Saturday in the Park

Well, actually I did not make it to the park but did run on the green way this morning so that might qualify. It has been somewhat of a slow day today. Took me awhile to wake up and get out the door. Did a 6-miler to the Y and met Sondra there and then headed to Panera. Morgan joined us after her ACT prep class. Shelbi headed to Knoxville early this morning to be a part of the ESPN GameDay FL/TN game tonight.

Yesterday was a good day starting out with a 5-miler in Atlanta, working the booth at the SouthEast Conclave and then driving home. It was Make A Wish Foundation last night and the gym was packed and Goodpasture did a good job bringing folks too. The girls won and the guys lost, but the spirit in the gym was really great. Made it fun to be on the microphone announcing and calling the game. I really enjoy doing that part of the game. The kids are great and the fans are strong as well. It was a very good night and I do not know the total we raised but the $5000 they were hoping for is pretty much a given I believe.

I head to FBC, Hazel Green, AL to lead a SS conference tomorrow and then back in time for the Super Bowl. Looking forward to being with the youth leaders at FBC and then home again watching the ballgame.

Thursday Update

It has been a busy day today with booth set up at Southeast Conclave in Atlanta. It is always good to be at this event because we connect with so many youth ministers we have known for a long time and also meet some new folks. I love this part of my job. I am thankful I get to hear their stories and to encourage them and share some solutions that we have to offer at LifeWay Student Ministry. It really is a great job.

Tomorrow I head home to be a part of the Make a Wish game with DCA playing Goodpasture at our place. If you are anywhere near Nashville and can come out and support the Make a Wish night, come on.

I am missing Sondra and the girls. Morgan seems to have had a better day today which is really good. Hoping these enzymes she is taking will help her belly. Also, please remember my nephew Jimmy who is a great young man who has been struggling for a few years with an injured back from when he was in the Army. He was to have had surgery today to fix his back but they found a "mass" in one of his lungs and need to check that before doing any surgery. Pray that there is not really anything going on there.

It will be good to get home tomorrow. I am doing a conference on Sunday in northern Alabama but should be home in time for the Super Bowl. Not really concerned about who wins that game but I guess the Cards would be my choice just because they have never been there. Not sure they can beat the Steelers though.

Ice, Ice, Not So Much

The major ice event that was supposed to hit Nashville appears to have just missed us by a few miles north. Not that I am complaining. We are getting lots of rain, which is needed, but thankfully none of the real frozen stuff so far.

It has been great to have dad here since last Thursday but all good things must come to an end, so he left this morning on an early morning flight back to KC. I am so thankful that he got to come spend some time with us. It is after he leaves that I realize how much I miss seeing him on an ongoing basis. We spent a lot of time together laughing, watching ball, and just generally hanging out. He even stayed longer than usual and I guess flying helped him hang here longer than he normally would.

We got a diagnosis on Morgan's stomach that seems to be bothering her now for the last few weeks. Looks like a parasite that we are now treating and hopefully she will experience improvement.

Shelbi is home for another week and then heads back to Union to get on with her second semester. It has been great to have her home although I think she is about ready to get back to her school routine.

Running these days has been eventful. The weather has been either fairly cold or wet, so today I spent some quality time on the treadmill doing some simulated hill repeats. Should pretty much work the same as doing them on the street so we will see. I am not really training for anything since I have so much travel coming up but would like to stay in some semblance of shape.

Morgan and the DCA Lady Wildcats are supposed to play tonight up in Portland. Portland is out of school today due to the ice they got so we will see if we are still on. I am about ready to get back into the gym so I hope they play.

Headed to Atlanta tomorrow for a couple of days of conferencing and back on Friday and ready for our Make A Wish Pack the Gym game against Goodpasture. One of our students at DCA has organized the whole thing and we are hoping to help an individual have a wish fulfilled. If you are local to Nashville and can come, we would love to have you participate. The goal is to raise $5000.

End of the Week

So glad it is Friday and I did not even have to travel this week. Dad flew down from KC yesterday and it is good to have him here for a few days. Last night he had us all cracked up talking about his "matching" pajamas and just being generally funny. He also fixed us his famous spaghetti and meatballs, chocolate pie (using my mom's recipe) and his world renowned banana pudding. It is so good to have him around. He will get to take in a couple of basketball games and just hang out with us.

Weather has been interesting this week. Tuesday's run was very cold and today's ten miler was in the high 40s with a high today somewhere in the 60s. Tomorrow it is supposed to be high 30s for the high. Crazy January.

DCA plays at home tonight and there are Coming Home festivities between the varsity games so as the announcer, I will be busy. I really do enjoy it though and it keeps me from doing and saying goofy things in the stands. Many of you know I need all of the help I can get.

I am going to ask you to pray for a family who are good friends of ours. They have a potential serious health issue that they will be facing in the coming days. Pray for healing and God's favor. All I can say at this point. Please just pray.

Looking forward to a great weekend. Quite a few things on the docket, but should be a fun one!

Inauguration Day

I thank God that I am an American. I thank God that this great nation, though not perfect, still holds elections where the citizens get to vote and that those votes matter. Thank God that regardless of color or creed, American citizens can vote and be elected to public office.

I am committed to pray for President Obama. I am praying that God's hand would guide him and give him wisdom. I am praying that God would the ruler of his heart and mind. I am thankful that President Bush has served our nation. I have not always agreed with his decisions. I am certain I will not agree with all of President Obama's decisions.

I am praying that God will continue to be glorified in our nation and in my life. God bless President Obama and his family and may God bless America.

Miracle on the Hudson

I was in the air yesterday when the plane crashed into the Hudson. When I landed in St. Louis, CNN Airport was not broadcasting anything live and had something on about mortgages for hours. I guess they did not want to panic those of us who were sort of oblivious to what had happened to the USAir flight. My dad called to check on me and knew that I was not in NY, but just wanted to make sure I was ok. I finally found a tv in a restaurant that was broadcasting and it was then that I began to hear how everything unfolded.

The pilot, Sully Sullenberger, was an absolute genius in all that he did from reacting to finding a safer place to land than buildings and homes, and then searched the plane twice before deplaning himself. God bless this man. I want to fly on his airplane.

Thank you God for sparing the lives of 155 people in that plane. May you get glory for all that happened and thanks for using normal people to get Your ways accomplished.

Logging Many Miles

It has been an interesting travel day today. I got up at 415a, showered, dressed, ate a quick bowl of cereal and made my way to the airport. Jumped on a plane bound for Miami, Rudy Guiliani was on the plane and I got to meet and talk with him for a short minute, landed in Miami and had 1.5 hour layover and jumped on another plane to Tampa. Met with Jeff Hessinger, the FL state youth guy, for lunch and some ministry planning. Jeff is one of those guys who does a great job of trying new things. He is trying an idea that mentors younger youth ministers in the state. It was good to hear what is going on and to brainstorm some ways that we can work together.

After a good lunch at a restaurant overlooking Tampa Bay, I headed back to the airport to catch a flight back to Miami and then on to Atlanta. Right now I am sitting in the Miami airport and I have to say that the master plan on this place is pretty whacked. I have not been through here in about 10 years and now I remember why. I owe an apology to the New Orleans airport since I busted on it about a month ago. Miami airport is pretty rough as far as facilities. I actually the international flavor and feel of the people, but the facilities, . . . well, I have already commented on them.

Talk with Morgan earlier and her stomach is pretty yucky today. We have a dr. appt. on Sat. to go over the results of a series of tests she has been going through. We need to find out what is going on with our little girl for sure.

Looking forward to getting to Atlanta tonight, checked into the hotel and sleeping all night and then presenting at Youth Ministry Institute tomorrow late morning. I then head home via St. Louis. Crazy routing on this trip but it saved a bunch of money and I am all about saving money and maximizing opportunities for ministry.

Where Have I Been?

Can anyone explain to me why I have not updated the blog in over a week? Very uncharacteristic of me and I will do my best not to be so delinquent about this blog in the future. Things have been good since the first of the year except for a bout with the stomach bug and now fighting off a cold that seems to have made a beeline for my chest. Sondra thinks I am just trying to work on a sexy voice.

Last week was pretty busy with it being the first week back at work including a sick day and a trip to New Orleans to teach and then back home again. The weekend was filled with ballgames and birthday activities. DCA played Goodpasture on Fri and we came away with a girls and boys varsity win which is always good. Saturday was Titans/Ravens football and needless to say we were not excited about that outcome but Morgan had a few friends over to celebrate and watch the game. It was fun for sure. Shelbi had invited a friend from Union to spend the weekend and we loved having Megan around. She fit in like one of the family. The girls even headed to a late showing of Bride Wars on Sat. night. Definitely a chick flick so I abstained.

Sunday was a good time of bible study and worship and a great lunch at Sakura for Morgan's 17th birthday. Can she really be 17? Hard to believe how time goes so quickly. Of course, last night also was the beginning of season 7 of 24 and we enjoyed watching that.

I enjoyed running this morning a 5-miler and a full day of work. I really get to work with some great folks and we did a little celebrating from the year we had this past year. Tough economic times but God seems to be showing us His favor.

Headed to Tampa and Atlanta later this week and then home for a few days. Travel is not too terribly heavy in Jan. but I will tell you that Feb.-Apr. is going to be pretty crazy.

The picture is of Morgan, Megan, and Shelbi at church yesterday.

Also, pray for my pastor Raymond Vogtner and good friend Dick Spencer as they are ministering in India right now. They are returning on Weds.

Four Days In

Is it already Jan. 4th, 2009 and I have not blogged? Hard to believe. We enjoyed our time with the Drummond's on the 31st and had a great meal at Rose Pepper's and enjoyed the Vandy win. The first was good with a 10-miler on the greenway and spending time at our house with our friends the Fullers. We exchanged late Christmas gifts with them and the girls got some great turbie twists. Check out this pic.

The Lady Cats played bball on Fri/Sat and won one and lost one. Overall they played pretty well and they start district play the end of the week. We will see how the season goes. It has been good to be at home the last few days and to get a few things done. We finally got our ceiling in the dining room and living room painted and it looks great. Our friend Michael and his company M and M painting did a great job. Let me know if you need some good painting work done.

The Bowl games and NFL playoffs have about football'd me out but it will be good to see the Titans play the Ravens this coming weekend. Looking forward to getting back to work this week too. I have a short trip to New Orleans, Weds./Thurs. for YMI. Should be good times getting back into the routine of running out of the downtown Y with my buddies, although getting up at 430a will take a little more getting used to.

2009 is going to be a great year.