Homework

It's been a few days since I've posted...anyone notice that? Well, it's not for a lack of interesting material, funny happenings, or controversial topics. (It's certainly not from the latter...plenty of that around!) It's just this - the time I've spent on here lately needs to be - at least temporarily - devoted to the most dreaded word in the English language. That's right...homework.

So that's right, all my high school and college friends who follow this blog - you can laugh at me now. I. Have. Homework. Not work that do by taking my laptop home so I can get away from the office. Not working extra hours. Homework. As in a reading assignment. And questions that I have to fill out and turn in.

So this is the book. I know I'll get alot out of it and I'll learn some things that will help me do my part to make our company serve people better. And next week I'll actually get to hear the author speak. Should be interesting.

In the meantime, back to my homework. And of course, filling out my NCAA bracket. A man's gotta have priorities.

What's wrong with this picture?

I just left the gas station, where regular octane gas was selling for $3.45 per gallon. Prices are spiking and with current international unrest (convinced with the approaching summer season), this is likely to last awhile. So, I give you the Smart car...being towed by an RV.

The picture above was taken on I-85 somewhere between Atlanta and the Alabama state line. The irony is striking. Or maybe the inconsistency. Yeah, I know - when you're planning to park your RV somewhere you need a car to get around in. It's all over the place when I go to college football games.

But an RV...and a Smart car? Yes, this is a fantastic idea. Let's travel, oh say, 500 miles in a guzzler that gets about 5 MPG so that we can park and run around to restaurants in a car that gets 60! Yep, $350 to get there, and oh, probably about $3 to scat around town. It made us laugh out loud.

But wait - am I pointing a finger only to have four pointing back at me? Or is there inconsistency in the way I live my life too? Yep. I'll drink Coke Zero to wash down a huge steak and cheese fries. And lots of other stuff like that.

When you think about it, a consistent life is a most difficult thing to do. In fact, it is so difficult, I think my only hope for approaching it is to depend on the only One who ever achieved it. The One who said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8) Pure...undivided...consistent.

The RV pulling a Smart car was a funny sight. Some inconsistencies are not so funny. I pray for wisdom to see mine, so they can be rooted out. Step by step, moving toward purity; that is, consistency.

Why the whole Lent fast thing?

As midnight of Fat Tuesday approaches (and will have passed by the time I finish this), I just finished my last bowl of ice cream for a long time. I had a pint of Blue Bell Cookies and Cream, so at least it was a good one. The next time I partake, it will be Easter Sunday. Why? Because I am participating in an ancient Christian tradition of a Lent fast, or "giving up _____ for Lent".

Why do this? Is it just some sort of legalism, trying to impress God or your religious friends? Or does it have some real spiritual value?

Lent, as most of you know, is a season on the Christian calendar, one where believers are preparing for celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus, the most significant event in history. (If you're not familiar, much more is contained in the link to the word Lent.)  In many more liturgical churches (such as the Roman Catholic Church), it is expected for members to conduct a Lent fast. But in my church and other Protestant denominations, participation is on an individual basis and is often surprising. ("You're not Catholic, are you??") But it's a tradition that has great value in my opinion. So here are reasons why I do it:

1. This is a time of year to contemplate Christ's sacrifice. Every time I want ice cream and say no, I think about the cross. Now wait - not because I'm comparing my sacrifice to his! (Hope you didn't think that!) But because I think, "Why am doing this? Oh yeah." And when I do, I think about the season and what he did for me.
2. It gives my brothers and sisters something to hold me accountable for. Accountability is good.
3. On a related note, we don't give up or wait for nearly enough in our microwave society. It doesn't hurt to exercise a little discipline once a year.
4. Ok, the next one is tricky. Sometimes the refusal of something I love causes people to ask why. I can then tell them about Christ and what he means to me. This is a very, very fine line, because Jesus cautions us against doing acts of righteousness to look spiritual. But with much prayer, I believe it can be done reflecting the glory to him and not me.
5. Finally, Easter rocks even more when I do! Christ rose from the dead, giving hope for life to us who were destined for death. To me, getting something that I've been "dead to" for so long is a great symbol of that.

So it's Ash Wednesday morning. The first day of Lent. Is this something that appeals to you? If so, go for it!

Oh...ice cream? No, thanks.

Fire!?

So, one moment I'm sound asleep in my bed in Tuscaloosa, and the next...

...I'm standing in the parking area under our building looking at these cop cars. 2:16 AM. Yep.

There is nothing like the sound of a fire alarm. It is loud, piercing, and very annoying. Much more so than even my very annoying cell phone alarm clock. That's what you want of course, because you want to wake up. When there's a fire.

But there was no fire last night. Instead, one of my building neighbors was involved in a domestic dispute. As we stood under the building, she explained to the police that she didn't have a phone and so she pulled the fire alarm to get the police to come.

It worked. And I learned something: the police cannot turn off the fire alarm. We had to wait for the fire department to arrive, and they had to inspect the building before we could go back inside.

So I was back asleep by 3 AM. Was that a dream?

Nah...just another night at the edge of a college campus. Never a dull moment.