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Puppy Love

     Anyone who knows me knows I love my dog.  Three years ago a friend in our church had puppies to give away and left their pictures in the lobby of the church.  It was love at first sight, I just had to convince my wife.  Finally, I cajoled and persuaded her how great it would be to have a puppy again and she agreed.  We made all of the arrangements and brought home my dog, Daisy.      If you have ever seen the movie "Marlee and Me," the crazy stuff that Marlee does is exactly Daisy.  I can remember watching the movie thinking to myself that someone had been following me around taking notes on how Daisy acts to write that story.        While Daisy has had her share of "adventures" that one day we will look back and laugh about, there is one thing that I love desperately about her.  Every morning I get up first in my house and do my morning routine--shower, get dressed, and then go out to the family room to read my Bible.  Each and every morning I am greeted wit

The Wanderer

      Yesterday was another long day.  Every year the staff reports back to work a week before the students do to get everything ready.  As the principal, I meet with all the teachers the Thursday before school starts to cover policies and procedures.  It is long and boring, but necessary.  Every year we discuss wanderers--those students who like to "wander around aimlessly" instead of going to class.      This morning as I was reading the Scriptures, I came across Psalm 119:10, where the Psalmist said, "With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!"  It dawned on me that the reason students wander aimlessly from classes is really the same reason you and I wander from God's Word.  Students that wander aimlessly really don't have their whole heart in whatever class or subject they are trying to get out of.       Duh!!  This is the same problem we have with the Word of God.  When we find ourselves wandering it is becaus

The Family Curse

      I woke up this morning realizing that I have many habits and characteristics that my parents have given or instilled in me.  For many of them, I am extremely thankful.  Others, maybe not so much.  Some of these are very noticeable.  In fact, yesterday as I sat in my office in a meeting with a parent of a student in my school, the conversation went to a very strange place.  The mother of this student ended our meeting with a question.  She said her husband was dying to know what I did to get my head to look so smooth.        This would have to be one of the strangest things I have ever had a person ask.  I thought it was kind of obvious how this happened.  You see my dad is bald.  Growing up there was never a time that I can remember my dad having much more hair on his head then he does now at the age of seventy-nine.  Even as a young boy in elementary school, I was teased and prepared for my life without hair.  Honestly, I don't have any resentment for not having a full head

Scarred & Alone

      I have always hated being alone.  Now I have moments when I like to be left alone to rest, and get some things done, but I hate being alone.  Really, I believe that most of us a like this because God placed within us the need to have relationships with others.        As a kid growing up I had certain responsibilities (you could call them chores) to fulfill as a member of my family.  Being the youngest, I probably got the easiest assignments, but nonetheless, I did have certain regular tasks to complete each week.  One of these tasks was the responsibility for the household garbage to be put out for the garbage collector to take twice a week.      Now that I am grown and have my own kids, I don't really think that putting the garbage out for the trash man was really that big of job.  When I was a kid, it seemed like a huge burden.  Well, maybe not huge, but it was more like a regular inconvenience.  The trash man came very early on Tuesday and Friday mornings.  Therefore, I

Useless

     One of the greatest needs that you and I have is to feel needed.  In fact, there is nothing worse than feeling like you don't belong or are not needed.  It is like shopping with my wife for clothes.        As a man, a hunter-gather, I am very goal oriented.  So when my wife says that we should go shopping, I am wanting to know what exactly I am looking to find.  I want the color, size (by the way, be careful about asking this one), the make, and any other specs that would allow me to quickly find what we are "hunting."  But that is just it, she is not "hunting" at all.  There really is no one item that she is particularly looking to find.  So we just amble through rack after rack of clothes until something strikes her fancy.       Most of the time when it comes to clothes shopping, my help is useless.  Over the years, I have learned this and have even tried to accommodate my "hunter" tendencies by searching all the racks for correct sizes and th

I forgot . . .

      I am considering making an appointment to see my doctor about my memory.  Actually, I may need to call the Center For Disease Control (CDC) because I am scared that there is an epidemic of memory loss.  It must be something that is happening all over.  Why just the other night I saw a commercial for a liquid that you could purchase to help with your memory.  In fact I would have called the number to order some of the product, but I couldn't remember the phone number.        Over the years of marriage, my memory has faded.  My wife often tells me that I don't remember things correctly, and then she proceeds to instruct me as to how things really happened.  I find this very odd because when I tell her about something or ask her to do something for me, she often forgets.  Now that I think about this, I have to wonder if there some kind of virus that attacks only certain memories.  You see my wife can remember the most minute detail about something that happened twenty years

Failing to Win

     "Failure is not fatal.  Failure to change might be."  --John Wooden      My dad is celebrating his 79th birthday on Sunday.  As a family we have been at a loss to think of what to get him that really will be meaningful for him.  I think when you reach a certain age, all of the things that were so important to you as a young person just don't mean so much.  Oh sure, you can always find a gadget or toy that would be nice, but to really get a gift that is meaningful is another thing.  I also realize that getting a gift for him in comparison to all of the wisdom, experience, and truth he has imparted to us just doesn't really match up.        Now that I am in my 40's and I have three teenage kids, I find the wisdom of my dad much more important than anything else I could possess.  You see youth is cursed with vanity and pride.  For some of us, we never out grow it.  It is a constant battle that we face for years and years.  In fact, some may never get past th

David a man after my heart!

     Have you ever felt like trouble knows your address?  It seems to me that no matter where I go, problems seem to find me.  I remember years ago taking a road trip with several students to go see a college in Missouri.  The homeward journey was long, so it was the plan to stop at a point about halfway to get some much needed rest, and then head out bright and early to finish the trip.   Having driven this route a couple of times, I had already decided the exit I would pull off the interstate as it had plenty of clean motels to choose from.  It was just between 10:30 and 11:00 p.m. at night as we approached the off-ramp for the desired exit when I heard it.  There was a pop or banging noise and then the bus started driving very funny.  Yes, you guessed it, we had a blowout!        We were sitting on the side of the interstate highway within fifty yards of the exit ramp. How frustrating to be so close yet so far away.  After inspecting the outside of the bus, I found that we not only

Last Resort

     As a kid growing up my family didn't take many vacations.  In fact I can only remember a couple of times going on a vacation to visit some family in Tennessee.  When my wife and I were married, we wanted to try to make sure that we took some kind of family vacation every year once the kids were old enough to do this.  Over the years I can look back and say that we have been able to stay at some nice places for vacation.  Picking out nice places though has been a task that can be very difficult as we have always had a shoe string budget to work with for our vacations.      When the kids were very little, we could just get a nice motel room and put three kids in one bed and my wife and I in the other.  Doing this brought us all closer together, but there were difficulties to this.  Rebekah and Caleb, my oldest and youngest were very restless sleepers.  Daniel, my middle child, was always the light sleeper.  Even to this day he can't stand to have noise (other than a fan) wh

Waiting

      I hate to wait.  Maybe it is that deep need to control every aspect of life that causes me to hate to wait, but I have to admit I struggle with waiting.  This character flaw has been something I have battled all of my life.  As a kid, my mom would make me take naps on Sunday afternoons.  That was pure torture to me.  I just wanted to get to the next thing.  Though I hated getting up early, my nature to not wait made it more natural to need to be up to experience the activities of the day.        As the baby of the family, all I ever heard growing up was, "You'll get to do ___________ when you are older."  What I really heard was, "Just Wait!"  Consequently, I have never been good at waiting or surprises.  It is dreadful for someone to tell me that they need to talk to me . . . later.  (That just about kills me.)  As I grew older, I constantly found new things to have to wait for, and I focused my yearnings on the passing of those events.  I couldn't w

Living the truth

     In 2 Corinthians 10 the apostle Paul answers some charges of people that he is no always real about his faith.  These people claim that Paul is one way when he writes, but a totally different person when he is face to face.  Paul answered these claims with the fact that the only power to live by in this world today is the truth of God.  Paul goes on to speak of that power in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6:   "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."       A stronghold takes our minds off of God and His Word.  It steals our focus.  It causes us to feel controlled or mastered--and powerless to fight against it.  Paul real

Losing Dapper Dan

  "Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."  Psalm 55:22      Having done a little traveling internationally, I can tell you baggage is the worst thing to deal with.  Several years ago, I was on a trip with a church group heading to Africa.  We were in London's Heathrow airport awaiting our connecting flight.  We had been told a gate number, but it was not showing on the departure board.  Several of the guys in our group wanted to go check out the shops, and get something to eat, leaving two of us to sit with the carry-on luggage and drink our coffee.       Time passed, and glancing up at the departure board it showed our connection at a totally different gate.  In fact, the new gate was quite a hike and none of the guys who had left their carry on luggage had returned.  We waited patiently for some time, but when one of the airport terminal workers told us how far the gate was from where we were sitti

Profiling Doeg

“Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.”      -Billy Graham      The very first time I went on a police ride-along I was informed about the term "profiling."  It is policy for law enforcement officials not to profile people (basically decide what kind of person they are based on their color, age, clothes, etc.).  Spending any time in public places though, you and I can't help but "profile" people by the way they appear.  On the news this morning, a senator was even talking about passing a bill to have a school dress code so that students wouldn't be allowed to wear their pants hanging down showing their undergarments.  When the senator

The Real Me . . . Psalm 51

     So much of our day to day routine is wrapped up in making us into something that we really aren't.  Young people pierce themselves all over.  Tattoos are all the rage again.  Hair styles are constantly on the change (for those who can grow hair still).  With Mohawks, mullets, shaved heads, spikes for the young and hair weaves, plugs, and dye jobs for the not so young, as a culture we are constantly trying to change our image.  Why?  I would have to speculate that we are not satisfied with who or what we are.  From the time that Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, man has been trying to rid himself of the image of God because it reminds us that we are accountable to Him.        In Psalm 51, David finally gets to the understanding that no matter how much he pretended on the exterior, God really knew what he was on the inside.  David had done such a good cover up job, that he really thought no one would find out about the adulterous relationship he had with Bathsheba.  Da

Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1

The Truth Is. . .

   Convenience is a killer to true Christianity.  I was talking to a guy the other day who tried to convince me that he could be both a Florida Gator fan and a Florida State Seminole fan.  Living in the state of Florida, you should come to a quick realization that if you claim to be a fan of both, then you really aren't a true fan at all.  Sad to say, but most of us are like this with our Christianity.       In Psalm 50:16 and following, God asks a pretty harsh question, "What right have you to declare my statutes, or take my covenant in your mouth, seeing you hate instruction and cast My words behind you?"  So many of us try to claim the promises of God when they are convenient.  It is like those who switch teams when their team is having a bad year or two.  God doesn't want us to jump on the band wagon, but rather to take up our cross daily and be followers of Him.  What priorities have you set in your relationship with God?  So many of the people I talk with tell

Temporary Fix

As I sit waiting for my son to get finished with his orthodontist appointment, I can't help but notice how many parents are concerned about their child's teeth.  Having gone through the financial cost of braces it just amazes me how much we spend for the temporary fix.  Sad to say though is how little we invest for the future.  As a culture we consume our substance for the temporary pleasures of life.  These same people that will spend fortunes, taking time off from their busy schedules can't find time to fit God into the picture.  Seems like a temporary fix to me.

Help in troubled times Psalm 46

     When I was younger, I really didn't care to much to read through the Psalms.  Poetry didn't interest me, and I really never felt connected to the Psalmist.  The older I get, the more I appreciate the passion of the Psalms as they lead me in worship of God.  Psalm 46 seemed to cry out to me as I read through it this morning. Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength,   A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.                                 Selah God is . . .       OUR --so many times we feel alone in our problems, but in reality we are all facing huge issues in our day to day lives.      REFUGE --where do I run when trouble comes?  If you are like me, I run everywhere but to God.  He is our refuge.  Just after I graduated from high school, my dad took a

As Time Goes By. . . (continued)

There is one kind of robber whom the law does not strike at, and who steals what is most precious to men:  time.  ~Napoleon I,   Maxims , 1815      Relationships have changed over the past 19 years.  It is discouraging when I think about all of the people that we have befriended over the years, yet have not kept in close contact with.  Looking through my wedding pictures, I realized that most of the people in my wedding I have not been in close contact with for years.  Everywhere we have been, we have found good friends that have helped lighten the load along the way.  To those people I would like to give a warm sincere thanks for being a friend.      One of the greatest encouragements to me was Mr. Tignor.  I went to college with both of his son's, but that is really not where he comes into play in my life.  He was our adult Sunday school teacher in the church my wife and I attended after getting married.  For the longest time, my wife and I felt all alone, but he always checked

As Time Goes By. . .

Sometimes I feel that life is passing me by, not slowly either, but with ropes of steam and spark-spattered wheels and a hoarse roar of power or terror.  It's passing, yet I'm the one who's doing all the moving.  ~Martin Amis,   Money      Next Monday, my wife and I will be celebrating our 19th wedding anniversary.  Life is passing quickly.  Just the other night I remarked to my wife how it feels as if we have always been married (in a good sense).  Much has happened in 19 years, and change has been the common factor in all of it.  From the one bedroom apartment we started out in to apartments, rental houses, the church duplex, and eventually our present house we have made changes in our dwelling places, not to mention locations. . . Chester, Virginia to Richmond, Virginia to Sanford, Florida.      Change could also be spelled addition.  It was on our first anniversary we found that we would be adding to our family, and 9 months later there was our daughter, Rebekah.  It