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