This ones for you Cyrus

About ready to head to bed, then I get this email from Cyrus pointing out that I haven't posted anything on here for a long time. Of course he is right, so I thought I would post something real quick.

This past weekend was a great time hanging out with Christine. Friday night we had dinner with Beth and Brandon at Mudsocks of course sitting across the room was Dallas Clark. He was seated in 5 mins, we waited 40 mins. On Saturday, we headed north to visit a few of Christine's friends. It was nice to meet her boss, and other friends that mean so much to her. That's where the picture came from.

Sometimes we all need a little push to get things going........Thanks Cyrus!

Merry Christmas

So I got to spend the last couple of days at my Mom’s place. My sister lives there with her, along with my 5 nieces and nephews. The newest addition is Lydia, born last Friday. She is a tiny precious thing that doesn’t make much fuss about anything. Just holding her can make anyone remember the real reason for Christmas.

My brother, and friend, left early on Saturday evening because he wasn’t feeling good. Sunday morning I woke up with the beginnings of a nasty cold. Over the last couple of days it hasn’t gotten better either. So I am now doped up on a few different items which help me get through the day. Sunday was spent watching football most of the day. I did help out fixing a few things around mom’s house, but for the most part is was very relaxing. My sister, mom and I all played cards and dominos until 2 am-that brought back old memories.

This morning I woke up and had to drive down to Cincinnati to my dad’s place. The wind wasn’t as bad as yesterday but it was still pushing me all over the highway. I made it in time to watch a few “non classic” Christmas shows with my dad. You know the TBS and TNT specials that are produced by Hallmark.

We had a wonderful dinner (steak!) and then watched Wild Hogs, funny movie. It is close to 1:30 in the morning and if I make it to bed in the next 10 min this will be the earliest I went to bed since I started the trip.

Christine and I were able to talk for a while today, being gone makes me realize how much I miss her and grown to like her in the last 3 months. Looking forward to getting back home on Wed and hanging out with her.

Heading to bed now, Merry Christmas.

Christmas is a timeless story of hope

Every year at this time I prepare myself for a huge impact, 'Christmas with my family'. So this year I wondered how much of my bad attitude played into my past Christmas's and the negative experiences. So I'm changing my perspective to see if it will make a difference.
As much as I put forward with a positive foot, it seems that I get twice as much thrown back at me. Heading on the way to Christmas I find out that my brother is bringing a "friend" home with him. Which now makes 14 people in a 2 bedroom house. I think to myself "perspective", and move on. The night was alright until it got close to bed time (1:30 am) and all but 4 people wanted to head to bed. I head to bed (while the smoking and drinking continues) who knows how much sleep I might get tonight?
Tossing and turning the remaining 4 called it a night @ 4:30 am. With little sleep I am woken to the moving around of my neices at 7 am.
I am thankful for tonight, one down and 4 to go. God knows, and if I can remember throughout the week....God knows and He cares. So I head to bed knowing that Christmas IS a timeless story of Hope (our big idea for youth group on Wed), which doesn't rely on "good or bad" experiences with family.

The Dream

Remember when we were kids and we had THAT dream about what we would be when we grew up: a firefighter, a policeman or Spiderman.
Then our dreams grew, as we grew up.
A successful person, a loving father, husband, or one who gives back to the community.
As we continue to grow and live life our dreams come true. But when they do, why do we continue to make our new ones? Why are we not ever satisfied?
I am not saying that dreaming is bad or that having goals is not good, but why can we not be satisfied with what our lives are?
So many people I know are searching for "the better life" or the "new" dream. I can understand someone in poverty or someone going through something bad like a life crisis or tragedy.
But why do we do it, I mean most of us have what we need and then some. Why do we have the need to make it more? Do we have something inside of us that always makes us long for more? So many people around me are searching for "more" and not that it is bad, but it does make me wonder why?
There are many people in this world are searching for their next meal or where they will lay their head. For those of us who don't have to do that, we search for more and more. Sometimes looking past what we already have.
So is "The Dream" something we should search for and wish we had?
Or is "The Dream" something we should live every minute of the day?

Up to the test?

This morning I was put to the test.

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet 4 of Christine's close friends. The interrogation took place at 8:30 at her place with lots of coffee from Starbucks. I got to see a different side of Christine from her friend's perspective. One very funny story that includes a little"whoop whoop", some flapping your arms in the air like you are flying and a can of hairspray. O I forgot about the spider!

I am soooo tired. I think I can sleep for 12 hours if I had the chance.

This morning was a lot better than I thought it would be. Learned a lot, had a great time and I found out that I did pass the test.

How will "YOU" react?

Living here in Indy, I have grown into the Indianapolis Colts. But my heart and passion are always for the boys. I am so use to people making comments, and for the most part they have no idea what they are talking about.

Statistically speaking and the facts are the facts, Dallas is and always will be "America's Team". That doesn't mean that other teams are not great, nor does it mean that people are not die hard fans for their team-it means that there isn't many teams throughout the history of the NFL that have fans ALL OVER the Country (and world for the matter) like the Cowboys do. Look at the stands at the away games, for years they have been filled like no other away team.

Do they hold every record, no-but show me any other NFL team that hold as many as Dallas does over the test of time.

They have earned the respect they deserve.

37 vs 27 against Green Bay!

Let the excuses flow, the number one team won tonight.

Perspective

Definition of perspective=A mental view or outlook

As life gets crazy (here come the holidays) it's great when I am reminded about a HUGE life lesson I learned about Perspective.

Today is the best day to remember this as it is the 3 year anniversary of when my life lesson started, November 24, 2004. Read more about it below.......

Talking with a few friends of mine, the feeling of a "Full Schedule" (better word to use than Stress!!) is sometimes overwhelming. Why does stress impact us all, no matter who we are, how old we are, what job we have, or what our "family" looks like-it's all the same. Stress impacts us all, but the end result is different for each of us. Why is that? Why does the same "type" of stress debilitate some-but not impact others? I believe it is two fold, the perspective we have and how long we have had that perspective. There are still 24 hours in the day, no matter what perspective you have. Will you "choose" your perspective, or have it chosen for you.
I learned this after traveling to Africa and seeing family after family living in poverty, all with smiles on their faces because they had each other. Some wont live to see tomorrow, but you can't take today away from them.
So why do we allow our perspective to be chosen for us. We allow "life" to bombard us hit after hit and then wonder why at the end of the day (or week) that we feel overwhelmed.
How do we choose our own perspective? I don't have an easy answer, I wish I did. I know what I "don't" do which would help me and many others.....Offensive Scheduling-then sticking with it. Easier put....proactively schedule time doing things that refuel you-then don't allow them to be pushed aside by something else. I always like doing things for others, so even if I have something planned that would refuel me-if someone asks me to do something, I drop what I am doing to help out. You might be like that also. Even though it sounds like the right thing to do, I am realizing more and more that if I say no (or not right now) that I will be a better person to help out in the future. So when was the last time you did something that refuels you? Do you even have a list of what those things are? Start there!

1.List those things that refuel you and then list those things that drain you.

2. Schedule this week (let your week end on what ever day you want) one of those things that refuel you.

3. Continue scheduling one refueling thing every week and add another refueling thing for every draining thing you have.

Easier said than done. Let me know if it works for you, and I will do the same.