Up to my eyballs!

Don't necessarily know why I haven't posted a new entry in the last couple of days, except that I have been up to my eyballs in life. Ever notice when you want to do something it gets replaced by things you have to do? Things that otherwise wouldn't be a priority, but because of circumstances move themselves up on the list.

For me the thing that keeps me from doing other things and continues to be a priority in my life is caring for my wife, Karen. What you may or may not know is that two years ago Karen was diagnosed with colon cancer. The cancer is now at a stage that medicine, as we and M.D. Anderson know it, can do nothing to help her. We are simply managing her pain. After experiencing a weekend of little or no pain, rest, and visiting with her family and some of mine, she had a bad night last night. Nothing we did alleviated the pain. This morning hospice was called out and have finally got the pain under control.

These are the circumstances I find myself. The same circumstances that create priorities I wish I never had to experience - at least not now. These are the circumstances that move things like entries in my blog lower on the check-off list I must create to bring order to my life. And as much as I hate the circumstances I know it's life.

This is life. It's my life. It's Karen's life. But it is still life. Sometimes all I can do is comfort her with words and pray. Sometimes I get to make her laugh. Sometimes I cry alongside her. And sometimes I cry for her. That's life. That's life in the jungle. One minute you're watching life from the sidelines, the next minute you're in the trenches. One minute you're sleeping, the next minute you're changing duragesic patches (for pain). One minute you're watching the most cherished person in your life rest, the next you're changing drain bags and cleaining up throw-up buckets.

All I can say is that life stinks sometimes, but this is life. It's the life God has allowed us to live - even if it is but a vapor, a scratch on the time-line of eternity. So I live it to its fullest. I live it to please and glorify God. Our ultimate goal, inspite of our circumstances and regardless of the outcome, is to bring glory to God. This doesn't mean that it always happens. It doesn't. I have had more than my share of "moments" that didn't bring glory or pleasure to God. But that doesn't mean it's doesn't remain my focus.

Has life and it's circumstances changed your priorities? Then you should consider make the glory of God your utmost priority. From personal experience I can tell you it changes your perspective!

What are they thinking?

The NFL draft is coming - very soon. Then the circus will begin. Now, before I go any furhter I am not a big professional sports person. I would rather watch college and even high school sports before I watch professional sports. I have a couple of personal reasons:

1) I'd rather watch guys who have everything to gain and nothing to loose rather than watch guys who believe they have everything to loose,

2) It's hard for me to watch guys who make more than the coach - how do you discipline a guy who thinks he's worth more to the team than the leader?,

3) Professional sports is about the money - don't think so where is the NHL these days? Why has there been strikes in baseball and football? M O N E Y!! I don't blame it all on the players. Owners and agents play as big a role as anyone else.

Again, I know I'm a bit biased. I'll admit it. I will also admit the fact that there are exceptions to every rule. There are players who would play just because of the love of the sport. And I also concede that we live in a captalistic societ and people go into business to make money.

With that said, the circus will begin soon . . . very soon. What do I mean by that? As players are drafted negotiations will begin. And as negotiations begin salaries and bonuses will be set. And for some ungodly reason first round draft picks will make more money than anyone else in the league. Here's the problem. What have they done to prove they can play in the NFL? I heard a statistic on Cold Pizza the other day - 50% of first round drafts picks don't last in the NFL. YET . . . somewhere the precedent was set to pay them more money than most players who have established themselves already as qualified, gifted,experienced players. Think about this for a minute. Imagine some recent graduate coming into a corporation and demanding more money than his supervisor, manager, or executive level boss would make. We would just laugh our brains out. Yet this is exactly what happens in professional sports, especially the NFL. At least baseball has the minor leagues where players go to develop and prove themsleves. YAAAHHHHH!!!! It drives me crazy. Where are we headed?

So when your ticket prices go up check out the salary of the most recent draft pick. I could on, but the veins in my neck are beginning to stick out. In closing, let me encourage you to watch the draft, then watch the circus begin . . . bring in the clowns!!!

If it ain't one thing, it's another

My brother, Dan, who lives in North Carolina surprised me today by showing up at the local Starbucks (my third home) and having a friend invite me for coffee. It was a great suprise! We haven't been together since like 2000. Then I found out my Dad was driving in from Waxahachie (30 miles south of Dallas). Then, like this is not the coolest thing in the world, I remembered I have a leadership conference at the church tonight and Saturday.

Every feel like if another "Then" showed up you would go completely, not semi or sort of, but completely nuts? It's all good stuff, but holy cow, 'nuff already!! I think I need to take my blood pressure.

It's times like these that this blog is dedicated. THIS is the jungle. Up to my ears in good stuff, but I am only 5' 10" tall. Know what I've found out - God still there for us. So when you feel like you're "In the Jungle" step back and trust God.

Why do we do this to ourselves?

it's late and I'm still in my office. I have the privelege of teaching one of our discipleship classes - Doing Church as a Team by Wayne Cordiero of New Hope church in Hawaii (I'm would love to do a road trip there, anyone interested?) I can't go home! Something in me says sit and process. Why? I don't know!! I'm still juiced from teaching and interacting with people who have a passion for ministry and serving somewhere in the church.

Oh well. I'll just sit and let it soak in. What a rush!

The Name

You're probably wondering about the name "Buggy-Buggy". I don't blame you. Karen and I don't have any children of our own(we can't), but I love children. I love to see them laugh, especially my god-children. When they are sad or it's playtime (it's almost always that for me when I'm with them) I give them "buggies". It's nothing but tickling them and watching them laugh their brains out. Three of my god-children began calling me "Buggy-Buggy" and the name stuck. Go figure.

Isn't just like kids to give us names that seem to stick. Look at grandparents. What do you call your grandparents? Poppi/Nawnee(sp)? Nanny/Big Daddy? Most of these names were given by children who couldn't saya Grandma & Grandpa! (OK, so not every grandparent was named by their grandchildren, but hopefully you get the point.) Who new when I started makeing children laugh that a name like "Buggy-Buggy" would stick? Oh well. . . go figure. It's what they call me and I'll answer to it every time