A little R & R...

This past Monday and Tuesday I had the chance to play in the KY Baptist Ministers Golf Tournament that was held at Cherry Blossom golf course in Georgetown, KY. A BEAUTIFUL course...this was like the 6th year I've played in this deal.

Now I'm not a very good golfer by any means...I can hit a "good" score every now and then, and I can really hit a bad score too. Typically, the more times I play consecutively, the worse I get. You may think that to be weird and I'm sure it is, but golf is SUCH A MENTAL GAME. If I haven't played in awhile, I usually shoot a decent score for me (86-89).

So we teed off on Monday...I had a great game going (for me!)...the front nine was a 41 (that's 5 over par). And I'm thinking, "okay the wheels are going to fall off sometime, just a matter of when." I get to the 18th hole (Cherry Blossoms signature hole), a par 4 over water...I have a 37 at this point...if I par the hole I'll have a 82 for the round...even if I bogey the hole I'd have a 83.

My drive took off straight and then faded into the water. Long story short...when I finished the hole I had put two balls in the water and took a monstrous NINE on the hole...finished with a round of 87. Oh well...it's golf. I really can't have high expectations because I just don't play several times a week.

The real treat for me was who I got to play and hang out with over the two day event. Three incredible guys from Lincoln Co. My fellow youth minister colleague Kevin “K-Flow” Floyd who I think had more on his mind than golf (West Virginia!)...Aaron "The Wood" Hougue, who is the pastor at Pleasant View Baptist, probably one of the funniest guys around...Kerry Jones who was my youth minister in Louisville, he to this day is still a great mentor to me and a great golfer! There were three Louisville fellas from Valley View church. Brad Burns, youth minister at Valley View in Louisville (as a teenager Kerry's nickname for him was "Cephas"...that lets you know what kind of guy he is), DeWayne Drake, activities director at Valley View, great humble heart with some cool hair...Josh Sherwood, Men's/Recovery Minister at Valley View, who is a Matt Damon look and sound alike, and just a really cool guy who doesn't "lose" his grip on the course.

We laughed on the course, at the banquet on Monday night, and then back at the hotel. As we were watching the Steelers lose on Monday Night football we were cleaning our clubs and talking about the golf that day (that's what you do). We even had a putting tournament with the incredible wood putter that Aaron had won at the banquet that night. (The actual putter is pictured above, but don't go falling in love with it!)The putting tourney turned into a chipping contest, yes, this all took place in the room! After several balls ricocheting off the walls / doors / people, Aaron smacked one in and put a hole in the hotel trash can...the tournament came to a halt.

I couldn't ask for a better two days with a bunch of Godly men...I think guys need times like this. Times to act foolishly and laughing together...I almost felt like we had reverted back to high school in some way. In Proverbs it says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man ought to sharpen the other.” I think these past two days were part of the sharpening process for me. Anyhow, it was a great two days...the golf was okay, but the "guy time" was much needed. Enjoyed it guys...let's do this again next year, if not before then.

A new BIRD in my life

Today Holly and I went to the UL / Miami game...dang what a great game it was. The Cards looked awesome on both sides and played a totally solid game. I was surprised to how many Hurricane fans were there, but they all starting leaving at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

The only sour note of the game was Brian Brohm hurting his throwing hand...he'll be out for a few games...just get him back before the West Virginia game.

Towards the end of the third quarter the Cardinal Bird came up in our section...I managed to get a little photo with him (I'm assuming it's a "him"). Anyhoo, a great, great game...I'm loving Cardinal Football...I;m working on getting tix for Nov. 2nd (West Virginia). Go Cards!

Random Thoughts

-Bryan had a follow up at the doc yesterday...everything looked great, no surgery this weekend, no staying at the hospital this weekend...thanks God for answering my prayer.

-Granger Community Church in Granger, IN. is pretty incredible. I check out their site and their leadership blogs almost daily. Go here to check out a video of their baptism celebration they had a few weeks ago...made me cry while watching...I think this is a very cool way to experience baptism.

-Tomorrow afternoon Holly and I will at Pappa John's stadium for the Louisville / Miami game. Ought to be a good one...the Cards are the favorite, especially after they trounced on Temple last weekend (poor owls). Go Cards!

Trying to figure it out

This morning I had the chance to go speak to the FCA at Madison Central High School. I love going into the schools and interacting with students on their turf. I shared some thoughts about a scripture verse that I've heard all my life, but I'm still trying to figure it out and it's meaning. The scripture is Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Now I know this verse and have heard it thousands of times...but I was honest with them as I'll be honest with you, I'm trying to figure it out and how it really works...how it really plays into our lives.

I used my summer experience of a near drowning of one of our youth at our high school camp...how is God going to work in that? Now I can see some things in how He's been working, but dang what a price.

I think about my son Bryan and all the crap that he's gone through...how is God going to work in this? This one has stumped me...and I'm trying to figure it out. I'm trying to be honest and not just give the Sunday school answer, etc. I think it's beyond that.

In my office I've put this scripture up where I see it all day...I'm trying to meditate on this, and...figure it out.

overwhelmed right now

Last night around 8pm we had to take our son Bryan to the emergency room at UK hospital. Seems he had a really nasty abscess by the area where he had surgery about 6 weeks ago. My little guy was hurting bad. They admitted him late last night; around midnight...I stayed with him while Holly came home. Nobody got any sleep.

Today they performed a surgery to fix the abscess and to try and figure out what's going on, because were not real sure. It hit me really hard today as they were putting Bryan to sleep how this isn't supposed to happen to 10 year old boys. I know it could be worse...but I guess I'm just tired for my son in having to go through all of this.

Holly is staying with him tonight...he is so tired, as we are too. They are continuing to treat everything with antibiotics...we may go home tomorrow, not real sure.

Thanks for the prayers and thoughts...thanks to my in-laws and Mike and Sherrie Eckler for coming by to visit. Those kinds of things help and mean so much to us.

A HUGE thanks to several of my youth who came by the house today and raked my grass. It got kind of high this past week...so my plan was to rake it after cutting it last night. We are having an open house this Sunday and the grass stuff really had to be done...so THANKS guys...you are awesome...that really takes a load off of me.

I'm going to bed now...I've found it helps deal with "stuff" when you write/type it down. This blog does that for me at times.

Peace.

VICTORY for the Cards...sort of

What a game it was on Saturday night. You couldn't ask for better weather and the perfect atmosphere...it was a sea of RED with a little sprinkling of blue. If course there were the drunkards who had to start around 8am that morning...they probably didn't even realize a game had taken place. Enough about them...

Great game from the get go. The Cards of course had two Heisman trophy candidates (notice I said 'had') coming into the game...Brian Brohm and Michael Bush. Both looked great in the first half...Bush had like 85 yards and three touchdowns...the guy was like a train running over the little kitty cats.

The second play of the second half, Bush does a sweep to the left run...gets tackled...BROKE HIS STINKING LEG!!! AUUUGGGHHHHHH!! Papa John's stadium was stunned...not the first game, he's a Heisman candidate...but he's also human. Michael Bush is out for the season, he had successful leg surgery this morning, at least it wasn't a career ending injury.

BUT, no fear cause the Cards have some serious back-up's in Kolbi Smith and George Stripling. And they came out after Bush left and did a bang up job! Next week should be a bunny game against Temple. The third game of the season...Miami Hurricanes...and yep, we're going to be there. Go Cards!

Plan "B"

Crap...it's stil raining outside. I went to Cracker Barrell to get some coffee and read the paper (I love doing that)...hoping the rain would stop.

So plan "B" on the day off...I think I'll play some X-box...in particular NCAA Football 2006. I've developed a player on the game...he won the Heisman Trophy the other night...his name...6'3, 215lbs, from Louisville, KY..."Flash" Prosser.

What to do today...hmmmm

Okay it's Friday, my day off...what to do, what to do. Holly is off to work, Bryan is off to school...hmmmmmmm

While I'm thinking of what to do here's a preview of an eventful weeekend:

-Later today when Bryan gets home from school we are packing up and heading to Chattanooga to visit the Brown family, including the newest member of the clan, Cora Sophia. Looking forward to seeing them! Coming back Saturday night.

-Sunday is an eventful day at church. Following our 11am service we are headed to Louisville to have lunch with mom. And then Holly and I are going to the BIG game at Pappa John's stadium...it's college football time baby! The Cards vs. the Cats...I'm looking for the Cards to SMOKE the Cats this year. Head coach for the Cards, Bobby Petrino says, if he can, he will run the score up as high as he can...no mercy for the Cats!


-We'll spend the night at mom's and then on Monday there will no laboring being that it is Labor Day. We're having a cookout at my sister and brother-in-laws. And then heading home.

So that's what's in store for the weekend! But what about now? hmmmmmm...I really need to cut the grass, but it's too wet right now. I could go to the driving range and whack a few golf balls. I think that's what I'll do...there's a Ky Baptist ministers tournament coming up in a few weeks...I want to be ready. I'm not a great golfer by any means...but I sure do enjoy being outdoors.

Okay...I'll let you know how things go...later.