Landon on the potty

We started the process of potty training Landon today. We were not very successful. He cried every time we put him on the potty...well, almost every time. :)

A Lesson From Susan Boyle

Susan Boyle is 47. She has never been married. As a matter of fact, she hasn't even been kissed. This clip recently aired on the hit TV show, Britain's Got Talent. (Most of you will recognize at least on the the judges.) This is a great reminder for us to not judge a person based upon their physical appearance.

Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent
by dwarthy

So What About the Next 4 Years?

I like what Perry Noble had to say today in this post. It kind of sums up how I feel about the election. I have had several student ask me over the last couple of days what the world is going to look like in the next four years. I tell them the same thing every time, "I do not know!"

I do tell them that Scripture is clear that we are to pray for our leaders...and we are to obey government as long as they are not contrary to what Scripture teaches. I don't know what the next four years are going to look like. I do know this, I have prayed for President Bush on a regular basis over the past eight years. We have prayed for President Elect Obama the last two days in each of the classes I teach. I am sure throughout the next four years I will pray for him on a regular basis as well!

Random Thoughts This Morning

My mind has been pretty active this morning. Here are some things I have been thinking:

• I am glad we have "fall break" coming up for the next 5 days! It is much needed...for teachers and students!
• I am not looking forward to attending this ACSI conference for the next 3 days. I would rather spend time with Leah and Landon...or at Catalysts 08!
• My mother in law put a rocking chair together for us last night. She did an excellent job. Leah said I probably would have cussed if I had attempted to put it together myself. She may be right. I HATE putting things together!
• I would chose Rick Flair, aka "The Nature Boy" as my wreslin partner!
• I am excited that I get to speak to students 4 times over the next 3 weeks!
• Tennessee may get demolished by UGA this weekend. It is possible that we will lose by 3 touchdowns or more. It is also possible good Ole Phil will pull some magic out of his hat and we will win. I am betting the latter does not happen...but I hope it does.
• I feel sorry for Jonathan Crompton. I know he had to be trying as hard as he could...he just couldn't get it done. Reminds me of some people I have coached...
• Jesus has been praying for me today! Man, that is awesome!
• Over 600 people were baptised at Newspring Church in South Carolina this past Saturday! That would really be something to see...Maybe we will one day here in Knoxville!

That's all for now...

Feeling the PUDGE

I hate washing my jeans. I hate feeling a little pudgy when I put on a washed pair of jeans. I had to wash 3 pair this week. I had to wear a pair last night for about an hour. It was probably the worst hour of my week.

Is anybody with me?

Dr. Memory

We have had the privilege here at GCA for the last couple of days of hosting basketball great Jerry Lucas. Mr. Lucas is now known as Dr. Memory. Yes, he conquered the basketball court over 30 years ago. He was a household name. If he were playing today his fame would be comparable to Lebron James or Kobe Bryant.

Mr. Lucas isn't as widely known today as he once was. He shared his story with us. His team had just won the NBA title. He was named the MVP of that years All Star game. He was on top of the basketball world. "Something wasn't right inside" said Mr. Lucas. He went to a friend for help. That friend pointed him to Jesus. He had 3 years left on his NBA contract with the NY Knicks...and he walked away.

He has since devoted his life to God, and education. He has developed a system to teach people how to learn and memorize information better that what they were taught. I am sold. His method works. He spoke in church this past Sunday and I can still tell you all 10 points of his sermon. That is amazing.

It has been good to have him here. If only the kids at the Academy knew who they were listening to. What a story of true success! Thanks Mr. Lucas.

Courage + Belief = Life

I posted this story on Wednesday June 25th. It was a story of hope. It was a story of courage. It was a story of a young man fighting for his life. John Challis lost that fight today, but I am sure his story will live in the hearts of the people he touched. His message was profound, yet simple..."Live each day as if it were you last." Good advise, John...and thanks for the reminder.

Summer Movies

Just thought I would let you know that the summer movie season is upon us...just in case you live under a rock. Leah and I are finding it a little harder to get away to see as many movies as we would like. (Landon has a ADD...like most 17 month old babies.)
About a week ago we were able to see Get Smart. I love the tv show. You just can't find quality like that on TV today. The movie has its funny parts. I really like Steve Carrell's sense of humor. There were a couple of times I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard.
This weekend we are going to WV. to visit some of Leah's extended family. We already have an evening planned with her cousins to see Hancock. I have heard mixed reviews about it so I'm anxious to watch it. To be honest, the movie I am looking forward to seeing the most this summer is Wall-E. I have heard nothing but great comments about the new Pixar film.
I'll be back next Wednesday. Have a happy 4ht of July!

Good Reminder For All Of Us

Maybe you are having a bad day. Maybe you are a little down because of something someone said. Perhaps someone hurt your feelings. Maybe someone in your family is having serious health problems. We have those days that we would like to forget don't we? I know I do. I'm not taking away the "thing" that you are going through right now, but I do want to show you this video. Life is hard. God is good. Hang in there and keep fighting...for one more day.

Living In The Dark Ages Pt. 2

It was about a week ago that I said at times Leah and I feel like we are living in the dark ages. Why? Because we do not have 2 of the modern conveniences that most married couples our age have: the Internet and cable TV. Well, now there is only one that we are missing, cable. We have the Internet at home now. (We got a great deal) Anyway, I finished that blog by saying this:

We do not think that the Internet or cable is wrong. We just do not have the funds to have those conveniences at this point of our marriage. We can do better things with the money God has given us. What about you? More on this subject next time!

I would like to take the liberty and elaborate on that for a minute. We have some friends who wonder how Leah and I do it? How do we live the way we do with the (lack) of income that we have. (I'm a christian school teacher. We aren't making BIG money.) It is quite simple really. There is no magic formula or big secret that we aren't sharing with them. Leah and I have been blessed. There is no way, other than God, that we could live in a house like we live in. That is a God story that maybe I could share at another time.

The bottom line is this: We have worked hard to be where we are. We have sacrificed some material things in order to have the material things we do have. We do not have cable. We do not wear designer clothes. (I never understood that anyway.) We do not have car payments. We have bought cars that we could pay cash for. They may not be what we want, but they are all we need. We keep our windows open in the spring and fall. That may not sound like it is a big deal, but we literally save $200-$300 a year just by opening the windows in our house. We do not eat out often. We do not have school loans. I worked hard while I was in high school and was able to obtain a sizable basketball scholarship. My mom and dad were gracious enough to pay for the remainder of schooling that basketball did not cover. We save for months before we make a big purchase. We do not buy things that we cannot pay for in cash. To borrow a quote from Dave Ramsey, "We are trying to live like no one else right now so that later in life we can live like no one else." Sacrifice now so that you can be rewarded later. That is what we are trying to do. With God's help, and hard work, you can do it too!

Read NOW

Is God good all the time? Let's face it, we like to say that, but do we really believe it? I want you to stop what you are doing and read this blog from a pastor in Florida. Have a Kleenex handy.

Living In The Dark Ages

I feel like Leah and I are living in the "dark ages" sometimes. Why? I guess because we do not have two of the major "conveniences" that most married people our age have at their home. They are cable TV and the Internet. (Thus the reason my posts on here are often days apart. I can only post when I have time while I am in my office. Otherwise I would try to be on here daily.) I must confess that not having cable TV isn't that big a deal. Yes, I do get annoyed when people ask, "Dude, did you see that game last night?"... and for the 15th time I have to tell them, "No, we do not have cable." Then I receive this look of pity like my dog has just died. I do miss watching college football on Saturdays during the fall on ESPN and college basketball in the winter; however, I can't think of another thing on cable TV that I would want to see. Maybe, that is because we do not have it, and we do not know what we are missing. I seriously doubt that is the case.
Of the two, I would pay to have the Internet at the house. Is there a simpler and easier way to keep of with friends and family than the Internet? I don't think so. Plus, you can get all the news and highlights of any game or show or randomness from the day that you have missed because you do not have cable TV. Leah is going out of town this weekend to watch her cousin graduate from high school. I wanted to surprise her with a little flower garden around the mailbox. I had no idea how to plant a flower garden until just a few minutes ago. I typed the words "how to plant a flower garden" into the search bar and had over 300,000 results to pick from. You can't do that with cable TV.
We do not think that the Internet or cable is wrong. We just do not have the funds to have those conveniences at this point of our marriage. We can do better things with the money God has given us. What about you? More on this subject next time!

What Might Have Been

Do you ever wonder what might have been? What if that deal would have closed? What is SHE didn't dump you for your best friend? What if you hadn't bought that car that you knew was just right for you...now five years later you are wondering how could you have been so stupid, and how can I get rid of this payment? Sometimes I think about what might have been...

It was three years ago around this time that we were candidating at a church in Louisiana. The church was awesome. The guy I would be working directly under was awesome. Even though it was 12 hours from my home, and 20 hours away from Leah's family, we had made up our mind that if they offer the position, we were going. I still remember the phone call I received telling me that they did not think I had the experience necessary for the position they had open. We were crushed. I struggled for a couple of weeks after that call. I was hurt.

Three years later now I am teaching at Grace Christian Academy in Knoxville, close to home. Leah's parents have moved from WV to Knoxville to make their home here as well. I can't tell you how happy we are to be here. Things are not the same in the awesome church in LA. We live in an incredible house here that was a gift from God. When Landon was born I was working for an insurance company. It's a good thing, his hospital bill was over $30,000.00. We paid a $100 copy to cover the whole thing. I could go on and on.

Sometimes it is fun to think about what might have been, but who wants to live in the past? I can't wait to see what the rest of today is going to bring.

The Art Of Thankgiving

We live in a society that does not say "Thank you" often. I work with high school students everyday. I pour my life into theirs trying to teach them not only about History and Bible, but life as well. I have received 5 "Thank you" notes/emails from parents/students this year.

I often wonder how God must feel. How often do I fail to say "Thank you" for all He has done for me. I do not want to live a thankless life towards Him and others. I read this article, "The Art of Thanksgiving" this morning and I thought I would share it with you!

The art of thanksgiving is thanksliving. It is gratitude in action. It is applying Albert
Schweitzer’s philosophy: “in gratitude for you own good fortune you must render in
return some sacrifice of your life for other life.”

It is thanking God for the gift of life by living in triumphantly.

It is thanking God for your talents and abilities by accepting them as obligations to be
invested for the common good.

It is thanking God for all that men and women have done for you by doing things for
others.

It is thanking God for opportunities by accepting them as a challenge and achievement.

It is thanking God for happiness by striving to make others happy.

It is thanking God for inspiration by trying to be an inspiration to others.

It is thanking God for the creative ideas that enrich life by adding your own creative contributions to human progress.

It is thanking God for each new day by living it to the fullest.

It is thanking God by giving hands, arms, legs and voice to your thankful spirit.

It is adding to your prayers of thanksgiving, acts of thanksgiving.

So, who do you need to say "Thank you" to today?

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.