…IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST by Dorris Murdock Blough

I recently read an article that I find worthy of posting. I have added it below.
Brethren Life and Thought 32 no 2 Spr 1987, p 111-112. Issue Record: ATLA0000179382

… IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST
DORRIS MURDOCK BLOUGH

The divorce was only a matter of time. The pain, the frustration, sense of failure … it was all there. But there was nothing else to be done about the relationship … Jim had made that very clear. No more counseling with Dr. Brown … no more painful confrontations …

He had moved out, and that day he was coming back so they could divide their possessions, those collected items of shared experiences. The records, the momentoes from travels, the rocking chairs …

Jim and Jean moved through the house, tense and terse, keeping the conversation strictly on an arms-length basis. He had made that footstool in high school… it should be his, of course. That old book belonged to his Uncle Jim… that cream pitcher to his mother… And the piano, originally a gift from his parents would go to Chérie, their daughter. Jean had spent many pleasant hours playing the piano … but…

In “their” bedroom Jean stood looking at the beautiful handmade dresser. .. crafted in 1856 for another Mrs. Smith, Jim’s great grandmother. Sometimes when Jean dusted it, she had felt close to that other Mrs. Smith in whose name and lineage she followed. But, of course, the dresser would stay in the family… anything that had come from Jim’s family would stay with him …

Thirty-three years of marriage, and nothing belonged to her. Suddenly she could not go on. “Let’s do this another time. I . . . it’s much too hot right now.”

He left very soon.

Jean dropped into the big arm chair in the front room and let her feelings wash over her. As she had done since the beginning of this experience, some months before, she allowed herself to be submerged in the feelings, the emotion of the moment. Fear, anger, pain… all of them. She had discovered that by immersing herself in them, they passed more quickly, and by not denying the deepest level of feeling, she could take from it the gift of learning. And though terribly painful, over and over she had gained new insights into herself and her world.

From Henri Nouwen she had learned to go to her “desert” and there to meet Jesus Christ, the God that was within her. She went to that desert now, letting the thoughts flow without an attempt to organize or impede them.

Talking aloud seemed to help her think.

“For thirty-three years I have been on loan from the McKay family to the Smith family. I have given birth to four children with the name of Smith.

Brethren Life and Thought
111



“Jim does not want to continue the relationship… I have been Mrs. James Smith for thirty-three years. As of the time Jim moved out, Mrs. James Smith ceased to exist. But I WAS Mrs. James Smith for thirty-three years. If Mrs. James Smith does not exist, then I do not exist!

“I cannot go back to being McKay… that was too long ago. I gave up my family thirty-three years ago to become Smith.

“… At this moment I have no name… no family… no roots… no financial base of security… no emotional support system that comes from family. I have no past and therefore no future … because the future comes out of the past.

“And so … at this moment… I am nobody! NOBODY!”

She gave herself to her tears and felt swept into the terrible darkness of nothingness, of being NOBODY.

Finally her sobs lessened, and again she spoke aloud.

“Who am I? If I am not the person I have been for thirty-three years… then who am I?

“… Mrs. Jean Smith … Jean McKay Smith … Jean Smith MpKay…

“… to what name shall I answer … to what name shall I respond?

“… In whose name shall I do the work I have to do?… in the name of Jean Smith … in the name of Jesus Christ…”

Abruptly her tears stopped… she sat up straight. “… In the name of Jesus Christ…” she said again.

And suddenly she knew the answer… the answer to who she was … and, for the first time in her fifty-four years, she knew why the Christian says, “… in the name of Jesus Christ.”

She spoke now with a strong voice. “There comes the time when, because of broken relationships, we discover that we are ‘nobody’… we have no identity … no name of our own… and in our lostness and our aloneness we discover that to do something in the name of Jesus Christ is to take on the image of Christ… special… unique.

“To accept the ‘name of Christ’ as my own gives me identity and personhood.

“I am Jean Christ…!”

She wept again, copious tear, but now of joy. She had a name, her own special unique name… one that no one on this earth… nor death… no, not even death, could take away.

She was no longer “Nobody”!

112
Volume XXXII, Spring 1987

Limviche Avocado Chicken

Ok, so I decided to get a little creative tonight and created a new chicken dish. Chaundra really liked it, and reminded me that the last time I got creative like this I forgot how I did it and it is forever gone. So she told me that I should write it down. I took the concept from Ceviche and combined it with the word lime to get Limviche (Because I am not using seafood just vegitables). Anyway I thought it was creative. I am not a recipe writer so you will have to bear with me. Either way, I thought you might like to have the recipe. Oh, and I guessed on the amounts. I think that it is pretty close, but you might need to experiment yourself with the recipe.

Limviche Avocado Chicken

Limviche Avocado Relish
2 Chopped Roma Tomatoes
½ Cup of Chopped Onion
½ Cup of Chopped Celery
½ Cup of Chopped Red Bell Pepper
2 Avocados Chopped
3 Tablespoons of Lime Juice

Mix together to coat the vegetables and set aside.

2 Tablespoons of Butter
2 Diced Garlic cloves
½ Cup of Pecans Chopped
½ Cup of Chopped Onion
½ Cup of Chopped Celery
½ Cup of Chopped Red Bell Pepper
1 Tablespoon of Zesty Lemon Seasoning
1 Tablespoon of Salad Herbs Seasoning

In a skillet pan melt butter and add Garlic and Pecans. Brown until pecans start to get tender and then add Onions, Celery, and Bell Peppers to sauté. When onions start to become clear pour into mix that was set aside. (All of it even the butter) Sprinkle Zesty lemon and Salad Herbs on and mix well. Set aside for Chicken

Chicken
2 Tablespoons of butter
2 Diced Garlic cloves
½ Cup of Pecans Chopped
½ Cup of Chopped Red Bell Pepper
3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts
Zesty Lemon Seasoning

Melt butter in skillet and sauté garlic and pecans until pecans are tender. Add chopped Bell Peppers and then Chicken. Sprinkle Zesty lemon seasoning to taste and cook chicken until tender and cooked through.

Serve chicken and spoon mix on as desired. Enjoy!

Heroes "TV"

As most of the people know me, I am a comic book geek. I love comics! I really enjoyed the first season of Heroes. It was unique in its own kind of way. I even gave it a chance for the second season, because of the writers strike. Now Heroes is in its thrid season and I just cannot follow it anymore. I have only watched the two minute replays to see what is going on, but I am just disappointed. It is like watching the modern professional wrestling - you never know who is going to be the good guy from one day to the next. I looked forward to the Villians aspect because it had so much potential, but it just seams to Wishy-Washy. It is definitely losing my attention. I say stop having everything be so grey and start giving some black and white. If they don't fix it soon, they will lose me altogether.

Sometimes I think the only way to save it, is by rebooting the second season. Just start from the end of Season one. At least I have Chuck in the Meantime

Superman's Disguise

I have been thinking about Superman and how many people don't think that his disguies is very good. After all, people should not be able to tell the difference between Superman and Clark just because of the glasses. Here is an idea though: What if the glasses were made of Kryptonian Crystal that doesn't let people preceive Clark as Superman. As long as he was wearing the glasses it would put some subliminal message in the brain that would not let people make the connection.

Just an Idea. Bat the Idea and tell me what do you think?

Keeping Up

Well this semester seems to be just about over. It will be good to get back to blogging again. I do have some things to finish out but for the most part I feel like I have some of my life back. I think this has been the most difficult semester yet. A lot of reading, papers, outside curiculum, and many other things. All in all I learned a lot and am glad that I have taken the time to do my best. So here is to some freedom until next semester.

Coming to a Close

Thank God for the end of semester, but now everything is due. With all the stuff going on for fixing the house, work slowing up, and everything coming due; my stress level is way up. The Bible says, "In all things praise the LORD!" but sometimes that is easier said then done. I know that he is in control and I need to depend on him. I am just grateful that when it is all done I will have: A new roof and two more classes finished closer to my goal. Then I can finish my post on heroandahalf.blogspot.com, which I am close to finishing. Hopefully I will post it soon. It will be nice to have the time to blog again.

I Love Old Cartoons - I don't know on this one

I love many old cartoons. They are after all apart of my childhood, but I think that Hollywood is really reaching on this one. Cinemablend.com has an article on a live action Jellystone National park movie - Here. I think this is going to be a bad idea - Even if Yogi and Bobo are animated and everything else is not. Listen Hollywood - Say NO to bad Movies!

I Guess judgement will have to go out when it comes, but as for now I don't like the idea.

When Animals are better Dancers

It is really sad when you find out that animals are better singers and dancers than you are! Enjoy the following videos:

Depeche Mode Prairie Dog @ Yahoo! Video

Raccoon Party! @ Yahoo! Video


Dancing Polar Bear @ Yahoo! Video


Japanese Dog Dancing @ Yahoo! Video

Kitty Criminal (Cat Music Video) @ Yahoo! Video

On the Lighter Side

In light of all that has happened with the "Ike" incident, I thought that I would go with something on the lighter side for now. Tonight I was putting together my Laptop to work on some school work that I am behind on. It is easier to type on the keyboard then it is on the Laptop's keyboard, but I couldn't find it so I asked Chaundra where the keyboard was. She said that it was in the closet and I proceeded in going to get it. I am not always the best at putting things away, whereas she is. I went in and grabbed it from the closet and came back in. I told her, "if I forget to put it up in the future to put it in my 'Commit for Life' bag." I got it from donating blood and that is what is written on the front. This confused her a little, so I continued to explain. "You know my 'commit for life' bag. Ah! You know my school bag." That is when she started to laugh. It took me a second to realize that I just called my School bag a "commit for life" bag. I didn't mean it, but that is what it seems like at times. At least someday I will graduate, I hope.

I Beat my score in Putt Putt

Tonight we went to Putt Putt golf tonight and I got 5 Holes in One and i beat my score. I got a 39 that is 3 over pro par - Woooooo Hooooo! Just thought everyone should now. Chaundra got 3 holes in one and a score of 44 - 1 under amateur par. All in all it was a good night.

Home Depot - It is what's for Dinner

I don't believe the statement "Opposites Attract!" anymore. My wife is as strange as I am. You can tell from my weird blog titles. Not that I haven't had one of those before. What do I mean by "Home Depot - It is what’s for Dinner!" Well earlier, about a couple of weeks ago, my wife asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday. At the time I didn't have an answer and then I got to thinking about all of the things we need to buy to finish remodeling our bathroom. So as we were getting ready for bed I told her - "Why don't we have a Home Depot Birthday?" Just spend the money on getting the stuff to finish it or have some friends over and do a Home Depot Theme.

Well she took it a little more literal than I thought she would. She proceeds to go to the Home Depot, up the road to the house, and ask them a weird question. Laughing so hard that she could barely talk, she asked, "My husband’s birthday is coming up and I was wondering if it would be OK if we could have dinner here?" Yeah, that right a date night at Home Depot. At first they were a little taken aback, but then started getting into it as well. You know their slogan is, "Home Depot - You can do it, we can help." Well they took their slogan as literal as well.

They took a nice metal table and set up a place for us to have supper. They even got orange construction paper and laminated it for placemats. They took some galvanized plumbing pipe and made a candelabra. They put out battery powered candles. They were even thinking about putting a carpet below the table. They were getting just as excited about this as well.

Chaundra got a really good friend of ours to make a cake and mom went to "Ellie's" a Greek restaurant and "Stefano's" an Italian restaurant to get the food for the dinner. I walked in and Alecia sat us at our table like a hostess and helped mom bring in the food. Yes, I am sitting down waiting for my food while a pregnant woman and my mother in law were doing all the work and people were staring at us wondering what was going on. I guess it was a good thing that it wasn't a real busy night.

Chaundra also got our good China out and decorated the table as well. She had a Bouquet of tools in a pot, and the Home Depot put a wooden orange Home Depot car on the table. They even put some balloons out for us. It was ready to go.

She even made me dress up as if we were going someplace fancy. She never really told me where we were going, but then we got to an intersection and a car (A GTO in fact) had stalled out and we could not go around it. I told her to just go into the Home Depot parking lot and we could go around that way. It is amazing how God's sense of humor works out as well. He placed that car there I know it. Then Chaundra told me that she built in some time and we could go into the Home Depot and look around for a little while. I told her that we didn't have time - we had reservations at 7:00 and we only had 15 minutes till we needed to be there. You could say that I had my reservations to going in there. LOL!

Anyway it was one of the most interesting Birthdays that I have ever had. Especially when people would walk by and look with the "What’s going on EYE!"

In the midst Chaundra gave me a card with an electronic message and a gift card to Home Depot. The card said, "I may not be able to pick a star from the sky or cast the moon off its course, but I can certainly take you to dinner tonight at the Home Depot. Happy Birthday - I love you. then it played some music. All in all it was a wonderful night and we got a big laugh out of it. The best part is telling people about it and seeing their reactions.

I want to thank, Chaundra, Mom, Alecia for setting it up. I want to thank Charles, Tom, Joe and the rest of the staff at Home Depot for all their help setting up, decorating and just making it a wonderful birthday experience. Remember "Home Depot - it is what’s for Dinner."

Where is your wicker basket?

Now here is a strange question: "Where is your wicker basket?" Why do I ask? Well simply because of a dream. I usually have some Doozies, but this one was one that I really enjoyed and would have liked to go back to sleep for. Simply for the fact that I went to heaven. The dream started out with something happening and all the sudden I was needing to board a plane to heaven.

I must have died. Well I got my boarding pass, which looked something like a compass and had to go to the ticket booth - which looked something like a passport terminal. There was a nice gentleman that was getting his ticket and after he left, he realized that he forgot something and got back in line. Three people were ahead of him. Each taking longer than normal and the man was getting very frustrated and angry. By the time he got to the ticket counter, he found out because of his attitude that he was going to have to take another flight. I guess you have to check your attitude before you get on the flight to heaven.

Then all the sudden the scene changed and I was on the flight. I remember looking back and seeing a rear window,Kind of like a cars rear window and I was going vertically up towards the sky. It was like the earth was moving away from me. It put a knot in my chest - you could say that it scared me to death. Well if I wasn't dead already anyway. On the way, we were going on all sorts of roads and all of them looked like mother of pearl slides that went in all kinds of different directions. Kind of like the MC Escher painting of the stairs. Then finally we got there.

Next thing I know is that I was being told to go to an area to put my stuff. I had a backpack full of stuff that I must have brought along with me. I am not sure what was in the bag all I know is that it was everything that I had. I guess they were telling me that, that I didn't have to carry around my baggage anymore. I had a place to stay. A gentleman told me that I had the area 23S which happened to be right accross from my Pastor - Dr. Young in 22G. The area with the designated spots remided me of the spa and sauna area that Chaundra and I used at the resort in Lost Pines recently. I looked at the little hole in the wall and wondered to myself is there like a whole room in that little hole. After all we were in heaven and anything was possible. As I looked it was a little wicker basket. I was supposed to sit my backpack in it and start enjoying heaven.

This is when I woke up. Darn that waking! I was going to get to find out what heaven was like and I didn't get my chance. So the moral of the story is: "I don't know! After all it was just a Dream!" Just kidding, I think that it was saying that we don't have to carry around our burdens anymore. God made a way. We pack our bags, but He has a place for them. So if these burdens are like sin, we won't need them anymore. So I will leave you with some scripture:

22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,[a] through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. -Romans 3:22-26

So I guess I will ask the question again: "Where is your wicker basket?" Is it your back? Are you carrying around your burdens or sins? Or is it in a hole in the wall where you don't have to carry them around anymore? God made a way! The flight is ready, you just have to get on board. The ticket is Jesus and just like the compass he will show you the way. All you have to do is believe in him and the sacrifice that he gave to get us to God. I hope you have your ticket.

And this concludes this episode of "What Scott Dreams." Turn in next week for another exciting epi... well maybe your never know. God Bless!

The Dark Knight

Well I had the chance to watch "The Dark Knight"! I have to say that it did live up to the hype. The best part of the movie is that they didn't give it a Hollywood ending. I am not going to say what happened but it is nice to see that they can make a movie without giving it a happy ending. Not that it was necessarily a sad ending it was just different and left you with a feeling of angst.

The characters of of Jim Gordan and Harvey Dent were well portrayed and well developed in the storyline. As far as the Joker, I felt that they portrayed him as he should be - a homicidal Maniac that had no real reason behind what he did. He was menacing and well developed.

All in all I believe this to be the best Superhero movie ever made. I am a great spiderman fan but it doesn't even compare to this movie. If you really want to see a good movie I would highly recommend this one.

Like a Hole in my Head

Well I had surgery on Friday. They took a molar out of the upper right side of my mouth. I never really realized how big that tooth is and how important it was for how I chew things. The Doctor put me on some sort of Vicadin product and I have been a little loopy the last couple of days. I have asked Chaundra a couple of times the same question because I forgot part of it. I asked her 4 times if we shipped a box that I told her where to go and what to do. My brain has been a little cloudy, but I didn't realize how until I went to church this morning. I spent most of the weekend in the bed and didn't stand up that much. Well I got a little dizzy in church and couldn't stand for worship. It is amazing what we take for granted and for what we miss when it is gone. Well this is just a random thought about what is going on right now. Hopefully I will be back on my feet by tomorrow for work. At least I have a little more time to recuperate for the weekend.

Disenchanted

I don't know. I am a big fan of comic books but I seem to be more and more disappointed with the new storylines. I guess that they have to do some things to keep up the sales, but sometimes I think that they are ruining an otherwise great character. It seems like the shock value is more imporant than the people that have been collecting them for a long time. Now they are more worried about trying to get to the younger generation and forgetting the people that have been loyal to them for years.

Spiderman:
My favorite Character in all the comics world. They have unmasked him over the years and to undo that he has made a deal with the devil that him and Mary Jane never Married. They have resurrected Harry Osborn because and Gwen Stacy whose deaths helped shape him into becoming who he is. All this history just erased and now I am just disenchated with the Character. I just feel that they can't have a good marriage in comics anymore. (They were even breaking up the Fantastic Fours Marriage) It has it troubles but they stick by one another in the end and they cannot even figure out to make stuff like that work. The stories used to have depth and excitement which is all now just turning into how often they can have a fight seen or what can they redo to make it better. Just like life they should deal with what has happened in his life and just work off of that.

Fantastic Four:
Ruining their Marriage

Ion:
Another character that was going to be a favorite that just flopped. I read the Ion series when it came out and it was building up to the 12 issue and then it just left you hanging like it was a waste of time to read it. I liked Kyle Rayner as the Ion character then they took it from him and gave it to someone else. Now I just don't care about it anymore.

The Hulk:
Another favorite character. It seems as if they are trying to forget the fact that Rick Jones was a vital part of who the Hulk was and they seem to be avoiding the character in the movies. Since these are from Marvel who created them you would think that they would at least try to keep some vital characters. I loved the new movie but I was disappointed that they didn't use Rick Jones in it. I hope if they do a sequel that they will introduce his character.

Superman:
The once mighty of all the superheroes seems to be getting defeated by stronger enemies all the time now. I liked the Doomsday character but they are introducing it to the Smallville series before Clark even becomes superman. Atlas is beating him up in the current series and Now there are all sorts of Kyrptonians out there.

So Back to I don't know: I don't know if I like the comics of today. They just don't seem to be the heroes that they once were. I don't know if I just am disenchanted with the idea that my favorites have been changing so much over the years. I just don't know.

Now I am trying to write my own comic book and it seems as if maybe it is all for naught. Some of what I have wanted to do has popped up in the comics, and maybe I wouldn't be doing anything that hasn't been done already. I have some good ideas of what I want to do, but part of me is just disenchanted with the whole thing. We will see when I go on vacation if things perk up as I try to develop my characters and will go from there. What is your take on all this?

Just a Wii Update

Well it has been a couple of weeks now since I bought the Wii Fit. It has gotten much nicer to me now that wii have gotten to know each other better. As far as losing weight - that is a different story. I keep jumping between a consistant 3 lbs. I can't seem to get rid of it. I do however feel like I am healthier and think that over time that I will lose the weight. It is keeping me at a good pace for my goals.

I have been enjoying it though. Last night I played baseball with Chuck Norris and Jesus. Jesus got a single and Chuck brought him in home. It was good to know that Chuck brought Jesus home with him. Yes I have a Mii of Chuck and of Jesus. I also have one of the Cookie Monster. So I have been able to run with Jesus - Literally. Mostly we have friend Miis but we had some fun with some others as well.

I just hope that I don't ever have to Box with Chuck or Jesus - I am pretty sure that they could take me, but if the Cookie Monster beats me; then I am really going to have a hard time living that down.

Anyway I enjoy the Wii a bunch. Here is a commercial for your enjoyment.

Robot Hottie - It is a sad world

This morning as I was looking at myyahoo page it had a video and I thought what a sad world that we live in. I can understand being lonely but have we been trying to go too far to not have to have relationships. In today's society, some people would rather be on the internet "chating" then talking about things in real life. I guess it is because we feel that we can open up more without the chance of hurting ourselves. I wonder if technology is as helpful as we would like to think. Well we have a new invention. The Robot Hottie - it can act just like a girlfriend and is going to be targetted to males around 20 years old. It sounds more like a pet robot to me. Here is the video below. I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think.

Bastrop Trip May 23-25

A couple of weeks ago, Chaundra and I had got the chance to go to a resort in Bastrop, Texas. For those who know where Bastrop is, "Yes, they do have a resort there." Bastrop is a little city outside of Austin about 30 minutes drive or so. The Resort was the Hyatt at Lost Pines - Lost Pines, Texas is basically Bastrop. After this last semester I really needed the chance to have a break, and most of this trip was gifted to us. I cannot tell the person that gave us the tickets as to how much this means to us. With Chaundra's mom and sister living with us, we don't get to have as much private time together and this trip was well needed. Well how did it go? It was one of the most relaxing vacation weekends that I have ever had. We hiked, swam, did the zip line and rock wall. We utilized saunas, steamrooms, and even some spa services. We absolutely had the best time of our lives and sometime we want to go back and enjoy it together again.

We got there on Friday afternoon and stayed until Sunday at around 3:00 when we started to head back.

On Friday we got there and confirmed the appointment with the spa for Chaundra's exfoliating mud wrap and then wandered through the Golf Shop. Seems weird that I would do that but I had a Gift certificate to spend there and was wondering what I would want to buy. It ended up that the next day they were going to have a really good sale and we decided to go back then. Then we went to the spa and enjoyed the pool to ourselves (everyone else was at the waterpark pool) then the sauna and the steamroom. It was very relaxing.

One of the guys at the Golf club stated that we had to try the restaurant called "Stories." He was 100% right too. I don't think that I ever ate food like that before. It was wonderful. Anyway Chaundra and I watched the sun go down on the balcony of the restaurant and had a wonderfully romantic evening together. After that we walked around for a little while then sat at the firepit and enjoyed each other’s company until I decided that the heat was a little too much. So we adjourned for the evening.

The next day we got up (at our convenience) and decided to go on a morning hike. We had to walk about 3/4 of a mile to get to the trails and it was absolutely beautiful. When we got to the trails it looked as if it was locked up and didn't think that we could go any further. It was only really locked up so the horses couldn't get through - we didn't find this out until later.

After we finished our hike we came back and got dressed up and went to the lazy river, pool, and slide. It was kind of like a waterpark at the resort. We floated, swam, raced, and even did tubing ballroom dancing (you can actually spin the tubes around quite easily). We went down the slide and had a wonderful time.



Later we went through the butterfly garden and then headed over to ride in a horse drawn wagon. It was great and I even got the chance to drive it. I was commenting so much about the whole thing that they decided that they would let me sit up and take a picture as if I were actually driving - then they asked me if I really did want to drive it. I didn't get much more than a circle, but it is more just the fact that I got to drive it.

We ate and played shuffle board (which I won - Although we were not sure we were playing it right.) Then we went and spend my gift card and hit some golf balls at the driving range.That night we went back to the Spa and I enjoyed a therapeutic message. I have never had one of those before. Back through the Sauna and steam room and a shower that had three shower heads on each side and one in front - it was awesome. Then we settled down and enjoyed the rest of the evening together.

On Sunday, we decided that it would be OK if we skipped church (Yes we did) and so we did. Our appointment was for 11:00 am to go to the zipline and rockwall, so we decided to start the morning at the lazy river while we were waiting. We had the chance to meet some wonderful people (Ashley, Stetson, and Lizzy) who we got to do the zipline with. They were fun for conversation and we enjoyed the time with them. The zipline didn't start till later and it could have been organized a little better. Some of the kids were jumping in line and some of the adults almost didn't get the chance to do it because of it. Either way we still had fun and then came back to the Hotel for our late checkout.

We packed up, checked out, and then went over to the spa and enjoyed the last moments of our trip in the sauna and steamroom. They said that they didn't mind and we took full advanage of our trip. We couldn't have asked for a better trip then this one. It was relaxing. It was romantic. It was some private time together. It was altogether one of the best trips that I have ever had.

Thank God for wonderful gifts, especially when you need them the most. For all of the pictures go Here!

Bastrop

I am planning on blogging about our trip as soon as we get the photos back from CVS for the lazy river and water slide. Their CD Burner has been on the blitz and we haven't been able to get them. The sad thing is that this CVS is not that old, but their equipment looks like it is a old machine. To tell you the truth it has been a real hassle and I don't think that I will use them again. It wasn't until today that I finally got some service. I think that I will stick with Walgreens, I have always gotten good service there. I just thought this was going to be more convienent. I guess I was wrong.

What Does a Brain Fart Make You

Tonight, as Chaundra and I were eating a lovly dinner, we started to talk about the Wii Fit and how we might be able to work around using it with a schedule. I get up in the morning a little earlier now so that I can get a decent workout. While I was talking about it I started to say something and began with, "I think" then I lost what I was going to say. Then I started to say it again, "I think" still couldn't get it. The third time I changed it a little and said, "I think therefore I am!" Just because I had no idea what I was going to say and it seemed to fit. Well Chaundra in her ultimate wisdom said, "And you are having a brain fart, so what does that make you?" I don't really know what to say about that. So the Question is:

If you think and therefore you are, then what does a brain fart make you? Have you ever thought about this or am I getting to Philosophical for you? I actually think that that makes my brain hurt!

Lunch with a Cop

I have had some fun and interesting conversations today.

I went to lunch with Ted, Bret, and James today and that always makes for an interesting day. We decided to go to Dynasty Chinese over near the Sugar Land area. It is a small chinese buffet, not bad - we go there every once in a while. Well today we saw this HUGE police office that was eating there to. This was the type of guy that could be a perfessional wrestler. Well we decided to start to tease Ted that we were going to go over and tell the police office that he had called the police office a name. Ted being the brave soul that he is said, "If you do, I will be out of here faster than you can blink an eye, and you can pay for my lunch!" After a while of Teasing Ted, James got up to get something and said something about getting the Police Man to run him down and tase Ted and the Police officer heard him. The Police officer said, "Is that guy over there causing a lot of trouble." Then he smiled and laughed at him. What was really funny though was when Ted got up to get some Ice cream and accidently broke off the Lever as the Police officer walked by, and he just smiled and said, "I will probably have to take you in for that." This guy as soo Cool. It was a great lunch.

Then I left my card on the table and the waitress said, "what you don't need this anymore?" laughed and proceded to put it in her pocket. She laughed then gave it back. I told her, now that would be a great tip - but I don't think my wife would like that any. It was altogether just a fun lunch with the guys.

For Lizzy, Ashley, and Stetson

Hey guys,

Hope you guys are having fun. Sorry I didn't ge these up for you yesterday. I downloaded them to my work flickr account and had to redownload them. These are all the pictures of the Zip line and rock wall trip, so they include Chaundra and I as well. Download whichever ones you like!

Scott

Link: http://flickr.com/photos/scootersweb/sets/72157605285698777/

If that Doesn't work go into vacations and Zip line from here: http://flickr.com/photos/scootersweb/

Again, Hope you are having fun! - Leave me a comment that you got them if you could. Thanks

Dissed by a Machine - Wii Fit

Well, Chaundra and I purchased the Wii Fit on Wednesday. It was fun putting it together and trying it out. It is funny because Chaundra was putting together supper at the same time and I started to do all of my Body Test. I put it on the floor and got on it. As it weighed me I came out normal on the BMI (Body Mass Index) I was so excited. Then I turned it to the weight thing and it said that I weighed 145 pounds, that is when I realized that maybe the carpet was under me was cushioning me. I had already set it up to lose two pounds in 2 weeks. I remember seeing little foot pads for the Wii board that were for thick carpets so I went and got them out of the box and put them on it. Then I redid my Body Test. As soon as I got on it, it said “we have determined that you are holding something 41 pounds.” Now it says that I am overweight and instead of having to lose 2 pounds in 2 weeks it is saying that I have to lose 43 pounds. That is always fun to hear.

After a while Chuaundra did her body test. It went a lot better for her. Then we did some training. Chuandra trained for a while then I got back on later that night. It asked me if I had noticed that Chaundra's posture was better and I said that I hadn't noticed. That is when it told me that I should pay better attention to her. Wow dissed twice in one night by a machine.

When I went to Walmart that night as I was walking in I notice that my posture did feel better, but by the time I left it had already felt normal again.

Anyway, we enjoyed being able to start getting fit. We are going to start out slow and go from there. (I will worry about not hitting my first goal later) We already have been able to feel it in the morning, so I think that it is going to be good for us. I am really enjoying the game and I would recommend it to anyone who has a Wii. It is going to be something that you are going to have to keep up with though. It will be an everyday kind of thing. For now, I guess we will have to get back to it when Chaundra and I return. At least we will have hiking and swimming to keep us going for the weekend. I would give the Wii Fit a 4 and a half stars out of 5 - I would have given it 5 but then it made fun of me.

Oh and by the way - it was nice to Chaundra.

Just Random

I went to Wingstop for Lunch today and saw the most random thing on my way back. It was at least something that you don't see everyday anyway. I was driving up 59 north’s feeder around beltway 8 and heard a motorbike behind me. It was the kind that looks like a cross between a Suzuki and a Dirt bike. Not quite as big as a Suzuki, but bigger than a dirt bike - It had to be to be street legal. Anyway I didn't think much of it at first because he was behind me. As we started to go he went around me and I noticed that he had two spare motorbike tires around his waist. At first I thought, "wouldn't it be cheaper to get a vest and a helmet." It also wouldn't be so tacky. Then I thought, "This Definitely brings a whole new meaning about having a spare tire around your waist." At least his is for the bike most likely. Mine is around my waist all the time. If only I was fast enough to get a picture with my camera - I could have put it with the post. Anyway, that was "Just Random"

Hero and a half - (Everett Bio Posted)

New post one: http://heroandahalf.blogspot.com/ Check it out and let me know what you think.

Customs Kiosk

On the radio this morning they talked about an Idiotic idea. The government has decided that if a person has not got a bad record that they (pre-approved) could potentially use a kiosk to enter into the United States. This sounds like the most asinine idea. They talk about national security and how important it is then they do something stupid like this. I was thinking about all the people that have had identity theft. It is quit the problem, yet now you can use a kiosk if you are a good enough person. So have they thought about identify theft, or how bout the fact that dead people have been able to vote. This doesn’t seem like this is something to worry about. I am sure that they have taken this into consideration, so what are they thinking. Anyway, Bat the idea around and let me know what you think!

Vote For Ronald

A friend of mine, Donna, read my blog and sent home a gift for me. So as a grateful friend I had to share. Thank you Donna for continuing the cause.

"I am loving it!"

Why Ronald McDonald should run for President!

I was thinking the other day, that I am not sure who I want to vote for this coming election. As far as it stands, we have Obama, Clinton, or McCain, and I am just not sure that I agree with any of them on their policies. So I decided that I might just Vote for Ronald McDonald.

Think about it, it would be great for convenience and economics. He already has a Vast Empire. He is one of the largest Fast Food Chains in the World, so he must know what he is doing with money. They don't even seem to be slowing down, after all there is a McDonalds on every corner. The concept even sounds like something a Politician would say. "If you make me President, there will be a hamburger on every corner! I Guarantee it." Heck, he would already be on a good pace to accomplishing it. This goes to show he could help with the economy as for convenience the government would be just out our door. Where I work there in 4 McDonalds within a mile of my office. If we had a problem with the government we could just go up the street and order Government combo number 4. You have heard of fast food, why not fast government. Ronald could even ask us if we want fries with economic policy we ordered.

Although I am not sure that they would be good with Health Care!!! After all they have been sued for making people FAT, and everyone know that it is their fault! However, they are trying, after all they have started to have some healthy choices and providing salads, even if it has fried chicken on it. Healthcare might hurt him in the race, but who has a solution to it anyway. Either way, if it doesn't work, we can just blame Ronald and move on to the next customer in line. So Next November forget the "Kinky for Governor" and Vote for the Clown, Ronald McDonald. Then when others say we have a clown in office, then we can be proud to say, "I know we voted him there!" Just remember our new government slogan. "Having fun, Doing it right! McDonalds????"

Freedom

I AM FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! Class is over and I got everything handed in. It was probably the hardest semester that I have had as of yet. Not because the classes themselves were hard, but because of the time that was necessary to complete all the assigned reading, papers, tests, and presentation. Last night I went home and for the first time in a while decided to play on my Nintendo Wii. It was great! I thought: "I could read a book that I want at the speed I want!" NAAA "I could work on some stuff for the office!" NAAA "I could Blog!" but I wasn't in the mood. "I could watch TV!" NAAA, nothing is on anyway. So I played the Original ZELDA. It was great. Then My sister called and we talked about my vacation coming up in June. It was HEAVENLY!!! Anyway, back to actually having time to do some things I want to do, and believe me I have a long list. I guess when it comes down to it, "I am really good at filling my time." This summer however, I want to take some time to relax a little. I have seen one of the two syllabi for the next semester and it has the potential to be even harder than this semester. I will probably start a little early to get a head start on it, but for now "I AM FREEEEEEEE!"

Overwhelmed

Man am I going to be glad when this semester is over. I think that it has been the hardest yet. There are only two weeks left and I still have 2 papers, a book review, 250 pages of reading, a presentation, some scripture, and a final exam. I have been off of the blogging for a few days now and there will be few blogs between now and May 8th. I will get back in the swing of things after that. Just thought that I would let everyone know, who reads my blog and talk to you soon.

Scott

Life More Abundant

I just posted a new blog on my Embracing God site. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Atheism in America

I recently went to cinemablend.com and was looking at an article. I really like Cinema blend because they write great articles about upcoming movies, reviews, and other types of information on one of my favorite interests. Recently they had an article about Bill Maher and his upcoming movie Religulous. A wonderful movie about bashing religion. (Can you hear the Sarcasim) The article stated something like this:

He’s making a movie with Larry Charles, one of the brains behind the whole Borat phenomenon, and like Borat his movie is about Maher wandering around America interacting with random, and almost assuredly stupid, Americans.

and...

Instead, he’s taking on his favorite target, religion. Says Bill, “I often explained to people, I don’t need to make fun of religion, it makes fun of itself. And, then I go ahead and make fun of it too, just for laughs.”

I thought "It is funny that Bill Maher thinks that most people are stupid - maybe he thinks this because they believe in a God. I wonder what percentage of America is Atheist." So I looked it up and found an article "Atheism in America" that gave some pretty amazing figures. They said that an amazing 14.1% of America was non organized atheism or NON religious. That is pretty staggering until you realize that it says NON religious. I hope to tell this person that I have had many friends that were NON religious - but still believed in a God. They just hadn't settled on a specific one. I wonder what the percentage would be if they had asked specifically are you an atheist - which by the way means they don't believe in any God, not that they are just Non religious. They get there figures from a website: Positive Atheist. It has more figures on where "Atheism in America" got their numbers.

It is amazing how Hollywood is in the business to bash religion all the sudden. With the Golden Compass, and now this. I would expect more to be coming as well. The funny thing is that the atheists in these articles were talking about how they are being persecuted - and some of what they had to say is right. When people talk about God in a hateful way, how can you come against this. If we are going to reach people we definitely cannot be hateful about it. It is a sad factor and I feel for those who will believe that there is no God. We are not stupid, we just have hope, something that an atheist has none, and if they say they do have hope; then I wonder what it would be for.

I would ask Bill Maher, would you get the same answers if you were taking these same questions to people that are experts in the field. Sometimes asking about brain surgery to a nurse, seems kind of dumb, even if they have seen it done. Some questions regarding religion are just hard. It doesn't make that person stupid because they cannot answer it. It just makes them uninformed and maybe untrained. I guess anything to get a laugh at people's expense - sad thing is people will spend money to go see it, but this is the world we live in. Bat the idea and let me know what you think.

Shofar - Shogood

This morning when I woke up I felt better than I have in a long time. Some things in my life are difficult right now and I have been quite depressed because of it. Well when I got up this morning, I took my shower and went back into the bedroom to get ready for the new day. As I looked around I saw the Shofar that I bought while I was in Israel and thought to myself, "I wonder if I could get a sound out of that?" A shofar, for those that don't know, is a ram's horn that was used for religious practices. It could be a call to worship, or even to battle. I thought to myself, "It is a new day!" and blew my horn. At first I couldn't get anything out of it, but remembered what my wife said about the trombone, "You have to have the right ambiture." So I tried it and I actually got a sound out of it. I was quite impressed with myself. It was a new day!

That is when I got out into the living room where my wife was. She said that she was wondering what I was doing. At first she thought I was blowing my nose - No I don't think that is it. Then she thought that maybe I was harboring a pet elephant - but she decided that that was probably not it either. Then she thought, "OHHHHHHH! He is tooting his own horn!" Well not in so many words but we had a laugh and have started our new day. Anyway the days has been Shofar - Shogood! Hope yours is a blast. LOL

Superman

Just recently DC comics lost a battle in the courts with the Siegel family regarding the rights for the Superman Franchise. The Lawsuit was the family suing for loss of profits future and past since 1999. Not even the creator - just his family. This will probably effect the superman movies, TV and probably comics. He is a very loved character, but I don't understand someone who sold the character to DC can win a case now that he is worth a lot more money. IGN.com says this:

"The Siegel family had been out of pocket for years after Joe Siegel (together with his partner Joe Shuster) sold the rights to his creation to DC Comics for just $130. He died in 1996."

He sold it, (Probably early on) I guess I might have a different opinion if it were sold when he was worth alot more money. Which if it was later in life it would have sold for much more money. I guess sometimes I just don't understand. Anyway "Bat the idea and let me know what you think."

Hero and a Half

Well I have done it. I have started to add blogs to my "Hero and a Half" blog. I figured that I would start with just an introduction of the novel and then start working on the bios of the characters. I will be looking for feedback so check it out and tell me what you think.

You can find it by clicking Here or on the above link:

My Wife is Great!

I was on my way home tonight from school just thinking about how wonderful that my wife is. She has been such a blessing to me in how she supports me and loves me. I don't know that I really tell her enough what she means to me. It is funny because I was just thinking about her and all the sudden I had this wonderful thought in my head. "I HAVE A WONDERFUL WIFE!" and like the old Toyota comercials - Who could ask for anything more? It is a wonderful feeling thinking about her in this way and just thanking God for placing her in my life. God has given his perfect match for me and I have had the privledge of spending the last six years with her. This was just a random thought that I just wanted to say. I love her and look forward to the rest of our lives together.

Samuel, Saul, David, and Solomon

As posted on my other Blog: Embracing God

I thought that I would repost this blog on my main page because it gives an idea of what my other blog is about. How do we Embrace God? My blogs are generally to help me organized my thoughts, and I have had the tendancy to go to this one more often lately. Here is what it said:

I have been struggling lately. In History of Israel we are currently studying the Kings of Israel. We already talked about Samuel the prophet, Saul, David, and Solomon. Dr. Chen stated that Samuel was the Prophet after God's own heart. That Saul was the king after man's heart, and that David was the king after God's Heart. Solomon was just half-hearted. Sometimes I really don't know where I stand. I am to be like Samuel and tell of God's word, no matter what happens. I know that I want a heart like David's yet feel that I probably am somewhere between Solomon's half-heart or Saul's want to please people. Four men, with very different kinds of lives and sins. Saul was a people pleaser, and prideful. David was an adulterer, murderer and he too was prideful at a certain point in his life. Solomon started well with the Fear of the Lord, yet finish poorly because his wives turned his heart away from God. I want my heart to be that of God's, but wind up screwing things up many times. My pride, and my want to be somebody hurts what I can do for God - because of the wall that it puts up, and the opportunities that I miss because I head to man's call before God.

My prayer for today is to find out what I am really made of. Can I have the Fear of the LORD? Can I have a heart after God? You would think that being in Seminary that I should have my act together, but I screw up all the time. Sometimes I wonder why I am even there, yet I feel the prompting of God.

I ask you Heavenly Father, to help me find my way in all this. I ask you to help me to be more like David in that I have the will to please you in all things that I do. I ask you to hear my prayers - I have been feeling like they are doing no good. I praise you with tributes that I don't know if I even believe. I started blogging because I wanted to feel like you hear me. I thought if I could just keep a log of what you are doing then maybe, I will feel as if you hear me and are answering me. This blog started off as something I was thinking to something I feel inside. I ask you to show me that you do hear me and help me see that. I ask you all this in Jesus Name, AMEN!

Golden Island Buffet

I am not a critic; you know something is wrong when someone starts with that. I went to a Chinese buffet today that I have gone to before. Chaundra generally doesn't like buffets, so I go when I get a chance. I liked Golden Island Buffet before so thought I would like it tonight as well, however, I have never been more disappointed in a restaurant then I was tonight. I got there and the lady at the door seated me and was very friendly. I have no complaints about how I was treated - it was the food that was terrible. Granted it was 8:30 PM when I went and I hope it was a sign that they were just gearing up to close, but some of what I saw was just uncalled for. I generally like to eat the mussels, but they looked like they had been in that pan all day long. What used to have moisture in it now had dried up and the mussels had turned black. It looked disgusting. I like the fried noodles, but they were hard and sticking together. I would gather they had been out for a while as well. I had to scrape the red sauce at the bottom to hopefully get some for my cold Cheese puffs and egg roll. The Sushi person was gone and they had Sushi out that was starting to dry out.

Finally to top it all off I got my bill and it was $9.47. Take into fact that I didn't get anything to drink, I really felt cheated. I am sorry I could not bring myself to tip. I just wasn't going to pay anymore than that for what I got. They have lost me as a customer and I hope that they figure it all out. You could say that well you just got there to late, but I would just say that I was there and never saw any new food come out and the food that was out looked as if it had been out for awhile. I just can't pull myself to doing it again.

So if you decide to go to Golden Island Buffet on I45 south at the Beltway near Fuqua then be warned to either go early in the day or don't bother.

Christ in the Passover

I wanted to share a video. It is a video that we watched in my "History of Israel" class and in "Old Testament". With the Easter holiday coming up I thought it would be a good thing to talk about. The Video is "Christ in the Passover" and you can find it at:



But be warned it is 40 minutes long - but it is well worth it.

Isaiah The Prophet

Last night in class we were talking about the Prophet Isaiah. He is an interesting fellow when you hear more about his life and historical data. One of the things that I found interesting is the fact that the book is sometimes considered "a miniature bible." Our Bible has 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. Isaiah can be broken down into two sections. The first Chapters of Isaiah (1-39) reflect the judgment of God on his rebellious people. The second section is comprised of (40-66) which total 27 chapters. These chapters help the children of Israel to have hope even in a time of judgment. 39 books and 39 chapter as well as 27 books and 27 chapters. The Old Testament reflects a time without the Messiah, while the New Testament shows us the Good news of God's Mercy through the death and resurrection of His son. Many (if not all) of the Messianic Chapters in Isaiah happen in the second half of the book. Judgment without God! Mercy with God! They show that God does not tolerate sin, but has given us a way out at the same time. All we have to do is accept Him as our Lord "and he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Some people might think that this seems "cheap" or as "a license to sin" but in reality it isn't cheap. Christ gave his life for us and making Him Lord of your life means that a person is willing to do his/her best to accomplish Christ's will for his/her life. This is definitely not always the easy thing to do.

Praise Mom Day

I was listening to the radio this morning on my way to work and they were talking about families. More specific, a "Praise Mom" day. I really like the idea of making sure my mother has the chance to hear what she is doing right. Many times mothers get forgotten in the stream of life, especially when you are older and have a busy life like I do.

My mother is great! She has always been there for me. Answered all my questions when I wanted to know something, even when it was hard for her to give me the answer. If she didn't know something she wouldn't hesitate to admit it, or maybe she would even try to find the answer for me. She is a loving woman. She wants to be warm and nurturing to everyone. She is a Mom through and through. She Loves God, loves people, and loves her family. She is a monument and a hero. This is my mother.

My wife's mother is also a wonderful woman. Most people would give the stereo type of their mother in law, but that is not my mother-in-law. Although she does have her quarks, as my mother does, she would give her shirt off her back to help someone. Even when she hasn't been working she has done everything in her power to be helpful to others even in her own want. She is an inspiration to my wife and I. She is also loving, kind, and giving. She is a joy to be around. This is my mother-in-law.

I am truly blessed. God has granted me a wonderful wife, a loving mother, and a wonderful mother-in-law. What can make life more worthwhile then the family and friends that God places in our life? Thank God for each of those special people that God has placed in my life.

The Real Cowboy

It has begun! The Houston Rodeo has come to town. It isn't everywhere that you get the chance to see cows going through the middle of a major metropolitan city. The cowboy hats, the wrangler jeans, the the whole array!

My questions is how can you really know if a person is a cowboy or not? I heard on the radio that if you area a wannabe, then you have to dress a certain way. Thus the cowboy hat, the wrangler jeans, don't do the "Garth Brooks" shirt beacuase that was, as they say "so yesterday". But the problem is... I would not call just anyone that has the look of a cowboy and the talk of a cowboy - a genuine cowboy. There are too many people out there that think they are cowboys just because they rode a horse, and have a big buckle. Let's just face it, "YOU ARE NOT A COWBOY UNLESS YOU WORK WITH COWS!" - thus the COWboy. Riding a bull takes guts but doesn't make you a cowboy. What makes you a cowboy is wakeing up early, working the ranch, moving the cattle, fixing the fence and stuff that.

I remember when I was a child being in church with a real cowboy. He was a gentleman of some age - i.e. like a adopted grandpa. The pastor asked us to all hold hands for prayer. He reached down to take may hand with his, and it was like holding onto leather. The sun had taken a toll on his skin, you could see it in his weathered face, but the riding of horses, roping of cattle, the mending of fences all had a toll on his hands. They were thick and hard. He was a hero to me, but he was also a real cowboy. I will tell you how to tell if someone is a cowboy - just look at their hands. It is a sure tell sign of a real cowboy.