Oh, What a Year...

As is my custom every year, I participate in my own "tradition unlike any other":  My own version of the "Christmas letter".

This year has been a terrific year for me.  First, I got my SSI in March, which in turn led me to finally be able to file for and get divorced.  Trust me folks...that was one of the best things I have done for me this year.

The other best thing I've done this year is getting myself back on a healthy track.  From the weekly visits to see the wound care doc in OKC that would take up most of the day (and that's just the wait to get back home) to now the weekly visits at my nurse prac Kristy's office to go over my meals and such and encouraging me to keep dropping the lbs.

I'm excited to see what 2015 brings...as they say on the news, stay tuned.

To all my friends and family:  I love y'all very much and may y'all have a very Merry Christmas and may your 2015 be better than this year!!!

Robert

If It Sounds Too Good To Be True...

Forgive me if all of a sudden I channel my inner Admiral Ackbar (if you're a fan of Star Wars, you'll get the reference)...

The news today that after 50+ years of not doing business with Cuba because Fidel Castro may supposedly have missiles trained at us ready to go off at any minute, now we want to talk trade and reopen diplomatic relations with them sounds kinda fishy to me. 

Sure, it may mean we can legally get Cuban cigars, coffee, etc.; more of their baseball players can come over without defecting and seeking asylum somewhere and in return we can do what we can in the way of humanitarian aid and, probably to a certain extent, open up an avenue to preach the Gospel to the Cuban people...I'm still a little skeptical.

It's like that one kid in school that picked on you and was a bully and now so many years later wants to "play nice" after seeing the error of his/her ways because they had accepted Jesus and gotten married and having kids of their own and so forth.  You still have that thought in the back of your head, "Should I give them the benefit of the doubt and see where this goes or are they going to go back to their old bag of tricks?"

I'm glad we got people like Alan Gross back, but at what cost though?  Is it like one of those trades you see in the Major Leagues...who is the "player to be named later"?

It's going to be interesting to see what develops in these last two years of our current presidency.  Let's hope the GOP majority get around to doing more of calling out President Obama's bluff, otherwise we may be adding more grease to the slippery slope...

Note:  I'll do my annual Christmas post sometime before next Thursday...stay tuned.) 

Continually Giving Thanks...

Woo hoo!!! We've made it to November!!! One month closer to the end of another year, which means all the things associated with it. -- the weather getting chillier, we (hopefully) elect new people to replace ones we think aren't doing their job while keeping the ones that we know they are (and that's another entire post), I'll be one day closer to celebrating the day of my birth, we'll be celebrating and thanking our veterans, and remembering what we are thankful for.  And while we know we should be thankful everyday, there are still going to be posts where people will pick a different thing to be thankful for one day all this month. 

I may not remember to do it everyday, so I'm going to post what I am thankful for on one post (I may not have 30, but I'll work with what I got).

1.  I am thankful 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 also thankful for the Holy Spirit and the work that He's doing in people's lives today.

2.  I am thankful for my family -- my parents, my brother Jeremy, my sister Stephenie and semi-brother-in-law Josh -- for showing me the unconditional love and for putting up with my mistakes and not holding them up over my head.  I am thankful for 4 beautiful blessings in my nieces (Kaitlin and Kensie) and my nephews (Charley and Jaxson).  I'm also thankful for my extended family -- those that I see often here in Western Oklahoma and my extended family in Burneyville, OK and in the DFW Metroplex.

3.  My First Christian Church family and my pastor Jeff McDowell for being Godly examples and being my church home for a couple of years now.

4.  My friends all over the country, whether we went to school together or church or from being involved in the community or whatever...I am thankful for all of you.

5.  I am thankful for my hometown.  Yes, Clinton has its qualms (very well publicized, I might add) but compared to other cities I have been in, there is nothing like being proud of being from Clinton, OK.

6. I am thankful for living in the greatest nation on Earth and the greatest State in the nation.

7.  I am thankful for my nurse prac and friend Kristy Baker and the work we are doing to getting me back healthy again.

I think that encompasses everything...right now anyway.  

Thank You...

I know on a day like today that those two words may not be adequate enough, but what more can you say to those firefighters, police officers, first responders who go into harm's way on a daily basis to protect and serve their community.

I know here in Clinton and in Western Oklahoma we are blessed with some great people working and volunteering in our fire departments, police departments, Sinor EMS and county sheriffs offices.  I know some people might disagree with me on that (especially the latter) and that's fine.

There's a song that I'm putting here...it's a song by BeBe Winans and I think it's perfect for today.  Jesus said "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13)  That would be the kind of love that would place itself in harm's way...a love for family, a love for community and a love for our country. 

To my friends who are firefighters, police officers, first responders and even my brothers and sisters in the military...THANK YOU!!!

It's Football Time...

As we get ready to launch into another football season and show our allegiances to whatever school we support, whether it be Oklahoma or Oklahoma State or whatever, here's to our friendships/relationships not exclusively hinging on Crimson & Cream or Orange & Black or any other color combination therein.

Also, I must say this...next Friday will start another season for the Clinton Red Tornadoes, this time with a new head coach.  And as I have done for several years ever since Facebook's been around, I will be providing almost up to the minute score updates. Now maybe this year, I can actually make it to at least a couple of home games. Therefore, I must say this...

If anybody for any reason thinks that I should not fill their news feeds with "RED TORNADO TOUCHDOWN" or any other relevant news regarding our high school alma mater, unfriend me now or forever hold your peace.  

With that being said...GO REDS/SOONERS/POKES/etc.

In the Case of Apple v. Orange...

Everyday we want to compare two scenarios that are quite the polar opposite of each other.  That is known as the "Apple vs. Orange" argument and it's been going on since practically the beginning of time.  I'm pretty sure Adam and Eve probably had that argument too at some point, but I digress.

Reason I bring this up...here are two different scenarios that are being weighed as I type this on sports shows around the country.

Apple:  Josh Gordon, Cleveland Browns wide receiver.  Been in trouble numerous times with the law and the National Football League for possessing and partaking of marijuana. He was suspended for one year for his numerous infractions of the NFL Substance Abuse Policy.

Orange:  Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens running back.  Suspended for just two games for (supposedly) knocking his now-wife around in a casino. I mean, who is to trust that surveillance video anyway.  And you know my feelings on Tango Mike Zulu -- and the fact that at least in the Oklahoma City market they are being shown at a very late hour (12 Midnight) goes to prove that they don't deserve a primetime slot anywhere

While in my opinion both are equally as bad as the other...the people who will and who are going to compare the two suspensions will cry so loud a party foul it's not even funny. Meantime, you have a DB who has been fined/suspended six times for targeting a defenseless receiver and the fact remains 1) he has no intention to change his game plan and 2) the days of Jack Tatum or Jack Youngblood dang near decapitating receivers are over...as much as we like to react to a good "slobberknocker" or two.

With that said, to bring back an old saying....ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

Upon Further Review....

I've probably written a blog post with a similar title (I'll have to go back and look) but I just want to express my thoughts on a few things.

I'm probably going to make a few Charismatic/Full Gospel/Pentecostal folk mad at me for saying this, but I'm going to say it unapologetic.  There is a song I remember singing which goes...

Whose report will you believe?
We shall believe the Report of the Lord.

That's all well and good...but when you're faced with basically a life and death situation, that dog ain't going to hunt.

Take my current health situation as Exhibit A.  It's one thing to use that and continue down the path where the next thing you know I wind up as the Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail -- losing his arms and legs but he's saying "it's just a flesh wound"...OR I can control the quantity of my food intake, cut out certain foods, do more walking than what I do already (not just to church and back) and maybe this time next year have our friend Becky draw a slimmer version of me.

That's where I'm going to need your help in helping me stay the course.  Those of you who I am in Sunday School with at church...keep me accountable, especially on birthday breakfast Sundays.  I'm sure Nancy can tell me, it pays to have an accountability partner.

That's all I have for now...