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Well, for those of you who don't know but do care about the NBA....
As I was working out today (hey don't laugh), I saw that the NBA and the Player's Association had broken off talks. Apparently they are coming up with a new bargaining agreement or something. I am not sure of the details. It sounded kind of like what happened with the NHL. This makes me think. If the NHL was unable to come up with an agreement and their season has been canceled; what would that mean if the NBA could not come up with an agreement and their season was canceled? I personally like the NHL but know that by canceling their season, a lot of folks will not watch them any more. I know that some are even mad that the NHL players want such demands when they already make so much money to skate around, hit each other and put a puck in the net. How does all this translate in the NBA? I think its like 50 times worse. The NBA players definitely make too much money and have too many endorsement deals to be griping about anything. At the same time not all of them are so fortunate to have multi-million dollar contracts. Some of them have to settle with league minimum salaries (1 year experience=$385,277 or 10 years experience=$1.1 Million). Others obviously get much more (Shaq makes $27.696 Mil over x amount of years. The New York Knicks pay the most for their team followed by Dallas, Portland, Philly, and Minnesota (all but 1 of those are out of the playoffs and only 2 of those even made it in-Dallas and Philly). Apparently the players don't like 2 or 3 of the terms offered by the owners and, depending on who you believe, the player's agents are running the whole show. Hey, here's a couple of suggestions:
1. No one makes over $2 mil per season EVER. That is even too much but I guess it’s hard to go from 20 mil to 2 mil; so we will help them wean off the cash flow.
2. Agents only make what the player feels like paying them. I think these slick talking greedy guys is smothering professional sports.
3. If the big boys don't want to play, find some folks who will. I am sure that there are tons of starving and hungry ball players just itching to step into the Garden or American Airlines Center, lace 'em up and play. Heck, I'd play...bring back the tower of power!!!
4. Make everyone go to college. This will improve College ball and give them some type of fall back when they don't make it or they get an injury that takes them out.

What are your suggestions? Besides, "Sports are stupid" or "They make too much” those are given.

Have you ever been restless? Have you ever woken up at 3 AM unable to sleep? Have you ever sat in your office or couch just staring into space thinking and pondering? Have you ever listened to whole conversations directed right at you and not heard a word said? Have you ever been restless? I like to call it 'forging' time or 'creative' time. It is a time when my creative juices are beginning to flow and ideas are beginning to emerge. It is a time when a path becomes clear.

Catch #1— I don't always realize what is happening. You see I just keep going about my merry way not knowing that God is stirring me up. He is causing me to feel uncomfortable and even closed off. I can look back at some significant defining moments in my life and see that God was 'forging' me into something more. Some of my best ideas and 'visions' have come from times of restlessness (when I say ‘my visions’ I mean the vision that God has given me).

Catch #2 – I have to actually slow down long enough to hear Him talking with me, directing me, guiding me, and 'forging' me. If I don't slow down, I just move past paths meant to be taken. I have to actually get away from things to hear Him. I have to take some time away from everything (which I hate doing) to bath in the Light of His Purposes.

But something is different this time. This time I am actually being hit on the head and heart hard enough to realize that He is trying to get my attention (He has probably been trying for a while). I want desperately to hear Him. I want this restlessness to become rest. I want my 'forging' to become focus. I want my 'unknowing' to become undeniable direction. The only way to get to it is to go into the quiet. Jesus spent much time alone. Now I truly know why. Even He had to be away from things to hear his Father. If you answered yes to any of the questions above, maybe it is time for you to be alone with God. Maybe it is time for you to be forged. Maybe it is time for you to be pulled from your comfort into a place of un-comfort so that you can be used by God. Maybe it is time for you to find rest.

I wish someone would invent a device to transport someone from one place the next.
I wish I could spend just one weekend per month to do nothing but watch movies.
I wish money really did grow on trees.
I wish I knew how to speed read.
I wish that dump trucks and 18-wheeler's had their own lane of traffic.
I wish our world would slow down.
I wish I didn't love ice cream and donuts so much.
I wish I was a little bit taller, wish I was a baller, wish I had a rabbit in a hat and 6-4 Impala (old school rap for ya)
I wish the stuff in my brain would come out of my mouth the way I want it to and out on paper the way its meant to be read.
What do you wish?

Well, here I am to write more about the concept of claiming and using the Truths around us for God's glory. I received a comment from someone that brought up a good point. We are, as Christ-followers, meant to be holy and pure. I agree. Though this is hard to do, it is still part of our journey. So can you watch a sexually suggestive movie or even listen to a good ol’ country song about cheating and drinking and still be clean and holy? Can you use a song such as Tim McGraw's “Drugs or Jesus” to communicate a Truth of the Gospel to someone? Can you use a movie like “Mystic River” to demonstrate the emptiness found in vengeance versus the peace and grace found in the Gospel? Can you study and learn more about the culture we are in so that you can better communicate a Story of Hope to those who have a bad view of 'church' without becoming unholy? Have we ever thought about the fact that the Bible quotes pagan poets (see Acts 17:28 & and Titus 1:12)? What does that mean to us? I think we have got to begin opening our hearts and our FAITH up to God and let Him use His truths where they are found in our world to bring others to Him. Or maybe I am just full of bunk.

Ok. I have been simmering on this one for a bit (since November). I heard this great speaker at a conference I went to in Atlanta. His name is Rob Bell. He was talking about sharing the Good News of Christ in a way that is more accepted by those that don't really want to hear it. Anyway, in the midst of his talk, he brought up a thought that I have not been able to get over. He talked of the way in which the Truths of the bible can be used. But it was more than that. His point was that if there is Truth, it must be God's truth...I am sure I am over simplifying this. But if you look in the book of Acts, chapter 17, verse 28 Paul uses the words of common day Poet to communicate the Gospel (his actual quote is'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'). That makes me think. How do we use the Truths around us...the Truths that can only point to the Creator and his Grace to communicate his Gospel? Or better yet, how do we NOT use them but instead abuse them? Do we rely on too many 'traditional' methods to communicate the Grace and Beauty of God's Story. What can be found in movies or music (even R rated or expicit) than can be used to reach a generation of people tha desperately need to hear about the Hope we have in Christ Jesus. Instead of slamming on the music or movies someone listens to or looks at, why not help them learn to sift through the garbage that those things bring. We can't run from the world for ever. Afterall, I thought it was Created and Sustained by God...at least that is what we are taught and some of us teach. Someone help me with this....

Hey there...my brother reminded me of some more Maw Maw sayings. I have to share them with you. These are some staple sayings in my family.
"Sleep before you get sleepy"
"Want in one hand and spit in the other and see which one gets full the fastest"
"Do you have The Headache?"
"I just piddle, but piddling turns into work."

I just love those. There are nothing like Maw Maw sayings to make a day complete. Thanks again Maw Maw.

I got to experience something really cool this past weekend. My sister (the youngest in our family) got married. It was a really cool ceremony with tons of family and friends. My brother and I were ushers which allowed us to sit back and watch the whole event unfold. It was really great to see family that I don't get to see very much anymore. You know when you are younger you take that for granted. Tony and I were able to seat everyone before the wedding and hang out with everyone during the reception. It was a blast!!! Tony even got to talk a little sports with my Maw Maw (my grandmother) while he walked her down the aisle to be seated. It made me laugh when he told me, but it also made me think how cool she is and how she has these little sayings that keep popping up in my mind. I would like to share a few with you...hope you don't mind Maw Maw!!
"You should eat before you get hungry"
"You should drink before you get thirsty"
"If there is thunder and lightning in February it will freeze in April"
"There is always someone that has it worse" (my personal favorite).

There is always someone that is worse off or in a worse situation than you or I. We don't like to think of it that way but it is true. I have had to remind myself of that more often lately. I have had to remind myself (again) that the world does not revolve around me. When we were making our decent into Washington Dulles airport on Sunday night, after a great weekend, it hit me. The sun doesn't really set we just keep spinning. The sun doesn't revolve around us we revolve and spin around it. I know its a corny analogy but a true one. I think there is more wisdom in my Maw Maw's saying then I realize. You see what wisdom does- it get's better with time if you allow yourself to let it sink in. We would be wise to listen to those that are wise. After all the world doesn't revolve around me. (Man do I have to remind myself again and again.)