Don't Fight Monday

check out this video. i don't think i've ever seen it put any better. how often do you feel this way? about once a week?

Serve or Servant?

so, the other night, some friends of ours took katy and i out to dinner. basically, they told us that they wanted to take us out to eat and weren't taking no for an answer. so, naturally we obliged. we ended up going to the nicest resturant i've probably ever been to in my life. it was amazing and we all had a great time! guys, i don't know if i ever really told you, but thank you so much for a wonderful evening and amazing meal.

i did realize something though. i think the service was too good! the wait staff was constantly doing their job, which might have been a bit much for me. they were constantly filling up my water and tea, switching out the bread every 5 minutes, knowing exactly how each and every food item is prepared, telling us about every wine on the menu and what flavors would hit your pallet, placing black napkins on our laps, constanly rearranging the table and removing used plates and utensils.

so, basically i think i would make a better server than served. i don't like feeling better than anyone else...basically because i don't think i am. i enjoy making others feel welcomed more than i need to feel welcomed by others. i guess i can blame my mom for this one! she is always the one working her butt off in the kitchen making dinner for her family while we all sit around, talk, play games, etc. i'd love to help her, but i wouldn't even know where to start. mom, thanks for being my favorite waiter of all time...and teaching me to serve!

JT and Pigpen

today, i reached my limit. my cup began to overflow. i had so many things on my plate, and i was trying to succeed at all of them....and i ended up failing....at all of them!

exhausted, frustrated and at a loss at what to do, i fell to my knees and cried to God,

"please God, i beg for your forgiveness. i know i'm weak! please, have mercy on me and give me strength. give me vision God, so that i may see You in all things, even when times are hard, struggles are present and negativity surrounds me. forgive me for not seeking Your council sooner, more often, with every decision i make. give me Your heart, to do Your will, in all things presented upon me. i thank You for times like these. thank You for my failures, for i know that it's only thru these that i'll truely learn to depend on You and no one else. You are the only truth...thank You for the painfully beautiful reminder!"

at that, i got in my car, cranked up a song by hillsong united (saviour king), and thanked God for all he had given me and all that i was missing. i went and met katy for lunch along with 2 boys she's watching, john thomas (jt) and jackson (pigpen). upon arriving, i walked up to katy's car and immediately felt my burdens lifted when i saw their smiling faces through the window. it put tears into my eyes again. it's amazing how God can work through the face of a child.

all this while, i thought i was being burdened, but perhaps i was just being a bit selfish. God doesn't care what deadlines i have to meet, papers i have to write, or lessons i have to prepare... all He cares about is how i'm worshipping Him through everything i do. like my beautiful wife often says, "if you don't do it with a loving heart, don't do it at all".

God, thank You for showing me your love and mercy through the smile of those 2 boys. jt and pigpen, thank you for smiling, allowing me to hold you, play with you on the playground, and make fish faces with our mouths...

My Life

well, its been a few weeks since i last wrote to my future son (still son, not daughter) concerning the way the world was in 2008. i kinda feel like this is a "my life" moment. remember that movie starring michael keaton, when he films his life, stories and lessons to his unborn son, because he's dying of cancer and knows he won't be there to help him along? yep, it's kinda like that, only i'm not dying (at least i don't think i am) and katy's not pregnant (at least i hope she isn't)! but besides the entire premise of the movie, it's exactly the same. so, that being said, allow me to indulge for a moment,

dear son,

i'm am writing you again from the year 2008. it's been a few weeks since i last wrote you regarding your future health issues. i hope your stomach is still intact and your gas isn't too smelly! also, try to lay off the salt. i know it's hard, considering you live in san antonio and all, but believe me, you'll thank me when your 30. now that it's the year 2025, i have to wonder, has the fast food craze faded, or are people now literally exploding due to obesidy problems? (and if they're exploding, i imagine that creates a lot of new job posibilities. but i digress)...

what i wanted to write to you about today is the general state of this country in the year 2008. perhaps give you some topics to look up in your history book, or your virtual reading machine of the future. (books were made of paper back in my day and contained many pages full of text, to read the next page you literally had to use your hands to turn the page. archaic, i know; but they had a good run. something like 570 years or so). so, here are the hot topics of today (click on the highlighted words for links): the presidency of george "dubya" bush, AIDS and the global impact, Jesus (please tell me he survived the virtual revolution), britney spears (actually, nevermind that one, she was always pretty irrevelant), angelina jolie and brad pitt (im curious to know how many kids they've adopted by 2025), tim duncan as the greatest power forward to ever play basketball, traffic problems in san antonio before lightrail, the hollywood writers strike which actually forced people to turn off their tv's and get active (what a wonderful side effect), the official race times for the 2008 rock 'n' roll san antonio marathon (please tell me i finished), the fall-out following the nfl releasing all information regarding the new england patriots and their multiple years of cheating, the commercial real estate market crash of 2009 (just a guess), the NASA spacecraft landing on mars in may 2008, the beijing olympics and the opening of the china central headquarters buildings (it's looks like a giant donut).

well son, that should fill you with enough useless knowledge for now. perhaps next time i write i can tell you about manual door locks and windows in cars, your uncle greg's now-legendary daily leg cramps, music on records, cassettes and compact discs, and why not to hit on women in bars.

love,

Dad

Running, For A Change

so, we officially started the tribe running club today (officially, meaning i sent out an email about it. the first meeting on the track is sunday evening). not that anyone really needed to know that exercise is good for you, but here's 4 more reasons that your body was made for activity.

1. movement detoxes the body.

your skin is the largest organ in your body and sweating is one of the methods your body uses to rid itself of various toxins that deplete energy. the vigorous breathing used during exercise also helps the immune system ward off disease by stimulating the lymphatic process, thus cleaning the toxins from the body.

2. rhythmic movement overcomes fatigue.

generating energy through exercise replaces tiredness with stimulation of organs and nerves. vigorous motion reorganizes the flow of your energy and tones your heart, lungs and limbs, along with your circulatory and digestive systems.

3. movement improves mood.

your mood can be drastically influenced by exercise. since movement alters the flow of energy through your entire body, it lifts you from a sense of emotional weariness to one of emotional well-being.

4. movement induces relaxation of body and mind.

research shows that the degree of relaxation improves when one first tenses the body and then releases that tension, rather than directly attempting to relax. inactivity is very stressful for your body and mind.

our short-term goal is to get a large group together to run the rock 'n' roll san antonio half-marathon (13.1 miles) in november. who knows, perhaps even a few of us will go the whole 26.2 miles! but on the long-term, imagine how much healthier we can be, how our lifestyles will change for the better and what a difference we can make for ourselves and others.

change leads to more change...

From Non-Violence And Civil Rights To Brutality As A Form Of Global Entertainment

in the past 24 hours, i've watched 2 amazing stories unfold on television... and those 2 things would be the movie "gandhi" and super bowl XLII. that's right, you read that last line correctly...i just compared one of the most selfless men to ever walk to face of the earth with a silly football game! but, what sticks out to me is that there's important lessons to be learned in all things, not just deep and impactful events.

in the movie "gandhi", you can't help but be moved and humbled by watching the story of a man who gave up everything he had to stand up for what he felt was right. through countless beatings, multiple imprisionments and near death through fasting, gandhi never waivered and never lost sight of the way to live. he could have sat back and gone about his day for the betterment of himself, but instead he dedicated his entire life for all his people, even if it meant dying for his cause. he was a living symbol of determination and a reminder to all of us that life could always be much harder.

now, on the opposite end of the spectrum, super bowl XLII was an event full of glitz, glamour, inflated egos and fat paychecks. in other words, not gandhi. there was some ridiculously big production thing with the reading of the declaration of independence by current and former players and coaches and a couple of their wives. there was a fly-bye of like 6 or 7 military planes; but i'm not sure why; seeing as the retractable roof was closed and all. i guess someone just wanted to waste a few hundred thousand taxpayer dollars. the halftime show featuring tom petty was large, over the top and entertaining. the new york giants played an amazing game, tom brady was knocked down about 2,582 times, david tyree made one of the most amazing catches that i've ever seen, eli manning finally got the recognation he deserved as a premier quarterback and the patriots head coach bill belichick looked like a complete jerk by leaving the field with 1 second remaing and giving a rude and sarcastic post-game interview. and in all, pretty much what i'd like to see in a super bowl and a game that i'll remember for quite some time.

so, to sum it up...there was fighting, hitting, fasting, pain, victory, defeat, walking, death, joy, crying and love. like i said, an amazing 24 hours!

Sunny Day, Sweeping The Clouds Away!

why are we all like this guy sometimes?

no one likes it when others are grouchy and mean to them, so why do we act the same way sometimes? tired? bad day at work? flat tire? all common excuses, but justified? i think not! so, why is it that we constantly complain...about the driver that cut us off or the waiter that forgets our refill? did we just lose sight, or never have a clear vision to begin with?