Killing the Video Game

Grand Theft Auto 4 was released this week. The forth installment of the Grand Theft Auto series reportedly had $400 million in sales on the FIRST day! This is a video game that allows you to shoot people, drive drunk, run people over, and even pick up prostitutes. The effects of Grand Theft Auto games have been debated since its initial release. Some people claim that because the violence isn't real, it has no lasting harmful effects on those who play the game. Others think it is unhealthy for people to play such games that promote the outlandish activities mentioned earlier. I tend to agree with the latter of the two.

There is no way that a game filled with such violence and sexuality can be good for people to play. I believe the numbers ($400 million) from the first day gives us a great indication where this world is at and where we are headed. Am I going as far as to say that because a person plays this game, they will be a rapist or a murderer or drive the streets of their town drunk...no. I do believe that what enters our minds has the POTENTIAL to be fleshed out. I have heard stories time and time again how the affair started because of pornography. How the alcoholic started with just a glass of wine at dinner, and now he has lost his family. How the gambler started with a simple night of poker with the boys and now he is thousands of dollars in debt.

I was amazed how many students in class today thought that the video game could have a negative effect on a person's thinking, yet they said they would still play when given the opportunity. The number was well over 70%. Maybe, just maybe, it is time for parents to STEP UP and get involved in their kid's lives. Then, maybe, just maybe, the culture would change. Just a thought.

Thoughts about vacation

We got back from our vacation on Sunday afternoon. We had a good time. It was nice to get away from the job/responsibilities for a week. I do feel refreshed and ready to wrap up this school year. I was reflecting on our time away last night and came up with these random thoughts about our vacation:

• I hate the drive home. Why does it seem like it takes so much longer to get home than it does to get to your destination?
• I ate too much ice cream! I am glad, and kind of sad, we do not have Treats on the Beach here. :)
• Ted Dekker's new book, ADAM, is very dark...but true.
• Sometimes, being around family stresses me out.
• I love being around my family.
• Landon liked the sand more than the water. We were surprised by this.
• The Magic Kingdom was too crowded!
• I may never take another time share tour as long as I live, no matter what the gift is!
• Leah and I need to take a vacation without Landon. Just the two of us. (More on this later)
• We stayed in a nice condo at this place.
• I want to go back!

Kid's Rock

Leah and I are leaving for New Smyrna Beach, Florida later today. We are looking forward to a needed vacation. (I'm not going to post this week, see you when we get back!) It has been a whirlwind year for us...namely trying to raise our 16 month old son, Landon. He is such a ball of energy. He is old enough now to respond to what we ask him to do. This, of course, is good and bad. He has been on the receiving end of the wooden spoon on his rearend quite frequently lately, but he is learning to listen and obey.

Landon loves to ride in the car. (That is a blessing. I have seen many kids go in the car seat kicking and screaming.) He does not mind getting in his car seat and going for a ride...most of the time. There are times when he gets bored from sitting still for so long and becomes a little cranky. (Me too!) When this happens, we pop in the one of the 4 children's cds that we have bought and he usually calms down. They all sound the same. A children's choir singing today's most popluar christian music. I can take about 1 hour of this music befor I start going CRAZY.

Comedian, Tim Hawkins, had a brilliant idea. One that I like anyway. Here is his video. Let me know what you think. I'll be back on the 28th.

New vs. Old

I was listening to sports talk show yesterday and I heard these words, "New and exciting trumps old and recovering every time." The host then gave a great example about Tennessee football. His point was clear. Three years ago UT had a 5-6 record on the football field. For most people in these parts, that is not acceptable. People were calling for Phil Fulmer's job left and right. They said it was an embarrassment that Tennessee football would sink to such lowes. This years team finished 10-4 and won the SEC Eastern Division and their bowl game. People still want Coach Fulmer gone. That was not good enough.

The host of the radio show then proceeded to make his point. What if three years ago UT had hired a new football coach. His first year he was 5-6. Three years later he had won the East and his New Year's day bowl game. People would be ecstatic. They would be talking about how our football program is on the rise and Florida and Alabama better watch out next year. His point was well made.

The parallels of the truth, "New and exciting trumps old and recovering every time." can be carried over into just about every are of our life. If we are not careful we will become complacent with life's most important things because they have become familiar to us. How is your marriage? Your relationship with your kids? What about your involvement in church? How about your walk with God? Is it time to make a few things in your life "new and exciting" once more? Just a thought.

Because I am the Mom!

Today is my Mom's birthday. I love my Mom. She is wonderful. She has always been there for me. I am sure there were times that I drove her crazy. She has told me so. I know there were times when I filled her eyes with tears of joy, and there were times when I caused her pain as well. I know she has spent many hours on her knees praying for me. I have seen and heard her.

My Mom loves to laugh. She has a contagous laugh. There are times when no one in the room is laughing but her, but she doesn't care. Usually, her laughter makes others laugh out loud as well. I thought I would post a video fo you that I hope you enjoy. I know when my Mom sees it she will be laughing out loud...and, chances are that if you had the opportunity to be in the room with her as she watches this, you would be laughing out loud too!

Carrots in her eyelashes...

My wife is an amazing person. Not only does she take care of me and our son, Landon, she has now taken on the responsibility of watching a beautiful 7 week old baby girl, Emma. Honestly, she is amazing. She has to be one of the most thoughtful people I have ever known. She is constantly volunteering her time, skills and knowledge for others. She is a terrific mom, and she is HOT! Landon is extremely lucky to have a mommy that cares so much for him. I am extremely lucky to have a wife that cares so much for me. I wanted to share with you something that Leah posted a while back on her Facebook page. It is a note about, "carrots in her eyelashes" and it shows a little bit of her character.

Today I was feeding Landon carrots when he had the sudden urge to make that razzing noise with his lips that he loves so much. The smelly, slimy, orange stuff went flying everywhere and I patiently set about cleaning it up. Wipe Landon's face, his chair, tray, shirt, my shirt...you get the picture. A while later I got annoyed when every time I blinked I saw something in my eyelashes! What was that?! You guessed it...carrots. When I realized it, I laughed out loud. It was a laugh at myself, at Landon, and most of all, just a laugh of pure joy. In that silly moment I realized (again) how much I love being a mom! It is the greatest joy that I don't even know how to explain. Sometimes Craig and I just look at each other and shake our heads in disbelief at how blessed we are. I recently saw a video diary entitled "99 balloons" on www.sermonspice.com that broke my heart and made me realize again that Landon is really a gift from God and I am SO BLESSED. (Take the time to watch it and you'll be reminded of how everything we have is only by God's grace!) I wanted to say THANKS LORD! This is a testimony from a happy mommy who can't wait to see how green beans will look with her outfit tomorrow...

Leah, I love you!

I Ain't As Good As I once Was....

Toby Keith had a hit song a couple of years ago. The lyrics summed up what happened to the Fab Five from Oak Ridge Fabricators this past weekend in Clinton High School while participating in a basketball tournament. One of my friends asked a couple of weeks ago if I would want to play in an upcoming tournament April 11-13. My calender was free so I told him I would play. The tourney format was set up so that we would play 3 games in pool play before the single elimination tournament began. We were guaranteed at least 4 games.
Our team was undefeated in the pool play so we had the #1 seed entering the tournament. We had a good team. Four of the seven players on our roster played high school ball together. Now, 12 years later we were lacing them up again to have some fun.
We made it to the championship game Sunday afternoon. We were playing the 1 seed from the other pool. It was a good match. They had superior players. We had superior heart. Three of their players were on the floor of Thompson-Boling Arena for four years at the University of Tennessee not even ten years ago. They were good.
Thy lyrics of Toby Keith's song go something like this, "I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once, as I ever was." Could we win? I believe we could have. Old(er) age and injury hampered us from bringing home the 1st Annual Big Ten Championship. Were we as good as we once were? Probably not. Were there times during this tournament that we were as good as we ever were? Definitely. It was a blast for all of us. I hope we get to do it again sometime soon.

The Best Question Ever?

I have to admit, I love listening to Andy Stanley speak. I believe he is one of the best communicators of Biblical truth that we have today. I decided about 7 weeks ago that I would show one of his series on Friday's in the two Bible classes that I teach. The series I wanted to show totally revolutionized my decision making. It is called, "The Best Question Ever." Basically, Andy suggests that the best question ever is, "What is the wise thing for me to do?" This is a principle found in the passage in Ephesians 5:15-16 which encourages Christians to walk as wise people. This simple question, this simple truth has revolutionized all of my decision making in the past 2 years. I hope it had the same effect on my students that it had on me. I guess only time will tell.

Here I go

I have been reading several different blogs for a few months now: perrynoble.com, edyoungblog.com, bradraby.blogspot.com, Monday Morning Insight, Mark Driscoll, and a few others. I have decided to do a little posting myself. So, here we go...off into the wonderful world of blogging. This should be good. I'll see you tomorrow.