The 4th

Love & Theft was playing in Memphis on Mud Island the night of the 4th, and because Dana's cousin Stephen is in the band, we went to go and support him and the family and to have some fun. It was great getting to see that side of the family and spend part of the day with them because we don't get to see them that much and we always have a good time with them. If you live in the South I don't have to tell you that it was really humid and hot on that day. We took any opportunity we could to not walk and to be in air conditioning. Here we are riding one of the down town trolleys. Even though we did not have to walk, the trolley was not air conditioned and was crowded which made the heat even worse.

After we ate we went over to Mud Island and watched the guys in concert and the fire works that started right after they got done singing. Stephen is the one in the middle, and I think he was the best in his row! If you know me at all, you know that I hate country music, but a lot of L.N.T. songs are not very country, and I enjoyed listening to most of it. However, it was still very hot and muggy even though the Sun went down. After it was over we went and hung out with Stephen and the family for a while. A good time was had by all.

On the way over to Mud Island you can take the mono rail thing, which costs $4.00 per person or you can walk the bridge for free. We chose to walk over. By the time we were leaving they were shutting the Island down and were letting you ride back for free. So we rushed and got on only to stand in the crowded car and wait. The thing was getting full and what they called air conditioning was not working very well unless you were standing right in front of it. Everyone was getting a little impatient and was just wondering what the hold up was. I have to admit that I was wondering why we were still waiting, but I was truly thankful that we were getting a free ride back. After about 10 minutes of waiting, I guess a lady had had enough. She marched out of the doors and began yelling at the employees that were standing around talking to each other. She complained that there were a lot of kids in there just suffering in the heat and that they needed to get across to get them home and they needed to stop messing around and get us going! She was not nice or even diplomatic about it. I can honestly say that I was not thinking the same things she was thinking, but I have to admit that in other situations I have thought the same kind of things. It was really shocking to hear it out loud. I was embarrassed to be represented by her words and even more embarrassed that at other times my thoughts had been as harsh. There is just something about how it sounds out loud that lets you truly know how abusive, impatient, and sinful we can be sometimes.

One of the employees got on and started us on our way. I felt so bad about what the lady had said to him that I apologized for her and said thank you for giving us a ride back for free. I just wanted him to know that not everyone on there thought the same way. I wanted him to know that I realized that they did not have to give us a ride at all, and that waiting a little while was ok. Some times it seems we are so impatient. We have so much that we start to think that we deserve stuff when we really don't. Not a single person on the monorail paid anything for the ride and we should have been willing to wait a little while for the privilege. At times in my life I am so unthankful for what I have and so focused on what I don't have. It's good to have a reminder some times of how ugly sounding our thoughts truly can be.

Lord help me to be thankful and not feel entitled.

Perspective

I just read a post that a friend of mine wrote to let everyone know how his wife is doing. His wife has cancer and has not been doing well for some time. At the end of the post he said he was hoping and praying for a good day for her today. Reading that made me remember what my prayers have been about today, and allowed me to put my wants and needs in perspective. It's amazing how our desires and needs are shaped by where you are in life. Some times I am so selfish and petty. Thank you God for perspective. Lord please give a good day.

voices in my head

It's so important to hear God in your life. We should always be listening to his voice so we know what it sounds like and we know Him better. The more we read His word, the more we learn about Him and His voice. The more we know about Him, the easier it is to recognize His voice when He speaks to us through others and through our own thoughts. By practicing this, I have been reminded of another byproduct that comes from knowing my God's voice. I can recognize when He is not speaking to me. I can remember a time when I herd a voice prompting me, tempting me, encouraging me, and I gave in. Right after that I thought to myself, I got you! I know you are not my God and I know what you sound like now. Before then I knew when it wasn't my savior talking to me, but I had never put a name or a person to the voice. I had never singled out a voice in my head that was not God's but also was not my own desires talking to me. It makes me think of when Jesus responded to Peter in Matthew 16:23 after Peter tried to rebuke Jesus about his journey to the cross and his death. Jesus did not answer Peter but talked directly to that voice. He said "Get behind Me, Satan!". My prayer now is that I will be as quick to answer no to that same voice when he speaks to me.



I got you now!!

The tooth hurts

It happened, my little girl lost her first tooth. When I picked her up from school her teacher said that it poped out while she was out on the playground, and sadly they could not find it even though they looked and looked.

All of the kids in her class were really excited because she is the first of them to have lost a tooth. Either she is really advanced, or she has lived to long in Arkansas. I choose to believe she is advanced.

Her teacher also told her that she could write a not and put it under her pillow instead of the tooth, and that the tooth fairy would except it and leave her some money. We had not told her anything about a tooth fairy. So last night she drew a tooth fairy, a tooth and a $5 bill on a peace of paper. She then explained to me and her mother when we asked why she thought she was going to get $5, that the Tooth fairy gave you what you asked her for.

I wonder how she is going to draw a $5 bill on the next tooth she looses.

tattoo

Saraya likes the Justice League cartoon. In fact when it first came on we would sit and watch it together. We don't watch it much anymore because they are all re-runs, and we have seen all of them about 5 times each. She still likes them, and some of her favorites are Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Superman. Dana had gotten Saraya some tattoo's over a year ago to put in her Christmas stocking, which she forgot about and never put in. While cleaning out her closet, Dana found them so of course Saraya had to put one on and wanted me to put one on to. So she chose Wonder Woman and I put on Superman.

Monday came and while I was at the gym putting on my work out clothes, I discovered that the colorful little Superman tattoo was still on my shoulder and all I had packed in my gym bag was a sleeveless shirt. Awesome! Now I could show off my super great tattoo for all in the gym to see. I got plenty of people taking a second look, but only one brave sole actually asked me about it.

I would do it again if she asked me to.

Art show

Last night Was Saraya's Pre-K art show at Central. The halls and the gym walls were filled with art work from the kids. Here she is standing in front of a peace that her whole class participated in.

These are a few paintings from Saraya's blue green phase and her foray into her orange period. All of her stuff was good, probably better then any of the other stuff there, but I really think she excels at wood carving. Below is a little piece she worked on, and I think it turned out really good for a 5 year old.

No clue

Just watched a show about Jacob. Because it is the History channel, they only used Jewish Rabbi's to comment and shed light on the life of Jacob. They came to the part where Jacob wrestled with God, and they claimed that this encounter with this person is a mystery that all are confused about to this day. The Rabbi stated that it could not have been God (the Father) because Jacob would have been utterly destroyed, but because of His Devine nature, it could not just be a man, so it must have been an angel sent by God. For a brief moment I was confused by what had been said. But then I quickly realized that it makes perfect sense why they claim to have no idea who this mysterious person is. It's because they refuse to see the truth of Jesus the Christ, 100% God and 100% man.

I am still amazed at how people refuse to see and hear truth.