Obama Lied...and Continues to Break Promises

It seems that all of the gripes the liberals had against Bush and the GOP are not all that bad now that Barry Obama is in office.


Bush was ridiculed because he "suspended Habeas Corpus" and denied those pitiful souls at Gitmo to be held without a trial. Obama was upset about that too and was especially upset about the expanse of Executive Power under Bush...right up until he became the President. Now it isn't so bad: http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/04/11/bagram/index.html


Bush was demonized for his stance on warrantless wiretapping. The Dems cried about the gross abuse by the government and how Bush was using the Patriot Act to listen to phone conversations without sufficient enough reason to obtain a subpoena. Obama was against this practice too...right up until he was sworn in. Now it seems like the right thing to do. After all, you never know when you may have to listen in to some of those gun-toting, Bible-carrying, bitter-clingers: http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/04/obama-doj-worse-than-bush


Obama swore during his campaign that an Obama Administration would be completely transparent...not at all like the "secrets" mean old Bush and Cheney had been keeping. After all, the American people have a right to know what is going on in their government. Well, apparently Obama meant to say that the American people had a right to know what was going on in the government before and after his presidency...because what Barry knows and how Barry knows is a really big secret: http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/04/shut_up_its_still_a_secret.php


Obama was astounded at the amount of "pork spending" that was pushed through congress each year during the budget proposal process. He was so astounded that he was going to put an end to that kind of craziness...except he didn't. In the Spending Bill...uh, I mean, "Stimulus Bill" alone there were 8 ear marks...including "Green Golf Carts", a 36-hole "Disc Golf Course" (think about frisbee golf), and $150 million for "parking improvements" at a little league park in Puerto Rico. Here are more details: http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/economy/2009/02/19/finding-the-pork-in-the-obama-stimulus-bill.html%22
Should you want to read about the 8570 earmarks that total $7.7 Billion found in the Omnibus Bill for 2009 signed by Obama you can do so here: http://www.taxpayer.net/search_by_category.php?action=view&proj_id=2049&category=Earmarks&type=Project# So I guess the "No Pork Projects" promise isn't working out for Obama either.


And what about that tax cut all of us in the middle class were promised? It seems that not only have we not rec'd the tax cut but in fact, one new tax specifically targets people in the middle and lower class. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g4neALCH_2bbNQzJFmY2kAKdTwZwD979SVJO0


And as for the tax cut for any family making les than $250k: http://thevirtuousrepublic.com/?p=3142
Obama says he has 2 years to figure out how to deal with this broken promise...but that isn't what he said during the campaign.


What about the promise that lobbyist would not have a seat at the Obama table? Well, despite his campaign rhetoric about the evils of lobbyist and others who represent special interest groups, it seems that Obama has had a change of heart. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15319.html


We are less than 3 months into the Presidency of Barack Hussein Obama and so many of the issues people believed in have already shattered. Obviously, so many of these broken promises haven't been reported by the mainstream media but that doesn't mean that the proof doesn't exist. I pray that the people who felt disenchanted by the political system and sought anything other than the status quo will wake up and realize that change is not always good and those who promise to be change aren't always honest. If that happens we will only be stuck with Obama for 4 long years.

Spots...of all kinds

I try to be on the lookout constantly for blind spots in life. Of course I check my blind spots while driving but I am not talking about those kinds of blind spots. I always try to imagine the areas in my life that need some work, have become unmanageable or in some way requires some attention.

So many areas of life seem to have a default setting and those defaults settings show up when your time, resources or attention is being utilized by other areas of life. The default setting can be really good and without much work or without even giving it much thought you can find yourself in a good place. For example, rest is something that most Americans don't get enough of. People don't sleep the amount the are suppose to and they don't make time for rest, relaxation or recreation. If you doubt that just check out the stress and fatigue related illnesses that seem to be more prevalent in our culture than ever. The default setting for humans is rest. If we avoid the stimulants like coffee and some pills and if we don't pack our schedules full of requirements we will rest more. How long would most of us sleep if we were allowed to get the day started when we awakened on our own...without an alarm clock?

However, the default setting for a lot of things are not good, productive or healthy. For example, exercise isn't really something that people do if left to live life due to their default settings. Exercise requires discipline and to some degree, the ability to do something at an immediate expense that will hopefully produce long term results.

With all of that said, for me to claim that I am looking for blind spots is really absurd. If I could see a specific area of life, I guess it wouldn't be a blind spot, now would it? So what got in my head to cause me to think about blind spots anyway?

This morning I was in the restroom at my office and I happen to look in the mirror on my way out of the restroom. I must have had the perfect angle because I saw something in the back of my head that looked strange. I did a double take to see if I saw what I thought I saw. Upon further review I did in deed see what I thought I saw in the back of my head....SKIN!

That's right! I saw a big patch of skin on the crown of my head. I knew I was thinning but good gracious! I didn't realize how bad it had gotten back there. The other men in my family began to bald from the front...you know, the old receding hair line. Not me though. I still have plenty of hair up front. However, it seems that the hair in the back has begun an exodus that would make the Israelites envious. I feel as though I only have one choice left...kiss all of my hair goodbye. The only thing worse than balding is to be one of those men who seems to pretend he isn't balding. Those guys are dangerously close to the dreaded "comb-over".

So even though the default setting for my 33 year old scalp had not allowed me to know the severe lack of hair I found today...now that I have found a previously blind spot, I am responsible for taking action. It seems that bald spots can help remind me of other blind spots I may have in life...and that alone reveals a whole world of clarity...bald or not.

Running Without Distraction

Last week my oldest son, Elijah, participated in a fun run at his school. He was suppose to run a mile though the parents of his class all knew that many in the class wouldn't make it a full mile. Some of the young students likely don't have what it takes physically to run that far yet. The few that may be able to physically run a mile may quit early simply because their attention spans aren't very long at this point and they may...just like me...get bored with running. Elijah finished 85% of his mile...but I have no idea if he lacked physical maturity required to run that long or if he just got bored. In fact, no one really knows why he didn't complete it because he was distracted.

See, we have always stressed to our sons that they drink water, water is good for them, water is the healthiest drink, drink water instead of colas, etc. At times we have even celebrated and made a big deal about our boys drinking a good bit of water. While we still stand by those things, it may have been good for us to explain to Elijah that there are stipulations. That is to say, sometimes are better than others to drink excessive quanities of water. It goes without saying that during a run is not the time to become enthusiastic about drinking water...or anything else for that matter.

Having never run in a race like this one before, Elijah wasn't expecting people to offer him cups of water. Being the big fan of water and thinking it is incredibly cool that people are standing around with free water for him it only seemed logical to drink water as it was offered to him. Of course I am not inside his head but I can imagine that Elijah became so distracted by the water that he lost focus of the real goal. It seems that the very thing designed to help him reach his goal actually became his focus and it caused him to fall short. As most of you know, too much water before or during a workout leads to cramps and poor performance. Poor Elijah.

That's not the end of the story...to me anyway. As is my custom I have been pondering that whole scenario for the past week and wondering which areas of my life have become out of focus? Has anything in this world that God designed to be of assistance to me actually become my goal instead of God? In short, has anything been offered to me during my race of life that will prevent me from finishing well?

If I were to write about the areas in life that need more clarity, this paragraph would go on for way too long. If I were to consider every single thing that becomes interesting or exciting to me...but in the end isn't good for me at all...well, I don't have that much time. Time only allows me to pray that I will find balance and proper priorities in every aspect of life. I pray the same for you. May we never get so water-logged that we lose the ability to run and finish well.

Catch and Release

There are many, many blessings involved in working a mere 2 miles from my house. The lone negative I can think of is that I rarely get to decompress after work or spend much time alone. Just like every other human, I occasionally need to be alone with my thoughts...or be alone and not require any thoughts.

There are few tasks that can be done with little thought but fishing happens to be on that list. Yesterday morning I had a chance to escape for a bit and do a little fishing. I knew of a new place I wanted to try and it ended up being absolutely gorgeous. More than one time yesterday I found myself standing on the bank and in my head I was living the Alabama version of "Legends of the Fall".

20 minutes had passed and I felt like Tristan when to my surprise I caught an Alabama Trout with my fly rod...OK, a little too much Tristan-like. I actually felt a strong tug on my Zebco bait-caster rod and reel combo. But the point is that my rod was bending like I had hook an alligator. In a minute or so I could see white belly of some fish beneath the water, his tail churning up the mud and swishing the water about with all of his might. Landing this monster on dry ground was imminent and I couldn't wait to see exactly what I had landed. My prize was just beneath the surface of the swells and whirlpools of water. When I finally pulled this thing out of his wet abode I was surprised. This wasn't a bass or crappie as I had anticipated. I caught a pretty large catchfish.

Only having a few minutes to fish yesterday and having some plans for later in the day I knew I wouldn't have time nor the inclination to skin this fish and fillet him. Plus, I am not enthusiastic about eating a scavenger fish caught in a river so I knew immediately that I would let him go. Catch and Release is popular among fishermen...especially when they have no plans of eating what they catch. This catfish started his day off in a rough way but his luck was about to get a bit better. So I stared at him once more and then tossed him back in. He looked at me as if to warn me of messing with him and then in a simple swish of his tail he was gone.

I fished a bit longer and then packed it all in and headed for the house. Once home I told my wife of my fishing adventures and she became excited about what I told her...which, by the way, had nothing to do with my catfish bounty...and she shared with me a section of a book she was finishing. The Same Kind of Difference As Me has really captivated my wife and I can't wait to read it myself. I don't usually discuss, much less blog about books I haven't read but in the case I suppose I can get away with it.

Essentially, and I must say that this is overly simplifying a beautiful story, one guy, who happens to be white, tells another man, who happens to be black, that he wants to be friends with him. Being skeptical, the black man says he will think about it. A week later the black man says he has thought about it and that something really bothers him about white people. He goes on to explain that he understands that white people "catch and release" fish. That practice blows his mind. He then contrasts that style to black people. Black people would never release a fish. In fact, they would take it around and show anyone that would listen or even possibly care their great catch, explains the black man. Then the fish would be cleaned and eaten. He explains that it is weird to him that a white man would put back or throw away the very thing that a black man would take pride in and would use to sustain him. After the analogy, the black simple tells the white man, "If you are lookin for a friend to catch and release I don't want no part. But if you ain't looking to catch and release then I will be your friend forever. Loyal."

That's an awesome story that really touches me. Being the introspective creature that I am I instantly began searching the numerous caverns of my soul for applicable situations in my life. The images of great friends that somehow...accidentally, circumstantially or otherwise...had been released. I recently learned of a friend from high school that took his own life and he came to mind. His name was Brian and his sister is Melissa. I couldn't help but thinking of the ways in which Melissa must feel that she was forced to release him and how much more painful loss is when the releasing aspect of "Catch and Release" isn't by choice.

Catch and Release can be beautiful but releasing is always difficult. Years ago when I witnessed the birth mothers of my adopted siblings handing them over to my family...unknown to them, I saw the beauty and pain of releasing first hand. To know that what we want and what is line up on different sides of life and knowing it is for the best always brings us to an impasse...a place where answers are void of significance and solace is found in hollow words.

What does it all mean and why does it matter anyway? If I can borrow some words from Kenny Rogers and twist them to fit my purposes here I think I can find some reason...in fact, it is a huge reason...why this matters. "You have to know when to hold'em. Know when to [release'em]". In this world I think we will one day live out a life of abundance or a life of regret based on how we choose the things we catch and release and the things we catch and keep. Obviously the release part isn't always up to us but in so far as releasing is up to us I want to live well.

May God also grant us all the wisdom and strength we need to treat life very differently from how "white people fish". I wonder if the next catfish I catch will be so lucky as the last one.

Attack on the 2nd Amendment?

I heard last week on a local talk radio show that a bill was introduced that would do some serious damage to the rights to own firearms without the government interfering. I researched the bill (HR-45) because I didn't think it could be as bad as the caller said. I was wrong...it is worse. I try not to be an alarmist but the bill is scary. I imagine that this type of bill is the worst nightmare of the NRA and people interested in maintaining the rights afforded us in the U.S. Constitution and The Bill of Rights.


After reading the bill, the worst parts of this bill, so far as I can determine them to be, are:
1. The Atty General is in complete control of the law, enforcement of the proposed law and changes that can be made at his discretion.
2. EVERY firearm (other than shotguns and antique collectibles) must be registered with the U.S. Govt. That means hunting rifles, target rifles like .22LR and every handgun regardless of caliber or capacity.
3. ANYONE wishing to own a firearm must have a Federal License. The application process would include providing the following to the U.S. Atty General:
A. a "passport size" photo of yourself,
B. finger prints,
C. physical address,
D. proof that the firearm will be stored "safely" (which is to be understood as unloaded) out of reach or accessibility from anyone unlicensed and not 18 years of age,
E. passing a written firearm exam,
F. Authorization for the U.S. Govt to obtain any medical records pertaining to psychological treatment or evaluations.
4. A yearly fee of $25 will be charged (expect that to increase drastically over time)
5. Private sales of firearms (which means I sell my weapon to you without governmental paperwork) is a thing of the past. Each sale will be required to go through a federally licensed dealer which will charge a fee for their role in assuring that the weapons can be traced to individuals instantly.
6. The Govt will require that information be obtained on each weapon and each individual holding a license. The info includes how many firearms are registered to individuals, who the individual purchases weapons from and the serial number of each firearm.
7. It is UNLAWFUL if you have a firearm lost or stolen and you do not report the loss or theft to the Federal Govt within 72 hours.
8. It is UNLAWFUL if you fail to report any change in address to the Federal Govt within 60 days of the move.
9. Failure to comply with any aspect of this Bill can result in a monetary fine and between TWO and TEN YEARS in prison (depending upon the severity of the infraction)
10. To assure compliance with this proposed law THE FEDERAL GOVT HAS A RIGHT TO ENTER ANY BUSINESS OR RESIDENCE THAT MANUFACTURES, STORES, SELLS, DISTRIBUTES, HOLDS FIREARMS OR FIREARM RELATED ITEMS (which means parts, ammunition, operator's manuals, etc)
11. Yearly the Atty General is to make a public report available regarding the activities of this bill. I'm not sure if this means info regarding every person who owns firearms will be made public or if it will be less specific information.


The Dem controlled Congress can pass this thing without significant Rep support and Obama will sign it since he is unashamedly against guns and private citizens owning guns. It will be interesting to follow this bill and see how it may be dropped only so they can let it piggy back some other bill and be secretively hidden in 400-500 pages of some other less-controversial bill.


It seems strange to me that humans can enter this country illegally, maintain jobs and residences, utilize our healthcare system for free, receive money and food through government entitlement programs and in some places even cast a vote with less documentation, proof of identity and residence, testing and governmental regulation than a hunting rifle can be manufactured, purchased or owned.


Should this thing pass it is the beginning of the end of civil liberties for us as we know them. By the way, I can't determine if that subtle humming sound is our Founding Fathers literally spinning in their graves or our liberty being sucked out of our lives...but it is probably both.

I Have Come To A Conclusion

So last week I said that I would get back to you when I decided if the gift of homebrewed beer is just an ordinary gift or if it is spiritual. Well, I have made a decision so I am getting back to you.



OK, so leaving you hanging with that question was kind of unnecessary. The answer is: of course it is spiritual. One might ask how I know that or what bit of information lead me to that conclusion. That's easy...homebrewed beer, as discussed last week, is a spiritual gift. it is so for the same reason everything else in this world is...everything is spiritual. And for what it is worth, nothing is spiritual. Think about that for a minute...

15 Gallons and not an ounce for me

As many of you may know, I have an excellent hobby that I have enjoyed for several years now. I make beer at home...also called, "homebrewing". I also occasionally make wine but I make way more beer than wine. I have made some relatively unusual beers like Blueberry Wheat Beer, Peach Wheat, Strawberry Pilsner and a Chocolate Stout. I have also made some very usual beers like an American Lager, Mexican Style Lager, Irish Red Ale, Brown Ale and a German Pilsner.

So many lessons of life can be learned by seeing and understanding the really cool intricacies of brewing. For example, really small changes or decisions can create major differences in the finished product. If you fail to clean a single spoon or if you allow a single bacteria to get inside the beer it can cause you to have to poor out every drop of it and start over. But you can't be scared of that...you have to branch out and be fun, adventurous and even a bit creative. You can't brew and be scared of what may go wrong...at least not if you want to have fun and enjoy the hobby. It is better to not take yourself too seriously and play to win rather than playing not to lose. See how cool that lesson is...and all from brewing beer!

There is a more specific lesson...or maybe manifestation is a better word...happening in my brewing world right now. I currently have 15 gallons fermenting. A Trappist Style Belgian Ale is in the earliest stages of yeast being hyperactive (which is a really good thing). A Strawberry Pilsner just started secondary fermentation and is really active as well thanks to the sugar in the strawberries I added two nights ago. A Mexican Lager is almost finished with secondary fermentation...the yeast has all settled at the bottom and it is ready for bottling any day now.

There are 5 gallons in each batch for a grand total of 15 gallons of beer. For those of you who don't care to do the math, that is well over 150 12-ounce bottles of beer or over 6 cases of beer. What is really cool to me is that I will probably not drink the first bottle of those brews. It seems that some people really enjoy the beer I make and as such, have requested that I make them some.

The Mex. Lager is going to a Horse Farm in North Alabama so my friends there can have something refreshing to enjoy after a long day of work and fun. The Strawberry Pilsner is what I like to call Cana Beer...as in the the location where Jesus turned water into wine. My friend Tyler is getting married next month and that beer will be served at his reception. The Trappist Style Ale is for a friend of mine that recently found out his wife is unexpectedly pregnant. It is a huge surprise as they already have 2 small kids...and she is prego with twins!!! That's enough to make anyone drink.

So anyway, I have been reflecting on how we can use our gifts to bless other people...maybe for a special event like a wedding or maybe just for a daily reminder. I have spiritual gifts and gifts that I just enjoy giving that aren't necessarily spiritual. I can't figure out which category to put the homebrewed beer in yet. When I figure it out, I will report back to you.

Ecclesiology and Hooters

After reading the title you may be expecting a play on words or you may be thoroughly convinced that I have lost my mind...if you weren't before now. But you should understand the title to be exactly what I mean to talk about today.



I love Buffalo Wings! I like the spice and I like the chicken. Until several months ago I firmly believed that Hooters had the best wings in town. Since I love wings and since I thought the best wings in town were at Hooters guess were I would go for a lunch once or twice per week? Right, Hooters. For what its worth, this isn't a fact that is a new revelation to my wife so erase any thoughts you may have of me sneaking off under the cover of darkness to indulge in one of my favorite lunches. In fact, Brook has often joined me for meals at Hooters...She really gets the fact that is revealed in a less than subtle way that is printed on the back of the shirts worn by the Hooters' Girls..."Delightfully Tacky Yet Unrefined".

So anyway, about 4 or 5 months ago I found another place in town that has bigger and better wings than Hooters and that effectively ended my lunches from Hooters. By the way, if you live in my area and wish to sample these little boned-pieces of love, affection and acceptance otherwise known as awesome buffalo wings...you can find them at On Tap. But anyway, this past Tuesday I headed toward On Tap, as the Lord intended, since Tuesday is "half off wings day" at On Tap. Unfortunately there was a wreck that prevented me from making it to On Tap so I had to turn around and find something else to do for lunch. My mouth was watering for wings so I was limited in my choices. So back to Hooters I go.

So I walk in Hooters and see a familiar face behind the bar. It is the same bartender/waitress that use to take my order. She sees me and says something like "long time, no see"...except cooler and I say hello. Her face instantly becomes serious and she says "Look!" Which seems to be a universal word when used in that way meaning, pay attention, I have to ask/tell you something. She continues, "I told my boyfriend what we talked about several times when you were in here and he didn't really think it was possible. I told him that the next time you came in I would ask you more about it and even see if we could come sometime." It was at this time that i remember having a remarkably deep conversation with her on several occasions about ecclesiology and what we were attempting to be about as a community of believers.

Like so many people, she nor her boyfriend feel welcome or at home in traditional churches but she really desires a faith community...some place where faith seems to intersect her life as well as the lives of those around her in a lasting, meaningful and relevant way. She went on to tell me that her boyfriend said he would like to try something like what we do because it sounded weird and different. I just smiled...understanding that anytime a community of faith in the Bible-belt is called weird or different it is likely a good thing. As a Hooter's Girl I imagine that she has plenty of people ask for her number so i wasn't about to go down that road...so I turned the tables on her, I mean , why stop being weird and different now? I gave her my number and told her we would love to fellowship with her and her boyfriend any time that they are ready to hangout with us. I told her the only rule we have is that we love and we insist that people belong...way before or maybe if they never believe. She smiled...understanding that we are living out exactly what she has been hungry for.

Speaking of being hungry and Hooters and Jesus...if Jesus walked the Earth today and was culturally relevant, would he say something like, "Man does not live by buffalo wings alone..."? I would like to think so.

the truth...or at least my truth

Brook wrote some thing about our relationship on her blog. Unfortunately, she has some things skewed just a bit. It is only appropriate that I correct her fabrications and confabulations. Her original post appears below in black. I will do any editing in Red. Sorry Brook but the truth must be told :-)

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This is kind of like the 25 things - except there are pre-decided questions and it's about you and your spouse, not just you. Come on, play along - inquiring minds want to know! ;-)

♥ What are your middle names?
Brook and Blake (we both go by our middle names too). (Our first names are Randy and Miranda, and we are both named after our dads who are both named Randy. Both of our mom's middle names are Lynn). TRUE…and how cool is this?!?!

♥ How long have you been together?
9 years Also true

♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating?
24 hours…technically it was one week. We met on February 22 and our first date was the following week.

♥ Who asked who out?
Blake asked me Very True. I would have been blind and insane not to ask her out.

♥ How old are each of you?
Blake is 33 and I am 28. True

♥ Whose siblings do/ did you see the most?
Mine, since they live in town. True, though we don’t see any of our siblings very often…or as often as I would like.

♥ Do you have any children together?
Yes, three sons Very much so

♥ What about pets?
Reagan (Old English mastiff), Meredith (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel), Fontana (Simese Himalayan), and 2 goldfish named Shark and Whale True again

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
having opposite interests and likes and dislikes. It's really sacrificial for us just to have fun together sometimes I would say this is true as well

♥ Did you go to the same school?
technically UAB, but not at the same time True…because I’m old!

♥ Are you from the same home town?
No We are from the same state though

♥ Who is the smartest?
Depends on the subject. He covers the left brain subjects, I take care of the right OK, I'm not going to argue this...it is way too sticky. I will say that Brook is incredibly intelligent. However, when it is to her benefit she can pretend that she is as dumb as a bag of hair.

♥ Who is the most sensitive?
hmmm...that's a tough one. I am usually more emotional about things, but Blake is more easily offended than me Brook is a drama-queen. The question wasn't who is more easily offended...however, if it had been the answer would have been the same...Brook.

♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple?
La Spada, Highlands Bar and Grill, and Surin as a couple
La Spada, Baha Burger, Pablos, Mellow Mushroom, and Indigo Joe's as a family True

♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
either Bonaire or Banff, Canada Actually Hawaii would the furthest distance…but who is counting?

♥ Who has the craziest exes?
Blake I think answering this question would require a less ambiguous definition of “crazy”…though in reality it would likely still be me

♥ Who has the worst temper?
Blake's is probably the worst, but I have only ever seen it once and it was in our first year of marriage. Mine is vicious, though, and it comes to visit usually every month or so My temper is absolutely outrageous but Brook’s temper will be seen early and often. You have to really try to piss me off enough to see mine and even then you probably won't see it…or just hurt one of my boys…then you have immediate and serious issues. I win the quality aspect of this but Brook beats me out by a landslide on quantity.

♥ Who does the cooking?
I am the regular, but you would rather eat Blake's cooking. He actually enjoys it. I do love cooking…but Brook is a good cook too.

♥ Who is more social?
Umm... probably Blake umm…it probably depends on if being social means hanging out with closer friends or being a social butterfly

♥ Who is the neat-freak?
Me!! Absolutely true. I am the antithesis of a neat freak. I'm not a slob, I just don't care that much about "neat"

♥ Who is the more stubborn?
That's a toss up depending on the subject again I am way more stubborn…hands down. And I refuse to budge on that point. I am more stubborn.

♥ Who wakes up earlier?
We usually wake up around the same time, but that's a new thing. Traditionally it has been Blake That's true if by “traditionally” she means 5 out of 7 mornings…I am almost always up first.

♥ Where was your first date?
We started at Purple Onion off of Lakeshore (he was like 45 minutes late, I can't believe I waited), and then we drove around and talked the rest of the night. We talked about getting married that night. I was late because I volunteered at a church event and someone didn’t pick up their kid until late. We did talk about marriage thought that night…how cool.

♥ Who has the bigger family?
Blake by just a few I don’t feel like counting right now…but probably true.

♥ Do you get flowers often?
yes, but I buy them for myself. No one knows what I like better than me. I married the only woman in the world who told me that she would rather not receive chocolate, flowers and jewelry. Don’t worry though, she goes and buys what she wants.

♥ How do you spend the holidays?
Running around like crazy trying to see all our families! Pretty much true…except to be more candid we run around doing a ton of things with me bitching and moaning about being busy and running around doing things. Nothing says, “Happy Birthday Jesus” like driving up and down the interstate system. The holiday season alone is reason enough to never get a divorce. I refuse to make the boys hop-scotch the state of Alabama because their parents couldn't keep it between the ditches. But I digress.

♥ Who is more jealous?
Blake Blake Blake! Absolutely false. Brook has a skewed idea of jealous. I am way more protective but not more jealous.

♥ How long did it take to get serious?
It was love at first sight, so like 5 minutes if that long

♥ Who eats more?
I actually think I do, but I rarely see Blake eat since he is usually at work. I know he VERY rarely eats the food I cook, so there ya go. You will have to forgive Brook. She is mental. Occasionally her tendency to leave the road of reality and fall into some alternate universe leads to statements like this one. You can look at us and tell that I eat way more than her maybe even twice as much…end of discussion.

♥ Who does/ did the laundry?
I do the laundry. Blake is not allowed in the laundry room. I don’t touch the laundry at all…true enough. However, I did manage to do my own wash for 7 years before I met Brook. I am more than capable and I really like to do laundry…folding excluded.

♥ Who’s better with the computer?
Blake I am not sure about that…Brook rocks with photo-shop type stuff.

♥ Who drives when you are together?
Blake. He doesn't let me drive. I don't blame him. :) Good Lord, the fact that I am sitting here and am able to move my hands enough to type is proof that I drive…no exceptions. The only reason she is allowed to haul the kids around is because we own a Volvo…essentially a small tank that is impervious to missiles, bombings and the occasional car, tree, neighborhood kid and animal Brook will hit. If only Volvo could engneer some tires that don't destroy my lawn when Brook misses the driveway.

So there you have it…The Truth…at least my version of it :-)

SM Lockridge

This is the audio of the famous speech wherein SM Lockridge speaks for 6 minutes about who Jesus is to him. Many would agree with him. This has always been inspirational to me. Hope you enjoy.