a fun weekend

this weekend was another great Franklin Cowboy fun weekend. big e got his first win over the goodlettsville trojans CC team 33-19. he didn't get to play as much as his dad would have liked, but i think it bothered me more than him. he was excited to play, and more than hustled each time they called him in to the game. e DID have a tackle

d's team won handily 56-0 over the goodlettsville trojan AA team. the game saw d get the chance to play qb since our starting qb is out again this week with a knee injury. d did a great job and he also ran a kickoff back for a touchdown, ran in for a couple of scores, and made some huge tackles.

then, we decided to go back to watch our friends on the AAA team play goodlettsville. about 3 minutes into the game, e came running over crying. needless to say his front teeth were in major need of removal. he said he "got hit in the mouth by a kid." after much investigating and tears, we decide to forego the interviews with other boys and get e some water, paper towels, and instructions to remove his messed up teeth--no chance. it was way too difficult for him to do alone.

after the game, we got home, put e to bed, and mom gently reached into his mouth and removed BOTH of them...

now what's he going to ask for at Christmas time?

this is what LIFE looks like sometimes

today, i saw this picture and realized that it really shows what my LIFE looks like sometimes. as i look at this picture, i see the parallel to my own LIFE.

many times my LIFE is just like the room behind this window. people can see my LIFE, but i choose to guard it, bar it, and even though others can see the truth, i try to tell them everything is ok.

the best part of this picture to me is the brick wall behind the iron bars and broken glass. whatever is behind that window must either be valuable or horrific...

when you look at this picture, what do you see? do you see your LIFE?

how do you want to be remembered?

today, i'm sitting in a hospital waiting room, while my friend brent has sinus surgery. i've been here for a while, and just discovered they have wi-fi here...so what better time to update the blog?

the televisions in the surgery center are all turned to cnn today, and the topic of conversation is...the republican national convention. i've heard enough about sarah palin, her pregnant daughter, and john mccain. in fact, i think i've heard more than enough. i am officially over it. i am sick of the over-pressed coverage of politics.

as i ask the question today, how do you want to be remembered, there are reasons for it. i wonder how politicians want to be remembered. i wonder how reporters want to be remembered. i wonder how i want to be remembered.

i don't know about the rest of those, but i want to be remembered as someone who got past the religion of the day. i want to be known as someone who was truly different because of my relationship with Christ. i want to be someone who has been changed at the very core of who i am.

i don't want to be known as someone who is a part of a particular group, denomination, or even someone who is a rule-follower. i want my love for Christ to show me as different...

Time for Labor Day

it's that time of year...time when things are more exciting than just about any other time of year...it's time for LABOR DAY. With Labor Day just around the corner, that means some other pretty exciting things are coming too. things like:
1. the beginning of Franklin Cowboy Football
2. the beginning of college football (not just one team, but ALL teams) College Football!
3. the beginning of NFL football. that's right, it's time for the pros to earn their dough...
4. the "chase" for the sprint cup is almost here. i haven't really been able to watch too much, but it's still a great time.
5. fall break and our annual ltrip with friends to the redneck capital of the world--Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

this year, we're going to do something special on Labor Day...we're finally going to be able to go see my dad again. I haven't been able to get to see him since his accident, so i'm really looking forward to going to see him. i have had to make some tough decisions over the past few weeks, about whether to spend time with the boys (healthy) or to go see him (trying to get healthy), and i have chosen to spend some time with the boys. after being gone so much over the past few months, it has been a necessity to be home with the boys for some time. now, we're ALL going to get to go see mom and dad for the weekend.

new office, new day

today, i'm blogging from my new office. it's not an elaborate space, nor does it have a great view...in fact, it doesn't even have a window. what it does have though is a great attitude, great camaraderie, and the opportunity for me to share a space with the people in my LIFE who spur me on to do great things for God.

without this space, i might be in a coffee shop somewhere, looking cool, sipping a coffee, and being a part of the "in" crowd, but i would have missed out on a great day, where God reminded me that He loves me, He has a plan for myLIFEspeaks, and He really is in control...

i don't think i've been able to say that about any spot over the past few years...

so it really is a new office...and a brand new day!

who knew???

today i began a new page in LIFE. i joined the social networking hyper-information world of "Twitter". i can let others know what i'm doing as the time goes by. so, come follow me... we'll see how that works. it should actually be kind of fun. i'm looking forward to it.

thanks don, for helping me take the leap.

i had a great time this morning with a couple of meetings with friends. first, brian encouraged me to write...always good. then, what a humbling time i spent this morning with don, who truly cares about the family and me. it's rather embarrassing at times to think about even questioning whether people want to join in LIFE with you or not...

what are you SAYING?

i realized something today. i'm 36 and probably half (or more) of my LIFE is gone. what is there to show for it? sure i have a smokin' hott wife, 3 awesome and talented kids, a great house, 2 mini-vans, and a daughter...but what is left at the end of LIFE that makes God smile?

it hit me today that i have spent most of my LIFE trying to get the next, biggest, best, thing to survive this temporary existence. what would change if i TRULY believed that God wanted me to live for Him each day? would i hold on dearly to the house? the cars (NO!)? i would want to love my wife more, my kids more like Christ, and then, i want to have a legacy that says...i loved Christ with everything.

my LIFE hasn't said that up until this point...maybe now it is, but it hasn't. pretty sobering thought...

8-8-08...what a day

the olympics officially start today! how stinkin' cool. i'm finally back from Arkansas--Cedar Glade Baptist Encampment--and had an UNBELIEVABLE time and got to make some new friends from there.

what are you FOCUSING on?

when i think about the question, "what are you FOCUSING on?" i have to be real. i believe that i am learning to focus on God with my complete LIFE. i have been reading "Crazy Love," by francis chan, and have been both challenged and encouraged by his description of lukewarm people. i believe i am learning to recognize His hand at work in all of me. i want to make more of what He has given me, and i want to be willing to let go of more that belongs to Him...i want to focus on His call and not walk away from it.

hey, it's my birthday

i'm celebrating my birthday today away from the family. it's a little rough being away from them, but also re-assuring because i have been able to talk to them, hear them sing, and know that they are praying for me. i know that the roughest part of LIFE right now for me is getting used to the travel and being away from the family, but i know that God is going to use this time to impact the lives of so many.

what a blessing to know that God has given us a story that just might change the lives of others.

today, i shared part of our story with the group here in arkansas, and am so relaxed knowing that our story might help others either begin their walk with Christ or it might encourage them to take it more seriously...

what is your LIFE saying today?