Eating Crow

Crow does not taste like chicken, I don’t care what anyone tells you.  I should know as I have had to partake of my share after last night’s death-blow to the Dallas Mavericks by Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat.  All of my big talk was just that–talk.  So I give my half-hearted congratulations to all 3 of you Heat fans.  What will my life be like now that the NBA Finals are over and the Mavericks have gone away empty-handed?  I will get much more sleep.  It is hard to be an sports fan on the East Coast when you like to be asleep by 10:00 pm.  You West-Coasters have it easy.

Maybe now that the Finals are over I will actually write a “real” entry on this blog site again.  Just maybe . . .

Bosnia with Dad

Last year, Dad and I spent Father’s Day in Bosnia. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to serve alongside him there. This is a picture of us enjoying some Bosnian coffee with our host family.

Papa C.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad! I thank God for your encouragement and example to me.

Have a Nice Vacation

I am not jealous.  Even though many of you will be heading to the beach this summer to soak in the rays, play in the sand, and ride the waves, I am okay with that.  After all, I get to spend some time in the shark-free waters of Grand Lake in Oklahoma.  So have a great time frolicking in the ocean this summer; I don’t resent you.  But as you go, remember these photos.  I sort of hope this doesn’t spoil your fun.  Remember, I am not bitter that you are going to the beach and not me.

And the truly frightening one . . .

So have fun.  I can’t wait to hear about your trip when (or if) you make it home.

33:32

This past Saturday our church hosted a 5K race as a fundraiser to support our short-term team we are sending to Gorazde, Bosnia in July–the Bosnia Brze (brze means “fast” in Bosnian).  I ran so “brze” that I set a personal record:  33:32!  Before you send me any congratulatory gifts, I guess I should say that this is the only race I have ever run.  My record time is in fact my only time.  But don’t go doubting the authenticity of such an incredible finishing time.  Actually, for all of you non-running types, that is VERY slow.  To put it into perspective, the winning runner made it accross the line in just 16:54.  Most novice runners run a 5K somewhere between 23:00 and 28:00. 

 Why so slow?  Because I am lazy and out of shape?  Of course.  But there is more to the story.  The race consisted of two laps around a 2500 meter cross-country course laid out on our church’s 20-acre property.  For the first time around, I pushed Cali and Carson in a double jogging stroller.  My goal when I began was fairly simple:  Don’t get lapped.  I barely accomplished that goal (by only a few seconds).  It just about killed me.  Any incline required me to lay out flat to push the 80 lbs of giddy offspring up the grassy slopes.  I can see you now, making little sawing motions with your hands, saying dramatically, “Whah, whah, whah.  This is the world’s tiniest violin playing just for you”  There is no need for you to leave comments like this–I have already mocked myself sufficiently for all of you.  After one lap, I ditched the monkeys and went the rest of the way solo.  But I was too exhausted to make up any time.  Sorry Brook, your husband may be skinny and aerodynamic (a.k.a., bald), but that does not make him fast.

Cali joined me at the end and crossed the finish line with me.  I don’t exactly know what Samuel (the guy ahead of us) was doing.  He took advantage of my fatherly kindness to get Cali and passed me at the line.  I think he might have been impersonating Eric Liddell or something.

Maybe this will mark the beginning of a long and successful running career for me.  Watch out you formidable 30-minute mark, here I come.  Perhaps a marathon someday . . .  No, I think I’ll stick to squirrel fishing as a source of personal recreation.

Thank you, Bosnia team, for putting this fun event together.  And thank you, runners, for lacing up your shoes and coming out to sweat with us.  God graciously used this race to provide the remaining funds needed for the trip.

2 Down, 2 To Go

Can you read the big guy’s face?  Sheer panic.  Isn’t it great.  The Mavericks dominated the Heat last night and are on their way to prove they are the best team in the NBA.

Mike and Sean, where are you now?

The Heat Is Off

The Dallas Mavericks will play the first NBA Finals game of their franchise’s history tonight against the Miami Heat.  I have been a long time fan of the Mavericks and grew going to their games back in the days of ”Ro” Blackman, Derek Harper, Brad Davis, Sam Perkins, and Mark Aguirre.  The game of basketball and this team have changed dramatically since then–mostly for the better.

I don’t know if there are any Heat fans among this blog’s insignificant (in quantity, certainly not quality) readership, but if so I would like to hear from you so I can publicly mock you.  If the Jazz had made the playoffs this year (I know that is REALLY a stretch), I could not have passed up the opportunity to do some verbal sparring with The Mailman.  Maybe next year.  Yeah right.

Be sure to check your local listings and cheer on Dirk and the gang tonight.

Dumber than Swine

In a recent conversation I was reminded of a humorous news story that broke a year or so ago.  In Turkey, some shepherds had taken a break to eat breakfast and had left their flock unattended, though they were not far away.  One of the sheep ran and jumped off a nearby cliff to his death.  Then another one followed . . . and another . . . and so on.  The stunned Turkish shepherds watched as nearly 1,500 others followed, each leaping off the cliff in the same spot.  In the end, 450 dead animals lay on top of one another in a massive pile of white wool.  The 1,000 plus sheep that jumped later were saved as the pile grew higher and the fall more cushioned.
The humor I found in this story turned to sadness as I thought of the effect that such a loss would have on this destitute community.  These sheep were their livelihood.  The economic impact of this tragedy for these families would be equivalent to the loss of a year’s wages in America.
The account in the gospels of the demoniac whose unclean spirits Jesus released into a large herd of pigs also came to mind.  After the demons entered the swine, the herd rushed toward the sea, tumbled down a cliff, and drowned.  About 2,000 pigs died that day.  This was also a major economic catastrophe to that Gerasene community, as evidenced by their response to Jesus:  “They began to implore Jesus to leave their region” (Mk. 5:17).  But my thought was this:  Pigs have to be possessed by demons to foolishly run off a cliff to their death; sheep just need to be left alone and they will meet the same fate.  My conclusion:  Sheep are dumber than swine.

And it is sheep that the Bible repeatedly compares God’s people to.  Let that give you a “self-esteem” boost.  Actually, God doesn’t compare us to sheep because of our low IQ’s as though humans were actually no smarter than pigs.  We have been uniquely created in the image of God and are highly intelligent beings so far as creatures go.  But God does use sheep as a metaphor for us because of the neediness sheep have for their shepherd.  Left alone they are helpless and lost.  Sheep need shepherds.  They need protection from wolves.  They need to be led to green pastures and fresh water.  They need to be protected from sickness, parasites, and injuries.  They are dependent creatures, completely in need of their shepherd’s guidance and care.

Who is our shepherd, but the Lord Himself (Ps. 23; John 10)?  Being one of God’s sheep does not mean that we turn our brains off, “letting go and letting God.”  No, as human “sheep” we must faithfully follow our Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ.  We must be quick to respond to the nudging of His rod and the guidance of His staff.  We must drink from the deep springs of truth He leads us to which are in His Word.  We must keep ourselves in the sphere of His protection—“Keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21).  We must stay close to the flock, the church, and not wander away in selfish independence or curious investigation.

“We are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Ps. 100:3b).  This special relationship we have with the Lord carries a great responsibility and a great promise.  “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28).  May each of us joyfully submit to the guidance of and find comfort in the care of our Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and of His under-shepherds in this local flock.

9-9-9

I woke up this morning and noticed that my counter was at 999–or three inverted sixes.  Today is 6-6-6 (June 6, 2006).  Coincidence?  I think so.  I gladly welcome the 1000th hit so that I can rid myself of this “omen.”  Actually, I don’t really care.  I am not one who suffers from hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia.  In fact, I plan on having a lot of fun today on National Yo-Yo Day.  I’ll get busy blogging later.  For now, I must go “walk the dog.”

Snake Pit

My good friend and former sound guy, Mike Escen, recently posted about his fears of air travel in view of an upcoming vacation to Hawaii and a movie being released about snakes on an airplane.  Apparently, that scenario is not so far-fetched after all.  Check out this story at foxnews.com .  Joy, I am glad he did not read this before the trip.  He would never have set foot on that plane.