Pair o' Dime Props: Joyce Theis

As a kid, typically a group of friends seem to congregate at one house. This was the case for me and the house I spent a good portion of my high school and college years belonged to John and Joyce Theis. Their house was awesome! A nice stereo in the basement as well as a pool table, dart board, board games and a piano. It was a "party basement." My buddy Jim and his brother Bill had a few parties there too. It seemed that every day after school, we'd head over to Jim's house and shoot pool and listen to Rush, Styx, Boston or Jethro Tull. They'd even let me put on The Kinks from time to time. But this post really isn't about that. It's about the fact that when you spend a lot of time with a good childhood friend at his house, you become extended family. I found myself often calling Jim's folks mom and dad.

"Mom Theis" was a sweetheart! The mom of three of her own kids and adopted as a mom by others, she always seemed to have a nice smile for you. If you were lucky she'd even greet you with a kiss. Despite spending most of the time in the basement playing pool, I have some fond memories of Mrs. Theis. Twenty-five years ago I went to Christmas Eve service with the Theis family. It was the first time I ever took communion. She was kneeling next to me at the altar of their Lutheran church and I remember her uttering "Amen" as she received the elements. Mrs. Theis was completely deaf in one ear and had about 10% hearing in the other one. In church she sang out with gusto and you knew it sounded perfect to her heavenly father. Soon after this, Mr. and Mrs. Theis taught me and Jim how to play bridge and I had the privilege of spending many evenings playing cards with them. Mrs. Theis was from Georgia and had that wonderful Georgia drawl. She would occasionally say with the accent, "That makes me madder than a wet hen!" For some reason, I absolutely loved hearing her say that.

About six or seven years ago, Mrs. Theis was diagnosed with Lung Cancer. Knowing the gravity of that particular form of cancer I know many of her friends were praying for Mrs. Theis. She was about 72 or 73 when she was diagnosed and that made things even more concerning. Thankfully, God gave those around her another six or seven years to enjoy her company until she passed away this past Friday. I've been told she was ready, willing and waiting, so the sadness is for those who knew her. I'll miss her smile, her greeting, her beef stew and her apple cake. She's a wonderful lady who can now can take deep breaths, hear everything around her and still sing with gusto. I hadn't seen Mrs. Theis for a few years, but I will still miss her. I will make her apple cake later this week and will think about her during Christmas when I have communion.

Choosing a Consulting Firm

A few weeks ago I was asked to review over 900 pages of proposals from 9 consulting firms. As you may expect this was quite a delightful way to spend a week at work and at home. After much reading, skimming, meeting and discussing, the group responsible for determining which vendors to bring in for presentations came to a decision to bring in three firms for two hours a piece. All three presentations were today and thanks to my friend, the coffee bean, I made it through all three and retained consciousness. But now, after all this time, a decision must be made. Here are the "highlights" from today's meetings:

Consulting Firm A
This firm brought six people for the presentation. All but one of them was younger than me, (and I'm not that old). They all wore dark suits, used the cliché "Think outside the box" once and twice told us that they didn't want to just provide us a binder of findings as the final deliverable and it be put on the shelf. They wanted to be sure we found value in implementing what was in the binder. One person told one semi-funny joke twice and they provided one color 17"x11" color handout while we listened to a two hour Powerpoint presentation.

Consulting Firm B
This firm had two people considerably older than me. One person spoke the whole time, right after lunch and before my second round of coffee. No jokes were told and they also told us twice that they didn't want to deliver a binder that just gathered dust on a shelf. They wanted to be sure we found value in implementing what was in the binder. They provided a nice color folder/brochure and a printout of their Powerpoint presentation. They put six slides on a page, twelve total on both sides. You had to squint to read the slides on the page and there really wasn't room for notes. The speaker spoke for exactly two hours and no jokes were told. My eyes stayed open but not by much.

Consulting Firm C
This firm brought four people including the owner. They were all older than me by some degree. They did not tell us anything about binders or thinking outside the box. They provided a nice folder of information and a printout of the PowerPoint slides. Two slides on one side of the paper providing plenty of room to write. They had about one third the amount of slides that the other firms had. All four people spoke and they had plenty of energy which matched my alertness thanks to round two of my coffee. I do not remember any jokes but I do remember laughing on multiple occasions. Most importantly, they ended their presenation 20 minutes early.

Naturally and for strictly professional and pertinent reasons, my vote is for Firm C, hands down.

(Please note: If you find this post boring, I'm sorry. Just be thankful youdidn't have to sit through what I had to sit through today :-) )

NCAA Football is in upheaval

In the past, I have offered up that sports are challenging my faith, but now I realize that something bigger is happening. Consider the following anomalies in college football. These facts will make your head spin and make you question if all is right in the universe:

• Notre Dame continues to lose and will not go to a bowl game for the second year in a row.
• Michigan has their first nine loss season in the school's history. They finished the season losing to Ohio State 42-7. (This one doesn't keep me up at night)
• Jim Tressel called for a fake punt against Illinois while OSU was leading by 21 with less than 10 minutes left to play. This may not seem like a big deal, but anyone who knows Jim Tressel, knows his conservative in coaching is second only to his conservatism in wardrobe. He's the kind of guy who would stop at 42 against Michigan when it could have been 56.
• The University of Cincinnati will be going to a BCS bowl game. Let me say that again. The University of Cincinnati will be going to a BCS game! The final four, yes; but a BCS bowl!?!
  

But the largest piece of evidence that College Football is in upheaval is this:

• Florida State has produced a Rhodes Scholar! Yeah, you think all that other stuff is crazy. Myron Rolle, a safety for the 'Noles, is a Rhodes Scholar. The guy wants to be a neurosurgeon and now has the opportunity to study in Oxford. Unbelievable. I don't know what shocks me more; the fact that this guy would go to FSU, or the fact that Bobby Bowden would even consider recruiting someone who would put their studies before football. A fluke indeed, but regardless - hats off to Mr. Rolle.
  

The times, they are a changin'. I should have known when OSU recruited the top quarterback in the nation. My world is being rocked.

GPS Shortcomings

Last Mother's day I gave the Mrs. a Garmin. It's great! I love the maps and it's fairly efficient in giving me directions to where I need to go. I love the technology too. It's like watching yourself on a map while you're driving. However, I do have a few suggestions for improvement.

Let's talk about the voice. Our's is pretty neat since you can give it an English or Australian accent. Or, if you're ambitious and bilingual, you could actually program it to give you directions in your second language. Honestly, though, after a while, you want something a little different. Perhaps some additional dialects could be added into the device. Take for instance some northeastern accents. We lived in Northern New Jersey prior to moving down here and nothing would be cooler than hearing a nice Jersey accent with the appropriate attitude while driving. The female voice even talk like she has a big piece of gum in her mouth or something. And to have the male voice, say something like "Hey! You missed the turn! Sheesh! Hold on while I recalculate..." Of course, I would wonder whether someone from New Jersey would be able to tell you to turn left at a major intersection. (If you don't get that joke, then you probably don't know what a jughandle intersection is either. :-) )

Now that I live in Charlotte, I think it would be great to have some southern accents as well. "Where do you want to go today sweetheart?" Or "Oops, well bless your heart, you just missed that last turn. Hold on honey while I recalculate that for you." It could even call me "sir" at the appropriate times - now who wouldn't like that? Or how about a little more familiarity in tone? "You want to go where? Oh, now you can't get there from here. You wanna head on down to the post office and then turn left right after the Bojangles..."

Of course the sky's the limit with this. A london cockney accent or a nice thick Yorkshire dialect. You name it, it shouldn't be that hard to add these.

But here's what I really want when it comes to the Garmin. I want the following dialogue:

"Turn left in .2 miles"
(No turn)
"Recalculating..."
"Make U-turn in 400 feet"
"Recalculating.....again...."
"Please turn right onto Main St."
(Volume increases)"Please adjust the volume on your GPS while I recalculate again"
"Please turn right onto 2nd street"
"Um, hello? Are you even paying attention to me? Let me recalculate again"
"Turn right onto 3rd Street"
"Do you even want my help! Why did you even buy me if you're not going to listen to my recommendations"
"Turn right on 6th Street"
"OK, now you're really lost....you are so clueless!!!!! Recalculating...."
"Arrive at Destination on left?!?! Wow! I never thought of going this way. I take back everything I said. Please accept my apologies. I bow to the one with superior directional knowledge. Let me file this route away so I won't suggest you go that long way again."


Now THAT would be cool.

Election Day

Similar to last May's post during primary season, here are a few notes about today:

I have to admit I'm not the most patriotic person in this country, but I do love this day. There is something very special to me about waking up and exercising my civic duty. This year is a very exciting one as we have an American hero running against a younger man who symbolizes hope for many minorities across our multicultural nation. I know I'm a bit rose-colored in my thoughts on this, but I believe they are both good men. They both have political views that I don't agree with, and yet, I admire them. I will be excited about the changes coming our way as a nation regardless of who wins.

In my town, the YMCA is on the second floor of the town hall. The Y opened at 5 am and the polls open at 6:30. I had decided to go to the gym at 5 and then go downstairs and cast my vote. I am not progressive enough to vote early. When I went to the gym at 5:15, there were already 3 people in line. By the time I got downstairs, at 6, I was the 24th person in line. By the time the polls opened, my small town had 200+ people wrapped around town hall ready to vote. It was amazing, and encouraging. I was only there for about an hour, but in that time, I got to talk to a number of folks from my town who I know and respect. Moreover, I am sure that I was speaking to folks who were voting for different candidates. Did this make the interactions tense? Not at all. As a matter of fact, people were generally smiles. It was good.

Of course, as I type this, everything points to our 44th president being Senator Obama. For some this is a very exciting event and for others, it is very upsetting. Part of the reason for this victory is that polls are showing that evangelical Christians have split between the two candidates. Consequently, I have read some very judgmental things regarding the other half of Christian voters and I find it appropriate that this past weekend, the sermon at my church included the following verses from James.

"Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?"
-James 4:11-12

This is something we need to take to heart as we continue. There are Christians who voted on either side and all of us need to pray with pure motives for our leaders regardless of who they are.

Come on Folks, show a little compassion!!

Yesterday, on the way to work, I was listening to the Marketplace Morning Report on my local Public Radio Station. This week, oil prices fell to their lowest levels in over a year, at less than $70 a barrel. This seems like good news but apparently this isn't so good for the OPEC nations. They need prices to be higher. According to Stephen Beard, Iran and Venezuela need the price per barrel to be around $95 in order to balance the budget for their respective countries. This is a concern and I think that in the American Tradition, we should all think long and hard on what we can do for these countries as they face these hardships. I suggest we pass a virtual offering plate around and send all proceeds directly to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or Iran and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela to ensure their country had a balanced budget and suffer no hardships. Who's with me?

Presidential Politics: The Challenger's Question

Someone within the media mentioned the other day that standard challenger's question when it comes to presidential politics. We hear it every four years: "Are you better off now than you were 8 years ago?" In short, I don't like this question.

First, the question has some hidden implications. One of these is that the asker implies there is only one answer. He is actually somehow telling you that you are NOT better off now. Another implication, and this is the bigger concern for me, is that somehow, the current president is responsible for me NOT being better off now than I was 8 years ago. Really, the people I am in contact with on a daily basis probably have more influence over my current situation than the leader of this nation ever would. Besides, we have over 500 leaders of this country. If I'm shortsighted and shallow enough to believe they directly affect the majority of the aspects of my life, I'm going to blame all of them...not just the executive.

But here is my present state: Despite the implications, I AM better off now than I was 8 years ago. Eight years ago, things were economically tight, and my wife and I had just been blessed with a son who was 7 months old. Since then, we have been blessed economically, we have two sons we love very much, a great church and our love for each other continues to increase. Does this mean I should vote for John McCain or NOT vote for Barack Obama? Should I thank President Bush for all of this? Hardly. It means I should continue to NOT depend on our government or politicians to find my happiness. Furthermore, it means that I should find myself regularly thanking and praising God for the many undeserved blessings He has sent my way! To attribute it to someone or something else could lead to a form of idolatry.

Are Politicians Reading My Blog?

In my previous post, I stated very clearly what I felt about how the executive compensation should be handled with the bailout plan.

This morning, the quote from a Cincinnati Enquirer report on the agreed bailout plan says this:

The rescue would only be open to companies who deny their executives "golden parachutes" and limit their pay packages.

OK, I would like to know which influential politician is reading my blog and which party they belong to. I did not realize how much influence I hold! :-)

Really, though, it's a step in the right direction.

UPDATE: Apparently there were a handful of representatives in the house who didn't read my blog after all.

My Thoughts on the Economic Crisis

OK, here are my twenty cents worth on the economic crisis. This is not an exhaustive list, but just a few thoughts. Frankly, it's been almost 2 weeks since my last post, and I'm starting to feel a little guilty. Perhaps this will assist me in getting back into the blogging habit.

You ask, "But Rus, why should we care what you think? What are your credentials for making your opinions on economic issues known to the whole world?"

Well, I'm glad you asked. I'm highly credentialed in this area. About 15 years ago, I finished my undergraduate work in Music and during that time, I did not take one economics class. Prior to that I didn't even take a home economics course. After receiving this degree I went on to get a masters in Systems Analysis. If you don't know what that is, think computers. And if you know computers, you also recognize that there is a dolar symbol on the keyboard, and I can find it very quickly. So I am definitely equipped to make my opinions known.

"But Rus, what does this really have to do with the economics?"

Good question. Anyone knows, that you rarely use the knowledge you get in college and real training happens in the real world. Just before I got married, my wife and I attended a class on finances at our church. Here's what we learned: Don't spend more than you have. It changed my life. Our household budget can always stand some refining and trimming, but for the most part it works pretty well. How much more justification do you need?

So with that, here are my thoughts. These companies are in trouble because they don't have any money. Apparently they didn't go to the same course that I went to at my church. If they did, they would not have overextended and made risky investments. That being said, I suspect most of us are compensated based on our performance in our given profession. That's why I was happy when the president took such a hard nosed line by saying the execs should not get a windfall when this bailout is complete. What? No bonus? The president didn't say enough. He should have said their salaries would be cut, starting first with their golden parachutes. After that, their annual salaries should be hacked as well! Performance-based pay should suggest that if your company fails, then your salary should decrease. Or perhaps, you should submit your resignation with a forfeited severence package.

Well, thank goodness the government is stepping in! I'm sure they all went to similar finance classes like the ones offered at my church and that with a little bit of taxpayers dollars, will set the course right. Oh, well, I mean they carry a little debt, but what's a few trillion dollars among countrymen? Their record of making economically sound decisions will set us straight. I'm sure of it.

Another thing the president mentioned twice was the taxpayer's inability to get car and student loans. I suppose this is a sad reality that we go into debt for transportation and education. Their is a good argument for the latter considering that an education is something of appreciative value, but a car depreciates as soon as you drive it off the lot. However putting it in a speech only encourages it.

One last thing: The President boasted that democratic capitalism is the best system ever devised. I have to say that for the first time in my life I'm beginning to doubt it. And come to think of it, capitalism quickly becomes greed-driven, and I personally can't see how something good can consistently come out of selfish behavior. Perhaps I'm just naive.... or jealous of all those execs and politicians that have all that money and power. :-)

That's enough for now...I have to go balance my checkbook.

OSU at USC: The Good News Either Way

Tonight, is a huge game for Ohio State! The Buckeyes are in Southern California to face the USC Trojans. I have to admit that my disdain for USC was born in the 1970s. At about the age of 8 I starting hanging around with a kid named Nick Jonson. His family was pretty rabid in their love for the Buckeyes and Nick and I were good friends for some time. The tradition became for me to watch all the OSU games (when the Jonson's didn't go to Columbus) with them. Anyhow, USC has faced OSU 5 times since I was old enough to know anything about football, and they are 5-0 since then. Moreover, they won the first match up 18-17 and denied OSU the 1980 National Championship game with a score of 17-16. (I still believe Charles White did not score on that last drive by USC. It was a beautiful goal-line stand and I think I'm still in denial because of it). USC is leading the series against the Buckeyes 11-9-1. I want OSU to win BAAAAAD tonight!

But here is what's interesting. As much as I'm looking forward to tonight's game, I'm even more excited for tomorrow morning. Why? Well, if the Buckeyes win, I can go to my OSU-saturated church and celebrate with all of the transplanted Buckeyes who live here in Charlotte. I can begin thinking about a third National Championship game in a row, and hope that every SEC team beats up on each other and that the final NC opponent is from any other conference but that one. Of course there are still a few games before then that will be nail-biters, but I will know the chances are still there. My blood pressure will go up every Saturday between now and the day after the Michigan game and have a month of build-up for the big game in January. It will be exciting and stressful.

Which brings me to why I am excited for tomorrow even if they lose. First it won't be against an SEC team, so I won't have to deal with that. As a matter of fact I think a good portion of the SEC would like to see the Bucks win. (They probably think their chances of winning another NC game is greater if OSU is their opponent, so of course they want them to win). More importantly though, if the Buckeyes lose, I can relax. I will still enjoy the Saturday games and suspect the Buckeyes will win most if not all of them, but I won't be wired. I usually don't say this, but every year I get hyped up for the Buckeyes and stress out because of it too. A loss tonight won't be the end of the world. As a matter of fact, it will likely make my football watching more detached but also collectively more enjoyable. Perhaps this is another sign that sports isn't quite as important as I thought it was.

Sports are challenging my faith

January 2008: At my church we had a "Men's Challenge" event to kick off the year. The challenge speaker was Walt Wiley who is a great guy and a Christian. It was an enjoyable event. Walt used to be the chaplain for the Atlanta Braves, so he shared some stories about some of the guys on the team. It was cool. At first it seemed hard to believe that a team like the Braves would even want a chaplain, but I figured baseball players are relatively decent guys and they get traded so often, there is no doubt that Christians would eventually land in Atlanta whether they wanted to or not. Later that night, I met this guy named Dan. A really nice guy who is married and has two adopted children. He seemed pretty strong in his faith too, but...well, I found out later he went to the University of Michigan! Unbelievable! Christians in Ann Arbor! There must be something wrong. I figured it was a fluke.

July 2008: The junior high youth pastor at my church is a great guy. I haven't met him personally, but I've enjoyed and have been challenged by his preaching on the occasions that I've heard him. Well his Facebook profile is open and I cam across it one day and couldn't help but notice that he's from the state of Michigan and is a big Wolverines fan! Could lightening strike twice?

September 2008: Well, anyone knows that Ohio State fans such as myself don't really have a soft spot for Florida. The Gators trounced the Bucks twice in one school year in National Championship games. It was disgusting. Well, I was on the elliptical at the Y Saturday morning, minding my own business and then the following story was played regarding Florida QB and Heisman winner Tim Tebow:




Could it be that the school you go to or cheer for has nothing to do with your faith!?!? I'm stunned.

Pair o' Dime Props: Glenn Dorsey

OK, considering OSU is currently unable to beat an SEC team, I have to admit it's hard to give props to former LSU Tiger, Glenn Dorsey. But the latest Dick's Sporting Good's commercial is just funny. This weekend as college football started, I caught this during one of the games. Can Dorsey act? Well, no. But he poked fun at himself in this ad, and for that he's won some points in my book.

McCain's first VP gaffe

Today at noon, John McCain will be announcing his running mate. This is great timing on the heals of Obama's historic nomination. It's also a good location in the fact that he is doing this in a battleground state which is also my home state of Ohio. What's more, he is actually announcing this at my Alma Mater, Wright State University. Wright State is a good school, and when I was there 15+ years ago, they had just finished building the the basketball arena where he will be making the announcement. This is called the Ervin J. Nutter center. Now, when this was finally completed, we, the students, immediately began calling it "The Nuthouse" much to the Widow Nutter's chagrin. Of course "a nutter" is slang for someone who is insane. A great nickname for a basketball arena, but perhaps not the best place to debut your VP pick. That McCain camp must be crazy!

First Days and a New Chapter

Well it has been an eventful week in our home. After having an open house at our kids' school on Monday, my wife has been working non-stop to prepare for a new school year. This was a big one, especially for my youngest who I dropped off at Kindergarten earlier today. Mr. Self-Confident had no problem with it. He eats up the idea of going to school, will eat up the social interaction, and if they aren't careful, will also eat up his teachers. :-) His charm is a bit blinding at times.

Tina and I remark frequently on how different our two boys are. The older son is reserved most of the time whereas the younger would just assume be center stage. The older is the thinker and the younger the doer. Both are blessings and we celebrate their differences. Our older one, being the thinker began 3rd grade on Wednesday. It's a "transition year" with a theme of "responsibility." They gave him a planner and there are rumors of hours of homework. I'm hoping he will teach me how to be organized and responsible some day. :-) We're very thankful for our small school and the enthusiasm and energy the staff has for these kids.

As for Tina and me, well we have a new chapter in front of us. Two "full time students" in the house which will bring us some challenges no doubt. We're grateful for these boys and consider ourselves incredibly blessed to have them in our lives for a season.

Rusty Hardin does it again!

OK, I've posted it in the past, and here I go posting again. High Profile Attorney, Rusty Hardin has successfully defended the integrity of Victoria Osteen, wife of Joel Osteen who "co-pastor" Lakewood church in Houston. Allegedly, Mrs. Osteen was upset about a stain on the armrest of her first class seat on a flight from Houston to Vail, Colorado. Mr. Hardin who shares my childhood name of Rusty (and my adult surname of Hardin) has now successfully defended Mrs. Osteen as well as Wade Boggs, Warren Moon, Roger Clemons and many others has proven himself a very good attorney. However, due to the clientele he represents, I'm not necessarily disappointed that I shortened my name to Rus and I still receive the benefits that I mentioned in the previous post as well.

I do have something to ask the Osteen's though. If I could have their ear's for a few minutes, I would really like to know what exactly happened that would make a flight attendant think she could press charges? Surely Victoria was angry about something. I'm sure it was righteous anger at that....about that stain on her seat perhaps? I would be angry too if I were paying all that money for first class....as long as it didn't taint my witness.

Jim Borgman: The Blackberry/iPhone epidemic

Every once in a while Jim Borgman posts an editorial cartoon that I can't help but "repost" on here. This was a recent offering of his. I can't help but smirk every time someone says they want a blackberry. This is what it does to you. Can anyone else relate to this cartoon? Can I get a witness?

Pair o' Dime Props: Jonadab and the Recabites

Yeah, you heard right and it's not the name of a musical group. This morning, I was reading Jeremiah 35 which is an account of a tribe called the Recabites. During this time, God wasn't very pleased with how the Israelites were behaving and he asked Jeremiah (in verse 2) to

"Go to the Recabite family and invite them to come to one of the side rooms of the house of the LORD and give them wine to drink."

Jeremiah of course did this and when he asked the Recabites to drink the wine, the response he got was

"We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: 'Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine.....' We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded us..."

See what I mean? What's more is I did a quick study and apparently this tribe was about 200 years old. This is impressive. What hit me the hardest was the influence of a father. I mean, don't drink wine is one thing, but to basically say, that throughout history, I command you to never drink wine. That's huge! If Jonadab were here today, I'd say, "Hey thanks! You've set the bar pretty hard for us dads who are just trying to get our kids to do their homework and obey in school." I'd then follow that up with something along the lines of, "How did you do that?" I think with this alone he has set himself up as one of the best dads in the history of Man. Second, the Recabites had maintained a great respect for their previous generations. No doubt this was reinforced by each set of parents, but again, I'm impressed by the legacy of maintaining a certain behavior.

Oh, and God was impressed too:

"You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered. Jonadab son of Recab will never fail to have a man to serve me."

So, for today, props go to Jonadab and his descendants. Well done!

Side Note: This in no way is some sort of endorsement of abstaining from wine. God used the Recabites' faithfulness to their forefather's commands as a way of exhorting the Israelites on how they should be behaving. He essentially said these people are following the commands of a man, and yet you will not follow the commands of Almighty God. It was not to tell the Israelites not to drink wine. Anyone who may think because of this we should abstain from wine should read the whole text where it says the Recabites also did not work the land and refused to build houses. This being said, I do not want to discourage anyone from being teetotaling tent-dwellers either.

Question of the Day: Teaching Double Standards

Short post today, but perhaps it will get me back in the posting groove.

My sons have discovered burping. Yeah, and here's the problem: When half of you read this, you said, "eww, gross!" while the other half of you either laughed, or said, "heh, cool!" Do you see the problem? Everyone would likely agree that in a public setting, and specifically in the company of ladies, this is intolerable! However, when it's the guys, it's cool. Moreover, the level of coolness is directly proportional to volume and length of the belch in the company of guys and conversly, the volume and length is inderectly proportional to the acceptability in mixed company. This is a bit of a stumbling block for me as a parent and I am appealing to you for help.

During little sibs weekend in college, I put upon myself the task of tackling this double standard with my future wife's brother. He was there for the weekend and at age 8 or thereabouts, he needed to understand the complexity of social relationships and I felt called to explain it. When Tina wasn't around, I would let out a good one and tell him it was cool, but then continued by letting him know that it wasn't cool when his sister was around. "Belching is cool when you're with the guys, but not with girls present." I worked hard. It was a mantra of sorts and by the end of the weekend, I think he was able to repeat it easily.* However, I must admit, I don't know if I have ever heard him produce a thunderous belch in the 18 years I've known him, so I believe I still have more to learn in teaching the subtelties of this double standard. Any help in this area was appreciated.

*Tony and Elaine. Thank you for your tacet forgiveness on this. :-)

Seventeen Years Ago

Warning: Recycled Post. Originally posted on 7/23/07


Seventeen years ago, I had the privilege of participating in a short term mission project. My girlfriend Tina and I had been actively involved with Campus Crusade for Christ and this was where we had essentially met and built our relationship. Tina and I had been dating for about a year and a half when we felt led to go with Operation Mobilization to Birmingham and Bradford, England. The trip was life-changing in so many ways. Seeing people learn about Jesus and grow in their faith as well as being able to serve alongside other believers from every corner of the globe was an experience I will not soon forget. But I have to say the biggest part of this trip; the part that has changed my life the most, (and for the better), was the evening of July 23rd, 1991. Seventeen years ago today.

After spending the day doing direct/assertive evangelism in Birmingham, the large group of international missionaries were to go back to the Elim church where we were having evening meetings. This usually consisted of dinner, worship and a message. Well, Tina and I were on different teams and hadn't seen each other all day so I had asked my team leader, Ian, for a place I could go in the evening with my girlfriend. So when we got to the church, I told Tina that we were playing "hookie" from the meetings and going out to dinner.

The day was typical of England in mid-July. A light drizzle and temperature in the 50-60 degree range. Not ideal I suppose but there is something about an English rain that makes it a little less of a downer. (I was amazed by how little the weather affects the English. I suppose when it's something you're used to, it doesn't bother you). Well, I took Ian's advice and we headed to a local street where there were a number of restaurants. There was even one touted as "American Cuisine," but we opted to pass on that. We settled on a place appropriately called "Valentino's." It being a Tuesday, the place was empty and quiet. I asked if what we were wearing was acceptable and he told us to come on in. After 10 days or so in Europe, it was really nice to get away by ourselves and not have to think about everything going on around us. We sat by candlelight and I think we talked about the future and probably talked about the mission trip we were on, but it's hard to recall. I can't remember much of the conversation, but being in love, I'm sure it was good. Tina and I shared our dinners: Chicken Marsala and Spaghetti Bolognese. Afterwards, I asked the host if we could take the candle with us for memorabilia. He probably thought we were being silly, but of course he said "yes." A half-burned candle isn't something you keep on a table anyhow but it was a nice reminder for us. When we left, I noticed that the rain had finally stopped. This was an incredible blessing because I was hoping we could find a nice place to sit after dinner before heading back. We walked up the hill we had come down earlier and stopped at a BP "Petrol" station to ask for directions/advice. This being "pre-blackberry," we were at the mercy of a local in order to find some place to go. We asked the lady at the counter if there was a park or something nearby to walk to and she mentioned there was one but wasn't sure if it was walking distance from there. Just then a local cab driver came in and he told us about Grove Park and said it was a little far to walk. He offered to take us as a courtesy! What are the chances that the rain would stop and a cab driver would take us there for no charge? We thanked the man profusely and Tina gave him some Smarties as a "thank you." (Smarties are not American smarties...they're like M&M's).

The park had a nice pond and the sun was just behind the trees from where we sat. Again we continued our conversation and enjoyed the serenity of the evening. Very few people were out, and we felt like we had the place to ourselves. With the rain stopped it had turned into a pleasant evening. I was pleased with how the evening had turned out. In some ways it was how I had hoped it would be when I proposed to my wife. So with my heart in my throat and my knees on the ground, I slipped a ring on Tina's finger and asked her to marry me. I don't know what possessed her to do so, but after a moment of disbelief, she said "yes."


Engagement is often overlooked as far as a milestone. However when you think about this, engagement is a huge commitment! It is my belief that engagement is where the real commitment is and the ceremony follows later. The man is essentially saying, "I'm all in," and for a moment which seems like eternity, waits to hear the response. In my case, Tina said she was "all in" too. Once this is done, it's extremely difficult for a couple to turn back. I have a hard time seeing how a once-spurned proposal could turn into a happy marriage. I'm sure it's done, but I suspect that it's not a point of fond memories and I'm guessing a lot of folks go their separate ways after such an occasion. For me, I was incredibly blessed. Tina is as close to a perfect complement to me as there can be. It is hard, and virtually unthinkable for me to think of life without her. She's an incredible wife and mother of our two boys.

Like many, when you participate in a short term mission project, you experience things that alter your perception of life. You become a more open-minded and loving person and you have experiences that you will never forget. Although this was one of the many memories from the trip, it was also the one that made the most impact on me. Anyone who knows Tina, knows how loving and caring she is and I have the honor and privilege to spend virtually every day of my life with her. What more could I ask for?

Tina,
thanks for saying "yes" 17 years ago and for loving me "no matter what" since then. I love you.

Hardin Family Tour 2008: Dayton, Ohio

Last Thursday we arrived in Dayton, for the first time in over 10 years. Tina and I met at Wright State University and spent 8 years together in this town. We figured after a decade it was time to travel back to where our relationship began. While traveling I thought it might be good to blog about my observations along the way.

• It only took me ten years to miss Dayton! That's less than expected, and it's good to be back.
• I underestimated the joy I would feel when seeing the smiles of retiremnt home residents when they saw my boys. The elderly just love seeing life in young children.
• About 20 years ago, during college an elderly couple "adopted" a bunch of college students. We were able to surprise Mrs. Ramsey and serve her Tea and sweets. This was the highlight of our Dayton leg.
• I had forgotten how nice a good "cuppa" with some sweets were. It was a great time.
  
• That brand new apartment building that we moved into in 1995 didn't look quite as nice. As a matter of fact it looked a lot like the one we moved out of in 1995.
• We went by both of our old churches. The one we were married in and the one we went to after that. The second has a slogan/motto of "Love Grows Here."
• Speaking of slogans, we also passed a church with the most peculiar slogan Ive ever seen. I don't like when churches brag on themselves, but this didn't suffer from that. It was "The Vineyard: A Pretty Good Church." That didn't necessarily make me want to jump out of bed yesterday and check this one out. :-)
• I had a joke with Tina years ago. We would pass Solid Rock Church in Monroe and I would remark how big the portico was out front. It was quite extravagant and we would remark on how it had to cost a fortune and wondered whether it was good stewardship to build it. Since then, they've developed a little more but if you look closely at the picture, you can see the portico behind what many now call "Touchdown Jesus." I'm glad they self-regulate their stewardship and do such a great job of remaining tasteful with their building. (Click on the picture to enlarge). Additional Statue Information is here.
  

Pair o' Dime Props: Coach ------

When I had just turned 15, I was playing my last year of organized baseball. My coach for that year was a good man. He had three boys of his own, (one of which broke my nose on a ground ball, but perhaps that is a story for another day). Anyhow, this guy was nice enough to take me to and from practices during the season because circumstances didn't allow for me to get to practice by other means. Today I want to (sort of) acknowledge my coach for one particular lesson he taught me. One Saturday after practice, I helped him get the equipment put away and he pulled out some tools and went back to the field. There was no one on the grounds, but he began working on the fence and the grass around the fence. Cutting the grass, pulling the fence back down and securing it so balls could not roll underneath, etc. Well, you may know how much I love yard work, so I was probably pretty impatient. I was ready to go. I remember asking him why he was doing it. I don't remember his answer exactly, but it was something along the lines of "it needs to be done." Near the end of the conversation, I remember asking him if he was going to let the youth organization know that he was the one who did this. His answer was along the lines of, "No. There isn't any need to let them know. It just needs to be fixed." That may seem like nothing when you read this now, but hearing this as a self-centered 15 year-old (I think that's redundant), I was blown away! Why on earth would anyone work on something out of charity and not want to be recognized!!?! Well years later I understood, and perhaps he did then too. This morning I was reminded of this coach when I read the following:

"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
-Matthew 6:1-4

This gentleman is no longer around. As a matter of fact he died a couple of years after he coached me. Perhaps now, better than Pair o' Dime Props, he's received an infinitely better reward.

PoDS Tips for Successful Lawn Care

Here at Pair o' Dime Shift we wish to provide our readers with 10 times more than our two cent's worth. Well leave it to me to bring you the best in tips for your lawn. (GET IT? "leave" it? HAHAHAH!!).

Let's get one thing straight before we continue. Yard work is one of the most time-consuming (read: time-wasting), annoying, dreadful endeavors one can choose to do. I truly believe that those who enjoy it must be masochists. If you're a masochist by this definition, please do not take offense to the term. I don’t agree with how you spend your time, but I respect you. And if you really enjoy it, I would like to invite you over to my home some sunny Saturday in the near future. I wouldn't want to discourage you enjoying lawn care.

The overall goal of lawn care is simply the following: Minimize the total amount of time, work and money you put into your yard while avoiding the sour looks of all of those on your block.

With this in mind I bring to you the following pointers:

• Never mind keeping up with the Jones'. The goal is to be slightly better than the Smith's. Who are the Smith's you ask? Well they are the ones with the worst looking yard on the block. By being slightly better than the Smith's you will avoid the sour looks given by Mr. and Mrs. Jones.
• The frequency in which you fertilize should be the same as the frequency of neighborhood social gatherings. The goal here is to be sure to fertilize the morning of said gatherings. That way when the subject of lawn car comes up at the event you can mention that you had just dropped fertilizer that morning. You can even consider rolling your eyes when speaking about the Smith's lawn and claim that the reason you have weeds is because Mr. Smith doesn't fertilize his lawn and the wind blows all of the seeds into you yard.
• You should fertilize with the least amount of fertilizer possible. Everybody knows that these chemicals are not good for the environment and you don't want to be labeled as a earth-scorcher like the Jones family down the street do you?
• Minimal frequency and amount of fertilizer will ensure that you will have plenty of nice green weeds in your yard. The goal then is to cut them low. If you cut off all of the leaves, blooms, pods, etc. the stem will look remarkably similar to a blade of grass. Be sure to edge your lawn for the same reason. Grass tends to grow straight up. Weeds often grow sideways. By edging your yard, you again give the illusion of grass.
• Do NOT water your lawn. We have been in a drought here in Charlotte for over a year and water restrictions are in place. Of course the obsessive masochists in my neighborhood have better lawns than me, but barely. I'd like to compare fertilizer and water bills with them. While they're busy watering and fertilizing to make their yard look decent, I'm spending time with my family and making my yard look fair. It's not worth the payoff. Also, when a drought hits, since you have done minimal fertilizing, the obsessive yard-workers now have brown lawns, and your weeds are green and if trimmed nicely might even make your yard look even better.
• When doing yard work, keep the following things in mind. Doing it on a nice cool day, if you have one, is the easiest way to go. However, nice cool days are perfect days to spend doing something fun with your family. You're wasting valuable time by doing it then. You should consider doing it when it's extremely hot and humid. That doesn't seem right, does it? But doing it on an oppressive day is likely to invoke the most pity from your family. After a couple of hours sweating and exhausting every ounce of energy, your significant other is likely going to want you to take it easy for some time. They may bring you drinks, and let you sit down in a cool place for a looooong time. It's counterintuitive I know, but your return will be greater. Trust me. One note of caution though: Wear sunscreen. You could have sweat gallons of water, incurred scrapes and cuts and perhaps even lost blood, but if you have a sunburn and you didn't wear sunscreen, expect no pity. Trust me on this one.
  

Okay, so there you have it. It's not exhaustive, but these are sound tips that should help you in maximizing your quality of life. Since my neighbors don't read my blog and my wife only does occasionally, I think this post should be safe.

One brief glimpse of power

This weekend we had quite the storm. I love thunderstorms. There is something neat about watching sheets of rain come down while feeling the house shake from the occasional crack of thunder. It's awesome! My son, Chris, loves all precipitation. He is infatuated with the radar and we are all but convinced he will be a meteorologist. He loves it more than I do.

Saturday and Sunday both had some impressive storm activity, but Saturday was the most intense when it comes to lightening. As the storm rolled in we sat on the front porch and counted between the lightning flashes to see how far the lightening was from us; four seconds, three seconds, four seconds, five seconds...all of them very intense. I marveled at the power of the storm. It was enjoyable to watch the intensity and strength. Then it happened. The almost simultaneous flash and crack! My adrenaline rapidly increased, and I said, "OK buddy, let's watch the rest of this from inside!" This was probably less than a mile from the house. I had been closer to strikes before, but I don't know if I had ever seen such a crisp bright bolt as the one I saw Saturday, and the thunder crack shook the house - and me. Wow!

All this just to say, that as I stood in the window looking out at the intense power of the storm and the jump I had just had, I realized that I very much take for granted the power of God. That at one moment I could be thankful for the opportunity to watch a wonderful storm. To marvel at the power God has in nature and then in the next moment be completely awestruck to the point of fear. This is just a fraction of what the Almighty can do! I think I understand better what it means to praise and fear God at the same time from that one storm this weekend.

Technology isn't all it's cracked up to be

What with email, texting, wireless technology, text editors and DVRs, you'd think we were set, right? Well, I'm a little disappointed. Lately, I've been listening to my radio and when I miss something there isn't an option to rewind and listen to it again. Sheesh! Why is this the case. I have it on my VCR, DVD, DVR, CD and even old Cassette players. This is ridiculous!

Oh, and another thing. Why is it when I write in my journal in the morning and make a typo, there is no red line under the misspelled word? Intolerable!!!

There is no excuse for these things not being available. I'm entitled to this!

Once these minor advances take place, THEN I might be impressed. I'm looking forward to this. Oh, and when someone cuts me off while I'm driving, I really think I should be able to fire a red shell at them to knock them off the road. Then we'd really be getting somewhere!!!

First Love

A common feature here on Pair o' Dime Shift, is the "second hand" sermon point* from my weekend church service. This past week my pastor preached on Revelation 2:1-7 where Jesus addresses the church in Ephesus. He had some good things to say about this church, however, what he was most concerned about was that they had lost their "First Love." In this case, it appears that the Ephesian Christians were good at discernment and intolerance for evil, but had lost sight of their First Love, which is Jesus.

Essentially, we can get so caught up in "doing" that we forget the "why" behind the actions. It's quite the challenge really. It's so easy to say, "Hey, today I'm going to go work at a homeless shelter or sing carols at a retirement home because that's what I'm suppose to do." You don't have to be a Christian to do that. Our "First Love" wants us to desire Him and as a byproduct serve others. It can be easy to go through the motions of our earthly relationships. The kiss hello, the time spent together, etc. can become routine and essentially meaningless. Jesus challenged, well, essentially threatened to take away the Ephesian Church's "lamp stand" if they did not return to their First Love.

My pastor went on to ask the question of what a "first love" looks like. Perhaps we should look at what we would do for someone we are in love with. This is what Jesus wants. It's not the busyness of serving or ministry. It's the passion and desire to know him better. We do this through actions, but not in actions alone. When we're in love we would drop everything for that person. We would forsake many responsibilities for their sake. We would take risks to the point of death. We would be completely content just to be present with them. This is where the challenge lies. It's easy to see where the application is, but so extremely difficult to put it into action.



*You usually only get one point from me. It's typically all I hold on to on a Sunday morning. It's not my pastor's shortcoming...it's mine. So analogous to gossip, you only get part of the truth. I'm doing what I can but the sermons can be heard online as well.

Pair o' Dime Props: Fathers

It's been a few days since I've posted, but I can't let this day go without acknowledging dad's. Father's who engage in the lives of both their children and the mothers of their children provide a stable environment for all. To me, there is something special about a male role model. I was not fortunate enough to grow up with my dad, and although there are things about him that were good, this post is to give thanks to men in my past who have mentored me in some way. Some of them aren't even old enough to be my dad, but they modeled behaviors and/or shared their heart in a way that impacted who I've become. (The positive bits of who I've become :-) ). So today, I raise a glass to the following people:

Tom Spittal
Ralph Small
Dave Bratton
Loren Freshwater
John Theis
Don Mechlem
Tony Bonacci
George Jonson
David Ziels
LeMont Jacobs

These men have shown me how they raise their children, treated me like their son, or shared with me godly wisdom that has helped mold my spiritual life. All of which I count as treasures and today, I am thankful that I have known them.

Hallway Etiquette

Recently I moved across campus to a building near some different "clients" of mine. These are people I support or associate with who now see me when I step out of my office. Now I don't know if this is just me, but I'm beginning to get annoyed with what appears to be a lack of Hallway etiquette. Let me explain. I don't have a large number of subordinates in a closed space where my job is such that I manage by walking around. Therefore, if I am walking in the halls, it's for a purpose other than to casually ask clients how things are going. I'm on a mission of some sort. So allow me to enlighten and express myself at the same time:

• If I am coming in to my office with a bag of hot fast food around lunch time, it is not an invitation to say hello, walk in with me and proceed to talk to me for 30 minutes. My office is cold and the food is initially warm. I would like for it to stay that way all the way down my throat!
• If I am leaving my office and passing your office towards the men's room, please do me a favor and at the very least, wait until I'm coming back out of the men's room! I still don't care for being stopped and asked work-related questions, but have a little compassion.
• If I walk by the window of your office while you are waiting to ambush me, well...just don't.

The rule of thumb is to either call or come knock on my door. At least meet me on my own turf. Otherwise I may be afraid to even leave my office, and I don't think the university will pay for my own personal restroom and Chick-Fil-A restaurant.

There, I'm done. Thank you for "listening."

Our first Dinner Debate

With an 8 and 5 year old at the table, I think today we had our first family debate today. A friendly debate it was although my 8 year old and his mom found themselves on different sides of it. No insults were thrown but there has been no real resolution or even compromise. The debate rages on. The question: Is Clifford an indoor dog or an outdoor dog? I think I know the answer, but I don't want to take sides.

Pair o' Dime Props: Ken Griffey Jr.

It's time to give credit to one of the best baseball players of our time. Yesterday, Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 600th Home Run in a game against Florida Marlins. Griffey, is now the fourth, along with Willie Mays, Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron, NATURAL baseball player to reach this milestone. The guy loves his wife and kids and is nothing but class.

Congratulations Ken!

Watch the video while listening to Hall of Fame announcer, Marty Brennaman, make the call.

Read more about Ken Griffey's accomplishment.

Ivy League Whiners

I can't help but share this. This was on Morning Edition (NPR) this morning. I'm less than encouraged that some of these future leaders of the free world were disappointed that J. K. Rowling was their commencement speaker. I'm not a Potter fan, but goodness...

Your choice, you can read it, or click on the listen link on the article page. I'd opt for the second if possible.

Tree-hugging Christians!?!

By association American Evangelicals tend to be linked with the Religious Right which are in turn associated with the Republican Party. Interestingly, since that party is labeled as being apathetic to the environment, Evangelicals are not typically stereotyped as Tree-huggers, and many, indeed, are not. But scripture, in many places, might challenge us to be much more sensitive to God's creation. One such place was this morning's passage in Isaiah.

17 "The poor and needy search for water,
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the LORD will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

18 I will make rivers flow on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water,
and the parched ground into springs.

19 I will put in the desert
the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive.
I will set pines in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress together,

20 so that people may see and know,
may consider and understand,
that the hand of the LORD has done this,
that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

-Isaiah 41: 17-20 (NIV)

God speaks in verse 17 of the poor and needy and then how he wouldn't forsake them and then he states in the following verses how he would encourage them! Now, in this layman's opinion, this doesn't mean they weren't to use these resources that God was providing them, but the primary purpose was not to "pave paradise and put up a parking lot." He said he would so this so that the people may see and know, consider and understand Who did this. For me, that implicitly says that we should be thanking and praising God for what He has provided for us. So perhaps as Christians we shouldn't necessarily be hugging their trunks, but we probably also shouldn't be looking for ways to abuse creation for our own personal gain either.

Burning Question: Stress

Here's the question for today. What is more stressful: Stress due to excessive busyness of our conscious life or stress due to intensity/drama of our conscious life?

I'd give you my current opinion, but I don't have the time right now.

A night for the history books

I have said before that I really do not know who I will be voting for in the general election. But I also have to say that last night (June 3rd) was a good night for America who essentially nominated her first African American* for president last night. Whether you like his politics or not, this was a special moment for a nation that has a history of racial and ethnic intolerance. (We should be praying for this man who will no doubt receive or continue to receive death threats for the foreseeable future). Anyhow, it was a good evening for the country.

*NOTE: Why is it that all folks from mixed race families tend to be considered African American, or Black? Not that it matters, but the fact that Obama has a mixed race background should also be something that is somewhat symbolic of our country.

Kicking myself

Today while coming home from a day of youth baseball, I passed by a sign for a yard sale. On the "front" side, was the advertised sale, but on the "back" side was a "Hillary" sign. Perhaps I'm ruthless, but I thought this was quite funny. I thought to myself, "Well, at least some of her supporters have read the writing on the wall." (Perhaps after the Florida and Michigan delegate split, she will too). Anyhow, I wanted to take a picture of both sides of the sign, but I was so hot and tired, I figured I'd come back and take it a little later. I applaud the former Hillary supporter for his/her resourcefulness though. I hope the sale went well for them. Anyhow, it was a few minutes after five when I went back and to take the picture and the sign was gone! Oh well...you snooze you lose.

Pair o' Dime Props: Back Creek Christian Academy (ACSI)

Today was my oldest son's last day of his first year at Back Creek Christian Academy. He finished second grade and we were proud of how we did. This school, it's mission and it's staff have been nothing but respectful and loving to the students and parents they serve. From the moment we met their principal, Janet Ballard, to Christopher's last day in Mrs. Roundtree's 2nd grade class, we have felt well-served by this school. Next year we have the privilege of sending both of our sons here.
On a similar note, I was looking at the results of our son's achievement tests for the year and noticed that they have percentile scores related to the national average as well as the ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) average. This was interesting to me because the percentile scores are lower within ACSI. What this says is that ACSI students perform better than the national average. This is NOT the primary reason we send our son to a Christian school, but it is encouraging to know that he can be challenged by the curriculum in an ACSI accredited school.

More advice for job hunters

I am currently reviewing aplications for a specific job at my university. In a previous post I have offered up tips primarily on interviewing. Today I have a few more along the ines of applications and cover letters:

• Avoid typos on the name field of your application
• When applying for a job in academe, do not mention your desire to work for the "company."
• In the first sentence of your cover letter, you may want refrain from fragments.
• Never overestimate your writing skills. Proofreading is highly recommended.
• Reading generic cover letters is sort of like eating fat free cheese.
  
• Not having a cover letter is like eating air.
  

One reason why McCain may get my vote

This morning I read a commentary by Senator Joe Lieberman from Connecticut. In this era of extremely partisan politics, when someone from the other side of the aisle endorses a candidate from the other party, (which he has), voters should take pause.

I still see flaws in our current foreign policy, but I have great respect for Joe Lieberman, and this commentary makes a good argument for independent voters to consider McCain.

Memorial Day Missteps

Warning: I don't like negative posts, but I can't say this one is very positive

We're coming up on Memorial Day weekend and I have a confession to make. I really get nervous going to church on the Sunday before Memorial Day. I think, like many other secular holidays that are celebrated on weekends, they seem to find their way into the Sunday service and in my opinion, it's usually not appropriate. On Father's day, the only father I wish to recognize is my heavenly father. On Mother's day, I still only want to recognize my God. The same holds true when it comes to Independence and Memorial Day. Honestly, the patriotic holidays are more concerning to me than the others. Sunday is set aside as a time of worship in my faith. This isn't to say other days should not be used for the same purpose, but we tend to focus on our faith on this day. Because of this, I find myself lacking patience with anything that distracts from it. (Remember, I said this is a confession, so I'm not faultless in this either). So with this in mind consider the following that I have seen in previous churches:

• The service begins with patriotic music followed by the themes/anthems of each of the branches of the military. As each anthem is played, veterans and servicemen from these branches stand up to receive applause from the worshipers.
• "Praise and Worship" consists of the National Anthem, God Bless America and the Battle Hymn of the Republic. (Note, the latter verses of the Battle Hymn are actually pretty good, but again I wonder what we're worshiping here).
• Color Guard procession followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
• Patriotic Special Music
• "Modern Dance" with women dancing in tights with stars and stripes scarves.
• Prayers for our servicemen (which is completely fine), which included the request, "may their sights be clear and their shots be accurate," (which is NOT completely fine).

...and the most appalling....

• A musical presentation which included
• Video of fighter jets, missile launches, and bombings.
  
• Skits that included jokes about Iraq.
• Motorcycles being brought into the sanctuary for the "parade."
  

.....(Coincidentally, this last example occurred in a church that had an evangelist speak one morning who mentioned our need to "fight them over there instead of over here." This wasn't on Memorial day though...it was on Resurrection Sunday!!!)

My pastor last year on Independence day spoke briefly about the sacrifice people make based on their beliefs. He mentioned both the colonists and soldiers of Great Britain and then went on to speak about the greater sacrifice Christ made for all of us. I was grateful to hear him say this. He even acknowledged the veterans in our congregation, which is fine as well. I am very grateful for their service and do not want to discount it at all, but I will go to a parade to celebrate our nation. This is not who I wish to celebrate on a Sunday morning.

So perhaps you understand why I may get nervous. Or perhaps I'm way out of line? Can I get a witness?

Song of Praise (and Conviction)

There is one song we sing at church that I absolutely love and yet it stops me in my tracks every time I sing it. I would think that anyone who is a Christian and is used to self-examining will sing the song "Everyday" and either be incredibly challenged or if they're like me, feel a little bit like a hypocrite while singing it. I love singing it because it's a challenge that will last my lifetime.

Everyday

What to say, Lord? It's
You who gave me life and I
Can't explain just how
Much You mean to me now
That You have saved me, Lord
I give all that I am to You
That everyday I can
Be a light that shines Your name

Everyday, Lord, I'll
Learn to stand upon Your word
And I pray that I
That I might come to know You more
That You would guide me with every single step I take, that
Everyday I can
Be Your light unto the world

Everyday, it's You I live for
Everyday, I'll follow after You
Everyday, I'll walk with You, my Lord

It's You I live for, everyday
It's You I live for, everyday
It's You I live for, everyday
It's You I live for, everyday

Pair o' Dime Props: Politicians who are good sports

Politics can be so intense at times. As a matter of fact, I am doing my best not to get mired in the issues too early and cause myself too much unneeded stress. This morning I heard a reference to the clip below that was on Saturday Night Live this past weekend. Senator McCain definitely cannot act, (and watch how quickly he leaves the desk after delivering the commentary), but I applaud him for being willing to come on that show and deliver the following commentary:



Earlier in the year, Mike Huckabee was on SNL and did a better job but was quite funny as well. This was before he was officially out of the race:

Burning Question: Is Franklin Graham correct in this recent statement?

This morning I read an article in the Charlotte Observer entitled "Graham discourages 'illegal' evangelizing in China." Although I can't say I agree with Franklin Graham's statement, I think I might be able to understand why he may have made it. Considering he has been invited there and not censored in what he said, I think it would be tough for him to officially encourage "illegal evangelism." However, I think it may have been best if he didn't say anything. As a leader, and in my opinion, an "elder" of the church, I cannot think of any circumstances where it would be wise for him to tell people not to share the Gospel

Hillary Wins Again!!

This just in, Hillary Clinton, hot off of her lopsided victory in West Virginia is cruising to yet another win. Since that WV victory, she has picked up the endorsement of one superdelegate, Vicky Harwell from Tennessee. Obama, on the other hand has picked up 10 plus the endorsement of John Edwards in the same amount of time. (He picked up 24 while Clinton netted 1 the previous week). Although Clinton will continue stumping in the remaining states of Kentucky, Oregon, South Dakota and Montana, she will be spending most of the rest of the primary season campaigning in the state of Denial.

As a matter of fact, Pair o' Dime Shift is prepared to call that state for Senator Clinton. Hillary Clinton wins the state of Denial. Easy call since, like Michigan, she is the only name on the ballot. Despite this declaration, I am sure that Mrs. Clinton will still campaigning in that state until the the Denver Convention.

Theology of a Child

Lately I've been getting a kick out of things my kids have been saying. The latest one was my five year old telling me that you have to accept Jesus as Savior or you will go to "hail." Now, I suppose if I grew up in North Carolina that wouldn't seem as funny, but I'm from Ohio. We don't pronounce it that way.

After he said this we asked him if he had accepted Jesus, and he told us he had...three times! I think I need to work a little more on his theology, but we're on the right track.

I feel very important...

Apparently the Republican National Committee needs my opinion very badly. They sent me a survey and told me so. Enclosed with the survey was a four page letter which toggled between the perils of allowing the liberals to become president and the importance of my opinion and how I represent the views of "ALL Republican voters living in (my) voting district." Interesting. I switched from Republican to undeclared over a year ago and yet they still chose me. I'm touched. to think they trust my opinion despite changing my affiliation. It's very refreshing how they would still want to hear from me.

They still wanted me to be informed about the current state of things and how it might be as well. Did you know that among other things, liberals will "ignore the problem of illegal immigration," "staff the federal government with cronies," and "expand the federal government's power and influence?!?" Unbelievable! This is a terrible thought and I'm so glad "my party" didn't do the same thing for the first 6 years of the current administration.

Anyhow, I won't dissect the whole letter and survey, but I will end with the last question asked on the "survey":

"Will you join the Republican National Committee by making a contribution today?
      *Yes, I support the RNC and am enclosing my most generous contribution of"
          -($500, $250, $100, $50, $25, Other $_______)
      "*Yes, I support the RNC, but I am unable to participate at this time.  however
      I have enclosed $11 to cover the cost of tabulating my survey.
      *No, I favor electing liberal democrats over the next 10 years."

I don't know what's more funny here: the fact that not giving money implies you WANT a liberal democrat in office, or the fact that these seasoned politicians spent $11 just to send me a survey and have it tabulated. Perhaps the latter has something to do with our economy woes?

Anyhow, I'm not ruling out voting for McCain, but I have to say this letter was definitely worth the comic relief it provided me. Thanks to the RNC for spending the $11 just to make me laugh.

(Oh, and Rob, if you want to send me a check I will send it in with my form. I know how important this is to you ;-) )

The Bright(er) Side: Gas Prices

I just "googled" what the price of gas prices are around the world. I found this site, and it appears we are still relatively "cheap" when it comes to the cost of fuel. Of course the down side is that our mass transit is so poor, that it's still hitting us pretty hard.

Exercising my Civic Duty

Well, at 6:32 this morning I arrived at my polling place. The polls opened at 6:30 and there were already about 10 people in front of me. It felt good. Nobody typically talks about where there vote is going or even which ballot they're picking up while they're in line. I could be standing next to a Clintonista or an Obamican...there's no telling. And yet there's this sense of doing what is right by voting, and that we're all doing it together. It's a unity of sorts despite the differing opinions. I couldn't help but notice that it was a fairly multicultural group too. It looked great. There's something about not being in an homogeneous group that makes it feel like America. If I were Peggy Noonan I could write a nice eloquent article on how good it felt. I'm not, so this is about all you're going to get. It will be fun to watch the results tonight.

Sentences that cause parents fear and trembling

Spoken excitedly and happily, by my five year old on the way home from church:

"Hey! In 13 years I will be old enough to go to jail!"

I am very afraid!

Sentences that require little (or no) justification

Overheard in the break room near my office this week:

"I had the worst teacher in 3rd grade! And dern it if I didn't get her again in sixth!"

A True Paradigm Shift

So today I started looking at my new laptop. It's an Apple MacBook Pro. I have learned from the few minutes I have given to it that I am getting old. I can feel my brain working double time to relearn the Mac OS. The last time I worked on a Mac was over ten years ago. The operating system seems to have a completely different approach from the windows environments I've worked in since then. When I switched to Firefox a while back, it took me a while to learn how to use it well and unlearn Internet Explorer. I highly recommend the switch though. I suspect learning this operating system and it's applications will be similar but to a much higher degree. Unfortunately, just trying to adjust reminds me of my age. I never understood why old people didn't like change. Now that I am one (WINK!), I understand. I hope the smoke coming out of my ears won't set off the fire alarms....it's quite the tax.

(Oh, and I'm doing this in small doses. I posted this on my Microsoft Machine)

One small step for "Hardinkind"

Trivial as it may be just over two weeks ago I stood in the waters of the Pacific Ocean in LaJolla, Callifornia:
And today my family and I returned from a weekend at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina:The Pacific and the Atlantic in two weeks. Not a real big deal for many, but I think it's kind of cool. :-)

What grieves God?

The opening point of last Sunday's sermon was this question. What I really liked about what my pastor said about this, was that he believes that a large portion of the western church has errantly condensed this to two things: The sanctity of human life (abortion) and the sanctity of marriage (between one man and on woman). I think this would cause many in the Christian Church to fall over backwards in their pews if they heard this! He did not say that these two things do NOT grieve God, but he did say that this is not ALL of it. Scriptures will back this up countless times. He spoke largely about injustice in the world. He mentioned Darfur, Rwanda, Ethiopia among others. He also spoke of the complacency of the (white) Christian Church during the Civil Rights Movement. These are things we cannot deny. He made many other points, but sometimes one good point is a challenge to me.

He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
-Micah 6:8

Car Transactions

Saying goodbye to what some called my "mid-life crisis car"....


The Mini was fun, high performance and looked awesome. It also caused me worry and stress due to BMW-priced repairs, natural wear and tear, and limited practicality and the smallest little blemish. These distractions this caused canceled out the joy of driving it for me. It was sold to a mechanic who works for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. He was very happy and the things that cause me stress will probably not do the same for him. Although I will miss it, it was a good departure.

Saying hello to my "back to practicality car"....


The Vibe is sporty, and virtually the same as a Matrix. We will be able to travel in this car instead of the minivan and it will get better mileage/dollar than the Mini. It's got so much more room. Financial savings alone made this a logical transaction, and it's pretty sharp smart looking in my opinion.