Fun on Friday

Learned this week that my friend, Andy Holt, is running for a seat in the Tennessee State House of Representatives from his district in West Tennessee. If I lived in Dresden, he'd get my vote. I'll post more as his campaign expands.

Would love to see the Oklahoma City Thunder defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in the opening round of the NBA playoffs. Probably not going to happen. But the Thunder look like a team that will be a contender in the near future.

The Atlanta Braves are digging an early hole in the National League East. Losing lots of close games.

Great Quote Thursday

Written on a note given to legendary basketball coach John Wooden by his father; a creed that Wooden's father suggested his son try to live by:

1. Be true to yourself
2. Make each day your masterpiece
3. Help others
4. Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible
5. Make friendship a fine art
6. Build a shelter against a rainy day
7. Pray for guidance; count and give thanks for your blessings every day.

Like a Visit to the Barber Shop

When I was younger, my Dad would take my brother and me to an old-style, traditional barber shop to get our haircuts (much like Floyd's Barber Shop from the Andy Griffith Show). There, surrounded by dead mounted fish and among photos of former athletes and out-of-date magazines, men, mostly of an older generation, would share the news of the day and solve all the world's problems.

This week, I'm experiencing a similar but much more enjoyable situation. Here's the background. During two weeks out of the school year, the parents in each class at my son's school are assigned to assist with "Car Duty", which entails opening car doors for students and greeting them as they arrive for school. Our class was assigned a week in February and once again this week. By this Friday, I will have worked a total of 7 mornings this school year.

But there is a group of men, known as the Senior Saints, who are there every morning. Rain, wind, bitter cold. It doesn't matter. They're there. And they're nice. Always nice. With a "Good morning, big guy" for my 6 year old son and a "Have a great day" for me. These men include a retired veterinarian, a retired TVA manager, a retired missionary.

Here's some of what I've learned in two weeks working with the Senior Saints:

I now know not to open a minivan door until you're sure it's not going to open automatically

I now know that some parents wear a robe and/or pajamas to drop their children off at school

I now know which families seem to always run late

I now know there is a hawk that perches on the power lines across from the school for the same 15 minutes every morning

I now know that some parents have very messy cars (I keep my car cleaner now that I've worked car duty)

I now know that all school buses have an exhaust problem

I now know that the Senior Saints really care about the children and families in our community

And I now know that I'm looking forward to working with the Senior Saints again next school year.

Similar to the barber shop experience, these men joke about how they hope to get "raises" next year for their volunteer time. They share their thoughts on why the county should widen the school's driveway; why a separate entrance for buses would be helpful; why my son's school is such a great school.

One reason it's such a great school is because of the Senior Saints.

Just Do It- James 1 (The Mirror)

On Sundays, I'm continuing through our "Just Do It" series based from James 1:22. Here's a thought from Sunday and James chapter 1: The Mirror.

James 1:23-25 describes a man who looks in a mirror, sees what needs to be addressed, but who then walks away and neglects to do things that need to be done. Few people simply get out of bed, look in the mirror, and then start their day as-is. Usually some combination of showering, brushing, combing and/or shaving is in order. Things that make them better.

In the same way, many people read Scripture or listen to sermons but the Word of God does not impact or affect how they live; they don't live out what they've learned. They don't deal with what the mirror (God's Word) has shown them.

Here's The Point: We're promised blessing (James 1:25) when we apply what we learn; when we look "into the perfect law", see ourselves as we really are and then do something about it.

Life Apps

Next Sunday (May 2), our Pastor, Hollie Miller, begins a new study on the life of David called "Life Apps". Check out the series website at http://www.12lifeapps.org.

Fun on Friday

Was at McDonald's last weekend. Noticed their apple pies. You can buy one for .90 cents or you can get two for $1.00. Seems like if you want an apple pie, you ought to just ask to buy the second one. Looks like it only costs a dime.

I don't watch much NHL action during the regular season. But the Stanley Cup playoffs are a different story. In the playoffs, the games mean something. Many of the best-of-seven series go a full seven games and any team can beat any other team on a given night.

There are three new flavors of Mountain Dew available on the market right now: Typhoon, Distortion and White Out. I haven't tried these yet but I plan to and I'll let you know what I think of each flavor. You can vote for your favorite, and check out the national voting map, through June 14 at http://www.dewmocracy.com/. The winning flavor will stay on the market; the other two go away. Currently, Tennessee is a White Out state.

Great Quote Thursday

The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things; he is the one who gets the people to do the greatest things- Ronald Reagan