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.

What I'm reading / read

Ever since the last seminary class was finished in early June, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading a wide variety of books...mind you, these are books that I have chosen to read, not required (makes them much more enjoyable!)

As a reader I'm nowhere in the same ballpark as my lovely wife Holly. She is a reader-holic...but I do enjoy soaking in a good book. So here's what I've read since June and what I'm currently reading:

Why My Wife Thinks I'm an Idiot by Mike Greenberg
I'm a huge fan of Mike & Mike in the Morning ESPN radio Found myself laughing out loud while reading this one.

Night by Elie Wiesel A holocaust survivor's story as as teenager...tough book to read...can't comprehend how people can devalue human life

Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli
A great, honest, blunt book about our relationship with God. Highly recommend!

Flyboys by James Bradley Great book about American fighter pilots in WW2

Next Generation Leader: 5 Essentials for those who will shape the Future by Andy Stanley Superb book on leadership...very practical for anyone in a leadership position.

The Present Future by Reggie McNeal (currently reading) A real charge to the church that how we are doing church today...ain't working! We have to do things differently...one huge key is becoming much more "missional minded."

Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell I've heard Rob several times at different conferences over the years...good teacher and Old Testament guru. Intriguing book...kinda thinking outside the box stuff.

I'm back now

Sorry for the hiatus...just didn't have the motivation last week, sorta like "bloggers block." Anyhoo, I'm back...

Seems like lots of things have been happening over the past week or so...here's a recap of a few:

-My son Bryan started middle school a week and a half ago. That ain't quite right...last Sunday was his first official day in our youth ministry at FBC. He even went on his first official trip yesterday. It was a guy’s only paintball trip...what a hoot! My first time playing...I now have a few bruised spots and very sore, but a great time. You can check out where we played here. A great farm in Waddy, KY. a great time...I even got Bryan a time or two!

-Our house that we are building is coming right along. We all went to check out the progress on Friday. There are still framing as you can see in the pics...should be done sometime late October. Still praying for our house to sell. We have a contract on ours, but these folks have to sell their house to buy ours (the domino effect!). Holly and I were trying to envision where things could be placed...we even spent some time praying over the house and those who are building it. Exciting stuff!


-Oh yea...a huge congrats to our dear friends Geron and Lydia Brown on the birth of their little girl Cora Sophia Brown. I love that name, kinda rolls of your tongue!

-Last thing...I gotta say that I've been really enjoying the fact that I'm finished with seminary. It's been really nice having some "free" nights to do anything, but not studying. I've actually been doing a whole lot of reading, but books that I've been choosing to read. I'll share some of those tomorrow.

Just haven't been in the mood

Just haven't been in the blogging mood this week...

Bono and Bill Hybels

The following are comments from an interview that Bill Hybels (pastor at Willow Creek Church, Chicago) had with U2 frontman Bono. The Willow Creek Association has a leadership conference every year to encourage, train, teach leaders from all over. One of these days I'm going to attend...anyhoo, below are some comments from Bono...pretty stinking profound. I think he'd make a great pastor.

-"The most rewarding part of this past year? Selfishly, it is to wake up with a melody in my head and heart. But beyond my music it is the work we are doing with the ONE campaign."
-"I never had a problem with Christ...it was Christians that gave me problems...they seemed completely disinterested culturally and politically...they seemed very strange to me."
-"The world works on the principle of Karma; what you put out comes back to you...but then enters the story of grace in the person of Christ and it turned the world on it's head."
-"Duality is the mark of really great art and it's what is missing in Christian art. It's missing the tension that is missing...the attempt to wrestle truth to the ground is often absent."
-"Much of gospel music seems fake to me...pretending that everything is o.k...I relate more to the blues...that sounds like the song of David to me."
-"Jesus was either a Charles Manson - a nut case or he was who he said he was. I'm fascinated by a child born into straw poverty. The Christmas story is a remarkable story that never ceases to amaze me."
-"How in a world of plenty can people be left to starve? We think, 'it's just the way of the world'. And if it is the 'way of the world' we must overthrow the 'way of the world.'"
-"Redemption is an economic term."
-"What else are you going to do with thing called 'celebrity'...it's absolutely ridiculous that it is valued more than being a teacher or more than being a mother...but it is currency and I decided that I was going to spend mine."
-"God has made me an opportunist."
-"Great ideas are like great melodies...they are memorable and a moral force whose time has come...and there is movement behind them."
-"The reason the church has been slow to respond is that the church has historically always been behind the curve: civil rights, apartheid...the church is afraid of politics. The second reason the church has been so slow is less palatable..the church has been very judgmental about the AIDS virus...it believes that it is about people living irresponsibly. Only 6% of evangelicals felt like they were to act in response to the AIDS epidemic. But the Christ will not let the church walk away from the AIDS emergency...it is like a car crash, we have to act. AIDS is the leprosy of our age. But then something tragic happened...the church woke up and began to act...and they ruined it for me...I couldn't hate the church anymore."
-"Love your neighbor is not advice...it's a command. Should an accident of longitude and latitude really decide whether you live or whether you die? There are 2003 verses in scripture about the poor, second only to personal salvation. Jesus speaks of judgment only once and that is the passage in Matthew where we are asked: 'who clothed the naked?' and 'who fed the poor?' and 'who visited those in prison?' That defines whether you are a part of the Kingdom or not."
-"If the Christian church can lead this movement it can eradicate malaria in 10 years...and then AIDS."
-"Stop asking God to bless what you are doing...find out what God is doing - it is already blessed!"
-"This generation could end stupid poverty...we really can fix that in our generation."
-"'Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven' is a phrase that grabs me...in every detail of our lives we need to seek that."
-"The world is more malleable than you think."
-Bill has convinced me of the importance of the church as the moral force and practical infrastructure for solving the worlds problems. Open the doors of your church and make them an AIDS clinic. Your charity is important, but your passion for justice is needed. I'm asking for your voice and for you to give permission to fix these problems that are fixable. It's not a burden, it's an opportunity...it's an adventure!"

Grits pic

For some reason I couldn't get the Grits pic on my last post...so here it is!

Catch Up Blog Time...

Whew...busy, but great week here at the Prosser house hold...typically I keep a list of "things to blog about" around the computer...I'm kinda behind, so here's a quick recap of a few things from the week:

MONDAY, AUGUST 7th
August 7th...one of the most important days in my life! It was mine and Holly's 13th wedding anniversary. Woo-hoo! What an adventure and what a Godly woman that I have in my life. And 13 years of honeymooning! Here's to 13 more Hollybird!

AUGUST 8th-9th
Staff Retreat at Country Lake Retreat Center in Indiana. Country Lake is a ministry of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY. We had a great retreat...thinking, planning, visioning, dreaming, praying, laughing, playing as we all serve together at FBC Richmond, KY.

AUGUST 11th-13th
Newsong Music Festival in Leitchfield, KY. A great weekend of bands and worship. This was the last "hoo-rah" of the summer for our youth ministry. Our son Bryan (who as of next Sunday will be "officially" in our youth ministry), came along with me. He is a music junkie...we enjoyed moshing and dancing together. My favorite band of the weekend...Toby Mac. The dude can put on a show! We got no sleep and no showers...got home around 2pm today. Bryan came in and went straight for the bed...he's still out.

Bryan's favorite band...Grits. We even got to meet them afterwards. Check out the pic below! That's Coffee, Bryan and Bonifide. MCJP was taking the pic.

Man I love my son...there's nothing quite like jumping up and down together, screaming and hollering while Grits or Toby Mac are playing...another father/son moment!

Dad & Lad Day

On Friday Holly, Bryan and I were at Hobby town in Lexington. Bryan scored on some cash from his recent hospitalization and the money was burning a hole through his pocket.

We checked out the rocket section of the store. I have always wanted to try these things out, even as a kid. So I halved the purchase with Bryan and later that day we headed to the EKU intramural fields (wide open space) for "the launch."

We got everything in place...even followed all the directions! The box said this rocket would go 1,000 feet...I was a bit leery of that claim. Bryan started the count down and boom! 1,000 feet had to be the minimum height! We were high fiving each other jumping up and down like kids (well, I was acting like the kid, Bryan was acting normal).

The rocket kept going and going...then a gust of wind began and we then said good-bye to our rocket. Apparently we didn't go out far enough in the fields...the rocket, I think is somewhere on the top of the Exide building on the EKU bypass. So we got one great launch. But I couldn't let our rocket adventure end there!

I went to Wal-Mart and bought another rocket...by that time it got too dark to launch, so the next day we all came out to the fields. We made 5 successful launches...they were all pretty incredible to watch. I again was hootin' and hollerin' like a kid...what a day!

In honor of Discovery's "Shark Week" (which I really dig), here's a taste of a great white shark munching on a seal...
Shark attack

Shark Week

Update on Bryan

Just a quick update on Bryan...

His surgery went very well last Thursday. He was in the hospital until Sunday...the fine folks at UK children's hospital took excellent care of him.

We are recouping here at the house this week...Holly was home with him on Monday and I'm home with him the rest of the week. He's doing great...we even got out yesterday to Barnes and Noble. Bryan racked up on gift cards and cash while in the hospital and to spend it!

Thanks for your prayers and please continue those prayers...

Prayer Request

Hey all...I'm a believer in prayer and would covert your prayers over my son tomorrow morning. He's having surgery at UK children’s hospital...we've been there all day today doing prep work for the surgery. Pray for the surgeon and nurses who will be taking care of my precious son. The surgery has to do with his colon...I'll keep you posted. Blessings.

My wife...the hero

Friday morning while in Florida my lovely wife Holly set off for her usual morning walk...as she was returning back to the condo she heard a man hollering for help. She went to see what was going on and she found this 80 year old man whose wife was in need. She was choking on something and turning blue...Holly immediately started doing the Heimlich maneuver to this lady. After 10-12 minutes of this what ever was stuck finally came out...her color came back and she was okay. An ambulance was called and came to aid her. Holly proceeded to walk back to the condo and told all of us what had happened.

Man, what a wife...a true hero in my book of life.

Sand Castle: Part 2

So today I started adding on the sand castle I made on Wednesday...it's sorta like the Northern / Southern Kingdom thing. I think I spent a total of four hours working on this...too bad it won't last forever, but it sure was fun making...I couldn't stop.