Missing It

Once a year, we have the privilege of taking our children to Six Flags.

I say it is a privilege, because there will come a time when our children don't want to be seen with us at a public amusement park. Or a grocery store, for that matter. So for now, privilege it is.

And last Friday night was the time-honored evening. We got there as the gates were opening up for our company outing at 6 p.m. This year, we focused the Friday night event on our two youngest, while our oldest will get a chance to go later this month for a no-kids event.

It was fun ... riding some of the very same rides that Veda and I rode on as a kid (and yes, there are still some of the original rides, smarty pants.) Bumper cars, the merry-go-round, the Dalonega ... and many more.

But about 10:15 p.m., we positioned ourselves near where the Gasp used to be so we would have a perfect view of the FIREWORKS extravaganza through an opening in the trees. A highlight of the evening! And they started right on time.

"Wait ... what is going on?" I thought to myself. As we were glued to our spots watching the August nighttime sky light up like a battlefield ... people were walking past us. BACKS to the show. "Are you kidding me? People ... turn around and see what you are missing! Stop!"

I couldn't believe it ... folks just walking along practically ignoring the display above our heads. What's got into people? This fireworks show is FREE ... it's awesome ... you won't get this every day! It's SPECIAL!

But then it hit me. That must be how we often look to God ... milling about down here in total oblivion to what He is doing. Turning our backs on His work. Ignorant and self-centered. Bypassing something that is not only FREE but available EVERY DAY! Wow ... we're crazy people. I can't say this in front of my younger kids or in the house ... but we're stupid.

So I asked myself and I'll ask you ... are we missing it? Is there some amazing stuff going on and we've either got our backs to it or we're overlooking it for what we think is a greater purpose? Reality check ... nothing is greater than what God is doing in our lives and those around us.

STOP! Turn around. Watch the fireworks. There will be more "oohs" and "aahs" than you could ever imagine if you just take the time to see what is happening.

Best display in town ... guaranteed.

O Blog, Have I Forsaken Thee? Nay!

Wow ... I was posting a comment on (In)Courage just now. Yes, yes, I know it's a place for the new hearts of women. But I was reading an entry from one of my favorite authors. And I mean favorite, as in I know her!

Well, I don't "know her" in the biblical sense, mind you. But I can walk up and hug her without getting slapped. You should get acquainted with her, too. She's up and coming ... will eventually BE Oprah's list. You heard it here. But I knew her first. So get in line. Annie Downs ... remember that name.

Anyhoo ... when you post a comment on a blog, there's a field for your website. Auughh! My blog! I have one of those! I felt compelled to come and give it some attention since I was calling it out. Good thing, too. So much has happened in the last few months. Here's the highlights.

Big headline ... we are in a new church. In that awkward "first-day-of-school-and-you-don't- really-know-anybody" phase. Why leave a church after ten years of blessing? Because God speaks to those willing to listen. I heard Him. And we're trying to be obedient. We spent a "summer of discovery" visiting churches in the area. And it was strange. And challenging. And difficult. But it is bearing fruit.

You see, even when something like changing churches throws almost every emotion in the book at you, as long as God is in the lead, you'll be blessed for it. Seriously. Read on ...

On our first visit to Burnt Hickory Baptist Church (to be referred to as BHBC going forward for the love of my fingers), I picked up a daily devotional for adults. It was perfect. Half a page per day. What a great way to get back into the Word and to reacquaint myself with some God time. Baby steps, folks. I'm still a work in progress.

On a repeat visit to BHBC, I picked up a copy of Keys for Kids, a daily devotional for children. How cool was this going to be? I started "His Royal Court" as an alternative to bedtime stories, and Veda and I use this devotional to "hold court" on our bed, inviting Prince Chaz and Princess Amy of His Kingdom. We have our devotion, one opens in prayer and one closes, and then we adjourn court. Fun stuff! (And good practice for the wiggly one to learn how to sit still for ten minutes!)

Amy (as you recall, our six-year-old) has been talking about wanting to be a Christian for about a year now. This is the result of wonderful leaders and mentors in The Garden at our former church, and we are so thankful for that.

Well, on July 21, the lesson was called "Choice of a Lifetime" and it talked about the importance of choosing Jesus, much like choosing when to pull into traffic. In the wrapup, it gave an overview of the ABCs of the prayer of salvation (accept, believe, & confess). We talked about the Book of Life and all of the good stuff that comes with salvation.

Out of the blue, and totally unexpected ... Amy said "I want to pray that. I want God in my heart."

"Veda! Veda! You better get up here, please!" (Well, I didn't want her to miss this!)

Now mind you, Amy is only six. We have always been concerned with our children and having the appropriate age of accountability for this step. But when Amy started praying ... started weeping as she admitted to having sinned in her short life (e.g., yelling at Chaz, etc.), we knew God was good with it.

Praise the Lord ... two down, and one more to go! What a wonderful gift to help lead your child to Christ! THAT'S what parenting is about first. Then all the other stuff.

So ... new church. New Christian. Yay. But here comes some of the "other stuff."

Leah started public school yesterday. Oh yeah, other stuff. I went there.

We felt it wise to let her experience public school in the eighth grade first, so she's be more prepared for public high school. It went well, despite the fact that some football player hit on her in homeroom.

Sheesh, guy! Give the girl some breathing room ... it's only day one!

And I'm watching you. I know the ten rules for dating my daughter. You obviously don't. 'Cuz the prologue to the rules is ... she's not dating yet!

He kept prodding and eventually said they should exchange numbers. Leah balked ... said her Mom didn't allow her to call guys.

"Atta girl! You're darn right! Back off, jack!" She didn't give him her number either. Rejected!

Later, one of Leah's friends told her that he was a "nobody." Well now, no need to be THAT rejecting. I have a microscopic portion of grace for the guy for trying. And Leah is certainly a catch! There are many "nobodies" that eventually become big-time "somebodies." Just not with my daughter on "day one" of school.

Bind up those hormones, dude. Bind 'em up. Be a real "somebody" and learn how to pace yourself.

I'm sure there will be more sagas along the way. But for now, this should get me back on track. Did I forget anything? I'm sure I did. You'll just have to wait for the next chapter.

Ah, That's Why I Don't Do That For a Living

I spent the afternoon detailing the interior of my car.

And yes, I mean the ENTIRE afternoon. I was literally vacuuming after dark. In the dark. Can't wait to see how well I did when the sun is actually up.

I've been driving a 2000 Honda CR-V since ... well, 2000 ... and it's been a wonderful driver/vehicle relationship. An SUV is what I wanted all through college, so when I finally got one, it was like I had finally arrived. Granted, I had been out of college 11 years when I finally arrived, but I had arrived, nonetheless.

So today, I was prepping my car for sale. Now I've detailed the interior of a car before when we were loaning out a van or something like that. And I actually enjoy it when I have time to do it ... and do it RIGHT. Out comes wipes, paper towels, cleaner, and TOOTHPICKS.

I don't know what the professionals use, but toothpicks are the key for getting gunk out of those little lines and crevices that are all over a vehicle's interior. I think the manufacturers create them just to agonize owners. Not really, but maybe. I mean, it's not a conspiracy theory. Just some engineered tactile elements that can be very aggravating. Dirt collects there, people. Gunky dirt.

So here I was, struggling with the mixed feelings of getting ready to move on with another vehicle and the joy of accomplishing something ... actually thinking that car detailing would be a fun job. Until I remembered what I needed to tackle.

A melted yellow crayon.

You know ... crayons really don't belong in a car. Cars get hot. Crayons get forgotten. Put the two together, and you have an issue. And the user of the crayon does not have the accountability to clean it up. Issue elevates to crisis. And I'm the crisis manager.

No toothpick was going to handle this. It required elbow grease. It required strategy.

It required boiling water.

I'm serious ... boiling water to melt it loose ... twice. Once to get up the majority of it, then again to get out the yellow tint that had coated the little tray in the center console. Ugh.

I'm guessing folks who detail cars have encountered melted crayons before. And had it been in the upholstery, I really would have been mumbling.

But thank you Lord ... You don't have me detailing cars. Not that I wouldn't do it if called, but let's just say I'm not seeking that out.

Particularly those vehicles with crayons. Or those whose drivers own a number of pets. Double-ick.

And BTW ... for those of you still hanging on for the rest of the story ... yes, my car is staying in the extended family.

So I'll have visitation rights.

You Need to Eat Here

OK ... I have to admit something. I'm a bit of a restaurant snob.

What I mean is ... I generally stick to the tried and true. The comfortable and the convenient. Yes, the chains and the franchise restaurants. So when I experience something unique and different, it's a big deal.

And here comes the big deal. Rise & Shine Cafe, up in the Bentwater area. Now if you live up there, you're the lucky ones. I drove miles to get there, and it was well worth the trip. You'd be well advised to do the same if you're not already a resident and within shouting distance of Bentwater Village where the cafe is located ... just two doors down from the SunTrust bank.

So what's the big deal? Biscuits. They are truly some OMG biscuits (look it up if you don't know.) I took Leah and Amy up to have a Saturday brunch today (finally, after telling myself we were going to do it for weeks and weeks.) We all opted for something more along the lines of lunch, and boy was it good. I had a Smokehouse Burger, which is the fancy word for a bacon cheeseburger with BBQ sauce. NOW ... and listen good here ... it wasn't measly bacon strips or strips of something pretending to be bacon ... it was like a slab-o-bacon! Shut my mouth, that was good eating! Applewood bacon, I believe. Didn't matter ... it was just good. Like a really good picnic-burger-just-off-the-grill good!

Amy had a chicken biscuit. Well, I actually had a good portion of it as well, so I can attest to the biscuit. Hearty ... sticks to your bones. And Leah stayed closed to her comfort zone with a grilled cheese sandwich. I saw a plate of biscuits come out of the kitchen smothered in sausage gravy. I KNOW what I'm ordering next time. YUM-O-LA! And I ordered a cinnamon biscuit and a raspberry biscuit to go for Veda and Chaz, who were engaged in pollen warfare. Chaz looks like a little raccoon with his red eyes, so they stayed indoors.

Rise & Shine Cafe is comfortable ... not too big, not too small. Plenty of tables. Wi-Fi for us techie geeks if we needed it. Coca-Cola products for us Coca-Cola geeks, which we always need! Indoor or outdoor seating ... something for everyone! 104.7 The Fish playing in the background. Good food ... good service ... and it's the only location, so it's unique and has that neighborhood feel to it. Makes you feel like you're "in" if you're eating there. Not a clone in the masses.

6 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Tuesday thru Friday, then 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Did I mention espresso and teas, too? Formerly Sunrise Biscuits & Stuffers. You don't believe me that it's THAT good? Fine, go check it out for yourself! Here comes the commercial ... 3732 Cedarcrest Road, in the Bentwater Village Shops. Tell 'em "Mr. Bush" sent you. If the server looks at you funny, tell them to tell Mr. Williams that Mr. Bush sent you. THEN you'll be in.

And get me a biscuit with sausage gravy. And a Coke Zero. Ahhhh, yeah!

Medium, wherefore art thou?

I'm now wardrobe challenged.

Last night, I stopped for gas and dashed into BJs (not a usual place for garments, but I was there nonetheless.) I have managed to now look totally frumpy in the old pants one size too large, and it was time to find some pants that truly fit so Stacy and Clinton don't hunt me down and shoot me to take me out of my misery.

I'm truly astonished and pleased with myself to be able to claim "medium" as my size now for shirts and stuff, unless I'm going for comfort in a t-shirt or the like. However, as I perused the pants in my warehouse mecca, I became distraught.

There were no 34x32 to be found.

What?

I mean ... I'm guessing I'm now in one of the most proliferous pant sizes for American men, and after scouring through piles of pants, I think I found two. In navy. With pleats. Not going to work.

Which totally surprises me ... if you had asked me three years ago if I'd wear flat front pants, I would have laughed in your face and emphatically said "No." But I have learned ... flat is good.

So ... I silently huffed at my new dilemma of not being able to find one of the most common sizes of pants. Should I head to some of the feeding stations and plump back up so I could get back in some 36's. Ye jest ... I'll try not to go back there. Instead ...?

I went around the table and picked out a couple of medium dress shirts. Vertical stripes on one (very slimming, unless your lines bend outward in the middle of the shirt like a bell-shaped arc on a middle-school grading curve) and a surprisingly pleasant orange for the other. No, I'm not going Auburn on you.

God, I'm getting old. But I'm liking the averageness of medium. It's like driving in the middle lane of the interstate (which I so totally do.) Not too fast, not too slow. Just right. Call me a Goldilocks of all things mundane and boorish.

Much like this blog post, eh? Yah.

Whoa ... it's January?

Wow ... December just flew by. Not that it wasn't filled with activities overflowing ... it just went so fast.

NYC for the first time visit the first week. Awesome. Braved the cold to stand AROUND THE CORNER from the Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting ... at least I could see a big screen. And I can say that I was sorta there. Unfortunately, I heard the "F" word from folks around me to last a lifetime. Harry Connick, Jr. was on the screen. I heard, "Who the F--- is that? Is that Beyonce??" C'mon lady ... it's a graying white man. Do you honestly think it's Beyonce??

Mississippi for the DiRT Ministry trip the second week. Even more awesome than NYC. Sad, these folks are STILL not in homes over three years after Katrina. The folks whose house we worked on had been displaced 53 miles away, which the drove EVERY DAY to take their kids to school. But the celebration dinner with families that had been helped in the last 18 months by DiRT was incredibly uplifting, even though I didn't know any of them. And the drive down and back was a blast. I have a new appreciation addiction for The Office.

Third week brought Christmas celebrations left and right. We had 26 people in our home on the 19th, and it was truly a joy to have them all there. Veda's side of the family ... it was a feast, then a frenzy of Dirty Santa. Thank you Lord for the new addition on the house! Everyone had a seat ... all in the same room!

More Christmas ensued. I had to laugh when I truly listened to The Little Drummer Boy on the radio. "Mary nodded ..." Well of course she was nodding ... she was postpartum and probably lacking a little sleep from being in the stable. Could you imagine that today? I wouldn't be nodding ... I'd be out cold. Course, I'd be on network TV if I had just had a baby. Much less a Savior. Sheesh.

"The ox and lamb kept time ..." Vision of said animals standing on their hind legs, snapping their hooves to the beat as if they were in a jazz club. I laughed out loud. Twice.

Christmas Day hit. We were actually celebrating at home for a change. Santa. Jesus' birthday. What a day!

More family Christmas at the senior Bush household as we drove over to the Athens area to celebrate with my family the weekend after Christmas.

New Year's Eve was celebrated with our dear friends, the Meeks. Food. Fireworks. I was glad I wasn't standing in Times Square. Hearing the "F" word. And I don't mean "freezing."

And now here we are ... facing 2009 with excitement, uncertainty, but full of faith that we are in Good Hands. Here's to you ... all of you out there in blogdom ... for a prosperous and blessed 2009, wherever you are. Cheers!

I Need Your Help, Please!

Dear family, friends, bloggers, and strangers alike …

Happy Holidays to every one of you! You may be reading this message through Facebook and/or through my blog … if you encounter it twice, consider it a bonus!

Strengths and weaknesses … we all have them. I can identify two weaknesses for me when I was growing up:

1. I was not a salesman. Candles, candy, cookies, sunglasses, more candles, atlases … no matter what the fundraiser was, I stunk at it. If I didn’t want to buy it, why would someone else? Door-to-door was the worst. (Thanks to all my extended family and neighbors who were nice enough to not to crush my spirit and ended up purchasing “stuff.”)

2. I was not one to ask people for help. Potential conflict or rejection was not something I looked for, so I was not one to impose or interrupt someone for help unless it was pretty urgent. I found it easier to try and do what I could on my own. (Note to self: bad idea.)

Well, fortunately, I’ve somewhat grown out of these weaknesses, as I’m about to tackle both of them with this message.

In a nutshell, I need your help to do something very special this holiday season. The ask? Prayer. And a donation.

(There … that wasn’t so bad for me. You still with me? Good.) And now … the rest of the story. Please read all of it … it will truly give you reason to be thankful this season.

Three years ago this past August, Hurricane Katrina took a direct path over the coastal town of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. It was one of the deadliest and most costly hurricanes to hit the United States. Over 90% of structures up to a half a mile inland were severely damaged or totally destroyed. Winds were sustained at 120 mph, and the storm surge of 27 feet pushed inland up to 12 miles. In Mississippi alone, 238 were dead, 67 missing and damage totaled billions of dollars.

So you would think after three years, things would be better. The current facts are unfortunately very sombering.

• Nearly 300 families in Mississippi are being returned to hotels from mobile homes as FEMA moves to close the last of its emergency housing sites in the state.
  
• FEMA has announced a March 1 cutoff date for all temporary housing payments.


• Across the Gulf Coast, there are still at least 9,300 families in trailers and 1,600 in hotel rooms.
  
• About 3,200 FEMA travel trailers and mobile homes remain in use in Mississippi.
  
• Hundreds of federally-issued trailers and mobile homes have been identified as having high levels of toxins, including formaldehyde.
  
• There are an estimated 30,000 children living in trailers and temporary housing in the region. A Children's Health Fund study released this month reveals that the “Katrina children” are the sickest children in the U.S., with iron-deficiency anemia, upper respiratory infections, skin ailments, and behavior or learning problems.
  
• Many of these kids are going to spend their FOURTH Christmas in a place that is not their home.
  

So … how can you help?

On December 10th, I’ll be leaving with a team from Wildwood Baptist Church on a “rebuild three-day” to continue ongoing work to get people back in their homes for the holidays. The DiRT Ministry takes these trips a number of times a year, and the need for assistance is overwhelming.

But not insurmountable with your help!

Priority Ask #1 … PRAY. Pray for these victims of this natural disaster, that they don’t feel forgotten. Pray for our team as we minister to their physical and spiritual needs. If you’re not one to pray … give it a shot. While I am excited about the prospects of this trip, my heart grows heavier as I read more about the situation and consider the plight of the families still trying to put their lives back together after three long years. When I imagine what Thanksgiving and Christmas must be like for these children, my throat closes up, I have a hard time focusing on what I’m doing, and I wrestle with myself as to why I haven’t done something sooner.

Priority Ask #2 … DONATE. Please consider a donation to the DiRT Ministry to help offset the costs for travel and supplies for this trip, to cover past expenses from recent trips, and to establish a legacy for trips in the future. We all understand how much tighter the times are with the economy as it is, but think about how much more troubling it is for those who are already desperate for help. Perhaps you can bypass that cup of Starbucks. Or a fast-food meal. Maybe you save so much during Black Friday that you can give just a little back. This is one of those moments in time where an army of friends giving a little from the individual perspective will result in a fantastic outcome.

Giving is easy … play “DiRTopoly!” This online gameboard has streets listed where DiRT has served families in the past 18 months, or various other Bay St. Louis streets, landmarks or utilities. Go to http://www.w2ps.com/dirt/board.htm and roll your mouse over the various properties to see their value. Then click on the property to purchase it … which will be your tax-deductible donation of that amount to the DiRT Ministry. If you prefer, you can select Chance or Community Chest and designate a specific amount to give.

The link above is directly to the board, and it is also accessible from the http://www.dirtministry.com/ website, where you can see photos and videos about this ministry. You can use a credit card to make these donations, or a registered PayPal account. And if you wish to specifically direct your donation to scholarships (for travel expenses), tooling or materials, there is a field to make that known to the DiRT Coordinator.

Make a gift in someone’s honor … what a cool Christmas gift THAT can be! (On a side note, visit http://www.adventconspiracy.org/ for one of THE coolest videos I’ve seen this season. But not until you’ve made your donation to DiRT!)

If you prefer to make a donation by check, make it out to Wildwood Baptist Church and mail it to them at 4801 Wade Green Road, Acworth, GA 30102 and put “Mississippi Missions Fund” in the memo line. Or you can give it to me and I’ll get it to them. Please do not write my name on the check, but if you donate via this route and you mail it, please let me know via a blog comment or Facebook or email so I can thank you! At the very least, please let me know that you’ll consider praying for us December 10th through the 13th. Or more!

Still here? Wow, thanks … we made it together! Sorry if it got long … but there was plenty to tell and I didn’t want to leave out anything. Again, I hope that you and your family and friends experience all the blessings of the upcoming holiday season, and here’s to a very prosperous and healthy 2009! Thank you for your considerations of this effort.

All the best,
Chip