This is an observation I made during my men's Bible study class last Wednesday night. The room we study in does not have a visible clock for us to check our time. Somewhere near the end of class the study leader asked what time is was, to make sure he wouldn't start something new and not have enough time to discuss it. Every man in the class who was abt. 50 or older looked at their wrist to see the watch they were wearing. Every man in the class who was abt. 40 or younger (this included me, even though I will be 41 on Tuesday), pulled out their cell-phones to check the time. I guess it is a "sign-of-the-time" so to speak. It really showed the dependency the younger generations have on the new technology.
That Nintendo Wii is back. It has already started to eat away at our quality family time together. It arrived back a little quicker than we thought it would. It was waiting on our front porch (thanks to UPS) when we got home from school and work on Thursday. There has already been one argument over playing it and since it located in the main living room, it uses the main television so "I" (selfish) can't watch some DVD movies we have from Netflix. I sort of enjoyed the quite we had around the house without the Wii. Somehow I think Satan just loves video games and television. Maybe my family should follow the example of Tech Daddy and give up television and video games. They seem to be doing fine without them.
This is what I think of the "CONSPIRACY" the home entertainment system is forcing us to conceed to. I don't like the fact that we have to buy a "converter type box" just to "downgrade" the new High Definition television signals, so we can watch television on our older televisions. Our television works just fine without High Definition why do we have pay extra money just to keep watching television that we still won't get in High Definition? It's another reason why we should possibly give up television like Tech Daddy. Another "CONSPIRACY" is the plan to stop making DVD style movies. Many movie companies plan to start using Blue-Ray for all their new movies within the few years. This means that all my DVD movies that I have (that I had just almost finished switching over from VHS), must now be switched over to Blue-Ray. A young fellow at Game Stop advised me to just buy a Sony PS3 game system instead of a regular Blue-Ray disc player. He told me the PS3 will not only play the PS3 and PS2 games, it will also play regular DVD movie discs as well as the new High Def. or Blue-Ray discs. Great that's all I need is another video game system in our house. I'm telling you it's a Conspiracy!
That recent lunar eclipse that just happened. Well, we couldn't see it. Storms were moving in that night and totally blocked our view of this semi-rare event. We saw the first part of the Earth's shadow start to cover the moon, then the clouds rolled in. The only images we saw after that were on TV or pictures from the internet. What a bummer. We really wanted to see the eclipse.
On another note: I'm already tired of the Presidential campaign commercials appearing on my TV. Every morning I am greeted with Hillary or Barack telling me how they are the better choice for change in America! I have only seen one McCain ad, and surprisingly I have not seen any Huckabee ads. There are some Ron Paul signs up and about along with Obama signs. I'm just ready to vote on March 4 and get my primary over with. At least us Texans still have somewhat of a choice when we vote. I hope you bloggers in Indiana still have a choice on who to vote for by the time your primary comes around in May.
About ME
- Mr. E
- Grand Prairie, Texas, United States
- Mr. E is a Christian, Husband, Father of 2, former Army Officer and Texas Rangers Baseball fan.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Upcoming Road Trip
Next week I will be taking a road-trip with some of my co-workers to Corpus Christi, TX. We will be attending a conference there from Wednesday the 27th until Saturday March 1st. This means a 9 hour drive there and another 9 hour drive back! Yuck!
What makes this trip interesting is; 1) It is the day after my birthday (but that is another blog), and most importantly 2) I will be taking the trip with three older women. Not only are these ladies at least 10 years my senior, they are all originally from different countries. Each has their own unique accent when they are speaking. They also have the ability to not get along so well with each other.
The first lady is originally from Poland. She has a very thick Polish/Slavic accent and she is very talkative. She goes into much detail about everything and it tends to be a little over dramatic. The second lady is from Puerto Rico. I know it's not really another country, but her accent is a very thick and proper Spanish accent. She tends to be the "Diva" of our group and she can be very judgemental about others, especially our Polish co-worker. The third lady is originally from St. Lucia, which is a island nation in the Caribbean. Her accent is also a little tough to understand and she is also a no nonsense kind of person. She dosen't like to mess around with anyone. She is very direct and says what she means.
As for me, I am the designated driver. They have chosen me to drive the entire length of the trip. That is fine with me, because I don't want to talk to them much. They are nice to talk to when they are seperate from each other, but all together...AHHH! I think I will just plug my wife's I-Pod into my ears and just drive. Plus, there is just the fact I am the only guy going, already makes me feel a little uncomfortable. I have told them to just tap me on the arm when they need to take a potty break or it is time to eat. I will have my directions and map with me and I plan on getting there and back as fast as (5 miles over the speed limit) I can!
Pray they don't drive me crazy and I don't drive them crazy either. I'm sure the trip will be fine, I just think it will be interesting to travel with such diverse cultures in the van. Who knows, maybe they will get along and I will learn more about each of them. Think Positive!
If you don't get any new posts from me next week you will know why.
What makes this trip interesting is; 1) It is the day after my birthday (but that is another blog), and most importantly 2) I will be taking the trip with three older women. Not only are these ladies at least 10 years my senior, they are all originally from different countries. Each has their own unique accent when they are speaking. They also have the ability to not get along so well with each other.
The first lady is originally from Poland. She has a very thick Polish/Slavic accent and she is very talkative. She goes into much detail about everything and it tends to be a little over dramatic. The second lady is from Puerto Rico. I know it's not really another country, but her accent is a very thick and proper Spanish accent. She tends to be the "Diva" of our group and she can be very judgemental about others, especially our Polish co-worker. The third lady is originally from St. Lucia, which is a island nation in the Caribbean. Her accent is also a little tough to understand and she is also a no nonsense kind of person. She dosen't like to mess around with anyone. She is very direct and says what she means.
As for me, I am the designated driver. They have chosen me to drive the entire length of the trip. That is fine with me, because I don't want to talk to them much. They are nice to talk to when they are seperate from each other, but all together...AHHH! I think I will just plug my wife's I-Pod into my ears and just drive. Plus, there is just the fact I am the only guy going, already makes me feel a little uncomfortable. I have told them to just tap me on the arm when they need to take a potty break or it is time to eat. I will have my directions and map with me and I plan on getting there and back as fast as (5 miles over the speed limit) I can!
Pray they don't drive me crazy and I don't drive them crazy either. I'm sure the trip will be fine, I just think it will be interesting to travel with such diverse cultures in the van. Who knows, maybe they will get along and I will learn more about each of them. Think Positive!
If you don't get any new posts from me next week you will know why.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Happy Late Valentine's Day To My Bride!
To make up for our lack of a Valentine's Day, (wife was sick) I decided to book a Bed & Breakfast for my wife and I to stay at right before the Easter holiday. We will be staying at The Dowell House in McKinney, TX. We will stay in The Chardonnay Room. The kids will be stay with my wife's sister's family just up the road in Howe, TX. We are already looking forward to spending some quality time by ourselves. Especially in the Hot Tub! (The 1970's movie "Benji" was filmed using this location as the main home of the family who owned Benji.)
My wife and I try to stay at a least one B&B every year just to get away from it all. Other B&B's we have stayed at include: Oaklea Mansion & Manor in Winnsboro, TX, The Woldert-Spence Manor in Tyler, TX (this was our first B&B), Roseland Plantation & Winsor House B&B in Ben Wheeler, TX (near Tyler, TX), White Oak Manor, in Jefferson, TX and Wisteria Garden B&B in Marshall, TX.
I have created a list of several B&B's within a decent traveling distance from our home town of Longview, TX. I especially would like to stay in a "haunted" location. The White Oak Monor in Jefferson was suppossed to be haunted, but nothing happened while we there anyway. We did go a "Ghost Walk" while we were there though.
On a side note: our Nintendo Wii (that I broke) is on its way home! My kids were very happy about this. I was just enjoying the peace and quite without it. According to Nintendo USA it should arrive by UPS sometime this weekend or early next week. JOY JOY!
My wife and I try to stay at a least one B&B every year just to get away from it all. Other B&B's we have stayed at include: Oaklea Mansion & Manor in Winnsboro, TX, The Woldert-Spence Manor in Tyler, TX (this was our first B&B), Roseland Plantation & Winsor House B&B in Ben Wheeler, TX (near Tyler, TX), White Oak Manor, in Jefferson, TX and Wisteria Garden B&B in Marshall, TX.
I have created a list of several B&B's within a decent traveling distance from our home town of Longview, TX. I especially would like to stay in a "haunted" location. The White Oak Monor in Jefferson was suppossed to be haunted, but nothing happened while we there anyway. We did go a "Ghost Walk" while we were there though.
On a side note: our Nintendo Wii (that I broke) is on its way home! My kids were very happy about this. I was just enjoying the peace and quite without it. According to Nintendo USA it should arrive by UPS sometime this weekend or early next week. JOY JOY!
Monday, February 18, 2008
An Interesting Dilema. Please read and add your comments!
Please read this blog posted by one of newer blogging buddies. http://jamesnored.blogspot.com/2008/02/how-to-engage-seekers-who-are-living.html
It is about how Christians are having the difficulty of how to deal with those who are struggling or choosing to live a homosexual lifestyle. Please read and leave your comments on his blog. If you don't mind please leave your comments here as well. I am interested to see how my fellow bloggers would have dealt with this situation.
It is about how Christians are having the difficulty of how to deal with those who are struggling or choosing to live a homosexual lifestyle. Please read and leave your comments on his blog. If you don't mind please leave your comments here as well. I am interested to see how my fellow bloggers would have dealt with this situation.
Where Will You Choose to Meet God?
This question was asked during the lesson our minister gave last Sunday at our church. The lesson focused on the lives of the three young men in Daniel who choose to go to the firery furnace rather than bow down to the golden statue. (For a similar blog click here)
Our minister put the question to us to see if we fully trusted in our God as being a God who is in control at all times, not just the good times. Many Christians want to and choose to meet God. The problem is we choose to meet God in a place of our choosing. We want to meet God in a place where we don't have to suffer, or a place that makes us feel uncomfortable, or a place in which we don't have to sacrifice anything to get there. In effect we want God to come to us!
Our problem lies in the fact that God chooses where we are suppossed to meet Him. For Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, God wanted them to meet Him in the furnace. God could have rescued them from the furnace but He did not. He wanted them to meet Him in the furnace itself. These three young men, chose to have faith in their God and they choose to go into the furnace to meet their God. As a result God blessed their decision and he saved from the furnace after all.
God has the ability to save us from pain, suffering, death, disaster, disease, poverty, divorce, addictions, etc...but sometimes He chooses not to. Is it because He is mean and cruel? No, sometimes it is because of these painful times in our lives, that we learn the most valuable lessons of all. God sometimes uses the firery furnace to mold and shape us into what He wants us to be. He wants us to choose to meet Him in the fire. Only there will we then open to His power and will for us.
Many of the most powerful and faithful men and women in the Bible suffered because of circumstances allowed to happen to them by God. Moses learned of his true purpose while in exile in the desert. Joseph learned of his true purpose while as a prisoner in Egypt, after being sold by his own brothers. Abraham learned of his true purpose after being asked to move to a foreign land. Paul begged God to remove his "thorn in the flesh" but was told by God, "No" because only by suffering with his "thorn" could Paul truely appreciate his need for God in his life. Jesus himself begged God not to be crucified but instead He fullfilled His purpose by suffering and dying.
To be perfectly honest I have not yet chosen to meet God in the fire. I have "suffered" some because of choosing to follow God, but not to the point of putting it ALL on the line. As God continues to call me to meet with Him, where will I choose to meet Him? Will I again ask God to come to me, or will I become one of the "Furnace People" and choose to meet God in the furnace?
Our minister put the question to us to see if we fully trusted in our God as being a God who is in control at all times, not just the good times. Many Christians want to and choose to meet God. The problem is we choose to meet God in a place of our choosing. We want to meet God in a place where we don't have to suffer, or a place that makes us feel uncomfortable, or a place in which we don't have to sacrifice anything to get there. In effect we want God to come to us!
Our problem lies in the fact that God chooses where we are suppossed to meet Him. For Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, God wanted them to meet Him in the furnace. God could have rescued them from the furnace but He did not. He wanted them to meet Him in the furnace itself. These three young men, chose to have faith in their God and they choose to go into the furnace to meet their God. As a result God blessed their decision and he saved from the furnace after all.
God has the ability to save us from pain, suffering, death, disaster, disease, poverty, divorce, addictions, etc...but sometimes He chooses not to. Is it because He is mean and cruel? No, sometimes it is because of these painful times in our lives, that we learn the most valuable lessons of all. God sometimes uses the firery furnace to mold and shape us into what He wants us to be. He wants us to choose to meet Him in the fire. Only there will we then open to His power and will for us.
Many of the most powerful and faithful men and women in the Bible suffered because of circumstances allowed to happen to them by God. Moses learned of his true purpose while in exile in the desert. Joseph learned of his true purpose while as a prisoner in Egypt, after being sold by his own brothers. Abraham learned of his true purpose after being asked to move to a foreign land. Paul begged God to remove his "thorn in the flesh" but was told by God, "No" because only by suffering with his "thorn" could Paul truely appreciate his need for God in his life. Jesus himself begged God not to be crucified but instead He fullfilled His purpose by suffering and dying.
To be perfectly honest I have not yet chosen to meet God in the fire. I have "suffered" some because of choosing to follow God, but not to the point of putting it ALL on the line. As God continues to call me to meet with Him, where will I choose to meet Him? Will I again ask God to come to me, or will I become one of the "Furnace People" and choose to meet God in the furnace?
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