Time of the Preacher

Note

2012-01-19T21:02:00.003-06:00

Georgia asked me to put this note in her school folder:

We first had a talk about writing notes and signing mommy's name. Then I wrote her a real note for ice cream.

At age 4, she skipped Bible class to hang out in the coffee spot.
At age 5, she's writing notes for her teacher to be from me.

Please pray for us. :)

Jonesy Girl

2012-01-11T21:28:00.002-06:00

Jonesy turned 7 with a splash this year. She wanted a swimming party and a sleepover. So, we booked a room at a hotel and honored her with both wishes. Oh my Jonesy girl, we love you so much!

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

2012-01-08T12:02:00.000-06:00

As you read this, please understand that I'm not trying to make a point. Not trying to sway your politics. I am often quick to form opinions about things, but my mind is running cirlcles right now and I'm just sharing the burden of my thoughts.
I saw something yesterday that disturbed me. It has interrupted my thoughts every waking hour since I saw it.
On the south side of Ft Worth there is an abortion clinic near the railroad tracks. I'm sure there is one in your town, though you may not realize what it is. They are usually nondescript, inconspicuous buildings with no windows. They usually don't have much in the way of signage other than a small sign by the door that says Women's Clinic or something to that effect.
I've been by this particular clinic hundreds of times. Occasionally there are quiet protesters across the street sitting in prayer. Sometimes they have signs that say God Loves You and Your Baby, or You Have Another Choice, etc... Sometimes there are protesters protesting against the protesters, but I've never witnessed any confrontations, chanting, yelling, or signs with hateful or condemning language from either side of the issue.
As I was bringing my train by there yesterday, I looked over and saw that the clinic had displayed a banner, the type that you'd see at a car dealership or furniture store announcing their current sale. It was about 5' X 10', each corner secured to the building by a piece of rope.
It proclaimed, "Good Women Have Abortions".
I hadn't seen or heard this before, but it must be a popular slogan now because I found this picture online of a sign that looks just like the one I saw yesterday.

It unsettled me.
My mind has been disturbed by what those four words are saying.
Does it mean that to be good, a woman must have an abortion?
Is it an if-then statement? If good women have abortions, then those who carry their babies to term and deliver them are bad?
Does it mean that those who are pro-life have sent a message to those who are not that points a finger and says, "Because of what you are choosing there is no good in you!"? So do they feel the need to proclaim in self-defense that they are good?
I've thought about how precious my children are to me and how Leslie and I have rejoiced with every pregnancy.
I've thought of those who long and ache to be able to conceive, but have been unable.
I thought of my co-worker who was relieved and rejoiced that the woman he left his wife for had miscarried because he didn't really love her and didn't want the burden of a child to connect him to her.
I thought of Jesus telling the woman caught in adultery, "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more."
I thought of St. Paul's letter to the Romans in which he said, "...God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
I've thought of how we live in a broken and cursed world in need of redemtion and resurrection.
I've thought about how there is good and bad in all of us, but no matter how bad or how good we are.....

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away, they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good, not even one.”
“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.”
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Romans 3:9-18

The they is them and it is us.
It is you and it is me.
Standing in need of a savior.

Time of the Preacher Resolutions for 2012

2012-01-06T06:17:00.001-06:00

1. Be less abrasive in my writing. As I was recently advised, "If they don't know you personally, it may be hard for them to reconcile what you write in one post with what you write in the next." This one also made my personal day to day resolution list.

2. Do a short review of each book I read. This is a retry-resolution, but one that I'd really like accomplish this year.

3. Do another week-on-the-railroad post. Another re-resolution.

4. Record more of what my children say and do. They change so quickly and I forget too much.

5. Write about the past. Record memories from years gone by. Some of you might have to help me with accuracy.

How I Did With Time of the Preacher Resolutions for 2011

1. Now that I have a laptop to take on the road with me, I resolve to not have extended lapses between posts.
Extended Lapses? I think it's a relative term so I'll give myself a pass on this one. I did use my hotel time to write quite a bit, but I also spent most of the year on the extra board so I didn't stay out of town as much as I have in the past.
2. I’ve decided to join facebook as a way of increasing traffic here at TOTP.
I heard the other day that facebk is now worth $50 billion. When I went to the facebook site to check it out, I saw that they have a slogan: “It’s free, and always will be.” Then I started thinking.
With advertising revenue down and most subscribers more than six months behind in their subscription payments, I’ve decided to offer Time of the Preacher free to the public. It is my hope that by joining forces with facebk, TOTP traffic will increase leading to increases in advertising revenue. I plan to eventually be bought out by gougle or yahou. Then I’m going to retire and move to Mexico.
I did join facebook. Finally reached a total of 100 friends shortly before the end of the year. Advertising revenue has remained flat. Alas, no offers to buy me out yet and probably won't be anytime soon. I'd be a public relations nightmare anyway.
Like many of you I have a lot of opinions about facebook. I won't share those here, but as it relates to blogging, I like it better than I thought I would. I was a little disappointed when so many bloggers quit blogging after they joined facebook. I can understand their logic in doing so, but I found that being able to share new posts via facebook removed the pressure of having to post frequently enough so that readers didn't get tired of checking the site everyday and finding nothing new.
3. I’m going to keep a record of the books I read and try to do a review of each one. I’ve intended to do this in the past, but I’m going to resolve rather than intend it this time, so hopefully it will get done.
Nope. Didn't happen. My normal pace is to read a book or two a week. That should have been at least 52 book reviews. I think I did less than 5. I'm going to re-resolve on this one though.
4. I’m going to document a week of life on the railroad with as much detail as I can. It is it’s own micro-culture and is a hard thing to explain. I think if I can document a full week, then perhaps my friends and family will understand why I don’t know if I’ll be there tomorrow, but I fish a lot in the middle of the week.
I did this. If you missed it you can check it out here.
5. I’m going to take requests. I’ve done this a time or two and am already working on the first one of 2011 (see the comments section from the Jan 1st post), but I’m going to open it up to all of you now. If you have a request for an article you can email me or leave it in the comments section.
I responded to the handful of requests received. I learned that it's not wise to resolve to do something that requires initiation by other people, so I won't resolve this one again, but I will still take requests. Anything you'd like for me to write about? You can leave a comment or email me at justinwilhoit@yahoo.com
By the way, for those of you who have thought about commenting on a post but haven't because you don't want others to see it or you want to remain anonymous, I moderate all comments before they are posted for all to see. Just include your desire for that in your comment.
6. I resolve to resume the reader profiles that I started last year.
Big F on this one.

I've got some explaining to do...

2012-01-04T09:30:00.000-06:00

I received the following comment yesterday regarding my Dec 12 post.
I stumbled on your blog today and decided to check it out since we are acquaintances (though you probably don't remember me.) Like someone else mentioned you are a very good story teller. But I have to ask, do you really think that using derogatory names for people with disabilities enhanced the entertainment value of the story? "Whatever the PC term for water head is?" "Retard?" I honestly cannot believe that there are still people out there who use these terms, especially in such a public way as a blog. There are people who know and love people with disabilities who are very put off by these terms. A person with disabilities could even be reading this. I'll tell you what the PC term is: individuals with intellectual disabilities. You may not think it is worthwhile to use "PC" terms but, as a Christian do you really want to go around offending people?

I'm genuinely sorry if I offend. I confess that some of it is intentional. Sometimes I go for shock value and get more value than I bargain for. Sometimes I point out the absurd by being absurd. Sometimes I forget that people who don't know me read this stuff.
If you were to go back and read all of my posts from the last 4+ years you could probably find plenty to be offended about. But I would also hope that somewhere in there you could find something to smile about, something to make you think.

I've been told since I was a boy that I need to learn tact, that I need to be more sensitive. That I need to know when to keep my mouth shut. I understand those things about myself. I'm working on it and the Lord is working on me. To quote Kristofferson, I'm " a walking contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction, taking every wrong direction on my lonely way back home."

My mother made this when I was a little boy. It now hangs in my son's room.

Amen.

On a related note, let me take this opportunity to clear up something else. Many of you have asked why the title of this blog is Time of the Preacher.
I am not a preacher. I'm not trying to fool anyone into thinking I am.
I borrowed the title from a song on Willie Nelson's album, "Red Headed Stranger." It is a story of a flawed man whose desire to serve the Lord and the nature of the way he is come into conflict when life happens to him. I can identify with that. I think we all can.

For those of you who've never heard it before....
For those of you unlikely to ever listen to the whole album or watch the movie, here is the wikipedia synopsis of "Red Headed Stranger":
A concept album, Red Headed Stranger is about a fugitive on the run from the law after killing his wife and her lover. The content consists of songs with brief poetic lyrics and arrangements of older material
The story begins with "Time of the Preacher", where the character evokes his love for his wife, whom he suspects is unfaithful. In the following song, "I Couldn't Believe It Was True", the infidelity is revealed. This leads to a short version of "Time of the Preacher," wherein the singer ends with the line "Now the lesson is over, and the killing's begun". The reaction of the husband is depicted by Nelson in a medley of "Blue Rock, Montana" and "Red Headed Stranger". The first song describes the double murder of the unfaithful woman and her lover by the Stranger, who states "And they died with a smile on their faces." This leads to the second song of the medley, which describes the grief of the Stranger. This section is followed by Nelson's cover of the 1947 Fred Rose, song "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain", where the fugitive laments the loss of his wife. In "Red Headed Stranger," the protagonist commits a subsequent murder—he kills a woman he believes is stealing his horse. The horse, to which he undoubtedly holds a sentimental attachment, had belonged to the Stranger's wife.
The story continues with the Stranger traveling south. In the song "Denver," the character falls in love with a woman he meets in a bar in town. One of the lines from "Blue Rock Montana" is repeated, with a variation: "And they danced with a smile on their faces". The following song, "Can I Sleep in Your Arms?", shows the desire of the Stranger for redemption and love. Next is "Remember Me", where he announces that his vows to his deceased wife are broken and he is free to love. The story ends with "Hands on the Wheel", which depicts the Stranger as an old man who is accompanied by a child, allegedly his grandson, and his new love. The song marks the end of the sorrow of the Stranger, and his redemption years later. The album ends with the instrumental song "Bandera".

An interesting scene from Edge of Darkness in which the characters discuss "Time of the Preacher"....

And As We Begin 2012....

2012-01-03T17:05:00.000-06:00

I am glad to be done with 2011. I had some good times, caught some fish, enjoyed my children and my wife, but it was also a year of tragedy, death, illness, broken marriages, and hurt for many who are dear to us.
Just because I can turn the page on my calendar doesn't mean that the pain from 2011 will end, but I do think that fresh starts are refreshing, a time to take a big breath and let it all go. Then take another deep breath and let it all go. Then take another deep breath. And hold it. And feel hungry in a way that seems strange...
No, I'm not going to start smoking pot.
Until the summer of 2036.

The hardest part of 2011 was that while so many folks around me were going through the valley of the shadow, my little family had a great year. I know that our time of trials is coming someday. My personal resolution for 2012 is to continually root myself firmly in the Immoveable I Am.
Our dear friend, Latayne, had this to say in response to the many comments and compliments about her faith as her husband, Dan, the greatest showman I know, has battled Guillain Barre Syndrome over the last month:

"Many, many of you have commented on my faith through this. I am honored by what you say. But I want to make it clear that what you are seeing is not personal strength nor a feature of my puny character. What you are seeing is a person who has been prepared by reading and believing God’s Word. When the storm came, I held onto that. Anybody can do that. You don’t have to be strong in a hurricane if you are attached to something immoveable.
When I wrote my book *The Hinge of Your History: The Phases of Faith,* I wondered if my strong assertions in that book would be put to the test. I have found what I said in peacetime to be true as well in the heat of battle. What Dan and I and all who love him are experiencing is a feature of the structure of faith: Promise, Contradiction and Resolution.
We are in Phase Two, and we know what to do. We know Who is holding onto us in this hurricane.
I urge you, if you do not have that knowledge and that foundation, now is the time! Do not wait until the flames of the furnace are at your feet.
“Put on the full armor of God”—truth, righteousness (from God), readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Spirit’s own sword of battle, God’s Word– so that “when the day of such evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

And yes, the rumors are true. Fertile Myrtle and Potent Pete (aka Leslie and I) are expecting our fifth child sometime around the end of July. We're honored that the Lord has seen fit to bless us with our children and entrust them to our care. They are our joy and delight.
We covet your prayers for our family and this pregnancy, as well as for those whom we love still hurting and recovering from the trials of the last year.

I'll post my 2012 resolutions for Time of the Preacher soon. I came through on 3.5 of last year's 6 resolutions . Pretty good for a batting average, not so hot as a free throw percentage.

Return To The Taqueria

2011-12-18T13:32:00.000-06:00

Come home, come home. Ye who are hungry, come home.....

Why We Don't Eat at Luby's

2011-12-12T15:20:00.000-06:00

    After church yesterday, the kids and I got to the car before Leslie and decided to go Bush's, the local chicken joint. When Leslie got in (not knowing what we had decided) she asked, "Girls, what do you want to eat?" When the girls answered, "Bush's!", Leslie said, "No, we're not going to Bush's."
I wasn't sure what to do so I just started driving southbound on 35.
As I usually do in a moment of indecision, I made a bad decision. I said, "Hey, let's go to Luby's." Leslie said, "Okay." and the girls asked, "What's a Luby's?"

    Here's a little context... We are a go out to eat after church family. Leslie and I covered it in our pre-marital counseling. We know that we're going out, we're just not always 100% sure where. 86% of the time we go to a local taqueria. My whole family can eat and I can leave Maria a 20% tip for under $25. There are chips and salsa to keep the kids occupied as soon as we sit down. Everyone likes the food. I don't know why we don't go there 100% of the time, but recently we've been trying some other options.

    As we pulled into the Luby's parking lot I explained to the girls that it's a cafeteria, kind of like at school. You get a tray, tell the lady what you want, they give it to you and you take it to your table.
We got inside and there was no line. No time to check the menu or prices or plan ordering strategy. We're up to bat at the salad bar as soon as we walk through the door. I took the point followed by Georgia and Jonesy. Leslie was riding drag. Georgia requested cucumbers and oranges at the salad bar. The guy gave her a funny look, but complied with her request and we moved on down the line. She and Jonesy have trained for months in the school cafeteria for this occasion so we soon made our way efficiently to the end of the line. I looked back to see how the rest of the herd was progressing.
    Annie's tray was empty and Leslie was exasperated. Annie was in a "I want to get it myself" mood and had refused to allow the Luby's servers to serve her anything. By this time the blue-haired Baptists had arrived and the line was getting long so we couldn't back up to get her any food. Annie got to the bread selections, which are self-serve, and served herself a roll. Next came the dessert selections. I told the girls they could each pick a dessert, and each of them chose a dish of strawberry shortcake.

    A little more context... I love Furr's Cafeterias where you can get all-you-can-eat of all 23 food groups for one low price. I have many fond memories of Sundays after church at the Slide Rd location in Lubbock being gluttonous with my college buddies. At Furr's I used to have two or three desserts with every visit. After all, it was all-I-could-eat for one low price. Well, Luby's ain't like that.

    As the checkout lady looked across our trays with a ciphering look on her face I remembered that Luby's charges for each individual item. When she told me what the damage was, I told her that I remembered why I didn't eat at Luby's. She chuckled, said, "Yeah, it is kind of high", and made me pay up.
We got a rolling high chair for Little Brother and made our way to our table and unloaded our feast. Well, most of us did. All Annie had was a roll and strawberry shortcake, but I was okay with it by that point as I thought about how much higher the bill would have been if she had gotten anything else.
    About five minutes into the meal I heard Jones holler, "Annie!", and Annie say, "Uh-Oh." I looked over and found that Annie had spilled her strawberry shortcake all the way down her dress and into the floor. As I moved in for the clean-up I noticed the receipt on the table, and saw that each of the desserts cost $3.48. I rounded up and declared, "Annie, you just spilled five dollars all over the floor!"
    When I got back to my seat, West was hanging his head over the side of the high chair like a -whatever the PC term for waterhead is these days- drooling okra onto the floor. I pushed his chair back from the table and cleaned it up along with the other things he had dropped. When I was done I pulled him back toward the table, forgetting that Luby's high chairs are wheeled. He was still slumped over like a retard at table level, the chair moved easier than I thought it would, and I whacked his head against the table's edge. He started hollering and I gave up. I excused myself from the table and took him outside and let my girls and all of the blue hairs finish their meals in peace.
    While we waited in the car I prayed for peace and patience, and decided that next week we are going back to the taqueria!!!

Word of the Year

2011-11-28T05:56:00.001-06:00

noun

power or ability to act or to influence people, events, decisions, etc.; sway. Synonyms: advantage, strength, clout, pull.

the use of a small initial investment to gain a very high return in relation to one's investment.

verb (used with an object)

to exert power or influence on.

to use a quality or advantage to obtain a desired effect or result.

I've heard a lot of my favorite preachers using the word leverage lately. It's a word I'd not heard much in church before, but alas there is nothing new under the sun. The idea of leveraging what you have and where you are to further the kingdom of God is found throughout the Bible.

*Remember the parable of the talents?
*Think about Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah: "To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds." -Daniel 1:17
*Remember Nehemiah? He was cupbearer to King Artaxerxes and leveraged that position to begin the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
*Esther leveraged her influence on the King to save her people.
*Preaching from the parable of the shrewd manager a couple of weeks ago Scott Meyer said, "I don't care how wealthy you are or how young you are, in God's eyes we all have just a little bit of time and a little bit of money. The question is how will you leverage that on behalf of the Kingdom? And the encouraging, powerful thing from this parable is that you can leverage your temporary worldly things to actually affect the population of eternity. How's that for an investment?"

And what of those who squandered their position? 10 of the 12 who came back from spying out Canaan died wandering around in the desert. Saul lost the throne, Judus leveraged his position to betray Jesus.

So the question comes to you...

How can you leverage your home, your money, your car, your radio show, your blog, your job, your time, your influence with family and friends? And where you can, will you???

At Work Today

2011-11-16T21:02:00.001-06:00

Let me start by confessing that I believe that names are important. I believe they can prophetically speak into a person's future and can connect them to the past. That's Biblical. Old and New Testaments.
Okay, that's all the preaching I'll do for today. Here's the rest of the story.....

Seatrain Lines was the name of a shipping company most responsible for the introduction of the standard international intermodal container. One of their containers is pictured below.

In 1980 a pregnant woman in Louisiana saw one of these containers and thought, "Hmm, I'll name my son after that." After further consideration or maybe she just forgot how it was spelled, she dropped the "i", and on the day her child was born gave him the name Seatran. With the 1st syllable having a short "e" sound and the 2nd having a short "0" sound with emphasis on the 2nd. (se-tron)

Thirty years later....Seatran has changed the pronunciation back to the original and now calls himself C-Train. Yes, that's how he spells it now too, C dash Train, and today C-Train was my conductor. The baby who was named after a shipping container on a passing train is now a railroad conductor.
Ain't life funny sometimes.

Go to Church

2011-10-31T16:08:00.000-05:00

For various reasons I haven’t been very preachy here on Time of the Preacher lately, but there have been things on my mind that I feel compelled to get out, so bear with me through this bit of preaching......

If you read this and think, “He’s writing this about me.”, you’re probably right. But before you feel too special or get your feelings hurt, realize that I’m probably also writing about someone else.
I see a lot of young couples around me struggling with the same things. Who feel like they are beating their heads against a wall while trying to do everything right. Taking care of various responsibilities with their jobs, marriages, homes, and children. It gets overwhelming and because of their frustration and time constraints they withdraw from the church rather that run toward it. They choose a kind of Oprah spirituality rather than the gospel and it leaves them wanting. I see Christians being beat up by the world, tossed around our culture like a ship with no rudder, sail, or anchor. My heart aches for them.

My advice to young and old is simple. Go to church. I don’t mean just show up at a church building. I mean go to the church, the bride of Christ, the community of believers. “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting on another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” -Hebrews 10:24-25
I’d like to challenge you to invest yourself in your local church. Bless others and make yourself available to be blessed by others. Make it a priority.

Jeremiah 29:11 has become one of the most popular “coffee mug” verses in recent years: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” I’ve seen lots of folks claim this as their favorite verse believing that it means that God plans for everything to eventually be wonderful in their life, that in time He will make them healthy, wealthy, and wise. However, many of you may dismayed to find out that this was not a promise of God to an individual promising a great job, a perfect spouse, and obedient children. Read the whole chapter, or the whole book of Jeremiah if you dare, and you will find that it was a multi-generational promise to a community of exiles. Though exiles in Babylonian captivity, they were told to build houses, plant gardens, marry, raise children, and to seek the Lord while living in community as they awaited delivery from their captivity. They were told to live in peace within the culture, but not to conform to it. As it was for those Jewish exiles, I believe that it is through community and through generations that the Lord will bless us with hope and future.

I’ve seen the benefits of this in my own life. I’m thankful that Leslie and I both had mothers who took us to church whenever the doors were open.
I’m thankful that Frank Daniels continually presented the gospel to me during my teenage years, and that he encouraged me to grow in maturity and leadership.
I’m thankful that James and Cindy Gray were there to model healthy marriage and mentor Leslie and I during our first couple of years together.
I’m thankful that Bill Vaughn held our babies (and hundreds of others) and for all of the meals we got to share with him and Helen.
I’m thankful that Lou Ann helps us teach our girls to be ladies and that Irv teaches me to be patient and gentle with my wife and children.
I wouldn't have the blessings of these relationships without being plugged into the church.

Is your precious baby about to make you pull your hair out? Take him to church and let your blessing be a blessing to someone else. Let someone else hold him for a while. He will be a blessing to them and you will get some relief and perhaps some new perspective.

Has the shine worn off of your young marriage? Are you wondering how to love each other? Scared of adding to the divorce statistics someday? Go to church and let people who have been married for 50 years teach you how it’s done. Find out why that old man still has his arm around his bride who hasn’t been considered “hot” by anyone in 40 years.

Have you complained about worship, a Bible class, the singing, or home groups or the by using phrases like, “I just don’t get anything out of it”, “they just sing old songs”, “they just sing new songs”, “it’s mostly old people”, or “it’s just for young people”? Perhaps you need a change of perspective and should seek first to bless others with your presence and participation rather than going in as just a consumer.

I know that living out this life of community may not be easy or comfortable for a lot of people. Our culture is opposed to it. We are greedy with our time. We are fearful of exposing our imperfections and quick to complain about the imperfections of others. I’ve seen a lot of congregations where generations are just tolerating each other, sharing space but not sharing their lives. If you find yourself in this situation, maybe you should be the one to make the first move. To borrow phrasing from JFK, ask not what your church can do for you, but what you can do for your church. “...for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap...and let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” -Galations 6

May you bless and be a blessing through the church and so much the more as we see the Day approaching.

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

“There is no other context for your faith as a Christian than to be in community with other people. I’ve heard a lot of people say to me over the years, “It’s just me and Jesus and that’s all I need.” Well, that’s not the gospel in scripture. If you are going to be those who claim to love Jesus then you will be compelled to love also the things that He loved. And He not only loved, but came and gave Himself up for the church and that makes it our concern as well.” -Derek Webb

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. -St. Paul , Romans 12:1-6

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. -Jesus, Matthew 11

Books to Read:

Proverbs- In your Bible. Right in the middle. Timeless wisdom. Most of it was written by Solomon, known for being a pretty smart guy.

Romans- Also in your Bible. New Testament. Written by St.Paul. I’m not against “Bible study”, but try reading it without studying it. Just read it straight through.

Stop Dating the Church By Joshua Harris. He’s better at presenting this idea than I am.

A Song to Hear and Consider

Fishing With Woody and Luke

2011-10-09T09:50:00.000-05:00

Had a good time camping and fishing with Aaron and his firstborn. Jazbo even got to spend the night at the lake with us.
"....a boy don't get to be a man with clean britches on." -Elmer Kelton

We Have to Drag Them Out of Bed on School Days

2011-10-01T06:58:00.001-05:00

The girls were up at 6:15 this morning. They had John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" playing on repeat and turned up as loud as it would go while they hillbilly tap danced around their room. So loud they rattled pictures off the wall. Leslie had told them last night not to come out of their room until they could see sunlight through their window. They obeyed. Made their daddy smile and their mother groan.

This Morning at the Lake

2011-09-12T12:40:00.001-05:00

These videos are from my trip to the lake this morning. Spent more time looking around than I did fishing.
The first video is of my favorite springtime crappie spot. Where I was standing to shoot the video is usually about 6-8 ft deep. The rocky bank is like crappie heaven in the spring. The little bit of water you see in the video is only inches deep.
The next video is of the first beaver I've ever seen in the wild. I've seen evidence of them before, but this is the first one I've ever come across. At first I couldn't tell what it was. Thought it might be a gator. Then I thought it might be a nutria until I saw its tail. I chased him some with the trolling motor, then he slapped his tail against the top of the water and dove. He resurfaced a bit later and seemed to be doing the same thing I was this morning, just wandering around dismayed at the low lake level and wondering when it was going to rain again.

What's Influencing Me?

2011-09-02T13:28:00.000-05:00

I guess it's because of the beginning of a new school year, but I've been thinking a lot lately about who is influencing my kids. Thinking about that has led me to think about who's influencing me. It's healthy to take stock once in a while, examine what kind of stuff you are putting into your life.
"...for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Gal 6

Andy Stanley- Pastor of North Point Church in Atlanta, son of Charles Stanley of "In Touch" and First Atlanta Baptist fame. I've been subscribing to the podcast of his sermons. Not a lot of fluff like a Joel Osteen (no offense to you Osteen fans), but lots of meat and practical spiritual lessons.

Garrison Keillor- Another podcast subscription. Up to a year of his "News from Lake Wobegon" monologs from the "A Prairie Home Companion" radio show are available. Just made up stories about his made up home town, but I like them.

I read Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's second book, "A Love That Multiplies", a couple of months ago and I'm still thinking on it most everyday. Whether you have one child or nineteen, both of their books are full of practical marriage, parenting, financial, and spiritual influence.

For the last several months I've mostly been reading Elmer Kelton, Louis L'Amour, and Zane Gray. Novels about the last half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th. Sometimes I think I would have fit in better back then.

Dave Ramsey- It's been a year and a half since Leslie and I graduated from Financial Peace University, but we are still being influenced by what we learned. Living on a budget, faithful giving, and having cash money set aside for car repairs, doctor visits, and new shoes really does bring financial peace.

Break the Chain- When I visit Albuquerque I'll know where and what to eat, but will I have enough time and money to try them all?

What's influencing you???

Sad Situation

2011-08-31T21:01:00.001-05:00

It's hot. It's dry. Very dry.

West and I went treasure hunting at the lake this morning. We didn't find much, but we had a great time.

First Day of Kindergarten and 1st Grade

2011-08-22T12:02:00.003-05:00

Sweet Sisters!

After school.

Mayborn Museum

2011-08-16T14:43:00.001-05:00

Our lunches were packed, the Northrups were loaded, and we were off on N. I35. This was Wests' first trip to the Museum where he was able to participate. He loved it! And so did all the girls.

Vegas Pictures

2011-08-14T21:24:00.006-05:00

July 19-22, 2011

Mirage pool, Karaoke night, Southwest flights, Mandarin Oriental High Tea, Strip view from our room, Breakfast of champions, Curved escalator at Caesars.

Witnessing in Las Vegas

2011-08-14T21:23:00.003-05:00

I've been a lazy blogger lately and have heard your complaints and requests. I have a backlog of posts and will try to do better, but those of you who are late with your subscription payments need to do better too.
Jones and Georgia need new shoes for school.

Bear with me. Some of the upcoming posts may not be in chronological order, but twenty years from now when my kids are reading this stuff it won't really matter.

Last month was the Brown/Scott Vegas Vacation 2.0. We had great times, ate a lot of great food, and made good memories.

Some of you have seen the "I Love My Wife/ I Love My Husband" t-shirts that Leslie and I got a few months ago. Well, I wore mine the day we traveled to Vegas. I wore it on purpose. Armed with my shirt and a story about how it was the first just-the-two-of us get away my wife had had in almost three years (true story) I had the intention of getting an upgrade to a suite at check-in. We didn't get a suite, but we did get upgraded to a strip view room and the desk clerk surprised us by sending a chilled bottle of champagne to our room along with a nice card.

Later that afternoon Ryan and I sat down at a blackjack table. I was still wearing my shirt. As we sat down the dealer said to another player at the table, "I like his shirt better than yours."

We looked over at the other player, a guy in his early 20's who was wearing a t-shirt that said "I Recycle Women". I asked him what it meant and he said, "You know, I just hook up with them, use them, and put them back into the pool."

All I could say was, "Hm."

Then the dealer asked me if I really did love my wife. Ryan and I both told her that we did love our wives, and that we had each been married for 8 years.

From the table chit-chat it was revealed that the recycles women guy was in town with his family for his cousin's wedding. I asked him if she had been recycled. He didn't say much in response. "Well, what about your sister?", I asked. He kind of backpedaled as he stumbled through his response to that, but I think he got my point. All women are special to someone. They are sisters, daughters, and mothers and are to be honored. Not recycled.

After he left the table it was just Ryan and I with the dealer. She told us that she appreciated our response to that guy and that she was happy that we were there with our wives and were proud to profess our love for them.

Soon after, she dealt Ryan a Blackjack. As she paid him, Ryan said, "The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you..."

She said, "Thank you for that blessing. Numbers 6 right?", naming the book and chapter that Ryan was quoting.

"Yes, it is." he said.

"Are you believers?", she asked.

We told her that we were, that we had met at a Lubbock Christian University, and a little more about ourselves and our wives. She told us how refreshing it was to see Christians in her line of work who were not so uptight that they couldn't come to Vegas and have a good time, but were not ashamed of their faith while there either.

I hope we brought a little bit of blessing into her life that day. I know she brought a lot into mine.

*Leslie will share Vegas pictures soon.

**To hear about some of the food we ate, check out Break the Chain. Break the Chain is a new radio talk show that is taking the New Mexican airwaves by storm. Some of our food experiences were featured on the July 31st episode.

***If you're interested in getting your own, we got our "I Love My Husband/Wife" t-shirts from Francesca Battistelli's website. I'm not into pushy/preachy t-shirts, but these have been great conversation starters.

Butler Fun!

2011-08-12T12:26:00.003-05:00

A day hanging out and swimming with the Butler family. Good times.

Something You Should Hear

2011-08-03T13:02:00.000-05:00

I know that a sermon is a good one when I'm still thinking about it three days after I heard it.
Thank you, Scott Meyer, for the best Esau sermon I've ever heard.
Probably in the Top Five "this story has practical application in your life" sermons I've ever heard.

Heroes: Esau from Western Hills on Vimeo.

Summer Sea World

2011-08-03T11:12:00.000-05:00

Aug.1-2, 2011

Lindsey and I traveled to San Antonio with five girls for a two day Sea World adventure. We had a great time exploring Lost Lagoon and seeing the new Shamu show with baby Shamu. It was hot( a 107 degrees), it was fun, and it will be a trip to repeat in the future!

West had Mimi all to himself for two whole days.

Georgia's ears

2011-07-29T16:29:00.000-05:00

Georgia had wanted her ears pierced on her 5th birthday, but backed out in April. Her friend, Bailey, had her ears pierced for her 5th birthday and Georgia wanted to go get hers done too. She was brave, she tensed up, she had tears. She's so beautiful.

Smelling Memories

2011-07-28T22:28:00.000-05:00

I often take a peanut butter sandwich to work with me.
I often have a thermos of coffee at work with me.
I work with a lot of people who smoke.
Locomotives run on diesel.

Maybe random things, but to me they are special. They make me remember my maternal Granddad, Lowel Wilhoit.
I can remember being a kid and going with my Grandma out to the field where Granddad was working on the tractor that day. We’d take him a thermos of coffee with peanut butter and crackers for his lunch. He smoked non-filtered Camels. I guess the smell of those things all mixed together got locked into my olfactory files.
I was in Portales last week and took this picture of one of those old tractors.

I’m thankful for my family. Thankful for memories and lessons learned. I’m thankful for the job I have, especially those days when peanut butter, hot coffee, cigarettes, and diesel exhaust help me to remember.

Vacation week

2011-07-25T15:14:00.000-05:00

Vacation Week July 19-24, 2011

Friends in Lubbock

Great Papaw Ed Jones in Amarillo.

Family picture in Amarillo.

Wilhoit Family Reunion in Portales.

Biscuit Brothers

2011-07-15T16:04:00.000-05:00

We went the Biscuit Brothers concert in Killeen. We were able to meet Dusty.

4th of July

2011-07-05T23:40:00.001-05:00

We had a great time celebrating in San Angelo. The family went to an Assisted Living home for the National Anthem, a parade, snacks, and to watch Mimi clog. Mimi is an awesome clogger. Jones decided to try the fun. We had a good time with Aunt Sheila, Uncle John and cousin Hank. Justin and I were able to go out for our anniversary dinner date. Thanks to Mimi and Jazbo for watching the kids. Jazbo and Mimi treated the us to Mr. Gattis for lunch, games and bumper cars.

End of June

2011-06-30T23:21:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Justin for Father's Day and for his birthday. We love you. I love you.

Great Scott

2011-06-29T23:27:00.000-05:00

Kimber, Canaan,and Kenzie stopped by for a visit. So much fun, so little time.

Go Fish

2011-06-22T14:39:00.007-05:00

Thursday, June 16, 2011

The Petersons and the Browns traveled to Waco for Go Fish concert. We saw our friend, Jared, there too. Fantastic evening of praise and worship for us and the kids.

West 1st Birthday

2011-06-22T14:06:00.009-05:00

Monday, June 6, 2011
West. 1year. 18lbs (5%) and 28 1/4 in (10%)

Saturday, June 4, 2011
Grannola and Papa came for a visit. Oops, no pics on this visit.

Thursday, June 2, 2011
Justin and the girls made West a cake. He wore his birthday shirt and bib. Opened presents. Likes cake. Loves his sisters.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011
We celebrated West tonight at church. We took his cake and shared with church family.

May 20-31

2011-06-22T13:16:00.019-05:00

Monday, May 30, 2011
Memorial Day. Splash pad fun!

Sunday, May 29, 2011
Our home group met at the lake to play and share a meal.

Saturday, May 28, 2011
The kids and I attended Jim Huddleston's wedding. Beautiful!

These are our sweet friends, Bill and Helen Vaughan. They have held and loved on all four of our babies. We have been blessed by their generosity, stories and wisdom. Mr. Bill died and went Home on 6-12-2011.

Friday, May 27, 2011
Jones had a field trip to the Splash Pad. The kindergarten classes walked and they were escorted across the street by police.

Thursday, May 26, 2011
Jones had her kindergarten graduation in the morning and Georgia's preschool graduation was in the evening.

Still Here

2011-06-19T08:56:00.000-05:00

I’ve been absent from my internets for about a month now. Life with all of its ups and downs, highs and lows, has swept over us in the last month. I’ve shed more tears in recent weeks than I have in the last ten years. I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but I have a deeper love for my wife and children than I did 30 days ago.

*We’ve said goodbye to a sweet young girl and a great old man.
*I’ve read some good books.
*I saw a great movie with my favorite actor. “Get Low” with Robert Duvall.
*I finally got to see Go Fish in concert. My kids loved it almost as much as I did. If you have kids, give them the gift of good music. Go Fish is a great place to start.
*I got to attend the 4th Annual Guys With Whom I Went to College Weekend. Ten marriages, no divorces, fathers of 26 kids. By the Grace of God we’ve been blessed and we’re beating the odds.
*I lost my mp3 player, my portable access to my library of thousands of songs, (a really big deal to me) and found it again 3 weeks later.
*My father retired from a 36 year teaching career.
*I haven’t been fishing.

I’ve had a lot to write lately, but haven’t felt comfortable sharing it here.
We’re still here.
Songs of the Weeks will resume soon, Leslie has pictures to post, and I’ll have story telling and opining to do.

West

2011-05-19T13:10:00.003-05:00

West is a climber! Several weeks ago he discovered the stool at the bathroom sink and that he likes to look in the mirror. We now keep the door shut all the time. On Wednesday, after school, Jones yells for me to come quick. West was on the fourth step on the bunk bed ladder. I got him down, got the camera and put him down to see if he would do it again. He did. I asked Jones to stand right behind him while I videoed and took a picture. We now keep the ladder off and/or the door closed. Everyday he is making records for standing unassisted. He will be walking soon.

Hit of the Week

2011-05-16T11:16:00.000-05:00

I love radio. I despise video games, like some TV shows, but I love radio.

Sometimes radio playlists hit a slump. Artists all seem to offer up awful to just so so songs all at once. Country radio is in a slump like that right now. Hip-hop radio has been in a slump for about 15 years now.
But this month, contemporary Christian radio is on a hitting streak. Great artists putting out great songs. I rarely use a current hit as song of the week, but I'm going to this time. The first time I heard this song on the radio it punched me in the gut. I believe in serendipity and the providence of God. I'm thankful that Sanctus Real released this song at just the right time, just when I needed it. If you know a husband or daddy who needs this song, please share it with them.

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“Lead Me”

I look around and see my wonderful life

Almost perfect from the outside

In picture frames I see my beautiful wife

Always smiling

But on the inside, I can hear her saying...

“Lead me with strong hands

Stand up when I can't

Don't leave me hungry for love

Chasing dreams, what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight

That I'm still the love of your life

I know we call this our home

But I still feel alone”

I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes

They're just children from the outside

I'm working hard, I tell myself they'll be fine

They're independent

But on the inside, I can hear them saying...

“Lead me with strong hands

Stand up when I can't

[ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/s/sanctus-real-lyrics/lead-me-lyrics.html ]

Don't leave me hungry for love

Chasing dreams, but what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight

That I'm still the love of your life

I know we call this our home

But I still feel alone”

So Father, give me the strength

To be everything I'm called to be

Oh, Father, show me the way

To lead them

Won't You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands

To stand up when they can't

Don't want to leave them hungry for love,

Chasing things that I could give up

I'll show them I'm willing to fight

And give them the best of my life

So we can call this our home

Lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

Father, lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

Georgia's belated party

2011-05-14T13:19:00.002-05:00

We had a fun belated birthday party for Georgia with Jazbo and Mimi.

Today In Our World

2011-05-10T20:38:00.001-05:00

Went to Somerville and back early this morning. Easy trip. Got home in time to meet Jones at school for lunch. Nasty Nacho day. She told me that they had been learning about the 4th of July, the Declaration of Independence, etc... Made up for the Cinco de Mayo junk from last week.

We picked the first squash from this year's garden and had it with our supper.

Jones, Georgia, and I rode our bicycles to the mailbox and then to the park. Jones was in front of me as she reached up to grab the monkey bars. Before she started across she stopped and said, “Hey, Dad, you know what?”
“What’s that, dear?”
“I have some hairs starting to grow under here,” she said as she pointed to her armpit and started giggling.
I didn’t know what to say to that.

Annie starts whining every evening in anticipation of bedtime. She begs for someone to please sleep with her or to let her sleep with them. No one wants to sleep with her because she wiggles and talks to much.

Georgia is going to Kindergarten round-up tomorrow. Please begin praying for obedience for my daughter, patience and a good sense of humor for her teacher.

West is almost a year old. He’s toddling now and we’re all out of babies. Except for Tuesdays and Thursdays when we keep Jameson, but that will be over in a couple of weeks.

I think I have plantar fasciitis. My foot has been hurting for a couple of years now. I'm going to see my doctor about it next month.

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T23:11:00.000-05:00

Western Hills Church celebrated Mother's Day with their Baby Blessing. We are blessed to have great friends here in Temple and are honored that we get to share our children with so many wonderful people.
Justin and the kids gave me flowers, cards, lunch at Roadhouse, and a nap! Thank you. I love each of you very much!

Sea World Praise Wave

2011-05-02T22:00:00.008-05:00

Friday
Swimming at the Residence Inn.

Saturday
We arrived at Sea World at 830am. They opened the gates at 930am. but only took us a little ways inside the gates. The anthem played at 10am and the herd of Christians ran to the Nautilus theater to stand in another line to get a wristband. We did it! We were not going to miss Bebo Norman, Chris August and Francesca Battistelli. Then, after a sigh of relief, we had til 330pm to enjoy the park.

Justin, Jones, Annie, Mikayla, and Ethan sat sat in the Shamu Splash Zone, but Shamu missed them. There are new kid rides and a new splash pad. Justin and I took all(but West) on the log ride. Annie and Georgia didn't enjoy it.

Justin was able to take Jones and Georgia down to the stage to see Francesca and Bebo a little closer. I missed the last half of Bebo and the beginning of Chris August doing bathroom trips. Note to self: Put pull ups on everyone for the next concert! Three hours. Hot. Tired but Excited. The kids did great for their first concert experience.

Francesca Battistelli

Bebo Norman

Weekend Adventure and Song of the Week

2011-05-02T10:08:00.002-05:00

A few months ago Jones and I were riding in the pickup listening to Francesca Battistelli. Between songs she reminded me that I had promised to take her to a concert someday and asked if I could check and see if Francesca was going to have any shows near us. When we got back to the house we looked online and found out that she was going to be playing at SeaWorld with Bebo Norman, Chris August, and Newsboys. We put it on the calendar and began making plans.
After 3 months of waiting, the day finally came. We went to San Antonio on Friday, got a hotel room, swam in their indoor pool, ate pizza, and watched River Monsters on cable. We got to SeaWorld early so we would be sure to get a wristband that would be our ticket into the concerts. We ran with the mob at 10:00 when they opened the floodgates after the playing of The Star Spangled Banner. It was a great day of Shamu, roller coasters, junk food, and good music. I'm sure Leslie will post pictures soon.
Did you know that we have a youtube channel, too? www.youtube.com/justinwilhoit Check it out for SeaWorld concert footage and assorted family hyjinks.

Halfway through Bebo's set something went wrong with the sound system. His vocals were the only thing coming through the main speakers, but he didn't know it. He was still hearing his guitar through his in-ear monitors. He kept singing, the crowd was singing with him, the moment was a magical time of worship. Fittingly, the song was "I Have Nothing Without You". I decided to use it for the song of the week. Let it be your prayer as you go through this week.

Easter

2011-04-25T20:15:00.023-05:00

Wednesday
Jones' kindergarten class went to Austin to Zilker Botanical Gardens. Lindsey and I followed the bus and took the tour with them. After the Gardens, everyone went to the playground area and to eat our sack lunches. We signed the girls out with their teachers and they rode home with us. We just happened to pass SAM MOON, so we stopped and quickly shopped then headed home.

Thursday
Georgia had a school Easter egg hunt. Jones had an Easter egg hunt(had to find eggs with her name on it) and party. Our neighbor brought his snow cone truck for four of the six kindergarten classes. I took both out of school early and we went to Amarillo.

Friday
My mom and I took the kids to Jumpin Jive. My dear friend Lisa, who currently lives in Alaska, brought her son Sam to play (and Bethany came too). My friend Shara and her three kids, and Kyleen and Colby and their two kids came to play too. Lisa and I went out Friday night after all our kiddos went to bed. It was a great night to stay out til almost midnight and catch up with each other. I think it has been close to five years since I have seen her in person. I hope it is not that long again! (Lisa is the tallest in the pictures)

Saturday
We slept in, went to visit my Papaw (so sad, no pics) and took him to lunch. He sat beside West in the suburban and I think he really enjoyed watching West on the way to the restaurant. Papaw would hold his fingers out by Wests foot and West would wrap his toes around his Great Papaw fingers.

EASTER Sunday
Church in the morning. West took a nap during class time. Colby, Kyleen, Kaiden and Conner came over for lunch, egg hunt and confetti eggs. Church again in the evening. Dinner with Jamie and Cindy Gray, Hollee Gray, Lisa Noble, Pat Neusch and kids. Kids to bed. I packed and got ready to leave.

Monday
On the road again, headed home. We made an early lunch stop in Lubbock and to see some dear friends. Missy and Carrie. Thanks for taking time to meet us. Our stops are always too short, but it's so good to see you! We were able to see Rashell and Grant one more time, as they stopped by too. West misses Grant! (Check FB for a video.)

Then on to Abilene, to see Aunt Sheila and cousin Hank. Thanks for the snack stop!

Justin was home to greet us when we arrived back home! And he had surprises for all the girls......Francesca Battistelli t-shirts for her Sea World concert!

Easter Sunday and Song of the Week

2011-04-24T19:22:00.000-05:00

Leslie and the kids went to Amarillo for Easter. I ended up having the weekend off. To make the best of a lonely situation, I decided to rent the movie “Crazy Heart”. Nathan has been telling me to see it since it came out. I’m sorry now that I was so slow getting around to it.
I won’t give away the plot of the movie, but I it is a story of the redemption of a broken country singer songwriter.
The idea of redemption has been on my mind a lot lately. Isn’t that what Easter is all about?
Best line I heard from the preacher this morning was, “The resurrection didn’t undo what happened on the cross. It redeemed the cross.” We all stand in need of redemption. I thank God “that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
A redemption story is why St. Paul was such a great evangelist. It’s why the story of Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers is so inspiring. It’s why Hank Williams’ “I Saw the Light” will always be one of my favorite songs.
This week’s song is Kris Kristofferson’s “Why Me Lord”. In this video he tells the story of how he came to write it. A real life “Crazy Heart”. A powerful testimony and a powerful song.

p.s. As a fan of biscuits, my favorite line in “Crazy Heart” was... “Whole worlds have be tamed by men who ate biscuits.”

Georgia's 5th Birthday

2011-04-19T13:28:00.004-05:00

The Thursday before Georgia's birthday, she took cupcakes to school to celebrate with her school friends.

Justin's Aunt Rashell and cousins, Grant and Molly, came to Temple to stay with us for a few days as they were waiting for clearance to return to Japan. We had a fantastic time with them here. They were such a blessing to have in our home. Such a huge help with the kids and with Georgia's party. We let Jones skip school to enjoy time with our family. Georgia's party was at 3. It was super windy at Jaycee "Rocket" park. Georgia chose a Tangled theme this year. Rashell made the jello (water) cut the oranges (boat) and attached the flag to the pole. Thank you to everyone who came, called, FB messaged, and/or mailed something to Georgia. We love our Sweet Georgia May Brown.

William Hayden Northrup was born on Georgia's birthday too. Thanks to Rashell being here, after the kids went to bed, I was able to go see him and Kirsten and stay awhile while Jason went home to grab a few things. So sweet!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Georgia Brown

2011-04-18T18:39:00.000-05:00

Sweet Georgia celebrated her 5th birthday today.
This week's song is for her. For those of you who didn't know, she was named for the song "Georgia on My Mind", one of the most beautiful songs ever written. It's presented here by American Icons, Willie Nelson and Ray Charles.
Also, happy day of birth to Willie Northrup, born today to our friends Kirsten and Jason.

West 10 months

2011-04-13T13:32:00.007-05:00

The Brown fireplace tradition continues.....

He likes to swing....

At 10 months :
*pulls up and cruises slowly
*says mama and dada
*signs all done and more
*Adores his sisters
*sleeps 730pm-630am
*drinks from a sippy cup
*likes wagon rides
*uses hands and feet to go over the threshold
*likes outside
*likes for mommy to hold him
*eats Cheerios
*prefers to feed himself cut up table food
*most 9-12mo clothes are too big
*second haircut
*two bottom teeth, one top tooth, and one top tooth on the way

Fruit Leather

2011-04-12T11:47:00.000-05:00

Last week was busy, but I ended up not working on Saturday and Sunday. Yesterday morning I caught a local and was home in time for supper. Three nights in a row at home. It’s been nice.

When I was getting ready to go to work yesterday morning I opened the pantry to pack my lunch and saw that Leslie had bought a couple of boxes of Fruit Roll-Ups. I hadn’t had one in a lot of years and it brought back a good memory.
Fruit Roll-Ups hit American markets in the 80’s. They were a hit with kids all over America, including me, my sister, and our cousins. When we were at my grandparents house one summer she informed us that Fruit Roll-Ups were just an updated version of fruit leather and that they used to make it all the time.
She didn’t just tell us about it. She showed us. She happened to have an abundance of apricots from the tree on the west side of the house. She peeled, pitted, and pureed them into a delicious mush and spread it onto waxed paper, then put it in the huge dehydrator (an old Ford LTD? that wasn’t running) out in the yard.
The result was better than what was being marketed to us on TV and it seemed there was a limitless supply.

I enjoyed my Fruit-Roll Up yesterday. It was delicious, but I enjoyed remembering even more.
I hope that someday the Lord will bless me with a place to grow some fruit trees and the chance to show my kids the joys of fruit leather.

A Week on the Railroad

2011-04-08T13:17:00.002-05:00

For those of you who are new to TOTP or just didn’t know, I make my living as a locomotive engineer, and one of my resolutions for 2011 was to document a week of life on the railroad. What follows is my life for the first week of April.
Working on the railroad is it’s own little world. Very different from most other jobs, but I suppose every one's job is like that to some extent.
Like most jobs railroading has its own vocabulary. I tried not to use much of it in writing this (it was difficult), but I found a glossary of slang that I pasted onto the end of the post if you're interested.

Probably the most unusual thing about my job is the lack of a regular schedule. I can’t tell for sure where I’ll be day to day, so making plans is nearly impossible. For this 7 day period I ended up with about 75 hrs of total time on duty. Plus a little over 40 hrs of hotel time made for 115 hours, or almost 5 days, of being gone from home.
I’m thankful for a wife that loves me anyway and keeps our home fires burning when I’m so undependable. I’m thankful for church that supports my family and is flexible enough to allow me to lead worship when I can and has a back-up for me when I can’t.

To my sister and the rest of you who care about grammar: I know that I mixed tenses, mostly writing about the past using present tense. I don’t like it either, and I apologize. Just grit your teeth and bear it.
The railroad is a 24/7 operation so all times are in military format.

A picture of "my office", the control stand of a locomotive.

Friday, April 1
Called to go on duty at 0105 for an empty potash train coming from Beaumont and going to Carlsbad, NM. A Beaumont crew is bringing it as far as Somerville (about 75 mi southeast of Temple), where we will get on it and take it on to Temple. We limo to Somerville, a good thing for me since I didn’t get much rest the day before. I get a nap in the van on the way there. When we get to Somerville we find out that the train isn’t there and isn’t going to make it, so we get back in the limo and go further down the line to get on it at Allenfarm. More miles means more money, so it’s okay with me. It’s an empty train that is pretty easy to run, so the trip back to Temple is uneventful.    I tie up at 0900 (about 8 hrs on duty) and go home and sleep until 1500 when the family gets home from picking up Jones after school.
    That evening Jones attends Cooper and Cutter’s birthday party. While she’s at the party, the rest of us go to Applebee’s for supper. The phone rings at 1905 while we are at the Meyers house picking up Jones. Called to go to San Antonio, on duty at 2035. Tonight I only have 2 engines and 2 empty cars. Not much of a train. They send this out every night so they will have engines to bring back a vehicle train from the San Antonio Toyota plant the next day. San Antonio is just over 100 miles from Temple on the highway, but 221 miles by rail because they route us the long way around. Most of the trip is on Union Pacific RR track. We stop two times for about an hour each time while we meet other trains. (There is only one main line, but trains going both ways on it so someone has to get out of the way in a siding.) I get short naps each time we stop. We tie up in San Antonio at 0745 on the morning of the 2nd with just over 11 hrs on duty.

Saturday, April 2
After eating the hotel breakfast I sleep the morning away. When I get up I walk down the road to Office Depot and get a new binder to keep my UPRR paperwork. My old one is busted and falling apart. Then I go eat at the Mexican joint across the street. When I get back to the hotel room I move my paperwork from the old binder to the new, throwing away the stuff that I don’t need or is out of date. I end up getting rid of 3 to 5 pounds of junk, making my grip a little lighter. When my task is complete, I talk to Leslie for a while on the phone and then lay down around 1800 expecting to be called in an hour or two to work Toyota vehicle train that night. The phone rings at 2215 and I am surprised to be ordered home on a 2345 deadhead. The vehicle train wasn’t going to be ready anytime soon, so they put us in a limo and we get back to Temple at 0145 Sunday morning.

Sunday, April 3
I go to bed when I get home. We get up in the morning and go to church. From there we go to the Taco Bell with Irv, LouAnn, and Lynelle. We chose this place because it’s across the parking lot from the Sprint store and we need new phones and a new phone plan. Just as the Sprint guy finishes activating my new phone, I get called for work. On duty at 1510 to take an empty grain train to Ft Worth. We hurry home, I change clothes, pack my lunch box, and go to work. The Ft Worth subdivision is crowded with traffic and has lots of slow orders because of maintenance being done so I know that it’s going to be a long day.

A grain train

Monday, April 4
I was right. We end up dying just as we get to Ft Worth. Then have to sit on the train waiting for the next crew and our ride to the hotel. We end up with 13 hrs on duty when we tie up at 0410 on Monday morning. I go straight to bed when we get to the hotel. I wake up around noon and eat a bowl of cereal before going to the workout room. I ride the bike for about 45 minutes while I read the owner’s guide to my new phone. After my workout I call Leslie and then go to Subway. I eat, shower, and go back to bed. The phone rings and wakes me up at 1800. I go on duty at 1930 for a loaded grain train. 113 cars of wheat. 16145 tons. 6913 ft long. Two motors on the head end and one on the rear of the train.
After getting our paperwork we, get to the train around 2015. We don’t get signals to leave until after midnight. Once we leave Ft Worth we don’t stop until we get to Temple. We tie up at 0540 the next morning with just over 10 hrs on duty.

Tuesday, April 5
When I get home, I turn off Leslie’s alarm so she can sleep a little bit longer. Jamison, the baby she keeps on Tuesdays and Thursdays, is delivered at 0640. Jones gets up to get ready for school. The other kids get up over the next 30 minutes and our day begins. Leslie takes Jones to school while I watch the other kids. When she gets home she loads them up to go to the gym and I go to bed. I get up at 1500 when she brings Jones home from school. The phone rings at 1540 and I am order to Ft Worth again on another empty grain train. After I take my call, Jones and I take a short bicycle ride to the mail box and the park, before I change clothes and go to work.
Lots of stop and go because of all the traffic. Pretty slow going, but not a bad trip. I get to the hotel and tie up at 0350 with 10 hrs 40 min on duty.

Wednesday, April 6
I wake up at 1130 and go downstairs for lunch. The hotel restaurant has a pretty good buffet for a good price. After lunch I walk a few laps around the parking lot so I won’t feel so guilty about stuffing myself at the buffet. I go back to the room and watch a show on the History channel about Attila the Hun while I check my internets and write a little bit.
Since Leslie likes her lover to maintain fine physical fitness, I go back downstairs and swim laps and do some water aerobic exercises followed by five minutes in the hot tub jets. I return to my room to shower and go back to bed around 1600. The phone rings at 1800 with an on duty call, but the automated computerized thing won’t confirm my trip so I get forwarded to a live person crew caller who tells me that they messed up and I’m not going on duty yet. My nap is ruined. I get up and return the call that I missed from my sister while I was sleeping. (For those of you who wonder why her call didn’t wake me... The railroad calls our hotel room landline phone. I had the ringer down on my cell phone while I was asleep.)
I finally get my real call at 1915 to go on duty at 2045. When our ride picks up up, my conductor and the limo driver begin discussing where he wants to stop to get something to eat on the way to the train. He says he’s been trying to lose weight and just can’t seem to lose much. He’s even been to his doctor seeking advice. After going on about this for a while he decides to stop at Jack in the Box, and I decide that he’s a moron. Then the limo driver starts giving him advice, suggesting that he drink vinegar and eat grapefruit with every meal. Then she starts talking about beef quality, “Some of the beef in these places isn’t very good for you either, but that Angus beef, it’s pretty good. I don’t know what Angus is, but I know it’s better.”
I can’t keep quiet any longer and I tell her that it’s just a marketing ploy and that Angus is just a breed of cattle no more tasty or healthy than any other, but I catch myself before I explain too much since our driver is a black woman who might take offense if I go that direction,and I don’t want to be sent to diversity training. (For those of you who are ignorant of cattle breeds and the PCness of companies as large as BNSF: Angus cattle are black, and yes, I know guys who’ve been sent to diversity training for lesser things.)
After my conductor gets his heart attack in a sack, we go to Saginaw for our paperwork and to get our train. We don’t have to wait long before we get signals to leave and we get a straight shot to Temple with only one short stop along the way. Tonight’s train is 120 carloads (17127 tons) of coal from the Powder River basin in Wyoming destined for the Reliant Energy plant near Houston. It’s a heavy train, but handles pretty well as long as you keep it under control. I have two engines on the head end and two on the rear.
We get to Temple just after 0300 in the morning, but there is no outbound crew on duty so we have to tie it down before we can go. We tie up at 0345 with just 7 hours on duty.

A coal train

Thursday, April 7
I go home and get to bed around 0500. I sleep until 1030 then get up and play with Annie and West. Leslie is keeping Jamison again today, but he’s not big enough to play much yet. We prepare and eat lunch. Today is the first day of this session of gymnastics for the girls. We prep for that and load everyone up to go pick up Georgia from school at 1400. She got treasure box for good behavior at school so we get to stop at Sonic. I know that I’ll be called back to work soon, so Leslie drops me off at the house on the way to get Jones so I can get my truck.
Gymnastics classes are in the gym at Jonesy’s school. We pick her up then eat our ice cream and play in the field for a while then go inside for their classes. I get my call at 1535 to go on duty at 1735. Another empty grain train to Ft Worth.
I’m not really thrilled about going up there for a third straight trip, but I have a good conductor that I enjoy working with. We have an okay trip, until we get to Joshua just south of Ft Worth. We end up sitting there for several hours while we meet 5 southbound trains. We finally get signals on into Ft Worth and tie up at 0400 with about 10 ½ hrs on duty.

And so the week ends.

Glossary of Railroad Slang and Terminology

angle cock - Lever that is turned to open or close off air from one car to another.
augment - Temporary reassignment to another division that may be short on hoggers (see below for the meaning of that term) or conductors. (a low seniority move).
B/O car, bad order car - Railcar requiring repair.
bare table - An empty TOFC, COFC or double stack train.
Big "O", the brains, skipper, pin puller - Conductor.
bighole, bighole it, dump the air - Emergency brake application.
deadhead - To move from home terminal to away terminals or vice-versa. Usually done by riding in a van or on another train going toward your desired point.
drawbar - The bar portion of a coupler that houses the knuckle.
dynamos - Dynamic brake mode of a diesel locomotive.
Extra Board - A group of stand-by engineers, conductors and brakeman that fill vacant jobs.
eyeballs - Locomotive headlights, i.e.: dim your eyeballs when you're entering a yard.
F.R.E.D.- F#^*$%@ Rear End Device, Federal Rear End Device. A flashing marker attached to the end of a train that is coupled into the train's brake pipe. Signals from the FRED (such as the brake pipe pressure on the rear of the train) are then transmitted to the leading locomotive via radio. Newer FREDs can also transmit telemetry data. These took the place of cabooses.
FRA, Federalies - Federal Railroad Administration, branch of government that enforces, implements and dictates safe train practices.
get the air back - Resetting a penalty application or emergency brake application. Refers to an automatic brake release.
hogger, hoghead - engineer.
hotbox - Overheated or overheating wheel bearing journal. A "hotbox detector" will scan a train's journals for similar problem.
knuckle - Hinged coupling portion on a coupler.
lay-off - To take time off from work.
limo- van or other vehicle that transports crews to and from trains.
mark-up - To return to work i.e.: extra board, freight pool, passenger pool.
roundhouse - Building either circular in shape or square (modern version) where motive power equipment is repaired or altered.
motor.
traction motor - An electrical device (motor) that turns the wheels of a diesel or electric locomotive.
yard -tracks where trains are made up or rearranged.

Part 2: Slang related to Train Movements:

A-head, Back - These two commands are governed by the direction of the controlling locomotive. So if the cars are coupled to the front of the controlling locomotive, "A-Head" would mean to shove on the cars, and "Back" would mean to pull on the cars. If the cars are coupled to the rear of the controlling locomotive, "A-Head" would mean to pull on the cars, and "Back" would mean to shove on the cars.
bend the rail, bending iron - Lining a switch for other than normal position.
buff force - The action of a train shoving on a locomotive(s), i.e. dynamic brake mode of controlling or reducing train speed.
bunch 'em up - To cause the slack between railcars to run in..
cut 'em off - To separate cars from the train.
Eastman, Westman, Northman, Southman - refers to a train travelling in a specified direction. i.e.: I'm putting you into the hole for one Eastman. Translation: "I'm putting you into the siding for one Eastbound train."
head end - Front.
highball, yard on it, pull 'er back - Maximum allowable speed. Also, a "highball" is a signal given when the train is ready to depart.
hold the main - To occupy the main track at a train meet.
hole, the hole - Siding.
hook, joint - To couple to a railcar.
kick, kick 'em - To throttle up rapidly and the pin off the car, allowing it to proceed under its own momentum in switching operations.
pick-up, P/U - To retrieve a car or number of cars from a general location, i.e. pick up all the cars at Burkes siding.
pin - To bunch the train enough to release the coupler locking feature.
plug it! - Put the train into emergency brake application quickly.
pull - To pick up a car or cut of cars from a specified location, i.e. "We're going to pull 2 cars from under the gantry crane at Bill's Lumber spur."
re-spot - To return a car or cut of cars to a specified location at the end of a switching move. (adding or removing cars at the location of the spot)
release - To remove the brakes, or undo a brake application.
roll by - An inspection done on a moving train either from the ground or from a train traveling in the opposite direction.
set - To apply brakes to a car or train.
set out, S/O - To leave a car or cut of cars in a general location, i.e. "We'll S/O the head 10 cars at Burkes siding."
slack action - Excessive unwanted run in and run out in your train.
sliding meet - Where two trains pass each other with out either train having to come to a complete stop.
spot - To position a car or cut of cars at a specified location, i.e. "We're going to spot these cars under the gantry crane at Bill's Lumber spur."
stretch, stretch 'em - To pull on the train to remove all slack.
that'll do - Stop.
tie-down, tie your train down, tie 'er down - To secure your train or locomotives for a prolonged period of time. This move consists of applying the locomotive brakes, minimum train brake application of 20 psi, center and remove the reverser, open the generator field switch, dim or extinguish the headlights, lock the controlling locomotive's doors, and apply a sufficient number of handbrakes to prevent unwanted movement of the train.
tie handbrakes - Apply the handbrakes on any car or engine.
up a notch - To move the throttle lever up one quadrant.
grab some air, pinch it down - Set brakes on a moving train.

Song of the Week

2011-04-06T16:11:00.001-05:00

From a classic hymn to a shoutin' song. As much as I admire the beauty of hymns, I love to sing shoutin' songs. Songs from early rural America, rooted in Scotch-Irish fiddling folk songs, usually filled with lyrics full of the hope of heaven.
I've been reading a book that I bought at a garage sale last month entitled "Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers" by Mary Roach. It's different from the kinds of things I usually read, but it is very interesting. All about what happens to our bodies when we die. How they decompose, what happens to bodies donated to science, what people have done to cadavers throughout history in the name of science and just out of lunacy.
How does this relate to the song of the week? Spending time reading this book has put the classic shoutin' song "I'll Have A New Body" in my head. It's presented to you here in a live recording of Hank Williams accompanied by the Driftin' Cowboys and his wife Audry.

"....So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness; it us raised in power.
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body......
...So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is they victory?"
I Corinthians 15

Hymn of the Week

2011-03-30T13:00:00.002-05:00

hymn (hm)n.

1. A song of praise or thanksgiving to God.

2. A song of praise or joy
Middle English ymne, from Old English ymen, from Latin hymnus song of praise, from Greek hymnos

I've been thinking about the beauty of hymns lately. Wishing we sang more of them at church and wishing that I had the skill to write them. I was talking to Nathan about this during our fishing adventure and we landed on this one. David Crowder Band's interpretation of "O For a Thousand Tongues" by the great hymn writer Charles Wesley.

O For a Thousand Tongues

O for a thousand tongues to sing

my great Redeemer's praise,

the glories of my God and King,

the triumphs of his grace!

My gracious Master and my God,

assist me to proclaim,

to spread through all the earth abroad

the honors of thy name.

Jesus! the name that charms our fears,

that bids our sorrows cease;

'tis music in the sinner's ears,

'tis life, and health, and peace.

He breaks the power of canceled sin,

he sets the prisoner free;

his blood can make the foulest clean;

his blood availed for me.

Lost Tooth #4

2011-03-25T21:38:00.001-05:00

Jones pulled her second top tooth at school. She has a slight lisp now. She's excited that she can put a straw in her mouth and take a drink without opening her mouth.

Adventure Pictures

2011-03-24T20:38:00.000-05:00

I'm Back

2011-03-22T11:31:00.000-05:00

I hesitated enough that my wife noticed. I didn’t want to walk through that door on Saturday afternoon. I hadn’t been indoors in five days. Unless the inside of a nylon tent or a screened shelter full of roly-polys and pesky yellowjackets counts as indoors. I was still wearing the same clothes I’d had on when I walked out the door on Tuesday. They were a little ripe with the smell of fish, lake water, cookfire, and my own natural musk. My body was exhausted and spent, but my mind and spirit were refreshed. So much so, that I told my wife that I could see twenty years into the past and the future with amazing clarity. The sounds, sights, smells, and emotions of the last few hours were the same as they were when I was a boy and we packed up after a week of camping and fishing. They were the same as I imagined them being when my grandkids would join me in the same sort of adventure.
It was a good vacation.
I’ll post pictures soon.

Spring Break 2011

2011-03-20T14:36:00.002-05:00

We started Spring Break off with a sleepover. Cooper M. spent Friday night and Saturday morning at our house.

Saturday, the girls went to Build-A-Bear in Waco for the first time.

We had supper at IHOP with Mimi and then went to the Texas Clogging Exhibition.

Monday, we celebrated with the Northrup family for Madalyn's 3rd birthday. After the party, I took the girls home to Justin and then I spent the next six hours running errands and shopping all by myself!

Tuesday morning I went for a pedicure and a massage. Then that afternoon we headed to the lake. Irv and LouAnn camped across from us for the week and cooked us all dinner one night. Jazbo came for the week. The Dahlestrom family came for two nights. Sheila and Hank came for a night. Wayne came for a night. Sam and Sadie came out with me for the day. The six girls spent one night camping with the dads. the next night we let the dads have some guy time and Missy and I went to the house with the eight kids. We went to the park, got a snowcone, rented a redbox, picked up pizza and had a fun night watching Nanny McPhee Returns and painting toenails. We had lots of friends, food and fun.

Saturday afternoon we returned home, showered, and started laundry. Sunday we went to worship!

Good morning

2011-03-11T14:48:00.000-06:00

Went fishing with MJ this morning. A little windy, but a good time.
For those of you who are expecting more writing from me, please understand that I don't have much to say in the springtime, just a lot of fish that need catching.

In the Corner of My Mind Stands a Jukebox

2011-03-04T20:07:00.000-06:00

I've said before that I usually I pick the song of the week by using whatever song has been stuck in my head. This week's song may only get airplay in December, but it's what has been playing over and over in my mind so here it is. I confess that I only know a few of the words.
"It's the most wonderful time of the year" and "It's the hap-happiest season of all" are the words that have made it the #1 song on the jukebox this week. I've mostly been making up JB originals for the rest of the words. I think rappers call it sampling and free-styling.

It's the most wonderful time of the year
The trees are all budding
The crappie are biting
Vacation is near....
It's the most wonderful time of the year.

West-9months

2011-03-02T10:50:00.007-06:00

West is nine months old. 16lbs 2 oz and 26 1/2 inches long

He has discovered he can crawl out of the living room, he has found that his hand will go through the doggie door, and that he can splash Ranger's water and eat his food. He can pull up to standing. His favorite spot to be is on my hip and he is still a snuggler. He likes bath time and eating time. He has the most fascinating tongue. He always has it sticking out. Sometimes it's long, skinny and curled up and other times it is wide and fat. The other day at lunch, one of his Gerber stars was in between his fingers and he looped his tongue over a finger and under the other one to get the puff. He says "dada" and every once in awhile "mama". He loves his sisters!

Annie-3yr-26lbs-37in

2011-02-28T21:50:00.001-06:00

On Sunday, we had Annie's 3 year old birthday party after church at the "Rocket"Park. We all endured the gusty winds, ate lunch, and enjoyed cake and ice cream. Thanks to everyone for celebrating Annie with us. Thank you to everyone who came, called, mailed something, or sent an email or FB message to Annie.

Monday morning, Annie had presents waiting for her at breakfast from Gran-nola and Papa, Grandma and Grandpa, and us. We had lunch at Chick-fil-a. Then we had fun shopping at Goodwill (hat and sunglasses), and at Academy for new shoes. To finish the birthday day, we had a pizza and cake dinner with Kirsten and Madalyn.

Annie you are such a joy and a blessing in our lives. We love you so much!

Jones did it.

2011-02-27T22:06:00.001-06:00

Jones pulled out her top front tooth tonight.

My Husband Rocks!

2011-02-25T21:09:00.005-06:00

My Justin Rocks~
He always has and will will always rock my world, but I haven' t told him(in print) lately.

I am currently reading three books right now. Two of which Justin gave me for my birthday. I want to share a part from one called "Passionate Housewives Desperate for God":
Remember that God has given you your husband to lead and protect you. Go to him and seek his counsel. Most times he will be able to see things more objectively than you. Perhaps he can help you work out a doable schedule without all the emotions, false guilt, or hormone fluctuations that may cloud the decision making process of a tired mom. Remember that God works through our submission for our good as well as for the good of our husbands. Trust that God will work through him. While we learn to trust, our husbands learn to lead.

The past nine months has been an emotional roller coaster for me with a kindergartner, a preschooler, a toddler, and a newborn. This paragraph was a great reminder of the strength of a strong husband and to lean on God and on my lord.

Justin, you lead our family in the ways of the Lord. You are gentle, kind and loving. You are faithful, brave and true. You are tall, handsome and strong. You calm me when I am overwhelmed. You guard me and protect me. You guard my time and give me assistance. You are trustworthy. I am thankful that you are my husband, because my husband rocks!

Song of the Week

2011-02-22T07:52:00.000-06:00

A song from the Fairfield Four, a gospel group founded 90 years ago. Some of you may remember them from their work on O Brother Where Art Thou? Isaac Freeman is my favorite bass of all time. I hope this song gets your blood flowing and helps you through the week.

My God Called Me This Morning
Well my God called this morning
Just a little while before day

Well I stopped and I listened
How sweet the voice did sound
It sounded like a beat beat beatin’ of an angels wings
I seen him from the heaven coming down
and then I stags

and I steadied myself I looked but I saw no one
til I go away up in glory and I saw God’s darlin’ son
let me tell you that the prayer wheel
started to turning and the Spirit of God
said my son was murdered and the prayer wheel

turned over and I moved one step on to glory
and I rose up a shoutin’, shoutin’ Lord God Almighty

Well, my God called me this mornin’
just a little while before day

Well I heard the rumblin’ thunder

and I saw the sinners goin’ under

just a little while before day

then I saw the zigzag lightning

Well I heard the hellhound barking

just a little while before day

well now stop let me tell you

what my God said to me, he said:

If you want to make it to the Kingdom

you better fall on your bended knees

In Response...

2011-02-19T10:11:00.000-06:00

In response to my sister's comment on Thursday's post....I am.

Just an update

2011-02-18T19:47:00.002-06:00

West is crawling and loves bath time.

Annie is two weeks shy of being three. She can swing all by herself and sing/dance the words to Hannah Montana's Hoedown. Check Fb for the videos.

Georgia wants to take a bath several times a day. She enjoys writing her letters and numbers and coloring. She is reading some words. She missed Thurs. preschool because of a high fever.

Jonesy's two front teeth are loose. She received her fourth report card this week and her K-graduation pictures. She looks so grown up. She is reading more and more everyday. She missed a couple of days of school this week because of a high fever.

Good Morning

2011-02-17T14:50:00.000-06:00

Spent the morning chasing cats. Doing the best I can to feed my family.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T15:45:00.001-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Our dear friend took this picture of me and the kids. We gave it to Justin for his valentine along with a new bicycle seat. The girls received a new necklace and some lacing cards. West's valentine was a car track tower. I was blessed with a delivery of beautiful roses and chocolates. We had a roasted turkey, corn casserole, and green bean dinner with chocolate covered strawberries for dessert.

Jones and Georgia made a decorative plate for their teachers for Valentine's Day.

Valentine Song of the Week

2011-02-14T08:20:00.000-06:00

I've been planning on using this song for a good while now, but have held off because I was trying to find a better video. I couldn't find one. Today is St. Valentine's Day and the song is appropriate so here it is. The Bellamy Bros. make their second appearance on TOTP with "When I'm Away From You".
Very fitting for my relationship with my Valentine. I spend far too many nights on a train or in a hotel while she is at home alone in our bed. That absence makes the heart grow fonder thing is true, but it isn't always easy to deal with.

You can ignore the video, or at least keep in mind that it was made in 1983? when music videos and MTV were still new.

"When I'm Away from You"

When I'm away from you,
I can't stay still
My thoughts won't move
From the way I feel
It happens time and time again
And the circle never ends.

When I'm away from you
Well, it hurts to say
My sense has gone
So far away
I'm up all through the night
And I can't tell wrong from right.

When I'm away from you
I see great big clouds
In the fog and rain
All the lonely crowds
They seem to be so blue
Every night I'm missing you.

When I'm away from you
Well, the sun don't shine
The moon don't come
The words don't rhyme
When I'm away from you I can't let go
And you know, oh you know.

It's all the things you do
That make life worthwhile
Like the way you talk
And the way you smile
It's all the things you do
Keep me hanging on
And you know, don't you know?

West 8months

2011-02-11T23:14:00.009-06:00

West is now crawling forwards. He is still slow and he hasn't figured out he can leave the living room. He has been moving backwards. rolling, sitting up and pivoting for the past month, but now he has figured out how to get those arms moving forward. He is also pulling up on the fireplace. Maybe he will walk before his first birthday?
His eyes are still blue. He has the greatest belly laugh. He gives the best hugs and kisses. He gets mad if you walk by and don't say something to him or pick him up. He likes to play with the wheels on his car and truck. This is the first (ok, second if you count that he is a boy) difference that I have noticed from the girls. He likes to eat his baby food fast and he has liked all of the food he has tried.

West's outfit and hat is from Great Grandmother Brown. It's one of my favorites on him.
Jones took the picture of West at the table.
Georgia took the picture of me and West.
Annie took the picture of Georgia singing. I wish the camera had been set to video.

Song of the Week, "Down the Road"

2011-02-09T10:36:00.000-06:00

Jonesy and I were in the waiting area of the Quicky Lube yesterday afternoon and I was asking her about her day at school. When I asked her about what she did at recess, she looked at me and told me she didn’t want to talk about it. I asked her why and she said that “it wouldn’t be appropriate in front of those two men and that lady.”, referring to the other customers in the waiting area. Later when it was just the two of us again I asked her about recess again and what they did that was inappropriate.
“Well, a bunch of girls were chasing this boy and this girl and this boy were gonna get married and they were gonna kiss! But they didn’t.”
I didn’t say anything. Just looked at her.
“But not me daddy. I was just watching”, she was quick to add.

That leads me to this week’s song. It was penned by Mac Macanally and originally released by him in 1990, he recorded it again in 2009 with Kenny Chesney and it became a #1 hit.
I pray that my daughters will chose good husbands.

"Down the Road"

When I was a boy
Four houses down from me
Was a family with an only child
She was the only girl
In this whole world that could make me smile

Down the road
I made up reasons to go
Down the road

Somewhere inside of me
There was something she took a liking to
Well I asked her to marry me
She said she really wanted to
Down the road
To see what life’s gonna hold
Down the road

Her momma wants to know
Am I washed in the blood or just in the water?
Her daddy wants to know
If I make enough to take his daughter

Down the road
Before he can let her go
Down the road

Now down the street from here
There’s an engineer with an only son
And our baby girl says
She believes that he is the only one
Down the Road

Her momma wants to know
Is he washed in the blood or just in the water?
And I want to know
That he makes enough to take my daughter

Down the Road
When it comes time to go
Down the Road

Down the road
You know I want to help her go
Down the road

Snow Day

2011-02-04T21:15:00.006-06:00

Last night it began snowing around 8pm. We woke up this morning to snow covering the ground and to no school. Jones and Georgia geared up and went outside while Annie chose to finish her breakfast first. I stood on the porch for a few minutes watching and taking pictures. The girls enjoyed throwing some snowballs at me. Jones and Georgia put snowballs in our freezer to remember the day. Justin and the girls went outside for a brisk walk/run around the block after lunch, but West and I opted out and stayed warm inside.

~An interesting note about clothing. Jones was wearing tights, three leggings, jeans, three shirts, a scarf, hat and headband, and gloves for her snow day attire. Georgia was wearing tights, two leggings, two shirts and gloves. Annie was wearing two pants, one shirt, gloves, two hats and a jacket.

West has cut his first tooth! It is on the bottom and we will try to get a picture of it soon, but he likes to cover it up with his tongue.

First Haircut

2011-02-03T23:30:00.004-06:00

West received his first haircut today while I was getting G and J from school. Justin did a good job! It's even. Not too short. Justin gave him a bath and dressed him before I got home. Such a handsome little guy!

Annie took our picture.

February Begins

2011-02-01T07:52:00.000-06:00

*I’ve got a pretty bad case of fishing fever. No hope of a cure is near. The wind is blowing 35 mph and freezing rain is coming down sideways. Wind chill is in the teens. I’m ready for spring.
I have a week of vacation in March again and have my camping spot reserved. New TOTP readers can click HERE to read about last year’s adventure.
*My new favorite Pandora channel is Eddie Rabbitt Radio. You should try it.
*West is becoming more and more like his father. He’s a good eater and is becoming awfully pigheaded about some things. He is a lot more popular with the ladies than I ever was though.
*After some informal assessments, I’ve determined that Jonesy is reading as well as most publicly educated 3rd grade boys.
*I’m guessing that Annie is going to charm her way through life by looking cute when she wants something or flashing a beautiful smile when she doesn’t really understand what’s going on. Whatever works.
*Georgia is maturing and has been very helpful lately. She is her brother’s best friend.
*Books I read last month: “The Mormon Mirage” by Latayne Scott, “Echo Burning” and “61 Hours” both by Lee Child. “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell. “The Hole in Our Gospel” by Richard Stearns, “Wild Justice” (audio book) by Philip Margolin.

funny manners

2011-01-31T20:03:00.000-06:00

Jones: "Dad, we had a substitute at school today. She had four earings in her ears and she had kind of a boy haircut. She had a big ol' belly too. It stuck way out. I thought she was going to be on Biggest Loser, but I didn't say that. That would have been rude."

Happy Birthday Song

2011-01-29T12:19:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to Sister Sheila. Best sister I've got. Favorite daughter of my mother and favorite mother of my nephew.
This week's song is for her. A live performance by one of my favorites, Bobby Bare. I think this is his first time to be featured here on TOTP, but it won't be the last.

Time of the Preacher

Note

Jonesy Girl

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Time of the Preacher Resolutions for 2012

How I Did With Time of the Preacher Resolutions for 2011

I've got some explaining to do...

And As We Begin 2012....

Return To The Taqueria

Why We Don't Eat at Luby's

Word of the Year

lev·er·age

At Work Today

Go to Church

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Books to Read:

Romans- Also in your Bible. New Testament. Written by St.Paul. I’m not against “Bible study”, but try reading it without studying it. Just read it straight through.

Stop Dating the Church By Joshua Harris. He’s better at presenting this idea than I am.

A Song to Hear and Consider

Fishing With Woody and Luke

We Have to Drag Them Out of Bed on School Days

This Morning at the Lake

What's Influencing Me?

Sad Situation

First Day of Kindergarten and 1st Grade

Mayborn Museum

Vegas Pictures

Witnessing in Las Vegas

Butler Fun!

Something You Should Hear

Summer Sea World

Georgia's ears

Smelling Memories

Vacation week

Biscuit Brothers

4th of July

End of June

Great Scott

Go Fish

West 1st Birthday

May 20-31

Still Here

West

Hit of the Week

Georgia's belated party

Today In Our World

Mother's Day

Sea World Praise Wave

Weekend Adventure and Song of the Week

Easter

Easter Sunday and Song of the Week

Georgia's 5th Birthday

Happy Birthday, Sweet Georgia Brown

West 10 months

Fruit Leather

A Week on the Railroad

Song of the Week

Hymn of the Week

Lost Tooth #4

Adventure Pictures

I'm Back

Spring Break 2011

Good morning

In the Corner of My Mind Stands a Jukebox

West-9months

Annie-3yr-26lbs-37in

Jones did it.

My Husband Rocks!

Song of the Week

In Response...

Just an update

Good Morning

Valentine's Day

Valentine Song of the Week

West 8months

Song of the Week, "Down the Road"

Snow Day

First Haircut

February Begins

funny manners