Appeasing Brooke

Here you go Brooke! I don't usually do these things, but since it came from YOU...

Rules of the meme:
1. Post these rules of the game first.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names. Then the tagger goes to the blogs of those who have been tagged & leaves a comment letting new players know they’ve been tagged. The tagger asks them to find the meme and instructions back at his/her blog.

What I was doing 10 years ago:
I was in my second year as Minister to Students at FBC, Brownwood.

Five things on my ToDo list today:
1. Deliver cases of soda to those who ordered for Ashton's fund raiser
2. See clients
3. Complete application for new board certification thing
4. Study/Review for Sunday morning
5. Have lunch with a friend

Five things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Pay off debts
2. Set up a trust for the kids
3. Travel with the family (all around US and Europe; cruises!)
4. Put in the most wicked pool in the neighborhood
5. Build a few vacation homes (Colorado; South Padre; on a nice lake)

Three of my bad habits:
1. Getting on internet and wasting time
2. Over planning/filling a day
3. Black tar heroine (just checking to see if you are reading...)

Five places I have lived:
1. Harlingen, TX
2. Brownwood, TX
3. Eastland, TX
4. Haskell, TX
5. Abilene, TX

Five jobs I have had:
1. Worked in an afterschool program for kids 1st year of college
2. Wild Game (mostly deer, javalina, and elk) processor (really!)
3. Minister
4. Therapist
5. Adjunct University Instructor

I am ignoring rule #3. I am not tagging anyone. If you would like to participate, please feel free.

My Two Idol Cents

I thought I would join the throngs of those blogging about American Idol results because is there really any issue of greater importance?

Just as Emily, this is my first time to ever really get into American Idol. I usually just watched the hilarious and ridiculous tryouts and the final two or three weeks. My two favorites were Brooke White and David Archuleta (DA). From the moment I heard DA perform John Mayer at his tryout, I said, "This guy is going to go deep into the finals!" As the season progressed I saw how all the tween and teen girls lost their sanity at the sight of him and factored that into his consistency of INCREDIBLE vocals and humility, I was convinced he was going to win.

During the first few weeks of the competition, I couldn't stand David Cook (DC). He seemed cocky and arrogant and had that annoying red streak in his hair that was obviously grown long to cover up a receding hairline. Then he performed his arrangement of "Hello" and it absolutely blew me away! Then he performed Billie Jean. Then he performed Elenor Rigby. Wow! I continued to be impressed with his ability to either arrange or find an arrangement of a song that completely suited his voice and style. He was still only a close 3rd to Brooke and DA.

It became apparent that Brooke was destined to be voted off. To me the most TALENTED of the bunch were Brooke White and DC. The one with the best vocals by far was DA. So, I was glad to see the showdown between DA and DC. DC actually became more palatable personality-wise showing some appreciation of DA and SOME humility. The final night of the competition, I thought DA blew DC out of the water. It is my belief that Simon's reaming of DC gathered the troops to vote more fervently for DC. So, I voted for DA several times because we have AT&T texting and it is free.

I have to admit that the 2 best moments of the final results show were DC and ZZ top (FANTASTIC!!!!!!) and Brooke White and Graham Nash. DC out performed DA in the final results show.

My preference would have been for DA to win, but I am certainly OK with DC. I will buy both CD's.

A Prayer for My Daughter

On April 2, my daughter turned 13. That's 13 YEARS old. I'm not handling it very well.

I understand that this is just the beginning of many years where my baby girl is less and less a baby and more and more a lady.

To top it all off, on May 16 she had her first "date." Well, it wasn't a date, date. She went to a banquet with a boy and afterwards she, he, and all her friends stayed for a dance at which I don't think they ever danced together. I can handle that, OK.

These adolescent years are so critical, and I know she will be faced with choices and situations that will have a hand in defining who she will be.

All this has me thinking more and more of the lady I want her to become. I want her to be a woman of deep faith and love for God that spills over into her love for people. With all the choices she is facing I want Christ to be her first consideration and final word. There will be mistakes and there will be hard times. It is in those she will come to understand and appreciate grace. It is going to be difficult for me to see her hurt with her first heart break and struggle with regret.

I want to be the hands, feet, arms, and ears of God to her through all this to demonstrate our Father's love and grace.

As I was waiting for our Sunday morning Bible Study to begin, I was reading through the first chapter of Phillipians and ran across a passage that immediately caused me to think of my daughter.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in
knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best
and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of
righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ -- to the glory and praise of
God. (Philippians 1:9-11)

Paul sums up what I have in my heart for my daughter as we enter into this phase of her life. I want her love of God to abound through her increased knowledge and understanding of Him so that He will provide her witih the ability to make Christ-centered choices and ultimately point others to the same God she is following and loving.

I still can't believe she is 13... years... that is...