my wife

14 years ago today,
  I met my girlfriend,

my highschool sweetie,
  my best friend,
my maker of memories and
  my sharer of memories,
my co-laborer and
  my co-dreamer,
my soulmate and
  my compensate,
my fulfiller and completer,
  my help-meet,
  my counselor,
    my lover,
    my heart,
      my soul,
      my strength,

my wife

lonely in the midst

Have you ever felt all alone? Even when you are around people. I think that if we were honest, we have all felt that way one time or another.

Loneliness is interesting. What defines if we are lonely? I mean, I have been aboslutely alone before, and the feelings of loneliness were far, far away. And then I could be in the middle of a group of people, not alone at all, and not had the slightest feeling of loneliness. Being alone does not make us lonely.

Well then, what is it? There are many in this world that feel alone all of the time. They feel as if they are on a deserted island, with nobody there to talk to. They mull through their day, with their plastic smiles on and nobody would know it, but they think that they are alone.

I know that when I feel the loneliest, it is usually when I think that noone is really understanding what I am going through. I feel like I as sending up signal flares and strarting big bonfires, and the passing ships don't even take notice of it. I am too far away. My signals are insignificant in the big ocean that I am stranded in. I am left alone with my imaginary friends.

But look around. Look out of your own loneliness island. You might see another signal flare coming from not that far away. When we are feeling lonely, we are never alone. We have all been there. You might find that right on your same island, there is someone else feeling stranded. In fact, you might find an entire city of lonely people living on YOUR loneliness island.

wired

The school has now gone online. because of that I will be trying to make my personal page look a little better. I am new at the whole website construction thing, so it might take awhile for it to start looking nice.

I have also figured out how to add a pic to my blog. So as with anything new, I will probably overuse it for awhile, before I find a good balance.

can't talk anymore now.

blogs

I don't normally just put in a commentary style blog, but I think that I am going to give it a good healthy attempt today.

I just finished reading several blogs of people that I don't know. Some of them were quite interesting. I love to see what the different titles are, and how people choose to describe themselves.

Sometimes it is difficult to read other people's blogs because you don't know anything about them. Some people write very extensive blogs, and it always seems like they are better bloggers, just because they have more to say. (That is why I am trying to write such an extensive blog today.)

I have also noticed that this blog thing is addictive. I am constantly thinking about what I could blog about. Most of the time it is something ridiculous. I would like to think that there are a few good ones in there too. (Like the ones about Son 1, or the poems about my wife.)

I would like to blog more, but it seems that sometimes my schedule is a little too constrictive for very extensive blogging. For example, this last week was very hectic...

• On Monday, I had meetings at the school all day.
• Soccer practice Monday evening.
  
• Tuesday, was the last Junior High Soccer game. We spent several hours in the bus, to sit and wait for our game, which when the game started, it also started raining and sleeting. The game was canceled. We ate at Burger King (which lets the bus driver eat for free) on the way back. We didn't get back until late.
• Wednesday was the last day of teaching the Faith Bible Institute Computer class. I enjoyed teaching that class, but I am glad that the responsibility is over.
  
• Thursday, Love's Dad went into the Hospital. The guy is never sick, but when he is it is a doozie! Thursday night I had the kids by myself, while they were in their usual fun mood, I tried to get some work done.
  
• Friday was the end of the quarter.
  
• I gave an Algebra II test on Friday.
• Bible projects were due on Friday.
  
• Love went to see her Dad again on Friday (at this time they thought that he had SARS or West Nile Virus). She spent the night at the hospital Friday night.
  
• I also drove the children to visit with Grammy so I could try to get some work done (you know, grades and such).
  
• Saturday I had to help with the administration of the PSAT's.
  
• I spent the rest of the day at McDonald's studying for the two sermons that I had to preach at Edgewood Baptist Church on Sunday.
  
• I also had to enter all of my grades into the computer.
  
• On Sunday, I woke up early, drove to Illinois, I preached, then I studied, then I preached.
  
• Then I drove an hour with my two little ones, while listening to veggie tales the whole way, just to get back home.
  
• Monday, I tried to finish up the grading that I had to do, and get prepared for classes.
  
• Love went to see her dad again on Monday. By this time they thought that he had Anthrax poisoning.
• I tried to work with the kids in the house, but it didn't go well.
  
• All of the grades had to be finished by Tuesday at 8:00 am, and turned in, to the office.
  
• I was being observed by Mrs. Sutherland (one of the best teachers in the world) on Tuesday, and I still had to finish entering the grades in.
  
• Everything kind of slid together...
  
• Love's dad came home, because the insurance company didn't want to pay any longer. He ended up with some disease that I have never heard of.
  

And now here I am, with so much to do that I just want to blog instead of doing any work.

Oh well...

Psalm 15 & 36

Psalm 15

"LORD,

who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?

He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,

who speaks the truth from his heart
and has no slander on his tongue,

who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,

who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,

who keeps his oath even when it hurts,

who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things will never be shaken."

Always a convicting Psalm...

Here is one more Psalm

Psalm 36

An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:

There is no fear of God before his eyes.
For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much
to detect or hate his sin.

The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful;
he has ceased to be wise and to do good.
Even on his bed he plots evil;
he commits himself to a sinful course
and does not reject what is wrong.

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the great deep.

O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.

How priceless is your unfailing love!
Both high and low among men
find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.

Continue your love to those who know you,
your righteousness to the upright in heart.
May the foot of the proud not come against me,
nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
See how the evildoers lie fallen-
thrown down, not able to rise!

Both excellent Psalms. I hope that they have encouraged you. I know that they have encouraged me this day.

comments, please

You can now comment on each of my entries separately. I would love to hear your comments.

Bloggin

(To the tune of Truckin' by the Grateful Dead)

Bloggin' I got my words typed in,
Keep bloggin' like the dew-dah man
Together, write more or less a line
Just keep bloggin' on

I sit down and let all of my thoughts spill out
My fingers move, not quite sure to where-a-bouts,
I let them clickety-clack while my brain breathes out
Look at me now - pop - another gray hair

Bloggin', like the dew-dah man
Once told me "You got to blog your mind
Sometimes those thoughts ain't worth a dime
If you don't write 'em down"

Sometimes, the good times all fallin' on me
Other times, I'm on the bad-time sea
Lately, it occurs to me
What a long, strange trip it's been

What in the world, ever became of free time
No study hall, not a minute called mine
Unless they all leave, to go work for Troy Grimes
Another bell rings, oh, ain't it a shame

Bloggin', up to my elbows
Been thinkin' you got to mellow slow
It takes time; you pick a place to grow
And just keep bloggin' on

Sittin' and starin' at the "to-do list" again
Too many things to type a blog refrain
but inspiration comes, no matter what the time
spew it out and get back to work again


Busted, down in the MRC again
Set up, a sneaky hall monitor grin
Knocked down, your blog's alookin' thin
They just won't let you be

{Refrain}
Bloggin', I'm a goin' home
Whoa, whoa baby, back where I belong
Back home, sit down and edit my groans
And get back bloggin' on

(these words are adjusted from a song I used to know)