A Deer for the New Year

One hour. That's all that's left until midnight. I'm sitting here in my comfy chair watching some guy about to jump a snowmobile over a lake. At least I think that's what going to happen. I'll let you know. The lengths some people will go to for attention!!??! Maybe I'm going the wrong direction. Maybe I should quit my teaching job and practice jumping my rusty bike over my Honda in the driveway. Not sure I'd get the same attention, but the neighbors would probably be entertained. Not sure if I'll stay up 'til midnight tonight or not. Normally, I probably would, but we're getting up early for church tomorrow and I need my beauty......well, I need sleep. So I may celebrate the new year a little early. Ok, he just jumped....with a motorcycle beside him or something. I'm not sure what just happened. I joined in late. I wasn't that impressed. Maybe I should be. Anyways......

We did end up going fishing a 2nd time yesterday, but I didn't catch squat.....again! Not even a trashy plastic bag. My youngest son caught a fish....all by himself. He was quite the happy camper. But we did have a great week with family down in Georgia. We're home now and it's always good to sit in your own chair and sleep in your own bed. It's nice to be able to ring in this new year at my own house.....even if I do ring it in through my dreams tonight.

So I thought I'd take just a minute here as 2011 is coming to a close and reflect on 2011. What a year! I mentioned in a post back in September that it has been the best and worst year of my life. And I stand by that. I will never forget 2011. There are parts I wish I could forget. I have to purposely stop remembering some things some times. It's just too hard. But the good news is that there are some things I never want to forget. Despite the fact that 2011 was the most difficult of my life, I got to experience some wonderful things as well.....the best and most important being my relationship with God growing in ways I could never imagine. I don't want to forget that or for it to stop for that matter. I want to continue to grow closer to Him. I want to continue to have those special times with Him. I want to continue to worship Him in ways I never have before. And I want to continue to soak up His Word and read it for what it is and what it means for me. I'm looking forward to this new year. I have a feeling that God is going to bring great things in 2012. I have a feeling that it will be a special year for me and my family and I pray the same for your family. I pray and plead with God that He will use me this year as He's never used me before. I want to be His instrument and His servant. One thing I know is that with this new year, I will be one year closer to Heaven and that brings me more excitement than I could ever ask for. I know God will continue to bless me and my family this year as He always does. He already blessed me today......He sent me a deer. Quick story....

When we got home from Georgia today, my wife suddenly realized that we missed the deadline. There was an ornament waiting for us that we were supposed to pick up by Dec. 30 and we had forgotten. This ornament was at the Woodbine Funeral home and it was made in honor and remembrance of Griffin. We had gotten a letter about a month ago saying that they would have an ornament for him on their Christmas tree and that we could come pick it up after the holiday. She quickly called the funeral home to see if it was indeed too late. They were so kind and told us that of course it wasn't too late. We could come pick it up anytime. So I headed there this afternoon after getting unpacked and resting a bit. Along the way, I put in a new CD full of spiritual songs that was given to me. I was dreading a little what I was doing simply because going back to the funeral home would bring back some memories. But the music put my mind at ease and God actually gave me great peace as I drove there. When I got there, the parking lot was empty. Guess they don't plan many funerals or visitations for New Year's Eve. I parked my car and got out. That's when I saw her.....a beautiful deer only a few feet from my car. The funeral home is not exactly in the woods. There are a small amount of woods around it but it's basically on a main road. But yet here was a deer very close to me, staring at me and not moving. It was just a beautiful sight and I think God was again trying to bring me peace and happiness through His creation. I watched the deer for a minute or two before heading inside. There was nobody in the lobby so I walked around the corner toward the rear of the building. As I rounded the corner and looked down the hall, I saw what was probably the most beautiful Christmas tree I had seen all season. It was a huge tree covered with white lights and angel ornaments. As I was staring at it, one of the workers there came out and asked me my name. He got Griffin's ornament off the tree and was very kind. When I went back outside, the deer was still there. She had moved a little and was heading toward the woods, but her eyes met mine one more time before she gently walked away. I couldn't help but remember Psalm 42:1 as I watched her for a couple minutes more....

¹ As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.

I got in my car and the music came on. It was a new song for me that I'm really enjoying called "Oh You Bring." These lyrics were playing over and over again.....

All honor
All glory
All praise to You

God had turned what could have been a sad, sorry for myself, "woe is me" moment into a beautiful reminder and praise to Him. God gave me a wonderful end to 2011 and reminded me that all is not lost. He reminded me that He is in control. And He reminded me how much I am longing for Him. He deserves and receives all honor, all glory and all praise. My soul, filled with His Spirit, longs to be with Him for all eternity and I'm filled with such joy and happiness just thinking about it. So I thank God for the deer, for the song, for the angel ornament, and for the reminder about who I am, whose I am, where I'll be one day. God is SO GOOD! Praise His name! May your 2012 be filled with the blessings of our Father and may you allow Him to use you to your full capacity. Make every effort to give every day of this year to Him. He deserves our constant praise and devotion and love. God bless you all!

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

More Fish and No Trash

I appreciate the positive response I had to my last post. I was a little worried about the subject as it can be a touchy one. But I've had so many positive comments both public and private. Most have agreed with me....actually all have. The encouragement I have received has meant a lot and I thank those of you who said something. It was a great Christmas and I pray you all had as wonderful of a holiday as I did. I'm now really enjoying this week and relaxing until school starts next week. Arrrrgggh. :)

Two more days! That's all that's left here in 2011. Hard to believe. It seems like yesterday we were celebrating the new year and now we're about to do it again. We've spent the week with my in-laws and we're having a great time. Today, my father-in-law took all of us fishing at a local pond. The boys had a great time despite the fact they didn't catch a thing. We may try again tomorrow. Susan struck out also. My father-in-law caught two....even though he was casting in exactly the same spot we all were. How does that work? I think he had some secret live bait or something. Myself......well I hadn't caught a thing either. I had felt a nibble and thought I had something but wasn't having much luck. I thought it was going to be zero for me too, but then I felt it. I cast out as far as I could and had this feeling that something was going to bite this time. I was going to pull in a huge bass or a catfish or a shark....I just knew it. I started slowly reeling in the line in great anticipation of what was about to happen. Then I gradually started reeling a little faster. That's when I felt it. I got something.....and it was heavy. It was pulling hard on my line. I could barely pull it in. 'Wow', I thought. 'I got the big one of the day. Everyone is going to be amazed at what I'm about to pull in. There going to take pictures and clap and send the pictures in to the newspaper. I'll be the town hero. ' At least that's what quickly went through my head. I'm not too old to dream, right? "I got something!", I said. My family paused to look. I finally got it right under my pole and used my strength to pull it up out of the water. It was huge. It was heavy. It was a bag. A dirty..... yucky..... dripping..... disgusting....stinkin'.......old plastic bag. It was trash. It wasn't a fish! It wasn't alive. It was dead....just like my dreams. There would be no pictures. No glory. No cheering. There would only be a quick laugh and everyone went back to fishing. So that's it. That's all I caught today. A bag. The only glory I got was from making the pond a little bit cleaner. I wanted a fish, but I got trash. Kindof like life. Huh? You knew a spiritual point was coming, right? So here it is.....

It's resolution time. New year. Resolutions. They go together. I usually make them. So why should this year be any different. But I just have one this year. I want to catch what I set out to catch...and I don't want to settle for trash. Jesus approached fishermen first. He told them to stop catching fish and to start catching men. What an honor! For the rest of their lives, they got to bring others to Christ. That was their job, their mission, their life's purpose. And I want it to be mine. I want to catch others too. In the past, I've said I would do it and I've wanted to do it, but I haven't really put my mind to it. I've done ok, but many times I've made excuses. I've said that praying was enough. (Don't get me wrong, prayer is great, but it often takes more than prayer. It takes words, actions, effort.) I've often given in to fear and discomfort. I've depended on others to spread God's Word and haven't put 100% effort in to it like I should. Like I'm expected to. Like I want to. I've set out to catch "fish", but all I've caught was "trash." From now on, I want to catch what I set out to catch. My resolution is to go out and catch others and I'm praying God will give me the strength, courage, and opportunities to do that. So no more being satisfied with dirty plastic bags. I want fish. I want a lot of fish. I'm planning on going to Heaven and I want to bring as many with me as I can. What about you? How many fish can you catch in this new year?

Let's cast our nets on the other side this time and get a full load. I pray God makes 2012 the best year ever....a year I can look back on and be proud of what I've caught.....a fish, several fish, many fish.....and no yucky bags.


I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

Christmas Part 2

Well, did I ever predict it incorrectly!!! The boys went to bed last night around 8:30 or so. I had said they'd be up by 4 or 5. Wrong! We had to wake them up at 6:10. They were BOTH snoozin' away. They slept fine. It was ME that couldn't sleep. Not sure why...but I slept absolute zero last night. And yet I'm still awake here at noonish on Christmas day. I must be runnin' on adrenaline or something. Anyways, Susan woke up Max and I woke up Carter. Carter's first words when he woke up...."Dad, is my arm bleeding?"....."Ummmm, what?" Wasn't quite the Christmas excitement I was expecting. Apparently he was dreaming. Once I fully woke him up and assured him his arm was blood-free, he was excited, as was Max. We did Santa and parent presents in about 27 minutes and headed for Waffle House. Got there around 6:45am to a sparse crowd. Very friendly workers and lots of "Merry Christmas!" shouts all over the place. We had a great breakfast and got home in time to get ready (quickly) for early service at church. It was a good morning and another great Christmas with the family....both immediate and Christian family. God is good! As is His Son, our Savior!

I mentioned our Savior, Jesus in the last post and said I wanted to mention something about Him. Here's the deal. I'm just going to be honest here and state my thoughts. Feel free to disagree. Some may and I repeat that I'm not perfect. I'm trying but will never get there. But let me share for a minute or two.... When I grew up, Christmas was never a spiritual holiday. Christmas was about family and joy and presents and Santa Claus and it's still about that stuff to an extent. But as I'm growing older, I'm realizing that all of that is not the main focus at all. Family is still in there pretty dominant, but there's something else. I'm starting to see it as more of a spiritual holiday. That definitely goes against what I was taught in my family and in my church, even today, but I'm questioning it. And I'm changing my opinion of it. Just mine. Not trying to change anyone else's. I was taught that we don't know Jesus's birthdate. And that's true. I was taught that the Bible doesn't give any authority to celebrate his birthday. And that's true. I understand those things and I agree. We don't know the day and God doesn't tell us to celebrate his birthday, but does that mean we can't? Besides God my Father, Jesus Christ is the most important thing to me. He is the reason I live. He is the reason I didn't give up several months ago when the world came crashing down around me. He is the reason that despite my many many faults, I still know I'm going to Heaven one day. He gave His life for me. For me! He hadn't even met me. I was waaaay in the future, but He knew me and died for me. He is, was and will be the greatest man that ever walked the Earth and right now, I believe He is waiting for me up in Heaven holding my son on His lap. So considering all that, can I not try to repay Him in a small, tiny proportion and celebrate his birth? Can I not just pick a day and celebrate the beginning of the greatest man ever? How about December 25? How about April 25 or July 25? I don't care. I just want to make every effort to honor and celebrate this incredible man who loves me more than I could ever imagine. Some will say that if we pick a day and celebrate, then we won't celebrate the birth all year long. We'll forget about it the other 364 days of the year. I don't think so. I could never forget. But here's the part that really bugs me.....not only was I taught to not celebrate the birth on Dec. 25, I was also told as a Bible class teacher not to even mention it during the month of December. I have a problem with that. I can't even talk about it!?!? I'm sorry, but I can't believe God's happy with being told not to mention a very important part of His son's life.....at any time of the year. I know there were many churches across the country today that were celebrating Christ's birth during their worship this morning. Do you honestly believe God was looking down and shaking his head in disgust? Do you honestly think he was ashamed and thinking 'I wish they wouldn't celebrate the birth and life of my Son."??? I just don't see Him doing that. I think He would much rather we celebrate than avoid it. The bottom line is....since I lost my son, I've grown closer to God and I am trying my hardest and doing everything in my power to acknowledge Him. I'm trying to be a shining light to the world. I'm trying to make every second of my life about Him or at least as much as I possibly can. That's what I believe He expects of me until His return or my eternity begins. So why in the world would I avoid a very prominent part of God's Word....at any time...during December or July or January or whatever?? I wouldn't and I won't. I'm proud to say that my family read Luke 2 last night before bed. We talked about Christ's birth. I told my boys that we don't know when His birthday is but there is nothing wrong with celebrating it. I'm sure we'll read that same story several times during this new year. And one of those times will be next Christmas. Personally, I'm glad the world celebrates. I'm with them. Is that so bad? Personally, I see more good than bad. A lot. Just my thoughts. Don't have to be yours. Regardless.....Merry Christmas to you all. And may the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ be celebrated all year long. He is the reason for the season.....every season....even Christmas.

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

Christmas Part 1

One hour and 25 minutes until Christmas. The boys are nestled and snug in their beds. They should be up in about 5 hours, give or take. If tradition holds true again this year, our boys will wake up again around 3 or 4AM. They get too excited to sleep. They have explicit instructions to stay quiet until 5AM. And I guarantee that at 5:00:01 (by Max's new Chick-Fil-A watch) they will come running into our room. That means our Christmas will be over by around 6AM and we'll be ready to go to Waffle House for breakfast....one of our Christmas traditions that I love. We'll be home by 7AM and ready to get dressed for early service at church. Needless to say, I may need a nap tomorrow. But I don't mind the busy, early morning. I'm glad my boys look forward to Christmas and enjoy it so much. It reminds me of just a few years ago when I was the same way. I would wake up at 2 or 3 am and just wait. As I got older I would try and sneak a peek in the living room to see what the big guy had left me. I'm proud of my boys. They deserve a happy Christmas...especially after what they did today. I have to share and brag on them just a bit....

Susan and I decided to take the boys to Opryland hotel today to look at the Christmas decorations there. We really enjoy going there from time to time to just walk around. It's a blessing to have such a place here in Nashville. When we told the boys about it this morning, they were very excited. They asked if we could ride the boats. They have a boat ride in the Delta area of the hotel and the boys always enjoy riding it. We've done it several times. We told the boys that we probably weren't going to ride it this time as it's a little pricey and we had just planned to walk around and look at decorations. That's when they decided to give us a gift. They asked if they could pay for the ride. Max said he would pay for he and Susan and Carter said he would pay for himself and me. They have their own money that they get from their grandparents and they wanted to use it on us...all of us...to enjoy the ride together. Susan and I were very impressed with their unselfish idea and told them they could do it if they really wanted to. When I told Carter to go get his money, he came back from his room with an extra $5. He asked if we could look for a homeless person on the way to give the money to. I told him that was nice but $5 was a little much. I told him he could just get $1 instead. He said he'd rather give $5. He said, "It's my money dad and that's what I'd like to give." Who was I to argue? My shallow mind thought $1 was enough but he taught me a lesson. Wasn't it Christ that told us to give all we have....He praised the old woman for doing so. Shouldn't we be willing to do the same? We had a great time at the hotel and really enjoyed the boat ride. On the way home, as we were getting off the interstate, sure enough there was a young girl there with her dog. Her sign read "trying to get home for the holidays....anything will help." Carter opened his door and gave her the $5. She appeared to have tears in her eyes as she said "Merry Christmas." The old me would wonder what she was going to do with that money but I'm trying very hard not to care anymore. It's not what she does with it, it's what my son did that counts. He served. He gave to someone in need. What a lesson he taught me. So again.... I had to brag a little....sorry about that. But I'm a proud father....proud of my boys for demonstrating Christ today.

Speaking of Christ.....tomorrow is Christmas and I want to say something about that. But I'll wait until tomorrow...which is now in 48 minutes. Guess I better try to get a little sleep tonight....very little I'm sure. I'll post part 2 some time tomorrow. Until then.....Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!!

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

Books for Bonus

Well, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. I have 2 more days of school. 2 MORE! Yahoo. I am really looking forward to the break. Can't wait for another Christmas with the family. The parties have already started and have attended several holiday get-togethers and meals already and there are many more to come. I'm also excited about getting to see my wife's family which we don't get to see very often....once or twice a year at the most.

I bought a sock. Actually my wife bought me a sock. One sock. Not for Christmas. That would be a little strange. She found a sock online that is supposed to help this Plantar Fasciitis I have. It looks like the picture there. I wear it every night and it supposedly keeps my toes pointed up which will help my heel to heal. I've worn it five nights now and it's ok. I sleep ok in it but my toes are always asleep and numb when I wake up. Not sure if that is good or not. I can't tell a difference....yet. It says I should wear it 3-6 weeks. So I'm hoping with time that this will do the trick. It does force my toes up so when I get up in the morning, I'm forced to walk out of bed on my heel which hurts. But I can't take it off in bed because it's vel-cro and I don't want to wake Susan up. So I still hobble. Maybe I should get a roller skate and roll out of the bed room in the mornings. That might be fun.

So my wife is great. Have I said that lately? Well, she is. And no, I'm not trying to be extra nice here around the holidays....I'm being serious. She never ceases to amaze and inspire me. Last week she came running in my classroom while I was teaching. It surprised me a little. She doesn't normally do that. But she came in and headed straight in my office to my computer. I thought it was a little odd but I just kept on teaching. When I finished that class, I went into my office to see what she was doing. She was typing me out some information on the computer. She told me how there had been an article in the newspaper that morning where someone had stolen a trailer. Inside the trailer had been over 2000 books to be donated to the poor. It touched her heart and inspired her. She wanted to help and try and replace some of the missing books. She asked what I thought about asking my students for any used books they might have. I told her I would and that I thought it would be a great idea. So I sent out an email. It went to all my 6th graders and their parents. As an incentive and to spark some interest, I offered a set amount of bonus points on the kids' upcoming Social Studies exams if they brought in books. I even put "bonus points possible" in the subject line of the email. I figured this might get them to actually read it. They did. The response has been amazing. But I got an unexpected response as well.....

Most responses were very positive. Many parents told me what a great cause this was or how bad they felt that someone would steal books from poor kids. Many parents told me they were grateful for the bonus points or what a good idea it was. But I got one negative one. Just one. One parent emailed me and in a nice way told me that he disagreed with giving bonus points for service. He made several points but his main one was that we should give and serve because it's what were told to do, not just for a reward. Now, he made some good points and I did stop and think about it for a while. And I appreciated that he approached it in a kind way, not mean in any way. But after thought and prayer, I have to say that I disagree for a couple of reasons....

1. I have gotten close to (if not over) 1000 books from my students. I would have NEVER gotten that many if I had just simply sent an email with no incentive. To me, that's reason enough. If giving a few bonus points means getting a lot more books for those in need, so be it. I really don't care about giving away a few points.

2. While I agree that we should serve because it's right and not to get a reward, I don't think there's anything wrong with getting a reward. We have to learn and teach that rewards shouldn't be our main motivation and cause, but if one happens to come, then we should enjoy it and consider it a blessing from God Himself.

I looked it up......There are more than 100 verses in the Bible that talk about rewards. Galatians 6:9-10 says..

⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

God even tells us that if we do good, we will reap a reward. Does doing good deeds alone save us? No! I don't think so. Our faith, obedience, love, lives, AND deeds save us, but deeds is part of the equation I believe. And I'll be honest....the reason I try to live my life for God everyday is because I want something. I'm motivated by a reward. I do good and try not to sin so I can get Heaven one day. Do you? My guess would be that most Christians are motivated by that reward whether we should be or not. I love this picture. Can you see both words?















Every year, the church youth group that I work part-time for goes on a "reward trip." It's a trip to an amusement park for those who have helped with 7 or more service projects. I think it's a great idea. It gets the kids involved in service. Are they doing it just to get the trip? Maybe some are at first, but I think most see the good and right of serving and don't just do it for a reward. But even if they do, think of all the good that gets done. That's the point. That's the bottom line. The learning to serve because it's right will come with time. So I will continue this week to give bonus for books and I'll leave you with one of my favorite verses talking about a reward or gift God will give us all.....

Romans 6:23 reads.....²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in^[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.


I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

The NFL - Never Forget Love

I'm not running anymore. Just thought I'd throw that out there because (1) this started as a running blog and (2) people keep asking me how running is going or when my next race is. I haven't run in probably close to 2 months. I just can't shake this foot (heel) pain. I haven't given up completely. I'm hoping the pain will go away one day. But I've resolved to the fact that my running days may be far away or possibly even over. I do miss it. Every once in a while I get a strong urge to run a race. Call me crazy, but I remember what it felt like to get up at 4AM and run 20 miles and I actually miss it. I honestly hope I can do it again but we'll see. Right now, I'm in the habit of getting up early and going to workout. I do 30 min. of elliptical and then 30 min. of lifting. I love it but I still miss the running and the races.

Christmas decorations are up. I actually got the lights on the house about a week ago but everyday something has gone out or not worked right. I think yesterday I finally fixed all the problems. I even had a friend donate one more huge inflatable and it's perfect. Our lawn is the gaudiest it's ever been and I love it. Went to an awesome concert at Lipscomb Univ. the other night to start off the Christmas season. Amy Grant hosted and it included an amazing group of singers, including my son in the 4th grade chorus. I actually thought he was the best one but I guess the others were pretty good too. :) They sang a lot of my favorite songs and it was a lot of fun....especially for a free concert!

So I love the NFL. I like sports in general but I love watching football more than anything. Every Sunday we gather around the TV and watch the Titans game.....just the four of us. I love that time. I enjoy keeping up with the other teams too and watching the playoff race. I also enjoy watching the stats for my fantasy football team. Yes I have one....make that two.....make that four in the family. Carter and Max each have one. I used to think fantasy football was silly. People asked me why I didn't play and I said I didn't care about it. The truth was that I really didn't know what it was so I assumed it was something silly. I was wrong. It's a lot of fun, especially if you're in a league with people you know. However, I have to admit that last year, my first year, I got a little too addicted. How my team did would actually affect my mood. If I lost, it would get me down and I'd dwell on it. I finally had to tell myself to get a grip. It's fantasy!! This year I decided I wouldn't let it affect me. And I've done much better. Sure, I like winning and I try to, but if I don't, it's no big deal. I'm not going to worry about it. I'm trying to instill the same in my sons. It's not easy. They're both very into it. I'm glad they have a passion for something and it's fun to watch them and work on it with them, but I don't want it to become their main focus. But the point was....I love the NFL. I love college ball too, but there's just something about professional football. There are lessons there. I was truly inspired by one this week.

You may have already seen it. The article right there? To you left? Read it if you haven't. In college, Tim Tebow was at the rival school. I've never liked Florida. I'm an Auburn fan. So we don't like Florida. But I couldn't help but admire Tebow. Even in college his spiritually shined. The verses on his eye black.....his post game comments.......it was obvious where his faith was. Then he came and spoke here at Lipscomb. I wish I could've heard him but I didn't get to go. Heard it was great. When he moved to the NFL, I was curious to see how he would do. To be honest, I'm not a huge Broncos fan, but I'm really glad they are doing well since he started 5 games ago. He deserves it. So I already admired him, but after seeing this article......Wow! That's a hero in my book. I'm actually jealous. I wish I had been able to say that to the media. I wish those were my words published nationally. That is exactly how I feel. I don't always show it or live it, but I feel it. And isn't he exactly right. I know what NFL stands for, but maybe in this case it stands for Never Forget Love....as in God's love or Christ's love. Or don't forget to show others that you love Christ like Tebow said. We should all take every opportunity we have to proclaim that we love God for all He's done. We should look for each chance we get to tell of Christ's amazing love and his ultimate sacrifice for us all. I love his analogy to loving your wife as well. Sometimes our love becomes stale and although the love is there, we don't always say it or show it. It shouldn't be that way, especially with God. I'm going to try my best to proclaim my love for God and not be ashamed of it. Like Tebow, I'm going to take advantage of any opportunity I get to give God the honor and glory he deserves. And I won't apologize for it, even if it's criticized. I think that's what expected of me. I know it's what He deserves.

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

Thankful Week - Day 8 (God)

Well Happy Thanksgiving to all. Hope your day was as good as mine. We had a great linner at my sister's house. That's lunch/dinner. It was about 1:30 when we ate which is a little late for lunch but too early to call it dinner. The food was amazing. There was so much. It was the only meal I ate today but it was perfect. Props to my sister (Abigail) for hosting one great Thanksgiving meal. It was good to spend time with the family. So being that it's Thanksgiving and almost the end of the day, it's time for my final Thankful Week post. My sisters today were trying to guess who/what it would be. My older and very humble sister Allison assumed it would be her. Apparently the "family post" last Saturday wasn't quite enough. Allison wanted me to mention her by name and talk about all her redeeming qualities.....both of them. I actually thought about mentioning each family member in that post and talking about them, but I was afraid someone would be offended because I left them out so I just talked about family in general. But apparently that wasn't enough for Allison. I mean I was going to talk about God in this post but I guess Allison thinks she's more important. It IS a tough choice, but I think I'm going to have to go with God.....sorry Allison. Although I will give her a due shout out.
ALLISON!
There. Done. But today, I am thanking God for....well, for God.

There have been times in my life where I've questioned God for various reasons. I don't always understand why things happen the way they do. But I've learned that I'm never going to understand everything. That's why we have Prov. 3:5-6 which happens to be one of my favorite verses. I remember one of the things I used to question is why Jesus had to die. If God can do anything, why couldn't he just forgive our sins without His son suffering on that cross? And why do WE have to suffer so much? Why can't life just be great and happy and fun all the time? But I try not to question those kind of things anymore. God's plan is perfect. He knows what He's doing. There's a reason for everything and one day we'll all understand. But for now, I am so humbled, honored and blessed to be a part of His plan. I'm one of His chosen children. I'm getting to experience life. I'm getting to witness His creation and His power each day. I was born into a Christian family in a country where I have the freedom to praise Him whenever I want. I work at a Christian institution where I get to worship Him daily. I have been given His Spirit and He works through me every day. I am on my way to Heaven and will one day get to meet Him and His Son. I am filled with so much hope and excitement over what is to come in my life here on Earth and especially in my eternal life in Heaven. It's a perfect plan and I'm so grateful to be a part of it. So today, on Thanksgiving, I am most thankful for God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and my spiritual life. I'm thankful for my relationship with God. Even though I'm one of many, I know that He knows me. We have a close bond and we talk daily. He's watching out for me, protecting me, guiding me, caring for me, loving me and He wants me to be up there with Him even more than I do. When I think about it all, I just feel happy and blessed, and it makes me smile. I hope you also took (or take) some time today to reflect on how blessed you are....not just because of what you have here on Earth, but especially for what you have spiritually. And also for what you have waiting for you in Heaven, if you choose to go there as well. I hope you do. I am, and the thought of it blows me away. I can't even fathom how wonderful it's going to be. Thank you God for that hope, that excitement, that promise, and most of all for Your grace which makes it all possible. GOD...IS....GOOD!

Happy Thanksgiving.


I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

Thankful Week - Day 7 (Griffin)

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is tomorrow. This week has gone fast but it's been a blast. Rhyme. We've run some errands and been out of the house a little, but it's mostly been relaxing at home and doing things with the family. There's nothing I'd rather do. So today is day 7 of thankful week and today belongs to my 3rd and youngest son, Griffin. As you all know, he's not here with us. He's already made his trip to Heaven so you may wonder why I'd be thankful. Shouldn't I be upset or sad or disappointed or angry or NOT thankful? I guess I could be and I've gone through all those as I've pointed out on here. But I don't want to keep dwelling on the negative. I choose to look at the positive and so I can definitely see many reasons to be thankful for Griffin. Today I am thanking my Father above for giving me my son, Griffin Wallace Thweatt.

I have 3 children. I have 3 sons. 3 boys. Carter, Max and Griffin. How can I not be grateful for all of them? Of course I wish I had gotten to spend more time with Griffin. Of course I wish this was his first Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up. Of course these holidays are going to be tough in some ways. But this is Thanksgiving week and like I said above, I can think of several things to be thankful for when it comes to Griffin:

I'm thankful he was created in the first place. It's no secret that I wanted three kids. And now I have 3. Hearing the surprising news he was on the way....telling everyone....planning for him....registering.....setting up his room....having baby showers....it was all so much fun and made for some very happy times.

I'm thankful that he brought our family closer together both before and after his death.

I'm thankful that I got to hold him for several hours. Those hours, while sad in ways of course were also very precious to me and I'll never forget them.

I'm thankful that without a doubt, I have a son waiting for me when I get to Heaven. I was already excited about Heaven and now I'm much, much more excited. I absolutely can not wait.

I'm thankful that Griffin has brought me so much closer to God. Although I would have preferred Griffin to live, his death has totally changed me spiritually for the better. And it's hard to accept and even say, but I think God knew I needed that and maybe it took something so drastic to change me.

That one is the most important. There is no denying that I am closer to God right now because of Griffin Thweatt. So I am very thankful on this day for him and for Him.

I miss Griffin a lot. I want to see his little face and feet again. I want to put my finger in his hand and have him squeeze it. I want to smell him again. He had that awesome new baby smell. But if I can't have him here during this life, I'll accept God's will and wait patiently for the time when we'll see each other again. And in the meantime, I'll praise God and be eternally grateful for the many gifts that Griffin did bring to me.

Just like my wonderful son Carter and my precious son Max, I love Griffin Thweatt so much. My heart overflows with love for all 3 of my boys. How could I possibly ask God for anything better? God is good!

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

Thankful Week - Day 6 (Max)

Trying to put up my Christmas Lights outside. God keeps sending rain which is great, but I'm not sure it'd be best to put up the lights during the rain....you know....slipping off the roof, catching pneumonia, electrocution.....those are all bad things, so I'm waiting until it clears a little. But let it be known that Clark Griswold is coming back this year. I took last year off to several complaints. It was very nice to not have to fool with it all, but I did miss it too. So this year it's all coming back. Susan's thrilled. :) Well, you probably guessed it, but Thankful Week post #6 goes to Mr. Max Thweatt....my 2nd born. For so many reasons, today I am thanking God for the incredible gift of Max.

I found out about Max over the phone. Susan called me at school and told me. We had been wanting to hear that news for about 4-5 months. I was so excited. We were so glad that Carter would have a sibling close in age. And once again God knew what Carter needed....a brother. They are a perfect pair. Max is strong in every quality that Carter isn't (and vice-versa). They compliment each other so well. They are very different but they use their strengths to encourage and help each other. Sure, they argue every once in a while, but for the most part, they play great together and laugh so much. And they make us laugh.....all the time. Max especially has an incredible sense of humor. I would have never dreamed he would make me laugh as much as he has in his 7 years. He also has a pretty strong athletic quality (that he obviously gets from his mother :) Just like Carter, God has blessed Max with so many talents and he uses them beautifully. There is no doubt that my life is so much more joyful with Max Thweatt in it. I can't imagine how life would be without him. God must have worked overtime creating that boy because he is simply wonderful and such a blessing. Just as much as Carter, I love Max so much and I am honored and humbled to be given such a gift and to be entrusted with the role of his father. God is good!!

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

Thankful Week - Day 5 (Carter)

Today is Thankful Week day #5 and it goes to my first born. And is this irony or what??? Today is his 10th birthday. I really didn't plan it that way. I mean I made a list of my 8 greatest blessings and just happened to put Carter on Monday....today. I then realized that it was his birthday on the same day. I can't believe he is 10 years old. These 10 years have flown by....very, very fast. However, they have by far been the best 10 years of my life....and I guess his best 10 as well. :) Today I am thanking God for the wonderful gift of my son, Carter.

I was so excited to hear that Carter was on the way. It was just a year after we married and we had just decided to start planning a family. But I was ready. He was born on 11/21/01, just a couple of months after 9/11 and the day before Thanksgiving that year. He took 22 hours of labor. He wasn't quite ready to come out. That was a tough night. A very tough night. Even the doctor was puzzled as to why he wasn't coming out. I'll never forget the doctor saying that if he didn't come soon, he might have to perform a caesarean because it was taking too long. I know it was nothing compared to my wife, but I was exhausted. It was 3:00 in the morning and I was so worried about Carter. I went into the hospital room bathroom, fell down on my knees, and prayed harder than I ever have. I begged God to make my boy ok and for him to come out soon. A little over two hours later, he finally came and he was perfect. He has been ever since. I cried tears of joy that day....the first time I ever had. These last 10 years, Carter has brought our family so much happiness and joy. I've been told that he looks like me. I know he acts just like I did when I was little. He's my little mini-me. He works so hard and has so many wonderful talents. I love that boy so much and I can't imagine the world without him. So today...on his 10th birthday, I am so grateful to God for giving me such a wonderful son in Carter Evan Thweatt. God is good!

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

Thankful Week - Day 4 (My Girl)

Thankful week post #4 goes to the woman of my dreams (and sometimes nightmares). he he he. Ok, that's the only funny I'll put in here because I say in all seriousness that marrying Susan Thweatt has been one of the biggest blessings God has given me in my life. Today, I'm thanking God from the bottom of my heart for my wife, Susan.

I'll never forget when she came in that classroom. It was my 1st or 2nd day of student teaching. My final semester of college, but my first day in my eventual full-time classroom. Needless to say, I was a little nervous. These were 7th graders. Some were bigger than I was, well at least scarier than I was. I knew nobody. Then she came in. She smiled and didn't hesitate to sit down right next to me, introduce herself, and make me feel welcome at that school. Over the next few weeks, we would get to know each other better. She provided a much better place to eat my lunch than that scary teachers' lounge. She became a friend.... a friend I was spending more and more time with. And I slowly began realizing that this was the one. She had all the makings of the perfect wife. And she's been my best friend ever since. I had prayed for years that God would send me a wife, a Godly wife, someone I could share my life with and someone that could help me in my spiritual walk. Boy, did He come through! After being married to her for more than 11 years now, I can safely say this.....Susan is a good person. She's loving, caring, kind, funny, generous, hard-working, etc, etc, etc.... I could go on for a while. But those are not the most important things. And even if she had none of those qualities, she would still be perfect because of the one quality she has that stands out.....she is a genuine servant of God. She is a model example of how we are supposed to live. She has the mind and heart of Christ every day and she doesn't even have to work at it. It's just how she is. Basically, Susan helps me to be a much better Christian than I'd be without her. When I go to Heaven, it's going to be in large part because of her guidance and example, and that makes her an incredibly wonderful gift straight from God. God knew that I needed her. God answered my prayers in a big way. God knew I would never get there without her. I realize that Jesus ultimately saved my soul, but I consider Susan a soul saver as well. And not only is she an outstanding wife, she is an amazing mother to our two sons. They will also be prepared and well equipped to be servants of God and fight temptation as they grow up and it's because of her example to them. She is so good at guiding them toward God and giving them a mind of Christ. And while our third son, Griffin got a free pass to Heaven which is awesome, I have no doubt that she would have led him straight there as well. He was a winner either way. I'm not sure why Susan continues to put up with me. I have a lot of faults and I know I'm a challenge to her, but I thank God she does. I need her. I can't do life without her. I love her. With all my heart.

God is good.


I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

Thankful Week - Day 3 (Family)

We put up Christmas today......Christmas trees, ornaments, lights, Snow Village. It's all up. The only thing I lack is the outside lights. That'll be quite the chore and I'll tackle that one at some point this week. Right now, I'm relaxing on the couch, watching some football. My legs are tired after working on decorations all day. I almost forgot about this post but thought I'd get it in quickly before I went to bed. It's going to be a short one....sorry about that.

It's day 3 of Thankful week. Today I'm thanking God for family. Not my immediate family....obviously that's coming later, but extended family. I've been blessed with a great family both here at home in Nashville and my wife's family down in Athens, GA. Being with either family always bring laughter and smiles and I look forward to any time I can be with them. This year, we'll be spending Thanksgiving here. We're eating at my sister's house on Thursday and I'm looking forward to it. We'll be going to Athens for Christmas (actually the day after) and I'm already excited about that trip. I could mention each of my family members by name and talk about so many wonderful things that each has done for me. It's easy for me to think of many things that have been done for us or encouraging words that have been given to us. Family is definitely one of God's biggest blessings and He has certainly blessed me heavily in that area. I love my family and pray for them often. And I know they do the same for me. God is good!

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

Thankful Week - Day 2 (Friends)

Day 2 of Thankful week which happens to also be the last day of school before Thanksgiving Break. I could definitely be thankful for that. I need a break. I love that we get a week now. Can't wait for next week. Going to start Christmas decorating this weekend. The boys have been asking for a couple of weeks now. But don't worry...not forgetting about Thanksgiving. Still want to focus on it all this week and give thanks to God above for so many blessings. Today I'm very grateful to God for so many wonderful friends.

If I can't hang out or spend time with my family, there's nothing I enjoy more than spending time with friends. I don't really have one best friend anymore. I guess I have a select few that I consider my closest friends, but I also have a huge number of people that I could just call "friends". From church friends to Lipscomb friends to former classmates and many others....it's just such a blessing to have so many people to talk to, laugh with, lean on, encourage, get encouragement from, and love. We've leaned on friends a lot during this last year and they've made it much easier to deal with our struggles and tough days. We've been overwhelmed with the generosity of so many friends in our lives. My cell phone is full of numbers....my Facebook friend list is packed....there are so many people I know I could always call on and I'm trying hard to be that support right back to them. Friends are such a gift from God and I'm blessed to have so many and to have had so many over the years of my life. God is good. John 15:13

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

Thankful Week - Day 1 (Lipscomb)

Ok, I'm stealing an idea from a few blogs I've been reading out there. Some are doing thankful months, thankful weeks, thankful days, whatever....but since today is one week from Thanksgiving, I thought I would share the 8 things I'm most thankful for...one each day until Thanksgiving next Thursday. These are in no particular order but they are the 8 things I'm most grateful to God for. The first thing I'm very thankful for in my life is Lipscomb.

I think I barely remember at age 5 when I finished Kindergarten at Otter Creek Pre-School and my parents said, "Albert, next year, you'll go to a new school called 'David Lipscomb'. It's a great school and you'll love it. By the way, we love you more than your two sisters." Ok, so maybe it wasn't exactly stated like that, but they did tell me I was going to the "big school" where my older sister went. I started out there in Pre-First in the fall of 1981 and I've never left the place. I've spent 30 years of my life at David Lipscomb. From grade school to college to grad school to my career. I graduated college in December of 1998 and was hired in the summer of 1999 to teach Middle School. I tell people all the time that Lipscomb is my 2nd home and it's really true. I'm very comfortable here. I feel like I know most of the ins and outs of this place. I know a lot of Lipscomb's history. I know a lot of people here. Many of my good friends have come because of this school. This school brought me my wife. This school played a role in shaping my spiritual life and it continues to do so today. Is Lipscomb perfect? No, but no place is and I would argue that it's about as close as you can get. Sometimes people like to argue and complain about what's wrong with this school and they often forget how much is right about this school. I try to focus on that as much as I can. I feel that God wants me to be here. He has given me this place as a blessing and a place where my faith can shine through. He has also given it to me as a mission and a place where I can evangelize to His children. Basically, I love it here and there's really no place I'd rather be as far as my career goes. So today I'm thanking God for Lipscomb... the school, the institution, the mission, the family, the blessed home away from home. God is good.

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

Remember the Sabbath?

Cross Country is officially over. My emotions are mixed. I love coaching. I love this team. I enjoy being with them. Someone asked me recently if I enjoyed teaching or coaching more and it didn't take me long to reply "coaching." Not that I don't enjoy teaching, but there's just something special about leading a team in a sport. So I will miss it. It was a great season and I had a blast, but on the other hand, the time will be nice. Not coaching frees up a lot of time that I can give back to my family which I am really looking forward to. So while I'll miss it and I'm sad to see the season end, it is a bit of a relief and it's nice to have another season completed. Now it's on to basketball season....not with the high school, but with my own sons. Looking forward to helping coach there and working with the boys more. We had our state Cross Country meet last weekend. My girl runner won the whole thing for the 2nd year in a row. She's amazing. Had another girl do really well individually. My boys team placed 7th out of 24 teams which isn't too bad. They gave it their all so I can't complain too much. Most of them will be on the team next year so I'm already looking forward to that.

So there's a box in my classroom. It's small. Wooden. It has a slot on top and a lock on the side. It has a sign on the front that says "Questions/Thoughts/Comments for Bible Discussion." I encourage my students to insert anything in the box....a question, a concern, a confusion, a verse, an encouragement.....anything that might spark some discussion in our class. I love it. We study the Bible and certain books in it, but I love taking a day off every once in a while to have discussion. I've had some great ones over the years. The other day, I opened the box because I could tell something new had been put in there. It simply said, "Why are we supposed to follow all the 10 Commandments today except one? Why don't we have to remember the Sabbath like they did in Old Testament times?" Good question. I liked it and we talked about it. I did explain to them that some things have changed since that commandment was given....such as which day "Sabbath" is referring to and how Jesus came along later and did work on the Sabbath, healing people and doing good work. I explained how that commandment might not mean the same to us as it did back then. But of course there's a "but"....

BUT......the students brought up some good points in our discussion. While we aren't required anymore to not work on the Sabbath, do we really give that day or any days to God? I think most would agree that our "Sabbath" is now Sunday. It's our worship day. It's when we are commanded to worship and praise our Father. And a lot of people do and that's great, but do we really give that day to God? Consider these questions:

Do you ever dread getting up early on Sundays to go to church?
Do you make excuses for being late to church or not going on Sunday evening or not going to Bible class?
Do you think about where you are going to lunch during church?
Do you try to hurry out the door to be first at the restaurant for lunch on Sundays?
Do you get annoyed when your Sunday afternoon is interrupted by something extra at church?
Do you get annoyed when the sermon runs long and church doesn't end right on the hour or before?
Do you find excuses to finish watching the 3:00PM football game instead of going to church?
Do you use your phone to check football scores during church?

There are many more questions I could ask but I'll stop there. And, ok, the last one is a personal and very recent mistake. Got caught doing that Sunday night and got a very deserved talking to. Please understand....I am guilty of many of the others as well. I am talking as much to myself as anyone else. Many of these things aren't "wrong" but they just show how dedicated (or undedicated) we are to God. We often put worldly things, thoughts, events, activities, etc ahead of God. We make excuses....really good excuses why but it all comes down to our priorities. Is it too much to ask to give just one day of our week totally to God? Or even most of the day? Or at least more of it than we do now? We get six other days a week to do our worldly things....job, school, family, leisure, etc. Those are all important but doesn't God trump all? Shouldn't he get one day where we focus more on Him than anything else? Maybe the OT "Remember the Sabbath" was a step in the right direction. Part of me wishes we weren't allowed to do anything on Sunday. Maybe that would make it easier to focus on Him.

This is something I need to work on and I thought I'd share it here as well. I want to give every day to Him and focus on Him for a set time each day, but I also think He deserves my Sundays. I know there are things I will have to do on Sundays. There will be work to do. There will be meals to eat. There will even be football games that I'll watch. But I need to make sure those things are on the back burner and God is way out in front. My thought process and habits need some tweaking. What about yours?

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

A Little Too Tents

Hello? Remember me? It's been nearly a month since I've written. Why? I don't know exactly. I've just been extremely busy and haven't found the time to write. And I apologize to all of you who depended on this blog to make it through your day. I know there are lots of you out there. Yeah, right. Actually I only had one person ask where the updates were...my wonderful sister who worships the ground I walk on. The rest of you didn't say squat... so thanks a lot. Kidding of course. Life would go on without this blog and I've thought once again about stopping it. It does require some time that I usually don't have, but I also know that I don't just do it for the readers, I do it for myself too. It helps me retain my focus where it should be....on my Father above. So it's a good thing, even if nobody reads it. I suggest you do the same, if not in blog form, at least in journal/diary form. It's amazing what writing down your thoughts can do for your spiritual life. I highly recommend it. And I'm going to try and keep it up and post more regularly - at least once a week.

So what's been going on in my life? I know you're dying to know. Well, I've made it through almost 3 months of school this year. It's flown by. It goes faster every year. But it's been just as busy as ever too. I've been really focused and involved with Cross Country. We have the final meet this Saturday - State. My guys team made it, my girls not so much. They came in 4th in Region and you have to get third or better. So close. I hated it for them b/c I know they really wanted to go as a team and they worked their tails off trying. I did have 2 girls qualify as individuals so they'll run Saturday. I'm excited to see what they and the guys' team will do. I'll let you know. I already know that I'm extremely proud of what they've accomplished this season and I thoroughly enjoyed another great year of CC. But other than that, it's been life as usual. The boys both played flag football and that ends this Saturday as well. Now we are preparing for basketball season. I'll help coach Carter's team once again and I'm really looking forward to that. Actually, I'm also really looking forward to coaching baseball again. I passed by our ballpark the other day and had a sudden urge to get out there. Can't wait to coach those boys. I really enjoyed that this past Spring. I'm also looking forward to the holidays. Always enjoy that time with family. Plus it will be a nice break from this crazy, busy life. It's all making me a little tense......

And I'm not a fan of tents. Say what? Is that a random comment or what? Yes, it's very random but it has a point. I've had some bad experiences with tents. My earliest memory of sleeping in a tent was when I first joined Boy Scouts as a 12 or 13 year old. I was the new kid on the campout so I got paired up with a boy I didn't know... who didn't talk. Not one word. We had to set up our tent which I didn't know how to do and since quiet boy didn't talk, it made it very challenging. Then, when we went to bed, it was 4 degrees outside and I was homesick. And being the new kid, I got pulled out of my tent in my sleeping bag and dragged a few feet towards the forest. Scouts eventually got better but this first memory wasn't the best one. Granted, I enjoy camping, but setting up the tent is always quite the chore. I also seem to have trouble with the pop-up tents we use in Cross Country like the one above. When I coached middle school CC, I bought one and was so excited to use it for the team. Only the most important teams had their own tent. Of course, it only lasted two meets before the wind totally destroyed it. Skip ahead to two weeks ago. I decided to be a good coach and go set up early for our Metro Meet. I went during my planning period and set up our two tents. I knew it was a windy day, but I thought they would be ok for a few hours. Wrong! I got an email from a friend about 2 hours later saying he had just been to the course and one of our tents was upside down. Arrrggghh. When I got there, not only was it upside down but two of the legs were still staked into the ground so they were totally bent. Another dead tent. I dragged it to the trash can. And I can't help remember just over 7 months ago when I sat under a sagging tent on a cold, wet day at Woodlawn Cemetery. Tents have just not been my friend at any point. Thankfully, tents are only temporary. Check out this awesome passage from 2 Corinthians 5:1-5.....

¹ For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. ² Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, ³ because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ⁴ For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

I love this passage. Our lives on Earth are tents. They're a pain sometimes. They fall over. They even get destroyed. We suffer and have to keep rebuilding our tents. But one day the rebuilding will stop! It says we have an "eternal house in Heaven." I love verse 5 where it says our home in Heaven is "guaranteed". That's why He gives us His Spirit. It's a deposit. It's proof of my salvation. My house is waiting for me in Heaven and no wind will ever blow it over. I like verse 2 also...it says we groan for our Heavenly dwelling. Do you? I do. I can't wait. I want to be there so badly. As I've said before, I'm ready right now. But I'll leave it up to God to decide when He wants me. But I long for that day when I'll never have to set up a tent again. I'll have a strong home that nothing will ever destroy.

Wanna be my neighbor? Come on. I plan on having a big block party. No tents please.

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

TV or not TV

Television. That's a tricky one. Or is it? Is it really that bad? Is it really blog-topic worthy? Are you just fishin' in the dark here, Thweatt? Or is it a serious topic? Obviously I think it is or I wouldn't have chosen it. But there's a reason why I did? I saw something that I wish I hadn't. More on that in a second....

I remember watching a lot of TV as a kid. We had a big ole' 32 inch TV in our playroom. Well...that was big then. I even remember when we got a remote for the first time. It was not wireless. It was wireful. Or wired. Or whatever. It had a wire. A cord....that went all the way to the TV. On the remote was only one big knob that you could turn to access the channels. I remember when we got cable too. I was so excited. Our channels had quadrupled or five-tupeled or whatever the word is. I just sat there a-flippin' all day long. I remember my older sister and I staring at MTV all the live-long day just waiting for Thriller to come on. When it did we would scream and then sit and watch the nearly 14 minute long video. Then we'd sit and wait for it again. I don't think I had time limits on TV watching. I'm sure my mom will correct me should she read this, but I remember watching a lot. But of course, that was when TV was clean, wasn't it? Probably not. I'm sure I saw things I shouldn't have. I don't really remember any of them, but I'm sure I did. But it couldn't have been as bad as it is now, right? They actually had rules then on what you could and couldn't do or say. Those rules seem to have now gone bye-bye. It's certainly gotten worse. Do you agree? Back to what I saw recently.....

So I was working out the other morning. I was on the elliptical doing some serious exercise. Major ellipticing. I was in the new Lipscomb SAC weight room which I mentioned previously as being very nice. Brand new machines. Big room. Several TV's. I usually don't pay much attention to the TV's unless Sportscenter is on or something. I did catch myself watching Titanic the other day. It was on one of the TV's. I'm manly enough to admit that. But I generally don't watch them much. I listen to my Ipod instead. And that's just what I was doing. I was listening to my tunes when a spiritual song came on. I can't remember what it was....maybe "How Great is our God." I love that song. But right in the middle, it was ruined. I looked up and MTV happened to be on one of the TV's and they just happened to be showing the most controversial moments in the MTV video awards history. I couldn't believe what they were showing. I just happened to look up during one of the Brittney Spears songs and saw way more of ole' Brittney than I wanted to see. I immediately looked down and tried to focus on my music instead. My immediate thought was how ironic that I was listening to a song about how wonderful our God is and right in front of me was obvious evidence of how evil this world is. I'll admit that in the past, I may have looked at that TV a little too long. But I've really been trying to evaluate everything I do and see. I'm not perfect, but I've really been trying to keep my mind and heart clean and not look at things that I know go against God. This was an obvious one against Him.

I think TV is something that a lot of people make excuses for. I know I have in the past. "It's not that bad" or "they don't say or show that much" or "I watched it when I was a kid". That was my favorite excuse. I did it so what's wrong with it. What IS wrong with it? Is TV all bad? Should we do away with it altogether? What's too far? Where's the line? I think it's gotten tough these days. It's just getting worse and worse. They are allowing so much more on TV. They're line has changed. But should ours? I don't think so.

I'm really trying not to sound all "holier than thou." Sorry if it's coming across that way. I just think if we're being honest, there are a lot of things on that box we shouldn't be watching. There are a lot of things that God wouldn't want us watching. It always goes back to WWJD? Be honest. You know what He'd do. And again - I'm not perfect. I still occasionally find myself watching things I probably shouldn't. It's difficult....I know. There are very entertaining shows out there, but some just go too far. It's also hard because I love TV. I love to sit back and watch, especially if I've had a rough or long day.

Now don't get me wrong, there are still some good things on there too. To answer my earlier question, no I don't think we should do away with it altogether. I absolutely love sitting down with my family to watch a good clean show. We have gotten into game shows. Love GSN. There's also a lot of good family game shows on other channels as well. And there are other channels and shows we watch, but we try to be very careful about what our family watches. Just trying to live for God every second of every day. Isn't that what we're supposed to do? Is watching one bad program going to condemn us? I don't know. Probably not, but I don't know. But why do it? Why show God that's the kind of person you are? After all He's done for us? Really?

Just something to think about. I have been and just thought I'd share.

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

SYATP

SYATP? What is that? It looks kindof like "shut up" - not that I would ever use those words. They're dirty in our house. But it does look like a gangster way to say "shut up." Say what? Here's what I mean.....I used to watch Bugs Bunny every single Saturday morning. What a great cartoon. There ain't nothin' like that anymore. I even ordered the DVD's and have introduced Bugs to my kids. They love it. It's laugh out loud funny to me. Yosemite Sam is my personal favorite, but they're all great. Except Pepe Le Pew. Never could stand him. One of my favorite episodes is when the 2 bad guys escape with Bugs but of course he keeps messing with them as they try to elude the cops. Anyways, more than once, one of the bad guys says "shut up rabbit." But it sounds more like "Syatp rabbit." Ok, that was a long way to get to that point, but that's what I thought of when I saw it. Again - I'm a little strange. Do you know what SYATP really stands for?

I heard about it on the news yesterday morning. I had already heard of it, but I did realize yesterday was the day. Apparently, on the 4th Wednesday in September, "See You At The Pole" happens all over the country....actually all over the world. It began as the work of a single youth group in Texas in 1990. It spread simply by word of mouth and today, several million around the country and planet participate. The advice is to gather around your school's flagpole (if you have one) at 7AM on that day to pray. It has met conflict of course. After several objections and lawsuits, any student can participate, but teachers cannot. The schools cannot encourage or discourage it. They must stay out of it. Like I said, I heard about it on the news today. They also discussed how some teachers must sign a card understanding they will face discipline if they participate. There have been instances right here in Tennessee where teachers and coaches have gotten in trouble for simply bowing their heads during a student-led prayer. I cannot comprehend how low and worldly our country and it's leaders must be to allow that to be ok. Government workers cannot even bow their head when they want to. That's not freedom! I will NEVER, I repeat NEVER work in a public school for that very reason. I will work at McDonalds (nothing against the fry guys out there - I worked there once) before I work at a place that won't allow you to pray, let alone bow your head.

I try to stay out of politics. I don't like it. I just try to serve my God. He's told me and I know that this world is evil. Things like this are going to happen. The world won't cease to be evil. We can try to make it better and we should, but it will never be perfect. Oh believe me, I'd love to do something about this. For some reason, hearing this on the news this morning made me angry. Most government things don't. I know a lot of people that complain about the government, the economy, Obama. Whatever. That's their right. But not me. Maybe I should care more but I just feel that complaining does nothing. Actions do I guess. But I honestly don't care. Our country is never going to be "right" or "perfect". It will never be where everyone is happy. So I don't care about the politics and government stuff. Maybe that's wrong and maybe I should. I'm just trying to continue my path to Heaven and bring as many as I can with me. That being said, this prayer thing did make me upset. Maybe because it's more spiritual centered and not just government centered. I don't like anybody messing with anyone's spiritual practices. And I wish there was something I could do...we could do. There has to be enough people out there that agree that teachers should be able to pray if they want. That they should be able to participate in SYATP. There has to be more that agree than those who don't. Right? Maybe not, but I think so. I'm not sure what I can do. I know I can pray. And I will. My prayer today is that God will allow people to talk to him publicly if they want to and not feel threatened if they do. My prayer today is for those teachers, coaches, and government workers who have to hide who they really are and whose they really are. My prayer is that they stand up for their beliefs and rights....that they stand up for God. I know God says to follow the government and abide by the rules, but not when it takes Him away, right? As Christians, we shouldn't stand for that.

I feel very very blessed to work in a place where I can say all day long who I am and whose I am. And I can tell others about it and try to bring them along for the ride. I don't make any money, but I don't care. Being allowed to proclaim my faith is worth more than any salary I could ever make. And I will never give that up. Maybe this is more of a soapbox than it should be but it just got under my skin a little so I thought I'd share. If you are reading and your rights are limited.....if you are reading and you are threatened for serving our God......if you are reading and you're not allowed at the pole.....all I would say is stand firm. Look for a way out if possible. If not, look for a way to fight this ridiculous injustice. I'm on your side. God is too. Rest assured that one day soon, you'll be in a place where you can stay at the "pole" all day long. Forever. You see, I'm thinking that maybe God has a flagpole right in the center of Heaven. I'll be there singing His praises. Come join me.

See You At The Pole!


I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

A Welcome Thief

Ever been robbed? I haven't. Not personally. Knock on wood. And this is not an invitation to give me my first experience. My family was robbed when I was just a wee lad. I think I was 4 or 5. My dad, mom, older sister and me were on summer vacation. We were at some hotel heading for the beach. I guess we had stopped about halfway for the night. I don't remember much. But apparently, someone used a coat hanger during the night to open the back of our family truckster (a.k.a. station wagon). I guess since we were just stopped for the night, we had left most of our stuff in the back of our car. Don't do that by the way. Take it in. Anyways, they took it all. All our suitcases. The only thing I remember is sitting on the bed with my sister who was crying. On the other bed were my mom who was also crying I think, and my dad who was on the phone calling the police. That's about all I remember. I just remember thinking that something bad must have happened, but I guess I didn't really grasp what was going on. We ended up going on a major shopping spree, getting a new wardrobe and continuing on with our vacation. We never found our stuff. I think I lost a favorite Mickey Mouse shirt that night. I hope there's some criminal out there wearing a very small Mickey shirt who is very happy.

I know a good number of folks that have been robbed. It stinks. I hate hearing those stories. I think the worst part would be not necessarily losing your stuff, but feeling violated or unfairly treated. It's just not fair that people come in and take what is yours. It doesn't feel good and there's not usually much you can do about it. I have no sympathy for a thief. We had a student last week who walked up to another student at lunch, took his hotdog, and started eating it. When we asked him why, he simply said, "I just wanted it." Say what? But it's not your hotdog you big thief!! He took a hotdog that didn't belong to him. He just took it. No sympathy for that. He went way down on my favorite student list. I don't like thieves. Well, there's one exception.....there's only one thief that I like. In fact, I love this thief. I love Him more than my family. That thief is Jesus.

Jesus, a thief? What? Ok, so He's not exactly a thief, but the Bible says when He comes next time, He will come like a thief. He's compared to a thief. Just like a thief is sneaky and comes when you least expect it, Jesus will also. We don't know when He's coming back. That's God's plan. Would I like to know when He's coming back? Yes and no. Yes, because I would want to be ready and it would be nice just to know. But no because I want to be walking that narrow path at all times, not just because I know when He's coming. Plus, this world would be a much scarier place if everyone knew He wasn't coming back for a while. But the Bible does say he'll come like a thief. I Thess. 5:2 says....

² for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

But when I read this the other day, I discovered the next few verses which I've never noticed or been taught before. Look at verse 4.....

⁴ But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.

In other words, it SHOULDN'T be like a thief to us. I've always been taught that Jesus will come like a thief....when we least expect it.....you better be prepared......almost like a scare tactic. And maybe that's a good way to get people ready. But I read this scripture as something different. To me it says that if we're walking in the ways of the Lord, if we're "not in darkness" and we have the relationship with God we're supposed to, it won't be like a thief at all. We'll be expecting it at all times and it won't be a surprise. It will be just what we've been waiting for. I don't know about you, but I think of a thief as an unhappy thing. As a scary thing. I don't want to think of Jesus's coming like that. I want to be ready always. I want to be in light, not darkness so that His coming won't surprise me at all, no matter when it is. I would LOVE to be around to get to see that during my lifetime. What a glorious and most beautiful sight that would be! Maybe I will. Maybe I won't. Maybe I'll already be with Him when He comes. But one thing is for sure....I'm going to live my life expecting Him to come at any second. I will always be ready. It won't be like a thief to me. If it is, it will be a welcome thief because I'll always be expecting Him and hoping for Him. And this "thief" can take anything He wants. Especially me. He will be the most welcome guest of all!



I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert

Bring on the Morning!

I want to run! A marathon. Really bad. Or at least a half-marathon. I just want to run. I'm not sure what is going on, but I have this strong urge to run again. It's been several weeks since I've run and I don't like it. And I think my body doesn't like it. I know my growing mid-section doesn't like it. I still have some heel pain in the mornings and I'm trying really hard to let that heal completely before I try running again. But it's just taking forever. And it's annoying. But I've pretty much decided that I'm going to run another race in the Spring. Something local and cheap but at least a half-marathon and maybe a full. I just need to have that race on the horizon to keep me motivated and going. I enjoy it too much to just give it up.

The last time I ran a race was March - a local half-marathon here in downtown Nashville. That was over 6 months ago! And it looks like it will be about a year before I get another one in. That's too long for me. I am seeing running friends run these races and make plans for marathons and that just makes me excited all over again to run again at some point. In the meantime, I think I'm going to get back to working out. I haven't done much of anything over the last 2-3 weeks. But Monday of this week, I discovered the new SAC here at Lipscomb Univ. Very nice! Brand new weight room that opens at 5:30AM. Perfect. I tried it the last 2 mornings and it was great. Only a few people there and lots of open machines. I'm going to try to keep that up most days if I can. It's a great way to start out the day. Which leads me to a question.....how do you start your day?

I used to start my day a lot differently than I do now. Getting up each morning was a chore. I dragged out of bed and slowly made my way to the shower. It was the only way I knew to wake up. Then I would get dressed, read the paper, and head off to school. That was it. Same boring routine every day. I see now that's no way to start off a day. Now I do all of the above but I add some time with God in the mix. It's like a new surprise every morning. New sunrise. New things to see in His creation. New scripture and words from God each morning. New things to talk to Him about every single day. It has given me a new appreciation for mornings. I actually look forward to my mornings. A lot. It makes me hop out of bed a little quicker and peppier. (is that a word? It looks like a spice.) I still hobble a little b/c of my heel but I'm definitely happier to be awake. And now that I've started working out in the mornings, I enjoy them even more. I wait on the shower and I use the workout to wake me up. It's a great way to do that and it makes me feel good and a little proud all day long since I've gotten it done. So I've started using my mornings for some physical exercise and more importantly - some spiritual exercise. Morning is very quickly becoming my favorite part of the day, although it's got some tough competition with my family in the evening when I get home.

So how do you start your morning? I'm not saying my answer is perfect or I have it all figured out, but I can't argue with how I feel. Starting off the morning right seems to make each day so much better. It's becoming a habit for me.....a very good habit. And I love it. I would love to share my morning with anyone if you're interested. The physical exercise part or the spiritual. Just let me know. At least try the spiritual yourself....even if it's a few minutes.....it really will change your day and most importantly change your life. It has mine.

Hope everyone has a good week!

I love God, Griffin, my Girl, and my Guys.

Keep runnin'. The PRIZE awaits. (Php. 3:14)

-Albert