Oh my goodness, daughter number 2 (Erin) is 21 today!! How did this happen? Let's see, if she is 21, that makes me..........old.
Happy birthday sweetheart. You have brought joy to my life for 21 years, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for you.
Love you,
DAD
Monday, April 30, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Challenge For men
Today's devotional on the Family Life web page (www.familylife.com) is a challenge to men to become a "new breed" of husbands and fathers. Men, if you have a few moments, take the time to read it, it is very good. If we all aspired to become better husbands and fathers, the world would be a much better place!!
The devotional changes daily, and as I'm not sure how to link to today's page and not have it change tomorrow, I'm pasting it below.
De Colores
April 26
Toward a New Breed of Men
The devotional changes daily, and as I'm not sure how to link to today's page and not have it change tomorrow, I'm pasting it below.
De Colores
April 26
Toward a New Breed of Men
"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not
seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not
seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18Why do Fortune 500 companies pay such huge salaries to their top executives? Because they know that leadership makes a difference.
As a husband and father, your leadership will make a difference in your family. Oh, your wife and children may survive from day to day, but are they heading anywhere? Are they growing in Christlike character? Are they focusing on what is important?
There is no question why so many marriages and families are in trouble. Too many men are functioning only as material providers. We need a new breed of men who can appreciate and expend energy, time and-most importantly-focused attention on the spiritual aspect of family life.
We need a new breed of men who have the ability to focus on the unseen-the eternal-as well as the seen. Men who will say no to more bucks when it means sacrificing their families. A new breed who will ask, with every decision they make: "How will this affect the relationships within my family?"
We need a new breed of men who will recognize they need to leave something to posterity that will outlive the financial inheritances they may leave for their children: proven character...a new breed of men who realize that to succeed in the eyes of men but fail in the eyes of God is the ultimate failure.
One man has said, "It is better to fail in a cause that will ultimately succeed than to succeed in a cause that will ultimately fail."
Will you take upon yourself the challenge Albert Einstein gave a group of young scientists? While addressing this highly motivated group of young men, he said, "Gentlemen, try not to become men of success. But rather, try to become men of value."
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Mayonnaise Jar & 2 Cups Of Coffee
Life has been very hectic and quite stressful lately. Sometimes it tugs at the very core of a person's soul and tries to take us down. We get tired, discouraged and oftentimes angry at God. This little story seemed to be sent ot me for a reason today. It reminds me to live by my creed "KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING". No matter the circumstance or situation, I need to remember that in the midst of it, God is in control. I hope you enjoy this.
When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours
in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of
coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in
front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large
and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He
then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the
jar.
He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between
the golf balls . He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the
jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and
poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty
space between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the
important things--God, your family, your children, your health, your friends
and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only
they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house
and your car.
The sand is everything else--the small stuff. "If you put the sand into
the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the
golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and
energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that
are important to you.
"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play
with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse
out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the
house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--the
things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.
It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
De Colores
When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours
in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of
coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in
front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large
and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He
then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the
jar.
He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between
the golf balls . He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the
jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and
poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty
space between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the
important things--God, your family, your children, your health, your friends
and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only
they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house
and your car.
The sand is everything else--the small stuff. "If you put the sand into
the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the
golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and
energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that
are important to you.
"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play
with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse
out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the
house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--the
things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.
It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
De Colores
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Mid Life Follies
This past Friday, I was grousing about having to go down to the clinic and run on one of the old treadmills, because it was snowing outside. Then I got this hairbrained idea to just go run in it!! I put on an extra layer of clothes and took off down the streets. What a blast!! People in their cars would honk and waive, or just laugh and shake their heads at me. Imagine the sight of a middle age man with a beard about as white as the snow running in it!!It was so peaceful, and it ended up being one of the most invigorating runs I have ever done. I was so aware of God's presence as I ran with the big flakes just silently falling all around me.
Hopefully we are finally over with old man winter, but for a few moments, God allowed a crazy middle aged man to have a few moments of feeling youthful and invigorated.
De Colores
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Construction Zone
The Aulne Church addition construction project is underway!! Even before we started, God started blessing this project beyond any of our wildest imaginations. The project cost is $300,000, and we fully funded it within 60 days of the vote to proceed.
It has been mentioned to us that we need to be acutely aware of God's presence in this project, as He has something big in store for our little country church. I can't wait to see what it is!! As P.R. Just put it last fall "A wide door has been opened for us".
You can follow the progress of the project by logging on to our web site www.aulneumc.com and click on the "photo album".
WATCH US GROW!!
De Colores
It has been mentioned to us that we need to be acutely aware of God's presence in this project, as He has something big in store for our little country church. I can't wait to see what it is!! As P.R. Just put it last fall "A wide door has been opened for us".
You can follow the progress of the project by logging on to our web site www.aulneumc.com and click on the "photo album".
WATCH US GROW!!
De Colores
Monday, April 09, 2007
So Long Huggie
As news spread like wild fire that coach Huggins was leaving K-State, my son and future son-in-law decided that it was only appropriate to let fire quench us of our disappointment of an unfulfilled legacy that we thought he would build over the coming years. So, with great pomp and circumstance, we held a Huggieville burning ceremony.
So long Huggie, we barely even got to know you.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Springtime?
What gives? Is this April 5th or February 5th? We have had about 4 inches of snow today, and it doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon!!
My son was supposed to have a double header baseball game today, but needless to say, it has been cancelled. If a ball was hit to the outfield, you'd lose it in the snow!!
God is displaying His sense of humor today, He sure fooled mother nature!!
De Colores
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Baptism By Fire
Well, 
Brian made his high school debut on the mound last night. It was a start that had it's high points, as well as it's low points. On the good side, he struck out 5 in 3 innings, and only allowed 3 earned runs. On the not so good side, he walked 5 and gave up a couple of home runs. To his credit, the wind was howling out of the North at 20 - 30 mph, and the fly balls to left field kept going, and going, and going...
In putting this experience into perspective, Brian's pitching coach and mentor from Manhattan put it this way. He quoted Nolan Ryan as saying, "Do not let the failure of the last pitch affect the success of your next pitch." He went on to say, "Brian will have plenty of success come his way and this is just a stepping stone toward that success. We must first find and learn how to handle failure before we can taste success."
Wow, that sounds like pretty good advice for us adults also, doesn't it!! I couldn't count the number of times that I've failed at something, and have been afraid to get back up and try it again. Yet we are encouraged by our Creator to do just that. Jeremiah 29:11 says says “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Paul tells us in Phillipians 3:12-14 "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Keep working Brian, and you will know success.
De Colores
Brian made his high school debut on the mound last night. It was a start that had it's high points, as well as it's low points. On the good side, he struck out 5 in 3 innings, and only allowed 3 earned runs. On the not so good side, he walked 5 and gave up a couple of home runs. To his credit, the wind was howling out of the North at 20 - 30 mph, and the fly balls to left field kept going, and going, and going...In putting this experience into perspective, Brian's pitching coach and mentor from Manhattan put it this way. He quoted Nolan Ryan as saying, "Do not let the failure of the last pitch affect the success of your next pitch." He went on to say, "Brian will have plenty of success come his way and this is just a stepping stone toward that success. We must first find and learn how to handle failure before we can taste success."
Wow, that sounds like pretty good advice for us adults also, doesn't it!! I couldn't count the number of times that I've failed at something, and have been afraid to get back up and try it again. Yet we are encouraged by our Creator to do just that. Jeremiah 29:11 says says “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Paul tells us in Phillipians 3:12-14 "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Keep working Brian, and you will know success.
De Colores
Monday, April 02, 2007
Clods
Ever since we built our new house, we have been thinking about putting a small garden in the back yard. This past winter, I finally got out my trusty shovel and started to break sod (literally, our property was a pasture). The ground grudgingly came up in huge clumps. There was no way that anything was going to be planted in that ground with all those clods!!
This past week, we were blessed with some wonderful rains. The rain loosened and melted the clods in the garden. Last night, I took a rake, and much to my surprise and delight, the clods literally melted away as I raked the ground. What was once cloddy, unusable ground became loose, rich soil ready to be used as a garden.
How much are our lives like this ground!! Our fears, doubts, anger, stubborness, busyness, bitterness, etc. harden us and "clods" start building up. These clods keep us from being effective Christians. Through prayer, study, meditation and encouragement from others, God sends His refreshing rains to melt away those clods, and our lives can once again be rich and fertile soil for Him to put His garden in.
When you feel those clods start to form in the soil of your life, draw close to God and pray that He will help you melt those clods way, so you can be capable of producing the fruits of the Spirit for Him.
De Colores
This past week, we were blessed with some wonderful rains. The rain loosened and melted the clods in the garden. Last night, I took a rake, and much to my surprise and delight, the clods literally melted away as I raked the ground. What was once cloddy, unusable ground became loose, rich soil ready to be used as a garden.
How much are our lives like this ground!! Our fears, doubts, anger, stubborness, busyness, bitterness, etc. harden us and "clods" start building up. These clods keep us from being effective Christians. Through prayer, study, meditation and encouragement from others, God sends His refreshing rains to melt away those clods, and our lives can once again be rich and fertile soil for Him to put His garden in.
When you feel those clods start to form in the soil of your life, draw close to God and pray that He will help you melt those clods way, so you can be capable of producing the fruits of the Spirit for Him.
De Colores
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