I have pondered this issue for sometime. I understand that Wal-Mart is some mega-empire of the discount superstores and they can waste money on plastic shopping bags. There needs to be a line drawn at the amount of bags they waste, though.

When they do cashier training they should really work on bagging skills, as well. Haven't you noticed you could have one bag worth of items and somehow walk out of there with enough trash can liners for a month?!

What is even worse, they insist that EVERYTHING needs a bag….. even the diaper packages that come with handles! I often tell the cashier that he/she can put more in a bag or I will say, “go ahead and load it up.” They will look at me strangely.” Oh, if you really want to offend the cashier try rebagging the items while they are still on the bag carousel.

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Why do TV and movie producers think they have to patronize their viewers when it comes to computers? Its so stupid.

Anytime they show a computer screen it has some strange looking interface with huge flashing text, animations, etc. And when text goes across the screen they play goofy sound effects.

I think a majority of the viewing public has enough experience with computers to know that they don't go “beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep” when someone is typing. My 78 year old grandpa has a laptop for crying out loud!

I think we can handle it.]]>

There is a podcast I listen to every week called Stand To Reason. This week's broadcast was called “Engaging the Emerging Church.” Pretty interesting.

Thoughts?]]>

I'm not 100% sure what my time was, didn't have my cell phone (clock) with me. But I think it was about the same time - 20 minutes up and 20 minutes down.

There are markers on the trail, 0 at the bottom and 10 at the top. I can keep an almost running pace to the 7 marker then the mountain kicks my butt. Those last 3 markers take almost as much time as the first 7.]]>

For anyone with access to a child under 6, here is an experiment to try: 

1) Take an object small enough to hide in one hand. Present both closed hands to the child and ask him to pick the hand with the object.

2) If he picks the hand with the object, take both hands behind your back and switch hands. Then bring both closed hands back to the front, then open the empty hand.

3) If the child first picks the empty hand, open it.

4) The child should then pick the closed hand.

5) Make the behind the back switch and then show the empty hand again.

6) The child should pick the closed hand again.

Keep doing this until you or the child tire of it because he will never figure out that you are making the switch behind your back.

I love messing with kids.

I’m not sure what age they figure it out. I think it may be around 5. Everyone try it out and report your results here.

I’m anxious to see what you find.]]>

Before we moved here in February of 2005 we had closed on the house in December of 2004. The house had been vacated and on the market for about 7-9 months previous. That is a long time for bugs and spiders to take up residence. Two weeks before we moved in the realtor let the “bug man” in to spray.

We are on a first name relationship with the bug man. It is Marty, respectively. Marty is a nice, early 30's, gentleman with a young family……….getting off subject here…..and Marty KNOWS bugs!Every 3 months Marty comes and sprays the inside of the house, garage, and the outer perimeter of both.

It is a good thing that we have an ongoing contract with him. Have you seen those Madagascar cock roaches? We get some that are just a bit smaller than those! When we first moved her there were roaches EVERYWHERE…in the closets, bathrooms, kitchen, downstairs, It was just gross! I am thinking it is about time to call Marty again, because this week I have seen 2 roaches and a spider in the house.

Speaking of spiders……………. Last year in March I had been out late at a FamilyLife women's meeting. I was coming down the driveway, opened the garage door and saw some leaves on the floor. I didn't think much about it until I saw one of those leaves crawl. It was not a leaf…I pulled the van a little closer so the headlights would hit it. My worst fear had come to pass!!!! It was the largest spider I had ever seen outside of an aquarium/cage!!!! I knew it had to be a tarantula. At 10:30 in the night I am laying on the horn so Mike will come out….. He comes outside looking at me like I am crazy and when I tell him, he kinds of shrugs me off like I would make up how large this spider was. He took one look at that spider and his eyes got as big as golf balls! He squished it and I could hear it from inside the van. It was disgusting. We found out it was a Missouri Wolf spider. My question was why was it in Arkansas?!?!

I was told that there are alligators in the rivers in southern Arkansas. I will take extra precaution and keep this God-fearing body out of any water other than my shower or swimming pool!

Before we moved here we were told about the scorpions, tarantulas, black widows, and brown recluses. Oh, did I mention the copperheads, rattlesnakes, and cottonmouths?? Speaking of copperheads…….

One of the first people I met here has become a dear friend. Her youngest daughter was playing in their backyard. She went around the fence to get something and when she did she came back saying she had hit a thorn with her toe. That thorn turned out to be a Copperhead snake with fang marks an inch apart. What is creepy is that they did not even see the snake. It apparently struck her and got away quickly. When they took Meredith to the ER she was given IV antibiotics and the Dr. said it looked like a “classic” copperhead bite. This happened on Saturday. As of yesterday she was having swelling in her leg and her leg was blue about half way up.

Lovely, as if the spiders and scorpions aren't enough to gross and creep you out, now we have to be concerned about the little ones getting bit on the toe by a “thorn.”

There is much to be said about flowers and trees in this state. Today is the first time I have had my windows opened this week. Already, there is a yellow layer of pollen on the window ledges and dressers near the window. A black truck across the street temporarily has a yellow hood. It is pretty but disgusting as the pollen has caused me to be itchy, sneezing, coughing, and have itchy eyes, not to mention the headaches and upset stomach, and dizziness. (thank goodness for Claritin D, and Nasocort!)

…………and I thought Indiana was bad……………………]]>

One of the best depictions of Christ and the Easter story that I have seen is The Miracle Maker. Yes, its claymation but it is GOOD.

If you haven't seen it, go rent it, buy it, whatever… but see it.]]>

Yesterday's sermon at Grace was the first in a series on “Felt-Board Jesus.” Meaning that in Sunday School and many other times in church we get a 2-D picture of Jesus. He was a nice guy and a good teacher. Well… yeah, but he was much more than that.

The message was about getting a fuller, 3-D image of Jesus. I say 3 dimensions is a good start but still, we are only getting a glimpse of who Jesus really is. In his message, Grant said that God created a 3-D universe. He created that, plus some. But let me back up for a second…

The New Testament seems to suggest that Jesus created the universe.

John 1: 1-3 says:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

And Colossians 1: 15-16 says:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

The Universe and String Theory

Now, hang with me here. Astrophysicists tell us that the universe has at least 4 dimensions, the 3 that make up space and a fourth that makes up time that's where we get the term “space-time” which you'll hear if you watch enough Star Trek.

But, there is a relatively new theory called “String Theory” that is being used to attempt to bridge the gap between Einstein's General Relativity (how big objects move and operate) and Particle Physics (how tiny objects move and operate, and when I say tiny I mean real tiny. like the particles they think make up gravity and electromagnetism and the nuclear forces.)

I don't know a whole lot about String Theory but I do know that they need at least 6 additional dimensions to make it work. It makes my head hurt just trying to think about it.

So, we have Jesus, who actually exists outside of the universe and who created (or at least helped create) a universe that is at least 10 dimensional. We are apparently tied to operating in just 4 of those dimensions but what if Jesus had the ability to operate in all 10? Is that how he walked on water? Is that how he turned water into wine, healed the sick, raised the dead? I have know idea but I think it starts to give us an idea of how vast our universe is and more importantly how much more vast our Lord is.

3-D Jesus? Its a start.]]>

My Dad Part 3:  

The biggest lessons my dad taught me were never things he said or lectures he gave, they were the things he did, and does to this day. Growing up, I watched him live out his faith in very real and tangible ways.

He would reach out to other kids in the neighborhood, especially those that did not have a father figure. I can remember playing at the playground and my dad befriending other kids and encouraging them to join in our games. A Game which was normally “Monster,” one of the coolest games ever invented. I’ll have to explain that later but suffice it to say that every kid that has ever played “Monster” has absolutely loved it. My other friends always said my dad was cool. I think it was because he would come out and play with us which a lot of other dads didn’t do. Plus, he was younger which made him easier to relate to. He is a big Star Wars fan and I think he liked going to the arcade more than my brother and I. (I’m getting off track here)

Another way I saw him live out his faith was reaching out to others in need. I remember Bret. Bret was a mentally retarded man that was about my dad’s age, maybe a little younger. He went to the Salvation Army church, which we were attending at the time. My dad would take Bret with us to do fun things, like go to the arcade. He would talk to Bret and listen to him. It was something you could tell Bret didn’t get very often. My dad showed him Christ’s love.

I also see my dad live out his faith through his service in the church. He used to run the coolest puppet ministry I’ve ever seen. He was doing Veggie Tales type stuff 20 years before Veggie Tales. The puppet shows were not patronizing to kids, they were smart and funny. And they spoke truth. My dad was “Barry Blue,” a big blue puppet with sunglasses and a hat. It took two arms to operate, he had a blue glove as an arm and hand. I tell you that so I can explain one of the best puppet bits an 8 year old has ever seen. You get a room full of kids in any country, any culture, and I guaran-dang-tee you they will be laughing and screaming. It went like this: Barry would come up, looking for his hand, “Kids, have you seen my hand? I seem to have lost it.” His had would pop up at different spots on the stage, under the stage, beside the stage. Each time Barry would turn around, the hand would disappear. He would eventually find it and they would wrestle. Barry would fly in the air, his hand would fly in the air and the kids would scream and laugh.

His service didn’t stop there. He has served in setup crews, men’s ministries, Sunday School classes, and in the Emmaus community, to name a few.

Like I said before, my dad has played the single biggest role in making me who I am today. I have seen him handle a divorce, and have watched him live out his faith. He has given my something to shoot for both as a dad and as a Christian.

Thanks dad. I love you.

Oh.. and happy birthday even though that was almost a month ago.

The story left off with my dad being a single parent with two boys. He raised us for 3 years by himself (with a lot of help from my grandma.) This is where his example shows me where I feel I am falling short as a parent. Through all the stuff he was struggling with back then, working overtime, going through a divorce, having to temporarily move back in with his parents, etc… He still made time for me and Jonathan. He got down on our level and interacted with us, spent time with us and just played with us. Sure we ate a lot of instant egg-fu-young (that stuff is actually pretty good), ate out at the Kroger cafe and got our clothes straight out of the dryer but… we still had fun. We took trips, we went to church, we had Big Time Wrestling matches in my grandma’s living room. Even though the divorce was scarring me in ways I still don’t quite understand, we knew our dad loved us and was trying to make things better.

When I was 8 years old, in 1980, my dad got remarried. The 19 year old daughter of Bob, one of the friends that helped lead him to Christ. Her name is Jane and, fortunately, she had no idea what she was getting herself into. I’m not going to lie and say that things were easy and hunky-dory, because they were not. I don’t care who you are, blended families are not easy but it worked. My brother and I saw what a Christ-centered marriage was supposed to look like. I still think they are crazy for trying it but I’m glad they did.

The 2006 Colts season is almost a sellout and it's only April.

RCA Dome Seating: 55,506

2006 Season Tickets Sold: 55,000

Reserved Seats for Opponent: 500

That leaves 6 seats for games where the opposing teams use all their seats.

That is unheard of in Indianapolis. For whatever reason, the Colts have always had trouble selling out games until last year. Two years ago, at the start of the season, there was at least one game that came down to the “blackout” wire. They sold out just in time, and that was the season Manning broke the passing record.

If you told me they would be selling out games with season tickets back in the mid 90s when they had moderate success I would have said you were nuts. In those days my friend Jon and I would drive up to the Dome on the day of the game and get tickets for face value or less off of scalpers (which is legal in Indiana.)

So selling out a football season in Indiana, let alone before the draft, is a big deal.]]>

Suddenly, I find myself relating to Paul in the book of Romans. He has a problem with Do-Do! So do I!! “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And If I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do: no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want ot do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” That comes from my NIV Romans 7:15-20.

Do you struggle with do-do? It seems anytime I start something good (getting up early to walk and have a quiet time)I struggle with keep on keepin’ on!(going back to bed instead of being alert and having a quiet time with the LORD.) Ahh, the Christian walk, although fruitful and fun, can be so challenging. We don’t just struggle with daily problems that come up. We are in a war…… Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 10 beginning with verse 3 that “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Did you catch that? Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

I just love God! He gives us instruction for every facet of life. We weed out the what if’s by focusing on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable” and anything that is “excellant or praiseworthy.” I am to think about such things. That is just like God to provide me with a filter!

So, as I am convicted of my restlessness and do-do, I know I can present this struggle to the LORD and I can not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present my request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Praise God!]]>

He was born in Franklin, Indiana in 1951 and raised in Columbus, Indiana, the only son of Jack and Dorothy Riley. He has two older sisters and a one younger sister. My grandpa owned and operated a grocery store so he worked long hours. He was also a heavy drinker so the majority of the child raising was left to my grandma.

Through high school and early adulthood he embraced the drug and hippie culture of the time, having fun with friends and driving fast cars. I was conceived out of wedlock when he was 20 and it was around that time that he began to question why he was here and about the meaning of life and about God. The “fun” he had been having began to feel hallow and empty. Over the next couple of years he began a spiritual journey.

Not coming from a Christian home, he was not sure where to turn. He looked into Eastern philosophies and Yoga but found they came up short. He also had some friends at work who where Christians and who told him about Christ and that He desired a personal relationship with him. That began to resonate with my dad and by the time I was 2 years old, my dad had accepted Jesus Christ as his savior and I thank God for Bob and Larry, his friends at work.

That day he came home and emptied out his drugs and paraphernalia, tossed it all in the trash. His life and the course of his family changed for ever that day. He was the first Christian in his family in 3 generations. But, everything wasn’t gumdrops and lollypops after that.

When I was 5, my mom decided that she did not want to be tied down and still wanted that wild life they had lived in the beginning, so she left. My dad was left to raise 2 boys as a single parent…

More to come…

There are two really cool things about Little Rock that nobody tells you about when you are just visiting, at least nobody told me about them.

1) The tap water. The tap water in Little Rock is the best I've ever had, anywhere. Its like bottled water coming right out of the faucet.

2) Mt. Pinnacle. It is beautiful, rising up and towering over the rest of the hills that surround it. The peak is 1,011 feet from the Arkansas river.

There are two trails that lead to the top, the West Summit trail (the “easy” trail) and the East Summit trail (the hard trail.) Last October I decided to take Elizabeth, Luke and Isaiah up to the top by myself. At the time I didn't realize that there was an easy and a hard trail. As luck would have it, I picked the hard trail. The last 1/3 of the “trail” is a climb over a pile of boulders at a 45 degree angle. I had to carry Isaiah pretty much the whole way and keep Luke corralled, he would have made it up in 10 minutes if I let him. We've been back up a few times since, on the easy side.

Last week, I decided I needed more exercise so I am starting a weekly trek up the mountain. Every Wednesday or Friday (depending on my schedule and weather) at noon I will be heading up. I did it last Friday, on the easy side, in 19 minutes. I hope, as I get in better shape, to cut it below 15 minutes. I'll keep track of my progress here.

If anyone in the area would like to join me, feel free.]]>

We currently send out a little under 250 prayer letters each month to our financial and/or prayer supporters. When we meet with people to appeal for support we let them know that we understand that financial situations can change and they may need to cease supporting us. We just tell them if they could let us know there is a possibility of dropping off to let us know as soon as possible. What is rough is looking through our ministry partner database and noticing that people have dropped off with their giving and never notified us.

In the corporate world, you usually find out ahead of time if you will not be receving a paycheck. I don't think people understand that if we don't receive a promised support amount, we don't get it, period.

Having been in this mode since early 2003 we have had supporters drop off. About 2 or 3 of those, actually let us know in advance. To them and all of our current supporters I just want to SHOUT… THANK YOU, THANK YOU, WE COULD NOT DO THIS OR BE HERE WITHOUT YOUR HELP!!! WE LOVE YOU AND APPRECIATE YOU!!!!

Ahhhhhhh, then I have to go back to “God called us into ministry and He brought us here, He will provide.” I know that, full well. Those are my words!! He has, and will continue to do so! Mike has a support trip to Virginia and South Carolina coming up at the end of the month. We are praying this will be the most “fruitful” trip, thus far. We are excited to be spreading out into a couple other states! Go God!!!! (in the words of a friend, AG)]]>

It was a relaxing, kid free, romantic weekend. Got a good refresher and received some good instruction and motivation for areas to work on in our marriage and a few things to work on with our kids.

We also saw the 900+ lives and marriages being touched and were reminded of why we joined the FamilyLife team. To our prayer and financial supporters… THANKS! You are a part of making these conferences happen and are touching many lives through your help.]]>