Greatest? Well Ali of course.

"I am the Greatest!"- Muhammad Ali
The Great One- Wayne Gretzky

Who is the greatest person you have ever met?
I guess that can be taken in a lot of different ways can't it? Do I mean athletically? Or the one with the most heart? Or the one who has affected us the most personally? Yes to all the above.

Now, because I said "met," that takes out the answers "Jesus," etc. And yes, I can say that I meet Jesus everyday when I read His word and I talk to him in prayer during the course of the day. But I am talking about actually meeting. In the flesh. Don't take the question to mean that I think it is OK to worship anyone or idolize them. In no way is that the idea behind my question. But even God talked about how special certain people were so it's not out of the question to say there are certain people in our lives that are....whatever. I hesitate to say "greater" or "more special" for apprehension that it may be taken that I believe someone is more worthy of praise than someone else.

Time has a list out now of the top 100 people who shape our world. Now not all those listed shape our world in a "good" way. The comedian who played Borat is actually listed. Aside from their list, here are some people that might come to your mind and mine. Queen Elizabeth? Warren Buffet? (recently donated 31 Billion to charity). Steve Jobs? (Apple fame). Al Gore? (ok, maybe not Al Gore). Tiger Woods?
How about those who are deceased? Mother Theresa? Bob Hope?

I have no real point that I am looking for, just wanted to have your mind thinking.
For me, I guess I didn't actually meet him but I was not too far away physically. That is Billy Graham. Maybe he was on your list when I first asked the question.
Here is something to think about that I find a little sad. When Larry King asked the now recently deceased Tammy Faye Messner (formerly Baker) what she wanted people to remember her for, she said "My eyelashes." Eyelashes. (I do have to add the side note that she did later say in the interview "there is a peace in knowing Jesus Christ is our savior.") Regrettably, I think most of the world will remember her more for the prior than the latter mentioned. Don't you agree?

Please post your thought and comments.

Single dad this week...

Today, my wife left on a CIY trip with our church and will be gone until Saturday. So I have to go this week as a single dad and as much as I am looking forward to time with the kids, I do miss my wife already. In theory, I wouldn't have seen her yet today if she hadn't left but just knowing that tonight she won't be coming in the door is sad. I have been trying to focus on my time with my family and taking better care to protect it. I still fall short on making it quality time as much as I should but I am improving on the quantity aspect to a degree.
As part of my sermon research for Camden County, I found an interesting view from another preacher. It goes like this:
"Don't get caught up thinking you can specialize your time with your kids and say that "this trip" or "next weekend" or "tomorrow night" will be our quality time together. I have heard it said that people will focus on making up for being gone so much by giving their kids "quality time" when they are together. Problem is, you can't really schedule that. True quality time comes at the most unexpected places and times. It's your kid asking you about a childhood memory as you tuck them in bed or your son asking you a sex question as you trim the hedges."

How true it is. The same applies for your marriage. Or even your quiet time with the Lord. You can't plan on having the Holy Spirit move you tomorrow because you will get more into it or by reading a few extra chapters.

Make the most of your time and don't put off quantity because you plan on giving quality. Cause you never know when that time may never come. Did I tell you how much I miss my wife?

All-Star perspective...

Last night I watched the MLB All-Star game but only the last few innings. Since the 1999 All-Star game when Ted Williams was rolled out on the field at Fenway Park, the game hasn't been of interest. As a Red Sox fan, that was THE pinnacle of All-Star game history. I sat there as a 27-year-old man with tears in my eyes watching "the greatest hitter who ever lived" sitting in a wheelchair surrounded by all the games great players (past & present) doting over him as if he were a newborn baby. And it was in Fenway where he called home for 19 seasons.
And I had just been in that same park just 2 months prior watching my last game with my dad. I also remember how I treated my dad. His Alzheimer's was really progressing fast and his aching knees kept him plodding along at a snails pace. And as an excited Sox fan who couldn't wait to get in and see Pedro Martinez pitch for the first time, I was less than loving to my 62 year old dad. After all he was slowing me down. The walk alone from the train to the stadium cost us batting practice and just getting to our seats cost me watching any warm up pitches. My dad wasn't even a baseball fan but he insisted on coming. And I wasn't happy about it. What a jerk. Not him, me. I took what was a memory of a lifetime and made it all about me. I never thought of the pain and struggle my dad had to go through just to go see a ball game with his son. My poor step-mom must have bit her tongue 50 times to stop from telling off this 27-year-old punk whining about how inconvenient this was all becoming. We never attended a sporting event again and he passed away several years later.
Can you tell I regret how I acted? Maybe that has put things like All-Star games in a different light for me. When they get put in perspective to what should really be important it's hard to ever look at them the same.

If you can relate to this and want to share a comment, please feel free to do so. It doesn't require you to fill out anything and can be done anonymously. I do hope this story helps save you from one day making a similar mistake. One thing my dad told me was "learn from the mistakes of others because you don't have time to make them all yourself.'

Here, just take it...

Ever felt like that with something that has caused you stress? As some of you might know, my wife and I are trying to sell a house. We purchased our first house in 2004 about 2 miles from Mandarin Christian School. Around that time we found out we were expecting our third child and my mother (a widow) had moved in with us. This house was now way too small. Then, we learned of something called a "pre-payment penalty." Hey thanks mortgage company. Ouch. So we had to rent it out until that time elapsed. Well the renter moved out and the time to sell is here.

So now we are trying desperately to sell it at a time when there are enough empty homes out there for everyone to own two each. Did I happen to mention that we are paying two mortgages for 5 months? "Savings" account...nice knowing you.
I will be the first to admit that I am not overlooking the fact that I am blessed beyond what I deserve. Who am I to complain when some people are homeless? Or don't have a job to pay a mortgage. All true. Which is another reason I am trying not to stress. We have made it this far by allowing God to fill the needs. And now I think God might be telling us to lower our asking price and just get rid of it. Gulp...here, just take it.