For twenty-seven years, I have basked in the knowledge of God's goodness to me. Twenty-seven years ago today, he gave me a wife who has been a joy, a source of strength and wisdom, and my best friend.
Today was our 27th wedding anniversary. Twenty-seven years. That kind of makes us sound old! But they have gone by so quickly. God certainly blessed me in allowing me to out-marry myself. Gina is so patient with me - with my schedule, with me travel, with my moods and shortcomings.
And, as a friend said a few days ago, she is still a hot little mama!
Tonight we celebrated by going to eat at one of our favorite steak places - Doe's Eat Place down on Dickson Street in Fayetteville. Since we had at least an hour and a half wait to get in to the restaurant, we spent some time walking up and down Dickson. It was the first time Gina had been on Dickson the night before a big football game. With USC in town for a game tomorrow and a pep rally going on tonight, Dickson Street was packed with people from all over the country, bands were playing at clubs up and down the street, people were calling the Hogs, and it was definitely a carnival atmosphere.
If the Razorbacks pull off the improbably and beat USC tomorrow night, Dickson Street will be uncontrollable.
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Spending the evening with Gina and celebrating our anniversary made me hurt all the more for Jim and Cheryl Miller. Jim and I were roommates in college and spent a year traveling around the country in a college music group. Gina and I drove to Indiana in December of 1978 so that I could be best man in their wedding. Two days later we were engaged.
It appears that Cheryl is in the final stages of cancer and will be meeting Jesus face-to-face very soon. Jim has faithfully kept a blog since the cancer was discovered last spring. His patience and tenderness and God-centered attitude has been such a huge blessing to those of us who have kept up with the blog.
Gina and I are going to run over to Tulsa on Sunday and Monday to spend some time with them.
***********************
The latest issue of Christianity Today features some articles on Dallas Willard - the philosophy professor at the University of Southern California who has also been one of the most influential Christian writers of the past 25 years in the area of spiritual growth and formation. Willard says that the intersection of his philosophical and devotional work can be found in the simple question: Who are you going to become?
That struck me as being so profound. We are all becoming something. We don't stay the same. We are constantly moving from some place to another place as people. We are becoming something. We are becoming better people. We are becoming closer to God. We are becoming wiser. Or we are becoming less of these things. The magazine went on to include this quote from Willard:
"The general human failing is to want what is right and important, but at the same time not to commit to the kind of life that will produce the action we know to be right and the condition we want to enjoy. This is the feature of human character that explains why the road to hell is paved with good intentions."
We say that we want the right things - the best things - but we aren't willing to do the things that will produce that result. That seems to be the story of my life. Whether it be spiritual formation or loosing weight or other noble goals, too often I'm unwilling to take the actions needed to produce the desired results. Am I really willing to do what is needed to become what I want to become? To become what God wants me to become?
And even at the age of 47, I am still becoming.
************************
ESPN just played the top three defensive plays in KC Royals history. Two things struck me:
1) Bo Jackson was awesome! I had forgotten what an incredible athlete he was.
2) I miss the Royals actually being good.
************************
From the "What Was He Thinking" department: Click here to read about the evangelist who died trying to follow Jesus' example - of walking on water!
************************
Derek Webb, former lead singer of Caedman's Call, is giving away his new album free to those who want to download it. Click here to do that.
************************
It's almost midnight. Time to get ready to head back to Dickson Street for the 2:00am Grill. It should be a busy night!
Today was our 27th wedding anniversary. Twenty-seven years. That kind of makes us sound old! But they have gone by so quickly. God certainly blessed me in allowing me to out-marry myself. Gina is so patient with me - with my schedule, with me travel, with my moods and shortcomings.
And, as a friend said a few days ago, she is still a hot little mama!
Tonight we celebrated by going to eat at one of our favorite steak places - Doe's Eat Place down on Dickson Street in Fayetteville. Since we had at least an hour and a half wait to get in to the restaurant, we spent some time walking up and down Dickson. It was the first time Gina had been on Dickson the night before a big football game. With USC in town for a game tomorrow and a pep rally going on tonight, Dickson Street was packed with people from all over the country, bands were playing at clubs up and down the street, people were calling the Hogs, and it was definitely a carnival atmosphere.
If the Razorbacks pull off the improbably and beat USC tomorrow night, Dickson Street will be uncontrollable.
************************
Spending the evening with Gina and celebrating our anniversary made me hurt all the more for Jim and Cheryl Miller. Jim and I were roommates in college and spent a year traveling around the country in a college music group. Gina and I drove to Indiana in December of 1978 so that I could be best man in their wedding. Two days later we were engaged.
It appears that Cheryl is in the final stages of cancer and will be meeting Jesus face-to-face very soon. Jim has faithfully kept a blog since the cancer was discovered last spring. His patience and tenderness and God-centered attitude has been such a huge blessing to those of us who have kept up with the blog.
Gina and I are going to run over to Tulsa on Sunday and Monday to spend some time with them.
***********************
The latest issue of Christianity Today features some articles on Dallas Willard - the philosophy professor at the University of Southern California who has also been one of the most influential Christian writers of the past 25 years in the area of spiritual growth and formation. Willard says that the intersection of his philosophical and devotional work can be found in the simple question: Who are you going to become?
That struck me as being so profound. We are all becoming something. We don't stay the same. We are constantly moving from some place to another place as people. We are becoming something. We are becoming better people. We are becoming closer to God. We are becoming wiser. Or we are becoming less of these things. The magazine went on to include this quote from Willard:
"The general human failing is to want what is right and important, but at the same time not to commit to the kind of life that will produce the action we know to be right and the condition we want to enjoy. This is the feature of human character that explains why the road to hell is paved with good intentions."
We say that we want the right things - the best things - but we aren't willing to do the things that will produce that result. That seems to be the story of my life. Whether it be spiritual formation or loosing weight or other noble goals, too often I'm unwilling to take the actions needed to produce the desired results. Am I really willing to do what is needed to become what I want to become? To become what God wants me to become?
And even at the age of 47, I am still becoming.
************************
ESPN just played the top three defensive plays in KC Royals history. Two things struck me:
1) Bo Jackson was awesome! I had forgotten what an incredible athlete he was.
2) I miss the Royals actually being good.
************************
From the "What Was He Thinking" department: Click here to read about the evangelist who died trying to follow Jesus' example - of walking on water!
************************
Derek Webb, former lead singer of Caedman's Call, is giving away his new album free to those who want to download it. Click here to do that.
************************
It's almost midnight. Time to get ready to head back to Dickson Street for the 2:00am Grill. It should be a busy night!
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