My Goals for 2018

“Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.”
‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭2:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of the blog. Hope everyone is doing their best to stay warm this weekend.

You notice that the title of this entry is “My Goals for 2018” and not “My Resolutions”. While it would be easy to write “resolutions”, let’s be realistic here...when it comes to New Years, people make such lofty goals that they either forget about them after a couple of weeks or don’t act on them at all.

With that in mind, here are some goals that I would like to achieve in 2018 (with God’s and y’all’s help)...

1. To grow in my role as a husband and priest of my home and follow Christ’s example of loving His bride, the Church.
2. To expand in ministry and to listen to God’s voice.
3. To attain and sustain a healthy weight, even if it does include weight loss surgery. Notice I didn’t write a specific number here.
4. To not be easily frustrated over small things and to not “beat myself up” every time things don’t go the way I expect them to.

I am sure that there will be other goals that will come to mind, but these are the four main ones.

I am getting ready to restart the podcast... I got some of the production elements laid down already. Hope to have the first new episode up soon.

Here’s to a great 2018...until next time.

Christmas Letter 2017

Dear Friends and Family:

Greetings from Casa de Keil -- Shawnee. It is time for that tradition unlike any other -- my not-so-corny take on the Christmas Letter.  Without further ado, here we go...

Obviously 2017 has been a great year, with Sharon and I getting married being on the top of the list. Looking back it was one of if not the best day of my life. I am very thankful that I finally have my helpmate and I look forward to many wonderful years with her and her family.

But this year was also kind of a bummer year...this past May we lost our uncle Kenneth due to a heart attack. Since then, all of us have been on top of our health to keep everything in check...but it hasn't been without an occasional trip to the ER. We changed my wound care doctor not long after getting back from our honeymoon and we've been making lots more progress than we would have had we stayed at Deaconess. A couple of months ago, I went to a vein specialist and he recommended looking into some weight loss surgery as one way to alleviate some of the lymphedema.  As of this writing, I am scheduled to consult with a weight loss surgeon on December 21.  Hopefully, in 2018 I'll be singing after surgery "I'm a new creation...I'm a brand new man."

Sharon seems to enjoy her job this year -- in case you may have forgotten, she moved from teaching 2nd graders in Moore to 4th graders in Harrah.  Without divulging too much information, she is not as stressful and at her wit's end when she comes home.  Plus, she has great support from the kids' parents...and that's always a plus!!!

I've managed to keep myself busy...when I'm not helping Sharon's mom with what she needs around the house, I have a little job in which I go and inspect properties for mortgage companies around the Shawnee area. I only get paid so much per house, but at least I get a lot of time to myself, listen to either music or The Franchise (sports station) while driving from house to house. It's not to say I am not continuing to pursue full time ministry, I am still doing that...just don't want my hands to be idling while doing so.

I am looking forward to what is in store for us in 2018.  Last year I prayed that God would grant us health and happiness for our families.  I pray that again for this year. I also pray that I can be the husband that God has called me to be and that I can love my bride the way Christ loves His Bride -- the Church. I continue to pray that Sharon can continue to strive to be the Proverbs 31 woman that she is.  I pray that my inherited daughters, Elizabeth and Matea (Sarah) continue to be great women and they love and serve their families with God's grace and favor. I also pray that Sharon's mom Wanda grows in her faith and continues to be the great pillar that Sharon and I can lean on for Godly wisdom.

I also pray that this year Sharon and I can be blessed with a healthy, beautiful child of our own...I know we would be akin to Abraham and Sarah but it has been a desire of our hearts since we got married.

All that being said, I pray that you have a very wonderful and Merry Christmas and may God's best be yours and have a prosperous 2018.

Until next time...

Continually Giving Thanks: 2017 Edition

Hello everyone!!! Welcome to November, and you know what that means. We're going down the home stretch and hitting that stride to finish the year strong.

Looking back on my Timehop today, a blog I posted in 2014 caught my eye. It was my response to those who put up a post a day in November of something they are thankful for. I said on that post that I was going to put it all on one post because I may forget a day and have to catch up.

I thought I would revisit that post and maybe repost what I am thankful for...

-- That God so loved the world -- that He so loved me -- that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our salvation. I am thankful that Jesus didn't stay on that cross, but He rose again and is seated at God's right hand.  I am also thankful for the Holy Spirit and the work He's doing in our lives today.

-- For my family -- my parents, my sister Stephenie and Josh and my brother Jeremy for showing me unconditional love. I am thankful for my nieces Kaitlin and Kensie and my nephews Charley and Jaxson. I am thankful for my extended family -- my aunts Mary and Phyllis and my cousins in Western Oklahoma as well as my aunt Marsha, Anthony and Indee and their families and my cousins in Burneyville.

-- I am extremely thankful that God gave me a good thing to spend the rest of my life with this year in my lovely bride Sharon. I am thankful that she loves me even on days when it feels like I am failing as a husband. I am thankful that I have two wonderful young women that I inherited as my daughters in Elizabeth and Sarah. I am thankful for my mother-in-law Wanda and her Godly wisdom.  I am thankful for my brothers and sisters in law David and Tonya and Joe and Angela.  I am thankful for my nieces Katherine and Grace and my nephews Braden, Matthew and Josh.

-- For my Immanuel Baptist Church family and for my Pastor Todd Fisher and his family.

-- For my friends all over the country and the world...those I went to school with, those I have come in contact with over the years, those I served in the community with...I am thankful for all of you.

-- For my hometown of Clinton...despite all its qualms (and what town doesn't have them), we should be proud of our town.  I am also thankful for the town I live in in Shawnee.  It has a Three Bears feel to it -- not too big, not too small, it's just right.

-- For those who take care of me...the people at wound care (Judi, Janet, Sara, Arika, Shelley, Dr. Martin), for Kristi and Debby at therapy in Midwest City and for my nurse prac Kendra and her staff.

--For living in the greatest Nation on earth and in the greatest State in the Nation.

That should cover everything for now...if I have forgotten anything, I'll come back and either edit this post or write a new one.

Podcast Update and other things...

Hello and welcome to another edition of the Keil's Comments blog.  Let's get right to it...

I know I haven't done a podcast in a while and there are a few factors as to why I haven't.  One being as soon as I have a thought about something I don't write it down and by the time I can get around to either write it down or record it, it's gone...like it's not that important or anything.  Another reason being right now I get busy with other things that time just gets away from me...that and also I am needing to replace some equipment (i.e. a headset that accidentally got run over).

With that in mind, I am looking at tentatively shooting for a return date of the Keil's Comments podcast for around the first week of January. Reason for then is so I can get back to somewhat of a normal schedule of production, and so I can prepare for helping Sharon with what she wants to do with her students with writing and recording their podcasts and that sort of thing.

I've also been getting a new newsletter put together for our neighborhood...it's still in the writing phase and I've got a major case of writer's block that I need to overcome.  Like with many other projects, sometimes it just takes a strategically placed item of footwear to get something going.

Don't have much of anything else to write about right now...of course as soon as I do, I'll make sure to write it down and post it on here, unless it's fueled by emotion then it's just best to not publish it or broadcast it so it won't add any fuel to any kind of fire that might be going on.

That is it for now...until next time.

Showing Restraint...

Hello everyone...Robert here.

As the title of this post states, I have been showing a lot of restraint as of late. As a lot of you know, I rarely if ever talk about politics on my Facebook page. It's not that I don't have any political views, I do but I choose not to publicize it.  So you can imagine how hard it was to not get on here or on Facebook and take umbrage to all the shenanigans that DJT and his cronies are pulling, the latest being what VP Pence pulled this past Sunday at the Indianapolis Colts game, supposedly at the request of the aforementioned DJT.   Do I really give any sort of rat's backsides about our VP? No I sure as heck don't!!!

I also showed a lot of restraint after the mass shooting in Las Vegas and the "political football" that soon followed, i.e. more gun control legislation.  Although I do support the 2nd Amendment, 1) Wayne LaPierre and the NRA have not seen a dime of my money nor will they ever, 2) the only time I fired a weapon was when I was in the military and even then I was nervous and 3) I know how I am when I am upset and adding weapons to the mix just adds fuel to the fire.  Let me elaborate...I realize certain hunts call for certain types of rifles. But yeah, having an AR-15 or an AK just for the thrill of it, it does get a little excessive. As for the last point...I have been known to be a little upset about things (in the past, not lately though), but as I said if I had any kind of rifles or revolvers or whatever at my disposal, it would make matters worse for me. The last thing I want is to let my frustrations out on innocent bystanders.

That's all I want to get off of my chest for now...Until next time.

YOU HAD ONE JOB!!!!!!!!

Today's post kinda invokes a Kelly Ogle "My Two Cents" feel so bear with me...

Anyway...in the news this week was a report that the Oklahoma City Public School district is threatening to sue the Oklahoma Legislature to get them to figure out how to fund not just them but other school districts in the state. Story from News 9

The response to this is typical from the non-education types.

"Not only would a lawsuit waste the school district's money, it would waste additional taxpayer dollars to defend it. The Oklahoma City Public School District needs to stop playing political games and get back to educating students,” says House Speaker Charles McCall.

“This is merely a media stunt by the Oklahoma City Public School district,” says Senate Pro Tem Mike Schulz.

With all due respect...IF YOU HAD DONE YOUR JOBS IN THE FIRST PLACE, WE WOULDN'T BE IN THE SITUATION WHERE IT WOULD HAVE TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION TO LIGHT A FIRE UNDER YOUR COLLECTIVE BUTTS!!!!! Now thankfully the people I have gotten to know over the last year or so (Rep. JP Jordan, Sen. Stephanie Bice and Rep. Rhonda Baker, who by the way is a former teacher) were trying to get something going to help out our teachers.  But it's people like Mr. McCall and Sen. Schulz who are aggravating those who actually are making an effort.  Seriously, I would like to see what their point of view is, but I can't stick my head that far up my rear assembly.

I know this is not a post conducive of someone who is training to be a minister of the Gospel, but I am human and I have a vested interest in the educational system in this state both as a product of public schools and as the spouse of an educator. I haven't gotten to meet with the people who represent my area here in Shawnee up at NE 23rd and Lincoln yet, but if I did I would definitely let them know (in a nicer tone than what I'm displaying here).

That is all for now...

Comparing 1 vs. 2...

Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of Keil's Comments. Let's get down to the brass tacks of today's post...

I am working through a workbook that my pastor gave me that deals with the call to ministry. There's one question that asks "How do you view ministry in relation to other career options?" That's one of those questions that you really have to stop and think about. So I came up with a few right off the top of my head and see what you think.

Being in ministry is like...

1. Agriculture: Till the soil, plant and water the seed, reap the harvest.
2. Medical: Minister to the sick (physically, emotionally, spiritually)
3. Service: Being a servant 
4. Legal: Speaking up and caring for those less fortunate (orphans, widows, etc)

I know I am probably stretching on those last two, but at least it's a start.

Let me know what other professions can be compared to being in ministry. If you're friends with me on Facebook, leave a comment there.

That is it for now. Until next time...

There's a Call for You on Line 1...

Hey there everyone and welcome to Keil's Comments. As I'm writing this, I'm waiting to go back for my weekly visit with wound care, so this may take a little bit to compose since I am on my phone.

I have written on this blog before about possibly going into ministry (See "A Pastor? Me?!?!", written on December 30, 2012 --yes almost 5 years ago) and I have shared some encouragement on this blog over the years. This will probably come to no surprise to those who have followed this blog since I've started and who read the aforementioned post.

With the support of my wife and my mother in law, I started going through a process of what God would want me to do -- or if you wanted to put it another way; at 45, I think I finally know what I want to be when I grow up. After completing a book detailing God's vision for my life and praying and several other things, I have decided to answer God's call to go into ministry. I am going to be meeting with my pastor and one of the associate pastors at Immanuel Baptist Church this week (as of this writing, it's scheduled for tomorrow afternoon) to discuss what steps to take.

I ask for your prayers and support also -- I know some of my friends will say it's a long time coming.

That is it for now. Until next time...

Another Round of Random Thoughts...

Here it is...another rousing edition of Keil's Comments.  Notice I didn't qualify it with "the Written Blog" this time around...I think I'm going to take a break from the podcast for right now.  It seems that every time I want to get an episode ready to record, I have to help with something or there's something else going on.  I will pick it up again though because I think Sharon wants to incorporate a podcast with her curriculum this year so I'm going to try to pick it back up for the fall...also looking at another audio host site for the podcast.

I was going to do a video on this but writing it out is better because I can always either proofread or censor myself as I go whereas if I'm doing a video or recording on Audacity, I'd have to go back and edit it out.  Anyway, on to the topics at hand...

1.  I'm amazed at what some people say in regards to our teachers and their income and such.  There is a site called Oklahomans for Teachers which shows what discounts teachers can get at businesses around the state.  It started in Tulsa and is working its way down here to the Oklahoma City area. (There's a story on it on News 9's site if you want to see it.) But some of the comments seem to suggest that the teachers don't need such a break that they should just "get a second job" or things of that nature.  I'm sure other teacher spouses can relate to what I'm about to say...my wife spends a considerable amount of money each year OUT OF HER OWN POCKET MIND YOU to not only have some supplies ready at the start of the year but along the line as well for some projects that might come up.  In the past few weeks, it seems that there is a box from Amazon or some other site that shows up daily here at the house because she's ordering material to either read up on or have it on the ready when August rolls around.  And that's not including what the kids are supposed to get on their supply list.

Trust me, I'm doing my best to do my fair share to ease some of the financial burden.  I applied to be an audio tech for a husband and wife traveling music ministry -- I didn't get the job outright but I am in the bullpen should someone not be able to make it.  I'm still looking at some places for work, also looking at some organizations to volunteer with here in Shawnee.

So for those who seem to think educators shouldn't get so much off their meal at Arby's or what have you, maybe you should get off your "blessed assurance" and make sure our legislators get off theirs and figure out some way to get them a pay raise...even if it means getting rid of the turnpikes!!! YES I SAID IT...use the money that would be collected from turnpike tolls to make sure my wife and others of her ilk are worthy of their hire!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next topic...I'm sure some of you know if you either follow on FB or Twitter or watch that Lacey Swope, one of the meteorologists for News 9 is leaving, but she's staying within the company as she is going to KWTV's sister station in Tulsa.  Her spot on the morning show is being filled by Robyn King, a meteoro brought in from Terre Haute, IN.  Among the well wishes that Lacey has received from me and other people are comments of "well I'll just have to watch 4 or 5 now" not even giving a hint of a chance to Robyn.

Folks, it happens in any TV market...OKC, Chattanooga, Little Rock. Heck, even the Top 5 markets like DFW are not exempt from meteoros moving from one city to another, honing their craft, learning something new, making new friends along the way and hopefully move up to a big market or even network (although Ginger Zee has her position locked up on ABC as well as Al Roker with the Today Show.  That just leaves CBS and I think they use their owned stations for weather).  But you get the point...anymore no one stays in one market for more than 10 or 15 yrs, unless you're James Spann or Gary England. Robyn at least deserves a little bit of a look-see...from what I've seen on FB and Twitter she's getting the intricacies of forecasting in Oklahoma down, including how to pronounce some of our communities.

That's about it for now...finally able to post after rebooting my computer 2 or 3 times just to get my tabs up.  Until next time...

Mother's Day 2017

Hello and welcome to another edition of Keil's Comments.  Indulge me for a few minutes while I share my thoughts on something that most married folk already know about.

As I write this, we are approaching Mother's Day...and I wanted to write about 3 people in my life who are mothers. The first of course is my own mother Debbie Keil.  What can I say about her that already has been stated...she is in her own words "a tough old bird" having gone through hell and back and then some raising Steph and Jeremy and I.  Even her health scare last year couldn't knock her down too much...yes she has to wear an oxygen tube now but she's still as feisty as ever and in some ways inherited her stubbornness from Grandma Tucker.

The second one is my mother-in-law Wanda.  I know I've said this before but I'll say it again, I couldn't have asked for a better woman to be my second mother.  She doesn't usually say very much, but when she does it's something we have to take to heart...and she's got a very sweet spirit about her.  I guess that comes from all those years from being a Pastor's wife.

Last and certainly not least...my dear Sharon.  She has two older daughters and they are very beautiful ladies in their own right.  God could not have given them a better mom than Sharon.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there, those who are still with us and to those who aren't.

That's all for now...until next time.

P.S. Still working on the podcast...it will be out soon.

Marriage Conference Weekend Recap...

Hey there everyone.  Welcome to another Keil's Comments blog post.

Just wanted to write a recap on the marriage conference Sharon and I went to this past weekend.  I know what you're thinking -- "y'all are doing a marriage conference already? Something you're not telling us?" No. This was in the works even weeks before the wedding. This was not even your normal boring marriage conference.  The person they brought in was a great speaker.  His name is Dan Seaborn of Winning at Home in Michigan (he's originally from South Carolina).

The first night he asked us 10 questions to ponder over ("seeds" as it were).  Here are a few questions to give you an example.

• When your spouse sees you coming is there a "little leap" or a "little creep" in their spirit?
• Do you think about their world and the way they think and what they might be dealing with?
• Is your spouse afraid to bring up certain topics because of the way you react?
• If your spouse gave you a "living with you" grade, what would it be?

Dan also talked about some of the struggles that he and his wife have had over their 35 yrs of marriage.  So, safe to say he was not trying to hide anything, he was as real as could be.

The last session of the conference yesterday dealt with our vows.  Something I didn't know...the normal vows that are done were brought over with the Pilgrims on the Mayflower -- so we can thank Gov. Bradford and Company for that. I say "normal vows", if you were one of the ones that came to our wedding, Sharon and I did our own spin on them, but the core of the vows were still intact.  Anyway, each section of the vows meant a different statement.

"I, Robert take you Sharon..." is a statement of possession
"To have and to hold from this day forward" is a statement of companionship
"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer..." is a statement of consistency
"To love and to cherish till death do us part" is a statement of commitment
"According to God's Holy Law" (Mark 10:6-9) is a statement of Authority
"And thereto I pledge you my faith" is a statement of decision.

Then Dan had us repeat our vows to each other which had my tear ducts working overtime.

It was a lot of fun and we got to meet some other great couples (one drawback from that, we should have had name tags so we could remember names better but oh well).

That is about it for now.  Now on to remember what this week is about -- the week that saw Our Lord crucified, die and be buried...and to rise again on the third day.

Until next time...

More than One Direction...

If you clicked on the title thinking I'm going to talk about that boy band that dominated the charts a few years back, sorry for misleading you.  Welcome to Keil's Comments: The Written Blog from my cozy little man cave in Casa de Keil Shawnee.

I've had my podcast on hiatus for a while while I was dealing with wedding prep and everything...now that Sharon and I are almost a month in on the March to Ever After, I've been thinking about what I want to do.  Yes I want to continue the podcast because on any given week there's so much material to cover and a lot of thoughts swirl in my head.  I definitely want to continue this because a lot of time those aforementioned thoughts may turn into a rant and I would have to catch myself before I break into some "rackin' frackins".

I've also been viewing little clips on YouTube that I think might be interesting to get into as well.  While I may not have a 15 minute dissertation on my thoughts on a comic book or cuss and discuss the stupid news stories of the week, I have come across something that I might find maybe something I could do as well.  Last October I was introduced through Sharon to a guy by the name of Kevin Honeycutt.  His backstory is one that you would have to say "Only God...".  He is a motivational speaker for education and is based out of Hutchinson, KS.  I've put up one of his videos above...it's an interview he did with OETA's Oklahoma Horizon host Rob McClendon.  I highly recommend viewing his YouTube channel.  Some of the videos that he does are fun and some will make you stop and think.

Like I said, so many things I want to do besides this and the podcast...it's definitely something that I can't take lightly in taking before the Lord in prayer.  And I'm thankful that I now have someone that can stand with me in prayer on this.

That's about it for now...Sharon and I will be going to a weekend marriage conference at church.  Looking forward to what comes out of this.

Wedding /St. Louis Recap...

Hello everyone!!! It's been a while since I last posted so thought I would type some thoughts out. Oh where do I begin...

Diary of a 45 year old Football Fan

Hello and welcome to Keil's Comments: The Written Blog.  I'm having one of those sleepless Sunday mornings where it's hard for me to get some actual sleep -- even if I did take a Melatonin tablet beforehand. Just pray I can stay awake during church.

Anyway, on to the subject at hand and something that's been on my mind lately (no not wedding stuff). I have been a football fan since pretty much Day 3 (11/24/71 -- OU-Nebraska). Football has had those ebbs and flows with me as long as I can remember. Cases in point:

High School -- I've followed my beloved Clinton Red Tornadoes almost every year since I moved to Clinton when I was little. Yes we've had some great seasons and a few not so great ones but all in all I still support the Reds even living in Yukon and soon in Shawnee (thanks to the internet and being able to listen to NewsTalk KCLI online)

College -- another one of those that I've stuck with over the years are the Sooners. I've tried to do then "When in Rome..." thing when I was in Tennessee (I'd prefer Vol Orange over Texas Orange any day), but as the saying goes at the end of the day, I still bleed Crimson and Cream. Heck, even my groom's cake is going to be in the shape of an OU football.

Which leads me to the National...Football League (in my Howard Cosell voice).  I had been a fan of the Dallas Cowboys growing up -- when you grow up in the era of Staubach, Drew Pearson, Bob Lilly, Tony Dorsett and those guys you tend to appreciate what they did for the team back in the day.  Where my fandom ebbed for me was on two separate occasions...1) after Danny White retired they brought in some doozies like Steve Pelleur, Gary Hogeboom, Babe Laufenberg (who is the color analyst for the radio broadcasts) before they drafted former Sooner and Henryetta Hen (Knight) Troy Aikman. He along with Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and others got me liking the Cowboys again. Then the fandom ebbed again the past few seasons as I begun to root more and more for former Sooners that were going to other teams in the NFL. Sure I'd still root for the Cowboys every once in a while, but with the successes of AD, DeMarco, Sam and others it made it kinda hard, not to mention all the crappy seasons Dallas has had over the past 10 seasons.

Then, this season happened.

Like most of America, I couldn't help but be impressed with the play of the two rookies, QB Dak (short for Dakota) Prescott and RB Ezekiel Elliott.  Those two have gotten comparisons to Aikman and Smith and they've lived up to them quite nicely. Throw former Oklahoma Stater Dez Bryant into the mix and when he's not griping about not getting the ball he can do some good out there (yes like Irvin back in the day). I say that and then I realize Owner/GM/Meddler in Chief Jerry Jones will find some way to muck it up.

That's about it for now. Until next time...