Random Thought #17

Google earth has the wrong street view/address for my house. If you ever need directions to my house, you will have to type in 2190 instead of 2124. How about that little tidbit of useless information for you at the end of 2008!

Happy New Year!

Top fifteen signs you are on the mend

15. You no longer have the loudest cough in the office.
14. People are no longer offering to call a doctor for you every time you cough.
13. Your co-workers are no longer following you with a can of Lysol.
12. You can no longer tell the exact minute that your medicine runs out.
11. You accidentally skipped a dose of medicine.
10. You no longer consider buying stock in the companies that manufacture Mucinex and Tylenol Cold due to the money you are spending on the products.
9. You no longer have to run a heater in your office.
8. You can smell the Vicks when you open the tub instead of when you rub it on your nose.
7. Your appetite for milder foods (instead of spicy) returns.
6. The first thing out of your client's mouth on a phone call is no longer "Honey, are you sick?"
5. The last thing out of your client's mouth on a phone call is no longer "Now you go home early and get some rest. Get better."
4. You do not have to go home early from work.
3. You can sleep through the night and wake up without a stopped up nose.
2. You do not anticipate any emergency trips to Wal-Mart in the near future to pick up the new (AWESOME) Puffs tissues that have lotion AND Vicks in them.
1. You no longer watch House marathons hoping that someone comes in with your symptoms so that you can learn what the magic cure is before you feel that your only option is a lung transplant or giving up on breathing all together!

You guessed it ... thanks to several rounds of Mucinex and Tylenol Cold, I am feeling more like my old, well self. I hate cold season!

Random Thought #16

I saw The Dark Knight last night for the first time, and for some reason I cannot keep from thinking about it today. It is rare that a movie captivates me in a way that The Dark Knight did. For one, I am trying to figure out who is more evil - the Joker or Two-Faced. Both seem equally disturbing to me today.

You know you are sick when ...

... you sneeze through an extra tough tissue. I didn't even know it was possible until this morning. I guess that means I need to actually admit that I am sick.

Church Discipline

First of all, I am not sure why this is newsworthy on Fox News. The story (for those of you who might not click on it) is about a woman who is whining to the press that the church she used to attend, and that her children still attend, is about to publicly point out her sin to the church congregation. What baffles me is that she doesn't want her sin told to the whole congregation because of the embarassment that it might cause her children, but she has decided to talk to the media to make it national news on Fox News (and maybe others).

Church discipline is a sensitive matter in churches and should be left to the individual congregations. What this story does not inform the public is that it appears (at least from the church's website) that this is a conservative congregation which takes church membership very seriously. New members are required to attend a membership class before being accepted into the congregation. I am sure that this membership class informs prospective members about the discipline policies of the church since most do, especially in churches that take church membership seriously enough to have a new members class before being accepted as a member. Another thing that this article overlooks is that, although this lady may have informed those in the church that she will never attend there again, she is still a member of the church. Therefore, the church has a duty to its members, and this church believes that part of that duty is carrying out church discipline for matters addressed by Paul and Jesus. Paul makes it clear in Corinthians that those who are caught up in sexual immorality and refuse to repent should be treated as unbelievers. This combined with Jesus' instructions on how to carry out church discipline give this church a biblical basis for going through the stages of church discipline on this unrepentant member.

No one knows the full circumstances behind the church's decision to carry out discipline for this church member. A church is meant to be a place where believers are able to help each other in the struggle through sin, and the members should love each other enough to encourage someone not to continue to live in sin. Church membership should be limited to believers, and quite frankly, this woman is conducting herself as a non-believer. I am encouraged to see a church that is trying to carry out the duty of church discipline and that is loving its members enough to confront sin. This does not mean that what this church is doing is completely correct - we do live in a fallen world and most attempts by a church to fully conform to God's word will likely fall short. However, the letter written to this woman (which can be read through the news article linked above) seems to be in line with God's Word.

My prayer for this church is that God will use this situation to bless this church in the persecution that is sure to come in the next days and weeks. Somehow God is able to take persecution and turn it into triumph for His kingdom. I pray that this situation will be no different.

Although I did not read it close enough to know if I agree with everything, here is another opinion about this story.
Pyromaniacs: BREAKING NEWS: church dares to practice NT Christianity!

Free, Legal Holiday Music

I have never used Amazon mp3 to download music/albums before this week, but so far I am impressed. To me, it seems easier to find albums on Amazon than in iTunes. If you are looking for a way to quickly add to your holiday music, I would suggest checking out this Holiday Music page at Amazon. There are quite a few songs of all sorts. Plus, it automatically imports the songs into iTunes.

Random Thought #15

The newspaper in Texarkana finally spelled my name right. This is a huge deal because for the last three years, even though I have told reporters over and over and even though we have submitted things in writing, I have been called Cynthia. Today marks a new day where maybe I will be referred to by my correct name for here on out – of course that is wishful thinking. At least it is a step in the right direction.

It’s Nice to be Nice

Brother Martin, long time director of the Carver Center in New Orleans, would walk around saying, "It's nice to be nice" over and over again to the kids. I have taken this same phrase and each year teach it to a new group of little league basketball players lucky enough to be chosen for my team J. I think that I need to start doing the same thing with lawyers from two of the three largest cities that are within three hours of Texarkana. Niceness and professional courtesy go a long way in the legal field, but lawyers from the two large cities (and not the closest one to Texarkana out of the three) seem to have forgotten that it is nice to be nice. Fortunately they also forget to take their big city attitude out of letters in small town cases, and although judges might be impressed with the attorney's knowledge of the rules and rudeness in the big city, judges outside of the big city fortunately do not share the same view. That is another reason that these lawyers should learn that it is nice to be nice – I am more worried about my letters being read by a judge than an attorney, and I write my letters accordingly. Over the past few days our office has received a few that we cannot wait to show a judge!

Random Thought #14

I think I am allergic to our office. Seriously. When I am at home, both at night and on the weekends, I hardly sneeze, cough, or get stopped up. Yet when I walk into our building each morning, my sinus pressure continuously increases throughout the day, as does my sneezing and coughing. I must be allergic to the office.

Random Thought #13

I had the desire to send this link to someone in our office who shall remain nameless, but is not an attorney and who yelled at me this morning. The person really needs to read it though so that maybe the handwriting on the wall can be seen.

Random Thought #12

Sometimes there are articles that make you think - and praise God for His grace during a year of loss. This article is one of them. Sometimes you really cannot do anything to save someone, but there is comfort in knowing that you tried.

In case you are looking for baby names ...

... I would not suggest following in this couple's footsteps. The Johnny Cash song "A Boy Named Sue" comes to mind - although I think he would have agreed that Sue is better than that name.

Snow in NO

I see that my NO kids are able to enjoy the snow today. It always find it strange when it snows in NOLA!

What our week has been like ...

I will let Summer, Cory's wife, share the news with you about our week. Just a little background information. I was attending trial as Cory in our office tried his first case on his own (meaning without the partner present). The outcome was good for our client, and, well, let's just say that Cory "moved" one of the potential jurors on the panel.

The Importance of Teaching Children Generosity

On Thursday, our local young lawyers association donated law related books to children at the local Texarkana Baptist Orphanage. In the spring we will be taking the children out for a night at the theatre so that they can watch the production of To Kill a Mockingbird. One of our local young lawyers was kind enough to bring cookies that she baked for the children. She has a young daughter of her own who was watching her bake the cookies. Her daughter is at an age where she asks many questions because she is curious about everything. Naturally she asked her mother why she was baking cookies. Her mother explained that she was baking the cookies to take to boys and girls who did not have a mommy and daddy to take care of them. This caused quite a bit of concern for the little girl who cannot imagine life without a mommy and daddy. After thinking about it for a while, she told her mother that she wanted to share her apple with the children at the orphanage who did not have a mommy or daddy. Although the piece of apple would not come close to feeding the 15 children at the orphanage, her mother allowed her to package the piece of apple up to give to the children. This story reminded me of the importance of teaching children generosity, even when they may not be completely able to understand. The natural tendency of children is to be selfish all the time. However, with little hints here and there about how fortunate the child is can go a long way in teaching an attitude of generosity. I think it helps with the attitude of entitlement as well. Since Christmas is usually a time of getting gifts for children, I hope that there are other parents like this young lawyer who are teaching their children that it truly is better to give than to receive.

More Pictures of Verchaun Guy

 

Thanksgiving

Here are some fun pictures of my cousin's children from Thanksgiving. James is the oldest, Luke the middle child, and Emily the youngest. For some reason, James and Luke think that I am just a big toy to play with. This year, though, I was the puppy-sitter because they just got a new miniature daschund and they were afraid that my cousin Lisa, who loves animals, was going to steal it. They did not get nervous about me stealing the dog until I let them know that I have a dog at home that needs a friend because he doesn't have another dog to play with. James said that their dog did not have a dog friend to play with either. Then he got nervous because maybe it would be better for the dogs to be friends, and maybe I would take her. Children are so funny!

James

Luke

Emily

Brotherly Love

Random Thought #11

Sometimes I wonder what the people in the Walmart photo department think when they see my pictures. Take yesterday, for example – my pictures were of my cousin's children and of Birdie and the baby. Half white people, half black people. I wonder if they wonder what the story is there. I am sure that my pictures are not the strangest pictures that they see though.

The Happiest Days are Days Babies Are Born

Verchaun Guy was born on November 30, 2008 at 2:25 p.m. I received a nervous/excited phone call from his daddy at 2:00 p.m. informing me that the baby was about to be born, so I hopped in the car to head to New Orleans. He was 5 lbs. 14 oz. and 19 inches long. I walked into the room and had him in my arms within seconds (of course!). His proud daddy stole him away a few minutes later though :).




His proud daddy gave him back a few minutes after taking him from me too! I think his daddy really wanted pictures - especially since he even smiled in the picture.

We had to try to wake Verchaun Guy up in order to feed him. Let's just say that Verchaun Guy was very stubborn and would not wake up! Here is video of us trying.



We tried everything we could think of, but he would not open his eyes until there was no light in the room other than the light coming from the TV. Here is him seeing me for the first time.



His daddy was so cute telling him, "This is Miss Cyndia!" I am sure that he is going to be seeing a lot of me. I will also be teaching him to call me Dia instead of Miss Cyndia, but I guess it is habit for his daddy after 7 years.

After an hour and a half of trying, he finally had eaten 25 ml and been burped twice, but he still proceeded to throw up all over me with his daddy gagging in the chair beside me. I am sure that won't be the last time he throws up on me! I guess he just was not hungry. Or it could be because his daddy discovered he could hold him with one arm and swing him a little.



We talked a little bit about Guy on Sunday, which is where Verchaun's middle name came from. It reminded me of the verses in Job that say, "And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.'" (Job 1:21, ESV) This baby is truly a gift from God during a year when it seems that the Lord has taken away so much. Babies are a reminder that there is hope and that life continues to go on.

Bad Coaching

Here is an example of how not to coach a basketball game. This shows a lack of confidence in your own team and a streak of vindictiveness. Using two players to take out one player all night long, even when he is standing in the corner, is not fair to the other three players who are now going up against four. I am glad that they lost by thirty so that no one else will try a stupid stunt like this.

Collage of Pictures

Some of my favorite pictures from New Orleans.

 

Oh Christmas Tree

Here are some pictures from my tree. Very colorful, full of bears, and New Orlean-sy!!







Sampling of bear ornaments.


Finally, a bear to top my tree!

A lawyer bear ... and it is even a female lawyer bear. One of the most exciting ornaments that I have found. Even better since it came from New Orleans.



The clear balls with beads in them are a new addition this year. Previously I had disco balls on the tree, but I like how the balls with beads blend well with the beads thrown on the tree.

The BCS

I am not a fan of the BCS system, but like so many other things in life, it almost seems like the best of the evil systems. Even worse than the evil of the BCS system is the unending chatter by sports commentators about the evils of the BCS system. I do not like a system that encourages teams to run up the score to get "style" points that raise their rankings in the other polls just to result in a higher BCS standing. The system is also prejudiced against those teams with late season losses as opposed to early losses. Both Texas and OU will be looking to run up the score on A & M and OSU because of the much needed BCS points. Even though I am a Texas fan, and I realize that it is when Texas is high and A & M is low that A & M tends to pose the biggest threat, I am hoping that Texas does not run up the score. However, I will be cheering for them to because I want to see them in the national championship game. I do not like cheering on unsportsmanlike conduct, but I do not want to see Bob Stoops in another national championship game. The commentators talking about all of the BCS scenarios are annoying. I want the system to end not just because of its own evils, but because it will give the commentators one less thing to talk about.

I still haven’t found what I’m looking for …

… but I am one step closer!! Yesterday, I FINALLY found a bear tree topper that I like well enough to put on top of my bear/New Orleans themed Christmas tree. I have been looking for a bear angel, but have had no luck finding one. However I did find a pretty lady bear dressed in a red winter dress to top my tree. Pictures will follow soon so that I can explain what I mean by bear/New Orleans. I was so excited that my tree is now up and decorated. The rest of the decorations are not out yet though.

Driving

I spend a lot of time driving because of all of my trips to New Orleans. Although the iPod keeps me entertained most of the time, I still get a little ADD in the car and have to find other things that entertain me. This trip, I played with my camera. I am not sure if this is safer than texting, which I did not do while driving this trip since it is now illegal in Louisiana to text and drive, but I did it anyway as long as the sun would allow. Here is probably the coolest thing that I captured:

That fog is at 5:30 in the afternoon. It was about 15 miles into Louisiana and 20 from Shreveport. It was strange to look out over the pastures and see the fog hovering over the grass.

Another highlight: gas less than $2 a gallon. Gas was half the price it was in July when I went to NO.


The place I love so much.

This was a nice sight on St. Charles. It took a while for the streetcar line to open back up after Katrina, and this may be one of the first times since Katrina that I have seen streetcars on the line. It looked like the streetcars were back to the old schedule too because there were a lot of them all the time.

Commitment

This is another word I have been thinking about recently. I think that our society has an overall lack of commitment right now. We are so caught up in doing what is best for ourselves, that we do not value things like commitment.

I started thinking about commitment a few weeks ago when I committed to participate in a mentoring program at a local school. The schedule is difficult for a lawyer since there is a specific hour each month during which I am supposed to show up to mentor my child, and that date and hour cannot be changed to fit my schedule. I was warned of this when I signed up to do the program. I have had to accommodate my schedule in order to make sure that I am able to attend each month. During the first mentoring session, it was great to see all the faces of the children in the classroom light up as their mentors started showing up. You could tell that this short hour given on that day meant more than what one would expect to each child. Near where my child was sitting was a little boy. His face would light up every time an adult would walk into the room. His head would sink every time that the adult was pointed in the direction of a different child. Pretty soon his face was lighting up less and less as adults walked in, but his head was sinking lower and lower as the adult took his or her seat next to another child in the room. After about fifteen minutes, he and another boy were the only ones left without mentors. An adult walked into the room. You could see it on his face – he was sure that this adult was there for him. He even got out of his chair and began walking toward the adult talking with the teacher. Then the adult left the room. A face that was incredibly excited sank to a level where it appeared he was holding back tears. Even an offer from me for him to join me and the child I was mentoring would not appease him. Wisely, the teacher picked up on it and allowed him to go to the restroom or down to the library or out on an errand.

As I observed that little boy, I thought about the word commitment. An adult had committed to be a mentor for that little boy, yet that adult did not follow through with his or her commitment. That adult never will know how much pain that little boy went through that day as his hopes were lifted and dashed with each entry of an adult in the room, but that adult made an impact on that child that day by not following through with his or her commitment. The lack of commitment on the part of that adult probably made more of an impact on that little boy that day than the positive impact that the commitment of the mentors who did show up made on their mentees that day.

This incident made me start thinking about how there is a problem with commitment in our lives in general. I am sure that the no-show mentor had a valid reason that day for not attending. However, just because you have a valid excuse does not mean that you should break a commitment. I am sure that the no-show mentor felt that he or she was making the best choice for the mentor, but he or she will never understand that the hour spent with that little boy may have meant more than anything else that was accomplished that day. We live in a society that does not value commitment. It is easy to break commitments. I can commit to do a certain activity, but if something better comes along, it is easy to say "Something came up." I can commit to being at a certain place, but just say "I did not feel like it" once the time for the event has passed.

This lack of commitment bleeds over into other areas of life as well. Husbands and wives are not committed to each other. Divorces are easy to come by, and the words "until death do you part" really mean "until one of you does not feel like it anymore" in our society. Mothers and fathers are not committed to their families. It is easy for one (or, unfortunately, both) to leave because they do not want to be a parent right now. Friends are not committed to being the type of friend contemplated in Proverbs 18:24 – "there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Instead, we choose to be friends with a person just so long as they make us feel good, and when that good feeling is gone (or they have the nerve to confront us about an issue in our own personality that may need changing), we drop them. Church members lack commitment, moving church membership around like it is a gym membership. The church does not have activities you like? Go to one across town that does. Someone in the church makes you mad? Go to the one across town. There is no such thing as looking for biblical reasons to end a relationship. Instead it is based upon whim. Sure we say "I prayed about it and God told me …" but how can God be the one telling you that if it is contrary to His word? Just because something is "good" in our eyes does not mean that it is the best for our lives. I have even seen how people commit to keep in touch with those they minister too, but fail to follow through with the commitment.

The other night I attended the symphony here in Texarkana, and the selection for the night was Beethoven's 9^th. There was a piccolo player that I watched almost the whole night. During the first movement, there were no notes for the piccolo. In fact, it looked like the piccolo player might be sleeping. During the second movement I got excited because it looked like he had placed his instrument near his mouth, but then I saw that it was really the bow of the violin player in front of him moving back and forth. I was sitting pretty high up. During the third movement, all of the other woodwinds were playing, and I believe that all of the other instruments had already played for a portion of the symphony. The piccolo player was still sitting there. Finally, the fourth movement came, and it did not look like there was much hope for the piccolo player to play. He was still sitting there. I became bored with watching him and started looking around. Suddenly, I heard a sound I had not heard all night. It was the piccolo. He was finally getting to play his notes. His notes made a difference to the symphony too. He did not play long, but his notes were meaningful.

The piccolo player could have determined that there was no reason for him to commit to the symphony that night. He was not going to be recognized individually for his playing of the notes. He was going to have to sit in an uncomfortable chair in front of hot lights in front of a crowd of people for at least an hour before he got to play his instrument. He could have even made a grand entrance by waiting until it was time for him to play his notes and enter the stage to take his seat making sure everyone knew he was playing. Instead, the piccolo player knew that he had committed to be a part of the symphony, and, for the good of the whole, he took his seat as he had said he would, and played his instrument when it was time. All of these steps probably would have been better for him individually.

I am learning a lesson in commitment right now. I have made various commitments in the past few years. It has been tough following through with some of the commitments, and I have broken others. I have committed to being a member of First Baptist Church Wake Village, and that is a commitment that I intend to keep so long as it is biblical to keep it. I have committed to supporting children through Compassion International, and that is a commitment I intend to keep. I have committed to being a mentor this year at the elementary school, and that is a commitment I intend to keep. I also have committed to treating one of my boys in New Orleans like a brother, and through the past few years (and especially this last year) I have had plenty of opportunities to follow through with that commitment even when it was hard to do so. Right now the busyness in my life is making it harder and harder to keep commitments. I need to learn in the midst of all of these things to keep from committing to anything that I cannot remain committed to. It is better to tell someone or something no than to fail to keep the commitment.

Random Thought #10

The previous random thought led to this one. Why do we spend so much more time praying for people's physical problems, but not spiritual ones? A church prayer service sounds more like a hospital update than a service that is concerned about the spiritual condition of the souls inside and outside the church. Maybe that is part of the reason that churches in America are so weak – they are more concerned about this world instead of the world to come.

Random Thought # 9

I have come to the conclusion that it takes a stronger faith to realize that God could heal a person, but chooses not to for His glory, and to be at peace with God's will. Faith healers will tell you that you do not have enough faith if God doesn't answer your prayer for healing. However, I think that those who do have faith that God can heal them, but are at peace with God's decision to use the situation to His glory have a much stronger faith than many realize.

More on Guy

Well, I just got back from New Orleans, and actually drove back on the seven month anniversary of Guy's death. That ended up being harder than I thought (especially since the thought had not crossed my mind that it would be hard). While in New Orleans, I was informed that there are several television programs coming up that mention Guy's murder. It is odd to me that his death has made national news - not only do I know someone who was murdered, but it is a high profile murder. It just seems strange to me. The whole thing is strange to me. Anyway, here are the two national news/documentaries that will be mentioning the murder and showing footage of members of his family, the funeral, and other things.

National Geographic Channel -- Inside New Orleans High. I vaguely remember the kids mentioning that people at Cohen had been given cameras to record for a TV show. Apparently this is the show they recorded for. Cohen is where most of the kids at the Center went before Katrina, and most have dropped out of after because of the violence. I believe that this is the show that will have one of his cousins interviewed and show some of the funeral or at least leaving the church. I am not positive though. I just know that a show on National Geographic included clips about Guy's murder and interviewed his cousin Marvin who is now in jail.

CNN -- Crime Fighters in New Orleans. This TV special actually mentions Guy by name in the description, so it will have something on the murder. It is coming up this weekend on CNN. Again, it is very strange to me that Guy's murder is so high profile that documentaries and news features about New Orleans crime mention him.

Anyway, I thought I would pass the information along in case you want to see what my kids in New Orleans go through on a daily basis. I am hopeful that the Inside New Orleans High will at least present the picture of why we prefer our kids to drop out of school instead of finish at Cohen - something I never thought I would say.

Blog of the Week - Cake Wrecks

In celebration of my birthday, I want to share with you one of the highlights of my morning each morning -- Cake Wrecks. This blog posts pictures of the messed up, creepy, scary or just cakes that make you scratch your head and say - huh? In keeping with the day, I thought I would share some of the birthday cake wrecks. I am sure every 4 year old needs to play Grand Theft Auto (isn't it rated mature?). Or that every 9 year old loves bones in a graveyard complete with worms. Of course this one is perfect if you turn 26 and get divorced on the same day - except it was meant for a person celebrating self-employment. Maybe since I am inching nearer the big 3-0, I should ask for a cake with Tom Selleck on it - minus the chest hair.

I think I will play it safe and skip the cake this year :)

Anticipation

Here recently I have been thinking about specific words that seem to be themes for me in a particular week. Because of various experiences, certain words have been popping in my head and causing me to think. This week's word seems to be anticipation.

I have been anticipating my trip to New Orleans this weekend. There are many reasons for this anticipation, including the fact that I have not been since July and there are people that I cannot wait to see. I have noticed that every time I think of the trip, I get excited, which usually results in an instant good mood. Work this week has been crazy, and at times my attitude has been affected by this craziness, so I am sure that my co-workers are thankful for each thought about the trip that made my mood change instantly. It was the same thing last Friday as I was anticipating the arrival of my parents for a weekend visit.

Anticipation is something that children seem to know so well. I know that a couple of weeks ago I was able to see the happiness of a child's anticipation realized when I was able to meet the child I am mentoring at a local school. You could tell that the excitement had been building for her, and she was overjoyed when I arrived. Similarly, children anticipate the arrival of Christmas. I am sure that parents also feel a sense of happiness and joy as their children are more and more excited about the arrival of Christmas. Pure joy is seen on the faces of children as what they have been anticipating finally arrives.

I think that the birth of a child is also similar. I know that when I have friends that are pregnant, waiting for the day of the arrival of the baby also brings a sense of joy and excitement. Just thinking about the baby and its presence in my life makes me happy.

While thinking about this word, it occurred to me that Christians should have this same sense of anticipation. One day Jesus will return and believers will be in His presence forever. This should bring a sense of joy and happiness to all believers. In fact, I think that believers should think about this event with excitement and anticipation more often, and maybe believers would be filled with a sense of joy that others can see. I am sure that the wise men had a sense of anticipation as they travelled from the east to see Jesus when He was born. Anna and Simeon also had this sense of anticipation when waiting for the Messiah whose arrival was eminent. Believers should at least have the same sense of anticipation. Sure, there is mystery about the second coming of Christ and end times, but believers should look to the event with joy and excitement instead of just being afraid of the event. Of course, just like other events such as a trip, a holiday, or the birth of a baby, there are certain things that believers must get in order prior to the return of Christ. Believers should have a sense of urgency in sharing the gospel. Preparation goes along with anticipation, but I will think on that word tonight as I rush to prepare to leave town tomorrow!

Blog on Questioning God

Here is an interesting blog about the appropriate way to question God. It is an interesting read.

Burgess Election

I was actively involved in a local election for the first time. I am not a huge fan of politics (the process), so it was a big step for me to participate in the election. However, I think really highly of our local judge and feel that he is probably one of the most fair judges in the state of Texas. I am proud to share with you that not only did Judge Burgess win his election, but it was by a decisive margin. Here are the unofficial numbers once all the ballots were run:

Judge Burgess -- 29,006 (64%)
Butch Dunbar -- 16,204 (36%)

The race is a two-county race, and the margin of victory is overwhelming. There is historical significance to the results as well since this is the first time in Bowie County at least where an incumbent Republican has defeated a Democratic candidate. The campaign was one of the few in the area that was truly a bi-partisan effort. Congratulations Judge Burgess!

Prop 8

There is one result that I am actually stunned by in the election - the passing of Prop 8 in California. The amount of money that was spent to defeat this proposition is unbelievable. Add to that the belief (and reality) that California is one of the most liberal states, and the enormity of the decision should actually stun you. The results of that election are being somewhat overlooked because of the presidential election, but I think that this is probably one of the most newsworthy stories of the night.

My Thoughts Exactly!

John Piper's daughter-in-law Molly Piper has a blog entry that expresses some of my thoughts last night exactly - so I think you should read it!

Some Days I Feel Like a Lawyer

As I was running all over town picking up items for a reception for a judge tomorrow night to celebrate the end of his campaign in between lunch and answering e-mails and at the same time as I was on a conference call on my cell for work, I realized that I really am a lawyer already. Apparently I am also a party planner, campaign special events coordinator, and liaison as well.

Compassion Update

My Compassion International child in India left the program. I had chosen a 3 year old so that I could invest many years into the child. However, due to religious conflicts in the country, his family decided that he could no longer attend the Compassion program. Now I have a child from Ethiopia. This time I went with a 4 year old (since my India child turned 4 while I was sponsoring him) and I determined that I wanted to sponsor an African child. Little Anwar lives in Ethiopia and will be 5 in April. His birthday is within a few days of my India child's birthday. Hopefully I will be able to add a girl to my sponsorship soon as well. I highly recommend sponsoring children through Compassion International. I think that the sponsorship is $32 a month, and you can set the sponsorship up on a monthly automatic payment (part of the reason that I cannot remember the amount right now). I think it is also a good idea for a Sunday school class or Bible study group to sponsor a child. There are opportunities for short term, long term, and one time giving. Again, I highly recommend the program and think that it is a cause that should be considered since you are developing a relationship with an individual child.

Random Thought #8

I wasted my 200^th post on a random thought. And now I have wasted 201.

Random Thought #7

I am a peppermint mocha frappachino addict … when holiday season comes, I spend way too much money at Starbucks. Recently when shopping for lemon extract, I found that peppermint and vanilla extracts now come in powder as well as liquid. I decided that the powder might be a good addition to coffee in order to attempt to make a peppermint mocha year round. Today I tried my first cup of peppermint mocha that I made into iced coffee (no blender at the office), and WOW!!! I used 1 extra-bold k-cup on large, 1 packet of hot chocolate, sugar, creamer, and a little dash of the peppermint extract (doesn't take much). So good, although it takes a bit of patience since you have to let the coffee cool for a while before putting it over ice. Now I can have peppermint mocha once a week year round, and save the money that I would be spending at Starbucks. Win, win!!

Random Thought #6

I have found that NBC.com has full episodes online to watch for free for several weeks following a new episode. I love it because now I don't have to watch The Office on TV, but can wait until lunch break during the week! I also do not have to wait until next fall when they come out on video. Now I can catch up on my own schedule.

A Nice Sunday Afternoon

I used to sleep Sunday afternoon away, but here recently I have found that Saturday afternoons seem to be the time when I take the best naps. Plus Sundays are great to spend with friends from church. Here is an example of a perfect Sunday afternoon activity:


Yes, that would be a record player playing a jazz record. I think that record players are the best way to listen to jazz. Jazz just sounds better on a record player. Also, music sounds less doctored on a record than it does on a cd. After listening to records for a few hours we decided to go hike at Bringle Lake nearby. It is just nice, after a week of working in an office without a window, to get outdoors on the weekend!

Really Random Thought #5

Due to working on the judicial campaign, we have tanks of helium and thousands of balloons in our office waiting to be filled. So far an 18 year old has sucked a balloon full of helium for obvious reasons … and my bosses. The 50 year old boss also proceeded to sing "We represent the lollipop guild" following his inhalation. These are the people I am lucky to work for!!!!!!

Really Random Thought #4

It took five trips by air conditioner repairmen to get my air conditioner fixed. What was wrong? Fuse on the attic unit that was the wrong size creating timing issues, circuit board that went out, duct piping instead of vent piping for ventilation (meaning I should have died of carbon monoxide poisoning last year), fan blades that broke, and a fan motor that went out. All of that on an air conditioner that is less than three years old. I would hate to have seen what it was like before the new unit.

National News?

Is this really national news worthy? I really cannot believe that it is the headline story (the one with the main photo) right now on Fox News. Evidently the nation does not know how seriously we take our football, and sometimes our pep rallies, in Texas!

Blog of the Week - 22 Words

I like this blog by John Piper's son Abraham because it is short, sweet, and to the point. It also does not take much time to read, which is a plus since I use reading blogs like other people use coffee and smoke breaks. Often funny, sometimes serious, this blog has quickly become one of my favorites. Given my habit for using too many words to describe so little, I should try to follow his example in using less words to get the point across!

Lil T Update

It has been a while since I wrote an update on Lil T on the blog, so I thought it was about time. Lil T seems to be settling down a little bit FINALLY!!! I can actually have him on the couch with me, laying down, while I watch football on TV. He seems to be calmer when football is on. I don't understand that! Last night I bought him a stuffed duck that quacks. It looks like the toy is designed for bird dogs, but I thought it would be funny to watch him carry the duck by the neck or wing. He did not disappoint! At first, he was scared of it because it was something new in the living room. Then he started to warm up to it, so I made it quack. It feels like it has an actual duck caller in it, so that quack is a pretty good imitation for a squeaky toy. The quack scared him to death. He started whining and crying and scampering all over the place. It was hilarious. I finally convinced him to come back around it and start playing with it again. However, I could not resist and had to make it quack again. More whining and crying and running. I threw it in the floor and curiosity got the best of him. He just had to drag it around by its wing and bring it back to the couch. He became braver and braver and started shaking the duck like he does his other toys when his paw accidentally stepped on the quacker. He shot off that duck like someone had shot him. It was hilarious! I think it is going to take him a while to really warm up to the duck. I found out I could make him jealous too by putting the duck on my chest. He did not like it that the duck was getting more attention than he was. All in all the duck proved to be worth the purchase price and will probably provide many hours of entertainment for Lil T's mommy!

We had a thunderstorm last night, and Lil T does not like thunder. If it is just a small storm, he usually does not get too excited. However, last night lightning struck the water tower behind my house. When I say behind my house, I mean directly behind my house. Where my backyard ends, the water tower begins. The lightning was close – very close. So close that the sounds and the light were simultaneous and jolting. Not just a little flash either. Bright white light that is blinding and thunder that rips through you like you have been shocked with electricity. The noise sounded like every tree in my backyard had fallen to the ground and crackled like the trees were on fire. The lightning was so close that now my small TV has a funny purple line in the top third that makes people's faces on TV look green. The lightning was close! After looking outside to make sure all of my remaining trees were still standing and not on fire, I decided to check on Lil T because I did not hear any noise coming from the kitchen, and there was no way that he was asleep. When I walked into the kitchen, he was hunkered down in his playpen where he sleeps, shaking. Anyone that has seen my dog when you walk into the kitchen knows that he must have been scared out of his mind. Usually my dog starts jumping and turning circles anytime you walk into the kitchen no matter the time of night or day. Lil T was so scared that when he did finally jump out of the playpen after being petted for a while, still shaking, he crept around the kitchen with his tail between his legs. It was quite a sight to see. After some TLC from mommy and cuddle time, he was back to his typical turning circles self. Lil T is just a little scaredy cat!!

Really Random Thought # 3

Most weddings cost thousands of dollars. Most divorces cost at least a thousand dollars. A marriage can be dissolved in a matter of minutes. A divorce proceeding usually lasts less than ten minutes from start to finish. During that ten minutes, a judge decides what is in the best interest of a couple he has not met and a child that he barely knows the name of. Contested custody is worse. The parents leave it up to a judge that has never met the child to decide what is in the best interest of the child because the parents aren't capable. Sad.

College Football

Last weekend is an example of why football season is my favorite season of the year. It started on Thursday with USC losing. I did not watch the game. I had no interest in watching USC blow out Oregon State. I am going to have to learn to flip it over just to check the score every once in a while because I missed an excellent opportunity to watch the supposed "good enough to be an NFL team" Trojans fall. Saturday was even better. Texas made Arkansas look like a high school team. Alabama embarrassed Georgia quite possibly like they have never been embarrassed before. I venture to bet that we will not be seeing the funeral attire for a while!! Michigan knocked off the top ten ranked (OVERRATED) Wisconsin team. Those victories meant that three of my favorite teams had favorable outcomes in what were supposed to be tough match-ups. I love football season!!

Really Random Thought # 2

I was excited about the possibilities of the Vice Presidential debate several weeks ago … then I realized today that it is on a Thursday night. I had been looking forward to The Office new episode up to the point I realized there would not be one. Now I am disappointed. I vote for all future debates to be on nights where there is no football and no episodes of The Office (including syndication). However, they might have to create a new day of the week to accomplish this. I would vote for that as well, so long as it is not a work day.

Really Random Thought # 1

I am going to start posting some of my really random thoughts that are not long enough for entire blog posts, but I want to throw out into the blogosphere just for the heck of it. This announcement is the first really random thought.

Response to Complaints about Evacuees

I received this in my e-mail today, and I thought that I would provide a response but more from the Christian perspective than a secular prospective. Again, as I stated yesterday, I am not going to join the debate about whether FEMA payments are valid or any social issue like that. Instead, I am choosing to make a public response to her letter (since the letter was in the newspaper in Shreveport apparently). I would not do this except that the end of her letter appears to imply that she is a Christian.

First, here is the letter:

Dear Editor,

I am a nurse who has just completed volunteer working approximately 120 hours as the clinic director in a Hurricane Gustav evacuation shelter in Shreveport, Louisiana over the last 7 days. I would love to see someone look at the evacuee situation from a new perspective. Local and national news channels have covered the evacuation and "horrible" conditions the evacuees had to endure during Hurricane Gustav. True - some things were not optimal for the evacuation and the shelters need some modification.

At any point, does anyone address the responsibility (or irresponsibility) of the evacuees?
Does it seem wrong that one would remember their cell phone, charger, cigarettes and lighter but forget their child's insulin?
Is something amiss when an evacuee gets off the bus, walks immediately to the medical area, and requests immediate free refills on all medicines for which they cannot provide a prescription or current bottle (most of which are narcotics)?
Isn't the system flawed when an evacuee says they cannot afford a $3 copay for a refill that will be delivered to them in the shelter yet they can take a city-provided bus to Wal-mart, buy 5 bottles of Vodka, and return to consume them secretly in the shelter?
Is it fair to stop performing luggage checks on incoming evacuees so as not to delay the registration process but endanger the volunteer staff and other persons with the very realistic truth of drugs, alcohol and weapons being brought into the shelter?
Am I less than compassionate when it frustrates me to scrub emesis from the floor near a nauseated child while his mother lies nearby, watching me work 26 hours straight, not even raising her head from the pillow to comfort her own son?
Why does it insense [sic] me to hear a man say "I ain't goin' home 'til I get my FEMA check" when I would love to just go home and see my daughters who I have only seen 3 times this week?
Is the system flawed when the privately insured patient must find a way to get to the pharmacy, fill his prescription and pay his copay while the FEMA declaration allows the uninsured person to acquire free medications under the disaster rules?
Does it seem odd that the nurse volunteering at the shelter is paying for childcare while the evacuee sits on a cot during the day as the shelter provides a "daycare"?
Have government entitlements created this mentality and am I facilitating it with my work?
Will I be a bad person, merciless nurse or poor Christian if I hesitate to work at the next shelter because I have worked for 7 days being called every curse word imaginable, feeling threatened and fearing for my personal safety in the shelter?

Exhausted and battered,

Sherri Hagerhjelm, RN

My response:

Dear Sherri,

In your letter, you seem to indicate that you are a Christian and therefore, I am writing this response. There are many people that have voiced some of your same opinions. Therefore, since you published your "new perspective" in a newspaper, I am choosing to respond on my blog. Specifically, I am responding to the last sentence of your letter wherein you asked if it would make you a poor Christian if you hesitate to work in the next shelter. I do not know what you mean by "poor Christian," but I am of the opinion that if God has gifted you with medical capabilities, and there is a medical need, you would at least be a disobedient Christian if you fail to provide your services the next time that it is necessary. There are several reasons for me stating this.

Number 1: You spend a lot of time in your letter focusing on the individuals instead of viewing the individuals in a biblical way. Jesus indicates that we are to treat those that we minister to as if we are ministering to Him (Matthew 25, and more specifically verses 31-46). If Jesus asked for medication, we would give it to Him no questions asked, including the question about whether or not He can afford it. I do think there is a level of discernment you have to exercise though because you do not want to provide medication to an addict, but that is not the point of that statement. If Jesus asked for shelter, we would open our arms wide instead of questioning His motives. Stop looking at these people as people with an entitlement mentality and start looking at them through gospel eyes. Yes, they may have an entitlement mentality or be lazy or be unappreciative, but that is why our servant attitude and heart will be a witness to them. Be a suffering servant doing all of this for the glory of God instead of for the people that you are helping.

Number 2: You talk about being exhausted and drained. Again, I speak for most everyone that worked in shelters (including myself) when I say that you are not alone. However, there is a verse in the Bible that speaks directly to this issue. You will find it in Galatians 6:9-10, written by perhaps one of the most abused, exhausted, battered, and person in danger that ever set out to live and preach the gospel. "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." Galatians 6:9-10. Preach to yourself in those times that you are feeling incensed, less compassionate, exhausted, discouraged by reminding yourself of those verses. The verses do not say to do good to only those who are of the household of faith or only those who deserve it or only those that are grateful, but to everyone. I know that I had to during the midst of serving in the shelters during Gustav and Ike. It is when you stop preaching to yourself that you fall victim to looking at these people individually, full of faults, instead of looking at them through gospel eyes, as referenced in number 1 above. I had to constantly remind myself not to grow weary in doing good. I had to constantly remind myself to view the people I was serving as Jesus or at least as someone who needs to hear the gospel through my actions and attitude. I had to constantly remind myself to smile so that the evacuees could see the joy that only God gives. I had to constantly remind myself that these people are people who are at the shelter because they do not know if they are going to have a home when they leave the shelter. Yes, they may have chosen the shelter route because of the free food, free medication, free trip out of town, but the evacuees still may be returning home to nothing. That kind of stress causes some people to be unable to provide care to their children. I have seen it with my own eyes with someone I now consider a close friend. I had to help care for her child because at that time in that type of stress she was unable to. I had to realize I had no right to complain because God had placed me in that position to be able to minister in that way. Was it frustrating at times? I would be a liar if I told you know. That is why it was necessary to preach to myself. This is a habit that all Christians should incorporate into their lives. I often fail in my attitude towards the evacuees, but by God's grace, there are moments that I am able to be an example of the gospel as well.

Number 3: Your concern for safety seems to hinder your willingness to share the gospel. One of the problems in the church today is that people are too concerned for safety. I should probably limit that to the American church since there are other churches around the world who are answering the call to sacrifice safety for the spread of the gospel every day, and are gladly giving their lives for Christ. Many in the church, myself included, are too afraid to put our safety on the line for the spread of the gospel. Start trusting God and His will for your safety instead of fearing what may happen. Should you die in this type of situation, your death may result in great things for God's Kingdom. Be willing to have Paul's attitude that to live is Christ and to die is gain. Realize that God may have called you to a situation where your safety was in jeopardy to get you out of your comfort zone and to show His provision in such times. Safety is not a valid concern when turning down opportunities to serve.

Number 4: Your "new perspective" lacks all everything that a Christian should be showing the world. The glory of God is proclaimed when the world sees that we Christians are willing to serve and sacrifice even when God calls us to serve and sacrifice to those in society that may not deserve it. Isn't that what the gospel is all about? Showing grace to the world because God showed grace to us when we did not deserve it? There is a church in my town that had their facilities damaged by the evacuees from Gustav, had situations go on during Gustav that would have justified their decision to no longer be a shelter, yet they opened their doors to evacuees in Ike. There is another church in my town that made the decision not to be a shelter, despite significant financial and people resources, not to mention adequate facilities to house evacuees. Which church is portraying the glory of God to the community and to the world? Isn't it the church that makes decisions that do not make sense? Be the example that the church who opened its doors even when it would have been justified in closing them instead of the example of making a decision that makes sense to the world. You may be justified in not volunteering in the future, but choose to be the type of person who is asked why you are willing to serve again so that you can explain the gospel to someone who needs to hear it.

This response is not meant to address what is wrong with FEMA or whether FEMA needs to change. Right now, FEMA and its regulations are as good as law (if they are not law already), so complaining about FEMA is not the way to change things. Instead, it is better for the time being to follow the law, and do it with a smile and attitude that comes only from Christ. Personally, I am glad that persons who were on medication for bi-polar depression in the shelter at our church could receive their prescription for free due to the FEMA rules because I am sure that we would have had our hands full if the prescriptions were not readily available. I am grateful for the presence of the guard even if I may think that it is sad that the guard is necessary. I am also grateful that God allowed me to participate in a ministry that is hard for me and requires me to rely so much on Him and His provision. I also pray that anything that I did in my service may be used by God to change hearts and lives, realizing that He is the only one who can provide that change.

I am sure that this response may seem harsh to you at this time. However, I pray that God will allow it to be a teaching situation in spite of the sin it may contain.

Exhausted, but praising God for the privilege of service,

Cyndia Hammond

Hypocrisy?

Last week as I heard about the government bailout of large companies that pay the executive officers way too much to the detriment of investors, I realized something that I had not thought before. This post is not a political or economic commentary on whether the financial decision of bailouts is a smart one. It is more a condemnation of the way that people look at government assistance depending on the recipient of the assistance.

Many people have strong opinions about whether or not FEMA should provide assistance to those who are victims of natural disasters. I waiver between supporting financial assistance and being against it, depending upon whether I have seen it misused that day. I also have mixed feelings about welfare and the culture that it has created. However, it is often heard from those who have the means that we are just feeding a culture of entitlement and that handouts are bad. I am sure that many of the upper tiered executives at the companies being bailed out have said things like that. Yet, when the company starts to go down because of bad financial decisions (similar to the bad financial decisions made by individuals on welfare) and greed at the highest levels of the corporate ladder, these executives are the first ones begging Congress for a handout, giving the appearance of entitlement mentality. This is quite possibly one of the highest forms of hypocrisy.

Hurricane Ike Update

Well, my electricity came back on sometime Monday night. I received and put into practice some of the best hurricane advice ever dealing with the power going out. I was advised that since my refrigerator lost power for such a long time, it would be better to leave everything in it and wait until it cooled again before opening it to remove all of the spoiled food. I did just that, and it made a huge difference. My kitchen started smelling slightly on Monday from the spoiled food. However, I waited until Tuesday to open it for the first time so that it had a chance to cool down overnight. Nothing that I pulled out of the refrigerator smelled. Nothing. No leaks, no rotted meat smell, no spoiled milk smell. I am sure it smelled by the time that the trash men picked it up on Wednesday, but at least it did not smell from the refrigerator to the garbage can. The lack of smell did not stop me from completely disinfecting my refrigerator though. Just because it did not smell at that time does not mean that germs of all sorts are not present. I am sure that this method does not work if you have been without power for several weeks, but if you are without power for just a few days, I highly recommend that you allow everything to recool and refreeze before cleaning out the fridge!

I guess that means that the lessons I have learned from Hurricane Ike can be summed up as follows:

1. I have learned how to clean out a refrigerator that has been without power for several days. I have also learned that restocking the refrigerator costs as much if not more than the savings that you have on your electric bill as a result of being without power.
2. I need a generator.
3. Pine trees, especially sick or dead ones, snap in the trunk and fall. It is a good idea to survey the condition of your trees prior to the storm and make sure that nothing valuable is in the way of the trees. It looked like my pine tree was going to fall, so I made sure I was not home when it did. That decision probably saved me from having damage to my car as well as my carport.

Pictures from my storm damage

Here you go mom (and anyone else who wants to see). This is what is left of my carport. I still do not have electricity and I still have a downed line in my backyard and on my carport that is live/hot. And I have tried to call the electric company the past two days to report the downed line since it is a huge safety hazard (and therefore not able to be reported online), and have gotten nothing but a busy signal. So, if you are in the area, stay out of my backyard and do not touch the carport because I don't want to find any fried bodies when I get home!

Hurricane Ike

I have learned several things about hurricanes since Katrina, and since Ike is at the Texas coast doorstep, I thought I would share some of what I have learned.

1. The National Hurricane Center (which is bookmarked on my toolbar) updates its forecasts at 1, 4, 7, and 10, both a.m. and p.m. This information is helpful because you know when to look at the most recent projected path and tropical/hurricane wind speed probabilities.
   
2. In Texarkana, we actually have to watch the projected path of hurricanes because when Rita went over us, we had almost tropical storm force winds.
   
3. During Katrina, I didn't text message. Then I found out that text messages go through when phone calls do not. Since Katrina, I have learned to text, which came in really handy during Gustav, until cell phone batteries of the people I was texting died. Maybe with the next hurricane, they will learn to buy a few of those battery powered charger things.
   

All of this knowledge has been put to good use the past few weeks. Today I have religiously checked the charts at 10:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m., and 4:15 p.m. At the 10 am update, Texarkana was between 30-40% chance of tropical storm force winds tomorrow.  At the 1 pm update, we were between 40-50%.  At the 4 pm update, we are between 50-60%.  I think we are in for some fun times tomorrow. Glad I have a new roof!!

Suggestion for Writers of The Office

Dear writers of The Office,

In case you ever run out of material for the show, I have an episode idea. Our office saw quite a bit of excitement this week when we bought and received our Keurig coffee maker. Seriously, you would have thought that the most awesome thing ever was delivered to our office as we all tested the new contraption that brews one cup of coffee at a time. I am sure all sorts of jokes can be made out of the demonstration, Michael (or some other unlucky member of The Office) burning his or her tongue on the extra hot beverages produced, someone else taking the lid off the k-cup and making a mess, etc. A shot can be made of Darryl erasing whatever number is on the board for days without accidents as Michael has his tongue wrapped in gauze and files a workers compensation claim. I want to see Stanley excited again like he was on Pretzel Day, and I think this would be a great day for him to get excited. Michael could even put his "World's Best Boss" cup to good use. Meredith could get confused by the alcoholic drink flavors not having alcohol in them. Angela could have her tea. The possibilities are endless.

It think it is sad that I think of situations at my own office and come up with The Office episodes, and then even blog about them (from my office, of course), but just in case you, the writers, cruise around the blogosphere looking for ideas, maybe, just maybe, you will see my Keurig coffe maker blog and a funny episode will be born.

Sincerely,

The Office Fan in Txk

The Office, Season 4

I have finished watching all of Season 4 of The Office. I do not watch it on TV, but wait until it comes out on DVD because it is so much better without the commercial breaks. Season 2 is still the season with the funniest episodes, but Season 4 provided quite a few laughs. My favorite Season 4 character had to be Stanley. I am glad that the writers highlighted him in a few more episodes. The funniest blooper was also Stanley. The Dinner Party was the most ackward, yet funniest episode of the season (in my opinion). I am sure that it was frustrating during the season for the people that watch on TV with the writer's strike, but I was able to avoid that by waiting for the DVD. I am not sure if I can wait for the DVD for Season 5 though, although I may just watch the first episode of Season 5 on TV and wait for the rest. I hope they do like they have done in the past and skip ahead three months. I just want to see the answers to the cliffhangers and then I will be able to be patient again.

Official Storm Policies

I received this a few days ago in e-mail, and thought I would share it. I wish I could take credit for this creative policy, or at least give credit to the creative mind that drafted it. I have a feeling that if our law firm was a little further South, this would be our official policy (excluding the lawyers of course :)):

Office Procedures Concerning Storm and Office Closings:

As we watch the progress of the storm, the following are the firm's guidelines based upon the hurricane's intensity:

Hurricane Category #1
No excuse for being late. Leave earlier to give extra time to avoid fallen trees and limbs.


Hurricane Category #2
Due to the horizontal rain, you may wear jeans.


Hurricane Category #3
Whereas most of the area will be flooded we suggest you avoid wearing open toe sandals when coming to work. Canoes will be provided to get to the building safely without getting wet.


Hurricane Category #4
More than likely there will be no electricity. Given that, we will have manual typewriters available to all staff members.
NOTE: Please take extra caution and wear water-proof make-up if Category 4 or above.


Hurricane Category #5
Velcro will be provided to keep you attached to your chairs when the windows blow out. For those that survive, we will have chocolate cake at 3:00 pm in the kitchen.

Pierced for our Transgressions

Pierced for Our Transgressions is a very thorough examination of the doctrine of penal substitution. Fortunately, I do not think that I have encountered too many people who do not believe in the doctrine of penal substitution who also profess to be Christian. However, I enjoyed the book because it covered the doctrine from so many different angles that I at least have a resource to refer to that provides me with a biblical defense of the doctrine should I need to defend the belief.

In the first part of the book, the authors perform a survey of the Bible on the doctrine, pointing out many Scriptures that support the doctrine that Jesus Christ died in place of sinners through His death on the cross. The doctrine of penal substitution teaches that Jesus suffered the penalty of our sins when He died on the cross. After making a biblical case for the doctrine, the authors take the readers on a journey through church history to exam what church fathers have said about the doctrine up to the present time. The first part of the book was outstanding. I think that any resource that examines such a key doctrine so thoroughly is worth reading.

In the second part of the book, the authors take key questions and/or assertions made by opponents of penal substitution and respond using references to Scripture or just logic. The authors show their gift of apologetics during this portion, although I have to admit that I became disinterested in some of the arguments. I do think that this portion of the book is not only necessary, but an invaluable resource should someone find themselves in a position of needing to defend the doctrine.

Pierced for Our Transgressions is a difficult book to read. It is very textbook like in its writing style. However, I believe it to be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in apologetics or the issue of penal substitution. The book is well-thought out and put together. My suggestion for lay persons would be to read the first part of the book, and saved the second part for times when you need it.

Hurricane Season

This is the part of hurricane season that I do not like - the time when conditions are ripe for hurricanes to hit along the Texas and Louisiana portions of the coast. Soon I will probably write about Gustav. Ike seems eerily similar to Rita from a few years ago. My roof had a leak in it from the spring hail storms, and I was afraid that Gustav would create a waterfall. One good thing for Ike should we receive the rainy side of the storm again - I will have a new, hopefully non-leaking roof. The roofers are on my house today replacing my roof three weeks ahead of schedule. Maybe now I can take down the plastic covering my TV and electronics when Ike hits. It looks like there will be more days spending time with evacuees in the coming days. Isn't it November yet?!?!

Politics

I am not a fan of being political. I do vote regularly. I do have certain political views, but I usually keep them to myself. I do have to share this though - I am loving Palin as a VP candidate. I think that McCain and his campaign advisors are geniouses to choose her as a VP candidate for many reasons. (1) She is not Washington. Obama talks a lot about change, yet he chose a typical Washington VP candidate. I know he basically had to for various reasons, but it does not give the appearance of change. So what does McCain do in response? Look outside of Washington - about as far away from Washington as you can go. Brilliant. (2) She is a conservative woman who has a family instead of a feminist or someone married to someone for political reasons. (3) She had a baby she knew had a high likelihood of Downs Syndrome when doctors encouraged her to abort the baby. Finally the pro-life camp has someone who wears a skirt and has babies that can say that the opportunity presented itself, yet she made the right choice. (4) She energized a campaign that most Republicans seemed half-hearted and lukewarm about. I was not too happy about McCain as a choice, but it beat the alternative. Now, I am voting for McCain because it is a vote for Palin - and I am excited about it. From what I can tell, I am not the only one. Republicans have fallen in love with her, which has energized a movement that was needing energy. (5) Who cares if McCain dies now because Palin would take over. This has been important because, although McCain appears to be in good health for his age, the Democrats have been complaining about his age. McCain obviously needed someone that Republicans could get behind and support should he die. How awesome would it be for the Republicans to put the first woman in the White House! What a slap in the face to Hillary! Chances are that McCain will not be dying anytime during any potential presidency, but now he has people excited about what could happen if he did. That is genious. (6) Feminists hate the choice, which exposes feminists as not pro-women but pro-certain-type-of-woman-that-fits-the-feminist-mold. Feminists talk all the time about how women should be able to work and have a family and blah blah blah. Yet feminists are the ones that are complaining because this woman seems to be working and having a family. I read one feminist that said Palin should be home taking care of her kids. What? I thought that was against everything feminists believed in. Now the feminists moral relativism is on display. (7) People in the south now have a reason to vote for McCain. What good southern does not like guns and hunting. It does not hurt that she is good looking too. Again, brilliant.

One last thing that I love about the choice and the circumstances that surrounded it. Barack played up his VP pick, having people on the edge of their seats anticipating the announcement for days. Then when he announced it, people were not too impressed (or excited). No one was really on the edge of their seat for McCain's pick, and when he made the announcement, people were curious. Curiosity was good for McCain and Palin and the nation fell in love with her or loathed her overnight. Both feelings have created passion whereas people really did not care about Biden. The media has definitely given more press time to Palin than Biden, and I think that will bode well for the campaign. At least now McCain and Obama are getting closer to an even playing field, and November should be exciting. Republicans are now excited like the Democrats. Whoever came up with Palin in the McCain campaign needs to stick around if McCain wins the presidency because I am anxious to see what kind of Supreme Court justices might come out of that!

Olympics - Week 2 and Weekend 3

I did not watch as much of the Olympics the second week. I guess that overall it was not as exciting as the first week of competition. Also, I usually could find out the results online before they showed the event that night, making the watching of the events seem less exciting.

Track and Field

Overall, it seemed pretty boring. The main stories seemed to be about Jamaicans instead of Americans, which made watching the events even more boring. I miss the days of Michael Johnson. I also miss the days of Jeremy Wariner being coached by Clyde Hart. The sad thing is that I don't think that Jeremy Wariner learned his lesson though. I am sure there is something that went awry in their relationship, but the change in coaches hurt Wariner. He definitely did not look as relaxed in the 400 final. The US guy that dove over the finish line was crazy though. Awesome.

Gymnastics

The events finals were ... well, boring. I guess that is what happens when you have seen the same routine over and over and over again. Plus, the "controversy" surrounding the age of the Chinese competitors is pretty boring too. The IOC is not going to do anything about it even though it is obvious that there are underage girls competing. The Chinese explanation about them being smaller than Americans and Europeans is laughable when you look at the Chinese divers who are obviously 16 and much bigger than their gymnastics counterparts. But, nothing will be done about it so stop complaining already!

Water Polo

I watched water polo one night because I was having trouble falling asleep. Let me tell you ... water polo becomes an x-rated late night event when they show the underwater camera and the players are tugging at each other's suits. I decided I did not like watching water polo very quickly. On that note, I think it is time that water polo and diving go to the biker short type speedos instead of the traditional speedos.

Diving

I like the Australian guy that beat the Chinese just because he beat the Chinese. It was awesome. I do not like the Chinese divers because they are too perfect and do not mess up enough. It takes the excitement out of watching.

Men's Basketball

If you missed the gold medal game, you missed a lot. It was great. Of course it was played at 1:30 in the morning, so unless you have DVR or still tape things the old way on the VCR, you probably missed it. It almost made me like Kobe Bryant. Then I remembered that it was Kobe.

Watching with Little Kids

On Friday I was able to watch the Olympics while babysitting an 18 month old little boy. There is nothing like watching the Olympics with a little kid around!!! He was hilarious! When the track and field relays were going on, he would look at the TV, bend down in the start position, and run laps around the couch and loveseat until the race was over. Anytime they showed anyone in a swimming pool, he would start yelling "googles!" When the Chinese diver would grunt while diving, he would grunt and jump with each replay. An otherwise boring night of the Olympics was made entertaining by watching him watch the Olympics!

Closing Ceremonies

I think I was just tired of China by the time the closing ceremonies came around. It was kind of a depressing show though. The "Bejing Bejing" song made me laugh, as did Jackie Chan. The coolest thing about the closing ceremonies was the awarding of the marathon gold medal at the closing ceremonies. And maybe Jimmy Page playing the guitar.