hate boise state but i love this video w/ the dancers attempting to break through the earth’s crust (beginning with the tempe soil) and the over enthused cowbell player…
she needs some will ferrell for inspiration
my recent thoughts
Sin is a funny thing to some people. Others describe it as the ’spice of life’. I am truly living as the Hebrews did with Achan. How his sin not only affected himself, but affect those who were not even there. I am a part of the collateral damage from the sin of those close to me. I want to extend them grace; it’s difficult to extend grace when there is no conviction.
Their true remorse is not for the sin they committed. They want to be forgiven for the consequences of their sin, not forgiveness of their sin
we are FREAKING OUT!
READ THIS FIRST —> http://ow.ly/o3xy
I find it humorous that people are responding this way. I’ll begin by saying these people protesting would not have responded this way if GW were addressing school children (Gene Collins probably wouldn’t have been a proponent, but I’ll get back to this in a minute). No one has an idea what President Obama will say. It doesn’t matter what he say’s, his speech will be dissected and broke down to say the President is on an agenda to destroy America from its core.
In a nation with plummeting graduation rates and poor percentages of students going on to further education, why have inspiration from the leader of the free world in an attempt to inspire and prod education? Right now you’re thinking, “but Derrick, he doesn’t want to make it free! He wants world wide socialism.” So for you, you might want to stop reading now.
I would hope the President would encourage students to spend more time reading and studying than spending time watching celebrity reality shows and playing around on the Internet. It is this type of laziness that has caused a decline of knowledge of national and foreign policy. People are more aware of the marital woes of an American family on a reality show than they have knowledge of the digressing value of the American dollar.
But it wouldn’t matter if this were his agenda; America is divided. Even if a majority votes, American’s will forever be divided when it comes to speeches from its leader – no matter how free speech is.
It’s the fear of the unknown that permeates the speculative. Let’s assume for a minute the goal IS to manipulate the minds of American youth towards socialist propaganda. It is one 20-minute speech. If it were a weekly 3 hour discussion, I too would share some concern. It is said that the President will “call for a shared responsibility and commitment on the part of students, parents and educators to ensure that every child in every school receives the best education possible so they can compete in the global economy for good jobs and live rewarding and productive lives as American citizens.” That was a statement by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Of course, President Obama is hardly the first president to speak directly to schoolchildren. In October 2001, President Bush urged kids to donate a dollar to America’s Fund for Afghan Children (charity is right-winged propaganda to oppose government intervention & Gene Collins was unavailable to comment). In 1991, President George H.W. Bush was criticized by Democrats for holding a teleconference with students on the topic of math and science. See the division?
Finally, if parents do not like this use of the President’s powers, you can change! If you are disgusted by the liberal ideas of public education, if you want the bible in your classroom – home-school or send them to a private school. But because Americans have an insatiable desire for ‘more’; home-schooling isn’t an option. We need those dual incomes to live in bigger neighborhoods, drive nicer cars, and ‘more’. Human greed has slowed free-market growth and those looking to help the helpless have decided the government is the only solution to meet the unmeet needs in the market. My grandpa called this wanting to eating your cake while holding your buddies slice too. So lets do this. Lets come up with the programs American’s do want the government to run, and the others we will allow the free-markets to supply. Maybe then we can find our common ground.
what every 14 yr old boy needs in the summer…
I think Jeffrey, Chase and I need to revisit how we got in Jay’s pool in the past and IMPROVISE. We MIGHT be a little old; but HK!
quote for the day…
Bad things happen to good people so good people see the need for something greater than what their personal best offers.
–db
random text messages make my day…
Yesterday was a great day! I had little prep work to work out on the townhomes. I felt like a painter drawing a blank. Wasn’t sure where the day would lead. I was down from the days previous high from leading worship at CrossRoads. And for those of you who didn’t follow my prior status updates, I NAILED THAT, “Amen, you may be seated.” (This was a feat which troubled me & I feared I would forget. With this lapse, people would have been left helplessly standing not knowing the purpose for not being able to relax their legs.) Now just got to remember to do that on Sunday mornings and we will be headed in a direction only followed by few.
I got an IM from Jeremy asking me to play golf with Chance & Brian; make it a foursome. Although I had lunch plans in Midland, Marcy graciously permitted me to do guy time and hit the course. Originally, the plan was to hit the Old Course at OCC; late planning and time constraints on Brian forced us to try the City of Odessa’s latest pride and joy, Ratliff Ranch. (I think the name lacks cleverness since it is centrally located in what was formerly the Ratliff Ranch; but hey, no one is asking me to draw anymore blanks.)
I had the best time. I have not played as well as I played in over 15 years. I was driving the ball well. I drove the green on a par 4 and missed an eagle putt by a few inches. The day gave way for a time for the triumphant trio and it was good to hang w/ Chance’s brother Brian. Broke 90 baybuh!
tell your friends to bring the milk and their checkbook…
We are seeing progress! I am as happy as a yellow-breasted songbird right now! This week I FINALLY got the plumber to come finish connecting the house sewer lines to the city’s sewer pipe. This is extremely productive. Up to this point I had a $360,000 storage building with rooms, closets and cabinets. Unless new owners wanted to build an outhouse and shower in the alley-my thoughts, perceived value would be lower than my self-esteem, which is currently at an all-time high. If your low self-esteem is also at an all-time high, keep reading, you will be encouraged!
The upper cabinets have been installed throughout and the cabinetmaker will be back next weekend to finish the kitchens and bathrooms. He will also be installing the countertops. The cabinets already have one coat of finish and they look astonishing. Yes, I just used the word ‘astonishing’.
There was a slight problem with the framing on the half wall in the kitchen. This was derived from the previous contractor; yes, the name of whom we do not speak of – I loathe that man. That was fixed today. Jeremy (props – second blog mention) and I covered the cabinets, windows and doors with plastic to prepare for the painting going on as I type.
The tile I am going to install in the downstairs area and the bathrooms upstairs is on sale! It is twenty cents cheaper! I am going to go ahead and purchase the tile so it is ready for my boy Shannon and I to lay it down when painting is finished and cabinets are complete.
Jeremy (all KINDS of mentions) and I are in the process of forming a company called Bush-Hill. Once this is finished, Bush-Hill will purchase the adjoining lot and begin construction all over again.
My mind is a race and the participants are running over me, but I anticipate starting and completing a project from scratch. All of the challenges I have faced in this first one have been for the betterment of dbizzle, Prince of the O Town. I look forward to completing something that was doomed to fail and then continue to build on the knowledge I have learned over the past year.
im an addict…
Does any one question the structure and method we adhere to in this purpose driven life? Why do things operate the way they do? I wish life’s road map provided more personalized details. Not for the sole purpose of assurance on decisions to me made (not that it doesn’t have its benefits); but mainly to know what direction to take and who to take it with.
If the world was an orphanage, I would want to take it all in, but there is a constraint of a particular resource that prevents this constant exploration: time. This resource’s limited supply applies pressure to the demand curve of my life. The more inelastic it becomes, equilibrium point appears unattainable.
Because of the freedom I have through grace, I struggle with living in grace without abusing it. Hopefully this will drive my prayer life to new heights and answers will be unveiled as I relinquish even more dependency. I am addicted to control; it’s a fantastic high for me. But like most addicts, I will relapse. The goal will not be to detox only to retox. Finding balance will only come through becoming more complete not lacking anything…
i would rather buy new underwear than do laundry…
Vacation Bible School is over at CrossRoads. It has been a long challenging week for me. I worked with kids going into the second grade, seven year olds. Each class was divided and the kids were assigned to that worker for the week. I had three seven year olds and one five year old; he was no Doogie Howser—he didn’t want to be in a class without his big brother.
When I initially expressed interest in helping, I hoped I would take on the same routine as I normally do in these venues: Recreation. This year, we did not have recreation and I was pulled way out of my comfort zone. I was attempting to convey the Gospel and Christ’s love in an intimate setting with boys who had the most imaginative imaginations available. (If those boys could articulate their fantasies into a story line, I would read.) Before, I would always work in the ‘escape’ from the classroom. You play dodge ball with an eight year old and peg em on the nose, you simply explain the cost for their sin is more painful than the strike of the rubber nine inch ball between the eyeballs. Christ is the propitiation that can effectively absorb the hits from any size or type of ball.
All in all it was a good week. Ethan was here with me and he was working with kindergarteners. Mrs. Walker said he was a great help—I think that type of work is more suitable for a boy with three smaller siblings. For me, it is good to be stretched. Now I am waiting for the weekend to be over and I can relax. With townhomes, weddings, singing, and life in the HOV lane, I’m tired.
we are family… and we still like each other…
My extended family has always been close. To some, five siblings, ten cousins, and added family pets seem overwhelming, there is a common thread that has held us all together. Although we are not all alike (myself being the darkest in the bunch), we enjoy the company of one another and yearn for the times when our schedules align. Even during the darkest of times for each affiliate, the limbs of our tree have held together through one common core; love.
Early Friday morning, I woke up at 5:20. Although this time was earlier than my current morning routine, I could not sleep. I was ecstatic about the upcoming weekend. We were going to my Uncle Larry’s ranch in Mayhill, New Mexico. It is nestled on the edge of the Lincoln National Forrest. We would be taking four-wheelers, horses, and a batch of the best chocolate chip cookies my Aunt Lori could assemble.
Larry told me that he was planning on leaving at 7 that morning. Jeremy (you finally have your ‘blog mention’), Ethan & I planned on leaving at 9, but I had a hold up at the townhome project that delayed our departure. At 9:30, I received a phone call from Larry asking where we were and when we would be leaving. It was our responsibility to stop on the way out of town and pick up the four-wheeler trailer. Larry had not left and told me that when we got there, we would all leave together.
When we arrived it was clear Larry was nowhere near ready to leave. The kids were not ready, the truck wasn’t loaded and the horses he intended on taking were not ready ether. We helped him load up the saddles, groceries, and luggage. At this point, it was 11 o’clock.
As the Sun moved, the hunger pains set in. I suggested we should eat. Larry recommended calling Texas Burger in Andrews and stop on the way to Mayhill; I knew it would be another hour before we would leave — my cousin, Ross, still needed to finish physical therapy.
I called Texas Burger to go for everyone, including the en route cousins. But I did not fall into the “Andrews Trap”. I called the location on Andrews Highway & 52nd street.
After eating; configuring, reconfiguring, and reconfiguring one more time the riding situation for all ten caravaners and 2 golden retrievers; and Larry committing several false starts getting in and out of the drivers seat of his truck, we were on our way to Mayhill.
Dodge rode with Jeremy and Me. The drive included good times with Dodge and Jeremy. As we discussed the adventures of young men, Dodge and I had time to catch up on each other’s play list. Even though the two of us do not mirror each other on life setting or goal congruency, we can each appreciate the tunes we jam and write during our individual sets. I remember when I strayed from the high-hat and wanted more cowbell. Right now, Dodge is banging the hell out of that cowbell.
Ethan, Taylor, and Jordan were enamored as they were freed from a 4 hour drive to run jump and play in the 75 acre home-away-from-home Larry calls ‘The Ranch’. They immediately ran towards one of the two ponds to look for fish and exchanged thrilling envisions of who would paddle and how they would maneuver the new boat Larry bought to add to their ranch experience. As a boy, Ethan loves to play and as dirty as possible.
We unloaded the two horses we brought from Odessa. As soon as they were released from the horse trailer, the other four horses (already there) galloped and bucked down the side of the mountain to come greet their long lost friends. No longer were these horses confined to a two thousand square foot stall in Odessa. They now had acres to explore and enjoy; their old friends were eager to run and show them around.
After the horses settled down, Ethan and I got on a four-wheeler. We rode up the side of the mountain. It was thrilling to have my buddy’s arms wrapped around my waist as we rode up the trails to the elevated flat where the camper trailer was located. He went to do what all boys love to do & I helped Larry prepare the camper to hook it to his truck to take to the cabins located between Mayhill and Cloudcroft. He wanted to stay close to the rest of the limbs.
Maneuvering the trailer was not easy. The space he had to turn the truck around to take the camper down the side of the hill to the road was very narrow. After several attempts, Larry’s frustration began to intensify. He finally slammed on the gas and came within less than an inch of jack-knifing the trailer into the rear quarter panel. There was nothing I could muster to scream at him other than, “OH, (expletive).” Luckily, that warning was not warranted and there was no damage to either the camper or his truck.
Once we unloaded at the cabins, Ethan played catch with the dogs while Dodge, Ross, Jeremy & I played horseshoes. You would not refer to us as horseshoe experts but our soon found interest was quickly interrupted by a frustrated Uncle Larry attempting to back his camper into the space allowed on the camp site. He was trying to align his camper’s sewer line with the sewer line access provided on location.
He wanted to use the length of his sewer line as a gauge to provide optimum accuracy when making a permanent stop. As he unhooked the sewer tap to his trailer, an unwanted surprise was waiting for my Uncle Larry and me. Sludge and bodily waste began to run out of the tap on his hand and as he quickly placed the line over the tap; it ran out of the tube close to my foot. (At some point, from the ranch to attempting to officially set the trailer, someone must have used the restroom not knowing it was not permanently parked.) The sight and smell of this occurrence caused me to leap heights of an Olympic high jumper and gag as one who just witness another lose their lunch. All of this was concluded with Larry referring to me as a name I can only describe could be associated with the feline species. Laughter immediately irrupted from previous horseshoe athletes who had transformed to camper parking spectators.
Once we got the line set, I hauled and gagged down the hill behind the truck to catch my breath. I thought I was going to lose a lunch that had been digested hours earlier.
That night, we played Yahtzee and waited until the rest of those limbs who were attending would arrive. My mom, Uncle Billy, Aunt Lori, Adrianne and her boyfriend Andy, were on there way as soon as they picked up my cousin Tanisha and her daughters Kambri & Karlee from the airport. They had flown in to Odessa from their home in Dallas.
Ethan soon lost interest in Yahtzee, or hanging with me as his cousins arrived. Jeremy, Dodge, Ross, and I decided we needed to drive to Cloudcroft to obtain necessary items from the convenience store. The cabins & the ranch did not warrant cell phone service. So on the drive we all speculated on how many messages we would have from our significant others. Jeremy and Dodge tied guessing only 1 person’s each. The game is overrated and over hyped, but it entertained the 10-minute truck ride to cellular service.
As we left Cloudcroft, I was looking at the moon on the drive home and I knew there were parts of Odessa that I missed; this weekend was about family time. The night lingered and my mind wandered as my body became more and more exhausted. After getting Ethan ready for bed, my body violently crashed onto the mattress. I craved sleep, but even more than that, I craved the following days adventures.
That morning I woke up before six New Mexico time. I decided to drive to Cloudcroft and buy breakfast supplies. I enjoyed some phat praise & worship music as I prayed for my church family who soon be having Men’s Prayer Breakfast and then praise & worship rehearsal for Sunday morning.
Cooking in this narrow cabin was a feat. With limited airflow, smoke began to billow and brood. In walks Larry, concerned the kitchen might be on fire. As he opens the windows, smoke slowly starts to fall out of the cabin into the cool Lincoln National Forrest air. Only Dodge and Jeremy join us for breakfast. I couldn’t get Ethan up for breakfast. He would be the last person to get up and get ready. This was after hours of vain attempts to awake him from his coma. This is typical of Ethan sleeping when he is with me; I think it would be easier to hit a game winner over Lebron James than wake my little boy from his slumber. During the morning, others would migrate through and snack on the remnants of the breakfast gone by.
Later in the day, Ross complained of the method used when applying frosting to the cinnamon rolls. I informed him he could improve the distribution of frosting when he was up early enough to apply it. (Spoiler alert: the next morning, he was.)
As we played Yahtzee, I had to destroy Ethan and others playing before we left to each lunch in Cloudcroft. I could not get Ethan to stay in Cloudcroft. He was too eager to go on with Larry and play at the ranch and embark on what boys do best.
As we arrived, all of the kids were preparing to get in the rowboat. Ethan was more than successful at doing what he intended to do best. At first glance, it appeared he had on black socks and shoes. No, it was mud caked on his bare feet and ankles. Ethan couldn’t decide if he wanted to row or hold the net to catch fish. He conceded to this conundrum by grabbing the oar to navigate his female cousins across the pond.
Mom decided she wanted to ride on the four-wheeler. Jeremy was the first to take her. Then I took her. My mother and I have a unique relationship. Although we lack intimacy, we make up for that in jovial schemes. I concede I am the larger jovial variable of the two in our equation. It was fun riding and listening to her gleefully giggle to herself and we went over rocks and hills and up the side of the mountain.
After the ride, I decided we needed to go for a hike. Ethan was the least bit interested. He was engrossed in mud and going for a hike would include cleaning himself off. I went with Jeremy and Ross. As we ascended the steep mountain on the North side of the ranch, I realized I had not attempted such a task in a long time. Trying to remember safe climbing techniques was difficult as I was short of breath due to a culmination of thinner air and lack of cardio in my weekly workout routine. Midway up the mountain I grabbed on to a tree to test its durability. It appeared to be stable, but as I grabbed it to pull myself up, I pulled the tree up by the roots and lost my balance. I fell forward into the mountain and slammed my hands into rocks; I suffered mild scratches-lucky.
Once we reached the summit the view was astonishing. All 75 acres were in full view. I took various pictures of Jeremy and Ross as we chilled, pondered life and the pursuit of self-sufficiency. (Who really knows what they were talking about). It’s really easy to see how awesome God is from the mountaintop. I want to sustain that focus permanently, but that will be a discussion for another time.
Ethan and I hit balls to the dogs and then decided to get him back to the cabins to clean up so we could go to a stocked fishing tank. One thing my mom loves to do is fishing.
After getting him cleaned up and arriving to the fishing spot, all of the cousins watched mom fish. To pass time and suppress boredom, I decided to play the line game with my family. Initially, all questioned the validity of the line game. Out of frustration, others left and didn’t want to be near when I was discussing the underlying riddles in the line game. After much frustration, no one could figure out how to properly play the logic-less based game.
A break in the game was provided when Dodge and Ross (who had left the vicinity of those playing the line game out of disgust) found a bull snake climbing a tree. Larry went over and caught the snake and held it for all to hold and touch and then to harass mom while she was fishing.
Ethan, Dodge, Ross, Jeremy and I rode together back to the cabins. During the drive back, Ross discovered himself how to properly draw lines shortly ensued by his brother Dodge. This game would continue as a backdrop to the evening and following morning until Ethan discovered how to draw lines and couldn’t contain the secret from others desiring to know the truth of line drawing.
That night’s dinner was amazing. Lori had brought brisket that was so good it made you want to slap your momma. Mine had had a long day, so I saved her the violence.
After a full day, Ethan and I were exhausted. He was falling asleep as I was getting him ready for bed. All the while, explaining how he wasn’t tired. That argument ended as soon as his head rested on the pillow.
My last thought before I fell asleep: “The moon is shining in through my window.” In a tribute to An American Tale, others can see the moon the same time you do, even if they do no see you. I made sure to take the moon back to Odessa with me.
The last morning, I got up and followed the same breakfast trip/making routine. A few things I changed to improve quality. I opened the windows before I started cooking and I made sure Ross could save himself the needless verbal disgust by applying the icing on the cinnamon rolls himself.
After feeding Ethan, and everyone else I got us packed and ready to go. Ethan was enjoying himself and begged to stay one more day and come home on Monday. He didn’t want to go on one last hike up the mountain above the cabins because he was afraid he wouldn’t get to see the other kids after we left. Dodge, Ross, Jeremy, Tanisha, Kambri & I decided to make one last weekend accent. The stay was not as long as the previous – there were deadlines to meet.
I really enjoyed Dodge & Ross this trip. It was good getting to hang with them. As always, Jeremy and I had fun together. But most of all it was great getting to see Ethan have fun with my family and do the things we do when he is not around. He knows my family loves him when he is not with us, but it is good for him to get to have the opportunity to be close to all of us when we are all together doing what we do best; we love each other.
