London Olympics

   It's that time again ladies, and gentlemen.  The time, every four years, that you watch sporting events that 351 days out of the year you could care less about. 
   Yes, I am in fact talking about the Olympics. The beautiful city of London won the rights to host this years games, and have so far, in this bloggers opinion, done a great job.  The venues have been full.  every last second has been exciting, and I really feel like I'm there and feel a sense of American pride when the fans scream USA! USA! USA! from the stands.
   I have thoroughly enjoyed watching some kind of event every night for the past week. Cheering on my country.  Again, even in sports I couldn't care less about on a regular day.

• Gymnastics:  I held my breath on every vault, every balance beam flip, every floor exercise.  I watched with pride as the U.S.A took gold in the "team competition".  Then again in the "All around" as Gabby Douglas brought it home.  I even felt for the other girls who did not achieve their Olympic dreams. 
• Beach Volleyball: Some might say it was the women in the bikinis, but even when it was 60 degrees out, and they were wearing more than a typical beach volleyball player would typically  wear, I was glued.  From the first serve till the end.  I loved watching the U.S.A. girls battle it out in the gold medal match, after eliminating country upon country along the way. 
• Soccer:  Okay, this one I watch more than just at the Olympics.  I watch the world cup as well.  Still, I don't watch it on a regular basis.  This Olympics though...If you were a fly on the wall, you would have seen me jumping up and down in front of the TV, when Alex Morgan hit the header in the 125 minute in the victory over Canada, only to look around for someone to celebrate with...realizing I was the only one in the room.  Finally, (and I wont admit this to my wife, as I have made fun of her for doing so)  I found myself tearing up as the girls mouthed the national anthem, as the cameras paned across them this afternoon after winning gold. 

   The Olympics...for two weeks....even synchronized swimming is a sport.  (apologies if you're a synchronized swimmer)

U.S.A!  U.S.A!  U.S.A!!
 

Chick-Fil-Apology

    So unless you have been living under a rock for the last 3 weeks...Chick-fil-a has been under some scrutiny for some of their anti-gay beliefs.  It has started a whirlwind of a 2 sided battle of supporters, vs. non supporters, with few of us--Myself included, that are in the middle.  While we don't condone some of their decisions, we're not boycotting either.
   When I originally started typing this post I was going to go into a whole ton of detail as to "why my stance is where it is. In fact, I have written it, but I figured instead of beating Mr. Ed after he's already been buried, I would take this post as something good for all, not just those who agree with me.
   That being said, I got into a pretty heated debate with some folks on Facebook about this.  While I thought they were civil, it was brought to my attention that some might not have seen it that way. While most of you I have fallen out of contact with, other than FB, there is a reason we became FB friends to begin with. That being said, and my stance not changing, I'd like to apologize to those with whom the heated debates took place. (you know who you are...because I tagged you in the link from FB) I am sorry if I came off as disrespecting to your opinion, or even a "bigot"  That was not at all my intention.  I sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, apologize to each and every one of you, and hope and pray we can just take this as an agree to disagree moment. 

One Crazy Week

(Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep) I lean over with a tired grown, and check my alarm clock.  It is 6 AM on Sunday morning.  I get out of bed, stretch, hop into the shower, and am out the door by 6:20 to serve at church.
   It is the last day of an extremely eventful week.  It started off like any other week.  I worked Monday and Tuesday.  Tuesday night i had an interview with Van Baird.  A local state farm agent to be a member of his sales team.  While it is a completely different position than I am used to, and one that I will need to obtain a license for, it is exciting non the less, and am hoping to make work.  It would mean a more steady/ consistent hours of work for me, and a more consistent paycheck for my family, and I. 
   Charity and I then left at 5 AM Wednesday morning to drive down to Panama City to spend a few days on the beach with her folks.  It gave us all a little time to relax, Sleep in, and not really think about any kind of Job(s) for a few days.     Charity's dad and I body boarded in the ocean, her mom and I built some pretty killer(if I do say so myself) sand art.  (see facebook for pictures), and Charity got some bonding time on the pier fishing with her dad, while Sherrie, and I enjoyed cheering them on. (Charity hooked what we can only assume was a Sand Shark--3 others had been caught earlier).  That wrapped up our trip to P.C. Beach '12.  We slept in again this morning before the long trip home, and got in about 9 PM. 
   The week will be concluded tomorrow evening, with dinner at my folks, for another great meal, and to pick up Lola, whom they have been so graciously dogsitting all week. 
    Monday......Back to work. What a crazy week!!

"Not the little green kind..."

"It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack."  What a descriptive saying.  Clearly, this saying means you are looking for something very small in a very large area.  I think of this in regards to the earth in this universe, and beyond (this blog would fall under the "and beyond" section of my header)  In the grand scheme of things, the big picture, we are but a "needle" in this "haystack" of universes that God has created.  Francis Chan shows just how little we are in this video.  pretty amazing.



In the midst of the summer season, I arrive to work at about 6:30.  It's still dark enough to look up at the stars, and just think about how awesome God's creation is.  The fact that we're so small in a such a big area.  Our sun is HUGE, but its not even close to the biggest known object out there.  This video is pretty neat as well.

So cool!!  Such a little part of God's massive creation, and he knows us personally.  There are some bosses of companies of 20 employees who don't know everyone's names. 

Something else to think about...now that we have this knowledge of just how truly small we are...is it possible there could be other life out there?  Not the "little green men" we've come to know and love, but other humans.  On another Earth somewhere.  Scientists discuss how perfect the earth is.  how its just the right distance from the sun for life, but not to far.  Is it possible there could be another earth out there in the millions of galaxies beyond our own?  Who knows.

"Oh winter, how I won't miss you"



 It's the end of February, and I have just one question.  Where exactly did the winter go!?  At the risk jinxing it, I think we can almost say...far, far away. 

  This picture was taken a few weeks ago, when it would still be cold out on a normal year.  Not this year.  This year has been the year of a "less than dramatic" winter here in Georgia, and this born and raised boy is not complaining.  Especially after last years fiasco of being cooped inside for an entire week, due to a few inches of snow. 

  I welcome this weather with open arms!  This is the kind of winter a state that has no snow plows to speak of could really get used to!  There was maybe, one week that was tough to be outside working, because it was so cold. 

  I have found myself turning off  the heater, and air more than once this winter, and opening the windows, and turning on the fans.  I love it!  I'm sitting here typing this blog, office window open, birds chirping, and Lola passed out at my feet from the 30 minutes prior we spent out time playing fetch.  Good times. 

 

  I guess it is not really to shocking that its nice out, with the first day of spring being March 20, I guess, to me, it feels that winter flew by!  Again...not complaining.

  Lots to look forward to in the coming months.  Busy days/more hours at work for me.  Braves baseball starting up(which is ALWAYS nice when there's nothing else on TV), golf, lake, pool, beach weather.  trees and flowers in bloom.  Yes sir, I do love me some spring! 

That "One Thing"

 Curly:  Do you know what the secret of life is?

 Mitch:  No, what?

 Curly: This. ( Holds up one finger)

 Mitch: Your finger?

 Curly: One thing. Just one thing.  You stick to that and everything else don't mean (squat).

 Mitch: That's great, but what's the one thing?

 Curly: That's what you've got to figure out.

This is a dialouge line from the classic comedy City Slickers, with Billy Crystal & Jack Palance.

I've never thought about my answer to that question until Andy Stanley did a sermon called "The one thing".  Now these are similar in the sense that Andy, and Curly both asked what is your one thing? However, they receive different answers also. 

Curly's "One thing" was simply what is your thought for you being on this earth? Whats your purpuse?

Mine is my family. 

Andy's one thing had to do with what was keeping you up on your "wall"  Like Nehemiah in the Bible.  What is the "great work" you would like to accomplish this year?  He then listed categories the one thing could fall under:

• A habit you must break
• A goal you must accomplish
• A project you must complete
• A relationship you must restore-or end
• a debt you must rid yourself of

The scripture comes from Nehemiah 6:3 "I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down.  Why should the work cease while I leave it, and go down to you"?

This got me to thinking about my one thing.  What have I tried to do in the past, but always gotten distracted, and went back to my old ways.  Then it came to me.  Caffeine addiction.  This was already in my head for reasons I wont bore you with here, and that I hope to never have to repeat, but what an (for lack of a better word) interesting way for God to tell me that was what he wanted for me?  Just another sign that all he does is for the good.  I feel like I could have many other great things to do while on my wall, but this is the most important at the moment. 

Another blogger that I follow Did a blog about that sermon as well.  They mentioned their wall was  Facebook, or social media.  I could see that being another one of mine as well. 

It was a great sermon, and I recommend everyone to watch it when they have a free hour. 
http://www.northpoint.org/messages/this-one-thing

A New Year...

...A new 365 days.  A new 12 months. A new time period to "do things" you didn't do the previous year...or 7.  A time to put a "bad year" behind you and start fresh. Or if you're fortunate enough, to continue the previous great year into the next. (there i go with the rhyming again.  I now know how the poor Grinch felt) 

  A big tradition, aside from staying up past midnight to welcome the new year, is to make resolutions for the up and coming year.

A New Year's resolution is a commitment that a person makes to one or more personal goals, projects, or the reforming of a habit. A key element to a New Year's Resolution that sets it apart from other resolutions is that it is made in anticipation of the New Year and new beginnings. People committing themselves to a New Year's resolution generally plan to do so for the whole following year.
Compliments of Wikipedia.(if its on the Internet, it must be true right?)

  More times than not, a resolution is made...and kept for 3 months tops. (Don't believe me?  Walk into a gym today, and then that same gym in 12 weeks.  Just sayin')  I am no stranger to this.  I have made, and dropped my fair share in March.  This year though I have a few that I have control over, and some I don't have as much control over.  I have made the resolution this year to consistently shoot golf rounds in the 90's, and to break 90, at least once.  Now lets be honest with myself.  It likely will not happen, but it is something I am going to strive for in the new year.  A resolution that I have more control of however is *keeping up with this blog, Exercising more regularly, etc. 
   Given my statement above, I am more likely to keep up with the blog than the other.  However, I did get a new bike for Christmas, and have been riding it around the neighborhood the past 2 days.  Check back on that come summer...when its hot.  I have others that I wont bore you with here. 
   My point is, some you can have more control over than others.  It's keeping tabs on the ones you do have control over that may just make the "less controlled ones" fall into place.  (i.e. If I exercise regulalrly, I will get stronger, thus being able to drive a golf ball further, thus improving my score...maybe)  See where I'm going with this?? 
  
What is your new years resolution? 

*I mentioned keeping up with this blog.  I was on a few weeks hiatus there with Christmas, New years, and thinking my computer had a virus.  Sick computer aside...no more excuses.  Its a reselution...so I have to do it right??*