Yesterday

Yesterday was a bit of a whirl-wind day. Our Abigail turned 5 years old. She wanted pancakes, sausage and bacon for her birthday meal. She got a bag full of things from her grandma. One was a bag of balloons. Her first activity was to hand them out to each brother and sister to share in the fun. She's a very sweet girl.

We also got some very good news on our house. We had it appraised last week. Without going into too much detail, let's just say that God is good!

The kids found a cat last Thursday or Friday and asked if they could keep it. It was obvious this cat was used to being around people. My wife said that she would have to call our neighbors and make sure it didn't belong to someone. No answer from one neighbor. It was obvious they were gone. There was no activity at their home for a few days, so my wife left something on their answering machine. We got a call last night that said it sounded like their cat. They had just got home from vacation and received the message. My wife told her that I would take the cat home to them. It was about 8:30 or 9:00 in the evening. The wind was blowing pretty hard with a cool/warm mixed breeze, like it was trying to kick up a good storm. It's pretty dark by this time. I walked out to get into the car and my wife said “Troy, their's something in with the chickens.” I squinted into the dark and sure enough, it's a goat. I gave the cat to my wife to hold and started to chase the goat around. That was not enjoyable. At one point I told the goat “If I catch you, I'm going to kick you...hard!” I eventually caught her, but I didn't kick her. I picked her up and dropped her over the fence. I see why in the Bible, they are the rebellious animals. I'll have to see where she got out today (when it gets light out). I fixed any damage she caused to the chicken pen and took the cat to the neighbors. When I got back from the neighbors, it was blowing even harder. My wife was outside looking around. I got out and started talking to her. Just then, the wind ripped off the roof of another chicken pen. I grabbed my drill and a box of screws and tried to put it back together the best I could. Then my wife expressed concern for the turkeys and guineas. They free-range and are only a couple months old. She wanted to put them into the chicken pen for protection. While I finished putting the roof on, she started chasing poultry; in the dark. She managed to capture the turkeys quite sportsman-like. I was impressed. Then for the guineas. They are fast, feisty and noisy. She caught a couple that were huddled in a group. We both had to chase down the last three. They kept circling and circling. I had to have Eshell block their path while I chased them into a corner so I could grab them. We managed.

We also found our first farm-fresh egg yesterday. It was small and broken, but we were excited none-the-less. I guess I'll be building nesting boxes soon.

Ahh, life in the country. Needless to say, I was ready for bed last night.

The UNITED States of America

There is something that is really frustrating me. Just like there will never be a universally agreed upon church, we will never fully agree on how to handle things; let alone run the country. This is not a political issue. This is more of a social issue. What frustrates and saddens me is the way this hurricane is tearing apart this country. Yes, the devastation was terrible. The looting despicable. I think the worst of it is the political games we play with it. Maybe President Bush should have reacted differently. Maybe not. Maybe FEMA could have been more responsive. Maybe not. Maybe Mayor Nagin or Governor Blanco could have been more pro-active. Maybe not. Do any of these accusations bring the dead and lost back? Does it save those that are still missing or stranded? Does any of this help the displaced that are in shelters like the Superdome, Astrodome or anywhere else get home...or bring back their ravaged homes for that matter? People are still stranded and dying and we bicker about who's fault this is. At least we can count on Jesse Jackson to point out that we should not be using the word “refugee” because it has derogatory racial meanings. Thank you mister Jackson! How many people did that help? For your information Jesse: if I'm stranded in an attic or on a rooftop for a week plus, I don't care what you or the media call me, just help me get out!! I truly believe that if things could have been done more efficiently, the strategy for the future should change. If things were messed up, people should be held accountable. Is now the time and place? Should we be dragging them through the mud now? Let's get the people safe RIGHT NOW. Let's get them the medical attention they need RIGHT NOW. We can settle up later. I know this strife isn't anything new to this country. I know it's intensified because of the media coverage of the hurricane. We have put this under the microscope to analyze. There is always the left and the right. The conservative and the liberal. The Republican and the Democrat. That won't change, either. Why can't we work as ONE when our country needs us so badly? Do we hate each other so badly that we can't work side by side to help out our fellow country-men? If so, we have arrived at a very sorry state. Woe unto us and God help us. I understand that much stress comes with disasters like this. Nobody wants to take blame for something of this magnitude. When we attack each other like this, we are no better than the looters. We are no better than those raping, murdering and pillaging in such a time of need as this. Those looting are looting for their own selfish gain. When our leaders attack each other, they do so to try to gain something. Gain popularity in the polls. Gain a reputation. Gain some sort of an edge over their opponent (enemy?). To those that are pointing fingers when we should be rolling up our sleeves and taking our turn manning the pump to drain the city, please step aside and sit down and let the rest work. To Mrs. Clinton, please sit down. To Howard Dean, please sit down. To Kanye West, please sit down. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, SIT! Rodney King said it best when he tearfully said “Can't we all just get along?”

God Bless!

Someone Special

I was in the pizza shop a couple weeks buying a pizza. There was a young man at the counter talking to, what appeared to be, his friends working the counter. I stood in line and waited. He realized someone else was in line so he moved over and let me take my turn in line. I told them my last name and that I had a pizza ordered so they scurried to get it. The young man, now standing off to the side looked at me and said “I think I know you.” I looked at him and didn't readily recognize him. “Is your name Troy?” “Yeah!” He then told me his first name and then it clicked. I said his last name as a form of a question and he excitedly said “YES!” He was a boy in the youth group that my wife and I spent a lot of time with a few years after we were married. The rest of the conversation kind of went like this:

Me: How are you doing?

Him: Good. I just got married last weekend.

Me: Great, congratulations! How's that working out for you?

Him: Great.

Me: What are you doing with yourself?

Him: Just working in a factory, for now. (he named our local factory)

Me: I worked in that factory for three and a half years.

Him: I want to find something else...something different. I just want to be someone special.

Me: Don't feel bad, I still work at a factory.

They called my name with the pizza so I turned around to pay for it, hoping I could talk some more with this young man. When I turned back around, he was gone. I wanted to encourage him further. Maybe invite him and his new wife out to our place for dinner. Didn't happen, though. It just bothered me what he said. He just wants to be someone special. I struggled to understand what he meant. Maybe I read too much into it. What does he want to be, a doctor, a preacher, the President, a professional football player? What's his idea of special? A dad? I don't think he had much of one growing up. We each have our own definition of what makes a person special. I work with all kinds of people from doctors/surgeons to company presidents to engineers to machinist to janitors. Each one may or may not utilize their God given talents and abilities. Does their occupation make them special? Many would say it would. Look at our celebrities. Our sports heroes. Musicians. Does it make them special that they are good looking and can memorize a script or a song? Does that make their opinion on politics, world peace or animal humanity/rights more special?

I can remember in the '90's, when I was looking for a job, that everyone had to have a college degree to get a decent job. I can remember the school's commercials. It showed someone flipping burgers with their sad face on. Then, after attending their college, he wore a business suit to work and a happy face. I was always thinking, “yeah right, what geeky actors.” But I fell for it. They showed how that would make me special so I thought that might work. I now know that I am special, but in a different way.

I was reading an article in Popular Science (I know, now I'm the geek). It is in the September 2005 issue and it's ironically titled “Super Human”. On the front cover it tells that articles within this issue will show “How science will help us live longer, smarter, stronger” with:

• A better brain

• Artificial muscles

• Smart drugs

• External wombs

• and Cures for everything

Talk about a special person! It even has a centerfold picture of a “Fully enhanced HUMAN 2.0”. Their idea of some of the equipment near future humans might be stacked with, like micro-chips in their brain to help them retain thoughts/memories; titanium hearts; the newest artificial lung; artificial spinal discs; cellphones that are implantable into your teeth; eyes that can see new colors that we have never been able to experience before and on and on. Some of these things are near future if not already available. Some are farther off. One article tells about drugs that some manufacturers are already working on. These drugs would not treat an illness. Like an athlete that dopes up his/her body to get the extra edge in their competition, these drugs would dope the mind. They are memory and thought enhancing drugs. Some are very specific. Want to feel a little more religious? Pop a pill. Want to be a little calmer and sharper for the test or interview you have? Pop a pill. Some of these medications were originally developed for Alzheimer patients, but they saw that they could “enhance the mind” of healthy people. Don't think that I'm anti-medicine. I occasionally take Advil for an achy back or a headache. I even encourage medicinal repair work. Bad knee joint? Get a new one. Bad sinuses? Get them fixed. If it's broke, fix it. But if it's not broke, don't try to manipulate it to make it work faster, stronger, harder. I personally think we run to science and medicine too hastily. There are is so much we could fix (I believe) with diet, exercise and discipline. Wow, sorry about this tangent.

If we only used our God given gifts and talents to love others, to me that makes a special person. I told my wife the other day that the reason God gave us so many girls is because she is good at what she does. She is an excellent cook/baker/chef. The house is always clean. Those are gifts/talents that need to be shared with them. I am guilty of withholding my gifts. I personally can't think of any talents I have right off hand, but I'm certainly blessed with God's gifts. I typically I keep them to myself. What a shame. What a sin.

Just being a child of God makes me special. The brother of Jesus. Being His servant makes me special. Being a dad who spends time with his children makes me special. Being a loving husband makes me special. Being a friend makes me special. Helping someone in need makes me special. Sharing about God's goodness with others makes me special. Being a pilgrim in this world makes me special. Don't think that I bragging on myself. I don't have these areas mastered yet. Some of these areas are pretty weak in my life. My goal is to try harder in each area. And this is not an exhaustive list. I'm sure I'm missing things. I also know that many would not agree with what makes a person special. That's why I'M writing this on MY blog.

I hope that God puts me in the path of this young man again. I would love to talk with him some more. We'll see. In the mean-time, I'll try to be special!

God bless!!

“…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” Heb. 12:14