Happy Birthday Erin!!

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

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

"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 4:18

Why 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."

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Major "Milestone"

On January 1, 2006, I resolved to take better care of myself, and as part of my fitness strategy, I decided to take up running. I started out by trying to make it around one block here in town without passing out from lack of oxygen. Gradually over time, I kept increasing my distance, little by little.

Yesterday, I recorded my 1,000th mile of running!! Now to the running enthusiasts out there, this is probably no big deal, in fact they're probably wondering "What took you so long??" To me, a person who in the past only ran when I heard the dinner bell ringing, this is a major milestone!! It's like running from here to Denver Colorado and back!!

I'm officially hooked on running, and as long as my middle age joints and back hold up, I'm going to keep lacing up my shoes and get out there and pound the pavement. It's a great form of exercise, it helps me to unwind from my day, and it seems to help keep me from putting on additional pounds, at least for now!!

De Colores

Welcome New Emmaus Pilgrims!

Welcome new pilgrims of Emmaus Walks 85 & 86! From what I've heard, both of them were resounding successes. God continues to work in the lives of those who make the commitment to attend these Walks in a mighty way.

If you're interested in attending a Walk, feel free to contact me, and I'll be glad to answer any questions you might have. the next set of Walks are October 18 - 21 (Men) and October 25 - 28 (Women) in beautiful Garden City, Kansas.

You can read more about this event at www.breadoflifecommunity.com. Give God 72 hours of your time, and you will be blessed for a lifetime!!

De Colores

Deception

A pitch that my son has been working on is the curve ball. The baseball is released with basically the same arm speed as the fastball, but the grip is different, resulting in a side spin than makes the ball curve, and hopefully drop at the same time. It is used when you have "set up" the batter with some fastballs. When he sees the pitch coming out of the pitcher's hand, he thinks another fastball is coming, and takes a swing at it, only to find it coming in slower and with movement. If it is done right, it can be a very difficult pitch to hit.

The curve ball is meant to deceive the batter. Just when he thinks he has the pitcher's velocity figured out, the curve ball comes along and fools him.

Satan throws a lot of "curve balls" in our lives. Just when we think we've got it figured out, and actually feel comfortable with life, he throws something that messes us all up. Sometimes it is something bad, and causes us much pain and suffering. Sometimes, they actually can appear to be good and even enticing. We fall for them and then suffer the consequences.

The bible warns us of Satan and his curve balls. Right off the bat in Genesis, Eve was deceived by Satan into thinking that she could eat the fruit from the Tree of Life. John 8:44 says "The devil has nothing to do with the truth. There is no truth in him. It is expected of the devil to lie, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

Be careful of the "curve balls" that Satan throws at you. Ask God to help you stand firm and not be deceived.

De Colores

Wyatt update

Little Wyatt made it through his liver transplant surgery yesterday. The surgeons were pleased with how it went. Let's now hope and pray that the liver functions as it should, and that his body will accept it. Thanks for praying for him, keep lifting him up!!

Wyatt

One of our employees has a son named Wyatt, who was born with a congenital defect in his liver. It has never functioned as it should. He has been on a liver transplant list for about a year. He is now about 2 years old.

A couple of times this past year, his parents received a phone call of a potential liver for Wyatt, and they would race to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, only to be told that the liver was either not a match, or was not suitable for transplant.

Yesterday, they received another call, and made the trek again. This time, it looks like it is for real! If you read this blog anytime on Tuesday, March 6, I would appreciate it if you would take the time to say a quick prayer for Wyatt and his family that the surgery will go well, and that his parents will stay strong.

I also think it would be appropriate that a prayer be offered for the family who unfortunately had to lose a loved one.

In Like A Lion

How crazy has our Kansas weather been? Yesterday, the last day of February, we had a high temperature of 70 degrees. The wind was light, and the golfers were streaming by our house.

Last night, I woke up to lightning, thunder, high winds and some kind of precipitation pounding against our bedroom window. This morning, it was snowing, and a couple of inches was covering the ground!! Looks like March has come in like a lion!!

Oh well, we all know that the weather here in Kansas changes rapidly. In a few days, we are supposed to be back in the 60's again.

Psalm 24 reminds us that God is control of our earth and the weather that we have. It says "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it."

I'm sure glad to know that in all the craziness of this weather, I have a God who is steadfast and in control!!

De Colores

Spring Has Sprung

Just for grins, I looked at one our flower beds today, just to see if by chance anything was trying to make it's way up thru the cold ground. I couldn't believe my eyes!! Our crocus, daffodils and even some tulips were peeking their heads up out of the mulch!! Spring is just around the corner!! It made me want to fire up the lawn mower and go do some yard work!! NAAAAH!

Break It In

I bought my son a new ball glove for his birthday (shhh, don't tell him!!). He needed a new one as he starts his high school baseball career anyway, so it's a win-win deal!!

I don't know how many of you have bought a new glove before, but when you get one, it is usually stiff as a board. The leather is fresh and smells great, but the glove is almost useless, because it is stiff and you can't open and close it very well. It's hard to catch a ball in it when you can't close the glove around it.

The first thing I always do when I get a new glove is to get out my can of shaving cream and just totally cover it, rubbing the shaving cream into the leather until it is all worked in. Then I spend literally hours just working the glove with my hands. As I tug and pull and twist the leather, it starts to become softer and more pliable. Eventually, the glove is "broken in", and is ready for use.

As Christians, we are sometimes like this new glove. We're fresh and full of ideas (hopefully we smell good), but oftentimes we're in need of some working by God to make us ready for service to Him. As we pray, read the scriptures, fellowship with others, and seek God's will, we become "broken in" and useful. Just like a broken in glove catches a baseball much better than a stiff new one, so we will be more likely and able to catch souls for God when we've been properly prepared by our spiritual discipline. Now that you're properly broken in, go out there and.....PLAY BALL!!

De Colores

You Are So Beautiful To Me

Dennis Rainey has a radio spot called FamilyLife Today (go to www.familylife.com) , and recently he had a very interesting discussion with Bob Lepine about romance and relationships. On this particular program, Bob Lepine made a very interesting comment that all us guys should really take to heart. It went something like "If a woman is beautiful under the age of 40, she has something to do with it. If she is beautiful after the age of 40, her husband has something to do with it."

Did you catch that guys? A large part of a women's self esteem and sense of beauty lies with our ability to reinforce those qualities in their eyes. The more compliments we give her, the more we pay attention to her, the more we reinforce that she is the most beautiful person in our eyes, the more confident she will be with herself. Too often we hear on the news about physical and mental abuse of women, and how that can leave lasting emotional scars, and that makes me sick. However, our neglect of reinforcing the beauty of our wives on a daily basis can also slowly build scars of low self esteem that are hard to heal.

Need some help? Look at the chapters in the Song of Solomon, and see how many times he called his wife beautiful. Better yet, read this book out of the bible to her!!

As our thoughts turn to Valentine's Day, and all the things we are planning on doing to romance our wives, give some serious thought to making every day Valentine's Day. Try complimenting her on something at least once a day, and see how she responds. I'll bet you it will be positive!!

De Colores

Abundance

Have you ever noticed how many times in the bible that when someone asked God or Jesus for something, they got more than they asked for?

In Exodus, the Israelites complained to God about not having food while they were wondering in the desert. God sent quail and manna, and it says that it covered the ground. God instructed the people to only take what they could eat for that day.

In John, Jesus was asked to help out with a problem at a wedding. It seems the wine ran out, and Jesus' mother wanted him to fix the problem. Did he just make a pitcher or two? No!! He made over 100 gallons!!

In Luke, Simon had been fishing all day, but couldn't catch any fish. Jesus instructed him to throw his net on the other side of the boat, and not only did he catch fish, it says that there were so many fish in the net, it nearly sunk the boat!!

I guess my point is, too often we don't see just how abundantly God has blessed us. I know that He has blessed me way more than I deserve to be!! Lots of times I have asked God for something, and don't realize how He has supplied for that need, and much more.

Look at the blessings of your life. Are your pitchers running over, is your net full? Give thanks to God, for He has blessed you richly.

De Colores

The Streak Is Over!!!

WE WON!! Marion 44, Hillsboro 42!! Packed Marion Square Garden, rowdy crowd, overtime, controversial calls, stolen pass, last second shot at the buzzer, this game had it all. When was the last time the Marion boys beat Hillsboro? WHO CARES!! Life is good today.

De Colores