Week 18 - Work

Have you ever left work knowing you'd done a good job? Knowing you'd put in hours of labor and it meant something? Those are good days. Sometimes here at the National Weather Service, it feels like feast or famine. The saying "it never rains, but it pours", applies quite often. There are shifts that drag on for what seems like days, filled with mindless paperwork and training. Then there are those shifts where we're trying to squeeze as many seconds out of every minute we can get. Yet I wouldn't trade any of it, not even the slow days. I love this job and I am absolutely blessed to have it.

Week 17 - Fences

There’s an elementary school down the street from me. It has a big empty field. It used to be open with only a shin-high steal rail to keep cars from running through it. I walk down that direction quite often. It wasn't unusual to see people play football or running with kites. There's a fence around it now. I understand why it's there, with all the incidents that have happened over the years at schools I would never blame them for adding security for our children. Even still, it makes me sad that evil has won so often that we have to take measures like this.

Week 16 - The Water Guy

Years ago, when my family still lived in San Antonio, we had what I thought was a “luxury”. A guy would show up at our house and deliver water in 5 gal jugs. His name was Daryl and he was a pretty cool guy! Once he brought this glass water jug, like the kind they had in the old cop movies. My mom really likes it too and talked Daryl into selling it to us. Not sure how I ended up with this cool jug, but it brings back memories of backyard adventures and bike rides through the neighborhood.

Week 15 - Memory Lane

I took a stroll down memory lane today, well, down Warrior Ave. I lived on that street for 5 years; in a duplex, sorry, I mean a "semi-detached". It was my first experience living on my own in a home rather than an apartment, and I loved it! I had a small yard and a giant pine tree in the front. I've had everything from a deluge, to snow, to layers of ice and a hail storm. Oh, yes, and UNBEARABLE heat!

As I walked through the neighborhood it struck me how absolutely quiet it was. I suppose I've become accustomed to being sandwiched between the Loop 306 and Sunset. Don't take peace and quiet for granted people.

The seasons of life we walk through should always be treasured. I'm thoroughly enjoying owning a home...no wait the A/C just went out and I have to drop $3K...nevermind.

Week 14 - This is ABSURD

Did you know Nestle was purchased? Did you know the new buyers reformulated Butterfinger? Did you know it TASTES LIKE GARBAGE??? These people certainly didn't (Reddit hates the new Butterfinger). You'll find comments such as,

"Yep, they ruined it. It’s almost as bad as a Payday now. -INDYINC",

To quote my wife: "At this point, I'd be better off just eating a handful of peanuts." -_youneverasked_

"Tongue-punch" is my new favorite term - benneluke

"I signed up for Reddit today just so I could hate on the new Butterfinger recipe. -AstronautGood"

Sadly, I learned THE HARD WAY. That's right, I bit into what I thought would be a magical moment of buttery sugar wrapped in chocolatey goodness. Instead, what I got can only be described by drizzling dollar store chocolate on stale Texas Roadhouse peanuts. It left me wanting to scrape my tongue with sandpaper while weeping uncontrollably (please try to picture that, it's hilarious).

Did Ferrero Rocher (they bought Nestle's candy business) ruin Butterfinger for me (and probably THE WORLD)? Yes! Will my life (and the lives of everyone EVERYWHERE) ever be the same again? NEVER!! Did I immediately go on Amazon and buy a whole case (you read that right A WHOLE CASE) of original Butterfinger? Absolutely I did! Faster than you can say "Free 2-day shipping".

The struggle is REAL people!!

Week 13 - The Sacred Things

There are things in this world that God has made sacred. I'm no Biblical scholar so I don't know the difference between Holy and Sacred. What I do know is it's just wine (sorry Baptists) and a piece of bread, but its meaning and significance are as deep as eternity and as wide as God's love. Keep sacred the things that are sacred.

Week 12 - A Seat at the Table

I recently had the pleasure of worshipping with the local Korean Baptist Church. It's a small community church, the kind where you don't need the lights turned down while you sing, and you share a meal afterward because that's where life happens and relationships are built. It was a sweet time. As I was sitting there eating all kinds of great food I was reminded of how fortunate I was to have a seat at the table. A few weeks ago I was giving a presentation to a group of people who sat on a county board. When I walked in the general manager said, "let me get you a chair", then they proceeded to pull one of the chairs away from the conference room table. This was to be my chair. This was to be where I was going to sit. All of which was correct and as it should be. I was not on the board. I did not and should not have a voice in the matters being discussed at that table. Yet, as I was sitting there I felt God telling me, "you have a seat at My table, and no one can roll it away."

So there I was sitting at a table of believers. A glimpse of what is to come. All tribes. All tongues. All nations. I had a seat at the table and it meant the world to me.