A Between-the-Lines Merry Christmas

I just spoke to my uncle on the phone. He's one of my dad's two brothers. It wasn't an easy phone call, and its probably one I should have made yesterday. These kinds of calls are definitely not my strong suit, and I'm sure it showed. His wife has been promoted from this life to Heaven.

We talked about God's timing always being perfect and about some words of wisdom from my dad. A slight injection for readers who might not be aware; my dad went home to be with Jesus 22 years ago.

But as Uncle Billy and I spoke these few minutes today, it was hard to say, Merry Christmas. It was hard because he was busy canceling doctor's appointments. On this Christmas Eve he was spreading difficult news of sorrow, by human standards. But before I could express any condolences, he was putting his perspective on today.

"Jesus was born to die," he said. "That's the only thought getting me through this." Jesus endured a horrible death and it was His death (and resurrection) that gives us hope. Real hope! He went on to quote my dad, who shortly before he died had told him, "I know I'm almost to leave this life. My job now is to stay faithful." My dad was a wise man, and it appears that dad's legacy lives on.

Uncle Billy will bury a wife for the second time this week. Life's lessons can sometimes be so hard. Timing seems so inconsiderate. But to those who are left behind, let's rejoice that our loved ones who have been promoted are experiencing the joys of both Christmas AND Easter like never before!

My Thanksgiving

This year is different. Every year, it seems that we are focused on the topic of thanksgiving about this time of year. I've noticed on my Facebook wall, many of my friends are posting daily items of thanks. That is really great, and I wish I had gotten in on that at the beginning of November, but quite honestly, I didn't want to start something and have it fall by the wayside.

As time moves on, and as we grow older and our children morph into the adults we've taught them to be, traditions change. I wrote a little bit about that last year around Christmas. But this year, it has hit me with a new level of sensitivity. Two years ago when my eldest daughter left home for college, as much as I missed having her around, it didn't really register with me as much. That's likely because my youngest was still home so it was still a lot of the parental responsibility at home to deal with. This past August, though, when my youngest left for college and we are the empty nesters, things got eerily quiet at home. A tank of gasoline would last a lot longer in the car. Going out to eat was a third cheaper than before. We began to adjust to the life of two instead of the life with child(ren) as it had been the previous 20 years.

This year, it has been so incredible to say, "Yes, the girls are coming home for Thanksgiving!" When I got home from my quartet trip this past Sunday evening, Emily had arrived home. Tuesday, she went to West Palm to pick up Abby. Now, they are both home and I'm a happy dad! I've been anticipating this week for quite some time. I think since it's here, I'm going to just kick back and enjoy it!

As life moves on and as children grow up, its true things change. I'm thankful for the way my daughters are growing up and maturing into these incredible young ladies that have Christ at the center of who they are. Since its truth that life changes, I could be no more proud of the way God is at work changing these two young ladies into who He wants them to be. I am confident that what Paul wrote is true in their lives, "...He who began a good work in [them] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6 NIV)

I trust that you will be thankful for your children and your family this Thanksgiving season. I certainly have a renewed sense of just what they mean to me.

I'm Sorry, Daddy

As I was growing up, it was common for my dad and I to play catch in the yard. It depended on what time of year it was as to what kind of ball we tossed. In the summer, it was a baseball; in the fall it was a football. In fact, dad was one of my Little League baseball coaches and when I played some high school baseball, he came to as many games as he could. We played church softball together for several years, too. I remember as a teenager and young man, I laughed at him when he ran. "You run like an old man!" I'd say. Those words haunt me today. My dad died when he was only 55. He was still a young man when he died! How could I say such things when he was still in his 40s, for cryin' out loud?! Those words haunt me today because even when he was 50, he'd outrun me today. I'm not yet 50, and haven't been physically fit enough to play an honest game of softball in years. Since I can't physically play the game at a competitive level, I've resorted to umpiring. It gets me on a softball field in a competitive atmosphere, yet I'm not feeling pressured to perform athletic moves in order to stay on the field. The pressure to umpire is much, MUCH different! Yes, there are times when I wish I had a glove. I've been nicked and scraped by the ball and foul tips at home plate still make me nervous. Line drives in the field still cause my heart to pound a little harder when I have to move quickly to keep from getting hit. Remember, I have no glove, and I'm not playing the game because I'm not as athletic as I once was! The most recent night I worked on a softball field was certainly a test. I'm not sure if God was testing me, or allowing me to be tested; but it was a difficult night. In the first game of three that I umpired, I was calling balls and strikes. The night started out well enough; I actually had a couple of close calls at the plate and no one argued with me. But then ~~~ A play was about to happen at the plate. The ball came screaming in from the second baseman who was the cut-off man in shallow right center field. It was up the third base line a bit; right where I was standing. I saw the ball heading my way, so I moved to get out of the way. The ball changed direction ~ toward me. I moved again, and it seemed as though there was a laser beam connecting the ball to my head. It seemed to tail right towards me ~ again. By now, the only thing I could do was turn. I turned and the ball just grazed my left arm. That didn't hurt at all. As I turned, though, I lost all sense of balance, and I started going down. At this point, all time seemed to go in slow motion. I saw the chain link fence of the backstop creeping closer to me. I knew I was going down. My gaze shifted toward the dirt getting closer to me. Then, finally I landed. Thankfully, there was no seismic earthquake, but a man of my girth hitting the ground is no laughing matter. Players, to their credit, came over to check on me. They asked if I needed some time to shake the cobwebs loose. I told one of them, if I take that kind of time, we wouldn't get the game started back. Later, some of the players who were watching this game, waiting to start the next one, were kidding with me asking if I was alright. I told them, the reason I'm umpiring instead of playing today is because umpires are supposed to stay upright. I'm not sure if I'm fit to be an umpire anymore! Now, please understand, I've got some other physical ailments with some joints and junk. I've been the doctors this past week with some other pains. But the part of my body that hurts the most right now? Yep, the strawberry on my right knee! So, yes, it pains me to remember me making fun of my dad running so slowly. At this point, I just wish I could run!

Your Pastor, Your Lifeguard

I came to the beach this afternoon ~ just because. It wasn't in my to-do list for today at all. I haven't been in quite a while. In fact, this is the first time all summer that I've been to just sit and enjoy it.

I figured it wouldn't be crowded since local schools have started, many colleges have started, and it is a weekday afternoon. Quite frankly, there are more people here than I thought. Still not crowded by any stretch, but more nonetheless.

I shared a shady pavilion along the boardwalk with a couple of ladies. While not elderly, they were certainly of retirement age. One was wheelchair bound. There was no conversation to speak of. Only the obligatory, "May I sit here?", "Are you from here?", and "So long, have a nice day." But as I observed them, along with the dozens or so others walking past or sitting on the sun-splashed sand, I wondered lots of things.

What are you thinking? How do you know the person(s) you are with? Do you live here or are you vacationing? If you're vacationing, thanks for coming and where are you from?

There are people of varying ages, shapes, and sizes here today. Obviously more older than younger because of locals and school, but I have seen a few students here with adults ~ most likely the vacationing type.

I'm also sitting where I can see the lifeguard. He's keeping a close eye on the ones on the beach. He's likely keeping a closer eye on those in the water. I would imagine he's even got a general idea about those like me on the boardwalk behind him. He also knows the conditions of the waters. He has flags flying to communicate those conditions to us.

Just a few hundred miles out from where I'm facing is a storm. To look at the beach now, you can't tell it. There's no clouds. There's virtually no wind. The surf is not threatening in the least. But the storm is there. The weather radar tells us its there.

My hunch is the lifeguard is aware of Isaac the storm, too. Although it isn't threatening his beach today, he's already thinking and preparing for what direction it may go and how it will affect our beaches and shoreline.

The lifeguard is very much like your pastor. He's got a general feel for those in his care. He's responsible for their spiritual safety and well-being. He's got his ear to the ground on the general topics facing us in life today and is preparing himself constantly to protect his people.

There are all types of people in your church. There are different demographics, different lifestyles and personalities. There are different hobbies and habits. Have you prayed for your pastor today as he prepares to meet those (including YOUR) needs?

Think about that and breathe a prayer for him right now. After I pray, I'm going to strike up another conversation. A sweet-looking couple who appear to be in their 80s just joined me under the shaded pavilion. She, with her walker; he is her helper. I wonder what their story could be.

Just What Is A Day Off?

So, what do you do on your day off? I'm sure some would ask, "What is a day off?" There are times when I certainly ask that kind of question! A day off could mean just being lazy in front of the TV. A day off could mean being able to run errands and get those 'busy' things done. For some a day off means doing house work ~ laundry, dusting, sweeping / mopping / vacuuming. For some, the day off is doing other profitable work, like research and projects to earn more income. For the truly industrious, perhaps a day off incorporates a little bit of all the above! Actually, its quite rare when all our family is under the same roof at the same time. That's actually the case as I type this. And all the topics in the above paragraph are being done today at our house. The TV is on, the washing machine is running, I've been doing some research work, Robin and Emily have been to Wal-Mart ~ you get the idea. There are some days that are just meant to be catch up days. What are you doing today?

Changes to Faison Focus for the Summer

There are some people I know who would say the word 'change' is a dirty word. They have no desire to change. In fact, some folks I know cringe at just the thought of changing anything. I also have another blog, trust-worthy news, here at Blogger.com. As I looked at it, and then looked at this one, I thought this one needed a bit of TLC. So, I gave it a bit of a make-over tonight. I hope you like the changes. Maybe it won't cause you to have some kind of withdrawal! Let me know what you think of the new look. It does have a bit of a summer-time flare, don't you think?

Claiming God's Restoration

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of preaching at a great church in Hollywood, FL. Calvary Fellowship Free Will Baptist Church is a church pastored by my good friend, John. John had had some surgery and he asked me to come down and fill in for him while he recuperated. I was both honored and excited! I had preached there a couple times before and was a bit familiar with the folks there. As I prayed and prepared for what to share with them that day, I drew a bit nervous. You see, when I was in the pastorate, I would log every sermon I preached. Since I do not have the opportunity to preach as often, I fell out of that habit. So, although I had preached there before, I didn't have a record of what subject matter or text I had preached from. I prayed and asked God to guide me. I prayed some more and asked God to guide me. There is one sermon that I've preached a couple times in the past about Peter and the difficulties he had leading up to his preaching on the Day of Pentecost. That thought kept coming to me time and time again. But I could not remember if that was the sermon I had preached there before. On the one hand, I thought it had been long enough, no one would probably even remember it anyway. But on that proverbial other hand ~~ I know some people who jot down in their Bible every Scripture text they hear in a sermon. Really - I DO know some folks like that! I kept thinking, "What if ~~~?" As I was mowing my lawn the week prior, it seemed that Peter just would not leave my mind. I decided that was the confirmation I needed to share with this great group of folks about Peter. In a nutshell, I was reminded about Peter trying his best to do the right thing, yet always seemed to be reprimanded for it. He got out of the boat to walk on the water, but began to sink when he took his eyes off of Christ. He was rebuked. He defended Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane the night he was arrested. He even cut off the ear of one of the soldiers. Jesus healed the soldier and rebuked Peter. When Peter declared he would never deny his relationship with Jesus, he was bitterly heartbroken (I believe with himself) as the rooster crowed following his THIRD denial of even knowing Jesus. Time and again Peter failed. Over and over he seemed to open his mouth and engage his tongue without first engaging his brain. We can say this of Peter ~ he was a man of action! He was not the one to sit idly by and allow things to go silent. But the grace that Jesus showed to Peter on the beach early one morning is nothing short of amazing! The dialogue Peter and Jesus shared that morning was an incredible message to us today of God's forgiveness and restoration. It didn't matter to Jesus how much Peter had failed. Peter's failures would not dictate his successes. What mattered to Jesus was Peter's continued availability! Peter was available to be used by God in any manner He wanted. Are you? Peter was human as we all are. He had failed in more ways than I suspect any of us have. In fact, our job is not to try and imitate Peter's message on Pentecost. We should be careful not to become discouraged with perhaps a lack of numerical success as Peter had that day. The only safe comparison of ourselves to Peter would be to carefully observe his reckless abandon to be all he could be for Jesus. Even then, he was not perfect. But to see his inspiration and sense his encouragement to be all we can be for Christ will prove immeasurable in our own Christian walk. Have you failed along the way? Yes, you (and I) have. Are you eligible for His forgiveness and restoration? Absolutely! Now the question is, have you claimed it?

Learning New Tricks

It's scary funny when an old (well, middle aged, anyway) man tries to learn new tricks. Such is the case when I'm trying to post pictures to my blog from my phone. Just hope the right picture goes to the right blog!

God's Grace on the Golf Course

I played a round of golf with some friends the other day. That is an innocent enough statement. Please understand, I don't play golf nearly as much as I'd like to. The fact of the matter is, I play golf just enough to keep me wanting to play more. The golf course is not always friendly to me, and I'm sure there are people who are playing either with me, or behind me that wish I would choose a different part-time hobby. The last time I was on the golf course, though, brought some lessons I would like to share. The four-some on the course decided it would be prudent for our schedules if we played two-man best ball. For those not familiar with golf terminology, that basically means that we had two, two man teams. After each person hit the ball, the team could choose which ball had the best lie and would be able to play their next ball from that spot. It makes for a quicker and lower scoring game. On the first hole, my partner and I had some issues. We shot a +2 ~ two over par. My comment to my parnter upon entering the golf cart to go to the second hole, "New hole, new life." We had to consciously put that hole behind us. If we're not careful, we can dig ourselves a hole and get bogged down because of mistakes or bad days. It is a conscious choice to put mistakes behind us and start over. Incidentally, we went on to par the next few holes. Later in that round of golf, I hit a shot on a par 3 that landed on the green. That's precisely what was supposed to happen. The reason I say it that way, is that many times, the shots I hit don't do 'what they're supposed to do.' The putt that followed surprised everyone on the green ~ especially me! It fell into the bottom of the cup! Yes, I birdied the hole. The positive words that came from both my partner and the two friends we were playing with served to encourage me. I've hit a lot of golf balls, but few have actually gone where I fully intended them to go. I was thankful for the good play, and equally thankful for the encouragement from my friends. The back nine was not as kind on the whole. In fact, on one hole, both my partner and I hit our tee shots and we weren't sure where either of the balls landed. The trajectory of both balls were, to say the least, not headed for the fairway. The friends we were playing with extended grace. They offered to let us hit a mulligan. A mulligan is a 'do-over'. Hit another ball, without a penalty. We didn't deserve their kindness and generosity. We accepted it, of course, but we didn't deserve it by any means. By the end of the round, both my partner and I were tired. He had driven a couple of hours just to get to where we played golf. I had stayed up all night working. Both of us were playing on bad knees. He didn't have any ligaments in one knee and I have a knee with basically bone on bone and no cartilege. As we approached the 18th tee, we were ready for the round to be over. But we finished the round. Good, bad, or ugly, we finished what we set out to do. The fellowship was incredible! To be able to hang out with some of my best friends in the world is enough to make the day a great one. We are able to talk about a lot of things while we're enjoying a day on the golf course. We are able to talk about grace and how God's grace amazes us. We are able to discuss how we are able to extend grace to one another. We are able to put grace into action even as we miss a shot or hit a ball where we don't intend to. Those are mirrors of what God is to us. When we miss the opportunity to do what He wants us to do, or we are offended by someone's hurtful comments to us, we can practice extending grace. All men are born sinners. We have all been condemned at birth. The Bible tells us that all have sinned and come short of God's glory (Romans 3:23). But we have all been extended grace. When we didn't deserve it, Christ took our place on the cross. Even in our most unlovely state, He chose to die for us (Romans 5:8). Be encouraged today to love someone in spite of their faults or quirks. Jesus set the example to love us; now let us love them.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

The lady you see to the left is a pretty special one. All the acolades of Proverbs 31 apply to her. I've printed verses 10-31 at the end of this blog for you to read. I do hope you'll take time to do that. The media these days seem to believe the conservative crowd is against womanhood, against all she stands for. Actually its quite the opposite. We hold women in high regard and esteem. Reading this passage from Scripture describes all the wonderful qualities we recognize in the ladies in our lives. The nurturing aspect of our younger years is needful for a balanced life. I'm thankful the nurturing didn't stop when I moved away to college or got married and started my own family. My mom has reared two children, was married to our dad for 33 years until his death in 1990. Incidentally, during those trying days, she held things together in nothing short of an incredible way. She was fortunate to remarry nine years later, and her husband is very good to her. For that, my sister and I are very grateful. I'm not able to see my mom as much as I'd like to now because we are many miles apart geographically; but I sure am thankful for telephones! If you'd like to know more about my mom, keep reading. Solomon must have known her, because he describes her pretty well! Mom, I love you! 10 [b]Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. 11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. 13 She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. 14 She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing her food from afar. 15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls. 16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17 She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. 18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night. 19 Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. 20 She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. 21 She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm[c] clothes. 22 She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns. 23 Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders. 24 She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. 26 When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. 27 She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. 28 Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: 29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised. 31 Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

It's Freezing in Here!

While eating lunch with Trust Quartet yesterday, we commented on how we enjoyed people-watching. The restaurant was full of folks in their best "Sunday-Go-To-Meetin'" clothes. Of course, there were people who were dressed in clothes that probably should have required some serious mirror attention before going out in public, too. But today is a different day. I'm watching people in my favorite McDonald's. A great deal of my people watching today also involves the temperature. It's a very nice day outside in Vero Beach today. It's not too hot; not too cold. It's just a gorgeous spring day! Frankly, I'm dressed weather-appropriate. In this McDonald's today, I'm seeing people in their work clothes, as is manual labor men coming in for a bit of a break. I'm close to a high school where students are allowed to come over on a break from classes. Attire ~ for high school students? 'Nuff said! The reason people watching in this restaurant in the Spring of the year has turned to a fashion show simply has to do with the restaurant temperature. It's FREEZING in here! The two hottest (no pun intended) tables in the place are the two that sit in the sunshine. I thought about that as I came in to find my seat, but alas, they were already full. They've each been turned once since I sat and ate my biscuit and hash brown. There was a retired couple who purposely sat there. I heard the husband say to his wife, "The air is way too cold over there." She sat, gratefully, in the sunshine and put on her sunglasses. Ahh, one of the tables has emptied and is already occupied since I began the last paragraph. See what I mean? This blog post really was not going to turn into a room temperature blog. It kind of evolved that way. People watching can be entertaining, and I was going to write about the retired couple and some of my observations. I guess that will wait for another blog. Meanwhile, I may speak with the manager and see if we can get some heat turned on in the restaurant lobby. Frank, it's freezing in here, dude!!

Tolerated or Loved

Yesterday, I posted a blog about friends. Today, I want to follow up just a bit about that thought. I try to be an honest person. I also try to be polite and treat people the way I would want to be treated. Sometimes those three are difficult to co-exist. Sometimes, Christians may say something like, "I love you, but I sure don't like you." or "I love you, but only because I have to." Of course, they are referring to Christ's command to love one another. Yes, Christ does expect us to love one another, but He expects it to be a genuine love. There are times when I have wondered if people love me or simply tolerate me. What are the ingredients of loving someone? By no means an exhaustive list, but to love someone is to communicate with them. Find out their needs and problems. Find out their joys and rejoice with them. Find out what they enjoy and strive to do that for / with them. Most of all, to love someone is to pray for and with them. When you pray for them, communicate with them and reassure them that you've talked to the Ultimate Friend on their behalf. That is something I try to do on occasion. I remember one friend in particular who sent me a facebook message to let me know he was praying for me. What an encouragement! That act of kindness and love has stuck with me for a long time. In fact, now that I think about it, (according to our mutual schedules) our paths should cross in the next few weeks. I think I'll remind that friend of that word of encouragement and thank him ~ again ~ for it; maybe this time with a cup of coffee. Now, imagine your phone ringing and when you look at the caller ID, you sigh an impatient sigh. Or perhaps you think to yourself, I really don't want to talk to him right now. I'll call back ~ and conveniently forget. When you see that person in a public place (Heaven forbid it be the church), do you tend to look the other way and hope they don't see you? Does eye contact make you uncomfortable? What if God had felt that way about you? God tells us to love one another. He teaches us that our Christianity will be revealed to others by our love (John 13:35). We are taught to strive to be like Christ. He loves us unconditionally. In fact, Romans 5 teaches us that even in our most unlovely state, He loved us enough to die for us (Romans 5:8). When we are the most intolerable, He loves us. As you consider your friends, have you prayed for them today ~ this week ~ this month? Are you communicating love for your friends or merely a tolerance? Do you feel tolerated or loved?

Having Friends

For quite some time I've been thinking about friendship. God has blessed me with many friends, and I'm thankful for each one. As I was growing up, I didn't really like being a preacher's kid. In fact, I hated it. It wasn't that I didn't like being in church every week. It wasn't necessarily that they were so strict. There were two primary reasons I detested the life of a PK. First, I didn't like feeling as though we lived in a glass house with a double standard. I saw church members who lived a lifestyle that I couldn't take part in. That is another blog for another day. The second reason I didn't like being a PK was the tendency of our family's relocation. I felt as though whenever I had a friend, I would have to move ~ again. Please keep in mind that those were the thoughts of a younger person, who was looking at things quite selfishly. Those feelings brought on very real emotions, and should have been dealt with appropriately. But, looking back on those years, I can now see other benefits that I could in no way predict then. For example, I have friends literally all over the world. I'm basically a shy person. I have to throw myself into 'character' to come out of my shell around people I do not know. My general personality is one that feels inferior to others. Again, if I'm perceived as a very confident individual, either I'm on a good masking roll or the person doing the perceiving is inexperienced at perceiving. There are different kinds of friends. Not that I want to use the word, 'level' of friend, that's essentially what it is. We are closer to some friends than others. Sometimes friends drift apart because of distance, habits, hobbies, or even other people. There are some friends who connect on a monthly, weekly, or even a daily basis. I'm reminded of a proverb from Scripture about friends. Proverbs 18:24, "A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Are you friendly? Do others perceive you as being friendly? I'm thankful that when I need a friend and no one is around, God is. Aren't you?

What Kind of Friend Are You?

This week, I hope you'll be watching my blog for some posts about friends. Names are not going to be mentioned ~ I'm referring to the idea of friendship. The Old Testament man, Job, had three friends. That word, 'friends' is used very loosely! It could be said of those three yoo-hoos, if those are friends, who needs enemies? I suppose they meant well, but they sure didn't bring much to true meaning of friendship. On the other hand, remember David and Jonathan in the Old Testament? If there are any two people who would have been the most unlikely of friends, it would be these two. Jonathan was in line for the throne following his father, Saul. But because of Saul's sin and errors in leading Israel, God chose to anoint David to be their king. Yet Jonathan still loved David with a pure love that was nothing short of incredible! Has God blessed you with a friend like David's? Friends are amazing people. Friends know the good, the bad, and the ugly and still love you. Friends are incredible! I'm thankful for my friends. Whether at work, on the golf course, on the quartet bus, at church, at home. Friends are special! Friends are valuable! When you look in the mirror, which friend would you most likely match? Which one would you LIKE to match? What are you doing to make sure you are being the friend you should be?

I Am NOT Superstitious ~ Honest!

I'm not superstitious. Really. Honest. In fact, I asked someone early Friday morning if Friday the 13th is so bad, why are we not equally as skiddish of Saturday the 14th; or Thursday the 12th? Friday is supposed to be one of the most favorite days of the week. Why should it get the bad wrap four times a year? I should have known this Friday the 13th was going to try to get me when I woke up well before my alarm went off. Since I work midnights and sleep during the day, it is my custom to check my phone for messages when that happens. I have a routine; check for text messages, then check e-mail, then jump on Facebook to see if anything jumps out at me. This particular day, a friend had a statement about her mascara that intrigued me. In an effort to read the comments associated with her post, I inadvertently hit the 'like' button. Since her mascara running today had to do with mourning the anniversary of losing a loved one, I felt pretty bad. I tried to 'unlike' the post, but to no avail. Kept getting an error message. So, I sent her a message to let her know that I didn't 'like' the reason her mascara was going to run, and it isn't a trait of mine to wear mascara, so it isn't as if I can relate to her problem. I rolled back over and went to sleep. Again, well before my alarm sounded to arise from my slumber, I woke up. Rolling back over to go through my routine again, I discovered this friend was gracious to me. Thank you, Janet. I appreciate that. Finally deciding I wasn't going back to sleep, I got up and showered, anxiously awaiting the Braves home opener on television. Many thanks to MLB Extra Innings for the free preview days. Keep that going just as long as you'd like. The Braves bats were doing well ~ they won their third game in a row. Friday the 13th would not jinx me! I began to watch a light show outside. The sound of thunder soon followed. A bit later, I began to hear the rain falling; just as it was time to go to work. I left in plenty of time to actually report to work a few minutes early. I remembered a lesson I learned many years ago: leave in time to be punctual, given any circumstance. The rainfall was brutal. I had the wipers on high speed. Finally, the rain let up a bit just less than a mile from work. I was grateful. The last traffic light was yellow ~ the car in front of me was traveling at a safe speed under the light. Until the driver decided he needed to stop for the traffic light. I slammed on my brakes but the slick road and the split second decision to stop was a bit too much. Even trying to swerve into the other lane didn't help. My left front bumper caught his right rear bumper. Just a few short weeks ago, also on a Friday (just not the 13th), a person rear ended us. That was in broad daylight and beautiful sunny conditions, though. In that accident, I tweeted, "My VUE can beat your Hyundai any day." On this rainy night, I'm afraid I couldn't say the same. His Accura got the best of my VUE. Fortunately, I was able to drive it, and just as fortunately, the driver and the officer were both gracious. Yep, my fault on the insurance, but there was no citation issued. THANK YOU, Officer!!! No, I'm not superstitious. No, the accident had nothing to do with it being Friday the 13th. But it sure did cap it off in a way I'd just as soon not happened. Guess I'll be phoning the insurance folks tomorrow and getting ready to fork over a deductible in hopes my VUE can be quickly repaired. Hopefully, that's not just wishful thinking.

A Blog Post ~ Really!

I'm making absolutely no promises. I can only attempt, but I really want to become a more established blogger. It seems I do so well for a little bit, and then something happens to keep me from writing for a while. Of course, I know you, my reader, have never experienced anything of the sort. Most people are certainly able to relate to Mary Poppins ~ perfect, in every way. Perhaps you've heard of or know someone who is a jack of all trades, and master of none. I don't even know that I'd qualify for the jack of all trades, but I'm certainly no master at anything. Here's the deal: I could write about sports. I love baseball, football, golf, etc. I could write about the Georgia Bulldogs Spring practice and G-Day Game. I could write my opinions about Bobby Petrino and the University of Arkansas mess. I could write about the Atlanta Braves and the lackluster start they've had this season. Or I could write about how their bats came to life today; on a day when their pitching went south. I'd love to write about Bubba Watson and his victory at the Masters in Augusta. After all, he's a Georgia Bulldog who's the number one ranked American on the PGA Tour. Oh, and he's a Christ-follower like me. Ahhh . . . there's another topic of conversation. I could write for a while about Christ and Christianity. Not that I'm a scholar or an expert in theology, but I could write about my experiences. Oh, experiences? I could write about working in radio, hospitality, ministry, sales (both retail and business to business), being a musician, customer service, even umpiring slow pitch softball. I could write about traveling. I've been fortunate enough to travel to over half of these United States. I've even lived in five of them. I suppose I could write about moving vans, too. In any event, I will try ~ again ~ to be more consistent with writing on this blog. If any of these topics strike you as interesting, let me know. I'd be happy to have suggestions of what you'd like to read about.

Christmas in ~~ March?

I have heard of several who have had Christmas in July events. It's kind of catchy to do something like that. After all, in the middle of the year; Christmas is a good five months away. Although, the commercialism of Christmas these days, there are some pretty good sales pushing Christmas gifts about that time of year. Wait, did I really type that? OK, you can feel free to insert a sly grin there.

I've told several people during the past few years that retailers make their money between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hmmm, ignore that last paragraph's sarcasm then. Back to my original thought ~ but hoteliers in Florida make their money between January and April, with a concentrated focus on March.

What normal person living in a cold weather climate doesn't enjoy a break from the dreary, gray skies of January and February? Spring breaks typically are in March for a reason! Additionally, who wants to throw a baseball in the great white North during Feburary and March? Not me! I'm so glad God allows me to live in Florida during the winter and spring months!

The particular town where I live was home to the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers for 60+ years. It was a great love affair between our cities. Unfortunately, the Dodgers chose to leave our city for apparently greener pastures in Arizona, leaving our economy in a world of hurt at the most inopportune time. Enough about their loss!

The grounds that were once officially known as Dodgertown is now called (in official speak only) the Vero Beach Sports Village. It will, however, ALWAYS be Dodgertown to the Vero-ites. Minor League Baseball has been operating Dodger---- (see what I mean?) Vero Beach Sports Village, since the Dodgers left. They have worked diligently to bring high school and college baseball to Vero Beach during this time of year. They also host the USF Bulls football team in the August heat for their preseason camp. Umpires come down for clinics, as well as the Dodgers and Yankees (wow, that hurts) hosting their fantasy camps. Concerts and even festivals are hosted there now. They have built four new ball diamonds, as well. Essentially, this year has almost been a break through year for the hallowed grounds that once celebrated America's Past-time during February and March.

I work at a hotel about four miles away from Dodger---- (there I go again). During the first two weeks of March, this place has been almost 90% occupied. We've sold out several nights this month already. Tonight was one such night, therefore this blog post. I mentioned to my nightwatchman, I wish I had $5 for every person I've had to turn away tonight. I could take my wife out for a pretty nice dinner! We have two college baseball teams, a college rowing team, and a part of an orchestra from Germany in house tonight. It has been the proverbial zoo!

Yes, someone in the upper heirarchy of our hotel management would enjoy reading this for sure! But as I've seen the pained looks on people's faces as I've told them I've no rooms, another thought has crossed my mind. Luke 2:7, "And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because their was no room for them in the inn." The innkeeper in Bethlehem was presented a need. Mary needed a place to rest. Joseph must have been a bit nervous as he sought a place to lay their heads, knowing Mary's physical condition. I realize the customs and culture of the day was different. This innkeeper was not expected to leave the light on for them. Unfortunatly, hotels.com was not around to secure the cheapest room. The fact was, however, that there was no room to be found at the Bethelehem exit, and that's exactly where Joseph needed to stay in order to keep his appointment with the local office of the taxing and census bureau.

As I've turned people away tonight (and yes, the phone has been ringing all night, too), I've honestly thought of the Christmas story. I've put myself in the shoes of the innkeeper in Bethlehem. I wish I had a place to offer these people. In fact, one young man (literally, true story!) grinned as he headed back to the door and asked if I had a room at my house where he could stay! It almost broke my heart to tell him that was not a possibility. (Yes, my wife is breathing more comfortably now.) I heard stories of how people had been driving for hours, yes HOURS, looking at every hotel at every stop for 150 miles, to no avail. Earlier this week I had a lady from OnStar call me with a client she was trying to place. No room. Earlier tonight, I had another lady traveling alone, now in a full-blown panic attack because she couldn't find a place to stay. And yes, since beginning THIS PARAGRAPH, I've fielded two phone calls inquiring about our availability.

Is there a lesson to be learned? Other than make sure you have hotel reservations when traveling through Florida in March? I think the biggest lesson to learn is to be prepared to help those with whom we come in contact. Unfortunately, we may not be able to meet the ultimate need, i.e. a room in a sold out hotel, but we may be able to offer a word of encouragement along the way.

The ultimate way to help is to provide the good news that there is a Savior who has come to this world to give hope and help. There is a Savior who has come to give the hope of eternal life and help us through the comfort only He can provide.

Christmas in ~~ March? Christmas can come anytime when we are reminded of the special birth of our Savior. Share Him with someone today, won't you?