Currently Listening Fruitcakes By Jimmy Buffett Title track see related

Aren't we all...

Currently Listening More to This Life By Steven Curtis Chapman see related

And so it goes...

 So another day and not much to say.  The Kentucky Derby was incredible.  Barbaro looked like the second coming of Secretariat. The festivities surrounding the race pale in comparison to the actual race.  How many things can you still say that about?  This is truly an incredible event, not one of those made for TV productions that the actual event is usually anticlimactic. 

Now sure if I will ever tire of the Triple Crown races.  For a series of events that the total time might be seven minutes, spread out over about a month, I really enjoy it.  Not sure but I think the last triple crown winner was Affirmed in 1978.  It seems like Alydar finished second in all three races.  That was a rivalry unmatched in horse racing history.

I was able to finish my laundry. Not sure of the total load count, but all my clothes are clean except what I was wearing yesterday.

I expect to have a good day today.  Not sure what I will do for lunch.  I may attend a SS Planning meeting.  Red Lobster might be a better choice.  I have a $5 coupon but I can't print it out.  Hopefully my mom can get it to print out.

...........

OK, went to Red Lobster for lunch.  I had the Atlantic Salmon, grilled, with a sweet and spicy glaze.  It was very good.

Church was good.  I was volunteered to teach the next chapter in our study.  I think the person doing the volunteering was selecting people based on his being selected to teach the last two chapters.  One of the chapters he taught was titled, "Salvation Through Sex." I sensed a touch of bitterness.  I think I would have been better selected to teach the fourth chapter.  It was something based on the Far Eastern religions.  I could have watched some old reruns of Kung Fu or The Karate Kid to prepare.  The chapter I am teaching is called, "Salvation Through Science."  I will not be confused as a scientist any time soon.  Not sure what I could be confused for.  I know a lot of things confuse me.  At work I am confused for a lift truck driver.  Too bad we don't have a chapter titled, "Salvation Through Lift Truck Driving."  I am pretty sure there won't be lift trucks in heaven.  And since we don't take any of our baggage to heaven, there won't be a need for lift trucks to move our luggage around.  

That kind of reminds me of a joke.  A guy walks up to an airline ticket counter and ask for a ticket to Phoenix and for his luggage to go to Toledo.  The person working the counter tells him that they can't do that.  The guy ask, "Why not?  You did it last time?"  Maybe we go to heaven and our baggage goes to hell?  I mean one way or another it will burn up anyway.

I think my afternoon will be best spent taking a nap.  We will have some out  at work tonight, so I should have enough to do to keep me busy for the whole eight hours. 

Currently Listening The Collection By Amy Grant Thy Word see related

How did this picture get so fuzzy?

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling

Some days nothing comes easy.  It is like I am in a fog.  I have no clear thoughts and clarity is something I hope for but it is just beyond my grasp.  I hate those days.  Yesterday was one of those days.

I had some things kind of on my mind.  Well, I say on my mind, but I couldn't concentrate.  I was aggravated about something stupid.  I think it might have shown.  I am no Rock of Gibraltar, but I rarely show any emotions or what I am thinking.  I had been meditating on a couple of verses and little tunes, but nothing would stick.  I could not focus.  I usually daydream when I am doing stuff, but I am focused on the task at hand and subconsciously, I day dream.  Make sense? 

So it was like someone sprayed some no-stick solution on my brain and nothing could get a grip.  Get the picture?  I was basically scatterbrained.  I may be just a dumb old southern boy, but I can usually concentrate on simple things.

So then I just tried to pray.  I say tried.  I couldn't even do that right.  I was in a cloud of confusion.  So there I am, riding around on my fork truck, trying to pray amid chaos.  I am rambling on about how I need peace and wisdom and understanding and feel like I am just repeating myself. 

Then it struck me.  The problem wasn't that God wasn't listening.  The problem was that I wasn't listening.  Psalm 46:10 ring a bell?  NIV and KJV start off with 'Be still and know that I am God...'  NASB translates the first part 'Cease striving and know that I am God..."  My basic understanding at that point without any background in Greek or other abilities to get a deeper understanding of the verse came down to this:  Shut up and listen.

In my simple ways, I sometimes can make things so complicated.  I am my own worse enemy.  Amazingly, when I stepped aside and moved the focus from inward to outward, I was able to see things a little more clearly.  There was a popular bumper sticker that claimed, "God is my Copilot" implying that I may physically be behind the wheel, but I am going where God leads.  Maybe it should have said, God is my Navigator.

Some of my confusion was concerning direction.  I was trying to force things to go in the direction I wanted them to go.  I am slowly figuring out that maybe I need to go in the direction God wants me to go.  Or better yet, Maybe I need to be willing to the the person God wants me to be, then He can use me where ever I am.  Maybe He wants to use me where I am.  Maybe He wants to use me somewhere else.  It comes back to the Jonah thing.  I may be where God wants me, but am I what or who He wants me to be?

So I found peace through the back door.  I quit chasing and just kind of sat still.  It wasn't that God moved.  I was a gyroscope and I was able to allow God to slow me down.  Some how everything stopped spinning and he helped me put my focus back on being the tool instead of the carpenter. Sometimes you are the hammer.  Sometimes you are the nail.

I am sure I will trip, stumble and fall along the way.  Be patient.  It is like I am driving on a fake ID.  It looks real and I may seem like I am the one in control.  But I can't even figure out how to unfold the map. 

In the end, I had a really good night at work.  I had breakfast with a couple of friends.  I am doing laundry and I am a bit sleepy.

By the way, the situation that was aggravating?  It is so petty that I am disappointed that I even gave it enough thought to be an aggravation.  There are a couple of other things that I am sure will work together for good.  It is not my nature to force things, most of the time.  Did I mention that it is Derby Day?!?!?!?

Currently Listening The Eagles Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 By The Eagles see related

Have I mentioned we are all crazy?

 Some people wear it will, others don't.  We had a safety meeting at work this morning.  It was about a 20 minute meeting crammed into 45 minutes.  So during the Q&A time, people were stretching the questions and repeating and doing all they could, so we wouldn't have to go back to work.  One guy is notorious for asking questions that show a remarkable lack of intelligence.  Now keep in mind that my medical knowledge is limited to whatever I can find out on WebMD.com.  This particular meeting is a safety meeting.  This guy started telling a story about when his wife was in the hospital.  The nurses kept coming in every two or three hours taking blood.  Day and night, they took his poor wife's blood.  Then she got more sick and had to go to the ICU unit and they had to give her more blood.  Well, it was obvious to him that the reason she had the turn for the worse was that she had low blood!  I understand blood pressure and white blood cell counts.  Those are blood measurements that can be low.  But would low blood be a reason to get your blood level topped off and back up to normal levels?  Is there a dipstick that can be pulled out and it has a line that says, "Add one pint," and where would that dipstick be?  I hope I never get low blood.  It sounds serious.

I work at a plant that makes paper products.  We make boxes for bakery items and donuts and garments.  We even make boxes for Baskin Robbins cakes.  We get the occasional paper cut.  In the worse case, I would hope at least someone could apply a tourniquet before I got low blood and died.  Did I mention this sounds serious?

The main topic of our meeting was lockout and tagout procedures.  The idea is to make sure all forms of energy or eliminated so repairs can be done.  If a machine suddenly started up with an arm or leg in or under it then low blood might happen every quickly.  Or maybe low blood might be a minor problem at that point.

I might finally get my hair cut tonight.  It is about time.  The guy who cuts my hair has been busy.  I bet I will get a few stories along the way.  I can't wait.

Still not sure about work tomorrow night.  Early word is we won't have to work.  Early words are usually wrong.  The rest of the plant is working.  Time will tell.  One guy graduates from a local seminary with some type of a Master's degree in Bible.  He is looking to leave in four months or so for China.  He has considered several missionary boards and he has pretty much decided on one.  He has been asking my advice.  Is that scary or what?  Last night he even said I brought a couple of good ideas he needed to consider.  If I am any type of a source of wisdom he has bigger problems than asking me for advice.  I hope all works out for him.  We had breakfast one day with Doc.  I told him that Doc was on the boards of a couple of Missions and he might have some advice.  Now that is a source of wisdom.

If you want wisdom from me, I should probably just read you a passage from Proverbs.  May is a good month for a chapter in Proverbs a day since it has 31 days.  I like the way I can figure out where I goofed up.  Hindsight is 20-20, especially through the lens of Proverbs.

I think I may have some resolution to my Amazon.com order situation.  I posted an email asking the where and why and got a courteous reply.  So I will receive my stuff in the next couple of days.

I am looking forward to having the last work night of the week tonight.  This weekend will be a big laundry weekend!  I can't wait.  Maybe I have anticipation issues? 

Currently Listening I'll Lead You Home By Michael W. Smith see related

 I never can figure out these fonts, so I use the trial and error method.  I have had a good couple of nights at work.  Sean is back at work.  His wife had their 3rd child, so he has been off for almost two weeks.  Cute pictures.  Jim was out last night.  He had court yesterday with his son.  I added him to my prayer list.  Jim is just a really nice guy.  He works a 2nd job at the North River Corner Market and the lady there serves very good breakfast foods.  One of these days, I will have to get over to try one of her sandwiches.  Her name is Fedora and This morning I ask Fedora if she was going to be open next Monday.  She ask why and I reminded her it was her birthday.  She said it was just another day.  I saw her smile though, so I am pretty sure she was glad someone remembers.  She also smiles when I tell her the food is good and I always thank her after I pay.  She can be a bit gruff, but she really is a sweet lady.  Jim is a good guy also.  They have a lot of regular customers and he knows how each and every one like their particular order and he fixes everything just so.  One lady calls in her order from the bus.  Then she hops off of the bus and picks it up.  When Jim isn't there, the other people don't know every peculiarity and things don't go as smoothly.  The lady who calls from the bus always get a couple of drinks and Jim always goes back to the cooler and gets everything ready.  Sometimes the little things make the biggest difference.  Jim does a lot of the same things at work.  He really helps the shift go smoothly.  We missed him last night.

We had a good crowd at Amigo's last night.  There were five of us and the discussion was pretty funny.  It was a very relaxing time and I really enjoy the time together.

I am pretty sure I will sleep well today.  I am fairly tired. I slept well yesterday, but I believe I could have slept longer.

I had a good discussion last evening before I went to Amigo's.  Sometimes it is good just to talk things out and a fresh point of view helps keep things in perspective.  There are some things I would like to see happen in a certain way but sometimes what I want isn't the most important thing.  I need to remember that the important thing is seeing people you care about happy.  Sometimes I do foolish things and usually end up regretting them later.  Every now and then, I do something that is good and I enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that I might have a part in seeing someone else happy.  

As I left Amigo's last night, I ran into a friend from the Czech Republic. I was sad to hear he is going home in June, but I am happy for him.  We worked together at the hotel.  He did security/maintenance and I did the front desk duties along with the night audit.  It was usually the two of us on duty and that was it.  Every now and then there was a housekeeper on duty, but usually it was just the two of us.  I always enjoyed talking to Marek and we had a good working relationship.  We even had Thanksgiving dinner together last November.  He plays tennis with Doc's son-in-law Ben.  Ben invited Marek for dinner and it had been almost a year since I had seen him.  He lives at the hotel and he is always on call.  He would work 100 hours some weeks.  It sounds like a lot, but he was working here to make some money before he goes back to his country.  A lot of our discussions were about Hockey, Tennis and general English.  He was taking an English class when I first started working at the hotel.  I was able to answer most of his questions, but then I have spoken English most of my life.  He will be missed.  If I ever get to his country, I will have to get him to interpret for me.

The Reds won last night.  Life is good!