Bad Mets, No Playoffs!

We interupt this normally spirit filled, Christ-centered, edifying blog to bring you todays sad, sad news...The New York Mets season has come to a horrible and painful end.

The Florida Marlins destroyed the Mets in an 8-1 blowout crushing thier playoff dreams, and my dreams of sitting on the couch watching the post-season with my beautiful wife. I love to hear her root against whoever the Mets are playing. She's sooo cute when she yells at the TV with me. (secretly I know she doesn't care, but she pretends to because she knows I like it)

Well...there's always the Yankee's to root against.

Anyhow I know that none of my five readers care about this stuff. They are all far to spiritual to watch any sports. They could care less about this stuff, but I had to pout a little.

In all reality I don't care all that much. I have way too much work, homework, lesson prep, sermon prep, daddy stuff, hubby stuff, ect... to care all that much. I actually think it may be the Lord's way of making sure I don't get to distracted this semester.

OK...I'm done! Forgive me for such an unspiritual post, I will try to be more edifying with the next post. Oh did I mention there's still the Yankee's to root against?

Just Some Family Pictures

Daddy and Jut-Jut

We are some happy guys!

Justin - My Little Man or Baby Jut

I think he's praying right there.

Grace - My Gracie Bear

Odd picture I know! I think it was an advertisment for boxer puppies : )

Taylor - My Little Taytor Bug
Is that not the cutest smile?

OK so in my laziness I decided just to post pictures of my family. I see all these other blogs with family pictures, and I was feeling left out. I'd put pictures of my beautiful wife up there, but she's always the one taking the picture, and therefore we never have any pictures of her.

Chinese Pizza

Ever wonder why they have pizza at the Chinese Buffet?

That’s easy, to get more people to come and eat there…

I don’t know about your kids, but you set Moo Shu Pork in front to your average five year old and they will turn their nose up like it was lima beans, on the other hand you set pizza in front of them and they will scarf it down like it was going to be a while before they get their next meal. Chinese restaurants know this, and that’s why you’ll always see Pizza on the buffet table.

Mom and Dad may want Chinese food, but since the kiddies won’t eat that, the Chinese folk bring stuff into their restaurant that really doesn’t belong. Pizza for those of you who don’t know is not Chinese, but lots of people like it.

Good strategy right?

I mean it’s not like Pizza is wrong or anything, its just food. It’s not Anti-Chinese, it’s just Not-Chinese. It may confuse people when they are reaching for their Fried Won Tons to see a Pizza sitting next to the Egg Rolls, but they get over it pretty soon. I mean they don’t have to eat it; they can eat their Sesame Chicken and allow the less discerning palettes eat the Pizza, all are happy.

Sounds like a good strategy to me…

Let’s say though that this Chinese restaurant is really starting to generate business. Lots of Moms and Dads bringing their families so that they can eat Kung Pow Chicken and the kiddies can fill up on Pizza, and every once in a while Dad grabs a slice too.

That works right?

Now Mom wants some Chinese, but Dad’s in the mood for some Pizza, where can they all go to get what they want? You got it, the Chinese Buffet! Now the Chinese Restaurant is selling so much Pizza that they need to get rid of some of the Chinese Food to make room for all the different Pizzas that they are selling. Everyone’s happy now!

The Chinese Restaurant is always busy and more and more people are coming to try the Peaking Duck, but hey, if they don’t like it, no problem, they just grab a slice of Pizza and all is well. New Pizzas are being introduced to the Buffet, and more Chinese Menu items are being removed to make way for the different Pizza types. Now it’s not just the kids eating the pizza, Moms and Dads are eating it too. (With their Chinese food of course)

Now what would you think about this strategy if over time more and more people started coming to the Chinese Buffet for Pizza, and less and less were coming for the Chinese Food, I mean people are still coming right?

Still more and different Pizzas are added, and more Chinese items are removed, but the people keep coming, the problem is they aren’t coming to the Chinese restaurant for Chinese Food anymore; they are coming for something that really didn’t belong there in the first place. They want Pizza!

Is that really a good strategy? Perhaps, I mean lots of people are coming, but lets not fool ourselves, at that point it’s not a Chinese Buffet that serves a little Pizza…It’s a Pizza Buffet that serves a little Chinese, which is fine…

Unless you really want some good authentic Chinese food!

I need your prayers… I think I have breathed my last relaxed breath for the next several weeks. Sunday I started my new role as fifth and sixth grade Sunday school teacher, This Friday I begin to lead a new home Bible study out here in Brockport, Institute begins next Monday, and I am taking four classes (Greek III, Church History, Life of Christ, and Daniel) which wouldn’t be so bad if one wasn’t Greek III and another wasn’t Church History. We will be hitting the streets Saturdays and the nursing home on the third Sunday evening, all while trying to work 40+ hours a week, be a good husband, and a good daddy...Ok let me clarify...I do need your prayers, but more to the point, I NEED GOD! I really see no way of doing this well, except by the grace of God, and the prayers of others, so even if you accidentally stumbled across my blog please pray!

I was reading “The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit” by R A Torrey and he was comparing the Spirit to the wind. "The wind bloweth where it listeth" John 3:8

Torrey says “While you cannot dictate the wind while it blows as it will, you may learn the laws that govern the winds motions. By bringing yourself into harmony with these laws, you can get the wind to do your work. You can erect a windmill and so that whichever way the wind blows from, the wheels will turn and the wind will grind your grain or pump your water. Just so, while we cannot dictate to the Holy Spirit, we can learn the laws of His operations. By bringing ourselves into harmony with those laws, above all by submitting out wills absolutely to His sovereign will, the sovereign Spirit of God will work through us to accomplish His own glorious work by our instrumentality.”

I find comfort in Torrey’s words here. This semester is going to have to be a day by day attempt of harmonizing myself with the Spirit and allowing Him to work His will through me…there is no other way to do it. I think this may be one of God’s ways of getting me desperate…that seems to be the way He works best, not because He needs it that way, but because in our arrogance and self-sufficiency it’s the way we allow Him to work best through us. It seems to be we strive less when we don't have anything left in ourselves.

So…( (holding a delicious cup of black coffee high into the air) Here’s to another semester of too much to do, not enough time to do it, and a great God that can accomplish great things regardless of the circumstances.

2 Corinthians 12:9 - And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.