About ME

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Grand Prairie, Texas, United States
Mr. E is a Christian, Husband, Father of 2, former Army Officer and Texas Rangers Baseball fan.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

What I'm Thankful For

It may be a little early, but here is a quick list of some things I am Thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

1. My Family -- My wife and 2 Children!
2. My Home -- Even if it does need a new kitchen ceiling and a new roof.
3. My Health -- I have lost weight recently, My cholesterol is down, and I have no other major health issues.
4. My Job -- I love my "new" job. I love my co-workers and my students.
5. My Dog -- Even though I am a cat person at heart, I love the little fella'.
6. My Friend Brent -- He is a brother I never had.
7. Most importantly: The Love and Grace of God -- Despite the fact I am a pitiful sinner, He still loves me like His own Son.

Thank you, God for all your blessings on me and my family. Help us to be good stewards of your blessings! -- ME

Friday, November 16, 2007

Alone With the Kids

My beloved wife is out of town for the next couple of days. Actually it's Friday night and she will return Saturday evening. This means I get to spend some time alone with the kids. What to do? What to do? I don't want to just let them play video games the whole time, because I want to spend at least some quality time with them. A few options include: 1) Watching a movie we have from Netflix called, Gus, which is an old Disney movie starring Don Knotts, about a mule who can kick 100 yard field goals, 2) Playing a board game with the kids, 3) Building a craft surprise for Mommy! or 4) Going to a park or something. We may hit the discount movies on Saturday. I will miss my beloved bride, but I am determined to spend some quality time with the kids while she is away. Hey, maybe I can make them clean their rooms while I am at it! Naaahhh!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Time to Change the Way I Think

As you may have read before, my family has decided to implement a few new rules around our house. (See Previous Blog) One of the new rules will probably be that our children may not watch movies, television shows, view web-sites or listen to music that is not appropriate due to age or morally. This got me to thinking. I watch a lot of movies. My family and I have been active members of Netflix for at least two years. We, mostly me, have watched all sorts of movies. Our kids definitely do not watch anything rated R or above. My wife and I don't watch anything rated above R. There are; however, a few movies rated PG or PG-13 that do push the limits of what is appropriate or not, that we have watched or are currently on our cue list. Movies like Transformers. My kids (ages 10 + 12) and I loved this movie, but is this movie really age appropriate? There is bad language, some sexual humor, and plenty of violence (just not gory!). Under our new rules, would I allow my children to watch this type of movie? It's a tough call, but one that has to be made.

It reminds me of a story...There were these two teenage children who lived in a Christian home. They were raised by good parents, although not perfect, who tried to raise their kids with good values and good decision making skills. One day the children came home with a group of friends with a movie they wanted to watch. The movie was rated PG-13, or R depending on the story. The father asked the girls what the movie was about and after hearing the movie's details, the father quickly decided this was not a good movie for the girls to watch. "But it only has a little bit of bad language. It only has a little bit of sexual themes in it.", the children insisted. The father, being a wise man, made a deal with the children, he would make a batch of brownies and if the children would eat the brownies then they could watch the movie. The children agreed. So the father went to the kitchen and gathered all his ingredients. He got flour, sugar, eggs, brownie mix and then he got a little bit of dog poop from the yard and mixed it in with the brownie mix. After cooking the brownies, he set them out for his children to eat. Before they started to dig in; however, he told them about the "surprise ingredient" he had added. "Gross!", his children asked. "But it only has a little poop in the brownies!", the father said. It was then his children realized what the father was trying to teach them. It doesn't take a whole lot of "crap" to be in a movie, T.V. show, or the music you listen to, in order to taint it.

It may look and even taste like a great brownie, but inside of it there is something that makes you sick. The movie may be a "great" movie, but hidden inside is the agenda of someone who wants to make you sick. Satan will do anything to turn us away from God. How many of us, myself included, have been feeding our kids "tainted brownies" and letting them watch programs they have "just a little-bit" of bad stuff in it. For that matter, who much "poop" have we been feeding ourselves.

Maybe it's time I change the way I think.