Oscar... not what he used to be.

I will start with this... the fact that Crash won Best Picture restores my "respect" (for lack of a better word) for the Academy. It truly is a great movie. Difficult to watch in parts, but some great commentary on human behavior. I highly recommend checking it out if you have not.

The rest of the Oscars were somewhat underwhelming to me. It almost seems as if the whole Oscars event has passed its prime. Could it be that there are just too many other award shows these days? Not sure. Or maybe it is more a function of my own perception of Hollywood and such. Thoughts?

Ah.. the simplicity of life

Yesterday, I had to make a trip to Dillard's to see if they would reissue me a gift card because the one I gave to someone at Christmas was stolen.

So I walk up to the register from which I bought the card back in December (yes, I remembered exactly which one... not sure why, but I did). The nice lady working that register told me that I needed to go to Customer Service on the second floor. No problem... the escalator was near by, so I made my way to the second floor.

As I reached the end of my escalator ride, I see a sign looming in the distance... "Customer Service." Well that was easy, I thought to myself. So I walk straight to this easy-to-find customer service counter. I wait there for what seems like a long time, but it was probably less than a minute.

Finally, another nice lady arrives and asks me if she can help me. I tell her my story... to which she responds (I am not making this up): "Oh.. you need actual customer service."

She then gives me directions: "Go through the furniture section and make a right... you will need to go to where it says Gift Wrap."

I am so glad that life is getting simpler and easier to understand...

26.2 Miles... are you kidding me?!?!

That was my thought as I saw people continuing on past my scheduled stopping point for the Freescale Half Marathon on Sunday. As I crossed the finish line, I was struck with many thoughts... one of which was, "13.1 miles is plenty for me."

So in case you were not aware, some friends of mine and I ran in the Austin half marathon on Sunday. We had a great time and it is something I highly recommend to anyone who thinks they might be interested in doing it. There is something to be said for incremental training... 5 months ago, there is no way I could have run 13.1 miles; but on Sunday, that is exactly what I did.

We were told on Sunday morning that the weather would not get above freezing the whole day.. so we all dressed accordingly. I think that report was incorrect because it didn't feel quite that cold as we were running. However, standing at the finish line (soaked in sweat) it definitely felt like we just ran with some penguins. I am telling you it was miserable... and add to that sore legs and knees... not cool. But the good part was that we were all miserable together, and no one really complained too much.

I think the thing that has struck me the most in all of this is that the training really was (at least for me) the best part of it all. Not to take away from the feeling I had when I saw the finish line... or the feeling I had when I crossed the finish line... but all of that passed very quickly. The best part of running this race was the training because it lasted 4.5 months. The race was over in 2 hours, and all I could hope to do was meet my finish time goal (cuz I certainly wasn't going to win). But during the training, I developed some great friendships... I saw what my body was capable of doing... I learned a little more about discipline... and the list can go on.

The same is true for the Christian life, is it not? The journey is the joy. God could have saved me and brought me to Heaven in the same blink of an eye. But He has not done that. He has left me here to enjoy Him on the journey. To develop friendships (with Him and with others whom He has created in His image)... to see what He is capable of doing in and through me... to learn a little about discipline... and the list can go on.

This is not meant in any way to diminish the greatness of Heaven. But just as the feeling of finishing the race on Sunday was heightened by the training, so eternity will be so much better because of all that we have seen and done here on earth.

It was only a matter of time...

I finally figured out how to post pictures on this thing. So here is my first picture post, and it will be of none other than my nephew Landon Thomas Richards. One day, he will be old enough to look at this and be embarassed... but for now, he is none the wiser.



Here is another (more recent) picture of him walking. Such extreme concentration... I tell you, he is destined for greatness.



He was born during the first round of March Madness last year. Coincidence? I think not. Greatness, I tell you... GREATNESS.

Righteous Indignation

So what is righteous indignation, you ask? Well, let me explain it from the dictionary:

Indignation - Anger aroused by something unjust, mean, or unworthy.
Righteous - Morally upright; without guilt or sin.

So the question I have for the blog world today is can we as humans respond to something with righteous indignation? The definition given above for righteous would lead me to say no... I am not without guilt or sin. However, in God's eyes (because of Christ), I am righteous.

But what of the indignation part? Who decides what is unjust, mean, or unworthy?

I bring this up because in reading 1 Samuel 11, I stumbled on a passage that intrigued me greatly. In this chapter, Nahash the Ammonite threatens to gouge out the eyes of a group of Israelites - Jabesh-gilead to be exact.

(stay with me, now... the point will get here before you know it.)

So Nahash makes this threat... and the people of Jabesh beg for an opportunity to find someone to save them. This news reaches Saul (the man recently annointed king over Israel). And here is the verse that caused me to stop and ponder:

"And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled." - 1 Sm 11:6

Now the chapter continues and Saul does some odd things in cutting up some oxen and sending the parts throughout Israel... and the people gather to help Jabesh fight against Nahash the Ammonite. (see also Judges 19)

(still with me? here comes the point...)

It was the Spirit of God that rushed upon Saul to make him angry at what was happening to Jabesh-gilead.

So my thought was why do I not have such anger come over me when I hear of things like you will see discussed in the following links (caution - the subject matter contained in these links is extremely sad and upsetting):

Invisible Children
JFCI

Why do I not have the righteous indignation to do something about cases such as those discussed above? Not sure there is an answer to that question that will be given in a blog... just wanted to give some food for thought.

Thoughts are always welcome...

They're here...

You guessed it, the Girl Scout Cookies are here. Some people refer to this time of year as Mardi Gras Season... I, however, refer to it as Girl Scout Cookie Season.

I just returned from lunch, and someone had placed a box of the reduced fat lemon cookies by our printer (the place where all of our community treats are housed on any given day). And my reaction was similar to that of seeing the Red Starbucks Cups in late November... it pleases me to think that over the next few weeks, there will be many varieties of delicious cookies to enjoy.

My favorites are the Thin Mints (frozen) and the Caramel Delights (formerly known as Samoas).

I had a great idea for another blog topic this morning, but it was far to serious to throw together in a hurry... so stay tuned.

Kathy Nelson and Ms. Elly... welcome to my blog. You both get personal shout-outs because I never would have expected to see your names pop up in my comment section. You are welcomed additions, for sure.

Old Habits Die Hard

Many months ago, my friend introduced me to the simply phenomenal email system that is fast becoming the standard web based email... Gmail. I have been using it for almost a year now.

The people at Google are always coming up with new features and such (my love for Google is a topic for another blog post entirely). The most recent new feature is the addition of the "delete" button. Users used to have to click on a drop-down menu in order to delete a message. Well now, you can just click a button... so much easier.

However, it has taken me 9 days of consistant use to go directly to the delete button. Today was the first time that I didn't instinctively go to the drop-down menu to delete a given message. It is very much like writing dates during the first two weeks of January... it takes about that long for me to use the right year.

This is so interesting to me because it shows how habits (even simple ones like those mentioned above) are so hard to break.

Again, on a side note... I have another shout-out to give to another dear lurking friend of mine... again, she knows who she is. I am pretty comfortable saying that she makes the best brisket that I have ever put in my mouth. Seriously... it was grandmother/years of cooking experience quality. So kudos to you, Lurker Friend, for your brisket (and for just being all around fantastic).

Mutant A.D.D.

This morning I was having coffee with a friend of mine; and in the process of the conversation, I begin telling him a story that occured on Saturday night. He lets me tell the whole story... and then says back to me, "yeah... I remember you doing that." And it hit me - he was there and witnessed the story first hand. In fact, I had been sitting next to him for most of the evening.

So has this happened to anyone else? Has anyone else launched into a story they thought needed to be shared... only to realize that the person they are sharing it with was present for said story. This is beyond A.D.D.... this is truly Mutant A.D.D. (extra points for all who catch the "mutant" reference)

Mr. and Mrs. Richards... CPA's

There is a married couple who both work on my floor. This whole concept just strikes me as odd... and frankly, not very enjoyable.

I see them having lunch together... they likely ride to work together... and I just saw them working on something together (though they are in different groups, they were both on their way to my team lead's office to ask a question).

Now you may be thinking that is sweet. A married couple getting to spend that much time together. I am thinking, "that is pretty close to my idea of a person hell."

You know what they say (yes, I just used the elusive "they" as a reference)-"Absence makes the heart grow fonder." Apart from Jesus Christ himself, I can't imagine spending that much time together with anyone on this planet.

So... married and single people alike, share with us your perspective on what it would be like to work with your spouse.

Oh, and on a completely side note, I want to give a quick shout-out to my favorite lurker. She knows who she is... and since she is a lurker, I will keep her identity a secret (unless she decides to "out" herself and actually post). But then she would lose her status as my favorite lurker... so it is a catch 22, I guess.

Confessions

I am taking the example of my great friend (and simply perfect stand-in date #1) Laurie Johnson, and I will offer up a confession of my own.

I watch the Food Channel. I watch it. There - I have said it for all the world to read. I watch Rachel Ray... Bobbly Flay... Emeril Lagasse... Paula Dean... (and, guys, my personal favorite) Giada De Laurentiis. (there are others, but blog confessoins don't have to be 100% complete, right?)

The wierd thing is that I clearly can't taste or smell anything that is being cooked... but I certainly do imagine how good the food must be. I mean seriously, they wouldn't be on TV is the food wasn't good. Right?

Now I do NOT schedule my days and nights around these shows... and I do not Tivo them. I have never set my VHS to channel 52, but I do flip to it on a regular basis just to see who is creating what for my imagination to enjoy.

Now many of these chef hosts are a little on the annoying side. A few examples:

Rachel Ray. She is kinda like a train wreck. I just can't look away because I want to see what the final product will be. So I sit through all the hand motions and all the cheesy giggles and all the "EVOO..Extra Virgin Olive Oil" remarks.

Emeril. Well, he just needs to kick it down a notch.

Paula Dean. She is sweet like sugar, but it just rings of... oh how can I say this... "Fake Southern Charm." If she really is that sweet, I want to marry into her family somehow.

Bobby Flay. This guy is the only one who is not annoying. I think I would hang out with this guy because he is... well, normal. At least he appears to be on his shows.

Giada De Laurentiis. Wow. I mean seriously, guys... check out Food TV just to see her. She is strikingly beautiful (in my humble but accurate opinion). She is not annoying either - for that proverbial record.

So there you have it. Todd Richards is a fan of Food TV. Who's with me?

(Judging by the fact that most of my readership is missing a Y chromosome, I expect to get lots of agreement. However, some support from the fellas would be appreciated)

Senseless Analysis

In reading the 8th chapter of Hebrews yesterday, I came across this verse:

"Now the point in what we are saying is this..." (it is verse 1 of the chapter, actually)

Well, the meaning of the verse and the chapter is not the point of this post... so you will have to read it for yourself.

But here is the point...

My Bible has a fair number of footnotes, and I tend to read most of them as I read a given passage of Scripture. So I read this verse... glanced down for a footnote... and found one. Now the format of the footnotes in my Bible is pretty important to my point. The words being discussed in the footnote are in bold, followed by the commentary/explanation/etc. So here is how the footnote reads in my Bible:

8:1 Now the point in what...are saying is this - [explanation of the verse, etc, etc.]

Does anyone see this as odd like I do? I mean I am curious to know if I am too analytical/critical or if others see what I see.

The Reflective Christian

So in my last post, I mentioned that I have recently read a book entitled The Myth of Certainty by Daniel Taylor. In this book, Taylor uses the term "reflective Christian" to describe himself... and those to whom he is directing the book. So what is a "reflective Christian?" I am so glad you asked....

I will attempt to give you Taylor's words... and then add my own commentary at the bottom.

"The term 'reflective Christian' brings to mind a knot of related but quite different images. The first is very positive, evoking a simple wonder that among the things it means to be created in God's image is the ability to carry on a mental dialogue with reality - that is, to think.

"But there is also a more troublesome aspect of being reflective. Thinking, as many have discovered can be dangerous. It can get us in trouble - with others, but also with ourselves. And the suspicion lingers in religious circles that it can also, if we are not careful, get us in trouble with God."

It is the dual nature presented here that Taylor addresses in the 130 pages that follow. The issue of having a mind that causes you to think... but how that thinking gets us in trouble in a variety of ways.

Taylor's words again: "Being reflective is both a blessing and a curse, a potential for strength and for weakness. It can lead equally well toward truth or error. Life can be richer, more textured, more challenging, more meaningful. Likewise, it can become barren, more threatening, more overwhelming."

So what is a reflective Christian? Simply put, it is a person who has been touched by the Holy Spirit (hence the Christian aspect of the term), and who has a mind that is not satisfied with simple, pat answers to difficult questions (hence the reflective aspect of the term). The reflective Christian follows in the steps of the writer of Ecclesiastes who said, "I directed my mind to know, to investigate, and to seek wisdom and an explanation."

Having this outlook on life can certainly make it "richer, more textured, more challenging, more meaningful." But the problems start when the answers to your questions are not neat and tidy. That is when life can become "barren, more threatening, more overwhelming."

So is it wrong to direct our minds "to know, to investigate, and to seek wisdom and an explanation"? Thoughts? Comments?

Reflection...

Some people are naturally more reflective than others... by that, I mean that some people analyze things a great deal while others are content to just take things at face value.

I definitely fall on the refelctive side of the coin. This can be both a good and a bad thing (see, I am even reflective about being reflective... it is a curse).

The good side of being reflective is that you are less likely to be fooled in this life by the lies of others. Another positive aspect of being reflective is that if there is a problem, the reflective person is probably going to be the one to uncover it. This is not a hard and fast rule, clearly... but as a general rule, the analytical/reflective ones are the ones who nail 95 Theses to church doors.

The bad side of being reflective is that you can "reflect" yourself into a corner of paralysis. As noted above, I can see every side of an arguement... which may make me a good politician or diplomat, but it makes decision making very difficult. Another bad aspect of being reflective is that you might miss truth because you second guess it too much. This is especially true for Christians who struggle with "blind faith." A reflective person is not as likely to just accept things because a preacher says them or because of tradition or whatever. The reflective person will likely be more like Thomas who wanted to see/feel the holes in Jesus's hands and side. That can make for a difficult faith journey because much of what we believe as Christians is believed "by faith." I have much more to say on this... but that will have to come later. Much of what I am saying has come to my mind as a result of reading a book entitled The Myth of Certainty by a guy named Daniel Taylor. He explores this issue in a lot more depth.

I bring this up for three reasons:

1. I recently read the book noted above... and it has caused me to think about a lot of things.
2. I tend to be very reflective this time of year.
3. I am curious where others find themselves in the reflective spectrum.

So tell me... on a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being extremely non-reflective and 10 being the person who can't decide what socks to wear because he sees so many pros and cons to every pair) where are you?

The Element of Cool

I didn't coin the prase used in the subject line... I heard it from my friend Shanna. However, I would like to pose a question to the virtual world about what that phrase means.

I was talking with another friend of mine on Sunday... and she said that the idea of being "cool" is a huge lie that has been handed down in our society. I hope I quoted her correctly on that... at least that is what I got from what she said. That being said... here is my point: Who defines what cool is?

Donald Miller, in his book Searching for God Knows What talks about Life Boat Theory. Life Boat Theory essentially says that if you have a group of 7 people in a life boat that can only support 6 people... how do you determine who gets thrown out?

Miller says that all of our lives are spent trying to be of more value in society than someone else (and thus securing one of the 6 spots in the life boat). You see it very clearly in children... there is always one kid who gets picked on by everyone else. Then, on the other side of the coin is the "cool kid" who everyone looks up to. (see also Lord of the Flies by William Golding).

And so we all find ourselves in this spectrum... not everyone is at the top (the Donald Trumps of the world) and not everyone is at the bottom (the people whose names we don't care to learn). We are all in the middle... but we are always jockeying for a higher position.

The fundemental problem with this (as pointed out by Donald Miller) is that we are not to compare ourselves to other people... but rather we are to find our worth in Christ alone. Adam and Eve did this before they tasted of the fruit. From then on... the human race has been in this competition with itself... all the while losing site of Who truly gives us value.

So what does it mean to be cool?

Sometimes, it's the random things...

I am bored at work... not for lack of work to do, but for lack of a desire to do it. So I decided to see how far back and how far forward my Outlook Calendar goes. The answer raised some questions in my mind...

The earliest date available is 4/1/1601... and the latest date available is 8/31/4500. (it actually didn't take long to find this out... so don't think I have spend all day on this)

Now my questions are these: Who chose these arbitrary dates and why? I mean seriously... why would you not start time on January 1 and end it on December 31? And the years themselves are pretty random.

Someone make sense of this for me... I honestly may not be able to sleep with this issue looming over me. That is what I get for not working while at work...

It's The Little Things

I walked into Starbucks this past Sunday, and the red cups were out... a sure sign that the Christmas Season has begun. I make a big deal out of that every year, and as my good friend Laurie Johnson said last year... "it's the little things in life." It really is. I mean red cups? What is special about that? Well, the Starbucks slogan for this year sums it up... "It only happens ONCE a year." Yes, I know that I am a slave to the corporate machine... but cut me some slack on that. This post isn't meant to highlight Starbucks... but rather to state that I enjoy this time of year very much.

This morning, I was in Starbucks... with my red cup of coffee... reading Proverbs. (no, I was not posing Greg). It is finally cold outside... so the coffee served the purpose of warming me up (in addition to meeting my addiction fix). Fewer things are more enjoyable to me than a good cup of coffee and reading God's Word.

And to continue with the little things in my day... I have begun playing Christmas music in my office. Today is Harry Connick Jr.

Of course, all these little things only serve as lagniappe as compared to the real reason for the joy of Christmas - that being the birth of Jesus Christ. I was talking with a friend of mine earlier this week, and we decided that God is amazingly subtle. Specifically, we were talking about the compilation and preservation of the Bible over the years... and how strikingly subtle He was in those two issues. And I rasied the point that He speaks in the "still small voice" (see 1 Kings 19:11)... and then when we look at how He chose to have our Savior enter this world... it is remarkably subtle and low key. See... it really is the little things in life that truly make the difference. A Baby born in a dirty stable... Who is at the same time the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Who knew?

So now you need to respond with your favorite "little things" about this time of year. (and they don't have to be spiritual...)

Safety First - Logic Last?

This morning, I attended a required safety meeting here at work. We do these every quarter, and it basically is a push for the company to operate safely and avoid instances that will lead to "Lost Time Incidents." We were all challenged to talk to one another about unsafe practices that we see in the building. Now I am all for working safely... especially in areas that have large machinery and chemicals and the like.

But the big example that was given today took place in our office building. Apparently, someone thought is might be "safe" to stand on the top rung of a ladder to work on some wiring. Well... the person fell and it created a Lost Time Incident. They presenters made such a big deal out of this... and said that it might have been avoided if someone had warned the individual of his poor choice to stand on the top rung of the ladder.

So my question is this... who doesn't know that such an action is unsafe? I mean really... who in this world (beyond the age of 7) is unaware of the precarious situation created by standing on the top rung of a ladder?

There's No Crying in Baseball

OK... so we gave it our best shot. I am happy to report that I didn't cry last night... I simply turned the TV off and went to bed. I was not happy, but I was so tired from being up so late on Tuesday night (basefall fatigue had really set in) that I drifted off to slumber land in no time. In fact, I was falling asleep during the game... maybe that is why they lost.

I recognize that these guys are professionals and that the White Sox just out-played the Astros... but seriously, what is up with making us keep the roof open? That completely compromises the homefield advantage. But at the end of the day, the Sox had the bats and we just didn't. We could get them on base without a whole lot of trouble... we just couldn't bring them home to save our lives (or to save a World Series that Houston has waited forever for).

I now have three times in which I can sing the words "It's the most wonderful time of the year."

1. The Christmas Season - pretty much have to sing it then since it is a Christmas song... and Christmas does celebrate a pretty important even in history (but this is not meant to be a serious post... so I will leave it at that).
2. The Month of March - the NCAA tournament is definitely the best sporting event in a given year. It beats out all others because I can get into it no matter who is playing. It is all about the underdog sticking it to the powerhouse teams.
3. The Month of October - In the future, I don't know if I will be as excited about the MLB play-offs if the 'Stros are not playing; but I have certainly enjoyed it this year. I am sure that ever year has its own special drama... so we'll see what happens next year.

And yes, I do realize that all three times of the year can't really be the most wonderful... but work with me on it, OK....

Emotional Involvement

So I have always been pretty aloof when it comes to getting emotionally involved with others. I am an emotional person, to be sure. But I try to guard myself from letting other people/things get to me emotionally. I always expect the worst case scenario so as to always be pleasantly surprised when the outcome is favorable. So some may say I am a pessimist (or call me Debbie Downer), which is fair to a degree.

But recently, I have let myself get emotionally invoved. I have opened the flood gates and given my heart away. I have fought it for a few years... as there has always been something in the way to keep me from truly letting that wall down.

But recently, I have decided to throw caution to the wind.

I am speaking - of course - of the Houston Astros. They have won more than the NLCS... they have won over another fan. Now many will say that I am merely a fair weather fan who is hopping on a bandwagon. To a degree, that may be true. I had written the Killer Bee's off in June of this year, but was still hopeful for next year. I have only been into the 'Stros for about 6 years... and this year I have decided they are worth the effort. So time will tell if my heart stays with them..

So to all the lifers out there who have been in a love affair with the Astros for years... I congratulate you in this season of joy as well.

Will the Astros win it all? Who can tell for sure this side of October 30. But one thing is for sure... they will give it their best shot, and I will probably cry if they don't. But such is the price you pay for getting emotionally involved with another.

Captivating and Pure

I have been reading a book entitled "God Wrote a Book" by James MacDonald. The book is essentially a defense of the Bible as God's inspired Word to mankind. One of the points made in one of the chapters is that Scripture is captivating... that it stirs the soul like no other piece of literature. When I read that, I paused and asked myself if I really believed that statement. I mean there are many people who read/hear Scripture but are not moved by it like they are moved by some songs... or some other written words. But then my thought changed as I considered how millions of lives have been transformed by the Word of God... because of His Spirit guiding the reading of It and so on. So I agreed that it was captivating... but it had been a while since I was personally captivated by Scripture, so I was still "unsure." (I read this chapter a couple weeks ago)

Last night, a friend of mine was telling me about his experience at another church here in Houston - Grace Presbyterian. He attends the evening service at HFBC, so he decided to take the opportunity to visit another church on Sunday morning; and that is where he found himself. He said that as they were administering the Lord's Supper, they had someone reading Scripture verses one after the other. No commentary... just Scripture. He said that is was a very worshipful experience as he considered the beauty of (as he put it) the "pure Word of God read aloud."

Then this morning, I read 2 Timothy. There were a number of things in the book that popped out to me, but one thing in particular stayed with me long after my eyes passed over the words:

"Remember Jesus Christ..." - 2 Tm 2:8a

Now the verse goes on to say more (hence the reference being 2:8a). But those three words were absolutely Captivating and Pure.