Random Thoughts...

Here are a few thoughts going through my head.

• I have been on a mountain top with very little contact to the world. That was awesome. I stayed in a cabin with no running water but some basic stuff. It was a beautiful place and it reminded me that I can survive without Internet, emails, TV, cell phones, and chaos. :)
• Landscaping! I talked a little about the landscaping issues we have had during the construction process on Monday. It has been a nightmare. It has consumed a lot of our time and has been a major distraction from stuff that matters most. We are having a workday on Friday and Saturday. We as a church will need to step up and see if we can get the property in better shape. We cannot afford to hire someone to fix the mess that was made. If you can be there... it would be awesome!
• Batman... one word... AWESOME! My movie review is coming soon.
• My Daughter is walking! 10 months old and is walking everywhere. WoW! I have pictures coming soon. She is everywhere! Climbing, touching, eating, grabbing, and pulling.
• Panthers training camp... opens next week! Anyone ready for this? Don't bring up college football. It is the only sport that does not have a winner. It has Winners! Lots of them. Then a computer determines who is the champion. Give me a Break!

More to come...

Is There Hope for the Hopeless? Ask Josh Hamilton!

A few weeks ago I shared the story of Josh Hamilton as an illustration during our Happily Ever After Series. Great... Great Story! For those of you not familiar with his story check it out at ESPN. This is an article he wrote.



http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2926447&type=story



WOW! What a great story and it only gets better! Josh Hamilton had a dream before coming back to baseball. In his dream he was at the All Star Game in Yankee stadium participating in the Home Run Derby. A lady asked him why he was there and he tells her that he was there to tell his story of how God saved him from drug addiction. That God had given him another chance in life. Fast forward 2 years... It is Yankee Stadium. He is in the All Star game. He is in the Home Run Derby. He is being interviewed by a female commentator with whom he shares his story. That is Really Cool! But it gets even better. During the Home Run Derby he starts hitting home runs. He keeps hitting home runs... As a matter of fact he hits a lot of home runs. 28 to be exact! In only the first round! The person closest to him hit only 8 home runs. While I was watching this unfold I could tell I was watching history. It was Amazing! My whole family sat around the TV pulling for him. The story gets even better... His 71 year old former batting practice pitching coach was selected to pitch to him. He threw 54 pitches and is 71 years old!


If you want to see more of the story about the Home Run Derby you can watch ESPN. ESPN.com or other sports sites will have more info on his story as well. What a great story. You cannot watch this story and not see God at work. Just like the commentator said during the derby... "It is a bad day to be an atheist at Yankee Stadium." However, it is a great day to be a follower of Christ. Josh is a reminder that no matter how bad it gets... There is Hope!

What is in a Name?

Got a thought running through my head. I thought I would share it with you.

Duet. 25:10
"And his family name in Israel will be called "The House of the Man whose sandal was removed."

This was something I read recently and reminded me of the culture in the Old Testament. People took their names very serious. It meant something. Both Literally and symbolically. They went to great lengths to not dishonor their names.

I remember when Holly and I were faced with our first son being born we had a lot of discussions on what to name our son. We both agreed that we wanted all our children to have names that meant something. We were not looking for something that just sounded good. (Although we were not going to name our son Barney no matter what it meant. We did have some limits.) My fist son was named after me, 2nd son was named after Holly's Dad and brother, 3rd son was named during time we started church and his name meant bold and faithful and he also was named after my best friend, and our little girls name represented the time when me and Holly met and her middle name was the name her birth mom gave her.

Names mean something. I remember when I read this verse... I was challenged with this thought. How hard do I work to make sure that I do not dishonor my family name? Even more importantly... How hard do I work to not dishonor the name of Christ. For I do bear the name of Christ as well... and Names mean something!