Cuttin' Grass in the Dark - A Suburban Myth

So its a gorgeous evening & I'm feeling spunky.
Birds have chirped & crickets are cranking - loudly.
What else is there to do but grab the lawn mower & cut until dusk.
Make that dark...
Dew is descending (or ascending)
& alls I cans sees is the wheel marks in the grass.
But baby, I'm making progress - line upon line, row upon row.
This thing is cutting smooth tonight.
When I get out of range of the street light,
I gun down one last section before I park that puppy
- that pushing beast in the shed.
I am a stud.

I come in, aglow with manly sweat
& my wife asks what I have been doing...
I resist the urge to "Duh" her...
20 years of marriage teaches a guy a thing or two
(& that's about all for most of us guys).

With a confident smile of accomplishment,
I proudly tell her I was cutting the grass
She should be wowed - in the dark - "what a man",
but instead she is bewildered

"I didn't hear the mower" says she.
"Are the windows open?" asks me.
"They sure are" says she.
I step to the window & hear the lawn mower running.
This is getting weirder each moment.
"Excuse me" I say, stepping caustiously to the shed.
It is silent, the mower motionless...
I run to examine the fresh cut lawn - flashlight in hand.
It isn't . . . No clippings.
Yet, I hear the mower, the mower... or is it...
no it, can't be... stupid crickets.

Bragging on "The Boys"

What an honor & priviledge to serve at a church with like-minded men. NOT "yes men," but mature brothers whom can handle honest discussion, face hard decisions and forgive foibles and failings.

Contrary to popular thot, not all churches are filled with petty politics and fighting.

Indeed, how good & pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity (not uniformity).

Lord, protect us from us & help us to be diligent to maintain the unity of Your Spirit in the bonds of peace.

Scout Trash Pick up

Not a bad way to spend a Sat. AM - beautifying a highway area by picking up trash. Some 18 Scouts and leaders filled dozens of bags with assorted along-the-road garbage.

A shout out to you smokers & beer drinkers - at least those who liter. Wow - lots of drinking & driving goes on judging from the bottles we picked up. And all those cig. butts, packs, wrappers - gang, they add up out there. YUK!

To the boys of Troop 48 - good job. In six weeks, months or years, you would not have remembered the cartoons you didn't get to watch today, but you will recall making the Creator's domain a bit nicer. Proud of you!

His first school dance

Well I never thot this day would come. When you home school, there are not many school dances. But, when you sign up an heir (number three child) for public school...

Four bucks at the door, a DJ, chaperones crawling all over the place, and peer pressure beyond that. Sixth - eight graders wondering if each has a boy or girl friend.

The biggest impression of the night for me is my son's courage to go alone to this dance, hoping merely to see some friends and just hang out, talk and have a good time. The courage to do that is commendable, enviable.

Thankfully, on the way home as we debriefed, I was able to tell him how proud I was of his courage & confidence. We also spoke of the awkwardness of these settings - something probably everyone there had to face. We discussed the pressure on popular / good looking kids too. They potentially have even more pressure at such events. People expect them to have a big outing...

Are there any winners at these things (can you tell my bias & middle school experience)? My son was one. He learned more of relating to others, of what his peers are driven by, and to think through the event from a Christian perspective - not just condemning, but learning discernment and holy relational skills. With him being a 7th grader, the risks were low, the pressures not as great, but that, like almost everything else in his life, will change. I am convinced that a school dance, "stag" for my Vooter (his nickname), was another small part of preparing him for life.

A good night at Boy Scouts

Having been blessed with four sons, Scouts is a God send (two Boy Scouts, a Webelo, and a Cub Scout). Not only do they have fun, I enjoy it too. I have learned about as much as they have. Being in a top notch troop doesn't hurt. Yeah Troop 48!

For the record, God has blessed my wife & I with a daughter as well. And a fine young lady she is - our Drama Queen. We enjoy that & her too.

Grace, grace, grace . . . Indeed, every good and perfect gift is from our Heavenly Father.

A little perspective

"Haiti" - a word that often - for me at least - brings guilt & pity.

Today that association is sadly strengthened by the death of 600 + via flooding from Tropical storm Jeanne.

May I prod you (& myself) to pray for the suffering people of Haiti who have little resource for living, much less recovering from tragedy.

In the face of my own struggles, Haiti serves as a point of perspective. I only have it so bad.

May my self-centered guilt move to gratitude, prayer and sharing.

Throwing out the first words

If I wait for something profound, I'll never wade into these e-waters of blogging.
So, I am off, or in, or on my way. See, I definitely did not wait for something profound to get started ;-)

An apologia: why "By Grace or else"? 'Tis only true, that's why. The longer I am in Christ, the more I realize how utterly unworthy I am, was, will be, is be... pick your "be" verb, and I ain't... Grace is the base line, the entry point and staying power

Well, look at me, I am up & blogging . . .
Even that is by grace, as those who know me can testify.

Hey, ya know what? well, next time . . .