Super Bowl Warning

According to officials in Miami-Dade Florida the Super Bowl may refer to more than the uber-hyped football game to be played on Sunday. The term may also denote the porcelain fixture located in one or more small to mid-sized rooms in your home. That is correct, the toilet that we all take for granted could become a headline item on Super Bowl Sunday when 90 million football fans realize at half-time that they have consumed more bean dip and beverages than intended and head to the head at the same time. I am not making this up. That means 350 million gallons flushed almost simultaneously. The CBS affiliate in Miami is reporting that every year during half-time of the Super Bowl plumbers are called in record numbers because pending problems succumb to the pressure of so many flushes. Of course, if Janet Jackson is scheduled to perform, the flushes may be staggered into the third quarter. Obviously, you can't go during commercials because that is, by far, the best part of the Super Bowl. My advice is "go early". Who knows there may be lots of folks with the same instructions as Baron--floating newspaper in the toilet. If the terrorists were really smart, they would target the nation's sewer system.

Why live in Alabama?

Why would anybody live in Alabama? How do most people choose where to live? If you could live anywhere in the world for the next 30 years, where would you choose? I live in Alabama primarily because I have accepted life as presented to me as a child. A quick explanation; I was born in South Georgia to poor sharecroppers who made a bold move to "town" for a regular job. I grew up poor and did not see any of the world outside the southeast and not much outside Georgia. My parents decided for me that I would attent Alabama Christian College (now Faulkner) because it was 1) a Christian school and 2) close to Georgia. Very soon after beginning college I realized that "all the money" I had saved from my career at Reeves Construction Company (as in Dan Reeves family) over the summer would not last long. As I entertained finding a job in Montgomery, the opportunity to work part time at the USPS came along. I competed and got the job. After one year the part-time program was terminated and I was given a choice; hit the road or work full-time. I chose full-time, began working 50 hours per week while taking 19 hours at college and dating. I slept.......well, mostly in class. The job was secure, paid reasonably well, and I liked Montgomery so LaWanna and I were married and made a home here. The rest, as they say, is history. That does not mean that, as an adult, I haven't considered other places. Here is a picture of a region that pretty much speaks for itself as to why I stayed here.

Minnesota in December. That was a month ago, before it got really cold. No thanks.

Check-in, Week 4

196

I've lost six pounds so far in January which is not great but going the right direction. I will be at 175 before mid-year.

GoStats

I can not resist posting about this discovery! Reading, evaluating, and guessing about the information provided by this service has become more fun than posting and reading blogs. It is fun to see that someone has found my blog by searching for "individuality" of "Wayne Spires" or "Roxy Wishum", then returned over and over. While I can not identify the reader, there are lots of clues and sometimes it is obvious. Other times I do not have a clue--well one clue which is just enough to keep me digging. Who do I know in Ozark, Mo.? To my Canadian reader, welcome, eh. To the Malasians who keep finding me via the dating website--give it up. I am married to a fox. O.K., send a picture and I will think about it. Just kidding, honey! It is also fun to see the trends concerning days and times when the traffic is heaviest. Some of you should be working. And one of you should have been at church. More fun will come my way as a result of this post because I am going to make up labels just to create traffic from searches. To do that I will insert sentences like these. Paris Hilton has gone wild. Britney Spears buys panties. Hiliary Clinton is a man. Barack Obama wets the bed. The war in Iraq has been won--thank you, George Bush. This is the naked truth. Man, this is going to be wild fun.

Break Time!

As I made my way through beautiful downtown Wetumpka a couple of days ago, spreading cheer from office to office, I was about to enter the office of the city attorney when someone called out "Sir, sir, excuse me!". I stopped to see a young man (mid to late 20's) and his wife (I assume) approaching me. I had already spotted them in the parking lot next door near their parked Astro van and noticed that they seemed a little out of place. Why? Well, they were young and clean-cut. They were reasonably fit looking. They just did not look like Elmorons. But they did look a little disoriented. "Excuse me" he said "Is this the Post Office building?" I had to think a moment how to answer the question. You see, the large, square, white marble building used to house the Post Office before it was outgrown and a new building was constructed on Ft. Toulouse Road near the Wal-Mart. Not only that, but the building where they were parked has carved into the stones on front "UNITED STATES POST OFFICE" and is commonly referred to as the "old post office". Since community groups often have meetings there and advertise the meeting place as "the old post office", the answer could be yes or no depending on what exactly they were looking for. When I asked questions to clarify, it became obvious they wanted the USPS, not the old building. Unfortunately, the lady they asked in the courthouse across the street did not get the clarification and had sent them to this building. Having been thus reassurred that this was the post office and with the name prominently displayed on the front of the building AND with mail collection boxes still located in the parking lot, they had set out on their quest to complete change-of-address cards to their new address in Elmore County. By the time I happened along they had tried EVERY door all the way around the building. You have to use your imagination to picture the scene; they have tried all doors and found them locked, there are NO lights on in the building, and the only car in the parking lot is the one they drove there. What do you suppose his next statement to me was? "All the doors are locked and I can't get anybody to the door. Is everybody on break?" WHAT? Is everybody on break? Man, you have been listening to too many late night comedians. Do you really think we lock the doors, turn out the lights and lay down on mats like kindergartners for a nap at 10:00? Do I look like a state employee? Do you think there is EVER a time the phone is not ringing with some idiot complaining about receiving or not receiving some piece of junk mail? Have you EVER been to ANY post office where there is not a line of impatient, uneducated people asking for a special favor from one of the two window clerks doing the work of four window clerks? Do you HONESTLY think we have a time that everybody can just lock the doors of a large facility and take a break? Then you tell me you have moved twice and would like me to tell you where your mail is? Brother, you have moved to the right place because you really are an ELMORON!

Check-in for week 3

Boy, I really hate to do this. But I said I would check in every Sunday until I reach my goal. This week I did not loose a single pound. Well, literally, I lost and gained several but the net result is the same weight as last week. All the excuses about Tammy's cherry dump cake and LaWanna's chili and schedule conflicts with running boil down to the same thing; lack of discipline. I am so ashamed. It is a good thing there was not any ice cream to go with the hot cherry dump cake or I surely would have gained weight.

I will do better. Really.

Fun with Statistics

The most observant readers (you know who you are) of this blog may have noticed an addition this week. Yes, that little Go.stats counter was added a couple of days ago. I looked at some counters when I first set up my blog but decided after reading how you can start at whatever number you choose (wow, this blog has had 47,322 visitors and has only been up 6 days?) that it was mostly for show. After reading a comment on one of the blogs I visit frequently, I realized that useful data can be mined from some counters. So I signed up for the FREE version of Go.stats. Dave Ramsey would be so proud of me. Allow me to say that even the FREE version of Go.stats is VERY interesting. When I sign in, it gives a summary of hits on the blog in numerical and graph form. But it really gets interesting when plundering the detailed reports. You can see what page your reader left to arrive at your site. I was not surprised to see that the top "previous page" was Laura's blog. Thanks, Laura, for the hook-up. But was educated to see some of the sites listed as the "previous page". I knew some folks were reading and never commenting--which is fine--because sometimes a person will comment face-to-face about a post when I had no idea they even were aware that I had a blog. That occurred a couple of times after the "Echo" post because it resonated with several people. But the Go.stats data reveals some other readers I was completely unaware of previously. You can also track how many arrived at your site via a search engine, which search engine, and what the search term(s) were. That info made me aware that some of the folks that found my site by googling "Wayne Spires" are still checking in for updates. Very informative. It offers much more, for instance, the IP address of each computer from which someone has visited my site. That's riiiiight, I've got your IP address so you are not as stealthy as you thought. It is too late to log off now, I already have it. And, I am not making this up, Go.stats even provides me with data about your computer, such as monitor size and resolution settings. Yes it does! Turns out, not many with really large monitors visit my blog. You know what that means. No, me either, but it is fun and amazing data. It does make you stop and go hmmmm to think that an old guy who grew up on a dirt road could stumble on that much info, just think what a tech-savy hacker could do. Well, I have nothing to hide. So, if some hacker is looking around my computer right now, leave a comment. I already have your IP address.

Sure, It's Easy for You!

Nolan Shaheed recently set the world record for men age 55-59 in the indoor mile. Now, before you tune out and discount his accomplishment as "so what? He beat some other old guys" listen to the rest of the story. His time was 4:42:89. Think about it a minute. Can you run a mile in 8 minutes? 6 minutes? I will be surprised if I have any readers of any age who can run a mile in under 5 minutes. Nolan is 57. How does he do it? Was he just born fast? Maybe, but listen to his regimen; he runs 12 miles a day, six days a week, and eats only one meal a day after he trains, fasting three to four days out of the week in the summertime. What is the result of this single-minded obsession? He weighs 127 pounds--the same as when he was in High School.

Yes, but that is probably all he does, right? Nope. Nolan is very accomplished at jazz trumpet. He has played with Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder and at one time was the lead trumpet player for the Count Basie Orchestra.

I do not know much else about him, but he makes my efforts seem pretty small. I am not going down the road he has chosen, but may take some inspiration to move in that direction just a little.

Reluctant check-in

Week 2 of Resolution #1

Weight--200

Change-- 0

Net change- -2 lbs.

Diet---D

Exercise--C

Did well until the end of the week. Friday we used a Christmas gift card at Outback and Saturday evening we ate BUFFET at Down the Street to celebrate the retirement of a co-worker. Good times--good food--too much. Even with the diagnosis of bronchitis, though, I did run my 5 mile out-and-back on Thursday to Ft. Toulouse WITHOUT WALKING. Sometimes exercise has a delayed pay-off. I will still make the goal by the end of June.

Wayne's World Revisited

I have enjoyed the on-line conversations about Wayne's position, stance, and what happens next. I sincerely appreciate those who found my blog via internet search on this particular story and took time to comment. Your comments are always welcome, whether we agree or not and regardless of the number of words needed to express yourself. Really. Glad to hear from you. Originally, I heard of this story from Rick and Bubba. Just as I arrived at work they were beginning to explore a story someone had e-mailed to them about a guy sitting on a tower. They were very interested and Bubba astutely noted that the tower in the photo looked like a ham radio tower, which has been an issue with him and past Home Owners Associations. Unfortunately, I had to go into work before the story developed fully. When I got home I checked the Advertisers website and read the story. It looked to me like Wayne (based on the article information) was on shaky legal ground and choosing a wacky way to get his story out. Well, the method worked--at least to a point. The story did spread quickly and became fodder for water fountain conversations (sorry those of you who carry bottled water missed out).

Here are a few thoughts as I have reflected on these events in the last few days. While I do not personally know Wayne, I feel safe in saying we have both similarities and differences. I admire his dogged determination to make his point regardless of what others may think and say. I am amazed at his temerity demonstrated by staying put through two tremendous storms. I am impressed that his family has rallied to support him with physical presence at the tower and by posting information on-line. Based on the information I have (which I say again, is limited--there is much I don't know), Wayne's cause seems based on a questionable foundation. Here is where the story interfaces with the book I am currently reading (Prayer, Does it Really Make a Difference? by Phillip Yancey) and the thoughts spurred by that book. Yancey refers to incidents of Abraham, David, Moses, Job, and even Jesus praying in a way that seems like negotiating with God. There are lots of examples but the one that stands out in my mind now is Abraham asking God to spare Soddom and Gomorrah. He starts with a high number of righteous for whom God would spare the cities, then when God agrees he pushes the envelope and offers a smaller number until he gets down to 10. For 10 righeous souls the cities will be spared--agreed. We now know of course what God knew then, that there not 10 righteous folks in all of the two cities. What stands out is Abraham kept asking for more and God kept agreeing. In fact Abraham never reached a number where God said "No, you are asking too much". What if Abraham had asked God to spare the cities for 2 righteous souls? We can speculate but never know because he did not ask. What strikes me is how often I fail to ask. Not just of God but also of others. The idea of meekly and humbly accepting life as it comes to you is a strong "life commandment" from my upbringing that asking for a lot seems........wrong. Yet, God wants to give. Friends and family want to give, up to a point. So, somewhere past the mid-point of my life I still have to weigh whether to risk being the pesky person who always wants his way against waiting to be asked for my opinion or preference while watching the acceptance of an inferior choice because someone had the "temerity" to ask. And ask again. I am still thinking about it. But win, loose, or draw I respect Wayne's toughness.

National Champions

Hey, Ohio State, welcome to the SEC! Teams like Ohio State, USC, and Texas would NEVER go undefeated for 19 games in the SEC. Say what you like, 41 to 14 is a whuppin!

Excuse Me

Hey, you up there in the SUV. Yes, you, lady. What are you doing? It is 6:30 a.m. and people are on their way to work. Sometimes we like to swing through the drive-through for a Hardees biscuit and cup of coffee TO GO. TO GO is the operative term. Now, there are no posted rules and anybody can use the drive-through window. Certainly, I am not in charge and can not kick you out of line. But if you would take a moment to observe--or just stop and think of somebody besides yourself--it would surely occur to you that this is not the best way to 1) place 13 individual orders for everybody in the office (make that steak biscuit dark and not too much bacon in the low-carb bowl) 2) pay with a debit/credit card that requires passing the card through the window to be swiped, receiving the clipboard to sign the receipt, waiting til the overworked woman returns to the window to ask for a pen, passing the clipboard back, receiving the card back--while making sure to raise and lower the SUV window between each transaction because it is a frigid 67 degrees 3) individually open and inspect each order to be sure it is correct 4) place the receipt carefully in your purse so you can spend another 30 minutes at work settling the tab 5) find Rick and Bubba on the radio before pulling halfway out of the drive lane. If you KNOW your order is going to take 17 minutes, PLEASE park and walk inside rather than hold up the 11 pickup trucks holding blue-collar guys who just want a quick cup of coffee and a biscuit. We could ALL go through the drive-through while your order is compiled. And by the way, your friends will not tell you, but if you park down in the corner of the parking lot and walk in, maybe your butt wouldn't be that big. If that is just too much, maybe you could hang a sign on the speaker saying "Insensitive jerk in line--prepare to wait" and the other 11 of us would gladly park and go inside. If it helps, the spicy chicken biscuit and senior coffee is $1.63 including tax so you can have the exact change ready. Done right, it takes about 35 seconds.

Weighing in

I promised to follow up on my public resolution by weighing in each Sunday until my goal is reached. Here is week #1.

Weight-- 200

Change-- Lost 2 lbs

Exercise --"B"

Diet-- "D"


Summary; Bad news--only lost 2 pounds
Good news--really only a half week because I considered the first few days
holiday time and frankly was lazy until Wednesday--Yeah, bowl games!
Good news--even at only 2 pounds per week, I could arrive ahead of schedule.

Wayne's World

This gentleman is Wayne. Wayne Spires lives in Wallsboro. He is 61 and has been sitting in a chair tied to a 68 foot ham radio antenna for 4 days. He says he is not coming down until he gets his way. Rick and Bubba are reporting on their morning radio show that Wayne is from Wetumpka and Montgomery folks would probably say the same. But in Elmore County, Wallsboro is a separate community from Wetumpka. This distinction is important because Wallsboro is unincorporated. That means that if the residents of River Falls, where Wayne lives, wants to pave the roads in the neighborhood they have to pay for it directly rather than via taxes. Now, the reality is that this method is cheaper than paying property taxes over several decades but can mean a lot of money all at once. It turns out that River Falls has a neighborhood association. There are different versions of the agreements reached by the residents of River Falls related to....well, everything. Homeowner's associations provide plenty for us to debate. Should you be able to change the oil in YOUR car in YOUR driveway? Should your neighbor be allowed to have 23 Rottweilers? On and on we could go. It boils down to how much will you pay in dues and how many property rights are you willing to forgo in order to protect your property values. Beyond the debate over homeowner's associations, Wayne's stance (so to speak) brings up other questions. Mainly, is sitting on a radio tower a logical way to resolve differences of opinion? Sure, Wayne will get lots of attention and if he stays up there tonight during the thunderstorms the debate may well be over tomorrow. The publicity will, no doubt, reflect badly on the neighborhood and the association. Some of Wayne's neighbors resent being forced to fork out $1500 to pay a share of paving the roads and they support his protest effort. No doubt others are embarrassed and will avoid Wayne for years to come. Since he has already lost a court case on the issue, the outcome is unlikely to change. But he sure has a determined look.... and lots of gear.

I Hereby Resolve.......

It is that time of year again; to begin the process of deciding what resolutions you will be breaking throughout the year. Lots of folks scoff at the idea of New Year's Resolution. I have been among the scoffers. I am making some serious resolutions that will require lots of work and prayer but will not share all those on-line. I am posting for all the world to see, the worn-out resolution to loose weight. "Wait, Roxy, wasn't that a resolution last year?" you might ask. Yes, it was and yes I did. I may loose some of the same weight this year?! I did well on this goal last year for a while. Much of that success was due not to technique, but rather to motivation. This goal was tied to another goal of competing in the Alabama Senior Olympics and doing well enough to qualify for the national competition in Louisville, Kentucky in July, 2007. I made that goal and would like to tell the story in a way that makes the feat seem impressive but there were witnesses. My family, including son-in-law and almost daughter-in-law, dutifully sat in the blazing sun all afternoon on a Sunday to watch me plod around 1500 meters. It was pretty sad. However, I qualified (since there was so little competition) and was on track (so to speak). I scheduled three more races during the mid-to-late summer as motivation to push myself in training. ALL of those had to be missed because of schedule problems and I became discouraged, eventually giving up on the goal of going to Kentucky. Then my co-workers all worked together to make it possible for me to have vacation time the week of July 4--when the 1500 meter races will be held. That is a significant sacrifice by some and I was touched. Now, I have to more or less start over on conditioning and speed work to get ready.
All that to say I have a motivating factor.
And specific performance goals.
And a specific target weight.
And a detailed plan.
So here is the resolution I am sharing and invite you to help hold me accountable for;
I WILL loose 27 pounds from 1/1/2007 to 7/1/2007.
That's it. The motivation is there. The understanding exists that a "renewing of the mind" is required. The tasks that must be completed each week are clear. And the follow-up accountability is this; I will post a brief message on this blog each Sunday until the goal is reached. Today 202 pounds. Next Sunday.........? We'll see.
Comments are welcome and need not be praise and platitudes. I can take the jokes and wisecracks and use them as motivation. Take your best shot.
What is YOUR resolution.

Say What?

I need the help of sophisticated and well-read bloggers. There are many questions to be tackled, such as "What is the meaning of life?" and "How do we end the war in Iraq?" and "Who will be the head coach at Alabama?". My question is closer to home. This morning on the way to work, I was passed by a vehicle with a tag reading "P2MUCH". I am not making this up. Why? I am not asking why he has this problem--it may be too much water or coffee, it may be a prostate problem--whatever. The question is "Why pay $50 to have a vanity plate made with this proclamation?" I say 2MUCHINFO!

IMPROVE YOUR LIFE IN 2007

The December 25-January 1 issue of U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT shouts from the cover "50 Ways to Improve Your Life in 2007". I have subscribed to this magazine for several years because it seems to present a balanced view of news around the USA and to a lesser degree, worldwide news. TIME and NEWSWEEK seem like copies of each other and are very liberal in their view of sociology, religion, politics....everything. So I was excited to see 50 suggestions to improve my life in 2007--hey, that's NEXT WEEK! Well, there are a few good ideas among the 50, but many are just ridiculous. I doubt I will do anything about Darfur, share my ride, get rid of my leaf-blower, turn off my dryer, or drive with biodiesel. Number 42 caught my eye; see a glacier before it melts. Oh brother! More global warming nonsense. Thanks, Al Gore. Now, let me be clear--I think seeing a glacier is a GREAT idea. I was blessed to take a boat tour of Glacier Bay near Seward, Alaska a few years ago and it is amazing. The sound of ice breaking off the glacier (birthing) is amazingly loud, like a rifle shot. The sheer size of some glaciers is just staggering. I am sharing some pics at the top of this post to offer a glimpse of the beauty of glaciers. My problem with the article is that the gist is "Thousands of glaciers will go the way of the dinosaurs." Since they quote "one of the world's leading glaciologists", I suppose I have to admit that my qualifications to offer an opinion are severely limited. I didn't even know glaciologist was a career field. I feel pretty stupid right now. Maybe I should not have laughed at their statement that the famous park in Montana might have to be renamed Unglacier National Park. Also, who am I to scoff at the claim that you can see "three quarters of a million years of climate history" in the layers of some glaciers.

Well, I don't get my info from the leading glaciologists because I don't know any. However, I do know the creator of the universe and He told me that he is still holding the world together and that I don't have to worry about it. What a relief! You know, maybe the Earth's surface will warm up a few degrees and we may loose some glaciers. I can't see where that would be all that bad and since I have already seen some, I will continue to drive, use a clothes dryer, and use internal combustion engines. And deodorant. I believe I'll just come up with my own New Year's resolutions. Maybe I'll share some. Enjoy the pictures.

Excuse Me, Your Goof is Showing

Maybe it is just my upbringing or genetics. I am not sure why, but I find LOTS of humor in goof-ups. Most of the time your goof-ups are funnier to me than mine. But regularly I find mine to be very funny also. Today I saw somebody else goof-up and then make the classic "I am so embarrassed-maybe nobody saw me" face. In fact, if she had reacted more calmly, I may not have noticed. The event occurred in Historic Downtown Wetumpka, on East Bridge street. In fact, it was only about 30 yards from the beautifully arched bridge over the Coosa River. For this story, let's call this middle-aged lady LaVerne. I have no idea what her real name is, but that seems to fit her and I would not bet against it for her actual name. When I passed by, LaVerne was already at her car attempting to open the driver's door with her key. I do not know how long she had been working on this task, but just as I passed she seemed to give up and throw her hands in the air. That caught my attention and I looked at her just as she made this face > - ; Well, maybe not exactly that face but is was a face that clearly said "This is soooo embarrassing!". She never said a word but in seconds her mistake was evident. She walked around the "Desert Sand" Caddilac Catera she was trying to open, unlocked the door to her "Desert Sand" Honda Accord and quickly drove off. To be fair, the cars were exactly the same color and were parked next to each other but.....how could LaVerne go through the process of choosing a Honda Accord and then mistake it for the Caddy that zigs? If this gets out, Caddilac will have a hard time selling Catera's. Who wants to spend that much money on a car to impress your friends if LaVerne can't even tell it from an Accord? Sitting next to each other! LaVerne is probably a very spiritual person and one "sort of brown" car is just the same as the next to her. I wish I had gotten there in time to hear her conversation with herself. "Why won't this blasted key turn?" "I wish I had never let Bert talk me into buying this....what kind of car is this?" Now she walks aroung to the back. "Catera....Cadillac!.....I don't have a Cadillac! Oh shoot, that's my car right there. I hope nobody saw me. Hey, there's Kenny Rodgers! I hope this is not his Cadillac!"

I love Wetumpka.

ECHO....echo......echo

There is an echo in the house. No, it hasn't always been there. Yes, it is there all the time. Do I like it? Well, I have mixed feelings but mostly, no, I don't. Why is there an echo? Because of the empty room. You see, Mark has moved out and is now renting the duplex where Baron and Laura lived before their house was built. So this bedroom across the hall from the master bedroom suddenly seems cavernous and with the hardwood floors and no furnishings the echo is noticeable--shocking even. Everytime LaWanna or I walk down the hall the echo reminds us that another of our children is gone from the nest. And just as when each of them was born, the nest will never be the same. Why don't I like the echo? Well, the first level of feelings is easy to explain; there is a room that needs to be cleaned, painted, and transformed into DAD'S OFFICE. That will be nice after completion but represents work, time, and expense first. And there are lots of irons in the fire already. The deeper level of feelings is more difficult to communicate. Mark has left before, once when he was very young and tired of the constant preaching of his old man. Once he left in the middle of the night in handcuffs. Neither of those times caused mixed feelings--at least not a mixture of good and bad. Everything I felt was bad. He was not ready for the world. I had not done my job as a father and he was not finished becoming a man. It is different now. Vastly different. Mark is mature and has demonstrated a couple years worth of discipline and spiritual growth. He is smart and fun to be around. He is no longer the angry kid thinking the establishment is against him and his parents are just trying to keep him from having fun. He has learned some valuable lessons the hard way--which I do not recommend for most, but can be very effective. How did all this growth occur? I wish the answer were that his mom and I demonstrated outstanding parenting. But the truth is prayer, prayer, and more prayer seems to have convinced God to pull Mark closer to himself. God did not blind Mark with a light on the road to Damascus or Columbus but rather blinded him with the unconditional love of a beautiful young woman named Lindsay who will become Mrs. Mark Wishum on April 7, 2007. That will be a great Easter weekend. So the feelings about Mark and the direction of his life now are good--very good. Still being a dad is a little like running a marathon. During each you are giving all you have and at times you become sure you can't keep going. Then somehow you do. It is not pretty, but you press on with all your might until you cross the finish line. You have mixed feelings immediately and feel completely used up. But after enough time passes, you think back and convince yourself you could have done better.

So, Mark, march on son. Become a better man, husband, and father than your dad. You can do it. I believe you will do it. I still pray for you and Lindsay and your unborn children and grandchildren because, while I can fill the room and rid the house of the echo only your continuing to become the man God wants you to be will quiet the echo in a dad's heart.

I love you and I am proud of you.

Prayer

I've been thinking....(insert witty remark here)......how does this prayer thing work? I wish my blog reached hundreds or thousands so I could get lots of feedback, but here is my question; If "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" then do the fervent prayers of two righteous folks avail twice as much? Is God twice as likely to answer in the affirmative if twice as many ask? Would 30 people praying for my healing increase my odds to the 30th power? If so, shouldn't I be making more righteous friends? After all, I am reaching the age of lots of health problems. O.K., all those questions are mostly about how God listens and responds. Here is one that is more about our end; what percentage of prayers would you guess concern physical healing? What percentage involve thanksgiving? Do you pray for specific spiritual growth/healing as much as physical healing--for yourself or others? Why is it easier to pray for a person's cancer to be removed than to pray that his pride or lust be removed? Why is it easier to ask for others to pray for my body than for my spirit?

I know that is a lot of questions and I don't really expect lots of answers. But it is what is on my mind today. And it is my blog.