Rain Rain Go Away

Rain has been in the forecast and on the ground for the past few months. This is the wettest spring/summer we have had in years....like over 15 years since the rivers and lakes have been this high. By now the normal Texas summer climate is called the "dog days of summer" because it is usually over 100 degrees...last year we went 31 consecutive days over the century mark.

Ok so here are some shots of my dad and his new (Father's Day) John Deere Gator Utility Vehicle...he loves it and has used it over and over again. He checks the Middle Bosque which runs about a mile behind our houses...but as you can see, the river has overrun its banks and has started up the road. Brady is doing as a Golden Retriever does...swimming. She loves the water be it pool or river or lake or sprinkler.

One good thing that happens when it rains...the indigenous plants take a hearty drink and bloom like never before. Here you see a native plant - the evergreen, purple blooming Texas Sage. This one is enjoyed by few because of its location behind the SLC on the BU campus.

Wilds Wedding in the Forrest

I mentioned last blog that I went to a wedding in Asheville, NC. Actually, it was in the Pisgah National Forrest. Dathan proposed to my friend Regan (whom I met at Kanakuk over 10 years ago) there and they decided to get married there. He went out the night before and built a small alter. We all walked about a mile down a hiking trail to a waterfall. The weather was threatening but was dry ... until the wedding was almost over then, God Himself being in attendance, rained down "showers of blessing" on Mr. and Mrs. Wilds.



After a little shower, we carpooled to a place close to downtown Asheville called Homewood. It was built in 1927 and is located in the Historic Montford neighborhood. It was a beautiful place to celebrate with all the friends of the bride and groom.

Regan works at Grace Community Church as a counselor and Dathan is going to school at UNC Asheville. Congratulations Regan and Dathan Wilds...it was a beautiful, yet wet, wedding and a reception that celebrated your UNION.
Happy Honeymoon!

GWC & FCA

A common cliche' is to "take a stroll down memory lane." This weekend I did just that. I flew to Charlotte, NC and spent Thursday with my friend Hope West. We met each other at Kanakuk 11 years ago. Here is a picture of Hope (who is 19 weeks GWC) and Jed (her 18 month old son). Her husband Keith, was at work. They actually live in Denver, but they relocate for 4 months to work. The rest of the year, they do odds and ends and spent alot of time together...at least a month in Hawaii. GWC means Great With Child.

Friday, I drove to find the Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, North Carolina. It is just outside of Asheville. My main purpose for this trip was a wedding of another dear Kanakuk friend in Asheville. Almost 30 years ago, I went to FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) Camp at the Blue Ridge Assembly. I was 16 and it was really the first time I realized that God wanted all parts of my life, including the sports part. He could be found in nature, in competition, in teammates, and in sports. I was going to be the Captain of our Midway High School FCA Huddle.


In these pictures you can see the Robert E. Lee building as it is today and as it was all those years ago. Now, don't think I am weird, but I (for some strange reason) kept that FCA shirt. I have the picture of me in it on the steps of the Robert E. Lee building.


It was fun to see that my memory served me well. One of the things I remembered specifically was that we would run down a trail through the pine trees to come out on a field cut right out of the trees. Some things never do change...and I am glad...this is one of the first places I knew that the best place for me to meet God was through nature.

My! how things change

Man! Who knew that so much could happen in a week where I am out of touch with the world. I leave on retreat Monday morning early and don't have any contact with the world in which I live until Friday afternoon. When I finally catch up on the news of my friends, family, Baylor, and the greater outside world, I find out that Jerry Falwell and Martin Luther King's daughter have died. I check the web for Baylor sports to find out that Baylor Women's and Men's Tennis made it to the Sweet Sixteen as well as the Baylor Softball team sweeping the Regional Tournament and hosting Michigan this weekend in a Super Regional. Baylor Baseball swept Kansas State in their last home series (picture of me with dad included) to earn a 6th place seed at the Big 12 tournament this week.



My cousins from California are finally coming for a visit - to check out Baylor, none the less! And my dear friends, Forrest and Elizabeth Williams are having a BOY! I call them MSU (Mississipi State or missionary) couple because they were called to Alabama for a year and now will be moving...last week I left thinking they were moving to Waco, when I returned, I heard that they were interviewing at least one more time in Mississippi. Who can blame them for wanting to be close to family as they begin their own. Let's just say that they are walking by faith and letting God lead the way...I guess we might know something by Friday (their last day in their house). But no matter where they are...they are having a BOY!

Sic 'em!

Firewheels & the Hill Country

Spring Time in Texas!
What an incredible time it is deep in the heart of Texas.
Last month I showed you the bluebonnets and yellow....

Today, that same field in front of my house is filled with Indian Blankets or Firewheels. They bloom from April to June. It is combination of red, orange, and yellow and somewhat resembles a brightly woven tapestry.

This is undeniable proof that God is
the Creator of the Universe and the Sustainer of Life.

How can anyone deny it?

Do you take time to see the flowers and
wonder at the awe of God?

I am headed out of town on a true, albeit faculty, retreat. Almost 50 of us from Baylor will travel 3+ hours south, just outside Kerrville, TX to Laity Lodge for a 4 day, 4 night retreat in the Hill Country. We will have reflection and recreation, small group time, morning and evening prayer, and vocational sessions. This retreat sight is void of technology (no cell reception, no internet, and no television) and abundant with natural surroundings. So, I will be out of touch with friends and family until Friday, but hopefully in touch with co-workers, colleagues, and most importantly, God Himself. It is awsome to work in an organization that sees this sort of opportunity as valuable. I am blessed.

Life is Precious Life is Sweet

LIFE IS PRECIOUS LIFE IS SWEET
...like the earth beneath my feet,
though I know I am passing through
I know I belong to you.... (Wes King song)

What an emotional weekend...it is all jumbled together up there in my head so I am going to try to sort out my thoughts in this blog...bear with me...this week at Baylor, we lost our sixth student , Caitlyn Creed, to a car accident...it has been a long, hard year in terms of understanding the "whys." Then later this week, we had some very serious weather pass through. High winds and lots of thunder and lightening. This particular storm found a young mother, Melissa Brinegar, of 28 walking back from the lake hand-in-hand with her 5-year old daughter. Lightening struck her and killed her. She was 8 weeks pregnant. Her 5-year old is in Mia's (my niece) kindergarten class. The "whys" grow larger for all of us.


Today, after church as we headed to Fuddruckker's, Mia was sitting in the front seat and said to me... "today I want to take the training wheels off!" This comes on the heels of her riding up and down my parent's driveway on her bike with the training wheels. I have given her a hard time - just kidding around - about it. This statement came without any prompting. So, we decided to meet on the tennis court and work on the independence of two wheels v. four.


As I ran up and down the middle of the court holding the seat and trying to encourage her to "steer and pedal - steer and pedal" I finally figured out that she was afraid to fall. She would rather quit than fall. How true of all of us. We would rather give up when it gets hard. We would rather put the brakes on, put our feet down, or change directions than risk a fall that could injure or scar us. So, we stopped for a talk... I explained that she WAS going to fall. It is ok and we have all experienced it. She found the courage to keep trying. She fell. She got up and tried again. This is what I love about coaching...you know you were called to coach when you find greater satisfaction in the small successes of your students than if you did it yourself. I suppose the same can be said about parents. All in all it was a great afternoon. I worked with both Mia (6) and McKenna (9) on riding their bikes. They both made progress. We all felt good.


The "whys" still loom. Why was her life (and that of her small baby) cut short? Why should a 5-year old have to go through life without her mom? Why do most of us fear things that are so small (like falling off a bike)? Fear can only exist where God is absent. 1 John 4 says "God is Love..." later in that chapter is says, "There is no fear in love; perfect love casts out fear..." The words "Fear Not" appear 23 times in the New Testament. Jesus says to us...His beloved children...FEAR NOT, I am with you...FEAR NOT, I will never leave you...FEAR NOT, I have overcome the world.

Carpe Diem! Seize the Day! Seize TODAY!

Scopes & Doctors

Some reading this really won't appreciate it...so here is fair warning: If you have an adversion to medical terminology you may want to proceed with caution.
I promise it is not going to be graphic in any way.

I am amazed by the technological advances that we have come to take as common place. Every day you talk to friends who are going in for an ultrasound or who are going to have a stint or pacemaker put in their heart or who have just had "the scope" on their knee. Our great big God makes the wisdom of men seem like foolishness. We know and are cared for by the Creator and Sustainer of Life itself. He orchestrates the events and places people in our lives "for our good and His Glory." As one who has experienced more than a few surgeries (mainly knees) I am always amazed by what the doctors can do with less and less "invasion" or trauma to the body. Recovery time is minimal and overnight hospital stays are rare on many things that used be considered major surgeries. With very little research and experience, this is what I have learned:

Endoscopy means looking inside and typically refers to looking inside the human body for medical reasons using an instrument called an endoscope. Endoscopy is a minimally invasive diagnostic medical procedure (MIS) used to assess the interior surfaces of an organ by inserting a tube into the body. The instrument may have a rigid or flexible tube and not only provide an image for visual inspection and photography, but also enable taking biopsies and retrieval of foreign objects. It delivers light to an organ under inspection through a fiber optic system and it also allows the entry of medical instruments such as heart valves and pacemakers or others used to repair damaged tissue.

Laparoscopic surgery is any MIS done in the abdomen. Knee arthroscopy is surgical procedure in which a small camera is used to examine tissues inside the knee joint. Arthroscopy allows for the visualization of the interior of a joint through the use of optic instruments. Surgery can now be performed on larger joints using direct visualization and miniaturized techniques.

My final thoughts regarding the amazing technological advancements and medical procedures turn to those of the highly trained doctors and nurses that have chosen a profession in which they have the honor of working for the Creator. Two of my three specialists are believers that are quick to give the glory for their success to the Lord. Each of them live out what they believe and are not afraid or ashamed to call upon the Almighty God for His hand of protection and wisdom. I am grateful to have Dr. Edward Contreras (Gastroenterologist and Internal Medicine) and Dr. J.P. Bramhall (Medical Director and Orthopedic surgeon for Texas A & M) taking care of me as God's hands extended.