For the Class of 2014...

This is my 1st blog post in a while only because I really haven't had that much to say...

Today's kind of a special post as we're beginning to get accustomed to seeing a lot of graduation photos in our Facebook timelines and Instagram feeds (which by the way, yes I am on Instagram @rjkeilok).  From Pre-K all the way up to college, pics of caps and gowns, Pomp and Circumstance, tears of joy and sighs of relief pop up from all over everywhere.  And in those ceremonies you hear speeches from the valedictorians and salutatorians and maybe an important dignitary or two.

If on down the line I am fortunate enough to be considered to make a speech to a graduating class somewhere, I would probably say something to the effect of this...

To the graduating class of 2014:

Well, kids...you did it!!! Beginning as far back as probably Head Start or Pre-K, fourteen to fifteen years of determination, sacrifice, and hard work have gotten you to where you sit today...with your closest friends in your caps and gowns, waiting for that moment when you walk across this stage, grab your folder, the prompt to change your tassel and be called officially a graduate.  Congratulations!!!

As you close one chapter of your life and start writing the next chapter, whether it be continuing your education at the university of your choice, or serving our country in the armed forces or immediately going into the work force, let me pass along some thoughts to remember.

First and foremost, remember who the Ultimate Boss is.  Proverbs 3:5,6 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him (one translation says "in everything you do Put God First...") and He will direct your paths." Make God your top priority and everything else will fall into place.

Secondly...listen to people you can trust.  People like your parents, your grandparents, your Pastor, the elders in the church.  Psalm 1:1,2 (HCSB) "How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path of sinners, or join a group of mockers.  Instead, his delight is in the Lord's instruction, and he meditates on it day and night."

Lastly, while you are striving to succeed in whatever you do from this point forward, it is OK to have some fun every now and again.  I'm reminded of a classic movie quote -- "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."  Maintain a work/fun balance...just don't let one overrun the other too much.

Again, congratulations on making it to this point in your journey.  Keep your eyes on what's ahead, don't look back and most importantly...Put God First!

Play Ball...

Well, today is officially the opening day for Major League Baseball -- yeah sure, there were a couple of games in Australia and there was a season opening game last night in San Diego...but this is the day that really matters.  Today is the day that for the most part everyone is undefeated and hopes spring eternal to at least a decent season.

(One of my favorite Bugs Bunny cartoons -- "Baseball Bugs")

I'm not even going to try to pick who would be in the World Series -- that would be the equivalent of wondering who you would marry at age 4.  I just wish that all the teams do well...some better than others!!!

Good luck...and Go Rangers!!!

A Quasi-drought...

Greetings everyone!!!

Those who run more prominent blogs than this one can probably clue me in on something here...do y'all ever have days where you know what you want to blog about but by the time you get to sit down to post, your mind suddenly goes blank?  I have had those days...kind of the reason why I haven't blogged anything for a while until today.  There are some subjects that I know I want to talk about, but suddenly it gets sent to the furthest back burner you could imagine only for it to go cold.

Not making light of a real situation, but I guess you'd say that that would put me in a kind of a drought...much like we here in Western Oklahoma need rain and need it bad.  There's so much from my 40+ years on this earth that I can talk about...mostly good stuff.

For those who wait with bated breath for me to put up a new entry, thanks for your patience.  I know I haven't been as proficient as some, but thank you for understanding.

If you're going to do something, Do it right!!!

Rant time:  ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell tweeted a picture of the jerseys the Miami Heat are going to wear for their "Latin Night".  (You can see the picture here).  What gets me is that the National Basketball Association, in all their efforts to take their league to an international audience, instead of using the proper Spanish words for their teams, just throw "El" or "Los" in front of the team name and call it good.

WRONG!!!!  I'm sure my Hispanic friends and those who took Spanish in HS would agree with me on this, if you're going to do something to honor your Hispanic audience or reach out to your Hispanic fanbase, at least use the PROPER Spanish word for that team.

Examples:

Oklahoma City Thunder would be El Trueno de Oklahoma City

San Antonio Spurs = Las Espuelas de San Antonio

Miami Heat = El Calor de Miami

Los Angeles Lakers = Los Lagos de Los Angeles

Hopefully you get the idea.  This "El Heat", "Los Spurs" crap doesn't work!!!  In my mind, it makes the NBA look dumb and hopefully the new commish Mr. Silver can see that and change that pronto.

Quite the Challenge...

This week, our family got news that personally is kinda hard to grasp but we must work with the hand we're dealt with. 

We found out that my sweet little niece Kensie (Stephenie's daughter) has been diagnosed as being "mid-functioning" autistic.  It's really hard to fully explain, but I'll do my best.  She does know who her family is (me, her Mom, her natural dad, "Daddy Josh", her Me-Me and Pop Pop, "Uncie" Jeremy, etc)...it's just that on the educational side is what is giving her the most challenge.  


Onion Peel time:  It's rare that I do this, but what we're about to face with Kensie reminds me of some challenges I had to deal with early in my educational journey.  Those who grew up with me here in Clinton may know that for a time, I had to be in special learning disability classes and back in the early 1980's (yes I am dating myself) they didn't have much in the way of testing as they do today. It was there that I had a terrific teacher named then Nancy Paoli (she's known as Nancy Spencer today).  If it wasn't for her and for her assistant Marsha Taylor (who's now in Heaven), I don't think I would be where I am today.  In the age of Common Core, "No Child Left Behind", it's rare that you have teachers that actually care about your students like what I had when I was growing up.

It would be a "cop out" to give her and her family a mini-pharmacy and deal with it that way.  It would be another cop out to treat it like another battle in spiritual warfare (and long time friends of ours from the "old church" will know what I am getting at) -- pretending that autism is just another weapon the devil likes to use.  I'm glad I'm not in those circles anymore.  It's one thing to go all Gung-Ho, Rambo "I ain't got time to bleed", but it's a totally different thing to go "OK, here's what we're dealing with, let's develop a plan of action, let's work on the areas we know we can do ourselves and ask God to help us in areas that we need help with concerning this." Isn't that a little more civil than going at it with machetes, nunchucks, Kendo sticks and God knows whatever else?

So anyway...yeah, we have quite a long journey ahead of us with Kensie.  And we need all the prayers and support that we can give and get.

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

Humility...Pass It On!

What is it with the national sports media (read: the so-called "Worldwide Leader") and their quest to squash the "little man" also known as our Oklahoma City Thunder and Kevin Durant?

In an interview on Grantland, KD told the interviewer, Bill Simmons, that he would prefer that he'd be known as "The Servant" instead of "Slim Reaper" because in his words he'd rather serve the fans, the ushers, etc. and not be served.  While we here in Oklahoma love that he is being humble and wants to be called as a "servant" -- because after all Jesus said it himself...

If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all -- Mark 9:35 (HCSB)

 the aforementioned Worldwide Leader wants to espouse the philosophy taken from another Okie -- Toby Keith:  "I wanna talk about me, wanna talk about I, wanna talk about number one oh my me my, what I think what I like what I know what I want what I see..." 
especially when it comes to that little basketball franchise down in South Florida.

Another thing they asked today that grinded my gears so to speak..."Will Russell Westbrook's return hurt Durant's chances for MVP?"  If nothing else, it should help it.  Because after all...KD and Westbrook (as well as rest of the team) work as just that -- A Team!!!!  Wow...a group of 12 men working together?  What a novel concept!!! (Ok, more than twelve if you count coaches, support staff, front office folks, production staff, etc. -- but you get the idea!)  As they have espoused all along..."Team is One".  Not 5 different egos working 5 different angles...One Goal!!!

Apparently, some people in Bristol, CT and Miami, FL haven't grasped that philosophy.

You know...being humble does have its advantages.  Try it...you'll like it!!!

OK...I'll get off of my soapbox.  Until next time...

Les Miser-Rob...

My apologies for the awful pun there, but it's something I feel like I need to address.  This is one of those "raw emotion" posts so bear with me...

I HATE NOT HAVING A SIGNIFICANT OTHER!!!!!!!  

Looking at the pics from the Valentine's Banquet last Friday...even though I had a great time, I still felt like there was something missing.  I didn't have anyone there with me to get "Lost in the '50s" with...

I know, hate is such a strong word but in this case it fits, because I absolutely hate not having that girl I can call in a moment's notice and say "let's go to the park" or bounce blog ideas off of or enjoy a movie or concert with or, most importantly, pray and read the Word with on a daily basis. 

I do have friends who are females that would qualify, but most of them live outside a 50 mile radius of Clinton...in Mangum. Oklahoma City. Tulsa area. McAlester area. Little Rock. Not like I can get in the car and be at their house in a minute or less.  And some that I know here locally...we grew up together so they know how I was raised and how I "tick" for the most part.  

I know it's easy to say "trust God and wait on Him for your mate", but as I've found out (the hard way)...if you find someone and they basically treat you like crap, it takes a long time to regain any sort of trust to ensure you don't want that to happen to you ever again!

Again, I'm just putting this out there...laying the cards on the table so to speak.  Until next time...