I recently began trying to teach myself guitar.  At this point it is a slow go, but I know I’ll be better with time and patience.  Over the past 5 weeks, I have had lots of fun and relaxing times with it, but also some frustrating times.  I don’t even want to think about a B chord at this point.  I tried learning bass when I was in elementary, but it didn’t go well.  Anyway, I want to acknowlege someone who recently inspired me to learn acoustic guitar.  During a concert at Southwest Baptist University, Jason Eskridge played the guitar on stage.  I was in physical therapy school there at the time.  I didn’t know that he played, but I knew that he sang.  He’s sung with Nicole C. Mullen, etc.  I knew him from Kids Across America: he was my Bible study leader that term.   After seeing him play that concert, I have desired to learn acoustic: mainly for my quiet times, but it may spill over into my public life as well.  Only this summer have I gotten the nerve to really try to learn.  This video is Jason Eskridge’s testimony song called Jay’s Song.  Enjoy.

My friend, APK, and I will be new fathers this fall.  I came across this youtube video with the song: Tiny Fingers, Tiny Toes by Kevin Derryberry.  I don’t know who the folk are in the video, but it was encouraging to me and my wife during this time.  The last stretch of the pregnancy can be long and trying.  I don’t know how Emily is dealing with the Alabama summer, but Rebekah is constantly cranking the AC here in Michigan…I freeze at night if I don’t bundle up.  At any rate, I hope that APK and Emily watch this video and are encouraged in this last stretch before their daughter arrives.  You are almost there!  Love you guys.

I don’t know who this AuburnChopper1 guy is, but he sure knows how to do an Auburn video.  What a great job, this may be the best I’ve seen!  Look at the sad pathetic bama fan at the end.  I live in Michigan (15 minutes from the Big House), their fans are not as passionate: It’s not the same intensity.  I lived in Keller Hall when TIGER, the War Eagle, was still living in front of Keller Hall.  I remember when Auburn played Georgia in Athens one Saturday night, the next morning, the first of hundreds of RV’s pulled up on campus next to the eagle’s cage (from Athens!)…in preparation for the Iron Bowl that would take place 6 days later!!!!  That’s heart!  That’s rivalry!  That’s Intensity!  That’s SEC!  That’s Auburn.  Everyday when I went to Haley Center or Cary Hall…more and more RV’s showed up until you could no longer drive on campus.  The following video illustrates a down right ownage of the Iron Bowl over the last 6 years in a row.  It gives me chills to hear the signature “Touchdown Auburn!” from the late Jim Fyffe, the voice of the Auburn Tigers in this video.  Okay, now… on to the rump-kickin’….entitled “Iron Bowl 2007: Era of Dominance”.

Ray Steven’s The Mississippi Squirrel Revival

Am I the only Auburn Tiger fan who is ready for some football?…and it’s still June!  Watch the 3rd video and listen to the color commentator for my favorite quotes…”This is…this is sad” and “Unbelievable!” and “That’s…that’s…that’s not even fair!”

Lord You Are

By The Cross Movement

Lord You Are (2x)[Chorus]
Every time I think of You
When I think about the things You do
Oh it’s not too hard to see it’s not what You do but its who You are
Good, Holy, Pure, all of this and God You’re so much more!
Doin’ your will
I can just chill
Focus on who You are

(Lord You Are)
Kindness, Compassion, Timeless, Matchless, Divine in Your actions
(Lord You Are)
The Bedrock of trust
Sin stops on your block cause You’re the head cop You’re Just
(Lord You Are)
So Gracious and Merciful
Praise - You deserve it, so worthy of worship, Oh!
(Lord You Are)
We call You hope, we call You Peace and Love
You’re all of these – You’re all of the above

[Verse One]

The Bible told me holy are Your ways (Your ways)
Nobody stops or had to start Your days (Your days)
So I marvel at Your endlessness
And at the fact that You’re righteous, You’re m’quadesh
You got the victory and the glory is already Yours
And we can be sure Your character is morally pure, Lord
We can’t help but adore You
Can’t help but applaud You
Our soul saw You so now we can’t help that it’s all YouMy God You’re awesome, majestic
Your style’s eclectic
Pure perfection, King unelected, Nexus
Your love stretches, elastic
Now I’m connected
No more sin and death
You’re sin’s antiseptic
I checked forensics and found that your power’s intrinsic
And flows only for agendas that you’ve intended
Solid, the Rock, Sweeter than nectar
Three in one winner - Yeah, Trifecta

[Chorus]

[Verse Two]
I bless Your Name Father cause your majestic, time tested
Skillfully built in six and on the seventh You rested
Who else could make the moon glow and the sun shine
And have four different seasons flow all at one time?
You are the main attraction
The Who in what’s happenin’
Universal Captain
No need for slumber
You’re never slackin’
Nobody does what you do or could ever do what you’ve done
Most High, Supreme, King - The only One

If you would have never made the earth, Lord
That could never change your worth
And if there was never another soul to behold Your beauty
You’d be just amazing as You are, Truly
I’m gazing at the stars
Each one tells a story
Each one tells us of Your glory, tells us of Your might and Your power
May my praise be like a flower, but You made the flowers too
What can we give You?
Nothing’s ours
This is yours!

[Chorus]

[Verse Three]
I’m not thinking about what most say
Lord I feel You in the utmost way
You’re Divine
We know You’re more cool than the Fonzie
You’re shiny
Shekinah lights up all your Omni’s
Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient
You’re eminent in addition to intimate and sufficient
You’re Logos and You’re Abba, that’s Poppa
You’re living agua, that’s Water
You’re Potter
You’re God and You’re more than a brother has thought up

I’m electrified by your lightning likeness
Skip the Visine
No one that I’ve seen is like this
You’re priceless
Nothing compares, nothing is fair enough to hold up to You
What could dare receive stares and glory and while receiving it
Inspire awe and command all obedience? (No one)
You’re infinitely exceeding man’s limits (plus)
You’re transcendent (plus)
and endless
Lord, You are

[Chorus]

Got back from camp on Friday.  Much to reflect on: 1) three souls saved, 2) leaders from our church worked so well together, 3) bonded with guys and girls who went, 4) played so much chess that Steven and I played after church on Sunday, 5) Buddy Smith, 6) Quiet times in the early morning on 200 acres of northern Michigan wildlife, 7) Proverbs 18:1, Fishing after quiet times……What at week at camp.

My father is currently serving a life sentence for murdering the mother of my half sister.  She was 5 years old then: she’s 24 now. I’ll be 30 this year.  My father was so distant from me, that I have no memory of a conversation between he and I that did not occur in the visitation room of some prison (and these are recent).    I say all this in response to a post called ”Being a Man”, because today more than at any other era or time, fathers are not passing on to their sons the answer to their deepest yet most central questions about being a man: Daddy, what is a man?…Am I a man?…and Daddy, If I am a man, am I a good one?  I have drawn from strong men around me: those to whom God has led me to.  My heart breaks when those who are genuinely Godly men, still struggle with these questions.  Though we may not enjoy pasttimes that are similar, we are men.  Our acceptance of responsibility, our committment to a Christ-Like life: these make us men.  Now, my wife is expecting the birth of our first child this October: since my father went the route he did so long ago, I have longed for a son of my own.  We went to the doctor 3 weeks ago and it is indeed a boy!  So much I long to give him.  If he grunts, then great! If he doesn’t, then praise the Lord anyhow, because I WILL BE THERE!  I will not shrink back from my responsibilities of raising him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  I am excited!  If I could literally pour my self into him, I would.

This post was inspired by the post of another young man who had questions about being masculine in the sense of one who grunts and loves contact sports, etc. 

Here’s a sarcastic poem about today’s feeble human-made logic when it comes to morals & religion.

http://members.aol.com/OrthoVox/creed.html

Here’s what another guy said about it.

http://www.lofitribe.com/2006/11/15/steve-turner-creed/

I was actually listening to this audiobook “Can Man Live Without God”  when I googled this poem.  It is striking to me because I now live in a region where people are so open minded that their brains fall out!  Then they look at me as if I’m the nut-job.

 Here’s a PT promotional video put out by the APTA.  I actually know one of the ladies in the video, Virginia Howe.  She is a physical therapist, but more than that, she is an Alum of Auburn University.  She and I participated with the physical therapy special interest group at Auburn back in 2000 or 2001: that was before we got into PT school.  She was the president of that organization.  I was her VP.  It was really cool to see her in this promotional video all these years later.  Enjoy.

My wife and I found out that our first child will be a boy!  I shall call him, Mini Me.  Very exciting wathcing him move all around.  She said from day one that it will be boy.  Whoa…  Man, I’m gonna be a father…and have a son.   Wow.

Last Wednesday was our 1st night since the big kickoff.  Yes, we do have the hats with the logo.  We have Agents and Recruits: Agents are those who are already saved and should be a Christian In Action (serving), and recruits are not saved but they are definately wanted.  The big news for this past Wednesday is that 3 recruits became Agents (got saved)!  To God be the glory.