2 Braden stories, 2 Austin stories, 2 Product pitches - how tidy!
Yesterday morning at breakfast, Shelley asked Braden to eat his food so she could take him into his room to get dressed before getting Austin to the bus stop (the usual morning routine). Braden said, for the first time anyone of us had heard it, "I don't fink so, Ma-ee". I regret that it is not possible to convey the inflection in his voice, because it sounded just like Shelley when Austin or I ask her something she deems preposterous.
At dinner time, right before we ask God to bless the meal, Braden has started reciting the schedule for his day at Blessed Beginnings Mother's Day Out (he went on Mondays this school year - is done now). "Dub duh pay pills (play with play-dough), duh pay puzzles, duh dub uh duh knack (snack), pay ow-sigh (outside), dub duh uh seep (naptime) and Ma-ee comes back!" Then, having informed us of the daily regimen, he is ready to bow his head and pray. Who knows why...
Austin had some trouble with his campaign speech for Vice President of Student Council yesterday. He tried to memorize the whole speech (about 1 1/2 minutes) and was doing a very good job giving it to me and Shelley Tuesday night. But the staring sea of "poker faces" he described on his 4th grade constituents Wednesday afternoon lead him to forget what he was supposed to say about half-way through. He said he stood there silent for about 30 seconds before coming up with something to say. He was not as disappointed at losing as he would have been had not 1) his best friend Gibby lost the Presidential race, 2) his good friend Cameron won VP, and 3) his good friend Trevor won President and had a victory swim party at his house Wednesday night, which Austin attended and enjoyed thoroughly. He plans to run for classroom representative to the council next year, and this will have been good experience.
The Hamilton Tigers (baseball team) lost their first post-season game on Saturday, forcing them into the loser's bracket game tonight. With us trailing by 2 runs in the 3rd inning (of 4), Austin came up with the bases loaded and 2 outs. He was down in the count 1 ball, 2 strikes, when the pitcher threw a wild pitch. The boy on 3rd stole home, but the pitcher blocked the plate, and, with the throw from the catcher, tried to tag our boy out as he came up short of home. Their pitcher dropped the ball, and was literally sitting on our boy trying to gather it up, with our boy's foot less than 12 inches from the plate. Austin grabbed our boy's foot and tried to pull him to safety onto home plate, which resulted in an "interference" call by the umpire, and an automatic "out" for our boy. And THEN things got crazy.
Our parents were apopletic, the kids were upset and crying in the dugout, and our head coach got so out-of-control that he got thrown out of the ballpark. Don, the other asst. coach, and I gathered the boys up, told them to go out and play baseball, and sent them onto the field for the top of the 4th inning. Our pitcher, who had been wild up to this point, struck out the first 2 batters he faced and, after walking 2 boys on, struck out the final batter of their half of the frame.
So bottom of the 4th, we trail by 2 runs, Austin comes up to bat. Strike one, strike two, ball one... I am about to throw up in the first base coach's box, because if we lose this game, our season is over. Did Austin strike out? I don't fink so! The very next pitch he hit as hard as any he has hit all season, left-center field, all the way to the fence on 3 or 4 hops. Stand up double.
Next boy up hits a scorching line drive to right field, scoring Austin, and scoring himself on a throwing error. Game tied. Next boy up gets thrown out at 1st base, the next boy walks, next hits an infield single. 2 boys on base, one out, game tied, bottom of the final inning. Umpire yells "time has expired". Boys and parents begin to freak out (again)!
(Remaining) coaches gather up at the pitcher's mound, umpire asks the coaches if we know what the playoff tie breakers are? Their coach says "1st tie-breaker is defensive outs, 2nd is a coin toss." Umpire - "That's right, coach. The Tigers have 12 defensive outs, the Cardinals have 10." Their coach holds out his hand and says "good game coach". Tigers win! Tigers win!
Are we done with the post season? I don't fink so! Next game, Saturday, noon! By far the wierdest, wildest, least predictable game of the season. I'm exhausted but had to tell you all the story, especially since I know Mom checks the blog on Thursdays and Fridays when she is at the church.
Speaking of Mom (and Dad), the shameless product promotion two entries ago has already generated over $100 of sales - long story, some other time - so in an effort to increase their odds of getting to New York this year with a couple of bucks in their pockets, a gratuitous plug for Huggable Hangers by Joy Mangano, for sale at Grand 8 Marketplace. These handy hangers help save space in the closet and make small spaces seem bigger. Buy several today!
Finally, Thyrin ATC for Weight Loss has become a big seller of eShop Til You Drop, and I hope you will consider the Buy 2 bottles, get 1 Free promotion while we still have it.
Ya'll don't mind me plugging all these TV products do you?
At least we know what Braden would say!
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Seven Weeks
...Weeks before (Pentecost), Peter and the Disciples were holed up together in a room, scared for their lives, full of doubts. Luke tells us their initial response to the women who had returned from the tomb to tell of His resurrection was disbelief – in fact, the women’s words "seemed like nonsense". When Jesus appears to them in that room later the same day, they were startled and frightened, prompting Jesus to ask them “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?”
Yet in seven weeks time, they chose to forfeit their former lives entirely, and to risk their lives for the sake of proclaiming Christ! Their choice is where our faith comes to rest. Because they could have chosen to go home and we would not be here today. They could have returned to their homes, their carpentry shops, their fishing boats, their families – the lives they had before they encountered Jesus. They could have - but they did not.
Seven weeks. From scared for their very lives, hiding in a room, to raising their voices to proclaim the gospel to everyone who had ears to hear it in the middle of Jerusalem.
We’ve had quite a lot going on in our lives the last seven weeks, too. These events going on around us since Holy Week must cause us to take notice, to question, to decide as Christians how we are to respond...
Read the rest of the sermon here or listen to it online here.
Yet in seven weeks time, they chose to forfeit their former lives entirely, and to risk their lives for the sake of proclaiming Christ! Their choice is where our faith comes to rest. Because they could have chosen to go home and we would not be here today. They could have returned to their homes, their carpentry shops, their fishing boats, their families – the lives they had before they encountered Jesus. They could have - but they did not.
Seven weeks. From scared for their very lives, hiding in a room, to raising their voices to proclaim the gospel to everyone who had ears to hear it in the middle of Jerusalem.
We’ve had quite a lot going on in our lives the last seven weeks, too. These events going on around us since Holy Week must cause us to take notice, to question, to decide as Christians how we are to respond...
Read the rest of the sermon here or listen to it online here.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
In, Not Of
That is the working sermon title for my message this Sunday, May 15th at Cypress Creek Christian Church & Community Center. The reference is to John 17:14-18, where Jesus describes the disciples as "not of the world" but sent out "into the world". The message will discuss various ways Christians have understood the relationship between their faith and their culture, as described in the wonderful book "Christ and Culture" by H. Richard Niebuhr. We read it at PU, and it was a classic even then (20 years ago!). Any and all who read these words are welcome to come. I will be posting an outline on Good and Faithful Servant, and the church will have the audio version available within a couple of weeks.
Austin is well. He is running for VP of Student Council next year, and gives a speech next week. His campaign poster is shaped like 4 very large playing cards (aces, naturally) with the slogan "Vote for Austin, Your 'Ace' for VP". His baseball team starts post-season play this Saturday, and we hope to make a respectable showing. By wins and losses this team has not done too well, but they have improved all year long and had fun, to boot.
Tuesday was our last scout den meeting of the school year, and we held it at a local fun park called "Mountasia". It was $10 Tuesday, so miniature golf and all arcade games were $10 for unlimited access the whole night. Steve will be happy to know we purchased the $7.50 upgrade for unlimited go-karting, as well. When we got there, there was nobody in line for the go-karts, so the attendant told Austin and me to "go as long as you want - I'm not going to wave you in". So Austin and I had a 20-minute, uninterrupted race, which was totally unfair due to the 175 pound payload difference between his car and mine. Clearly I was the superior driver, (clearly!) but Austin was wildly aggressive, not only cutting me off but the few teen-aged boys who happened to be on the track, also. I fear for the day the State of Texas issues that boy a driver's license!
Braden is already as brown as a coffee bean and loving the unusually mild Spring we have been having. Though we had tons of rain on Mother's Day (moving our picnic into the living from the park near our church), nearly every other day the last few weeks has been cool in the mornings & evenings. Braden (or just "B" as Shelley has started calling him) has his first official chore - filling the two birdfeeders we have, 1 in the front and 1 in the back. He will even notice when the feeders are low, and tell me or Shelley "dub duh dub Bray-un dub duh quidda kwunch", which (of course) means "it looks like Braden needs to put out some more Critter Crunch", which is the name of the feed Shelley got. It has all sorts of stuff in it, including feed for small (non-rodent) animals as well as birds. In the mornings, one of the first things B likes to do is go check out the front window to see if anything is eating the "quidda kwunch". On those glorious mornings when he sees "our" squirrel at the feeder, he comes squealing into the kitchen jabbering about "squirrs" and "quidda kwunch" and who knows what else.
Shelley has developed a strong attachment to a pair of doves who have built a nest in the gutter above our porch, but my favorites are still all the cardinals we have visiting in front and back.
But all God's quiddas, great or small, are welcome.
Austin is well. He is running for VP of Student Council next year, and gives a speech next week. His campaign poster is shaped like 4 very large playing cards (aces, naturally) with the slogan "Vote for Austin, Your 'Ace' for VP". His baseball team starts post-season play this Saturday, and we hope to make a respectable showing. By wins and losses this team has not done too well, but they have improved all year long and had fun, to boot.
Tuesday was our last scout den meeting of the school year, and we held it at a local fun park called "Mountasia". It was $10 Tuesday, so miniature golf and all arcade games were $10 for unlimited access the whole night. Steve will be happy to know we purchased the $7.50 upgrade for unlimited go-karting, as well. When we got there, there was nobody in line for the go-karts, so the attendant told Austin and me to "go as long as you want - I'm not going to wave you in". So Austin and I had a 20-minute, uninterrupted race, which was totally unfair due to the 175 pound payload difference between his car and mine. Clearly I was the superior driver, (clearly!) but Austin was wildly aggressive, not only cutting me off but the few teen-aged boys who happened to be on the track, also. I fear for the day the State of Texas issues that boy a driver's license!
Braden is already as brown as a coffee bean and loving the unusually mild Spring we have been having. Though we had tons of rain on Mother's Day (moving our picnic into the living from the park near our church), nearly every other day the last few weeks has been cool in the mornings & evenings. Braden (or just "B" as Shelley has started calling him) has his first official chore - filling the two birdfeeders we have, 1 in the front and 1 in the back. He will even notice when the feeders are low, and tell me or Shelley "dub duh dub Bray-un dub duh quidda kwunch", which (of course) means "it looks like Braden needs to put out some more Critter Crunch", which is the name of the feed Shelley got. It has all sorts of stuff in it, including feed for small (non-rodent) animals as well as birds. In the mornings, one of the first things B likes to do is go check out the front window to see if anything is eating the "quidda kwunch". On those glorious mornings when he sees "our" squirrel at the feeder, he comes squealing into the kitchen jabbering about "squirrs" and "quidda kwunch" and who knows what else.
Shelley has developed a strong attachment to a pair of doves who have built a nest in the gutter above our porch, but my favorites are still all the cardinals we have visiting in front and back.
But all God's quiddas, great or small, are welcome.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
And Now, A Word From Our Sponsors
Fans of this blog who check it for (increasing less) occasional postings will want to take heed that what follows is not any of the following:
* funny stories about Braden's vocabulary or behavior;
* updates to Austin's sporting or academic achievements; or
* a heartfelt ode to Mothers everywhere, especially mine and/or my children's.
This post is primarily a crass attempt to capitalize on a fluke of search engine optimization, details of which I will not bore you. Suffice it to say, I have my reasons (boo-ya-ha-ha-ha!).
I have been anxious that sales of our As Seen on TV products would seriously drop off by this time of year, but am happy to say they have not yet. As days get longer and warmer, less people hunker down in front of their TV's seeing all the ways As Seen on TV products can improve their lives.
Like Hylexin. Hylexin is the first formula specifically developed to dramatically reduce the appearance of serious dark circles, and we have it for sale for only $95 a tube.
Or Endothil CR. Endothil is a revolutionary new approach to building bigger, stronger muscles without steroids or steroid-like precursors, and it's only $49.99.
We are selling a heckuva lot of Propolene. For only $29.95, you will receive a free bottle along with 3 additional bottles of Propolene. After 30 days if you have decided to keep the product your credit card will be billed 2 payments of $59.90 for the 3 bottles. This works out to be less than $38.00 a bottle.
We are supposed to begin seeing a lot of sales for Provactin, also. ProVactin is a revolutionary new stimulant-free fat loss formula specifically designed for people who are sensitive to stimulants or who can't take stimulant-based products for health reasons.
Finally, I would be remiss not to mention the Alexis Vogel Makeup System. Alexis Vogel has developed a professional grade cosmetic system that gives you the tools and simple techniques to create the makeover of a lifetime.
Ok, the shame is started to rise up to a level where I must stop myself from posting further. Keep checking this space for more examples of blogging on topics about which I have said I would write.
Have a prosperous day!
* funny stories about Braden's vocabulary or behavior;
* updates to Austin's sporting or academic achievements; or
* a heartfelt ode to Mothers everywhere, especially mine and/or my children's.
This post is primarily a crass attempt to capitalize on a fluke of search engine optimization, details of which I will not bore you. Suffice it to say, I have my reasons (boo-ya-ha-ha-ha!).
I have been anxious that sales of our As Seen on TV products would seriously drop off by this time of year, but am happy to say they have not yet. As days get longer and warmer, less people hunker down in front of their TV's seeing all the ways As Seen on TV products can improve their lives.
Like Hylexin. Hylexin is the first formula specifically developed to dramatically reduce the appearance of serious dark circles, and we have it for sale for only $95 a tube.
Or Endothil CR. Endothil is a revolutionary new approach to building bigger, stronger muscles without steroids or steroid-like precursors, and it's only $49.99.
We are selling a heckuva lot of Propolene. For only $29.95, you will receive a free bottle along with 3 additional bottles of Propolene. After 30 days if you have decided to keep the product your credit card will be billed 2 payments of $59.90 for the 3 bottles. This works out to be less than $38.00 a bottle.
We are supposed to begin seeing a lot of sales for Provactin, also. ProVactin is a revolutionary new stimulant-free fat loss formula specifically designed for people who are sensitive to stimulants or who can't take stimulant-based products for health reasons.
Finally, I would be remiss not to mention the Alexis Vogel Makeup System. Alexis Vogel has developed a professional grade cosmetic system that gives you the tools and simple techniques to create the makeover of a lifetime.
Ok, the shame is started to rise up to a level where I must stop myself from posting further. Keep checking this space for more examples of blogging on topics about which I have said I would write.
Have a prosperous day!
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