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.