman. I couldn't have said it better myself: "A little disappointed, a lot relieved"

My most pressing question post-Rita: When will Channel 2 air all of the season premieres they bumped this week? I need to keep up with my stories!

Foraging For Food

As I type this, I'm hanging out with friends at Dinah and Laurie's place. Dave (my roommate) and I came over here around 4:00 this afternoon, primarily just because they had power and we didn't. Not that we're using our friends for some A/C ... actually, wait. That's exactly what we're doing.

But the group has grown to include Daniel, Kim, Shanna, and Clay. After a few hours of channel flipping and making fun of their other roommate's DVD collection, we decided to go out for dinner. (Seriously, Kristen ... the "Seventh Heaven" collection?)

Keep in mind that my heart had been set on dinner at the Steak Kountry Buffet. Not because I had ever eaten there or because it had a good reputation, but because I was sick of PB&J and the thought of a full buffet was too good to pass up. When we drove by it earlier, workers were removing plywood from the windows and one guy was spray-painting "Now Open" on one of the boards. As far as I knew, it was the only restaurant open in the greater Houston area and they were ready for me.

Dinner at Steak Kountry Buffet. Desparate times call for desparate measures.

But then Clay showed up and saved us. Like an angel sent from on high to announce the good news, he shared that the Luby's at Town & Country was open for business. Steak Kountry Buffet was moved back to where it belong -- on the blacklist of dining establishments. I feasted on fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, green beans, rolls, and Coke -- cold Coke with ice.

I had gone about 5 or 6 hours without power and wimped out. I had fled to the shelter of a friend and became nearly delusional until there was a hot Luann Platter in my belly. My question yesterday about whether I was heroic or idiotic has been answered.

I am pathetic.

Heroic or Idiotic?

I never thought I would be that guy. The guy who refuses to evacuate.

Of course, since it's not mandatory for my neck of the woods, my defiance really isn't all that heroic (nor idiotic). However, with four large windows on my second floor looking right out into a large pecan tree, my dug-in heels may still prove to be one or the other -- heroic or idiotic. We'll see.

In the meantime, here are a few glimpses into my life pre-Rita:

• Not being able to sleep much last night due to an accidental nap after work and an addiction to the news, I decided to run errands around 3:00 am. Kroger reminded me of the grocery stores I saw in Moscow prior to the Wall coming down. My search for gas took me past no less than 6 stations that were sold out. I finally struck gold at the Diamond Shamrock at Westheimer and Montrose. There were only three cars in front of me in line. The first car appeared to be filled with twentysomethings ready to go clubbing. The second car was a guy filling up his car and some additional containers. The third guy was in line waiting just like me. That second guy put gas in what appeared to be a clear milk carton. The first car was still trying to get their act together and fill up the car by the time I left. The pumping duties fell to a six-foot tall Cher look-alike, who may or may not have been a woman. Bless his/her heart.

• Mom and Dad left Baytown around 5:00 am headed for Ft. Worth. About 4:30 pm this afternoon, they were back in Baytown. After 11 hours of trying to navigate highways and backroads, they decided that it was just not worth the trouble. So, as it turns out, they had loaded up the car with treasured possessions -- and the two cats -- just for a lovely day trip. Total mileage? 104 miles.

• I love to have folks over to my house. One of the spoils of these parties is a refrigerator full of 2-liter bottles of every type of drink you can imagine. (Seriously ... who buys some of that stuff? "Christmas Spice" Pepsi? Sugar-free diet lemonade? Nasty.) Well, the spoils have finally paid off. Rather than paying $19.99 for a pack of Evian at Kroger last night (the only bottled water they had left), I've emptied out eleven 2-liter bottles and filled them up with Houston tap water. I cannot tell you how much this gives me a sense of accomplishment. I was resourceful. I was cost-effective. I provided for myself. But truth be told, I'll probably drink my roommate's Ozarka bottles first. He left town.

Waves of Mercy, Waves of Grace

It's easy to predict the score of the game in the final seconds of the 4th quarter. Therefore, you may not take this very seriously.

However, it occurred to me at some point during the Katrina disaster that maybe -- just maybe -- in God's beautiful way, it was a "wake up call" for something worse to come. That He was enabling us to learn our lessons before we would really need to know them.

And now comes Rita ... targeting a much more populated part of the Gulf Coast.

As I watched a news conference with Mayor White and Judge Eckels this morning, it was apparent that they were building off of lessons learned from Katrina. And as I watched people evacuate and prepare for the storm even before it entered the Gulf of Mexico, it was apparent that we had learned a thing or two.

So, as odd as it may sound, I want to thank God for Katrina and how He has used that disaster -- in His mercy and grace -- to prepare us and to get our attention.

Dealing with Muzak

I ran to the store for a few things today, like I usually do on a lazy Saturday morning. What should have been a 5-10 minute run through Randall's turned into a 30-40 minute stroll. Why?

Because I enjoyed the Muzak.

Now, I'm not sure if it was truly Muzak. That's like calling all facial tissue Kleenex. Muzak is a brand name. But whatever it was they were playing at Randall's this morning, I fell victim to it's coercive intent: to keep me in the store longer.

In a moment of identity crisis and in need of some serious affirmation, I text messaged some friends to ask them if it were bad that I was loitering in Randall's to enjoy the Muzak. Here are their replies:

• "You're so 35." - Dinah Quintero
• "Meander away! Pick me up some eggs!" - Lori Latham
• "I think you should wait until the fourth or fifth date to share your affinity for Muzak." - Catha Duck

Still no word from Todd Richards.

Snapshots from the GRB

Like many of you, I had the opportunity to volunteer my time at the George R. Brown Convention Center serving our "guests" from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. My first tour of duty was the overnight shift from 10 pm to 4 am on Friday, September 9. (I'm still recovering.) My second tour of duty was the evening shift from 4 pm to 10 pm tonight, Tuesday, September 13. Here are some highlights from what I saw and experienced this time around:

• I had dinner with Craig. He's a native of New Orleans and is here with his 7 year old deaf son ("Little Craig is his name on his birth certificate."), 15 year old daughter (Tia), and 67 year old father-in-law. His "old lady" is in prison at the state penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana. Craig is a house painter by trade, and also mows lawns for extra money. He hasn't found a job here yet, but is expecting to move into an apartment this Friday. When I asked him what he was feeling about all of this now, he said he looked forward to when his "old lady" got out of prison in a few months and joined them in Houston. He said that Katrina will have helped to get his wife away from the "bad people" in her life -- the people who played a role in getting her into prison. Every time Craig talks with her, he can tell that she is changing for the better -- that God is working in her life.
  
  
• Lynel and his nine family members had a misunderstanding with a hotel downtown. They thought they had their rooms for 14 days, but found out today that it was only for 4 days and were kicked out. The GRB is not taking any new guests so they had no place to go. While Lynel enjoyed dinner with another volunteer, I did some investigating to see what I could find for him. A quick stop at the Information Desk produced no less than 8 leads, so I called Lyndale Assembly of God first to check out their availability. While on hold with them, the volunteer eating with Lynel found me and said that his son found a hotel near the airport that was holding 3 rooms for them. The family quickly packed up and left -- before Lynel had even finished his dinner. One more stop on a family's search for normalcy.
  
  
• While we were cleaning up the dining area toward the end of the evening, I was searching for "yellow shirt" volunteers with nothing to do. I found a group of 9 of them sitting around a table. Jackpot! However, when I approached I realized that there was a guest at their table, too, and they were all listening to his story. He was a middle-aged man in a wheelchair with a bandage around his left foot. I do not know what he had to say, but it was great to see those volunteers so engaged in what he had to say. A little while later, after the group broke up, I saw him I told him he should have charged admission. He laughed.
  
  
• As the end of the shift was approaching, we were wondering to whom we would pass the coffee making duties. Somebody had to keep the hot stuff brewing -- especially overnight! Twenty minutes before our shift ended, some new volunteers began to arrive. One was a woman named Jean. Originally from Maryland, she now lives in the U.S. Virgin Islands -- and owns a restaurant! She instantly and willingly became the coffee master! God's provision is amazing, and so is this -- Jean flew to Houston for the sole purpose of volunteering. She had no connections to Houston, no family or friends here. She just wanted to help.

It was a great night and a great shift. And I am proud to say that my team's coffee bar passed inspection by a Health Department inspector dropping by for a surprise visit. Kudos to Rosemary and Bill for putting the half-and-half on ice. I think that put us over the edge.

Missed Opportunity

In Sunday school this week, one of the discussion questions presented to us while studying Romans 1:18-32 was, "Do believers suppress the truth?" Unfortunately, the answer is yes -- in many ways and in many situations. That fact came to mind once again last night while watching "Larry King Live" on CNN.

Larry's guests were the Dalai Lama and Joel Osteen and the topic was the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. One of Larry's first questions was about how a "higher being" would allow something like Katrina to happen to "good people." Keeping in line with his religious beliefs, the Dalai Lama spoke about karma and past events -- as well as climate changes. While I certainly disagree with his viewpoint, it's what I would expect him to say.

I was more disturbed by Joel's remarks:

KING: How do you respond to that same question? The Buddha said it's the natural evolvement of things. What does the pastor say?

OSTEEN: Well, Larry, what I believe from the Christian faith is that, you know, God is [in] control. We don't understand why all these thing happen. I think some of them are just natural disasters and you know, I think that when we come out of this we know that God is right there with us, [that] he's the God to comfort us and, I don't think we can explain this. And you know, David talked in the Psalms that he doesn't try to explain or to understand things that are too great for him. So, we don't try to get bogged down in that, we just try to -- try to remind ourselves that God is a good God and, he's on our side and he's going to bring this through -- bring us through these times of difficulty.

KING: Why not question it? If he's a good God and he's on your side, why did he flood New Orleans, something he could have prevented?

OSTEEN: You know Larry, I don't think there's an answer to all that. I mean you could go and figure out -- and try to figure out why are babies born abnormal and why did this happen, that happen? I don't think you can figure that out, Larry. I mean that's, the Bible says, "God's ways are not our ways, he works in mysterious ways," and so, I don't -- I think that's where a lot of people get hung up. But you know, part of trusting God is having faith in the tough times. And I think that's what we -- that's what we do as Christians right now.

Here's how I wish that interview had gone:

KING: How do you respond to that same question? The Buddha said it's the natural evolvement of things. What does the pastor say?

OSTEEN: Well, Larry, what I believe from the Christian faith is that, you know, we live in a fallen world. The Bible says that nobody will be immune from the bad things in this world. That includes death, disease, heartache, job loss, financial troubles -- and even natural disasters. God never promised a life free from trouble, but He does promise strength, peace and comfort to get through those times of trouble. When we confess our sins to Him, acknowledge that we are in need of a savior, confess that He is the Son of God, and then accept Him as our personal savior and give our life over to Him -- then He is there for us each and every day.

KING: Why not question it? If he's a good God and he's on your side, why did he flood New Orleans, something he could have prevented?

OSTEEN: You know Larry, we do not say that God is on our side; rather, that we are on His side. We acknowledge that He is in control, and that we each have a choice to make -- to accept Him or to deny Him. Could He have prevented the hurricane? Absolutely. Could He have prevented the flood? Of course. But He allows these things to happen, and through them all, He seeks to be glorified. In the aftermath of this storm, many people have come to accept Him as their personal savior -- have come to acknowledge that the only way to His heaven is to accept Him. As a result of the devestation, He has been glorified through the outpouring of love and generosity of the church -- of people being the "hands and feet" of Christ -- and many more people will spend eternity in heaven because their eyes were opened to the truth by what they've seen and experienced.

Is this "Joel bashing" on my part? I would like to think not. It just frustrates me to no end when an opportunity to proclaim the truth is missed -- especially on national TV and practically shoulder-to-shoulder with the lost and confused Dalai Lama. How much more should His truth be proclaimed!

Am I off base here? Am I too critical? I would be interested to know what you think.

Think it through, buddy. Think it through.

In the interest of full disclosure, let me point out that I am a government employee. Now that that's out of the way, let me share my experience with one of my brethren the other day.

I completed an on-line defensive driving course and needed to turn in my paperwork at the Municipal Court on Lubbock near downtown Houston. The court requires three pieces of paper: (1) a certificate of course completion, (2) a state-issued driving record, and (3) a signed and notarized affidavit.

The process of turning in three pieces of paper at a desk in the basement of the Municipal Court building really should not take too long once you get up to the counter, correct? You give the clerk your papers, the clerk verifies the papers, the clerk gives you a receipt, and you leave. Transaction complete. "Next person, please."

But leave it to the clerk to make the process needlessly longer. After each person stepped away from the counter, he reminded everybody in line in a loud, slow, exasperated voice:

"Before you step up to the counter, I need you to have your papers in the following order: First, you need to have your certificate proving that you finished the defensive driving course. Behind that, you need to have your driving record, issued by the state. At the bottom, you need to have your signed and notarized affidavit. Please have all of these papers in that order before it is your turn."

If you are reading this, I want you to perform a simple test for me. Find three pieces of paper and number them 1, 2, and 3. Shuffle the papers, placing them in any random order. Now, while reading the above quote out loud, put the papers in numerical order. Ready? Go.

So tell me ... which task did you finish first? Exactly.

The turnaround time to get the 6 or 8 people through the line was easily doubled by this man's special request ... again, issued out loud as each person approached the counter for their turn. The time "saved" by having the papers in 1-2-3 order (as opposed to a brain-teasing, say, 2-3-1 or 3-1-2 order) was more than lost by the time he took for his speech.

OK ... that's it. I have to stop right now. I am reliving the frustration all over again and can feel the blood pressure rising ... and rising ... and rising. But before I go, let me quote myself from the Summit Ministries message board: "Think it through, people. Think it through."

Every Little Bit Counts

A family of 6 attended my parents' church in Baytown this Sunday (the church in which I grew up). They are evacuees from Louisiana. There's a mom and dad and four children (the oldest is 10 or 11, there are 4 year old twins, and the youngest is about 2).

One member of the church found a rental house for them to stay in, and church members are rallying together to get them the things they need to make it a home. When they were told by the city that they would not be able to get the water turned on until tomorrow, my dad made a phone call. The water was turned on today.

The best part of the story ... the family placed a donation in the offering plate. They gave five dollars.

When The Saints Go Marching In!

Please keep my friend Charlie Loftin in your prayers. Charlie (a member of HFBC and The Shed) is in New Orleans with his army unit. They were activated on Saturday, September 3, to go help with clean up and security. His access to the internet is limited, but here's a portion of a short e-mail that he was able to send:

"It is really crazy. I still can't believe I am still in the U.S. We just got a shipment of 1,000 bodybags."

Also, please keep my friends Donny and Amy McIver in your prayers. Donny and Amy (former members of HFBC) currently live in Dallas. On faith, they have decided to take a 26' rental truck filled with food and supplies to Baton Rouge -- items that they and their family members provided on their own. Donny will be helping to distribute food with Baton Rouge serving as the base of operations.

As Charlie and Donny spend time in Louisiana, please pray for divine appointments -- moments when they can minister to victims, relief workers, fellow soldiers, people they meet along the way. Pray that they would both be lights in such a dark and troubled place! Also, pray for their children and families who they will leave behind here in Texas during their relief work.

Marketing The Church

I'm a casual observer of marketing. In grad school, marketing was one of my favorite courses. I like to analyze commercials and billboards when I see them, trying to determine the target audience based on their design, content, images, music, location, airtime, and so on. For example, I'm pretty sure that TV commercials for degrees in VCR repair are not targeted at me -- and neither are billboards for microsurgical vasectomy reversals. I promise.

My intrigue with church marketing is equally as developed. Whether it's a late-night commercial, a road-side billboard, a logo, or even a church name, I cannot help but think, "Hmmmm ... who are they trying to reach with that? And does it work?"

Therefore, when I stumbled across Church Marketing Sucks in a random Google search, I had to pay a visit. While I have not read every word on every page of their website, I certainly agree in principle with their purpose: to frustrate, educate, and motivate the church to communicate, with uncompromising clarity, the truth of Jesus Christ. From what I can tell, these guys are believers and are simply frustrated with what they've observed.

So, take a look. I would be curious to hear your thoughts. (About the website ... not the billboard above.)

(By the way ... if you're offended by the "S" word used in their name or if your browser blocks that word, you can use their alternate URL -- Church Marketing Stinks. Fair warning, though -- the content on the site is the same.)

Separated at Birth?

Jerry the Bitter Ex-Marine

I went over a railroad track last night a little too "Dukes of Hazard" style. End result? A busted radiator and an overheating car on the way to work this morning. The nearest possible source for help was Knapp Chevrolet (corner of Houston and Washington Avenues) so I pulled in to their service area. The guy at the counter declares, "We're not allowed to work on Fords." Not allowed. I wonder if they had segregated parking lots and water hoses, too.

So I call the car care center where I usually go and they send a tow truck. While waiting, I sit in my car in the middle of the Knapp Chevrolet service bay enduring a breakfast from their vending machines and playing Tetris on my cell phone. An hour later, Jerry the Bitter Ex-Marine shows up with the tow truck. The drive to the car care center was like sitting through a twelve-minute movie written by Eddie Murphy about a conspiracy theorist war veteran. The role of Jerry would be played by Christopher Walken. I would not see that movie again.

To top it all off, I wore my new pink shirt today. I am OK with guys wearing pink, and I received confirmation today at work that it looked good and that I was a very "confident" man to be wearing it. That said, I would not have worn pink for my outing with Jerry the Bitter Ex-Marine. He never mentioned it and I never caught him looking at me funny ... but I have to believe it didn't help matters. At a minimum, it did make me feel even that much more like one of those guys who knows nothing about cars and who is not opposed to a manicure now and then. You know, the type of guy with whom Jerry the Bitter Ex-Marine probably does not play poker.

That type of guy would be somebody more like Dave Bray.

Move over, Tiger

Another old picture, but it gets the point across.

I would like to introduce you to a future star of the PGA -- Kyle, my nephew. He's just shy of 11 years old and recently shot a 98 on 18 holes. He often shoots par on par 3s, and has been known to hit the ball over the green from the tee box. His newest toy? A huge new club that he's curiously named Bob.

Where did he get this from? Not from me. He gets it from all the other men in the family -- his dad, his other uncle, and his grandpa. When I was his age, I was more interested in driving the cart than driving the ball.

I Think They Can

I just took an on-line poll sponsored by Newsweek and Beliefnet that corresponds with this week's Newsweek cover - Spirituality in America. One of the questions asked was:

"Can a good person who isn't of your religious faith go to heaven or attain salvation, or not?"

Here are the answers broken down by how people identified themselves spiritually. The first percentages listed are from the poll conducted for the article; the percentages in parentheses are from the on-line version.

Evangelical Christians

• 68% - Yes (48% on-line)
• 22% - No (30% on-line)
• 10% - Don't know (22% on-line)

Non-Evangelical Christians

• 83% - Yes (63% on-line)
• 10% - No (12% on-line)
• 7% - Don't know (25% on-line)

Catholics

• 91% - Yes (64% on-line)
• 3% - No (7% on-line)
• 6% - Don't know (28% on-line)

Non-Christians

• 73% - Yes (55% on-line)
• 3% - No (10% on-line)
• 24% - Don't know (36% on-line)

Disturbing numbers, if you ask me. However, I believe the question itself is flawed.

As an evangelical Christian, do I believe that a good person not of my religious faith can go to heaven or attain salvation? Absolutely ... if they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior first. The fact that there was such little agreement among our evangelical brothers and sisters leads me to think (or hope) that they were extending the same grace to the hypothetical "good person" in question.

My assumption, though, is that that interpretation is not what was meant by the pollsters.

Stinkin' Adorable

All this time and not a single picture of Kyle and Kristin yet. So, here's the first. It's about two years old, but it'll do for now. (The woman in the middle? My mom.)

Kyle and Kristin are twins. When they were born in 1994, I was amazed at how many times I had to endure the following conversation:

Me: This is Kyle and Kristin, my niece and nephew. They're twins.
Random person: Oh! They're so cute! Are they identical twins?

Therefore, I can track the journey God has taken me on to develop my gift of mercy back to 1994. You get presented with that question enough times and you pretty much don't have any other choice but to learn how to show mercy.

The journey continues, by the way ...

Pass the SPF 500, please

For those of you going on the tubing trip with HFBC this weekend ... remember to bring your sunscreen.

Home Sweet Home

I am sure that I am not the first one to notice this, but doesn't Bill "Bubba" Clinton's presidential library look like a mobile home? Let's pray for ... oops, I mean against a tornado comin' to town.

My brother Ricky

In India in January 2005, I met Ricky Pannu in a village outside of Amritsar. Ricky's a great guy with a sweet spirit about him, and appears to be a leader among his peers (as they followed him wherever he went). He is a believer, and our team felt that he is a "person of peace" in his community.

Through e-mail, Ricky and I have kept in touch ever since I got back from the trip. In fact, he prayed for me while on the Summit Ministries mission trip to Guatemala in May. He recently finished school and is currently looking for a job. On one interview, he was told that the job was being held for Sikhs or Hindus -- not Christians. In an e-mail to me, he asked, "Is it a sin to be a Christian?" I'm sure that he asked that out of frustration, not out of genuine doubt.

He has another interview on September 5 for another job. He needs work in order to help support his parents and siblings. Ricky and his family are certainly in the minority in India, and especially near Amritsar (the spiritual "capital" of Sikhism). As Ricky faces such adversity, please pray for him to be encouraged, to find hope in Him, and for God to provide for him and his family.

"It's Football Time In Houston ..."

In honor of the Houston Texans' 2005 season, here's a little nostalgia ... a picture from the Texans' season opener of their inaugural season. (Joel ... you may remember this game. It was the first time the Texans beat the Cowboys.)

(l-r) Me, Lane Alexander, and Dan LeNeveu

In honor of the big game, we decided to tailgate. It was a great time, but I'm not sure it was the full tailgating experience. Folks all around us were basing their operations out of F-150 dualies and cooking on full-size Weber grills. And us? We had a 1970s-era Mercedes sedan and a hibachi. But oh well ... the Cowboys lost so it was a perfect day.

New jersey?

At what point (or really, at what age) does it become pathetic for a man to still wear professional sports team jerseys in public? I wear my David Carr replica jersey to all the Houston Texans games (along with many other people, mind you). However, I recall reading somewhere that that might not be such a good look for guys past a certain birthday. So, give it to me straight -- do I need to ditch the jersey?

(For what it's worth, let me give you a little context. My tickets are in the "cheap seats" in the end zone on the upper level. The fans are less ... um ... refined up there than on the lower levels. It's not really a polo-and-khakis crowd.)

First Bites

It's happend to you. You know it has.

You take that first bite and realize you're tasting what very well may be the most delicious food ever placed in your mouth. Never before had you experienced anything like it ... and after you take that last bite, you realize you may never taste anything like it again. (Unless, of course, you fall into a food rut when you go back to the same restaurant over and over and over again because you go through a mini-addiction that lasts for weeks or months on end.)

So ... tell us about your life-changing, wished-you-had-journaled-beforehand first bites ...