Currently Listening New York New York: His Greatest Hits By Frank Sinatra see related

So long Yankee Stadium

It wasn't an important game, as far as the standings go, but it was an interesting one; the last official game at Yankee Stadium in New York. Tonight's game had the Orioles visiting to challenge the Bronx Bombers. There were a bunch of former players there, including Yogi B, Whitey Ford, David Cone and even David Wells.

There's still going to be a Yankee Stadium. There's a new one just on the other side of the street from left field. There were just a lot of memories tied up in this infield, this grass and this dirt. It was funny that both before and afterward there were pitchers taking little baggie fulls of dirt from the pitcher's mound. That might be cool, to have a bit of Yankee Stadium pitcher's mound in a medicine bottle in a display case. We actually have a ticket stub from Game 3 of the 1959 World Series, played by the new (then) Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox. It's kind of interesting. I thought that maybe I might go to a World Series Game one day. I think that my best chances were probably way back in 1977 & '78 when the Dodgers played the Yankees. Back then it would have been expensive, but nothing like now days.

But it was interesting to think of all the memories there in the Bronx. Debbie and I had gone to one game there, back in '93, or something like that. David Cone, then pitching for the TX Rangers, won a game against the team which he would later join. Twas the LOUDEST game I had ever been to. And back then, they still let people smoke in the stadium. Yuck! It was fun, though. They really get loud whenever there's 2 strikes on an opposing batter.

That's my major memory from there. I did watch the night that Reggie Jackson shot 3 balls over the wall during that World Series game in the '70s. I couldn't believe it, but I half expected it. He was a powerful force.

So we'll see how it goes in the new stadium. I'm not emotional about it, but I could see how fans would be. The team sill still probably be great most years. At least the team isn't moving away from the fans. That's good. L8r.

Currently Reading Freshman: The college Student's Guide to Developing Wisdom By Mark Matlock see related

Stuck in FLL--not all bad

It was our first time in Orlando together. I had been out to the office quite a few times, but Debbie had never been able to come. We had a great first week with our Leadership Rising seminar. The seminar was inspirational and challenging, but it didn't take up all our time. Deb & I got a group car and did a couple of evenings out. It was really my first time driving in Florida where I wasn't in a convoy with a group agenda. It was cool to be on our own and without the kiddos in the Sunshine State (tho we did miss them a wee bit )

The weekend brought the Specialty Recruitment retreat high in the mountains of central Florida (not quite the Andes, but there was a slope). The little tourist town had an old 125 yr old inn where we stayed, and during the tourist season it even has a scenic train ride. Too bad that August isn't the tourist season in Florida. But the atmosphere was relaxing, and our worship time in the gazebo by the lake on Sunday was awesome. I did buy a Santa Fe Railroad mug at a little touristy train shop.

Along comes Monday and Tropical Storm Fay. Passing over Cuba there was a hint that it could turn into a hurricane. Fearing that Deb would get stranded in southern FL on her way out, we changed her flight to Friday to be sure to leave enough time for Fay to make her way through and beyond the state. Hurricane status never happened (to this point), but then Fay decided she wanted to linger a while.

Our team meetings moved from the main building to the Activities building when they closed the main office. Still the shorter walk didn't help our umbrellas stay together with all the wind and the rain. It all when a bit better than expected, actually, with a more relaxed atmosphere and JEANS!  Maybe I'll post some highlights later.

By Friday I thought we had just about made it through the affects of TS Fay. The main body had finally passed by Orlando and had moved north and then inland where it should just play out. Deb headed out early on her flight so she could hurry and wait 5 hours in Fort Lauderdale for her Detroit to LA flight  (at least they rebooked her). At 5 pm I'm at the Orl Airport thinking that Deb is in a plane high overhead waving to me. Then I get a buzzing noise in my pocket and there's Deb. One of the outer bands of Fay unleashed pool loads of rain on the FLL airport and delayed her flight past when she could connect in Detroit. Coolness! They had found a seat on my flight, just a few rows back (she wouldn't beat me to LA after all! haha!).

All goes well. We leave a little late but land with lots of time to transfer---except---there's no place to park.  No worries. We should be 15-20 minutes waiting for our space, then plenty of time to make the switch. 20 + goes by, and then we moved, but not to our space, but to the next terminal over. Hmm. At least we would get off. Then, almost there, and they needed the guy with the flashlight sticks and the ear muffs to guide us in. Oh brother! Another 10 minutes. Then ok, 15 more feet and off goes the 'fasten-seatbelts' sign. I get a call from Deb. She's on the plane. "Ok, honey, we should be getting off any minute". Yeah, right. We stand another 10+ minutes waiting for the door to open. Then it's hunt for the exit, walk outside to the next terminal, go through security again, and then run down to the end of the terminal wing to see the ramp pulled away from the plane and the door solemnly shut with no airline people.  Bye Deb!

So they did pop for a nice hotel with meal vouchers. I have net access, and they extended my stay till 3 pm so I don't have to sit in the airport so long ( I leave at 8:20 pm). I've got some good books and a lot of thinking and praying to do. And, best of all, Deb called last night when she arrived so I could hear that she's ok and she could know that I'm ok as well. Not how I would have planned it, but now I have some time to digest, meditate, and even touch base with Xanga. And, uh, yeah, she did beat me to LA. See ya tonight, honey!

Currently Listening Only Visiting This Planet "I Am the Six O'Clock News" see related

We'll see you later, Larry

Larry Norman, with the Lord, February 24, 2008. I never met Larry Norman, I never saw him play live, and I never owned an album of his. But Larry Norman had a profound affect on Christian music, especially in the '70s. Some people say that he was 'the father of Christian rock" (see his bio page at http://www.larrynorman.com/bio.html ). I kind of think of him as the "George Washington" of Christian rock. Wherever you looked in the '70s, in the area of Christian rock, Larry had been there first.

By the time I got into the Christian music/rock scene, it was early in 1976, my senior year of high school. There was still quite a chasim between music played in the church and what you heard on the radio, at least where I went.  The church organs and pianos still reigned supreme, and in many churches guitars were hard to find outside of the youth room. But by then Larry Norman had put out a couple of different records with electric guitar and rock n roll, with a strong Christian message.

The Calvary Chapel music nights on Saturdays in Costa Mesa were going strong by then. We used to arrive at 4pm for a 7pm concert, and even then there would be a line already forming. Groups like Mustard Seed Faith, Sweet Comfort, Gentle Faith, and Daniel Amos, were packing them out. Late that year or the next Keith Green came out with his first album and started really stiring it up. It was a great awakening for me and my friends as we discovered that you could really praise God and inject profound truths into today's world, not only with an acoustic guitar, but with electric guitars, Marshall Amps, giant drum sets and synthesizers. The music made us move and want to get involved. We could sing with Larry, "Why should the devil have all the good music?" And we found out that God had better music; music that touched the heart and changed lives, music that was glorious and glorifying to God.

Larry had been there first. He took so much of the flak from the guns of the Christian establishment, those who didn't understand the times and what the youth of the day were going through. Larry pushed ahead, not just with his guitar and his rock style, but also with an authentic message that showed he was not afraid of being a Jesus follower. And we wondered why Christian book stores had banned his albums.

Like I said, I didn't have a Larry Norman record, but my buddies did, and we listened and listened. We heard stories about Larry from our favorite Christian artists. Many of them wouldn't have been there if it had not been for Larry and other pioneers. At our first gig, we had a bunch of people come from our home church. We felt pretty good about that until some of them walked out because we were too "rock n roll". Well, people had walked out on Larry before us, and he had kept on playing and testifying and writing what God was putting on his heart. Thanks, Larry, for not just letting the devil have a monopoly on all the good music, and for being an example to the rest of us. We kept it going for a few years more, and then we passed the baton again. We'll meet someday, bro. Thanks.

Another good link from his site: http://www.larrynorman.com/news/022408.html

Currently Reading Searching for God Knows What By Donald Miller see related

Last Post of '07

Excitement! Another year comes to an end.  2007 for me was pretty good.

It's interesting that I'm reading this book atm. For me it's a relaxing read. There's humor, there's good stories, and Sen~or Miller makes me think. Thinking isn't always 'relaxing', but when he lays out his argument the way he does, it makes me glad that someone found the words to say what he says.

I'm just 3 chapters into it, so I can't speak for it all, but the main thing I'm getting is the importance of 'relationship'. The whole deal between God and us is, relationship. It reminds me of my Sunday school teacher in the 7th grade. I don't remember if he taught the content well or not, but what he taught with his life was 'relationship'. He loved the Word and he memorized it a bunch. But what he modeled was this authentic relationship with the father. And he wanted that for us. He also did it by working at an authentic relationship with us, the students in his class. I think it's because of him that I do what I do now.

So, relationship. We're working on cleaning the house today because of 'relationships'. In part it's the New Year party coming up, and that's what you do--but it's more about relationships. Have a great New Year with all your peeps, and also with the one that gives us life and wants to be a part of what we're doing. Peace.

Currently Reading They Like Jesus but Not the Church: Insights from Emerging Generations By Dan Kimball see related

The Christian "bubble"

Hmm. It can be pretty heavy duty. We can get sooo wrapped up in church, our 'christian' job, stuff like that, that we end up not having any friends outside of the church; not really having other ppl that I might even know they're whole name who are not part of my christian circle. Hmm.

My older guys are better at this than I am. I do get rather annoyed when they've been talking with these friends late into the night . . . something we need to work on. But I applaud them for hanging in there and being Jesus to their friends.

It struck me that in Dan's book as his team interviewed college students, that 14 out of 16 did not even know any Christians personally (p 38). No wonder they have all these weird ideas about what christians are like. I have lots of responsibilities and lots of relationships to work on. I'm not sure where this all fits in my life . . . , but I do know somewhere inside me that I need to be a light for Christ where I am.