Grace Finds Beauy in Everything

I must live under a rock. Never heard this song until purchasing a U2 CD this weekend. Absolutely blown away with Bono's words on Grace.

Thank God, grace makes beauty out of ugly things!!!! Undeserved, unearned, no strings attached grace. Only God could give such an amazing gift. How can I not be changed by that?

Grace, she takes the blame
She covers the shame
Removes the stain
It could be her name

Grace...
It's a name for a girl
It's also a thought that, changed the world
And when she walks on the street
You can hear the strings
Grace finds goodness in everything

Grace, she's got the walk
Not on a ramp or on chalk
She's got the time to talk
She travels outside of karma, karma
She travels outside... of karma

When she goes to work, you can hear the strings
Grace finds beauty in everything

Grace...
She carries a world on her hips
No champagne flute for her lips
No twirls or skips between her fingertips
She carries a pearl in perfect condition

What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stings...
Because Grace makes beauty
Out of ugly things

Grace finds beauty in everything

Song - Grace
Lyrics - Bono
Music - U2
Album - All That You Can't Leave Behind

Watch Out!! He's got a Rolling Pin

Okay. The covered faces, knife, baseball bat and billy club did not really concern him. However, put a rolling pin in someone's hand and now you got his attention!!

Daddy's Little Girl

As we grow older there are certain events that demonstrate time is passing faster then one cares to admit. One of those moments took place for me a few days ago.

What do you do when your child begins to beat you at the game you taught them? Not talking about Chutes and Ladders or Go Fish because those games daddies are good at loosing. Nope, talking about my game. The one I have played for years. I am talking about golf.

There I was last week on the 17th tee box with my 14 year-old daughter. Was having a pretty good day and thanks to a few good shots, seemed headed toward one of my better rounds in awhile. Ran a quick total to see how things were going. Wait, this can't be right... I am only ahead by 1 stroke? Are you kidding me? Recalculate. Yep, numbers are correct. Knew she was getting better but almost even after 16 holes? Wasn't it just a few months ago she was getting a stroke per hole?

After a couple of lucky shots on the final two holes, I was able to leave the course with an ounce of dignity and the narrowest of victories. However, it is painfully obvious that it is only a matter of time before old dad will go down in flames. That day will present both a difficult reality to accept and a magnificent moment in time to realize how my little girl is growing up and moving ahead in life.

She starts high school this week, which has its own realities to accept. However, it is apparent, as she spreads her wings; it is time to step back a bit. With lots of friends, facebook, texting, phone calls, drop offs and pick ups., no longer am I plugged into every minute by minute detail of her life and admittedly finding it difficult to fade into the background.

So I guess I will just enjoy my daughter getting better in golf because time on the course may be one of the few places where it is just me and her. A chance to still teach a little bit of golf but now even more importantly teach a lot of life. All the things that we have talked about for years are no longer way out there some day but have become the days she is about to step into. So it seems well worth the trade of the inevitable loss on the scorecard for the uninterrupted time together.

Now just fear the day she says, "Hey Dad, let me spot you a few strokes to keep it interesting."

Olympic Opening Ceremonies Take Gold

As I watch the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, all I can say is WOW! The Chinese people know how to put on a show! It is amazing to see the precision of thousands of people completely working in unison. How majestic to witness the mixture of the nations, colors, races and creeds. Is there anyone that does not look at this and wonder what the world would be if we lived together like this every day? Oh but there is a day that this will take place across this planet. If this is just a tiny glimpse of it for a few moments then I can’t even imagine what that will be like for eternity.

A Prayer Request

Whether this prayer comes from Billy Graham which was aired by Paul Harvey or Minister Joe Wright during the opening of a new session of the Kansas Senate, I am not sure. I find references to both. However, I do know the words are our true need…

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'

Batman

Yesterday afternoon I went alone to see The Dark Knight.

"How was it?", My wife asked when I returned.

"Not sure, I guess it was good but would not call it great."

Something about the movie just never found a place with me. Wasn't quite sure why until reading this tonight. That is it! There was nothing there. A lot of things blew up and there was tension in the air but when I left the theater there was no joy or sadness, no motivation to change or stay the same, no lesson learned and no reason to even talk about it with friends. Nothing.

10 Summer Camp Memories

Yesterday dropped my daughter at Kanakuk K-West Kamp in Missouri. Absolutely the best christian camps and her favorite place in the whole world.

Got me thinking about going to camp as a kid. Ten things I remember about Summer Camp:

1. The List - that long list of everything to take.
2. Night Sounds - Fan spinning and the crickets chirping as I fell asleep.
3. Shaving Cream - Not to shave but for fights or filling sleeping bags.
4. Smells - Waking up to the smell of bacon in the morning.
5. Kids - Thousands of kids. Camp was almost bigger then my hometown.
6. Vespers - First time I remember sitting still long enough to hear God work in my heart.
7. Top Bunk - The only way to go as a kid. Now bottom bunk sounds so much better.
8. Food - The food may not have been great but being so hungry it all tastes good.
9. Girls - At 12-17 years old, nothing like the chance to meet and date girls you didn't grow up with.
10. That Mountain Top Experience - Actually finding myself changed when I got home. Too bad it too often faded away.
    

I pray she finds God around every corner the next two weeks and builds strong friendships with girls from around the country. It is hard to let go for two weeks but I know she is building her own list of summer camp memories that will be with her the rest of her life.

Sleep

I am tired. It has been a long week and face a 10 hour drive tomorrow to take our daughter to camp in Missouri then return home. So going to sleep.

Read this then get some sleep yourself.

Good night!!

Back Home Again

Great vacation in Phoenix. Accomplished very little other then perfecting the art of doing nothing. A little golf, fine food and floating around the hotel's lazy river were the only activities over the six day stay. It was good to get away!!

Playing It Safe

"A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for."

Grace Murray Hopper

So what were we built for? Are we here only to play it safe? So much of our focus tends to be on keeping ourselves tightly tethered to the shore.

However, are there plans waiting beyond the horizon that we just can't quite see? Something that may not come easy but a passion burns inside that requires pulling up anchor and setting sail.

Over the past few years I have met so many of the people that have headed out to find what God had waiting for them. No promises, no guarantees, just an over whelming love for God and a deep desire to trust what he had put on their hearts. Some are on the other side of the world while others are just down the street. It is amazing to see the peace and freedom in someone who finds what they were really built for.

God's miracles show up through us when we pursue the things other then those we can do on our own.