Christmas gifts....

This is from Chuck Swindoll's website....great devotional!!

It's not too late to give some things away this Christmas. Not just on Christmas Day, but during the days after December 25. We could call these daily gifts "our Christmas projects." Maybe one per day from now 'til the end of the year. Here are thirty-two suggestions. Take your choice.

• Mend a quarrel.

• Seek out a forgotten friend.

• Dismiss suspicion.

• Write a long-overdue love note.

• Hug someone tightly and whisper, "I love you so."

• Forgive an enemy.

• Be gentle and patient with an angry person.

• Express appreciation.

• Gladden the heart of a child.

• Find the time to keep a promise.

• Make or bake something for someone else. Anonymously.

• Release a grudge.

• Listen.

• Speak kindly to a stranger.

• Enter into another's sorrow.

• Smile. Laugh a little. Laugh a little more.

• Take a walk with a friend.

• Kneel down and pat a dog.

• Read a poem or two to your mate or friend.

• Lessen your demands on others.

• Play some beautiful music during supper.

• Apologize if you were wrong.

• Talk together with the television off.

• Treat someone to an ice-cream cone.

• Do the dishes for the family.

• Pray for someone who helped you when you hurt.

• Fix breakfast for someone on Saturday morning.

• Give a soft answer even though you feel strong.

• Encourage an older person.

• Point out one thing you appreciate most about someone you work with or live near.

• Offer to baby-sit for a weary mother.

• Give your teacher a break—be especially cooperative.

Let's make Christmas one long, extended gift of ourselves to others. Unselfishly. Without announcement. Or obligation. Or reservation. Or hypocrisy.

That is Christianity, isn't it?




Excerpted from Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life. Copyright © 1983 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by arrangement with Zondervan Publishing House.

I press towards the Mark.....

You know, I didn't want to get out of bed this morning. We all have had this feeling, that the weight of our little world is too much. What makes us go on? For me, the Lord kindly reminds me that, while I have my own problems, things could be worse. From my best friend fighting cancer, to another friend whose marriage is not going well, to elder friends that have endured pain that I cannot comprehend. When I put things into this perspective, I actually am very blessed. Just think, if I'd have stayed in bed today, then I would not have been able to shoot this gorgeous sunrise!! It's all in the way you look at things...

Update on Mike...

I just waned to give you an update on my best friend Mike....
Mike has started back to work on a limited basis, and also started his chemo last week. Please continue to keep Mike in your thoughts & prayers as this is heavy duty chemo. He has to take this for 19 more weeks. It has been and continues to be a very heavy time for Mike and his fiancee Sally. Sally has been there for Mike in his greatest time of need. To Sally I say thank you for coming into Mike's life just in time to rescue him. You have been awesome and I pray that you two have a very happy life together. To Mike I say, hang in there, bro...you have lots of friends praying & rooting for ya! We'll get through this soon!! To all of our friends let me say a very sincere thank you for supporting our fund raising efforts for Mike, and especially thanks for your prayers during these difficult times. Please continue praying....

State of "normalcy"?

Webster says normalcy is the state of being normal. What is normal?
It seems like things are returning to "normal". The fundraisers for my best friend Mike are over (for now--and have been VERY successful), kids are in school, TJ has a new truck, gas prices are at $2.03, I still have a job, a family, my faith, my church, my hobbies, so it seems like things are getting back to "normal". Again, I ask, what is normal?

I get up early, kiss my wife goodbye as she leaves for work, say my prayers, read my Bible a bit, then leave so I can race other people to work just to make a buck. That same buck gets split so many ways.....mortgage, Uncle Sam, car payment, insurance, utilities, yada yada yada. Then I race home to find more ways to split the buck that I made until it's totally gone, and then I go to bed...

Everyone says that things will get back to normal after the big election. Like my vote for President actually means anything to anyone but me, I still will cast my ballot next Tuesday. I believe that we should all vote, and we do make a difference in the smaller races, but the Presidential race has long been decided, IMO. Again, what is normal?

Pontius Pilate while questioning Jesus before His crucifixion asked Jesus "What is Truth"? but wait a minute, the Truth was standing before him. I think possibly Pilate knew the Truth, but was afraid to stand up for the Truth. I just had a fella in my office telling me a dirty joke. This may not bother some of you, but to me, it's an insult to my Jesus and what He stands for. Did he think he did anything wrong? Not in his mind. He thought it was funny. Did I laugh? I can honestly say no. I simply said "That's disgusting" & turned away, but did I stand up for Jesus?

BTW....Mike has returned to work!! He is working a limited schedule, and is doing well. He starts a 16 week regiment of heavy duty chemo soon, so please keep him in your prayers!!

101st post...

Looks like a rainy day today! The other day Dan had a 100% chance of rain for Wednesday. Well, looks like his forecast verified! We can use the rain & it should make for a very pretty fall here in NE Oklahoma in the next couple of weeks.

Our benefit garage sale went very well.....we raised over $1,700.00 for Mike and this will help him greatly! Thanks to all who were involved!! This year has really been a heavy time for me, but especially for Mike. I am looking forward to the day when his doctor declares him cancer free!! And then I will shave my playoff beard!! YAY!!!

I spoke with Lanny Dean earlier & he and I want to organize a chaser gathering, so stay tuned for an announcement about a gathering sometime in November, just to hang out & visit about the perils of chasing, share videos & pics, & have a little fun...

Good afternoon,
Mike is doing well--resting a lot at home. He will get the staples removed this week. He is still in quite a bit of pain so please continue to pray for him. Please pray for Mike's financial situation as he has learned that he may have to start over on his medical deductibles. He was informed by his workplace that his deductible runs from September to September, meaning that he may have to start over paying his deductibles.

Our benefit garage sale is this Friday & Saturday for Mike!! Helen Underwood and Jerrie Walden, along with several others have volunteered countless hours sorting, pricing, and organizing this huge event. To them, I say THANK YOU!! And to those of you that we'll see Friday & Saturday, THANK YOU!! All proceeds from the sale go straight to help Mike with his medical bills. Also, if you would just like to donate to Mike, please let me know.

Also...our On The Edge youth group will be having a "Cram Nite" (youth gathering) this Friday at 7:00pm. We will have dinner, fun-n-games, and a message from God's Word. If you have youth-age kids (7th thru 12th grade), they are invited!!

The good Samaritan.....

In our youth lesson last night we talked about the good Samaritan and how we can be like him. You know, after Jesus told the story, he commanded us to "go and do likewise". What kind of good Samaritan opportunities do you come across, and how do you react? That was the question that I posed to the kids. Do we simply pass by on the other side of the street like the Priest & the Levite did? Or do we stop being busybodies long enough to help out a friend, brother, or neighbor? I hope we choose the latter but too many times we don't. It's a simple choice, and easy to say in church, but what does our lives show? That is what He is looking for....

3 more days....

Some look forward to Fridays. I do as well. I am anxiously awaiting Friday. You see, that's the day of Mike's surgery. I know he's not looking forward to it, and I totally understand, but I want to see my friend declared cancer free and the sooner the better. I'm tired of seeing him hurting, and I often wonder why our loving Lord lets cancer run so rampant. Maybe it's to remind us that life is ever so delicate, and we all need to cherish this gift more than we do. Maybe He wants us to spend more time with our families. Maybe He just wants us to do Matthew 6:33......Seek first His righteousness, & His Kingdom, and wait for Him to do the rest....I dunno, but it's not good to watch someone suffer with cancer--especially when it's your best friend and his pain is your pain...
We are still getting things together for the big garage sale. If you have anything to donate, let me know, as all of the proceeds will go directly to Mike to help with his medical expenses. A big shout out to Jerri Walden & Helen Underwood & gang for organizing this!!!! Thank you ladies!!!
Well, that's all I got for now, I will keep you up to date as Mike goes in Friday...

Update on things....

Well, I have a lot to write about...so get ready for a long post, complete with frequently changing subjects, and lots of run on sentences!
First of all, an update on my friend Mike. He is doing ok, and he is scheduled for surgery on October 3. Please pray for him and for a speedy recovery. I will update you on his progress as time permits. We raised over $800.00 for him last Friday at Adams Creek Racing Complex!! I still am amazed at how generous people are. You see, hardly anyone at the race track knew Mike, until Friday. Thanks to Bryan & Necie Rainbolt, the track owners for hosting this event!! The playoff beards are in week 13, and looking pretty scraggly!! (is scraggly a word?)

We have another fundraiser for Mike scheduled on October 17-18. It will be a huge garage sale help at the Verdigris car wash at Hwy 66 & Gordon Rd. Come on out & buy lots of stuff!! Special thanks to Jerri Walden & Helen Underwood for helping us out on this project!!

Ok, on to other things.....
I just spoke with good friend & fellow storm chaser Lanny Dean. We talked about the possibility of doing some sort of storm chaser get together which has been in the back of my mind for a while. Lanny bagged (saw) 37 tornadoes this season!! He asked me how many I caught and I said.....ummm......errr......well.......2! I bagged two tornadoes in central Oklahoma on May 24. I did get to see a lot of tornado damage on 2 different Mission of Compassion trips, and that was enough for me. I have updated my links to include Lanny's blog and his storm chase tour website. For those of you that have said that you want to go chasing with me, if you really want to see tornadoes, book a tour with Lanny. He will get you to the "action", but hang on--it will be a wild ride!!

And finally I will try to post more pictures....I had several in the Rogers County Fair and took third & fourth place in professional photography!!

Car wash benefit for Mike coming Saturday!!

Well, Saturday is almost upon us, and so is the benefit car wash for Mike Borrell. Mike is doing pretty well, and is facing major cancer surgery sometime in October that will keep him off work for several weeks without any income. He does have insurance which is a big help in this situation, but as we all know, insurance does not pay everything.

Here’s the scoop. On The Edge youth group will meet at the church at 8:15 for doughnuts! We will have coolers loaded with water, and will take some folding chairs. I could use a couple of buckets, sponges, and car wash soap if someone can help me out w/ these items. Also we will need an EZ-up for shade. We will start the car wash at 9:00am and run it until 1-ish, depending on how things are going. We also have help coming from kids from Youth at Heart, and Woodlake Assembly of God. Thanx guys!!

So, everyone be sure & get your cars dirty and come on out & get ‘em washed for a great cause!! ALL proceeds will go directly to Mike, who is a ministry partner & best friend. Someday I will share a testimony of how big of a role Mike played in my coming to know the Lord, and how he has been a true friend throughout the years.

I will share more info on future events we have planned such as the Sept. 19th benefit race and the community garage sale on Oct. 17-18th as those dates get closer.

Playoff beard week 9...

Man I sure wish I could shave this ugly thing! The kids from the youth group say that it makes me look old!!!! AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!! I don't need any help looking old!

Mike is doing ok, his treatments have been over for a week now. He's in good spirits and he knows that his Maker is gonna see him through this. Our fundraisers for Mike are coming up fast! Here's a rundown:
This Saturday 5-8pm at Northpark Trinity Baptist church in Claremore. We will be taking donations in exchange for dunk tank "throws" ...

Next Saturday, Sept 6th at the new QT we are having a car wash. There will be kids there from On The Edge, Woodlake's youth ministry, and Youth at Heart from Comanche Park in Tulsa!! Come on out & get your car "professionally" washed & donate to a good cause!! All proceeds will go to help Mike through this tough time.

Friday Sept. 19th we will have a benefit r/c car race at Adams Creek Raceway starting at 7:00pm. If you race, c'mon out! If you just want to watch, it's free and we will be auctioning off a life sized Dale Jr cardboard cutout donated by a fellow racer. again, all proceeds going to help Mike with his medical expenses.

When Mike is told that he is free from cancer, we will shave our playoff beards--looking forward to that day!! Keep praying!!

The sun will come out.....tomorrow........maybe

Day nine without power......VVEC says they don't know when power will be restored.....most of my neighbors now have power except for my side of the street.....

Ok, this is getting a little hard for my family. I start to wonder if we should have just taken a cruise or something (like I could afford that). Beginning to wonder about Christmas & how we will have money to pay the bills and buy the kids a little something for Christmas. We know that Christmas is not about presents, but we celebrate our Savior's birth by remembering why He had to come down here in the first place, and by giving gifts, because the best & most important Gift has already been given. Total expenses so far for keeping my family warm & fed-----about 1,200.00, give or take. But know this, we are better prepared when this happens again!

I could ramble about the problems I have had with VVEC, but it would not help the situation. What will help is what I already have, friends praying for me. I just got a message from a good friend & he said "I was just checking up on you & praying for you." Brother, you do not know how that simple statement has helped. As I thought about this message, tears welled up & I am so thankful for friends........

Maybe today will be the day that my power comes back on........

Chin up, dog!!

Day 8 without power......

My poor fat Boston Terrier is about to go crazy! It is like she's depressed. My mom's electric was turned on yesterday and she is happy. I am also happy for her as my generator gas bill was cut in half! My family & my brother & his wife all converged on mom's trees yesterday & cut limbs & trees galore! We worked for a long time piling limbs & here comes my buddy with his front end loader & scooped them all up & pushed the limbs into a big pile!! Thanks, Andy!!

...just now spoke w/ VVEC, and reported my power lines down for the bazzillionth time, and besides them acting as if it a new report every time I call in, they could not give me an ETA on my repair!! At least yesterday they said I would have power by Wednesday, and now no ETA!! They had crews working in my area both Saturday & Sunday, why couldn't they repair the lines lying across my back yard?? Maybe an hour or two to repair the forty some odd homes still dark in my addition.

...on a positive note(I really am trying to keep a good attitude during this crisis), I was able to go to church yesterday & that was refreshing. All the folks at New Life are awesome & I believe I attend the best church in the world! We had our Christmas program last night & our OnTheEdge youth group did a skit to the song Mary Did You Know and they did a great job! Hubert also put on a great program with the choir!

Well, that's all my thoughts for now. Maybe my lights will be on tonight...(I keep saying maybe today's the day).....

....Here's one of our children from Childrens' Church....meet Sydney!

For those of you who are wondering, yes, I fixed my shower!!

I looked at my calendar for the rest of 2007 and I was shocked to see that every weekend is booked with church activities! From our youth activities to a church-wide Christmas dinner! I get so excited around Christmas!!