Heart, Soul, Mind, & Strength

Harry Potter Reading Guides

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:46:00 +0000

Well, several people have asked for the reading guides that I have prepared for my kids as they read through the Harry Potter series. So, here they are in Google Doc/Word and PDF versions:

Philosopher's Stone* — Google/Word version or PDF version
Chamber of Secrets — Google/Word version or PDF version
Prisoner of Azkaban — Coming Soon, lost the file
Goblet of Fire — Google/Word version or PDF version
Order of the Phoenix — Google/Word version or PDF version
Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows — coming when I think my kids are ready to read the books.
(* Socerer's Stone is the title in the US, but I like Philosopher's Stone better which is the real and original title.)

By the way, I understand that most folks who put documents on the Web only do PDF versions, but if you do find these guides and want to adjust them to fit your needs, then by all means customize them. There is no pride in authorship here -- I am using them for my own children my own way, it's up to you to determine how you want to use them for you or your children. You may think that there are too many questions or they go too deep for your kids or you want to add more Scripture (if so, please send me the references) . . . just have fun and enjoy digging a little deeper than just reading a story!

Here are links to some of my past posts regarding Harry Potter:
— Reading Questions . . . how all of this came to be with some explanation.
— Thoughts on Harry Potter . . . why a Christian is letting his kids read the series.

2010 Thoughts and Reflections on Easter

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 16:07:00 +0000

Matt 21:12&13 – Cleansing of the Temple
“It’s a sad but true fact of the faith: religion is used for profit and prestige. When it is there are two results: people are exploited and God is infuriated.” In the temple, Jesus likely saw many things that bothered him and two are specifically mentioned money changers and dove sellers. Worshipers had to pay for things using temple money not Roman coins – so there was a pretty good profit made by charging fees and low conversion rates. Also, worshipers traveling from far away likely didn’t want to carry and deal with their own animals for sacrifices so they were paying exorbitant prices for the convenience of getting there animals right in the temple.

“It’s not difficult to see what angered Jesus. Pilgrims journeyed days to see God, to witness the holy, to worship His Majesty. But before they were taken into the presence of God, they were taken to the cleaners. What was promised and what was delivered were two different things. Want to anger God? Get in the way of people who want to see Him.”

“Christ’s passion on Monday is indignance.” You may not be one that emphasizes your profit more than the Prophet, but is there any way that you are getting in the way of God? Are you resisting His plan for you? Are you keeping a part of your self from Him – trying to hide or just not giving Him full authority? Is there someone that you know you need to have a spiritual conversation with and you keep putting it off? Is there a couple that you need to invite to church but you haven’t made the effort? Is the temple that needs to be cleansed today not in Jerusalem but in you?
Sources: Matthew 21:12&13 and And the Angels Were Silent, Max Lucado, Chapter 8.

Matt 21:18-22, Rev 3:15&16 – Where’s the Fruit?
Have you ever been really thirsty only to find a vending machine that’s out of drinks? What about opening a cereal box but when you start to pour it into your bowl you find out it’s empty? Have you pulled out a pack of gum then realized all of pieces are gone? That’s how Jesus felt.

Jesus, hungry and on his way to Jerusalem, stops for figs. Look at Matt 21:19, “found nothing on it except leaves.” It was a good looking tree, lots of leaves, full, and in a great location right by the road – but nothing of substance, no benefit, no help for others, not fulfilling it’s purpose. Max Lucado says “It’s all promise and no performance. The symbolism is too precise for Jesus to ignore. He’s not angry at the tree. He’s angry at what the tree represents. Jesus is disgusted by lukewarm, placid, vain believers who have pomp but no purpose.”

Consider Revelation 3:15&16 concerning the church in Laodicea. The Lord says that they are “neither cold nor hot.” They look fine, but are not satisfying. The church can’t bring warmth on a cold day nor cool refreshment on a hot day. The end of verse 16 translates literally “to vomit.” This church with no fruit is incompatible with the Body of Christ – vomiting is the bodies way of rejecting what it cannot handle. God can’t stomach a lukewarm faith.

Where does this leave us? Earnestly seek for whether you are hot, cold, or somewhere in the middle. Do you offer promising love but your worship falls flat? Do you look nice on the outside, but your insides are in turmoil? Do you perform the right acts, but your worship falls flat? Do you relate to others but can’t remember the last time you related to God? Lord, may we be open and honest about our faith and our relationship with you. May we be found hot and may our fruit be pleasing to you.
Sources: Matthew 21:18-22, Revelation 3:15&16, and And the Angels Were Silent, Max Lucado, Chapter 9.

The Depth of His Love
Saturday. No Disciples to be found. No healings or miracles. Just sneers on the faces of the religious leaders. Just tears on the cheeks of those who love Him.

Reminders of the past. The man who walked on water and calmed the storms didn’t stop the whip or the nails. The man who said that the Kingdom of God is at hand is now encased in a borrowed tomb. What had John the Baptist said three years ago, “behold the Lamb of God?” What had Jesus said a week ago about what would happen, He would “be mocked and flogged and crucified?” How had He known? How could He have allowed this to happen?

Jesus mentioned the sign of Jonah. Jesus mentioned that this temple would be rebuilt in three days. Jesus mentioned plainly that “on the third day He will be raised up."

Three days. Three days wrapped in linens and our sin. Three days lonely and loving. Loving? Really? Only His love for you allowed Him to fully express the depth of His love. Between the cruelty of his crucifixion and the radiance of his resurrection is silence. It’s the calm before the storm. The dark early morning, still and quiet before most of the world awakes. “Be still and know that I am God.” Be still today and consider the depth of His love.
Sources: John 1:29, Matt 20:17-19, Matt 12:38-40, John 2:18-20, Ps 46:10

These were primarily written for the Genesis LIFE Group of nearly and newly weds at Church at the Cross.

Chris' Book List

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 02:33:00 +0000

I got a gift certificate for Amazon.com as a gift and I need to find out what to buy. The difficulty is that I rarely buy books and that there are a ton that I want to read. I've been into fiction lately and have noticed that since my master's degree a non-fiction book has to be really good or very relevant for me to enjoy it.

My intent is to use this post to serve as my book list from now on (instead of the note in my former palm pilot/current treo) and keep it updated. Let me know what you think about any of these books, if I should add one to my list, or if I should remove one in your opinion.

Business:
The Cluetrain Manifesto, by Levine, Locke, Searls, and Weinberger
Eat That Frog, by Brian Tracy
Who Moved My Cheese?, by Spencer Johnson
Good to Great, by Jim Collins
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert B. Cialdini
Competitive Strategy, by Michael E. Porter

Leadership:
Leadership by the Book, by Ken Blanchard
Lincoln on Leadership, by Donald Phillips
Oh, The Places You'll Go, by Dr. Seuss
29 Leadership Secrets from Jack Welch, by Robert Slater
Jack Welch & the G.E. Way, by Robert Slater

Spiritual:
Stong Fathers, Strong Daughters, by Meg Meeker
Shepherding Your Childs Heart, by Tedd Tripp
The Dad in the Mirror, by Pat Morley
Tender Warrior, by Stu Weber
Chasing Daylight, by Erwin McManus
The Everlasting Man, by GK Chesterton
Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller

Children's books (to give to or read with the kids):
The Chip Hilton series, by Clair Bee (23 books in the series)
Recommended kids reading: A to Z Mysteries series by Ron Roy and the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne.

Miscellaneous:
To Hell and Back, by Audie Murphy
The Napoleon of Notting Hill, by GK Chesterton
It's Better to Build Boys than Mend Men, by S. Truett Cathy
The Anger Trap, by Les Carter

Finished Reading:
The Zion Covenant series, Brock & Bodie Thoene — Summer and Fall 2006
The Rising Tide, Jeff Shaara — January-March 2007
The Glorious Cause, Jeff Shaara — March-June 2007
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling — June 2007
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K. Rowling — July 2007
Voyage of the Dawn Treader, C.S. Lewis — July 2007 (with the boys)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling — July 2007
Ernie's War: The Best of Ernie Pyle's World War II Dispatches, David Nichols editor — July/August 2007
Thr3e, Ted Dekker — August 2007
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling — August 2007
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling — August 2007
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling — August/September 2007
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling — September 2007
The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw — December 2007
Same Kind of Different as Me, by Ron Hall & Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent — January 2008
Prince Caspian, by C.S. Lews (with the kids) — February 2008
Review of 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, by John Maxwell — March 2008
Blink/Blink of an Eye, by Ted Dekker — April 2008
[I think missing several here!!]
The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Rick Riordan — March 2010
Eragon, Christopher Paolini — March 2010

In Progress:
And the Angels Were Silent, Max Lucado
How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins (about to start it)

2010 World Cup Group Draws

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 03:21:00 +0000

Quick, name the #1 sporting event in the world? Okay, just read the title of the post . . . yep, the World Cup soccer tournament. In 2010 it will be in South Africa and is a tournament where national soccer teams compete against each other (like the olympics, which is another reason I like it).

I have three favorite national teams: the USA obviously, England since I just love that country and my mom lived there for awhile, and Argentina. A coach of my club team as a kid that was from Argentina and our shirts were blue and white striped like the Argentina national team, so I have supported them since then.

The first round of the tournament is to take the 32 teams that qualify for the World Cup and put them into groups of 4. The 4 teams in the groups, play a round robin mini-tourney and the top 2 teams in each group moves on in the World Cup. The groups were determined today so I thought that I would give my input on them and my opinion on who will advance from each group.

Group A: South Africa (host), Mexico, Uruguay, and France
The host country usually gets a big boost, but I just don't see it happening in this group.
Advancing: France and Mexico

Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, and Greece
Korea would have a much better team if they were unified. No doubt, there are clearly two top teams in this grouping.
Advancing: Argentina and Greece

Group C: England, USA, Algeria, and Slovenia
I'm concerned that the US players will not adapt well to the environment and we don't have the most experienced team. However, I don't think that Algeria or Slovenia really provide a great test to the top two teams in this group.
Advancing: England and USA

Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, and Ghana
This is the first group that I think that the African environment will really help one of the teams — Ghana. Australia and Serbia are probably better teams overall, but I'm picking an upset and having Michael Essien playing for Ghana and Chelsea (the club that I support) helps them in my book.
Advancing: Germany and Ghana

Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, and Cameroon
The Dane goalkeeper Sorenson could make this interesting, but not enough to change my pick.
Advancing: Netherlands and Cameroon

Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, and Slovakia
Slovakia is an interesting team to me, but Paraguay plays such tough competition in South America that I think they are more prepared for this tournament.
Advancing: Italy and Paraguay

Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Ivory Coast, and Portugal
This is by far the most difficult group and one of the good teams will get knocked out in the first round. North Korea is the poor team that will likely get beat up in this group and Brazil is the clear favorite in the group. Portugal was one of my favorite teams to watch in the last World Cup, but I am hoping that Ivory Coast advances out of the group.
Advancing: Brazil and Ivory Coast

Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, and Chile
Spain is one of the best teams in the world and to many the favorite to win the tourney. Like North Korea in Group G, poor Honduras doesn't have much of a chance in this group.
Advancing: Spain and Chile

So, there they are . . . my picks for the winners of the group stage of the 2010 World Cup in South America. So, what do you think?

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 19:19:00 +0000

I went to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie on a business trip recently and thought that I would blog my thoughts since I have shared so much about Harry Potter on this blog.

I had not read the book in quite some time so I read it again before seeing the movie. I make my kids do that so I felt like I needed to follow my own rules. Overall, the movie was very entertaining but I walked out pretty disappointed and hot over them changing some of the key elements that gave the book (and series) spiritual significance.

This isn't necessarily everything, but I was disappointed by:
* No huge discussion with Dumbledore after recruiting Slughorn and before arriving at the Burrow.
* Harry, Ron, and Hermoine's lack of compassion for others throughout the movie. When Katie Bell was cursed by the necklace, the movie showed them all just standing there! In the book, they rush to her side and console Leanne and try to help Katie. When Harry used sectumsempra on Malfoy, he looked shaken in the movie but in the book he was truly horrified , tried to help Draco, and was obviously merciful to his nemesis.
* Dumbledore's lack of training Harry throughout the movie. I think they only showed 2 lessons and they were very brief. No real development of the intenional mentoring that Dumbledore gave to Harry.
* Lack of mention that Harry's greatest protection is his love and his purity of heart. That would have added a lot to the spiritual significance of the movies.
* The fact that Harry wasn't petrified by Dumbledore in the astronomy tower. It adds a whole new meaning to the tower's significance and I don't like the new meaning -- Malfoy is really able to disarm a fully ready and undistracted Dumbledore? Harry is really able to contain himself as his mentor is killed?
* Also in the astronomy tower, Dumberdore's lack of discussion of his mercy saving Draco Malfoy was very frustrating. This is a key to spiritual significance that again was just ignored when it would have been very easy to insert that dialogue into the script.

In the end, I believe that one very important lesson in the Half-Blood Prince comes from Mark 8:36 -- "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?" I won't expound on this too much for some who may be reading the series and aren't quite up on the whole plot, but it's a key difference between Harry and Voldemort.

Chelsea at Cowboys Stadium

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:19:00 +0000

Wow, what a time!! On July 26th, Collin went to watch Chelsea (my favority soccer club) play Club America in the new Cowboy's Stadium in Arlington. Our tickets were in the Chelsea section and only 8 rows from the field in the corner of the pitch. My buddy was able to make it available to us to see the whole stadium (you are only supposed to access one section of the stadium upon entry) and we got free snacks and drinks.

When we moved into our house in Grapevine we got a new TV package that included Fox Soccer Channel and that finally enabled me to watch more soccer. I've always been interested in English Premier League soccer and I have watched the World Cup pretty closely since 1986. But this new opportunity allowed me to actually get into the English Premier League on a consistent basis.

After watching many Premier League games, I really wanted a rooting interest so I contacted several of my friends who were from the UK and knew soccer. At first, I didn't want to support one of the "Big 4" teams (Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea) and considered teams that were close to the Cotswalds where my mom lived for over 5 years. But after much discussion and research, I settled on Chelsea. There are many reasons that I support Chelsea including their colors, the rampant lion and roses on their badge (reminders of the Enright coat of arms), thier players, and their location (close to a great part of London so I might actually be able to attend a home game sometime). After watching Chelsea for two seasons, I've become quite "obsessive" in my wife's opinion.

So, when I found out that Chelsea was coming to play in Dallas I knew I had to go! We got to the stadium early to watch the pre-game and check out the stadium and really enjoyed the environment. It was great to really be at a "football" match with my team on the pitch. I only regret two things: 1.) that we were not in our seats close to the field during Chelsea's goals but were watching from the suite while getting snacks and 2.) it wasn't an English match so we didn't learn that many chants and cheers.

The match was a pre-season tournament and I knew ahead of time that we wouldn't see many of the star players such as John Terry (the captain), Drogba, Anelka, Lampard, Ballack, and Cech was not in goal at all. It was still a thrill to get to see them and watch them play. They won the tournament and displayed their greatness beating some of the top teams from Italy and Mexico.

My Mamaw's Move

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 03:53:00 +0000

Well, it's been forever (10 months or so) since I've written a blog post. Why? I don't really know to be honest.

Maybe because I like to have good well written thoughts to share. Maybe because I have struggled to know how I want to use this space with the meteoric rise of Facebook usage in my life and the availability of Twitter (but I haven't tweeted yet). Maybe because I've been crazy busy lately with many projects — our CRM implementation at work and our church Web site to name only the largest two projects.

But I'm back . . . not because I'm afraid Google will forget this blog ever existed (if you've read me at all, you know that's not my motivation) . . . not because it's just time after a long hiatus . . . not because I've figured out a strategy to use my blog, Facebook, and Twitter (I haven't yet) . . . but because today was a very emotional day and tomorrow will be even more so and I need to organize my thoughts and get something down for the record (my record and for my kids later use).

I will miss my Mamaw terribly!! No, she hasn't died or anything — she's just moving to Houston to be under my mother's love and care instead of under mine. This was a very mutual decision and we are all happy and pleased with it, including me. So, this is just to get my feelings out there on the table.

Until we started contemplating this move, I hadn't really realized just how close I was to my Mamaw and how she's literally always been close by. We haven't lived in a different city since I was in college and I came home all the time anyway. I lived with my Mamaw before I got married. She continues to be a key influence on my Christian walk and has been a wonderful model and discipler for me since I was a young boy. She modeled and was a visible reminder for me of Ephesians 3:18 " to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." She is a bastion of unconditional love, selfless service, and sweet encouragement.

I remember my other grandmother, Gran Gran, very fondly and she passed away when I was close to 11 (or somewhere around there). Gran Gran was another wonderful woman — what a blessing those women were and are to me, I truly would not be half the man I am today without their influence. One of my heart's desires is for my children to have fond memories of their Mamaw! I want them to remember
* that she was at all of their events,
* that she called them all the time,
* that she fawned over their creations at church or school like she was in the Louvre,
* that she always wanted to feed them and take care of their every need (whether real or perceived),
* that she loved them for who they were and not who everyone else wanted them to be,
* that she saw through all of their faults and focused her praise on their strengths,
* that she was a genuinely joyful and loving person, and
* that she was a reflection of the God that she loves so much.

Okay, okay, she's not dead . . . but I am grieving. Grief is an emotion felt when something is lost. I feel like I am losing the ability for my kids to continue to get to know her and build memories with her (they are ages 5-10). I feel like I am losing the opportunity to see my Mamaw whenever I want and whenever I need to see her. I feel like I am losing a very close friend who I can talk to about anything. I feel like I am losing a mentor and discipler — although I know that I'm not, she's just going to Houston.

I know that she is only going 5 hours to the South, but it feels like a great distance for me. I have had the privledge to serve and care for her for many years as her primary caregiver. It has been my honor to give back to her a small part of what she has so graciously given to me — time, transportation, energy, an extra brain, love, care, errands, food, and so much more.

She spent the day in our home as movers were packing up her apartment in the assisted living facility. My middle child wanted to sleep in the same room with Mamaw — he's the sensitive one and has a strong connection to her. He just couldn't fall asleep and he came in crying to me because he was afraid that he would miss her in the morning (we're flying out early). Very few people in the world love us like Mamaw does and she has made an impact on my kids lives. He held me for awhile and told me that he wrote her a note and would I make sure that she saw it in the morning.

"Dear Mamaw,

I hope your move goes well. I eventually had to go to sleep upstairs. I'm praying for you Mamaw and love you. XOXO OXOXO OXOXO OXOXO OXOXO OXOXO [exact number of Xs and Os in his note]

Love, Cooper"

Opening of the 2008 Olympics

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:05:00 +0000

I just can't wait! I love the Olympics! I love the competition, the nationalism, seeing all the different countries represented, and watching sports that I normally wouldn't care anything about.

Getting ready for the Olympic games, I wanted a good schedule of when the various sports would be on TV. I was very disappointed in NBC's online TV schedule, but I did find a great page of the sports and their schedules.

Speaking of sports that I don't care anything about, here is a list of the sports that I won't watch unless nothing else of interest is on -- Badminton, Equestrian, Handball, Field Hockey, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Sailing, Shooting, Synchronized Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Trampoline, and Weightlifting. Now, this is just my personal opinion in an Olympic setting!
* Badminton and Table Tennis should just be recreational sports and not played competitively ever.
* Admit it, in Equestrian the real athlete is the horse not the rider so why not have Horse Racing also?
* Rhythmic Gymnastics and Synchronized Swimming are done by very talented people and some of it is really cool, but they really seem more like art done by athletes.

The sports that I really like to watch in the Olympics are -- Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Gymnastics, Judo, Pentathlon, Soccer (which has already started), Swimming, Tae Kwon Do, Track & Field, Volleyball, and Wrestling.
* I don't know why I like Basketball since I don't like the NBA much. But, it is a very international sport and it's fun in the Olympics.
* Beach Volleyball and Soccer are sports that I just like to watch but don't feel very much like Olympic games. I like them anyway though.
* Gymnastics, Track & Field, and Wrestling just scream Olympics to me and I have many happy memories watching them in the past.

What do you think?

Yes, I like the Olympics so much that this is my first blog post in awhile even before writing about our trip to Hawaii!

June Scattershooting

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 03:02:00 +0000

Well, it's been too long since I made time to write here . . . sorry! I changed jobs and moved to a new house, so there has definitely been news just no time to write!!

* We love the new house -- more space for everyone and a great neighborhood!

* I love my new job -- great people to work with, fun challenges, something different every day, and lots to learn!

* The Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis was great. I met lots of neat people, heard some great sermons, and enjoyed the atmosphere.

* I don't really recommend changing jobs and moving in the span of two weeks, but I didn't plan it that way either!

* Is moving getting harder or am I getting older . . . wait, don't answer that!

* In his June 8, 2008 Monday Morning Quarterback column (in the section "Factoid of the Week That May Interest Only Me"), Peter King wrote about David Tyree's faith-based autobiography, More Than Just The Catch. It was a great section that gave God the glory!

While cleaning out my desk, I found where I had written down a few quotes. Unsure of the sources, but . . .
* "If you are being pulled on, picked on, or eaten up, you must be bearing fruit."
* "Let your burning desire blaze your trail."

Don't know what "scattershooting" is? Here's a formal definition but here's what I really mean by it.

Not "Success" but "Value"

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 01:50:00 +0000

I just read a great quote that got me to thinking. I read it in the Leadership Wired newsletter, a great newsletter from INJOY. Albert Einstein said:

"Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value."

That really got me to thinking and evaluating myself and my career. I had never heard this quote before but it lines up well with my overall career philosophy. My intent is to add value each year, each project, each day, and with each task. I have never measured "success" with money, job title, office size, or material possessions. I'm a people person and an organization/team guy. As a supervisor, I'm overjoyed when my employees reach their goals -- their success is my success. As a leader, my focus should not be on what direction I want to go but what direction is best for the team and the organization in the long run. Those things (and much more) serve to make a man of value.

A job change is pretty likely for me right now and I have felt like a man of value. I have felt valuable with the offer extended to me and I have felt valuable discussing it with my current boss. There are successful people in every organization, but people that are valuable are almost irreplaceable.

My Honey's Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:30:00 +0000

Today is my girl's birthday -- happy birthday Heather!! You'll never really know just how awesome you are, but here's an attempt.

You hold our family together and keep us organized,
You show our children what it means every day to walk with God,
You make me feel loved and cherished and valued,
You are creative in everything that you do,
You make even half birthdays special for others,
You bring consistency to the kids lives that they miss terribly when you are gone,
You are a sounding board, a voice of wisdom and reason, and a source of strength and help for your friends,
You are an awesome prayer partner,
You take a house and craft it with loving care into a home,
You are a valuable resource and servant in the body of Christ,
You are absolutely my other half and something is definitely not right when you are away from our home,

and never forget that you are loved by your children and adored by your husband!

Jackie Robinson Day

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:30:00 +0000

Today was a special day. I led a meeting today and asked the group of about 12 people what made today special. Tax day was the most common response. When I mentioned the number 42 and baseball, one person in the room remembered Jackie Robinson.

What a great man -- a true competitor, patient, skilled, intelligent, persevering. As baseball honors the 61st anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball, here's my small tribute with my favorite quotes by him.

"I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me... all I ask is that you respect me as a human being."

"Life is not a spectator sport. If you're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you're wasting your life."

"There's not an American in this country free until every one of us is free."

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

Reminded of Derek and Jim Redmond

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:16:00 +0000

I can't believe that it's time for the summer Olympics again. It's been crazy watching all of the controversy surrounding the torch relay. I would like to dwell on something more positive. I was recently reminded of one of the most personally inspiring moments in all of sports -- the story of Derek and Jim Redmond at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

I remember watching track and field on TV and getting ready to watch a typical runnng event, the 400-meters. However, the race was anything but typical! Derek Redmond from Great Britain seemed to be running well! However, coming around the turn, Redmond's hamstring suddenly pulled and he hit the track. I remember thinking how sad it was that a world-class athlete worked so hard to make it that far only to be injured during the race of his life. I saw him get back up and wave off the trainers coming to try to help him and it was obvious that he wanted to cross the finish line . . . to finish what he started. Then, his Dad came up to him (who had made his way onto the track from the stands) and put his arm around his struggling son and helped him hobble to the finish line. I've got tears in my eyes just typing this (once again proving beyond doubt what a softy I am).

It was an amazing show of determination by Derek Redmond and an outstanding show of love and support by his father, Jim. Lord, please let my kids know that their Dad loves and supports them! Hopefully, some day I'll get a chance to show them I support them even if it's not as dramatic and with the world watching.

Unhappy Opening Day 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:51:00 +0000

What a wierd opening day of baseball for 2008 — the Boston Red Sox and Oakland A's in Japan!

I am none of the following:
– an isolationist,
– anti-Japanese,
– against global marketing,
– anti-expansion, or
– a stiff traditionalist who can't accept change (well, maybe I am to some degree)!

It's just IMHO (in my humble opinion) — it's just plain wrong to to open the baseball season in any country other than the U.S. or Canada. Opening Day should be the official inaugeration of Spring and should make you yearn for the smell of freshly mown grass, the sound of the crack of a bat, the warmth of the sun on your face, the sight of the teams running onto the field for a "real" game, and the taste of roasted peanuts followed by a hot dog and later snacking on sunflower seeds with a large Dr. Pepper . . . wait, where was I . . . .

To have Opening Day start at 5:00 in the morning, played by teams on the other side of a very large ocean, no broadcast available on radio, etc. is just frustrating. To make it even more strange, after this initial series, both teams will come back to the states and have additional Spring Training games before the season resumes. This year, I will consider Opening Day to be March 31st when most major league teams take the field for traditional day games to start their season.

Commissioner Selig is now talking about opening future seasons in Europe and other countries. Please, can we all just take a breath and learn from this first and listen to the response from fans like myself. We can all win. Here's a proposal — send two teams to another location like England or Germany but have them play their series after the official Opening Day of most other teams, then give them a break to fly back, rest, and then continue with their season once their series is over. No wierd opening day of the season, but with every other advantage of having teams play meaningful games abroad.

My personality profile

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 03:36:00 +0000

I took a DiSC personality profile recently and scored highest on "Steady" no surprise to me! My patterns are Agent and Specialist. Here's the description of a Steady: "Steadiness (Submission in Marston's time): People with High S styles scores want a steady pace, security, and don't like sudden change. High S persons are calm, relaxed, patient, possessive, predictable, deliberate, stable, consistent, and tend to be unemotional and poker faced. Stable, Cooperative, Predictable, Deliberate, Work in background, Diplomatic, Consistent, Good listener, Sympathetic."

My personality profile on Gary Smalley and John Trent's scale is "Golden Retriever."

Strengths	Strengths Pushed Out of Balance
Sensitive feelings	Easily hurt
Loyal	Missed opportunities
Calm, even-keel	Lacking enthusiasm
Non-demanding, patient	Push-over, taken advantage of
Peace maker, hates confrontation	Misses honest intimacy
Enjoys routine, dislikes change	Stays in rut, not spontaneous
Warm & relational	Fewer deep friends
Accomodating	Too indecisive
Sympathetic, good listener	Holds on to other's hurt or pain

What does a balanced Golden Retriever look like? Since Golden Retrievers have an eagerness to please others, they have a hard time saying "No." Therefore, their greatest relational need is to set limits and boundaries essential for their own well-being. Further, Retrievers need to practice confronting others. Turn your ability to feel deeply about negative things into a positive step, one where you think and act decisively.

On the SOCIAL STYLE Model™, my primary style is "Amiable" with high Versatility (I play well with others). My back-up or subquadrant is the "Driver" which means that I take charge when needed. Here's the description for an Amiable:
"Amiables are people-oriented, and care more about close relationships than results or influence. They usually appear warm, friendly and cooperative. Amiables tend to move slowly with a low time discipline, minimizing risk and often using personal opinions to arrive at decisions. Belonging to a group is a primary need, and Amiables may make every effort to gain acceptance. They typically seek to uncover common ground, preferring to achieve objectives through understanding and mutual respect rather than force and authority. When managed by force without relationship, Amiables appear to cooperate initially but will likely lack commitment to the objectives and may later resist implementation."

So, what's your style?

March 2008 Scattershooting

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 03:09:00 +0000

I've wanted to write for awhile now, but I'm so busy! I decided that I would write here until I got a certain amount of things accomplished. Tonight, goal completed! Various things to write about, so here's some scattershooting . . .

The main thing keeping me busy at the moment is getting our house to sell! Lots of minor repairs, some yard work, painting, etc. Boy, I'm ready for this to be over. We're hoping to stay within our school district with a little more room for the kids to roam.

Gearing up for March Madness? This Oregon Urology clinic has a genius idea that some guys should gear down. They're pitching that guys need to get a vasectomy before the tourney starts so that you have 4 days of non-stop NCAA basketball watching without hassle! Genius! Here's the news article, here's the link to the actual clinic's news item. I was hoping to get the audio of the commercial that ran on the Eugene, Oregon sports station but I can't find it anywhere.

Collin got promoted to the rank of Bear in Cub Scouts -- way to go Collin!

Also, getting ready for fantasy baseball season with my buds in the northeast. I love reviewing the teams and players. I also like ranking the players in their positions. However, I sure miss live drafts! Everything in online now which makes the season so easy, but the automatic drafts where you have to rank every player in one big list is a whippin'! I don't want to decide now between Jake Peavy and Carlos Beltran -- I'd rather wait and see which top players are available at all of the positions and then pick the one I like best. After the automatic draft last year, I was left scratching my head over some of the picks wondering why it drafted the way it did. Oh well, it's still a lot of fun.

Let it snow . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 03:23:00 +0000

It's snowing in Texas and I love it! Colorado is one of my favorite states and I love winter sports, I just wish I had the day off tomorrow so I could play in it. We had just put the boys to bed when we realized it was snowing so we went and got them to look out the window -- how cool!

Top U.S. Cities and the 7 Deadly Sins

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:03:00 +0000

Forbes just published some interesting information on what they consider to be "America's Most Sinful Cities." The online version is complete with an interactive map of each of the deadly sins and the cities that they selected (using data compiled from various sources) .

They failed to make it easy by providing a list of the top 10 cities in each category, relying instead on the map. Also, I was looking for the overall top 10 cities but they only show the cities within each category. Interestingly, Las Vegas only showed up on the list for "sloth."

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Reading Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:04:00 +0000

It's about time for Collin to tackle the next book in the Harry Potter series — Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. That means that I needed to read it ahead of time and work up some discussion questions. There are some very good lessons to be learned from this next installment and I didn't want him to miss any of them including racism, decision making, problem solving, initiative, courage, and more.

Download the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Reading Guide in Word/Google Docs or you can download the Chamber of Secrets Reading Guide in PDF. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to leave me a comment here or e-mail me.

2007 (not a Space) Odyssey

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:55:00 +0000

I just realized that I haven't written about out latest major purchase -- a new 2007 Honda Odyssey! We originally were not real excited about going into debt again (the only debt that we've had for awhile is our house) but we have already paid it off (thanks to some help from the family).

Our old van was a 2000 Plymouth Grand Voyager and it had over 125,000 miles on it. We put it in the shop and when our mechanic said "it'll be around $800" my response was "no, it won't!" Since Heather broke down by herself with all of the kids driving to New Orleans to visit some of the friends that we made from the Katrina diaspora, our confidence in that van was in major decline. We got $2,000 for that van and were thankful for it. It's a good thing we sold it too! A friend of ours bought the van for his dealership and a week after he sold it the new owner called and told him the engine blew on it — thank you Lord!

We had been saving money for a new van but the cash on hand would only buy us another run down van. After weighing our options and praying over it, we decided that we should go into debt and get a little better van and focus on paying it off as quickly as possible. Our family then stepped in and offered to pay the difference between what we were willing to spend and the cost of a new van. So, we got our dream and went shopping for a new Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey. The Sienna's didn't impress us near as much as the Odyssey's.

The only thing that the kids cared about was a built in DVD player. When we started looking for used vehicles, we told the kids to pray specifically that we would find the right van with a DVD player since I wasn't willing to pay much extra for it. The model of Odyssey that comes with the DVD player also happens to come equipped with a 6 disc CD changer, sun roof, leather interior, and other awesome trimmings that we wouldn't ordinarily care about. Since the dealer just got a big shipment of 2008 models, we negotiated a great deal on a 2007 model!

Thank you family and thank you Lord for providing us everything we could have asked for or imagined!

Happy Madri Gras in New Orleans

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 02:14:00 +0000

Well it's Mardi Gras time again and I just realized that I never wrote about it last year -- shame on me! Every time I say this, my Christian friends can't believe it, but man Mardi Gras was fun and I want to take my wife and kids to experience it some time!

Mardi Gras was nothing like I expected and everything that I expected all at the same time. Mardi Gras is NOT just a bunch of drunk people flashing everyone (unless you're on Bourbon Street of course). It is like a street carnival, jazz festival, and great parades all wrapped up in one big event.

We stayed in a big hotel off of St. Charles between Canal and Poydras and we had tickets to about three big parades. The tickets were to stay on a set of scafolding to watch the parades and catch "throw" from the floats. The key to catching "throw" in the form of beads, stuffed animals, toys, coconuts (from the Zulus), and other cool stuff is NOT flashing but being nice, looking the floats riders in the eye and yelling "Throw me somethin' mistah!" The parades were really cool with fun floats and wild costumes. During the day, between the big parades, neighborhood crewes would "march" and some of them were hilarious. I saw a whole family dressed like the incredibles including the baby.

Since I was with my Mom (yes, I'm the conservative one of the family) we went down Bourbon street enough to grab a bit to eat and go to Charlie O'Briens piano bar one night. Charlie O'Briens was a blast. The stage was two pianos opposite each other with a guy playing the thimbles in between. Man did those pianists know how to play and sing, I bet they know every song ever written (they play requests from the crowd). The guy in the middle had thimbles on each finger and a metal dish like a plate that he would tap on. People would throw him change and that would help the percussion sound. Everyone would sing all of the songs that they knew and it was a lot of fun.

A highlight for me was getting to meet up with my friend Chip. Chip is a true hero of Katrina who stayed behind to look after his grandfather while the rest of his family evacuated. He got stuck in his attic, got out, and helped rescue others in his neighborhood before going to the Superdome. He testified that the Superdome was a horrible, unspeakable place and they couldn't wait to get out of there. Chip is in the Crewe of Zulu and got us beads the night before they marched, and got us great stuff including the coveted Zulu painted coconuts also.

However, you can't take a trip to New Orleans without the food! We ate fried shrimp po-boys, gumbo, and ham at Mothers by day and beignets at Cafe Du Monde by night. I can't wait to go back and our experiences with the people of New Orleans after Katrina only made my time there sweeter.

Decisions, decisions . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:33:00 +0000

My wife and I have a lot to think about right now as we are considering some changes in our family, including moving out of our starter home (that we've had for 10 years).

The scripture that we have clung to thus far is Acts 17:26, I determine the times set for you and the exact places where you should live. Regardless of what we think, we want to be right in the center of God's Will for our family so we are desparately seeking Him and His wisdom.

As I did my Proverbs reading today, the following verse jumped out at me. For the Lord gives wisdom . . . for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones . . . . then you will understand what is right and just and fair — every good path (Proverbs 2:6-9).

MLK Quotes and Speeches

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:48:00 +0000

I don't know why I haven't written about Martin Luther King, Jr. before but I have great respect for that man. It seemed appropriate for me this year to write about him and share my thoughts along with some links to relevant sites. Especially since my kids are out of town, I won't get to sit at our computer and let them listen to my favorite speeches/sermons like we normally do every year -- I'll use that time to write here.

I read a biography about MLK Jr. several years ago after being fascinated by his life for so long. The Biography was excellent and gave what I considered a fair treatment of Dr. King (sorry, I borrowed the book and can't find it on Amazon but it was written in the 1980s I believe). He was not a perfect man by any means but none of us should hold that against him. In my view, he was a man of action and integrity who stood by his convictions regardless of the cost, which are key traits I am trying to teach my boys as they grow into men.

Here are a few great resources that I have found with information on Dr. King:
* Standford research institute with some great links to speeches and sermons (check out the "Popular Requests" and "King Audio" links).
* The King Center in Atlanta founded by Coretta Scott King (the link is not working today perhaps due to high traffic).
* AfricanAmericans.com complete speech transcripts and key quotes.
* MLK Online has some good information and links.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from his speeches and sermons:

Address to the National Press Club, Washington, D.C. July 19, 1962:
"We are simply seeking to bring into full realization the American dream -- a dream yet unfulfilled. A dream of equality of opportunity, of privilege and property widely distributed; a dream of a land where men no longer argue that the color of a man's skin determines the content of his character; the dream of a land where every man will respect the dignity and worth of human personality-this is the dream. When it is realized, the jangling discords of our nation will be transformed into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood, and men everywhere will know that America is truly the land of the free and home of the brave."

Great March on Detroit speech, Michigan June 23, 1963:
"If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live."

March on Washington "I Have a Dream," Washington, D.C., August 28, 1963:
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed, 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' I have a dream that one day . . . sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood . . . . This is our hope . . . . With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day . . . . This will be the day when all God's children will be able to sing with new meaning, 'My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.'"

Strength To Love, 1963 (applicable to anger):
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction . . . . The chain reaction of evil -- hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars -- must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation."

Strength to Love, 1963 (great quote about the church):
"The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority."

Strength to Love, 1963 (great quote for men):
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

The Drum Major Instinct, February 4, 1968:
"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve . . . . you only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love."

I've Been to the Mountaintop, Memphis April 3, 1968, (the night before he died):
* "The world is all messed up . . . . But I know, somehow, that only when it's dark enough can you see the stars."
* "With this faith, I will go out and carve a tunnel of hope from a mountain of despair."

Alright Michael Lindsay!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:37:00 +0000

My Baylor fraternity brother Michael Lindsay has been doing great things for awhile now, but today he showed up in my inbox! I subscribe to Catalyst Monthly and the December 2007 edition has an article from Michael in it!

I scrolled down and his face was right there staring at me. It was an excerpt from his book Faith in the Halls of Power on evangelicals in leadership -- way to go Michael! Michael is now a professor at Rice University (view his bio).

Kids Bike Riding

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:08:00 +0000

Boy, do I miss writing on this blog -- I've got to try to make more time for it.

Anyway, Collin has been riding his bike on two wheels now since this Spring -- I meant to write about it here but . . . . We got a really good tip that helped Collin and I wanted to pass along that really helped us -- start off riding downhill! It helps them not have to pedal and they can focus on keeping their balance. It worked like a charm for Collin.

What made me think about this now was a video from DadLabs.com about bike riding. I like the site because they are encouraging participation in parenting from Dads and they're from Texas.