Sans Computer

We only have one computer at home - my laptop.  (Well we do have my mother's old mac desktop that she gave us too but the software is so old it doesn't work.)   So when I left last Saturday for a week-long conference, I decided to leave my laptop behind with Robin.   Hence the lack of blog posts.  Also no responses to email and no facebook updates.   I figured I was with those who most needed me and others could call if they didn't get an answer.   (I also don't have a gadget like a Blackberry to check email constantly.)

I thought I would have 500 emails in my in-box but actually its only 265.  Not bad.   And it was good not to be distracted.   It was actually a good social experience to be w/o a computer for a week.  Not that I am giving it up for lent.  (I guess if I was you wouldn't be reading this.)

The only really ironic thing is yesterday when I was talking with Robin is that she said she couldn't get the Internet the whole time I was gone.  Actually it was a simple solution I walked her through as a little boy had turned off the wireless connection.   But I guess the reason I left it - so she could check her email and facebook - was mute.  

At least the boys used it as a DVD player.

Daddy in Charge of Bed-time

If Dad is putting the kids to bed and there are no clean PJs or pajama sleepers, then church clothes are an adequate alternative...

or a dragon costume...

Happy Birthday Abe

In Lincoln's honor, here are a few quotes:

"Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, can not long retain it." 

"I leave you, hoping that the lamp of liberty will burn in your bosoms until there shall no longer be a doubt that all men are created free and equal." 

"Common looking people are the best in the world: that is the reason the Lord makes so many of them." 

"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day."

"...I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side." 

"In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free - honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth. Other means may succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just - a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless." 

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan - to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations." 

"I am rather inclined to silence, and whether that be wise or not, it is at least more unusual nowadays to find a man who can hold his tongue than to find one who cannot." 

"...that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." 

"In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book." 

"Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. Point out to them how the nominal winner is often a real loser - in fees, expenses, and waste of time. As a peacemaker the lawyer has a superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough." 

"The demon of intemperance ever seems to have delighted in sucking the blood of genius and of generosity." 

"I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union." 

The Merciful

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." - Jesus

Mercy

Mercy is both not receiving the justice we are due and extending gifts to the poor and those in need. Both find their root in a compassionate heart; a heart that says 'you do not deserve this but you need it'.   

It is the cry of the blind man, the sinner in the temple, the father whose son was having seizures, the Canaanite mother whose daughter was imprisoned by demons, and the 10 lepers.   Lord, I do not deserve your healing hand but I desperately need it.  I have no hope apart from you. 

It is the act of loving others as ourselves demonstrated by the Good Samaritan.  It is what God desires from us more than sacrifice.  It is having a large heart.  It is the opposite of a heart of greed.  It is a response of a heart that knows I have nothing apart from God's mercy and generously extending a hand toward those in need. 

Shown Mercy

Jesus gives a parable in Matthew 18 about forgiveness.  The kicker is that to the extent of the mercy we give is the extent of mercy we will receive..   (See also James 2:13 among others.)  It would be easy for me (and is) to gloss over this and think, "Hey I am covered... saved by grace". I tend to interrupt passages like these and Matthew 25 in light of promises we have of our salvation.  And I guess that's good so I don't veer toward thinking I can gain acceptance by what I do.  But the assurance causes me to blow off the need, the command to extend mercy.   I want it for myself but rarely offer it to others.   I am  quick to judge and slow to extend mercy.

I recall a few years back I heard a sermon on mercy.  It was at a time when I was weighing out whether to send this guy on a summer project or not.  On paper, he had done some things recently in his life that disqualified him.  But I sensed God was telling me to offer him mercy.  I called him up and said, "I shouldn't be sending you, but I am gonna give you mercy."   I didn't blow off what he did what offered him the gospel.  After that summer, he told me he thought of that every day - when he extended the gospel to others, when he faced temptation, when he might have judged others he served with, when he saw people in need .  Every day, he thought of mercy.  He saw others in the vein of people that just needed mercy and he saw himself as someone who needed mercy. 

The Merciful

I wish that story was more common in my life.  I wish my first thought was to drop the stone and grant mercy.  I wish my first action would be when I see someone in need to get off my donkey and love my neighbor.  I wish I was full of the love of God, full of mercy - merciful... like Christ, like the Father.

Lord, I need mercy.  May I cry out like the tax collector in temple, "God, have mercy on me a sinner!"  May I cry like the blind beggar, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"   May I be quick to extend mercy to others. Take my greedy heart and make it a heart of mercy.

Link to John Breaux's Memorial Service

Here's a link to John Breaux's memorial service.  I missed it because I was sick over the weekend.   It might be a little long but worth it to hear about how one simple man affected so many lives.

Also my friend Eric gives a great post on John.

25 Random Things

Got tagged on this on facebook.  I tend to avoid these things but I suppose it can't hurt.

If you these on facebook and you got tagged  you're supposed to write your own note of 25 random things, facts, habits or goals about yourself and then choose 25  people to tag including me since I tagged you...  I think if you don't something bad happens.

1. My first official girlfriend was my wife and I was her first boyfriend.   There was the time for about a week when I was in the 5th grade and a 6th grade girl told me I was her boyfriend but I don't count that.

2. I got turned down more times when I asked girls out than I had dates before I met Robin.  I am glad now.

3. The best martial advice I ever received was to pray that my wife always would be the standard for me when it comes to attractiveness. It helps that I am married to Robin.

4.  I have little 3 boys who I enjoy & love immensely.

5.  I wish I spent more time with my wife and kids and less on the computer and watching TV.

6. I never flew in a plane nor traveled west of the Georgia state line until I graduated from college.

7.  I have been to every continent but Antarctica. 

8. I love to travel but don't like leaving Robin and the boys.

9.  I have liked a lot of cool places but I like Africa the best.

10.  I have only worked for our organization since college - Campus Crusade for Christ - but have had 6 jobs with CCC.

11. Four of those jobs/roles came within the first 7 years.

12.  I have had the same job (Associate Regional Director for Worldwide Student Network) for over 10 years now which is amazing since I live for change.  It helps that this role is all about change and new places.

13.  Even though I like those I work with in my office, I am closer to the friends I work with on a dispersed national team.   Maybe it has something to do that we have the same passions.

14.  There are only 3 other guys who have been around WSN as long as I have.   

15. I miss some folks that used to work with WSN - Dave, Scott, Jeff, Donny, Rich L. etc.

16. I miss Paul Townsend.

17.  In the past 10 years, I had given leadership to have 17 different national conferences that have helped train CCC staff & students to serve overseas for a summer or a year.

18. My favorite by far is the two times leading the STINT Team Leaders Training (05 & 06) because of the size of the group, the type of leaders and the community established.

19.  I have had a book in my head for almost two years but never seem to have time to finish it and not sure anyone would read it.

20.  I like reading but I have a lot of unfinished books around my house.

21.  I love coffee.

22.  I drive a 93 Camry with 150,000 miles, no power windows or locks, a cassette player and a broken antenna.   

23.  I laughed when i heard recently that Americans said in these tough economic times that they would be least likely to give up their health club membership and cable.  I have neither.

24. Thoughts of world poverty - like that 1 billion will go hungry tonight or that 18,000 children will starve today because of malnutrition today - haunt me.  But not enough that I cut back on what I eat.

25.  My dad is my hero.   I wish I was more like him.  I want to be my sons' hero.

More Plumbing Issues

We have been in our house less than 2 years and we are experiencing yet another plumbing issue.  Luke pointed it out to Robin right before they left for a school party.  Since I had handyman coming over to give us a quote of another plumbing-related issue, we waited at let him look at it.  

As he was leaving, I said, there is something else my wife wanted you to look at...  turns out we had a pipe that burst.   It was a blessing to have Adam there as even though he didn't have his plumbing tools with him, he was able to find the source of the issue.  But I think we caught it in time to save the carpet in the downstairs- which we just installed last year.  

We cut the water off.  We shop vaced.  Fans are running.  I will call a plumber in the am.... again. 

So in less than two years here's our plumbing issues.

1.  A Leak behind washing machine.

2. Clogged drain from grease or something

3.  Sprinkler drainage pipe burst.   - Which we should have called this Australian plumber

4.  Major overhaul of our master bathroom because there was water-damage behind tile.  -reason Adam came by.  *  

5.  Now this pipe burst.

* Have been without our main bathroom since the end of October.  Really an issue since we moved in because I knew tiles were loose.  We just never used that shower.  We hired our next-door neighbor Noah but the wood framing the house is rotten and its beyond what Noah felt like comfortable doing.  So once the new window we ordered arrives, Adam will come by and we will knock out the exterior wall and put a window and new wall in.  Then Noah will put in sub-floor, tile,drywall, etc.   Maybe we will have our bathroom back by Spring Break.   Already we have forked out to have a plumber come to redo pipes for shower and flange for toilet.  

I am ready for a few years of not having to call a plumber.

Memorial for John Breaux

Hundreds came out for a memorial for John Breaux on Saturday.

I didn't hear about this until yesterday.  But I do see several of my friends in this picture... John & Nancy Lamb, Don & Muriel Wilcox.

This picture to me is a testimony of how something as simple as sacrificial service and greeting others with a smile affects so many lives.  John Breaux was pure in heart & lived out the Great Commandment.

Wouldn't it be cool if John not only affected lives while here on earth but that his influence was multiplied by those of us who live in the communities of Louisville & Lafayette choosing to take up this same attitude?