thinking of . . . .

HER.

i love my wife so much. she wrote a blog about me yesterday that you can read here. she also sent me a text this morning that read “He must of knew every prayer i’d been praying. He must of knew everything i would need.  When God made you, He must of been thinking about me.”   WOW!  how blessed am i?  but it got me thinking.  guys need to know that their wives love, need and want them. so ladies, i’m challenging you to tell your man, today, how much you love, need and want them. just trust me on this. guys like it.

who’s yours?

37 days till Clemson football. i can hardly wait.  i have a first game tradition i follow every year.  up to this point it hasn’t really resulted in helping us win, so i’m thinking of changing it up a bit.  i used to buy a ginormous italian loaf of bread and fill it full of ham, roast beef, turkey, bologna, swiss cheese, american cheese, pickles and mustard.  add to this, cheese doodles, and orange soda.  why?  who knows.  i’ve just always done it that way.  i’m thinking maybe this year i might cook something on the grill.  maybe steak.  and chicken.  and pork chops.  nix the chops.  wrap bacon around my chicken.  mmmmmmmm.  i’m not sure why the start of Clemson football should involve me eating lots of animals, but i’m glad it does.  at least i’ll be saving some poor loaf of bread from an early demise.  whatever i do, it will still involve cheese doodles and orange soda.  can’t change up too much.  i would hate to take a chance on jinxing my team. 

so who’s your favorite team and what do you do to show your support?

GO TIGERS!!!!    CJ for Heisman.  Woo Hoo!

a little less. . . .

a little less than a decade.  wow. it doesn’t seem that long. 

i’ve been married 9 years today, to my hearts desire.  i’ve loved Amy all my life and God Gave her to me july 29th, 2000.  so in honor of today and my wonderful wife, i thought i would share some excerpts from our life.

valentines day 1988 – our first date, she kissed me on the cheek at the end of the night.  i was in heaven. (see above)

entrance to deerfield off 17 bypass – our first real kiss.

dock on lake hartwell oct. 1999 – she told me she wanted to spend the rest of her life with me.

feb. 11, 2000 – i sang “when you wish upon a star” to her and asked her to marry me. (she said yes)

july 29, 2000 – walking around savannah the night we were married. (i was nervous about going to the hotel)

july 29, 2001 – abby being born on our anniversary. (i got over my nervousness pretty quick)

july 29, 2009 – loving her more today than i did 9 years ago. fully expecting to love her more tomorrow.

here’s the scoop

for everyone that’s been wondering what’s goin on with me, here’s the scoop. pain and swelling in fingers and toes, positive test on blood work for hla-b27. white blood cells get confused and attack all tissues not just bad ones. off and on pain last 2 months. saturday night excruciating pain. couldn’t stand anything to touch my toes or fingers. swollen and stiff. more pain than i’ve ever felt. i’ve torn my rotator cuff, acl and mcl. had surgery on shoulder and knee and never felt anything like this.  i hate going to the doctor, much less the emergency room, but i couldn’t stand it any longer.

that’s the short version. here’s the cool part. amy and i prayed that God would touch me and He didn’t. we wondered why but knew He had a plan so we just accepted it and moved on. without going into any details, God used this situation to connect me with some people i otherwise wouldn’t have got to speak with.

so today i rejoice in my infirmities! 2 corinthians 12:9b “most gladly therefore will i rejoice in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”   as bad as saturday night was, i’d do it all again to see how God opens doors.  way to go God!

any ideas?

i usually write about what’s on my mind at any given moment.  but i would like to try something different for a few days.  i want to try and write about subjects you request.  i realize this could be dangerous, but it could also be fun.  so, leave a comment with a suggestion for a blog and i’ll write something.  can’t promise it will be of any great importance to the world but who knows.

ain’t skeered

today’s blog is a re-post.  i originally wrote this blog on June 9th of 2008.  a little over a year ago.   -

 

i’m a champion, i’m a champion, i’m a champion.  if i look at things through earthly eyes, the last thing i am is a champion.  but that’s what holds me back from being what i was made to be.  earthly eyes.  if i can find that place where i can see myself through the eyes of God, then i can realize my calling to be a champion.  the first thing i must deal with is fear.  i’m afraid of failure.  i used to be a professional failure.  (i had to change that sentence to the past tense from the present tense).  for so long i’ve been used to giving up before i make it to my goal that it’s become a habit.  i’ve listened to the enemy lie to me and tell me it can’t be done and that if i try and fail that everyone will know how weak i really am.  so i’ve been afraid.  after all, people look to me for guidance, i can’t let them down.  so i don’t try.  fear.  the first battle i’ve got to win is with fear.  before i can take on the champ, i’ve got to fight my way up the ranks.  so here goes…

2 tim.1:7 for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  fear isn’t from God, therefore, i’ve got to get rid of it.  i’m not the first one to face a giant.  1 sam 17:32 And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.  37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.  And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.  45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.  46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.  47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.

david had no fear because he knew it wasn’t his battle.  this isn’t my battle it’s God’s.  all i have to do to be the champion in the battle with fear is face it head on and do what i know to do.  david knew how to work a sling not swords and armour.  he did what he knew to do and God used it to slay his giant.  i know what to do and i’m stepping into the ring to face this giant.  he won’t win and i’m going to feed HIS carcass to the fowl of the air.  it’s on now, cause i’m starting to believe.  DING DING!   - 

 

looking back over the past year, i see that i’ve knocked the giant down a few times but he keeps getting up because i haven’t cut off his head.  i’ve fought valiantly just not thoroughly.  i’ve found new freedom this year by facing my fear. but the time has come to finish the fight.  he’s hit me back and now it’s put up or shut up.  bad news for him, this is the last time he’ll get up.  it really is on now.

so what about you?  what giant are you facing?

Uneasy Rider

 

 

well, bike week comes to an end tomorrow and it seems as though things were fairly quiet.  the rain kept it from being as crowded as usual on the roads.  there weren’t as many accidents as usual so i guess you could say it was a pretty safe weekend for bikers.  of course we all know i’m not a biker. 

i got my first case of road rash this week.  i could tell you the story of a mack truck pulling out in front of me and how i had to swerve into oncoming traffic and jump a ditch and land on the roof of a station wagon full of mennonites, but that would be a lie.  the truth is, i was pulling into my driveway and hit a patch of gravel.  as my front wheel turned i grabbed the front brake (i know, iknow that was stupid. but i told you i’m not a biker.).  as the bike began to lean i put my foot down and caught the bike.  the problem was that my foot was on the bank of the ditch and as it began to slip i gently laid the bike down and rolled into the ditch, hitting my elbow and arm on a concrete block lining the driveway tile.  i jumped up with a speed that the Flash would have envied.  i sat the bike up, then scanned the neighborhood to see if anyone was watching.  luckily noone was home.  or if they were they had fallen to the floor laughing so i didn’t see them.  anyway, the bike wasn’t hurt and except for my elbow and my pride, i was fine.

i’m hoping that this experience has bumped me up to at least a 2 on the 1 to 10 biker scale.  maybe one day i’ll grow up to be a real biker.  just keep me off the driveways.

smeeling mainly. . . .

usually endorsements are saved for those that are famous.  after all, my opinions won’t sell any products, but i thought i’d let you know what i like.  not that you really care but maybe one day i’ll get a deal to do commercials or something.  yea right.

i like gillette cool wave after shave splash.  to me, it smells manly (or smeels mainly, as rocky would say).  now nothing against those of you who wear high priced colognes, but some of them smell very “pretty” . i’m just not really into smelling “pretty”.  now i know i may get some flack for this, but i love me some apricot bodywash with sand in it (or whatever that gritty stuff is).  just so you know, its ok to use pretty smelling bodywash as long as you cover it up with manly smelling after shave.  i like secret deodorant.  you know, the one strong enough for a man but made for a woman.  well, it definately does the job.  speedstick can’t even begin to compare.  i know it’s smell is borderline feminine, but powder fresh will work as long as you are wearing manly aftershave.

i’m starting to get this really funny feeling that i’m not as manly as i thought i was. . .

. . . ok i’m back now.  i’m feeling better.  just had to go put on some after shave.

i’m lovin’ it. . . . well some of it

 

so i like an occasional filet o fish sandwich from mcdonalds.  but i have just one question.  why is it that a 3 inch square piece of fish can only have a 1 inch by 3 inch piece of cheese?  i don’t understand why i can only enjoy 1/3 of my fish sandwich with cheese.  the rest is just fish and bread.  not the way i love it.  oh well just wondering.

she is . . . .

 

she is EVERYTHING i’ve ever desired or needed.  she loves me without reservation.  she forgives and forgets.  she encourages me when i’m weak.  she pushes me to greater heights physically, emotionally and most importantly spiritually.  she is my rock when i need support.  she stands with me when everyone else would leave.  she gives herself completely to me without holding back.  she is my dream girl.  she gives me the affection i desire.  she gives me the intimacy i need.  she is my precious gift from God.  she is all i live for.  she is MINE!