Napping at work...

Sometimes (on casual Fridays) I will close my office door and take a short nap under my desk during lunch. I have told a number of people about this (and I thought I blogged about it, but I can't seem to find it in my archives). Regardless, I have not done this in quite some time. But I just walked by the office of one of my co-workers, and the door was shut. Not a big deal at 11:15... but her light is off. Normally, I would think she was gone for the day... but I saw her close the door while staying in the office. She is full on taking a nap in her office. I, of course, have been advocating a throw back to kindergarten days of mid-day napping for most of my professional career (albeit a short 7 year career). I guess she is taking it upon herself to start the practice in hopes that other follow her lead. We'll see...

Friday things...

It is 10:00 on a Friday, and I am bored. I am caught up on my work, and all that remains for me to do is the stuff that you always put off for days when you have spare time. But the problem is that we never want to do those things... that is why we put them off. But alas, I have no choice. I will actually accomplish some of those elusive tasks because I have been too efficient in my other tasks.

In other news, if you were not there for METRO Live last night, Afshin gave a fantastic talk about God's will. Granted, I have been thinking about a number of things that God directly addressed through the talk, but I think it was just good regardless. Check it out here.

That's all for now... but seeing as how I am bored, I may pull a double entry today. But then again, I may not. Last week, my boss walked by my office and asked what I was doing. The funny thing is that he was asking the question because I was in a different office than normal... but I responded saying, "I'm working on my blog." He then said explained that he was not asking about that... but that I had just busted myself. So I need to be a little more careful, I guess. Fortunately, he is an understanding boss and didn't give me too much grief for it.

OK... that is really all. Can you tell how much I don't want to do those other tasks? Seriously.

No More Faith

I have known of this song by Andrew Peterson for a while now, but I was reintroduced to it this weekend. The lyrics just scream of a reality that many of us don't like to admit is true in our lives. If you have not heard much by Andrew Peterson, I suggest that you check him out... he is really good. On iTunes, he is compared to Rich Mullins (which is fair enough) but he does have his own style. In any event, these lyrics have been resonating with me for the past few days...

No More Faith

This is not another song about the mountains
Except about how hard they are to move
Have you ever stood before them
Like a mustard seed who's waiting for some proof?

I say faith is a burden
It's a weight to bear
It's brave and bittersweet
And hope is hard to hold to
Lord, I believe
Only help my unbelief

Till there's no more faith
No more hope
I'll see your face and Lord, I'll know
That only love remains

Have you heard it said that Jesus is the answer
And thought about the many doubts you hide
Have you wondered how he loves you
If He really knows how dark you are inside

I say faith is a burden
It's a weight to bear
It's brave and bittersweet
And hope is hard to hold to
Lord, I believe
Only help my unbelief

Till there's no more faith
No more hope
I'll see your face and Lord, I'll know
When there's no more faith
And no more hope
I'll sing your praise and let them go
'cause only love
Only love remains

So I will drive these roads in thunder and in rain
And I will sing your song at the top of my lungs
And I will praise you, Lord, in glory and in pain
And I will follow you till this race is won
And I will drive these roads till this motor won't run
And I will sing your song from sea to shining sea
And I will praise you Lord, till your kingdom comes
And I will follow where you lead

Till there's no more faith
No more hope
I'll see your face and Lord, I'll know
When there's no more faith
And no more hope
I'll sing your praise and let them go
'cause only love
Only love remains

Thursday iPod Stories

Story One - "iPod Lost and Found"

Last week, I had quite a scare. I got in my car on Thursday morning to head out on my "commute" to work, and I opened the center console to retreive my iPod. When I saw that it was not there... I really think I may have gasped. I was horrified. I knew I had it on my drive home the night before, so I couln't imagine where it was. I caused myself to be late to work by looking all over for it (I even looked in the trash). Well, fast forward to lunch time of the same day... I decided to look in my gym bag one more time. It had fallen into a side pocket that I don't use... so it had simply been overlooked. Poor thing. It must have felt so abandoned in there.

Story Two - "iPods and Panties"

Thursday night after METRO Live, I volunteered to take the musical guest to his hotel by Hobby airport. On the way down there, he said he really wanted to stop for some Taco Cabana because he can't get it in Nashville. So we pulled into the closest one and sat in the drive thru. As we sat, he commented that he was great friends with the guy singing the song that happened to be playing. He then asked if he could look at who else I have on my iPod... and I said sure. He thought that was awefully brave of me (and when he said that, I suddenly thought it was too... and I got a little nervous). So as he scrolled down, he commented on some of the artists I have (Beyonce', G. Love, and Nickle & Dime being the most notable) - but surely he noticed that he was not in there. D'oh! Oh well... he is now. Back to the story. When he finished his investigation, I told him that was quite an intimate moment for us to share since we had just met and all... to which he retortred, "yeah, it is kinda like I just looked through your panty drawer."

So my poor iPod spent the morning dealing with abandonment issues... and the late hours of the night dealing with identity issues.

Pain Avoidance Update

Turns out that I did, in fact, pull my calf muscle. In fact, early reports say that I may have torn it. I wish I had a camera so I could take a picture of my the lower part of my leg. I first noticed the bruise on the calf Thursday night. Then, on Friday, I noticed some bruising on the shin. Then on Sunday, I noticed a bruise on my ankle. The whole inner portion of my lower right leg looks like I have been beaten with a lead pipe (well, maybe not quite that bad... but it is pretty discolored). I am sure I can draw a spiritual parallel about the visible signs of the pain in our lives... but I will just leave it at that and let your imagination run. In any event, I was wrong about being able to run on it by the end of last week. I still can't... and I don't expect to be able to for a couple weeks.

Pain Avoidance

I hurt my calf muscle yesterday while working out. I think I pulled it... but I am not sure. However, it has caused me to walk with a limp since it happened. Yesterday, I was still trying to walk normal... but today, I have figured out a way to walk without feeling the pain in my calf muscle. So at first, I thought my calf was getting better... but really, I just learned to move in such as way that avoids the pain while the muscle does what it needs to do go get fixed.

Isn't that what we do in life? We think things are getting better; but really, we just medicate life's pain in other ways.

Even as Christians... life does not really get better (contrary to what many of the preachers on TBN will tell you). Rather, we know Who to turn to when life is painful. The pain does not always go away... nor does the underlying problem causing the pain. (this is the point where the calf injury analogy breaks down... because my calf really is getting better and I will be running again before the week is out)

Unlike the pseudo strut that I naturally developed to avoid the pain in my calf, truly seeking refuge in Christ is not something we naturally do. The next time you walk into a bookstore, check out the Self-Help section and you will see my point proven. Furthermore, my new way of walking is only temporary. Eventually, my calf needs to heal for real. Christ offers ultimate healing... but it may take a lot longer than a couple days for that to take place. In fact, some of the hurts/troubles in our lives will never be fully healed this side of Heaven. But He promises us Himself in the midst of the pain... and really, that is more than enough.

Already Too Cool For School...

This picture was taken this past weekend when Brad's family took a trip to Florida. I am telling you, this kid is gonna be a heart breaker in about 15 years.

Nominal Christians

As Voddie Baucham says, "If you can't say amen, you better say ouch!"

Unfortunately, I think I have to say ouch... I see myself in this description all too often.

Looks can be deceiving...

I think I will ask this guy to disciple me in the ways of entertainment...

Hot Lips...

Every year, my brother's in-laws have both sides of the family over for a crawfish boil. This year, it was held on Good Friday since everyone was off work. The Legnon's live in Lafayette... so I can always bank on having well-seasoned crawfish at their house. This year was no exception.

At one point in the afternoon, Renee commented on the color of my lips... and then dubbed me "Hot Lips" for the rest of the afternoon.





Since he is the star of every family gathering, I can't pass up the opportunity to say a few words about Landon. He is now just over 2 years old... and getting more and more lovable each time I see him. He was not sure what to make of the little mud-bugs while they soaked in the salty water... but he knew what they were and that he should not touch them. He was seen in this position many times during the cooking phase of the day...



After everything had been cleaned up, Landon told me (did not ask me, but told me) "Crawfish all gone." Indeed they were... and quite tastily gone.


After eating, everyone else decided to sit in the house and visit... but Landon wanted none of that. Like a typical little boy, he wanted to stay out side and kick the soccer ball (or any other round object he could find). So Uncle Todd gladly volunteered for Landon Duty... unfortunately, there are no pictures. It was definitely good times for both of us, though...

And lastly, I couldn't resist putting this fine shot on the world wide web. Yes, folks... this is my father.

Shock and Awe

In 1729, Jonathan Swift wrote a satirical article entitled A Modest Proposal.

This morning, I recieved this article from a buddy of mine. Note that this one is not satirical.

The state of our world scares me. It really does.

Thank You

Tonight at church, we had a service to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made to restore fellowship with God... a fellowship that was broken when Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the Garden. It was truly a powerful service as we heard various passages of God's Word spoken... various passages that told the great story of Jesus and why He came to earth. There was no commentary... just the pure Word of God. Nothing compares to it, honestly.

At the end of the service, we sang a song that repeatedly expresses thanksgiving to God for the cross. The lyrics "thank you for the cross" are repeated over and over again. I have sung that song many times, but it hit me in a fresh way tonight. As I was singing it, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the 10 lepers who were healed by Jesus. Of those 10, only one returned to Him to say thank you. Only one. I so want to be that one. But it occured to me that just saying thank you to Jesus misses the mark a little. He did not come to save only me... but rather, He came to redeem and restore a world that is broken and separated from Him. So I want to be found faithful in sharing what He has done with others so that they also may run back to Him and say thank you.

Another funny email..

This morning, I received the following email from a friend...

Today is Norah Jones' birthday. She's 28. Thought you might like to know. :}

So I am canceling my weekend plans, and booking a flight to wherever she is to celebrate with her. I am perplexed by the fact that she didn't mention it when we talked earlier this week. I guess she wanted me to find out on my own and surprise her.

Don't ask the question...

... if you can't take the answer. I received this as an email forward, and since I am not a fan of the forward, I decided to post it here instead.

I was shopping at the local supermarket where I selected:

A half-gallon of 2% milk,
A carton of eggs,
A quart of orange juice,
A head of romaine lettuce,
A 2 lb. Can of coffee, and
A 1 lb. Package of bacon.

As I was unloading my items on the conveyor belt to check out, a drunk standing behind me watched as I placed the items in front of the
cashier.

While the cashier was ringing up the purchases, the drunk calmly stated, "You must be single." I was a bit startled by this proclamation, but I
was Intrigued by the derelict's intuition, since I was indeed single. I looked at the six items on the belt and saw nothing particularly unusual about my selections that could have tipped off the drunk to my marital status.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I said: "Well, you know what, you're absolutely right. But how on earth did you know that?"

The drunk replied, "Cause you're ugly."

Not for the faint of heart

The Black Donnelly's is a new show on NBC, and like the subject says... it is not for the faint of heart. It is as if the writers took 1 Cor 6:9-10 and decided to bring it to life on the screen. These Donnelly brothers are pieces of work for sure... the only thing that is sacred to them is family (and I wonder if that will change as the seasons progress). They will literally do anything for their family. The show is well-written, the acting is great (especially the lead character), and the story is well-developed. I am holding out for the writers to pull in 1 Cor 6:11, but doubt they will...

Bizarro World

I just walked into our break room to find two grown men watching The View. In all fairness, I think they were truly taking a break (they were there to replenish our vending machine), but they are tall enough to reach the TV to change the channel... yet neither of them did. Very strange.

My new love...

So I have a crush... I am 100% smitten with the Toyota FJ's. I think the white tops are the real magnet that draws my eyes to every single one of them on the road. Not a day goes by that I do not covet one at least once. At first, I wanted a blue one because they look like a Smurf. But then I decided that novelty would ware off. So silver is my number one choice... my birthday is July 12. I'm just sayin'....

Accountants are detail people, right?

So I spent about an hour yesterday and the past 1.5 hours looking for a variance that popped out in a reconciliation that I prepare each month. (Those of you who don't like or don't get "numbers people" may just want to stop reading right now).

Every month, I have to compare two sets of data to ensure that they equal. Even for those of you who do like numbers... the explanation is more than you would care to read - trust me. So I began preparing the reconciliation yesterday afternoon by gathering the appropriate numbers... dropping them into my nifty spreadsheet... and I was left with a variance of $232,640. Now for an oil company in this day, that is not a lot of money; but it still needs to be addressed... I mean we aren't ExxonMobil.

So like I said, I spent 2.5 hours looking at this... there was no reason that the variance should be there. It just didn't make sense at all. Well hold and below... I had simply left an entire number out of the calculation. Any guesses on what the number was?

Yeah. I know... I take almost a month off from blogging and this is my comeback? My appologies. I just felt like such an idiot that I felt the need to share it with anyone who would listen.

Dinner Bill Shortfall...

We have all experienced it at one time or another. You are out to dinner with friends... the bill gets passed around... money is collected... and you are just short of a reasonable tip for the server.

Well, as I have grown older, I have noticed that this happens less frequently than it did when I was in college or just out of college. But this past Monday night, it happened. We were only a few dollars short, but it was still short. I had not ordered much, and I was sure I had put in well over my alloted amount... so I just let others make up the difference (because I KNEW it couldn't be me).

For whatever reason, I woke up this morning to the realization that I had ordered a beverage on Monday night that I had completely forgotten about when the bill came around. I rarely order anything but water, so I never have to consider that extra amount. But this particular time, I had ordered a beer. So it was long gone and had been replaced by water by the end of the meal.

So this is my public apology for those who covered me on Monday night. You know who you are... and I am pretty sure you all read this.

Nobody likes "that guy" who doesn't carry his dinner bill weight...

Little Joys

So this is totally superficial and rediculous... but a very attractive girl just smiled at me in the elevator. What can I say... that is never a bad thing when you are a single man.