alan.gable

Moving

2010-04-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

New Blog/Website location coming soon. Promises to be completely awesome. It'll be at alangable.com but don't go there now because you'll just get a "not ready yet" message.

Still

2010-01-28T20:48:00.000-08:00

Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From His own fulness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Take a minute and soak in these words. If you know the tune, play it in your mind(God I wish I had written that). The waves and winds still know.

Country

2010-01-05T21:48:00.000-08:00

There is a dull ache spreading its reach across the warm side of my heart where I store all the affections I have for my country. I worry for the future of my children and I worry for the future of my parents. The current trend of the Union is accelerating down the steep hill of unsustainability. We are a nation of maxed out citizens. Our leaders have continually nudged us to the point at which the pressure on us is too great to bear. I ache for freedom and decency, but the squawking of the vocal elite seems to always drown out the calm quiet voice from the pages of our very Declaration. "Inalienable rights" are shackled under entities too big to fail. "Life, Liberty, Happiness" have become just words that draw sneers and scoffing laughs from the supposed defenders of our Constitution.

America is the last great hope for freedom in a world of barbarism. If liberty dies here, then liberty dies. There is nowhere else for freedom-loving people to go. Once social dependence has taken root in the form of over-reaching governance, only extreme sacrifice can tip the scales back toward personal freedom. It is becoming exceedingly clear that more and more of my countrymen are content to jettison the freedom protected in the Constitution for the shadow of some socialist utopia that has neither been effective anywhere it has been tried nor does it make any pragmatic sense.

There is a country I want my daughter to know. I want her America to be that last great beacon of hope where merit and tenacity dictate success. I want her America to be the one place on the planet where her religious conviction is respected by her government and not shown disdain at every turn. I want her America to be free of the financial shackles of her grandparents' and parents' generations. I want her America to be a place where a man is not demonized for the fruits of his hardwork. I want her America to be known for her generosity; not begrudging forced aid but real compassion driven help for those in dire need. I want her America to be the nation that fights battles with revolutionary fury; when she must fight, she fights to win. I want her America to be hopelessly infatuated with the joy of the concept of freedom. I want her America to be that nation which encourages and cultivates the family unit instead of continually tearing it down. I want her America to herald the virtues of capitalism instead of undercutting the principles of free markets. I want her America to, first and foremost, before any domestic social programs are funded, completely and extravagantly provide for the dead and wounded servicemen who fought their country's enemies.

It is my hope that my generation will pave the road for her generation.

2009-12-19T20:14:00.000-08:00

I really love Colossians.

Throughout the better part of 3/4 of the New Testament, Paul writes logically, methodically, precisely in language that is indicative of the combination of his stout academic background and his own personal brilliance. Like a great lawyer, Paul leads his reader into certain truths. "If this is true, then this must be true". Step by step, we are convinced to take Jesus seriously. Most of what Paul writes is with a ruthless logical pen.

However, sometimes Paul cuts loose into this beautiful language that reveals a heart that is completely in love with his savior. Occasionally Paul, Phariseeic Hebrew of Hebrews Paul, will unleash captivating poetry that communicates some powerful and provocative claims.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. Col 1:15-16

Where is the man that lives as if he actually believes that claim? Even as Christians, don't most of us live our lives as if things were created for us? But Paul claims that all things were made by Him and for Him. In the next verse he talks about all things are held together in Him. So why aren't we floored by this? How do we read this and remain on our feet? Either Paul is crazy, or our belief in Jesus fundamentally alters everything we think and say and do. This is the kind of idea that transforms people. My question remains: Where is the man that lives as if he actually believes that claim?

I wrestle with this idea. And my life, more often than not, reveals a basic rejection of this claim. My actions tell people that I think the things around me were made for me to terminate on myself because I am just that important. What would it look like if my actions and decisions were dictated by the belief that all things serve the purpose of the Christ?

Aroma

2009-11-13T18:48:00.000-08:00

This is a great time of year. Around now, Krisi has this pumpkin spice kind of lotion/perfume whatever that she wears. I can have the worst day in the history of bad days or I can be in the worst grumpy mood but when that scent finds my olfactories, the world is just right. Hmm. Excellent.

Idol

2009-10-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

"Why don't you wake up in the morning and go 'Oh my God, everything works the way it's supposed to"? - Matt Chandler

The most prevalent form (and there are several) of idolatry in my life is my tendency to take all the credit for the things that work as they should and shed all the blame on God for things that get all jacked up. It's like this. Avery is this awesome kid. She doesn't cry. She doesn't fight sleep. She let's anyone and everyone hold her. She's not afraid of dogs. She likes to cuddle with Daddy. She's just a good kid. How ridiculous is it of me to say that this is the result of superior parenting on my part? Or how about this. My legs move pretty much wherever I tell them to move. And, I woke up today without any pain. And, I can see and hear and move my hands. Yet I cannot remember a time when I have awakened to the thought that the fact that I can breath means God has once again showered His mercy on me. Conversely, when things go south. Like when my kid has to spend 3 weeks in the hospital or I blow a tire and I wag my finger in God's face saying "where were you on that one?". What kind of a fool does that? How messed up is that guy? What a complete tool I can be sometimes. (most of the time)
God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Post Script: Matt Chandler at the Village Church is a modern prophet. Get on Itunes and subscride to the Village podcast. The current series called "The Path" is walking through progressive sanctification. Consistant excellence.

Stimulus

2009-10-05T22:12:00.000-07:00

My kid was born 6 weeks early. She spent the first 3 weeks of her life in a small room monitored around the clock by specially trained healthcare professionals. As far as premature babies go, she was actually strong and relatively healthy (Thanks to the providence of God and the foreward thinking of Dr Harrison). I can remember every minute we spent in the NICU; every trip home at night, every hand washing at the scrub-in station, every sounding alarm, every test or blood draw or check of vital signs. Very few places can teach you just how little control you actually have better than the NICU. Helpless, waiting, watching her sleep. 3 weeks seemed like 3 decades.

The thing about this situation is that my instincts were always wrong. As a Gable, I am a nurturing father. The one gut reaction to her crying or her pain was to talk to her and pick her up and hold her close. The thing about Preemies is that too much of this type of reaction can cause them to freak out at the very least and can be detrimental to their development at worst. They just aren't ready. Too much noise or light or touch can cause them to be overstimulated which can lead to more setbacks and complications and end up making everything worse. For Avery, all she needed was rest. She needed time for her own natural processes to grow and heal and for her own natural defenses to correct what was going wrong.

The American fiscal future is in a similar boat. Our economic development has been stunted by multiple factors. Alarms are sounding as each of our major economic indicators redlines into levels that cause distress and fear and panic. Our President's agenda driven idea of governing pushes him to round upon round of "stimulus" funds. This agenda is nothing short of destructive. Just like Avery in her incubator needed low-key, quiet, dimly lit surroundings, so this economy needs an environment where it can relax, shut down the engines and get back to neutral. The current MO is to inject taxpayer money into a financial system that is already overstimulated. This has the same effect on the country as shining a flashlight in a preemie's face. This overstimulation can cause irreversible damage. Stop. Let her heal. Remove the impediments in her way and allow her the time to heal herself. Any more stimulus may cause severe destructive problems

Avery

2009-08-31T22:40:00.000-07:00

Avery's almost 8 months old. I haven't written much about her on here for a number of reasons, but I plan to keep a pretty regular updating schedule from this point forward (not always about the kid but she'll have her share of the spotlight.)

I started a new job about a month ago. Working with a start up company in Little Rock named HealthSpan Solutions. We manufacture an adult nutrition beverage called BeneVia. It is in the same category as Nestle's Boost and Abbot's Ensure but the protein blend in BeneVia (called ViaLeupro) is superior in every way to the 2 juggernauts of the category. Sales are really picking up as several of the nation's retail drug chains and grocery stores are carrying or will soon carry our product. Check out the website if you get a chance.

I've been thinking more and more lately about politics and governing. Of course, the current federal administration is doing everything I would advise them not to do. It seems as if I'm not the only "clinger" who is a little upset about an unreasonable agenda driven chief executive. In fact, people around here seem to be so upset that they are turning on their elected officials. For the first time, maybe ever, it appears that Senator Blanche Lincoln may actually be forced to compete based on her merit instead of just her willingness to throw large amounts of taxpayer funds into non-competetive Arkansas farms. The 2010 race for the senate seat she currently occupies is shaping up to be an interesting one. Some friends of ours are having a meet the candidate party next week for one of Lincoln's challengers named Curtis Coleman. Curtis seem like my kind of conservative so I plan to go and hear what he has to say. My hope is that he can say what needs to be said. I hope he will be willing to go even further than his friend, Governor Huckabee. America must have leaders willing to trumpet disciplined financial restraint. Otherwise, my daughter's generation will be forced to shoulder a fiscal burden that neither their parents nor grandparents had the guts to carry. We will see what Mr. Coleman has to say.

That's all for now. How about some pictures of the kid?

Kid

2009-02-06T17:47:00.000-08:00

It has been a big couple of weeks. I guess I should tell the story.

Krisi's blood pressure finally reached the point where bedrest would no longer control it. (I've learned that high blood pressure during pregnancy can be dangerous for both mom and child) Late on a Friday night, we headed to St Vincent to see what they could do for her. The on call doctor for the weekend kept her over the next few nights for observation and monitoring. When Krisi's actual doctor came in on Monday morning at around 9:30, he told us we'd be having a baby at noon. We had just enough time to get really worried before Krisi had to prepare for surgery. The C-section started at noon and Avery Kate was born at 12:22 on January 12. She was 34 weeks gestation and arrived weighing 3 pounds, 14 ounces with a perfect amount of the most awesome dark hair. I was able to walk over to the special kiddo area of the delivery room and watch the nurses do their normal stuff. I cut the cord, which was ninja! Krisi was able to see her face for about 3 and a half seconds before they wisked her away to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

The next few days were tough. Krisi was recovering from surgery and her blood pressure stayed pretty high until the next day. Because of her BP, she wasn't able to see Avery until Tuesday afternoon. I had already made a couple of trips to the NICU to see her. For a first time Dad, seeing your kid with tubes and wires and monitors attached is a little frightening.

We stayed in the hospital until Friday afternoon. During that time, we spent several hours in Avery's room in the NICU. We were afraid and tired and emotionally drained. Tough. Slowly, the doctors and nurses weened her from the oxygen until she was breathing on her own. By the time we left, she had lost a little weight (which I'm told happens with all babies). I'll tell you: Leaving the hospital without your kid is like leaving the dentist without your teeth. It sucks. But, Gables don't complain. In fact, after spending time in the NICU, we are painfully aware of just how many bullets Avery dodged and just how bad it could have been.

Over the next 3 weeks, Krisi spent her days in the NICU while I went to work and I joined them for a few hours every evening until we had to go home for the night. Avery consistantly gained weight and gradually began oral feeds. We were able to bring her home when she was a little over 4 and a half pounds. For the next few months, Avery is on prescription caffeine and hooked up to a portable monitor at home.

This is where we are now. Avery is home and healthy(relatively). We have a new appreciation for some of the stresses of the world of premature babies and a pretty firm understanding of life in the NICU.

Stuff to Teach My Daughter

2008-12-04T19:34:00.000-08:00

For about six months, I've known I would soon be a father. The more I look forward to this little girl's birth, the more I think about the things I want her to learn before she steps out from under my roof. I have begun to compile an ever-growing list. Here's what I've got so far.

1. "The God of heaven is the giver of all things. He is faithful." - When you leave our house, your beliefs will be your own. Regardless of the path you choose, you won't be able to say that your mother and father ever gave any credit to anyone other than the Creator of the Universe.

2. "If Mom says it, it is a rule." - Little girl, your mother will have your respect always. She loves you dearly and she deserves only the best. As you grow, you may be tempted (as teenagers do) to talk back or carry an attitude of haughtiness. These actions will certainly demand swift action on my part which will quickly remind you to whom you are talking. Understand that your father will always be showing you(to the best of his knowledge) how a man loves and serves his wife.

3. " No means no." - We have rules. If you don't follow the rules, discipline happens. This is because we love you. I hope you learn this one quickly...

4. "Conservative politics and free market capitalism work. Everything else is for dreamers." - On those nights where sleep evades us, I will take you in my arms and read the classics to you; Edmund Burke and FA Hayek and even Milton Friedman. Sleep will come. Sleep will certainly come.

5. "No one has the right to touch you without your permission." - I'm not even a father yet but I know the one thing that frightens fathers of daughters above all other things. There is a very real threat against young women and it is what causes dads to go a little crazy. Avery, guard your boundaries and trust your own judgment. Always remember to explain to those boys about your father's broad interpretation of the Second Amendment.

Incidentally, to those of you raising young men: I ask you to take your job seriously and teach your sons how to be good men. My little girl is going to need someone to love her like Christ does so I'm banking on you guys.

6. "Dogs are good creatures, cats are worthless." - If this one needs explanation, I've probably already lost that battle.

7. "Learn to win and learn to lose." - Very few things in life are as obnoxious as a sore loser, except maybe an ungracious winner. Competition is part of life. Sometimes you win, sometimes you get creamed. Accept both with joy and know that your value is elsewhere.

8. "Food is fuel, not a hobby." - This one has taken dad a while to learn. Eat when you're hungry; mainly vegetables; watch the sugar.

9. "Love for your country is worthwhile." - America is the best there's ever been. God has been so good. (see #1) Freedom is something of which we should be proud. Learn the rich history of your country and never allow the happenings of your life to keep you from giving thanks for liberty.

There are many more I can list and I'm sure many will appear along the way. If you have any you'd like to tell me about, feel free to add to my list. I need all the help I can get...

Fruit

2008-11-07T20:47:00.000-08:00

I don't mean to brag but I've apparently got quite the green thumb. Check it out.

For those unfamiliar, these are pineapple plants. I know; I'm pretty awesome, right?

On the nightstand and in the queue

2008-11-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

What am I reading......?

Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate by Jerry Bridges
-Our life group is rolling through this one right now. It is pretty good so far. Talks about the things we tend to overlook. Convicting and thought-provoking.

Letters To a Young Conservative by Dinesh D'Souza
-D'Souza was a policy aid to Ronald Reagan's White House (at the age of 26). Smart guy. Writes and speaks on the virtues of conservatism and the lunacy of liberalism. Naturally, I'm drawn to the man. This book is a series of letters written to a fictitious college student explaining the basic conservative principles. Good stuff.

Heroic Conservatism by Michael Gershon
-Gershon was a speechwriter for Pres. George W. Bush. He claims that the Republican party should back social programs similar to the things President Bush has pushed over the last 8 years. This book is about the Republican Party "regaining its soul by investing in the poor and social equality programs". This is what happens when journalists disregard economics. His claims are examples of out of control government spending. I'm not a fan. Aside from the short-sighted policies, this book is a defense of the character of George W. Bush. There are some touching stories about our 43rd President. The book is ok so far.

Einstein Never Used Flashcards: How Our Kids Really Learn by a bunch of people with difficult names
-I haven't really started this one but it seems interesting. Looking forward to it.

What do I want to read next.........?

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
-I was told I'd like this one. We'll see.

Tsar by Ted Bell
-Political fiction. This one sounds awesome.

The God Who Smokes: A Scandalous Meditation on Faith by Timothy Stoner
-Anything that challenges commonly held views is valuable even if it is complete nonsense. This one may be great but it also may be crap.

That's what I'm doing. How about you?

Election

2008-10-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

Politics is communication. The vast majority of folks in this country vote one or two issues and disregard the rest. This is completely normal. The rest of life is this way. Most people get by with doing or knowing one or two things really well and are just mediocre at the rest. Example: That computer you're looking at. The best computers (Dell and Mac from what I hear) assemble parts from companies that specialize in each component of the machine. The company that makes the best microchip, does not worry about other pieces of hardware. In life, specialization works whereas general familiarity with all subjects gives you just enough knowledge to be dangerous. Your average voter instinctively gets this. The Evangelical votes based on abortion and gay marriage, the hunter votes on the second amendment rights, the soccer Mom votes education, the liberal votes blindly and arrogantly defends his nonsensical position. (Face!)

I vote taxes. There is a myth floating around the country that rich people don't pay "their fair share" of taxes. This is patently absurd. Rich people pay taxes. Poor folks on the other hand.......nevermind. Another myth floating around is that the "Bush tax cuts" only cut the taxes of the filthy rich and giant oil companies. Basic arithmetic coupled with an elementary understanding of taxation will bludgeon this argument to pieces. The average middle class family was left with additional disposable income because of the cuts as well as the opportunity for higher pay because their boss also had more disposable income. Allow these cuts to lapse in 2010 and we shall see who really benefitted because they will be the loudest screamers.

Here is the truth: Tax Cuts across the board are good but they must be accompanied by spending cuts. The forced removal of one man's property given to another man is inherently unfair. Adding insult to injury is the fact that the former man worked for his property while the latter man sat on his behind. High confiscatory tax rates kill the entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic that has driven the last 200 years of our history. "Spreading the wealth" is theft clothed in platitude. John McCain is imperfect but he will keep taxes low and cut wasteful spending. He's got my heart.

(For the record, Alan predicts a McCain/Palin victory with exactly 270 electoral votes. Ohio and Florida will go red. Write it down.)

Ike

2008-09-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

My mother has a beach house in Surfside Beach, Texas. Surfside is a nice little place to the immediate west of Galveston. It is one of my top 5 favorite places on the planet. This has less to do with the location and more to do with the fact that I see my favorite people when I'm there. Grandparents, Aunt and Uncle and cousins as well as the rest of the Brothers Gable are the usual suspects. It has meant much to me because it is a place that represents the entirety of my family. As I've gotten a little older, I've been confronted with a reality that never ocurred to me as a little dude; that as families grow, it becomes much more difficult to find times when everyone can get together. The beach house in Texas carries some rich memories of the times we were all together.

As you know, Hurricane Ike swept through recently and really jacked the entire area. Thought you might be interested in seeing some before and after pictures of the beach house.

This is Pre-Ike. Yeah, that's snow. That was a weird Christmas when it snowed in South Texas.

Rear View Pre-Ike. Notice the siding in tact as well as the lack of telephone poles on the ground.

View down the boardwalk from the deck.

Post Ike. The beachfront migrated closer to the house and the boardwalk (see above) is either underwater or taken somewhere else.

She may be leaning a bit here.

We're hopeful that repairs can be made but we still don't know much. Either way, the God of Heaven gave us some great times in the beach house and they are memories that I'll store away for the rest of my life.

Tacet

2008-09-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

I had a music teacher in elementary school who used to yell "Tacet!" at us when she wanted us to be quiet. Apparently it was a music nerd joke so if you got it........sorry.

I have been quasi-silent on my blog for a little while. However, I have returned. In the next few days, I'll be adding some things over at my writings page so go over there and check out some of the new stuff if you so desire. Hope it is something you can enjoy. Perhaps I can convince some of the old readers to swing by once again...

America's Team

2008-08-15T02:56:00.000-07:00

Been watching the latest HBO Sports series called Hard Knocks. It chronicles, in NFL Films documentary style, training camp for The Dallas Cowboys. So far, the first couple of episodes have reached the "ninja" level of awesomeness (which, as anyone knows, is about as awesome as anything gets). I have some thoughts about the Dallas Cowboys that I'd like to share.

1. Tony Romo is pretty talented. I think his quick throwing motion is a necessity in the modern speed-rich NFL game.
2. Jason Witten tops my list of "favorite dudes I'm not important enough to hang out with".
3. Felix Jones-RB, the Cowboys' 2008 first round draft pick and former Razorback, gives an already stacked offense, just one more explosive weapon.
4. Martellus Bennett-TE, the Cowboys' 2nd round pick, needs a good kick in the rear. Totally worthless. His attitude makes me want to either puke or throw some blunt object at him. Maybe Witten can show him what's up.
5. Jason Garrett, offensive coordinator, really is that smart.
6. Zach Thomas is no fool...(That's for you Donoho!)
7. As a general rule, nepotism is one of the worst practices of any organization. Jerry Jones's son works for the Cowboys. Wade Phillips's son works for the Cowboys. Jason Garrett's 2 brothers work for the Cowboys. Cowboys' 2008 Motto - "We promote family values almost as much as we promote family members."
8. Still on the fence about Adam Jones. I'm cautiously optimistic. Although, TO has smoked him several times. Then again, TO smokes everyone.
9. 2009-New Cowboys' Stadium is going to be a good place for America's Team to defend their Super Bowl title.
10. I think Leonard Davis ate an entire camel. The man is large.

M.S., CCC-SLP/CBIS

2008-07-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

Krisi is awesome. She continues to increase in general awesomeness. I'm glad she's with me and I'm incredibly proud of her.

Look at all that credentialing. My wife is now a certified brain injury specialist. Congrats, baby.

Radical Idea

2008-06-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was told by some dependable sources to listen to a few lessons from a guy in Knoxville named Greg Pinkner. I've been listening to his series on the Gospel of John and, although I've read this particular book about a bagillion times, Pinkner has opened up to me a fairly simple yet radical idea that has, before now, never fully occured to me. Since I was a little guy, I've understood the facts surrounding the arrival of Jesus but I've never camped out in its meaning. The idea that God lived as a human being is the highest idea in all humanity. John says that if there is a God and he has walked among us, then nothing else matters. All else is framed in that concept. I am still chewing on what this means.

If you want a good and really deep survey of John, you may want to check out Pinkner's series on itunes at the Crossroads Service of Fellowship Church in Knoxville. If you're a "notes in your Bible" type person, then you may want to find a Bible like 17 inch margins...

Shorn Domes and Anti-Inflammation

2008-06-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I was priviledged to be able to shave my brother's head. This ritual cleansing was necessary for Jared for many reasons including but not limited to peace in the Middle East and as a protest against global deforestation. Here are a few pictures of the sexy devil.

As payment for allowing me to weild the pet clippers, Jared has forced me to follow the "Anti-Inflammatory Diet" for 4 weeks. Dr. Asa Andrew of Nashville, TN is the author of the diet as well as his book Empowering Your Health. The basic premises of the anti-inflammatory diet are that large portions of the American diet cause inflammation in the digestive tract which manifests itself throughout the body in the form of different ailments and many well known diseases. The main culprets, according to Dr. Asa, are processed sugars (duh), cow's milk dairy products, and wheat. All meals on the anti-inflammatory diet consist of equal portions of good healthy fats, low glycemic carbohydrates, and lean proteins. Good foods include eggs(yolk and all), lean organic meats, vegetables, low glycemic fruits(berries), goat's milk products, nuts (except for peanuts). Bad foods include breads, pasta, peanuts, soy of any kind, pork, shellfish, potatoes, corn, twinkies. In addition to diet alterations, the anti-inflammatory diet includes the foundational 4 supplements: cod liver oil(liquid form), whole food multivitamin, digestive enzymes, and something called Probiotic. Dr. Asa's claims are sometimes wild and extreme which originally lead me to question his medical legitimacy. But, to argue with results is generally unwise. After 2 weeks, I've lost weight, my moods have stabilized to where I am generally happy, my concentration level has increased, I sleep more soundly, and I've had no problems with my allergies even after mowing the yard. Perhaps this man is on to something. If you have a health concern from arthritis to fibromyalgia, the anti-inflammatory diet is at least worth looking into. I feel great.

P.S. You can find out more by getting the doctor's book or listening to his podcast, Dr. Asa On Call. Very interesting radio show...

Let me know if you have any questions.

2008-05-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

I posted this a few days ago in a different location but I thought I post it here as well.

It seems to me...that every man has at least one vice that continually beats the trash out of him. Once he becomes self aware enough to recognize it, he can then begin to try to conquer. However, he must exercise extreme caution because his pursuit of abolishing his one great flaw will leave him vulnerable to a multitude of corresponding demons. Personal example: My great flaw is overindulgence. This mainly pertains to food, but can and does bleed over into other aspects of life. Increased discipline can pretty much control this habit, but this discipline (usually in the form of a restricted diet and exercise) usually gives way to anger (because my comfort mechanism is taken away), pride (because I think myself awesome for being able to slay the foe) and laziness (because my battle with gluttony becomes an excuse to neglect other things). There are a few places in scripture that reference this principle saying that when a demon is cast out of a man, the place is swept clean. But when the demon returns, which he always does, he sees that there is room for 7 of his closest demon friends and the man is worse off now than in the beginning.I think this may be a more subtle portion of man's share of "the curse". God talked about him working the ground by the sweat of his brow which would only produce fruit along with some painful thorns. Maybe the man's heart works in a similar way. The more he works to clear away all the junk, the more weed-like things will take root and just keep working him over. May your fight produce good fruit, and may those thorns be small.

Tagged Deux

2008-05-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

I got tagged again so here are 7 random things about the self.

1. I get things done when I'm angry. If I come home from work in a bad mood (it happens), I'll usually do some dishes or mow the yard. As a corollary, I sing when I do dishes. It is the only place outside of the shower and corporate worship where I'll do this. I think this has something to do with my genetics. Thanks Mom.

2. I'm ticklish on the corner of my right elbow. However, if you try to use this information against me, you might get a closer look at my elbow than you wanted. Capiche?

3. I have an inexplicable appreciation for puns. Formulation of a clever pun requires vast creativity and high levels of brain function. A good pun is welcome in nearly any social setting. Puns are like inside jokes for smart people...

4. There is a special place in my heart for Alfred Hitchcock films. Rear Window is the best there has ever been. Don't even try to argue with me.

5. I am allergic to antiperspirant. Before you get all grossed out, let me finish. There is a chemical in antiperspirant that causes skin irritation in many people. When purchasing deodorant, I have to be careful to buy the brand without the added antiperspirant. Old Spice, cause I'm a real man, baby!

6. I am named after my grandfather on my mother's side. Alan Sowders, Evangelist. Great guy. By the way, "Alan" is the proper spelling. "Allen" is a last name and "Allan" is just trying to be different. (For the record, I am kidding about the name variations. If you or one of your relatives are named Allen or Allan, then I proudly share my name with you, at least on a phonetic level).

7. I am generally late when I travel. Not sure why. I guess my brain flips a switch once I go into vacation mode. Once that happens, I'm not rushing anything. I'll get there when I get there.

Nathan Bland, give me 7...

Tagged

2008-04-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

My buddy, Todd Ramsey, named me in a recent tag post. After reading this, you should go over to Todd's place to see what he's writing about. Always interesting. Good dude. Here goes.

What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was trying to convince a certain girl to go out with me. I tricked her into saying "yes" and she hasn't caught on yet. Shhhhhh.

5 things on my to-do list today
-Mow yard
-Watch NFL draft
-Call buddy, Tim Avance, to catch up
-Call fence people (We are putting up a fence in our backyard. Fun)
-Finish CPA exam application process

5 places I have traveled
-Williamsburg, VA (Favorite place on the planet)
-Cozumel, Mexico
-New York, New York
-Surfside, TX
-Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field - Very Nice)

5 snacks or treats I enjoy
-Reese's Pieces
-Arby's Jamocha Shake
-Dairy Queen Chocolate Dipped Cone
-Mashed Potatoes
-Anything made by wife

What would I do if I were a billionaire?
Not tell anyone.
Tell my boss that I'm taking a few years off.
Buy my wife a nice dress.
Pave myself a "Gable-only" lane all the way down Maumelle Blvd. I know the Mayor and he'd be cool with it.
Put 10 million in a conservative interest bearing account
Give it away.

Places I've lived
-Lebanon, TN
-Richmond, VA
-Memphis, TN
-Tullahoma, TN
-Little Rock, AR
-Atlanta, GA
-Searcy, AR
-Maumelle, AR

Jobs I've had
-Sandwich assembler, McAlister's Gourmet Deli
-Golf Assistant, Country Club of Little Rock
-Vice President of Dip Cone Management, Dairy Queen of Searcy
-Accountant

Folks I think should answer these questions (hint: you got tagged)
-Doug Gunselman
-Houston Cousin Erin Helm
-Cameron Clark

Write

2008-04-24T21:17:00.000-07:00

I have some time to write again so I'll be posting some more stuff over on my writings page. Check it out if you like.

My awesome wife turns 26 on Sunday. Isn't she lovely?

Super Tuesday

2008-04-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

It's over. There is a mental exhaustion that follows on the heels of tax season. I generally require about a month before I am able to reacquire mental equilibrium. The old noggin needs rest and 36 holes tomorrow sounds like a good start. The weather people say that it will be sunny and 75 tomorrow. I take this as direct communication from the Holy Spirit. He is prodding me to play golf and I will most certainly oblige.

Me and the Mrs. are taking a few days this weekend and heading to Nashville to hang out with my brothers. Jared, Travis, and I share a weird connection. I'm not sure if all "brotherhoods" are this way but when the 3 of us are together, I can literally feel a recharging; as if their combined energies give me some sort of fuel with which to tackle my day. (Tacklin Fuel) They're good dudes. We'll laugh a lot this weekend.

That's all for now. I hope everyone got their tax house in order. If not, it looks like you still have a little over 3 hours to get to the post office. Good luck.

My mother's birthday was yesterday. Happy 33rd Birthday Mom!

Apologies

2008-03-26T05:34:00.000-07:00

I typically do not apologize for the way this blog is run. However, the lack of content of late is as troubling to me as it is to my readers (both of you). I assure you that it is not personal. Tax season has a way of pushing all other things to the margins and this most exciting destination on the world wide web is no different. I apologize and I prostrate myself before you and beg of your forgiveness. April 16 will bring the most amazing posts you've ever seen. Stay tuned.

Bristol

2008-03-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

Krisi makes fun of me for liking NASCAR. What does she know. NASCAR is usually my third favorite sport behind America's game and then football. However, on a few weekends during its season, NASCAR jumps up into first. There is one track on the entire circuit that makes me giddy........Bristol. Most of the tracks these guys race on are at least a mile and a half long. Bristol is just over a half mile. In addition, the banking is so steep that it forces cars into each other. Very exciting.

Looks like this all day.

If you are one of those people who "don't get NASCAR", watch tomorrow's race in Bristol. If you don't fall in love with the sport after watching a Bristol race, I have serious doubts about your judgment. What's wrong with you?

Bits and Pieces

2008-03-04T17:07:00.000-08:00

Krisi and I are one episode away from being caught up on "Lost". (Which is amazing considering we started with Season 1 three weeks ago.) If you haven't been watching this show......what is wrong with you, man? We enjoy it.

My pineapples are in the ground (well, pots). Their names are Thomas L. Hagan, Esq. and Dr. Peter Theodore Wenkman, Ph.D. Yeah, they have names. What? Here are some more pictures.

We also had snow this morning. Weird. More pictures.

Pineapple

2008-02-11T17:20:00.000-08:00

I was inspired by one of the doctors with whom my wife works to grow some pineapples. Thanks Dr. T.

Step 1 - Twist the top green leafy part off of a pineapple and pull the bottom layer of leaves off. This will reveal the brown seedling things.

Step 2 - Place these in water for a few weeks until they begin to root.

Step 3 - Once rooted, plant these things.

Step 4 - Wait forever. Provide sufficient water. Make sure they don't die.

I'm on step 2ish. They have begun to root, but they appear to be turning a little brown. Not sure how this is going to turn out. Here are some pictures:

In a tropical climate, it takes about a year and a half to grow one pineapple. Here in Arkansas, it'll probably be closer to 2 years. We'll see.

Primaries and Governor Wallace

2008-02-06T07:50:00.000-08:00

I never got to meet my Grandfather on my Dad's side. He is the one person I would sacrifice a limb to meet. From all accounts, he was a good dude; worked hard, loved football and coffee, and was utterly devoted to his family and Jesus. He also loved Governor George Wallace (D-AL). He was storied to have said that the only faults my mother had were that she didn't like coffee and she disagreed with Governor Wallace. Mom has since developed a taste for coffee but I still don't think George Wallace would ever make her "Top 10 Most Admired People" list. Granddaddy Jesse was a Democrat. Had he lived the last few decades, I have a feeling that his political leanings might have migrated closer to the Republican side because his party left him. Many of the things that the Democratic party was known for several years ago, represent the framework for social conservatism and small government. I think my grandfather would have been sad to see what the Democratic Party has become, especially its propensity to develop and fund gigantic social welfare programs.

In similar fashion, I'm beginning to see the Republican Party gradually shift away from me. It appears that Senator McCain will represent the right in November. For the 2008 Presidential election, voters will be able to choose between an ultra-liberal and just a regular liberal. I'm not worried about the state of "the conservative movement", I just feel like I'm getting stood up for the Prom.

Incidentally, in his last term, Governor George Wallace made several intense and heartfelt apologies to those that he had harmed by his "firm stance on segregation" and he faithfully served Alabama in ways that the state will never be able to repay.

Fraternity

2008-01-31T17:12:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, my brothers convinced me to run a half-marathon with them in Nashville. It was terrible and wonderful. For a week after the alleged "race", I couldn't feel my legs. We had a good time and we all finished. I like hanging out with those boys. A few weeks ago, Jared and Travis called with a new proposal. Tomorrow, we begin the Brothers Gable Book Club. I know it sounds a bit hokey but it's all we've come up with right now. The rules/guidelines of this club of clubs are as follows:
Each Brothers Gable Book Club season lasts 24 months (This being the inaugural season).
Each brother chooses 8 books per season. Each of us will read all 24 books chosen.
The original rules as dictated to me were that no book could cover more than 300 pages. (I laughed in the face of this literary mockery. 300 pages is an essay. This guideline has since been done away with because adults read large books without pretty pictures. Sissies.)
No books about baseball. (This rule obviously runs counter to my better judgment but I allowed it.)
No textbooks.
Jared strongly suggested no John Grisham.
It is suggested that each list contain at least one selection that is just for fun. Also, suggested is a biographical book of some sort.
Each book must cost less than $25. (One of Jared's selections violates this rule but he may be receiving some sort of royalty from Doc Olree)
Lists are left open-ended for the possibility of new arrival books coming out during the 24 months.

The basic framework: Every quarter, all three brothers choose a book from their designated list. During the first month of that quarter, the brother will read his chosen and then pass it to one of the others for the next month. As he is reading, he will document his brilliant thoughts pertaining to his specific book. (At some point in the near future, there will be a destination on the world wide web for each brother to post his thoughts. We will seek to expound, reject or belittle each author's writings without giving away any major plot points or surprise endings. This should not be too difficult because we each have pretty much stayed away from fiction.) That is it.

Our lists don't really reflect any deep psychological tendencies or anything. Just some things we each would like to read and a couple that will expand our worldview.
Take a look at my list here.
Travis's list here. He's on an "emergent" kick. I'm especially excited about the Biff book.
Jared's list here. Jared is a lawyer and his list leans toward philosophy/legal/history. Should be fun.

(I don't really need a reason to read but anything that keeps us connected is worth it.)
Feel free to follow along. It should be interesting.

Zechariah

2008-01-22T20:25:00.000-08:00

Zechariah (I'll refer to him as "Z" hereafter because writing his full name makes me tired) is a pretty interesting guy. Jewish priest and father of John the Baptist........not the Old Testament son of Berekiah, son of Iddo, although he's interesting in his own right.

Z and his wife Elizabeth were good people and pretty old. They had no children but they had obviously wanted them. They had probably asked God for a child for 5, maybe 6 decades and I'm sure they had come to the reality that it wasn't going to happen. Z's turn to serve in the temple came up and he went before the presence of God to do what was commanded. In the middle of his incense burning, an angel told him that he and Elizabeth would have a son. Z asks the angel, "how can I be sure of this?" I'm pretty sure we skip over that question more easily than we should. Z had been pleading for this blessing for so, so long. The question he asks is a loaded one. Do you think Z was bitter? Do you think he wanted to ask God something like, "where have you been?" or "what took you so long?" or "why would you do this now when I'm too old to be the father I want to be?". Or, maybe in one of his bolder mindframes, wag his hand in God's face and say "you know what, don't even bother because I probably won't live long enough to hear this kid's first words". Remember, he was old. The angel quickly reminds Z that he was sent by the Almighty and then tells him that he will be "silent and not able to speak".

If you read Luke 1, you'll get the full story. As a little one, I learned that Z couldn't speak for a while. On the surface, I fail to see how this would be much of a punishment, but then again, I don't do much talking. But read verse 62 and the entire story takes a devastating turn. This verse says that the people around Z would "make signs" when they wanted to communicate with him. One does not make signs unless speaking to a deaf person. In addition to being unable to speak, Z was also unable to hear. Why is this devastating?

Imagine praying for one thing with your spouse for as long as you can remember. After years and years of dreaming and planning and hope fading to disappointment, you find out that your dream is about to become reality. Now imagine not being able to hear your spouse's joy. Imagine not being able to talk about it and plan for it. Imagine Z not being able to hear Elizabeth explain to him what it feels like for her son to kick inside her. Think about him not being able to hear his son cry for the first time. Z didn't get his hearing back for 8 days after John was born. Can you imagine that week? How long it had to have been? Can you see why Z's first words when he could speak again in verse 64 were to praise God?

The lesson here might be for us to deal openly with our bitterness and disappointments because our God's loving discipline is so effective.

Economic Stimulus

2008-01-18T20:12:00.000-08:00

The President spoke today about his plan for a quick shot in the economic arm. The major economic stimulus tenet of his proposal is the tax rebate. In 2001, you might remember this President sending each individual taxpayer a $300 tax rebate check. ($600 per household) This time, the President is suggesting tax rebates of $800 ($1600 for households). I love this plan. Anytime a leader gives me back some of the money his government has forcibly taken from my pocket, I am thankful. The idea of stimulating a dragging economy with tax rebates is a good one. The trick is to give the money back in increments that are large enough for people to go out and buy those bigger ticket items they've been looking into and small enough to keep folks from putting the funds into savings. Flood the market with 100 billion dollars of disposable income. This will work really really well. Very soon, you'll see car dealerships advertising brand new cars that you can drive off the lot for a simple down payment that just so happens to match the amount of whatever tax rebate you just got in the mail. Manufacturers of large screen HD TVs will mark their prices down to about $1600 just in time for those SuperBowl parties.

So?

Go out and be patriotic by spending whatever rebate check you get. For the record, donating your tax rebate to your favorite charity of choice will certainly produce the same economic outcome.

(For you small business owners, if you have been needing to upgrade some of your office equipment or buy a new copier or something like that, this President is always good for some great accelerated depreciation schedules so start picking out the brand and models you'd like.)

Book Review

2008-01-17T06:53:00.000-08:00

I don't normally review anything I read. There are 2 reasons for this. One is that I read some weird stuff and it might be somewhat embarrassing for my wife if all her friends knew how much of a nerd I really am. Second is that I might one day author something I'd like to publish. Dean Koontz says that authors should never review the work of other authors in their same genre because writers are pretty sensistive about their works. So, I don't do reviews because I don't want to burn any bridges, you know, just in case.

But, I finished a book last night about which I can find nothing negative to say. The Shack by William Young is very very good. In Christian Fiction, there is an immense amount of garbage; tons of warped theology and things that make you scratch your head and wonder if the writer has ever read any Bible. This one is different. It is rare that you come across actual profundity and original creative thought but both fill the pages of this little story.

It's about how we process grief. A good portion of the story is gut-wrenching, which is how grief works. That's it. Young is good. He takes a shot at quasi-explaining the concept of Trinity. Pretty quick read with chapters spaced at a perfect length. This book has shifted a few theological paradigms for me. You should read it........right now. Go.

Personal Memo to Jerry Jones

2008-01-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

Mr. Jones. Now is not the time for hesitation. As difficult as it may be to fire a head coach who lead you to the NFC's best record, you need to can Wade Phillips. Jason Garrett is about to get on a plane for his second interview with the Baltimore Ravens. Don't let that plane land without that young man being your head coach. The owner and GM in Baltimore will be too impressive and too willing to give Jason "an offer he can't refuse." Mr. Jones, you've been a great owner. I would hate to see your legacy tarnished because you let the big fish get away.

Pull the trigger, Jerry.

Warmest Regards,
Alan Matthew Gable

Projects

2008-01-08T07:53:00.000-08:00

FYI
Periodically, I'll be posting some different things I've written. Some of it will be spiritual, some of it will be pretty mundane. In order to keep those things in one place, I've created my own little writing webfolio. You can follow the link to your right (my left) called "My Writings" and it will take you to that magical place. If you read something you like or dislike or disagree with or just plain hate, let me know. I've got a pretty thick skin. Thanks for reading and Happy New Year.

Game On!

2008-01-04T07:17:00.000-08:00

For me, there are only 2 seasons; Tax Season and the Off-Season. Such is life. For the first 3 and a half months of each calendar year, accountants work like House Elves (thinly veiled Harry Potter reference meaning that we work very, very hard). We keep the entire legitimate economy of Colombia afloat because of the vast amounts of coffee we drink during this quarter. We spend time waiting on hold for IRS agents. I will conceal my true thoughts about the Internal Revenue Service because there may be children reading along. Tax Season is tough on accountants because we spend more time with our co-workers than with our families. Truth be told, the audit side of the accounting world has their busy season at about the same time but it is generally a few weeks longer and can be more grueling because of the travel. My hat's off to you guys (Losers). Anyway, we make our money by deciphering unreadable tax code, inputing income and expense figures into the Rubik's cube-like forms, and searching and researching the multitude of ways to keep folks from having to pay any more cash to the bloated government while still keeping them safe from audit. I've got a few observations from my few years that I'd like to share:
1. There is no such thing as "tax breaks for the rich." Poor folks don't pay taxes. All of those deductions and credits everyone else takes advantage of are quickly phased out for rich folks. Don't believe me? Ok. To whom do you make the check out when you pay income tax? Rich dudes know because they've probably done it in the last 3 months. Any politician handing you this tripe is lying to you.

2. Effective and organized record-keeping can save a taxpayer an incalculable amount of heartache. If you get audited and you aren't breaking the law, then the IRS has no weapon against you if you can produce your records. If you get audited, they don't have to prove that you were cheating, you have to prove that you weren't.

3. Alternative Minimum Tax. There has been alot of talk in the last few weeks about the AMT. If you are trying to understand it, good luck. The AMT is the epitome of injustice. Most folks won't get caught by it. If you make over 75k and have any kind of itemized deductions, you should talk with your tax guy or girl just to make sure. If your company compensates you in stock options, talk with your tax guy or girl.

4. If you are a minister, there are some pretty advantageous tax aspects for you.

5. Unless you are a business owner or have some type of complex tax anomaly, the interview based tax software that you can buy at Wal-Mart is good enough. H&R Block's Tax Cut is good and TurboTax works just fine. Officially, I say that you shouldn't do your own taxes. Unofficially, the consumer software you can buy for $30-$40 is a good investment.

6. The refund anticipation loan is a rip off. H&R Block innovated the "Rapid Refund" several years ago and it has become a trap for those who expect a refund in April (especially lower income individuals). Do me a favor: E-file your taxes and save the 40% they charge you. Electronic filing is quick; even quicker if you have it directly deposited into your account.

If you've got questions, I'm here and I don't mind telling people what I think.

Broke

2007-12-26T20:35:00.000-08:00

There's this pretty fascinating idea that Paul introduces in Romans 8 about all the created things waiting for God to make things perfect (Read verses 18-25ish). All creation has this internal void that can only be filled by something eternal. We, the created, can instinctively feel and we know without doubt that something is broken. Even non-religious folk know it's broken as evidenced by the self-help section of your local bookstore. Our world is full of beautiful things but it always seems like it was originally made so much better; like we are living among the ruins a a civilization that once ruled the world. To try and explain this concept, Paul even breaks momentarily into language that comes frighteningly close to poetry(which Paul rarely does) when he says that "the whole creation has been groaning...". I've been thinking about this for a few days and I wrote this. Hope you like it.

All creation is bent eternal.

The winds howl their chilled requests

confused to the North and South.

The trees creak and crack and moan as ring upon ring upon ring

surrounds.

The oceans project their rage with white-crested waves and squalls,

in perpetual demand

"How Long?" "How Long?"

The birds sing a sweet verse and cease,

waiting as if response will free their song.

Scorched sand of uninhabited land cries out

through visible waves of heat

"I thirst"

The plates of earth shift and shake with violent collision

laboring simply to find their footing.

Cancers perform their victory songs

for multitudes of tear-soaked faces.

Man is weary; hunted down

by the fixed sum of his numbered days.

The gentle voice of liberation whispers from the throne.

"soon. very soon."

2007-12-17T18:57:00.000-08:00

Our God is the only God.
He gives breath in the morning and rest at night.
-He brings the sun to its warming work and soothes the earth with its daily retreat.
He lays his hand of mercy on those who have rejected his presence.
-He protects the souls of those loyal.
For his name's power grows when he shows mercy
-and the faithful trust him through their pain.
Our God is the only God.
He gives freely from his abundance and his heart is open to all.
-He brings the rains of catharsis and the thirsty gain strength from his waters.
He lays his Child of Promise on the splintered altar of Redemption.
-He cleanses the hands of the guilty.
For his Son is given in agony
-while the faithless targets drive the spikes.
Our God is the only God.

Literary Legs

2007-12-11T20:54:00.000-08:00

Recently, I started writing again. I wrote for a while after Dad died but my thoughts were a little jumbled and my writing read like a ritalin deprived 8 year old with an advanced vocabulary. I've started a fiction thing. I'm not calling it a novel yet; maybe after a little development. Krisi said I should post my firest chapter to see what folks think about it. Maybe later. I've also started to dabble in some poetry. The thing about poetry is that most of the stuff out there.......well, I don't get it. And most poets are tree-hugging kooks. So, right now I'm just a psalmist. We'll see where that goes. Anybody know a literary agent?

Movember's End

2007-11-30T17:39:00.000-08:00

As November comes to a close, I have prepared my mustache for public showing, as promised. This will be an interactive post requiring response from all who read. I will supply no build up to the big reveal, so....

BAM!

Who does Alan most closely resemble?

1. Wyatt Earp

2. Mark Twain

3. Yosemite Sam

4. This Guy

Leave your vote in the comments.

(Disclaimer: This is what happens when my wife leaves me alone for a few hours on a Friday night. I go completely insane.)

Pres

2007-11-29T08:30:00.000-08:00

It shouldn't surprise you that I'm a conservative. Most of the time that means I like to envision a great big red "R" beside my name. I also possess a perfect score when voting for Presidents. Each time I vote, that man wins. Logic would dictate that in order to win the White House, a candidate must have my vote. (My reasoning is undeniable.)

By this time in the political process, I usually have my mind made up. As of this morning, Mike Huckabee has my vote. I've liked Fred Thompson ever since Law and Order and I was hoping that he would take the platinum opportunity presented to him and blaze a trail straight down Pennsylvania Avenue. During the GOP debate last night, Tennessee Fred communicated to me through unimaginative policy stances and a mildly condescending tone that he didn't really want my vote. Governor Mike, however, has forced me (and the rest of the Republican candidates for that matter) to rethink the assumption that he didn't have a snowball's chance. He might just win the nomination. Here are a few reason why I think he might win the majority of the ever-important Alan Gable demographic.

1. Health consciousness and willingnes to work. Mikey and I participated in the same "weight control program" through the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. His victory over food addiction screams things about his character and he has proven that he's passionate about discipline. The lessons he learned from this personal battle will bleed over into policy decisions and he might just be able to reign in some of the wild spending of my President (W).

2. He's not an annoying yankee mayor. Giuliani is not a good leader, public speaker or baseball fan.(A life-long Yankee fan who switches to pull for the Red Sox in the postseason should not be trusted with the management of a local Dairy Queen, much less the entire country.) In fact, by most accounts, Rudi isn't even a very nice dude. He seems confused about most things and he also seems to think I owe him something because he cleaned up Central Park. Huckabee will eat this clown for lunch in South Carolina.

3. He's reasonable. Most Christians judge a political candidate by his stance on abortion. That's it. Nothing else. I hold pretty strictly to a pro-life ideology but I'm not willing to dismiss anyone over a single issue. Mike is also a pro-lifer but he seems to really try to understand the other side's perspective instead of calling down all sorts of condemnation like most of my conservative Christian right wing comrades do. In a debate, he argues relevant points and does not buttress the tenets of his point by name calling.

4. He'll whip Hillary in a general election. No one else knows how to fight the Clinton political bologna. Mike has already done it and he can do it again.

Huckabee is my guy for now.

Road Trip

2007-11-08T16:26:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, while Krisi was racing for the cure, I took a weekend trip with some of the guys in our life group. We left Little Rock at 8 on saturday morning driving one of the church vans and we headed to Dallas. Our first stop was at a ginormous mall where the Cowboys' pro shop is. One of the guys on the trip had a buddy that works for the Cowboys who got 40% off Cowboys' gear. If you give a Cowboys fan 40% off, he will shop like a girl. Takes forever! While we were there, Tony Dorsett was signing autographs at a store adjacent to the pro shop so we went down there and met the Hall of Famer. That was cool. After the mall, we went to Dave and Buster's. If you don't know what Dave and Buster's is, think of Chucky Cheese for old dudes. It was a blast. Then we went to The Village Church for their Saturday Night worship. Awesome. After we got our praise on, we went to the home of a cousin of one of the guys' wives. They were gone for the weekend but they allowed some complete strangers to stay in their home for a night. In exchange, we fed their dog. They had a large, large TV so we played XBOX Halo 3 until about 4 in the morning. Interesting fact about Alan-He is horrible at Halo. Bad, very very bad. You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Anyway, the next morning we got up and arrived at Texas Stadium around 11. We tailgated. We read from the word and had our own little communion in the parking lot. Awesome. 12:30 to 1 or so, we entered the stadium (still 3 hours before gametime) I'll let the slide show tell the rest of the story. After the game, we drove home. This trip was unbelievably therapeutic and I had the chance to get closer to some really good Christian men. I became a Dallas Cowboys' fan. Here are some pictures.

Bits and Bites

2007-11-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

The next 3 books in my queue:

Year of Living Biblically - Guy has the idea of trying to literally live as the Bible commands for a full year. Then he writes a book about his experiences. Most of the OT commands and lifestyle peculiarities will give rise to comedic situations. I'll let you know how it goes.

Starving Jesus - These guys pastor and lead a church in Grand Rapids. This one seems to be about Christians needing to get up off their tails and actually do the work Jesus said we should be doing. I know, it's crazy. I've heard a lot of good things about this one.

Simply Christian - J.I. Packer said that this guy was intelligent. That's like Michael Jordan saying somebody is good at basketball. Really looking forward to this little read.

Among my many talents is the advanced ability to quickly grow vast amounts of facial hair. The Australians call a mustache a "Mo". Some guys have teamed up with the Prostate Cancer Foundation for a month long fund-raising campaign. So, I'm growing a sweet mustache throughout November in trying to raise some money for Prostate Cancer Research and awareness. "Movember". Yes. I'll share more details later but if you might want to donate some money (Year end is approaching and the Prostate Cancer Foundation will provide proof reciepts for tax deductibility), click on the image to the lower right and they'll take care of you(My registration number is 145490). If you want to join my Movember team and grow a wicked stache for a good cause, leave me a comment and we'll get it taken care of. If you'd like to know more about the endeavor, go here.

Paganism

2007-10-31T22:13:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin inerds are among the most repulsive substances on the planet. But, artistic masterpiece requires some work and Michaelangelo didn't stop after the 15th chapel.

That pumpkin was created for me to carve.

Cute Apple. Happy Halloween

Entitlement Mindset

2007-10-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

On Mondays, I usually go to the Monday Night Football gathering organized by the men's ministry at PV. This season we've been going through a book called "The Externally Focused Church". I haven't read any of the book but I've heard several guest speakers talk through the major themes and it seems pretty good. This Monday was the most interesting segment to me. A guy named Anthony Wood was the speaker. He works at River City Ministries. From what I understand, he's kind of an inner city church guru. Interesting dude.

Occasionally, someone I come across will say something that sends a minor jolt past my ears when I first hear it. Then the comment will marinate for a while, usually a few hours, while I try to process the intended and any unintended meanings of whatever was said. If the comment holds up to this scrutiny, I will carry it around with me and dwell on it in my spare time. I'll ask some different people what they think about it. I'll ask the wife what she thinks. Then, I'll think about possible implications of the comment. By the end of this process, a simple one line comment has been turned into a possible thesis statement for a term paper I'll never write or it has been rejected and discarded.

Anthony said something that caused this intelectual chain reaction in me earlier this week. In talking about the way a church meets the needs of inner city folks or anyone for that matter, he said..."Dominant white culture has to earn the right to help the non-dominant disadvantaged culture. We don't have the right to preach to people until we earn it." He was talking about having to spend the time and energy necessary to assess the needs of the community to which we minister. This is an absolutely brilliant and personally indicting statement. When we serve people or minister to people, we approach them as if our noble intent to help them entitles us to their attention and at least a little gratitude. The bitter irony is that we unwittingly embody the same entitlement mindset that many of us harp against within our Christian Conservative upper middle class circles. When the folks we "serve" don't give us the gratitude we feel entitled to, we easily turn our backs on them or at least find a "more fulfilling service opportunity".

Our God doesn't seem to work this way. He repeatedly takes the time to earn the right to love us. That is an uncomfortable thing to say...It is not as if God has to earn anything. He kinda owns it already. He is entitled to our gratitude and he does not have to ask our permission for anything. He's God! But, over and over he seems to choose this path of taking the time to earn the right to help his people. When Moses stands with his wobbly knees before a non-oxidizing shrub, God explains his plan of sending Moses to free the Israelites. Moses holds out for a long term contract with guarenteed money and God patiently and lovingly earns the right to help Moses by showing him a series of signs and wonders. Jesus showed his willingness to earn the right to help folks when he took the time to engage the Samaritan woman. He talked with her and asked her questions and listened to her concerns and even a little finger pointing from her until she openned her life up to him. The Savior also earned the right to help Thomas with his doubting problem. Jesus gave him access to proof.

What does it say about God that he is willing to set aside the right to which he is entitled and humbly work for the chance to engage my soul? And what should my reaction be? Am I willing to make the choice to set aside whatever I feel I'm entitled to and actually get down to the difficult work of patiently and humbly earning the right to share the love of God with people?

Books

2007-10-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

"Print is dead" - Egon (One of the Original Three Ghostbusters)

About half way through college, I developed an appetite for books that some would consider "excessive". I read. A lot. A common practice is to read up to a half-dozen books at once. For example, right now I'm in the middle of:
"Term Limits" - A political fiction paperback that I bought at Target for 6 dollars. It's OK.
"A Long Way Gone" - This is some memoirs of a boy from Sierra Leonne who was forced to fight in that country's civil war. I'd suggest it to anyone but it is real to the gruesome nature of the material. So, beware.
"The Voice of Luke" - Brian McLaren and the people of The Voice Project are doing some good work. They are going through the gospels and translating them into a kind of modern format with running commentary. Good stuff. You can check out all the project's offerings at http://hearthevoice.com/
"The Road" - Another fiction book about a guy and his son travelling through a barren wasteland America after some catastrophe has wiped out most of the civilization. Um...this book already stinks. Choppy and hard to follow. I bought it at WalMart on Saturday when I went to have my tires replaced. Took 3 and a half hours. Do you believe that?
"Basic Economics" - Thomas Sowell is perhaps one of the smartest dudes on the planet. This book is his explanation of economics to normal folk. Should be required reading for anyone that votes.

I married a woman who loves books as well. We can spend years in a book store. Walk around a little together then split up and head to our own sections of interest for a while and slowly mozy our way back to each other. I'll usually have an armful of books and she'll have a few as well (she's such a lightweight-she really can't hold her literature.)

So, the cliche' apparently works here. "Read any good books lately?"

Time to become an ally...

2007-10-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

One of my college roommates has been working with inner city kids for years. I remember in school when I would be sleeping in on Saturdays or hanging out on one of the legendary Harding swings with the girl who would become my wife, Robert would be organizing and leading some carnival for these kids or taking them to a camp somewhere or just playing games with them. He's a good man; something I never gave him enough credit for while we were in close proximity. In college, "service" was occasional and sporadic. Actually, now "service" is occasional and sporadic. I would guess it is this way for most Christians and I'd be right. I heard a sermon by a guy in Michigan (not named Rob Bell) about social justice. The preacher/teacher guy confronted the issue of racism which is still thriving in most nooks and crannies of the planet. He told the story of King Ahab and a weak little guy named Naboth. Naboth had a vineyard that Ahab wanted. When Naboth refused to give it to the king, he whined to the queen (Jezebel) and she did what you expect any vile evil person to do; she had Naboth killed. The story is pretty saturated with meaning if you get a chance to read and think about it (1 Kings 21). This speaker made the point that Naboth needed an ally and he brought it home by saying that one of the commissions of the church is to be an ally to those that are allyless. (His name is Marvin Williams and he's a pretty dynamic dude.)

These kids that my friend Robert serves are what Clarence Thomas calls "disadvantaged". Robert has gotten in among them and he is an ally for them. On Monday, I took my lunch break at work and went with Robert and a few other folks with the intention of helping a few inner city kids with some reading skills. I met two kids that were well behind their grade level for reading; which is something that will handcuff them for the rest of their lives if they don't get some help. I sat and hung out with each of these boys for 30 minutes a piece and we worked on spelling words and wrote a story about a lunchbox. These kids have changed me already. Jesus talked alot about giving the hungry some food and the thirsty some water and visiting folks in prison. For a long time I've totally missed a very important part of these commands. I think there is a reason he talks about these small acts of hand-to-hand service. I think he tells us to do this because...when you attach a personal connection to people; when they have names and you know their faces; people in need become impossible to ignore. It is easy for us to turn our backs on folks we don't know but I can no longer ignore those 2 little boys. They need an ally.

Thanks, Robert for doing what you do.

Strictly business

2007-09-22T00:07:00.000-07:00

I have occasional bouts with insomnia. Most nights, I have to read for a few minutes just to be able to kind of turn off my mind. The psychobabble people call this "decompression time"; I call it reading. Anyway, sometimes, reading doesn't cut it. When that happens and 2:00 AM rolls around (as it has tonight) I can always count on the most brilliant cinematic masterpiece of any generation, The Godfather - Part 1, to help me turn off the engines and get back to neutral. I can quote every line (even the majority of the Italian conversation between Michael and Solazzo in the diner before he....well, I don't want to ruin it for you...) The movie is masterful. The book was better but such is life.

There is one scene where the momentum of the story suddenly starts turning and slowly revolves its way into brilliance. The Don was just shot and Michael had gone to the hospital to visit him when he had to stand up to the crooked police captain who had pulled the guards away from the Don's room. The police captain shows up and Michael stands up to him and the cpt breaks his jaw. The next scene is my favorite from any movie, ever. It is the scene where Michael sits in his father's study with Tom Hagen and Sonny and calmly sells them his plan to kill the police captain and the guy who tried to have the Don killed. If you haven't seen it, then you're lost but trust me - this scene is where Michael enters "the family business" and changes the course of the rest of the events in the story. During Michael's schpeel, Sonny (the oldest brother and next in line to be the Don) tells Michael that he's taking it "too personally". Michael stares at Sonny and calmly says "It's not personal, Sonny, It's strictly business."

Over the last week or so, I've witnessed and heard my brother talk about situations in a business setting of "Christian" men who milk their customers for extra cash, mistreat and disrespect their employees and generally do whatever it takes to increase profits. Their excuse is the same. "That's business and I've got to feed my children."

Or how about this one? You're at the building on Sunday doing your best to not forsake the assembly when one of your acquaintances pipes up with some comment that would be rude from the mouth of an atheist, much less a believer and they say something like "What? I'm just being honest."

"Business" and "honesty" do not provide sufficient justification for being a jerk.

I'm thankful for a handful of men at PV that mentor me and many others of my age in ways that show us that "business" isn't as important as integrity. Specifically, there are 3 that teach our class on Sunday morning. They are successful businessmen but their successes are blessings from the hand of God, not the fruits of cutthroat business practices. They are all shepherds, so they hear their share of "negative feedback" from people who are "just being honest". But, they should know that what they are doing is showing some young bucks how to lead a church in the coming years and that they've shown themselves to be always faithful.

Thanks, guys.

Better Half

2007-09-11T19:54:00.000-07:00

I promised a post about my wife and I know many have been waiting. Whenever I try to write anything about Krisi, I am usually dissatisfied with the end result because I can't explain the depth of the most compelling and intrigueing and rewarding relationship with my limited repertoire of words. Regardless, here's a little bit about the wife of my youth.

Krisi is the Babe Ruth of wives. (She's the best there's ever been.) We met at 15 as Sophomores in High School. Dated for 4 years, got engaged and were married at 20 after our second year at Harding. We went to Williamsburg, Virginia on our Honeymoon which is still one of my favorite places on the planet; definately in the top 3 (depending on the street). There is no one else. Being around her makes me a better dude. God teaches me things through her love. She has been the consistent supportive force in my life. In victory, she held me up while I undertook an extended weight control program and she is one of the only reasons I did well. In agony, she helped me walk through the grief of losing Dad. "Sickness and health, good times and bad." She lives it, man.

She is smart. We both graduated from the same high school on the same day. I was "ranked" 17th in the class and she was numero uno. That's right, I married the Valedictorian. She graduated from Harding in 3 years and finished her Master's at UCA having never made anything less than an "A" in any class, ever. She remains academically flawless. Her diligent pursuit of excellence is wildly impressive. She is always at least 3 steps ahead of her husband. Were she to learn Chess, she would dominate so much that they'd have to change the name of the game to something like"Krisi's Dominion". If I was a Don, she would be my first choice as Consiglieri. She is socially and politically conservative which drives her father absolutely batty but I find it very, very attractive. She is loving and kind and she fights for folks who can't fight for themselves. As her vocation, she helps people who have had some pretty horrific accidents to regain their lives. Everything this woman does, gives life. Beautiful.

We took a cruise for our 5th Anniversary and here are some pictures of us. I still can't believe she said "yes".

Look at those eyes. God is faithful.

Bio

2007-08-31T22:59:00.000-07:00

The next 2 posts will be biographical in nature. This one is about me and my personality and the next one will be about my beautiful wife. This one may bore you and that might be an accurate reflection of my personality but the next one will be wildly interesting and inwardly and outwardly gorgeous. So, be ready...

I've taken the Meyers-Briggs thing about a dozen times and it has always, always, always produced the exact same findings. Apparently I have a custom made personality for an accountant....lucky me. Here's a nice clean chart to explain.

Notice the almost complete lack of feeling/emotion. I promise I have a heart and I'm a quasi-emotional dude. Can anyone shed some light on what this means?

ISTJ baby! That's just how I do it...

You gotta buy in...

2007-08-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

I was previously employed by a medium sized accounting firm in the central Arkansas area. It was my first experience in a professional setting and I guess my first real job. Of all the technical skills I learned in the 3+ years at this place(an accounting degree means you know the language and nothing else) I learned more about management and leadership. My boss was a female Michael Scott. (If I lost you with that, go to blockbuster and rent Seasons 1 and 2 of "The Office"). She was perhaps the worst leader of people in the history of the world. You wouldn't believe me if I told you the stories. Employee turnover was always high and morale sunk to the point where my co-workers and I would go to lunch together and talk about how much we hated our jobs. Apparently it was noticeable to "management" because the bigs made the decision to bring in some consultants. The guys, we'll call them "The Bobs", brought in a plan that included getting all employees involved writing mission statements and company-wide goals and a plethora of other non-revenue generating activities. In one of the meetings, one of the Bobs began talking about everyone "buying in" to what they were trying to do. Another one of the Bobs began using an automotive metaphor saying that everyone "needed to get on the bus". Right in the middle of this metaphor, my boss, Michael Scott, decided to single out one of my more talented co-workers and asked "Is Andrew on the bus?" in a voice that one would use to speak to a toddler. Everyone looked at Andrew who rolled his eyes and Jason, my favorite guy I've ever worked with and one of a handful of men I would follow into battle, said "I think the bus ran over Andrew." Only one of the Bobs laughed but I still guffaw when I think about it. ("Guffaw" is a perfectly respectable word.")

A large part of leadership seems to be the ability to convince those you are leading to "buy in" or "get on the bus". This morning, I was reading in Joshua about the fall of Jericho. It is a good story, although it's never been one of my favorites - not sure why. You've read it. God tells them to walk around the city while playing instruments for several days and then the walls (which were specifically constructed not to fall down) will fall down. Right. Probably the most fortified place in the region and Joshua asked for the marching band. I can see Joshua telling the people the "plan to conquer Jericho". We're going to walk around the city everyday for a week. We're going to be playing our instruments while we're doing this. Oh, and then we're going to yell at the city walls and they'll fall down. Ready, Break!

This reminds me of a line from Ghostbusters - "Get her? That was your plan?"

God was surely with Joshua because the people went along with this plan - they bought in. God was with Joshua and that should give hope to all of you leaders. Have you ever felt God call you to a course of action that made as much sense as a screendoor on a submarine?

Rocket City

2007-08-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

We're heading to Hunstville, Alabama this weekend to hang out with my Grandmother. My Mom and brothers and sisters-in-law will also converge on the city so we'll have a big crowd. It should be fun. We'll worship at Mayfair on Sunday morning so if any of you happen to be in the area, maybe I'll see you there.

Prayer

2007-08-20T18:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I pray like Raphael. I come to God with one hand raised to praise him and the other hand tightly clutched on whatever idol of choice I happen to be worshipping at the time. "God, glorify yourself through me but don't touch my money or my house or my job or my kids or my health; everything else is yours, God." Maybe we aren't bold enough to pray that prayer but we get angry when one of those things doesn't turn out like we planned. Sometimes I treat God more like a waiter than the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe.

Psalm 27

4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

God help me to come to you with open hands.

Tag?

2007-08-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

A necessary evil of the blogging world appears to be the danger of being "tagged" by another blogger with a list of questions designed to draw out a deeper level of self-disclosure. It seems I have avoided this practice as long as possible and the inevitable has come to my doorstep via Sam Peters. This might be fun. In order to complete my transformation into Alan Gable "Computer Guy", I'll provide truthful answers to these potentially funny situations and then pass on the obligatory tag to a few unsuspecting targets.

First Memory - I remember Jared (twin brother) falling off his big wheel on our driveway in Richmond, Virginia. He still has a pretty weird scar on his elbow. Wuss.

First Real Kiss - Jenny Stanford. Altruria Elementary School. It was real. (Real gross) Neither of us had any idea what we were doing. She was a real sweet girl.

First Concert - Not a big concert guy. I guess it was Alan Jackson. He was pretty good. A lot taller than I expected.

First Love - Catherine Bach. Go ahead. Look her up.

First Crush - 1987. After a soccer game. It was orange. (Some of you won't get that.)

First Thing You Think in the Morning - "What is the most creative way I can destroy my alarm clock?" I have a problem with projecting anger onto inanimate objects. I'm seeing a Buddhist about it.

First Book you Remember Loving - The Illiad by Homer. What? So, I'm a genius. You got a problem?

First Pet - Basset Hound named Simon. Best dog ever but dumb as a box of rocks. Also had a goldfish named Fernando Valenzuela.

First Question You'll Ask in Heaven - What was the point of a turtle?

First thing you think when you hear the word "vacation" - Williamsburg, Virginia

First Best Friend - Jared. We shared a womb.

Last time you dressed up - Had to audit a bank in Northern Arkansas at the beginning of the summer. Sometimes bankers can be stuffy.

Last CD you bought - Whispered and Shouted by Aaron Shust. Good stuff. Check it out.

Last Book You Read - Desiring God by John Piper. Great book. The appendices alone are worth the purchase price.

Last time You Cried - Sunday in class. I got a bit emotional.

Last Movie You Saw - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I'm a Harry Potter nerd and you should be too.

Last Time You told someone you loved them - This Morning. I love the wife of my youth. She is the Babe Ruth or Cassius Clay of wives. (That means she's the best there's ever been.)

Last really Funny Thing you Did - I was trying to water my yard yesterday. I turned the water on and walked over to the end of the hose where the sprinkler apparatus was. Well, it takes a certain amount of time for the water pressure to build up. I thought it was taking too long so I turned the end of the hose up towards my face to see if the end of it was clogged for some reason...Do I even need to finish this story?

Last Halloween Costume - Halloween is a pagan holiday for sinners. (Read that sentence as if it were laced with a large dose of sarcasm.)

Last Concert Attended - Steven Curtis Chapman / Casting Crowns / Chris Tomlin. It was pretty sweet. You should've been there.

I'll tag Lacey. I'll also tag Bland. $20 says he totally ignores it. Any takers?

"Penny"costal

2007-08-16T04:35:00.000-07:00

One of the girls I work with is Pentecostal (She makes fun of me for the way I say that word like there is a "y" right in the middle). The past few weeks we've been randomly asking each other questions about the churches we attend and what we do and don't believe about Christ, the bible and such. We've talked about communion which her church does not yet celebrate because of some old traditional belief that it is a spiritual feast instead of a physical one. Our conversation lead her to ask the leadership of her church the reasoning behind not taking communion and she found that they are in the midst of studying that very subject to see if there is something else they should be doing. We've also talked a bit about speaking in tongues and some other views about just what exactly the Holy Spirit is and does. Very, very, very interesting stuff about the "evidence of the indwelling of the Spirit." I've learned that the vast majority of the differences between our denominations (and the Church of Christ is a denomination) is cosmetic rather than doctrinal. I know that she reads her Bible more than I do. In fact, she reads a chapter in Proverbs every day (There are 31 chapters so she reads the chapter that corresponds with the date.) In talking with her, I've realized that I know a ton of things about the Bible but actually very little of the Bible itself. I read books all the time. I'm in the middle of 6, count 'em 6, books right this moment. Maybe I've got it backwards. I need to read more Bible. Kudos to those of you that already do and keep it up...

By the by, thanks to everyone for you kind comments about the class on Sunday. I was pretty nervous but it was a good experience. Thanks for the kind words and support.

Stuff

2007-08-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

Had to post something and move the spider off the top perch. If you still want to see her, scroll down a little but don't say you weren't warned...

Sam Peters has an interesting question over at his place if you glance to your immediate right and click on the "Samwise" link. (I am not sure why I didn't link to his site directly in the body of this post but it is what it is and yes I realize that it has taken me longer to write this aside instead of just linking directly.)

I'm teaching our class on Sunday morning and I've got to be honest with you; I'm a little freaked out. I know pretty much what I'm going to say but it's a little terrifying getting up in front of your peers and it ain't exactly a small class. We're in the midst of our pursuit through the Fruits of the Spirit and I got Kindness and Goodness. Any suggestions from the wise audience?

Anyway, I hope everyone has a pleasant evening.

Eewwwww.

2007-08-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

a·rach·no·pho·bi·a (ə-rāk'nə-fō'bē-ə, -nō-) Pronunciation Key n. An abnormal fear of spiders. [arachn(id) + -phobia.]

At the creation of the world, the Almighty God saw fit to design something called a food chain that dictated a hierarchy of who gets to eat who so that no one species will overpopulate. Each level of this chain is subjugated by the level to its immediate north. The food chain makes logical sense.

However, I contend that somewhere along the way, the good Lord must have sneezed.....and this is when the spider was created.

Last night, I took the dogs out to "take care of some business" and I saw her; Nature's D Student...

See that red blotch of concentrated evil on that spider's underbelly? In the Bible, this is known as the "mark of the beast". What a vile creature.

Lest you think me a harsh dude, let me show you the origination of my disdain.

This is my right leg. See that small dark spot about 7 inches above my ankle? Look closer...

That is from my run in with a brown recluse a dozen years ago. I know....gross. Anyway, spiders are losers.

"In the Word"

2007-08-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

I try to read some Bible often. Some weeks I do better, some weeks I do nothing. I grew up with memory verses and such and then went to college at a place where I had the equivalent of an academic minor in Bible. But, rarely do I read a passage that moves me. ( I hope I'm lonely in this confession but I bet I'm not.) I'm not given to outbursts of artsiness so the Psalms aren't usually a place I go. What a mistake. On Sunday, I read these words. Yesterday, I read them again and today at work I actually spent time thinking about the individual words and phrases. (I think this is what you spiritual discipline people call "meditation".)

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

1 O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
9 They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God's name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

When's the last time you read something in our sacred literature that moved you and what was it?

That's Psalm 63 by the way...

2007-08-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

Jared (my twin brother), sent me this picture today. I thought it was funny.

Webdork Support

2007-08-04T05:38:00.000-07:00

Webdork is a term of endearment for folks that know more about computer things than me. These people include 90% of bloggers and your average 8 year old.

I have a few questions for which I desire help.

What is RSS and why do I need it? How much will it cost me?
What other pieces of website/blog gadgetry should I be aware of?

If you are as clueless as me, don't be afraid to admit your shortcomings here. You're among friends...

Bits and Pieces

2007-08-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

Mark Teixeira makes his debut for the Braves tonight. Baseball is a habit that I've tried to kick multiple times before but it seems to be hardwired into my genetic makeup so I have chosen to let it be. Yesterday's MLB trade deadline brought the Atlanta Braves a switch-hitting young first baseman with power and a bullpen setup man with a very live arm and a late breaking fastball (If you don't know baseball, these are good things) My Braves are now a consensus World Series contender so if all goes well, I may be making a rather expensive trip to the ATL in late October. I can only hope.

I am an auditory learner. The vast majority of teachers in my elementary and secondary education circles only catered to the 90% of students that are visual learners. I don't blame them. Most of them are good people with difficult jobs. I figured out my learning style as a senior in calculus when Anita Davis at Central Arkansas Christian High School actually took the time to teach the auditory kids (Aside from my parents, she was the best teacher I've ever had - She didn't teach higher math, she taught me how to think.). Anyway, the majority of Bible study methods are designed by and for visual people so I've been out of luck until the advent of recent technology. The Apple computer people, with the invention and incredibly successful marketing of the Ipod and all its subsidiaries, have put an endless library of sermon audio at my slightly uneven earlobes. The Ipod for an auditory learner has the same unmatched potential that Johann Gutenberg's moveable type machine had for you visual people. I have been able to find some very knowledgable and Godly teachers throughout the country who have already begun to aid my spiritual development. Matt Chandler at the Village Church, Mark Driscoll at Mars hill in Seattle, and Rob Bell in Grand Rapids are a couple of guys I listen to. My personal disdain for the style of Joel Osteen should not preclude me from mentioning him here. Swindoll and Piper can also be found. Others include Erwin McManus and Rick McKinley but Matt Chandler is my personal favorite because he doesn't take himself too seriously. Podcasts are the future of auditory Bible study. If you've got a high speed internet connection, go to the Apple website and download the free Itunes software, hit the podcasts and grow your library. By the by, it's free. so that's nice. Who do you listen to?

The Presidential 2008 race is starting to heat up for both parties. Obama would be an interesting choice for the dems as he seems to be the only one willing to actually follow through on his Iraq evacuation rhetoric. I'm not sure what is going on with the republicans. I like Fred Thompson but he's not officially in yet. Either way, I think America will be just fine...

A Word on Bonds, Vick and other Folks Who Refuse to Use Their Noggins

2007-07-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

Barry Bonds is the second best hitter I've ever seen. He's about to break the "most hallowed record in all of sports". This record, the all-time homerun record, is currently held by Hank Aaron. Bonds will probably surpass Aaron's 755 career dingers by the end of next week. The vast majority of baseball fans groan at the sound of his name because...1. He's kind of a jerk. and 2. There is significant physical evidence that Bonds abused anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing substances. (By the by, Alex Rodriguez is the best hitter I've ever seen and probably the best to ever play the game.)

Michael Vick is one of, if not, the best athlete to ever play football. In the last week or so, he has been indicted by a Grand Jury (whatever that means), asked by the commissioner of his industry to not come to work, and had his second largest source of income pull the plug on their business relationship (I'm refering to his relationship with Nike). He is allegedly involved heavily in the breeding, training, and fighting of pit bulls for profit. Between you and me, I can think of only 2 crimes more putrid and repugnant to me personally and I don't wish to discuss either of them. (Dog-fighting.....ugh)

Some National Basketball Association referee has been accused of fixing games for some goons in the mob. It seems the majority of people care nothing for professional basketball and I honestly count myself among them.

It would seem that unmatched athletic talent and dominating the top tier of your chosen profession cannot buy you enough sense to make normal daily decisions. It is a good thing I am short, quasi-uncoordinated, and only a mediocre accountant. I'm good to go...

"Role of Women"

2007-07-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

Church was weird tonight. In the last few weeks, our elders asked the congregants to submit whatever questions they had and the sheps would take a Sunday evening and provide their answers. The lion's share of the questions focused on our new worship minister and a few other of the "core issues of our fellowship". A few of the questions were pointed directly at the "role of women" passages from a few of Paul's New Testament writings. Growing up in a handful of different churches, I've heard the usual talking points about "usurping authority" and "submission" and what not, but tonight this subject struck me in a different way (the other cheek so to speak).

The difference wasn't with the issue itself because many of the same things I heard growing up were said this evening but it was the tone and tenor of the "conversation" that caught me. Why do we talk about the "role of women in the church", which is always in a restrictive/almost legalistic sort of way, as if the women of the church were not even present? What did Jesus say about the subject? How are we sure that what Paul was talking about wasn't cultural-and that our culture would support an entirely different set of directions on the "roles"? It is at least worth a second look...

Jason

2007-07-19T20:02:00.000-07:00

I heard some news today. My twin brother let me know that he went to the funeral of the wife of a friend we grew up with. I spent 3+ years in the same town with this guy and our lives since high school have taken different directions. I haven't talked with him in a few years but he's one of those guys that have such an impact on your life that you enjoy remembering your time together. He was always a good friend, even during that time in life when friends cycle into and out of your life like a rolodex. When Jared told me this tragic story about Jason's wife, I broke. The rest of the day, there has been a rock in my stomach, a palpable anxiety that has gripped my core and begun to squeeze. I am aching for Jason.

I don't even know what to say.

Easy E

2007-07-12T04:36:00.000-07:00

There are only a handful of people who could draw my attention from the MLB all-star game that was played on Tuesday night. Ethan Gunselman is one of them. E's parents, Doug and Dixie, are good friends of ours and they had a nice little anniversary dinner on Tuesday evening so Krisi and I got to watch the little guy for a few hours. On Tuesday, Ethan was cutting a few teeth, had been given something like a half-dozen horse tranquilizer injections that the doctors call "inocculations" and he was away from Mom for a few hours. One can imagine a child dealing with all of these things being in a mood that would remind one of some sort of severe weather event but Ethan is a trooper and not even giant needles and low grade fevers could spoil a night with the Gables...

He's a good kid.

HBO and TBI

2007-07-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

I subscribe to HBO. Don't judge me. I like movies and Home Box Office is, aside from the "Starz" Movie Channels which stink worse than the rancid milk we used to allegedly put in an undisclosed chicken coop for the XEA pledges on rough night (the statute of limitations on hazing has run out), the cleanest of the movie channels. I'm also one of the few who still actually enjoy the sport of boxing and Jermain Taylor (native to Maumelle, AR) contracts with HBO to cover all of his fights. Anyway, the other night, Krisi and I watched a documentary called "Coma" on one of the 5 HBO channels that come with the package. It followed a series of patients recovering in a New Jersey rehab facility who had been victims of slightly different "traumatic brain injuries". The film followed the patients through the months of recovery and ended with half the patients making promising progress while the other half were more permanently affected by their injuries.

Things you have to understand:
1. I work with numbers all stinking day so my job, by nature, is boring. Don't misunderstand me, I enjoy my work but it is by no means exciting.
2. Krisi works as the primary speech pathologist on the rehab floor at Arkansas Children's Hospital. She helps take patients with these kinds of brain injuries and therapeutically leads them and their families down the long road of recovery. She has a front row seat for the way the human brain, with a little help, repairs itself.
3. She is very, very, very good at it. I don't say that because she is my wife and she'll probably read this at some point, I say it because it is the truth.

By the end of the documentary, I was emotionally drained (yeah, I cried a little - it happens). The thing that got to me was each of the families' reactions to the injuries of their loved ones.(Part of Krisi's job is to educate the patients' families about the realities of their injuries and how to cope with them so she is able to unpack some really really deep emotional issues for people - This rehab center in the documentary didn't seem to have any staff members willing to help with the emotional stress of the families) The reactions were typical of people everywhere. One family snapped into action. They were helping and involved and always going, going, going. When tragedy hits, some people bury themselves in some sort of work and make themselves too busy to deal. Another family turned on the doctors and medical staff as if it were the medical professionals' fault that their son was injured. They, like alot of us, reacted to the situation with anger and bitterness. I've been there. It's a tough place to be. Yet another family had a courageous reaction. They gathered the injured one's friends and extended family and they raised money and they organized fundraisers and foundations and they helped others in the same situation.

But one family dealt with their grief in a unique way. This particular patient was in what they called a "permanent vegetative state" from which doctors say there is no return. This family gathered together and they just sat together. And they cried. And they wept. And they asked each other why things like that happen. And they just sat still in their pain.
They sat still and allowed the harsh reality of the circumstances to hit them with all of its force.

I've thought about it for a few days and I think that's what we're supposed to do. In one of Rob Bell's sermons, he talks about Jesus standing at the tomb of Lazarus and doing this same thing. He let the gravity of the situation hit him and it caused him to weep. I think we're supposed to do the same thing with other situations as well. The other night, we celebrated the 4th with our life group. Watching the kids across the street shoot fireworks up in the air, I had a chance to sit with my friends and soak in community. Whether it is peaceful joy or circumstances that cause some pretty deep despair, this is how we're supposed to grow...

(No catchy title, for this) - My Current Struggle

2007-06-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

There are things I'm working through right now that I'm not sure most folks will understand but there are some whose hearts will ache as they read. A certain part of my life, I have constantly refused to allow God to take and change. There is a secret (but physically evident) sin that I not only struggle with, but have until now, not even recognized as a sin. I'm grinding through the process of repentance but it is minute by minute, hour by hour surrendering of will. Many will have to fight back the urge to laugh because the Church has either totally ignored this particular wrong or has made it into some sort of sick punchline. But there is nothing humorous about it. I've come to the place of realization that gluttony is the most prevalent and most deadly sin in my life and I am ashamed.

I cannot remember a time in my life when I wasn't fat. (If you are uncomfortable with that word, you are not alone but I won't shy away from it.) My weight has always been a source of shame for me. Playing sports, I would cringe when "shirts versus skins" time came. Even worse, the girls just wanted to be friends. By the time I went to college, I had developed mechanisms to deal with the shame. Humor is easy but it is degrading and while I would laugh with people outwardly, my soul would yearn for a better way to deal. Kids are relentless but your "friends" can be just plain mean. I learned from an early age to self-medicate my problems away with the soothing arms of food. This is where my sin started but shamefully, it has continued and become more than I can handle on my own. The common "wisdom" (ignorant skinny people) posits that people struggle with their weight because of self-esteem issues and that they only need to find a way to feel better about themselves in order to stop their destructive eating habits. I disagree. The issue is pride. When I am consistently turning to anything but the Creator God to heal my emotional state, I am not in need of a stinking pep rally - I am in need of repentance! (More about this in a later post)

Last October, my in-laws approached me with an offer for a birthday present. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has a clinical weight control program and they offered to pay for the program if I would get serious about my weight problem. I was initially hurt but I can see now that they were motivated by a love for me and a concern for my well-being. I accepted. I enrolled and started the program the Monday after Thanksgiving. On my first weigh in, I tipped the scales at 271 pounds. Friend, I had no idea that my problem had gotten that far out of control. For the first time in my life, I felt the impact of my "sin finding me out". I cried that day; for quite a while. 25 years of that soft idolatry had produced rotten fruit and I was at last confronted with the consequences; and I was ashamed. So, beaten and broken I started the program. I lost 12 pounds the first week and 8 pounds the second week. By May 1, I was sitting at a no-longer obese but still overweight 210 pounds. 60 pounds of excess had vanished by the time I ended the program and I was considered a near complete success. I was now armed with the knowledge that I could control my weight. I started eating real foods again and those old habits that I had suppressed came right back to the surface and I easily gained 15 pounds of it back by the end of May. Along with the regained weight came those same old negative feelings which in turn caused me to turn to the old reliable goddess of food for my comfort.

Hear this, please: God has used my failure to communicate some real brutal truth to me. You see, I can change the things I eat and the times I eat and the amount of exercise I suffer through but until I learn to honor my God with my body, all the changes I make are temporary quick fixes meant to band-aid a gaping wound. Until I begin to make food choices motivated by his glory, I will not be healed from my disease. I am struggling with what this means with every bite I take and it is very difficult. I am a glutton and I need repentance but God is revealing some powerful things to me.

In the next few days and weeks, I'll try to post some of my thoughts and some thoughts of others about this subject and some of the things I think I've learned and am still learning. If you can relate to this struggle, stay with me and let me know what you think.

In the next couple of entries, I'd like to try to define what gluttony is and how is affects the church and her individual parts and then also clear up some of the misconceptions I think people have about the word.

Universal Truths That Are, In Fact, Untrue

2007-06-26T19:45:00.000-07:00

Some things just aren't true.
"A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.". What a crock. I try to make it a point not to take medical advice from a woman who travels across country via umbrella. A spoonful of sugar doesn't help the medicine go down; it does however add an increased risk of obesity and diabetes to whatever ailment for which you were originally taking the medicine. False.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Please. Breakfast is for morning people. Morning people are weird. So there.

"Cheerios may help reduce cholesterol." Only true if eaten instead of bacon. This is moot anyway. See number 2 above.

"Power corrupts;absolute power corrupts absolutely." This one is serious. A Christian cannot believe the way he does and still hold this statement to be true. We serve a God who holds absolute power. The truth is that power reveals pre-existing character. Power doesn't corrupt it just throws light on what was already there. That's called integrity.

Get Right Church

2007-06-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Jerome Williams was announced as the new worship minister for Pleasant Valley. I've liked Jerome since Tullahoma (which is a small town in Tennessee where I spent many of my formative years). There were always rallies or conferences at which Jerome was leading singing and I've always been impressed with not only his vocal ability but also his command of those he was there to lead. When Jerome is up front, leading a church in praise, he always seems in control. This is a rare talent and spiritual gift. But, there exists a large amount of irony in the fact that I love the man much more because, at one point in his life, he was out of control. He phrases it like this:

"Several years ago, my life fell apart. I had a secret battle with alcohol that became very public after receiving a DUI. I thought I had lost everything and in my depression I fell even deeper into my sin. I lost my job, hurt my family and hid from those who loved me most. Through it all, I could not hide from God. He picked me up and dusted me off only to watch me fall again. I truly thought my life was over. At my lowest, I was sitting in jail, hopeless and afraid"

Jerome has been beaten up by a tough world. He actually knows what it means to cry out to God and if we're honest with ourselves, that is a foreign concept to most of us. This man has something to teach and it has more to do with portraying the character of God than four parts and shape notes. He's a sinner like me but he knows the way into the throne room of God and he can teach that path and he can successfully and humbly usher his brothers through those doors. God has blessed this congregation richly and he continues to minister to her needs.

Biographical Blog

2007-06-21T17:53:00.000-07:00

Occasionally, I'll post about nothing but me and things that pertain to me. It is not some sort of self glorification, just a way for folks who wish to read this blog to kind of have a frame of reference. These posts will have very little if any value to the casual stranger but I hope my life is interesting enough to at least not drive people away. This is one of those posts.

We have 2 dogs. My dog, Abby, is black lab/beagle mix. She has a slight allergy problem and she is afraid of water (I know - A lab afraid of water - She's a freak). Krisi's dog, Muffin, (said in as manly a voice as can be mustered) is a pure bred Shih Tzu. We got Abby a few months after our wedding and Muffin was a one year anniversary present from husband of the year (me) to wife of my youth (Krisi). Abby is a licker. When she was a puppy, she would kind of chew on everything. This practice being annoying to me and quite destructuve to everything we owned, I tried to teach Abby to lick instead. Well, she learned it well and now she licks everything; people, the ground, the oven door, the TV, everything. Muffin is funny. She is a lap dog and she is small enough to fit into that role comfortably. Here is Abby and me...

Good looking dog. She's a lot of fun.

But, Muffin is the real crowd pleaser...

Here's one of Muffin and Krisi.

Here she is after her summer haircut. Freshly shorn.....

So, there you go.

2007-06-20T09:07:00.000-07:00

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! – who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save:
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied –
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine –
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
‘Til He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand!

My wife works with brain injured patients and a large part of her job is to train folks to push their brains to find new cognitive pathways for things they used to be able to do( Yeah - Speech Pathologists don't just teach kids how to say their S's). After a brain unjury, sometimes the brains cells that they used to use die so they have to find healthy cells and detour around the dead cells. When these guys are developing these new pathways, sometimes they "perseverate" which means they keep repeating the same word or phrase over and over. Apparently it is part of the brain growth process. It is wildly interesting stuff. Well, I occasionally perseverate and so do you. The street language for this is when things "get stuck in your head". The song above has been "stuck in my head" for the last few days and I'm not sure I want it to get unstuck...

Toughness

2007-06-12T21:30:00.001-07:00

Cowboys have been cool since I was a little guy. The representation of masculine toughness has for many years been the roughneck willing to tie one hand to a large angry beast and fight to stay off the ground. As children, my brothers and I would play "cowboys and indians". Many of our first Halloween costumes consisted of chaps, ten-gallon hats, and ivory handled six shooters. Cowboys are the icons of male toughness. Despite back-breaking, mountainous attempts to homosexualize the image of Cowboys, they remain at the forefront of the toughman landscape. The rodeo is the only place to see real cowboys in modern times because the vast industrialization of the North American continent has circumvented the need for men to drive cattle from one place to another, etc., etc... However, Rodeos still capture the attention of Americans, especially kids. For a few hours you can watch grown men willingly strap themselves to bulls who are bred specifically to throw them to the ground and proceed to stomp them until they stop moving. This is entertainment and kids will watch and cheer for these icons of toughness as if they were superhuman.

How is it that the majority of men have totally whiffed on the most important lesson cowboys ever taught us? This lesson doesn't have to do with any kind of extraordinary courage and it does not deal with the physics of leaning as much force down into the stirrups in order to better control body position. The greatest lesson cowboys teach is to recognize when you are in too deep and accept help from those who are there to keep you safe.

I have never seen a cowboy, the model of toughness, refuse help from a rodeo clown. He knows that his pride could lead him straight into the destructive horns of danger. The cowboy knows that he has to rely on those funny looking people around him if he wants to escape with his life. Maybe our spiritual lives are similar. Perhaps sometimes the role of our fellowship is to draw the eye of the bull in order to allow one of our brothers to get out of the dirt. Maybe we're all a bunch of clowns...

Jonah: Not just the fish guy. Part 2

2007-06-05T21:39:00.000-07:00

I was 20 when I married my wife. In fact, so was she. Our wedding was in May(2002). In September of that year, my dad was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. Now, among the cancers, the mutation of cells in the Pancreas is among the worst. It is generally not easily detectable until it has made its way into other organ systems and it is usually pretty painful. I don't think they found Dad's until it got into his liver. He died on July 5. 10 months from diagnosis to death. I was 21, I had a new wife and I was staring down a tough senior year at Harding. Until that point, I had not dealt with death. I understood the concept but I had never wrestled with grief (and anyone who has been there can tell you that it is a wrestling match). The thought of it still catches me off guard on occasion. A tough decision will present itself and my first thought will be to call dad and run it by him. That is an empty feeling. I look to the future and think about the way my future children will interact with their grandparents. More emptiness. Father's Day will be here in a few weeks. I'm now at least able to brace myself and praise the memory of dad and graciously accept the legacy he left; but it ain't easy.
Outside of trust in a faithful God, this "misfortune" would have crushed me at worst and at the very least, made me a bitter spiteful person. But, within the framework of a God who works everything for my good, I can see his handywork in the premature death of my father.

Jonah ran from God. He did in his life, what I have done in mine. He proclaimed to serve God but never really faced up to the challenges of living an obedient life. Jonah tried it his own way and he ended up with lungs full of salt water and no promise of a future. He was as good as dead. Chapter 1:15-17.

15 They took Jonah and threw him overboard. Immediately the sea was quieted down.
16 The sailors were impressed, no longer terrified by the sea, but in awe of God. They worshiped God, offered a sacrifice, and made vows.
17 Then God assigned a huge fish to swallow Jonah

As kids we were taught that Jonah was swallowed by a ginormous fish as punishment because he ran away from what God wanted him to do. But, if we stop there, we sell God short and miss a huge fishy object lesson. Sometimes God sends big destructive forces our way in order to save our lives and protect our souls. The simple truth is that Jonah would have drowned unless God assigned a savior. Jonah recognized this truth. Chapter 2

5 The engulfing waters threatened me, [b] the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God.

The truth in my life is that the horrible act of watching the way my father died has saved my soul from the pit. Jesus is real to me now that I know the sting of death and whatever pain I have felt is significantly outweighed by the comfort of knowing that God is willing to chase me down in order to bring me back into relationship with him.

Jonah : Not just the fish guy. Part 1

2007-06-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

I am a Republican. Originally learned from my parents, my political leanings were solidified once I left college and actually saw how much of my paycheck was taken directly out of my pocket by a larger than necessary federal government. Since Reagan, a large part of the Republican platform has been strong defense which ideologically leads to some pretty intense nationalism and patriotism. Oddly enough, it seems the church has also adopted an almost iconic view of "America the beautiful" and the majority of Christians view the nation as a natural extension of the will of the Almighty. Honestly, most of us feel as strongly about our nation, especially when it comes to the support of our troops, as we feel about our Savior.

Can you imagine how this feeling would be exponentially multiplied if America was the Earthly representation of Christianity? How would it change our view towards Muslim nations with dominant factions bent on our destruction? An attack on the American people would be viewed as a direct attack on our God and we (as Christians) would be a ferocious enemy because we would be ferociously committed to the God of our nation.

With that in mind, look at the story of Jonah. He was a prophet to the Jews and one day God spoke to him and told him to go preach a "get right" message to Ninevah. Ninevah was big, real big. It was the capital of Assyria which was the enemy nation to Jonah's homeland. I can't imagine. If Jonah does what God asks, he can see 2 and only 2 possible outcomes; the first would end with his very quick demise because the Ninevites could kill him on site - the second and more feared option from Jonah's point of view was that the Ninevites would actually repent and that God would bless them and forgive their sin (if the capital of Assyria is blessed then the Assyrians as a whole are blessed and you have just put your enemy nation in a position to absolutely crush your own people - in fact, Assyria will soon destroy Israel so Jonah's fear will come to fruition). Jonah's dilemma was a choice between obeying God and in doing so, destroy the earthly representation of God, or disobey God and save the lives of a million of his fellow Jews.

No wonder he ran to Tarshish. Jonah was taking the brunt of God's wrath for his disobedience as far away from his beloved nation as possible. Tough call, pretty selfless; almost heroic in a national context.

I have to watch my tendency to pledge my allegiance to America and neglect my allegiance to my true King. I have to confess that the whole "Go into all the world" command has yet to penetrate my thinking, much less my actions. Perhaps "God bless America" is not the request we should make of him...

Adventures in Ornithology

2007-05-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

I'm not an animal guy. I love my dogs but that is where my general affection for the animal planet sharply declines. Krisi and I have saved the occasional turtle from near certain meetings with the Michelin man but we're not "save the whales" people by any means.

But last night, we were presented with a situation that we could not avoid or ignore. (I probably would have left the situation to be played out through Darwin's principles but I have learned that sometimes the fittest only survive with a little help from their friends-and Krisi had formed a protective bond with the little guy so he was effectively our responsibility)

This guy either fell or was pushed out of the nest by a super-mean sibling. The mom (pictured below) successfully built her nest(without giving written or verbal notice to the homeowners) directly under the second tallest point on our house resting on a bend in one of our gutter run-off pipes. The little guy fell and we maintain that he must have quasi-glided to the resting point at which he was found (next to one of our azalea bushes across the walkway from the aforementioned nest). We waited for a few hours to see if mom bird would/could pick the little one up and carry him back to the nest but by nightfall, we posited that the infant fowl would surely perish if not for the efforts of his humble landlords. Upon encouragement from my wife and the aid of a 12 foot extension ladder from my in-laws, I climbed to the summit with my young avian comrade and gently placed him back in his nest. Crisis was averted and a fowl victory was achieved.

I wore gloves to minimize the "human scent" on the young base jumper. From what we've been able to gather, he has been welcomed back into the nest. No word yet on an angry older brother or a fattened calf feast.

The nest itself has been given a temporary stay of execution.

Have no fear, the landlords have decided to allow the bird family to stay until each of the young possess the ability to transport him/herself to an alternate locale.

Marriage

2007-05-25T22:17:00.000-07:00

I like sports. I get pretty excited about games, trades, dramatic happenstances and what have you that center around the world of sports. Naturally, I like listening to people that know about sports. In the world of sports commentators and pundits, there are 2 guys that I listen to more than anyone else; Tim Kurkjian - a baseball analyst for ESPN and Colin Cowherd - host of The Herd radio program on ESPN radio. Cowherd is probably the most entertaining sports personality and is quickly becoming a "sports media icon". His style is fresh and his opinions are well-reasoned and buttressed by actual stats. He is a smart guy. But, on his program this morning, Colin talked about how he and his wife of 11 years had decided to divorce. Being a married dude, I am not a big fan of divorce but I am resigned to the fact that it happens and is happening more and more. What was alarming about this guy's announcement was his tone and attitude toward the subject. He used a line from Shawshank Redemption to almost justify the decision. "Get busy living or get busy dying." Cowherd said that he and the Mrs. had just grown apart and that they were "dying". So, they had decided to split. They are apparently friends and still enjoy each other's company; Cowherd even bought a house right down the street from her. He said that marriage was hard and that he couldn't imagine "keeping something" for the next 50 years. That statement floored me.

For a guy that talks so much about people not "getting it" in the world of sports, Cowherd has totally missed the boat on that which matters. A spouse is not a thing you keep around. Marriage isn't like a lamp that sits around until it goes out of style. It is a living organism of a relationship that grows and adds depth and melds itself into the fabric of your existance. When it is the way it was designed, marriage makes you forget how to be single. Krisi and I have been married for 5 years and together as a couple for the better part of a decade. With the separation rate growing as it is, we are considered marriage veterans. My individual identity can no longer be separated from her. This relationship augments me. Under its canopy, I can withstand a little more of what the world can throw at me, I can extend a little more care to the people around me, and I can look a little more like the Son.

It is the most spiritually perfect of human relationships, not a lamp; not a stagnant legal relationship but a microchosm of the love relationship between the Creator God and the created beloved. Some guys just don't get it...