Next project before we pick up Benny is the hallway bathroom. Here's a few "before" pictures.

Tin Reasons Why Live Coverage Is Sketchy At Best

Before I start the day, I pray that the folks down in LA/MS will be safe. I wonder if other countries have disaster units they actually dispatch to the US in our times of need. Or do they think it is our responsibility to automatically help ourselves and everyone else out. This isn't a snide commentary on other countries, just a question.

Anyways, it seems most people are trying to seek safety (even if it is The Superdome, with a big super big roof)-we'll except the meteorologists. I finally quit watching the Breaking Live Coverage on one of the national stations. Here is basically how the conversation went prior to my turning off this riveting news.

News Guy: "Mr Weatherman"

Weatherman: "Yes, Mr News Guy"

News Guy: "It seems pretty windy out there. What have you clocked the windspeed at?"

Weatherman: ".........." (he didn't hear him because of the wind)

Weatherman: "Mr News Guy, sorry... but I keep looking over my left shoulder. I keep thinking I see debris is coming my way".

News Guy: "We'll check back in a few minutes....back to the desk for todays news"

---------a few minutes pass------------------------

News Guy: "Mr Weatherman"

Weatherman: "Yes"

News Guy: "Mr Weatherman, we have footage of some corrugated tin racing down the road behind you"

Weatherman: ".....Yeah...."

News Guy: "Can you tell us how you felt as that was skimming down the road behind you ?"

At this point the story became the piece of tin. Sort of like when the debris hit Geraldo Rivera a few months ago in Florida. Time to turn off this Breaking News. Call me crazy. Flying tin and a bent a stop sign in the background don't seem that newsworthy. I think I'll stick to the Weatherchannel from now on.

Critic's Corner

If you are looking for recommended reading. Here's what's on my nightstand:

1. "Searching For God Knows What" by Donald Miller. He is the author of Blue Like Jazz.
2. "Radical Human Presence" by Landon Saunders. This is a manuscript I printed off the web.

www.heartbeatvancouver.ca/RadicalHumanPresence.pdf

3. The Bible. There is no substitute-although I don't read it as often as I should.
4. "The Strength Of Mercy" by Jan Beazely.

I remember going to my Grandparents 50th Anniversary party when I was a kid. WIth exception to the cake, the party as I remember it seemed hopelessly boring. Not to mention I was forced to wear a suit on a non-church day. Everybody seemed old.

Fast forward to 2005. My Aunt and Uncle took a different approach to their milestone. Happy 50th to the couple who redefined the "Golden Anniversary" as the "Lets Take The Kids To Alaska On A Cruise Anniversary". I guess I had better rethink this old thing when thinking of a 50th. It's all in perspective I guess. Of course when G and I celebrate 50 years together, we'll flat-out be waaay over the hill.

Monday we will hit day 20 of up to 30 business days for the final Guatemalan court. During this time our paperwork can be kicked out-rejected-delayed-for any small reason. Each delay would result in another month he is in Guatemala. This is also the final stage Bennys birth mother can use to keep him under her custody. Despite this fact, I have been optimistic there will be no delays, and he will be placed in our arms shortly. I think this has weighed on G's heart lately. Mine too.

I can't wait to establish family routines with him. I guess like D&L have with the girls in going to Ted's almost every week for Mexican food. Of course it makes me nervous thinking of the routines Benny will be subjected to with his Mom. "OK Benny, lets get our nails done..." "OK Benny, lets get a facial..." "OK Benny, lets go over the ERISA rules for Owner Defined Benefit Plans...while Mommy is getting her pedicure". I jest. She will be an excellent Mom. I think I would like to climb a mtn with him every year, and get him hooked on Jimmy Buffett tunes.

There are alot of people I would have wanted Benny to meet. People that have been a blessing to G and I. First would be Grandma for many obvious reasons if you ever knew her. I still have a hard time listening to her tell her life story on tape to AA. Then there is Edith from OKC and Edie from Golden, CO. Both ladies had a sweet disposition, and a strong heart for prayer. As a matter of fact Edie hosted a shower for my sister when she was born in CO. That was a big connection when we first moved to Denver. Then there is Aunt Inez. If there was ever a drug that made you laugh, she was a strung-out junkie.

We'll, gotta run for now.

Dateline: August 24, 2005
Peru, Indiana.

According to reports, a custodian for the First Baptist Church (Peru, IN) was busted for Felony Manufacturing of Methamphetamine. He was cooking the stuff right there in the church building. Clearly this guy isn't the brightest bulb in the room, but wouldn't this make him a METHodist instead of a Baptist?

I know-bad joke.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050824/NEWS01/508240503

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On a more serious note, I think it is important to find something that inspires you. I'm not talking about cheering when someone conquers Everest or K2, but being inspired by the way people handle adversity and pain after great losses. I have had 3 cousins that have had children pass away. They have managed to turn their sorrows into a living message of Faith. They are sad and grieve, way more than others could ever, ever realize. They have used sorrow to bring glory to God. This has affected children in other continents, students, friends, co-workers. The list goes on. This inspires me more than Jerry Maguire. Isn't this the way God intended it? The same with M & P in OKC, and of course my "hero"-Granny. Makes me think Heaven will be a blast when everyone can be reunited. No tears there!

Baseball. Pre-Steroids.

Here is a very grainy pic of when I was a member of the much vaunted Knights Of Columbus. My coach was Mr. Petit. He is now lives in the house between Dad and Granny. I'm not quite sure what year this was, but the NL East standings on the back of this newspaper clipping had STL trailing Philly and Montreal by 1 1/2 games. My how things change. And I still don't like to tuck in my shirt.

When I was a younger man in my early 20's, I used to make "Best Of" lists. Just the fact that I had time to make and think about these lists might give you an insight to the sheer boredom I experienced while watching the world unfold around me as a drive-through teller at The Bank. I'll get to the lists later. The location was in Oklahoma City at 63rd & MacArthur, but my mind was always somewhere else.

Despite it's "entry level" position, I had a great time. At the time I was the only guy employed at the branch. This was an automatic plus. Being single and not having a steady girlfriend made me an outstanding commodity with the women folk. My favorite customer even tried to hook me up with her granddaughter. I passed. We even had a 75-80 year old "regular" who claimed to be part of Hollywood's glorious good old days. I think I believed him because he actually painted on a litle black moustache. He was probably part of the good ol' days in the closet in Hollywood, though. Ahhhh, the good days at $950/month PLUS Saturday pay (that is a different post entirely).

I was very sad to leave my "girlfriends' behind on my last day at The Bank. There was Donna (the smoker), Kim (the divorcee), The Manager (the drinker), and a few others. I cannot recall their names, though. Those ladies were so nice, they even sent in a "character actress" to commemorate my leaving. Before you get on your moral high-horse, she didn't take all her clothes off. I was however dumb enough to believe her pre-strip story. The "cop" had to ask me a few questions about my car. It seems that it was involved in an altercation the night before. I didn't check her badge, because, well, her badge was somewhat distracting.

Please realize that Yours Truly is not the brightest bulb in the socket. I still didn't catch on. As I remember, two thoughts ran through my mind:
1. Hmmm, I DID loan my car to someone the night before. What the heck did he do?
2. Man, she is a cute cop. I wonder why she's a cop?

Needless to say, good prank. Being a guy has it's priviledges.

As I was saying. I used to sit at the drive-through just daydreaming. Yes, I made real lists on the back of blank deposit slips. These lists usually included best places to camp (typically in CO), Best drives to listen to Eric Clapton (the winner was I-25 from Denver to Co Springs-at dusk), Best places to ski (again, in CO). Do you notice a theme??? OK, I was somewhat obsessed with this particualar state. Best Songs (Springsteen and NON Springsteen categories). Best Campfire Songs.

Today If I were to make a list of "Best Days With Friends", I would have to put one particular night in the top 5. This was in June, 1999. A group of us from Golden CofC went to Grand Mesa, CO (here we go again with the CO thing). Yes there were mosquito's the size of bats, but this was truly a great weekend. We did the usual hiking, paddling around the lake, swatting mosquito's, getting to know each other...but the culmination of the weekend was at "Lands End" where we watched the blazing sun sinking over the eastern plains of Utah. This dramatic scene was breathtaking, and we couldn't help but break into songs of praise. Jenna captured this moment perfectly when she made each family a picture frame with these 2 pictures, and the words to How Great Thou Art inscribed between the pictures. This was good praise. We didn't worry about the others milling around, and we weren't concernd about how we were dressed. I doubt there would have been discussions if someone there chose to clap or raise their hands in praise. No matter what the song. God was simply being praised, and we were doing what we were created for-praising the Creator.

Other "Top 5" days with guy friends (from the top of my head):
1. Camping out in the mountains with Barry, Mark, John, Paul...Big rains that let up in time to cook dinner, play poker via campfire, and light up stogies.
2. Camping at 11,500' with Lars. Unsucessful 14'er attempt due to lightning.
3. July in my office with Bennys Uncle and Mark. Just talking, knowing the girls we love were downstairs, and the world was somehow right
4. Spending quality apres-ski hottub time with Wib (and Jimmer). Listening to WIb complain about his knees.
5. Laughing in the tent with Aaron.
6. Sitting at the moonlit, Mexican beach with Eric and Chris, just talking about life.
7. Learning to open up on life, to Landon, Mark, John, Brice, and Anthony.

I hope you find lots of lists in your life...............

Blue Like Jazz

After a brief absence to the Lake Of The Ozarks, it's back to the real world. I wasn't back an hour when my cell rings for me to come out to a jobsite. It seems there was an irrigation problem, and I had to re-cement down a pathway light.

We had a great time at the Lake. G and I got to know some great kids (college graduates), and good couples-one guy, Mike is an F-15 pilot. Pretty cool job if you ask me. It was also an opportunity to plop my lazy butt on the dock and couch to finish one of the most thought-provoking, and best books I have read. This book is called "Blue Like Jazz", and is written by Donald Miller. He raises up some great thoughts on being a Christian. I think he characterizes this book as Nonreligious Thoughts On Christian Spirituality. Like so many things/events unfolding around me these days, I am challenged to actually think about the why's and what's of my life and relationship with God, friends, and family. These days I feel like I am softening up quite a bit. Not to the extent of comprimising my beliefs, but trying to look at the other side to the story.

Onto other thoughts:
1. No news is still good news (Guatemala).
2. Geri managed to get a few cute outfits for Benny at the outlet mall by the lake.
3. I'm still working on making my other business a reality.
4. I am skipping Bball tonight, in order to work on the upstairs bathroom.
5. I have started another book by Miller: "Searching For God Knows What".
6. My shoulders are still sore from "tubing" behind the boat this weekend.

This has to be the largest building I have ever seen. When we saw it for the first time-it boggled my mind and senses. It's the Duomo, located in Milan. Don't get me wrong, I love big old cathedrals in Europe, but they always make me think of the old saying "Don't fence me in". Huge cathedrals are certainly architectural marvels to behold, but why were they really built? Are they mans testament to himself and what he can accomplish? Mans testament and offering to God?

I would suspect cathedrals such as this were built from forced labor, and financed with money of suspect origin. The finished result (to me) rests in a conventional thought that these buildings were meant to "house" God. It sure makes religion very convenient. Walk in a church building....there's God. Be good, and be quiet-stop unwrapping your candy so loud. He's watching and listening you know! Walk out of the cathedral (or church bldg)...you are free to resume your life. God will be waiting until next time. After all, we built this building to fence Him in.

Truth be told. I have felt small and in the presence of God when we have visited The Duomo, The Vatican, St Pauls, and all the other "hallmark" cathedrals. There is a wonderful feeling of personal insignificance when you stop and pray with a 200' dome over your head.

Fortunately we can't fence God in, and it doesn't take breathtaking stonework, or brick and mortar to feel that God is near. I'll take God's handiwork of the open sky with a beach or mountain any day. I'm glad He is everywhere-especially in a small house in Guatemala. Ultimately I know it is me that has to work at not fencing God in.