"annoying bells"
In 1994 my wife and I were living in a small house in the small town of Hudson, Iowa. Next door was a small church with a small bell tower. If my memory serves me correctly. at noon and 6pm every day the church bells would play one or two old hymns. At first the noise was sort of annoying, but as the months went by I began to remember the lyrics of these hymns from my days as a child back in the 50′s and 60′s. Words from old songs my mother used to sing before, during and after …
Shift Happens
After visiting Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, after reading The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman and after watching the video below titled “Shift Happens”, I was trying to digest a paradigm shift that was happening in me. One afternoon, I was driving down the road with my family in my Suburban and while stopped at a traffic light, I turned to my three oldest children (Kai, Avery and Noah) who were sitting behind me and I said: “Guys, school is important. There are kids in India and China right now that are studying …
Life Plan
When I was in my late twenties, I almost ruined my life. No, I wasn’t on drugs. I didn’t have a drinking problem. I wasn’t addicted to golf. I was trying to do too much. I had just gotten out of law school, was practicing law, was an adjunct professor at several colleges, making major improvements on my first house, celebrating the arrival our first child, teaching Sunday School, serving on several committees at church and running for School Board. I was trying to live my life…in one year. My wife finally pulled me …
Touch Football Ruined My NFL Career
When I was a kid my parents always told me that I couldn’t play tackle football without pads. We always had to play two-hand touch. I think it ruined my potential NFL career. Not because I wasn’t used to getting hit. My older brother helped me with that. I just couldn’t run fast. Reason: Touch Football. I know this may sound odd, but when you play touch football, you aren’t scared of getting creamed. If you are slow, there is no oversized 8th grader breathing down your neck to prove he can flatten a 6 year old. Change that to …
Blocking Sled
When I was in 7th grade, I was a bit overweight so when it came to playing football, they put me on the offensive line. Actually, I was a left guard. I really didn’t think I belonged there. I hated blocking and playing “bit parts” in the success of the team. I also hated the blocking sled. Most people know what a blocking sled is, but if you don’t, its just a bunch of metal that is on a “skid” platform that lineman “hit” and push in order to practice their skill. (See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YL0o-kjEGA) Notice I said skill because that’s …
My Worst Fear is a Movie
You may not know this, but my worst fear is a movie. I get to heaven and God sits me on a couch. He gives me a Coke and some popcorn and says “Watch this”. The movie I watch lasts for four hours, but it seems like it only lasts 15 minutes. There’s action and adventure, romance and comedy, and ethical dilemmas all wrapped up into the best movie I’ve ever seen. The leading man is making all the right decisions and all the right choices. Its the best of every movie I’ve ever seen in my life all wrapped …
Sleep Tonight
Each night when I put my kids to bed, we read a book, talk about their day and pray for their sleep and their futures. Sometimes after the prayer, they want me to scratch their back. On special occasions, they ask for “Sleep Tonight”. “Sleep Tonight” is really the song MLK by U2 sung in my best Bono voice. I know. My wife has already said you can’t use a U2 song as a lullaby. By the way, you can see/hear it here: Sleep Tonight-MLK by U2 on YouTube While I am singing …
Drop-In
Have you ever done something that you were sure would break your neck? Today, I took my son, Noah, to the Grand Prairie Skatepark to practice what he had learned this week in skate camp. I had taken him earlier in the week to show me what he could do, but this time was different. Last time I was telling him how to do things and encouraging him to try new “stunts”. He didn’t seem to like my “words of encouragement” when it came to doing a “drop-in” on the 3 ft. quarter pipe. If you don’t know …
H.E.B.
I have a horrible story to tell you. Its about me and I am ashamed. It was the first semester of my first year of law school at Baylor University. I was 21 years old and one of the youngest students in my class. Law schools are known for being rough on you mentally and emotionally. One day I was “chewed out” in class for not knowing the answer to a legal issue and I was feeling especially low. My self-esteem had taken a beating and I needed some time away. So I went shopping. Grocery shopping, that is. I …
Heaven Is Waiting for You
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6 (NLT) *** *** *** *** God says, “I’ve got this great life planned for you and surely goodness and mercy will follow you through it, BUT that’s not all of it! I’ve got something planned at the end!” David explains how God connects yesterday and today with tomorrow, when he says, “… and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” In effect, David ends his psalm by saying, “We’re …
