West Cocoa Chat

What I heard and read when I had breakfast with "the boys" this morning made me think of Donna Summer and her "hit" song, "She Works Hard For The Money." The waitresses of the country diner we eat at on Thursday mornings are aware that our group all attend church together. One of the waitresses brought by today's edition of our local newspaper with one of the ads highlighted.

She asked us for our opinion. The ad stated, "Calls for Prayer - $10." It gave a local phone number for this "pay as you pray" service. When she stated her one word ("So?") question again I said (pointing to the brother who had just prayed for our food), "Looks like we owe Don $10."

What do you think, should we call the number?

As much as I'd like to say this is a cool picture of me slamming a spike during a game of beach volleyball (and I know many of you out there will be shocked that it isn't) I cannot. But for over a year, some of our best friends and my son's college roommate parents, have invited folks over to their home on Sunday afternoons for fellowship and beach volleyball. There are times when the makeup of the crowd is mostly teens and college age kids and then of late, its been some teens and young families.
There are times when this 51 year old's body feels 25 again. Yesterday was one of those days when not only was I playing my area or "space," I was invading everyone else's "play (Remember Johnny's admonition to Baby, "This is your dance space and this is my dance space.") space. Someone even asked Barb if she could "control me?" She smiled and basically said, "When he gets like this you just have to let him go until he exhausts himself." :) Jim Rome who has radio and T.V. Sports Talk Shows uses a word that basically means "talking trash to your opponent and that word is "smack." Lets just say that at this point, the smack starting flowing from the youngsters such as:

1. Let us know when you're going to hit the ball back over the net.
2. Since you guys are old and blind, we'll tell you when to "listen" for the ball.
3. From the movie "Christmas Vacation," "Hey, isn't it time for you geezers to eat something so you can take your back pills."

Well as luck would have it, yours truly started serving at 6 to 13. Now I would like to say that the number of points we began to win were mostly due in part to my devastating serve and you know what, I think I'll say it, "We began to win point after point due to my devastating serve." O.K., with that out of the way lets also factor in that it was really getting dark at this point.

When we scored our 7th straight point tying the game at 13 to 13, the "smack" began to reverse direction. My good friend Bret got off the best smack salvo with, "Hey, isn't it time for you kids to take your medicine and go to bed!" We ended up serving out the game and won 15 to 13 - one for geezers everywhere!

Now I'm a realist and I realize that the day of smack talking flowing away from me to younger folks are steadily declining but for one night in West Cocoa, it was good to be a geezer! Ouch, I think I just pulled a muscle.

In the poster for "Friday Night Lights," 3 guys are suited up getting ready to do battle on the football field. They hold hands as a sign of solidarity and brotherhood as the lights burn bright above their head. I was thinking about this and the verses that follow:

James 5:13 - 16

I have always been a "road trip" kind of guy. We had promised my good friends, Bob and Shelby, we would come to South Carolina and watch their son play. Nathen plays offensive tackle for his high school football team. I was impressed with the sophistication of their offense. They run the popular "spread offense" of which their version is "no huddle, " everyone looks at the sidelines for the plays to be signaled in, and then they look on their wrist band for the corresponding play, and run it. It was unfortunate that Nathen's team came up on the losing side of the game but if I had been grading the lineman, I would have given Nathen the highest grade.

From left to right: Me, a smiling Nathen, and Monty.

Bottom row: Barb who is obviously freezing in 50 degree weather, Sally who looks just as cold, Shelby - Nathen's Mom. Back Row: Me or just to top part of my head, Nathen, and Monty.

Bottom row from left to right: Barb, Nathen, Sally.

Back row: Me, Bob - Nathen's Dad, and Monty.

This is a picture that I took at about 13,000 ft. when we were in Colorado in the summer of 2008. The rocks that we're resting on are the reason the "Rockies" are called the "Rockies." Sitting from left to right are Mark, Steven, Daniel, and Kristin. Standing in the forefront with "professional" walking sticks is Josh.

I really got to know Josh on this trip. We spent a lot of time in the back seat of a 15 passenger van together. Seems he and I were in the minority when it came to folks who get "car sick."

Sidebar - I wonder what the percentage is of the people who say they get "car sick" and need to sit in the front of a vehicle who actually get car sick? Come on, if you're one of these fakers, cough it up, in a Christian way of course and definitely figuratively.

Josh was very knowledgeable on our trip hence the cool gear. Josh has a great sense of humor and I could share an exchange we had in the van concerning some Nuns and a "man purse" but will leave that for the ages or perhaps the "aged."

Josh has been a regular attendee of our Sunday afternoon beach volleyball group. His sense of humor and his impossibly long approach to serving has made him a favorite among our group. This past Sunday was his "last" for sometime because Josh is going into the United State Army.

Josh should be on his way to Basic Training at I type. I ask for prayers for Josh as he starts this new phase of his life and as he enters into the honorable profession of serving his Country. We'll miss Josh and we look forward to the time that he returns.

"Institutional Activity." That was a phrase I first read in Rubel Shelly's and Randy Harris' book, "The Second Incarnation." If memory serves, Shelly and Harris warned against mistaking "institutional (going to church, going to church picnics, teaching Sunday School, etc.) activity" for having a genuine relationship with God. I guess you could say if one had too much "I.A." in their life, perhaps one would need to be institutionalized. :)

I guess one could say I have a fair amount of "I.A." in my life. This past week saw me at church doing:
1. Monday - Weight Watchers
2. Tuesday - Men's Class. God is doing some powerful, powerful things in this group of guys that I'm starting to connect with.
3. Wednesday - Our night for what we call, "Dinner and a Devo." Barb always does the cooking and tonight I gave the devotional.

I'm reminded of George C. Scott's line as Patton as he scans a battlefield. There is carnage all around him of a recent battle. He looks at the Captain who is his aid and says something like, "War is terrible but God help me, I love it."

Now, I'm not trying to equate "I.A." with war but I do love it. There is so much the Holy Spirit is doing in the lives of our people I want to start jumping up (must not wake up sleeping wife) and down and shout, "Hallelujah, praise God."

Yeah, I'll take this kind of "Institutional Activity" anytime.

God's blessings.

I just came from watching "our" boys from my middle school play a school that I taught and coached at in the 80's and early 90's. Kids love it when you come to see them play or cheer. I get lots of, "Hey Mr. Walker, you came to the game," or , "Hi Mr. Walker."

This particular gym was once my gym for most of my "pre-Steven" days. Then I was called "Coach" more than my "teacher name" although I still taught then. This particular gym wasn't air-conditioned in those days as it is now. In fact, I ran into the guy that I coached with during that time.

We hugged each other and speculated how much longer we might have coached if the gym had been air-conditioned back then. He's retired now and hopefully, hopefully, I might be just a few years behind him. We both still have a love of kids and basketball but younger (or some might say dumber) guys do it now in our stead. He subs once or twice a week and I'm still in the classroom.

I have to admit that when I walked into that gym I experienced some "warm fuzzies." Will it be like that in Heaven when this life is over? Walking into an air-conditioned gym and seeing folks who knew you then and smile, grab your hand, and give you great big bear hugs as joy explodes from relationships renewed.

I bet Jesus gives the best bear-hugs.
Signing off here and feeling good.