Apparent Contradictions...

As I was driving to work this morning, I finally realized that I had no inaugural ceremony for my new role as HOA President.  I mean, why were there no news trucks?  No inaugural balls.  No parties.  No hoards of adoring home owners waiting for my speeches.  All I found was some work that needed to be done, people that needed served, and some responsibilities and leadership that needed filled.  

Today in local news an area man's awesome weekend at home with his wife and daughter was tragically cut short late Sunday evening as he began to think about the week of work at hand.

I am going to be sick.  Erin and I are finally watching this weeks ER (thanks God for the glory that is Tivo).  I have seen a lot of things on ER over the years.  The never ending attempts to escalate the story lines.  The merciless way they have killed off their characters (Gant and Green).  Tonight however as I watch the story unfold I saw something that made me shutter.  One of the characters was struggling with a difficult day and in a moment of rage throws her phone to the ground.  Normally this wouldn't bother me, but it was an iPhone.  How could someone take the greatest consumer electronic device ever made and treat it so carelessly?  I remember the only time I dropped mine and I was out of sorts the rest of the day.  I still look at the small ding in the upper left hand corner and wonder what might have been.

What a terribly long week this has been.  I am not sure if it has been this way for everyone, but this has been a relentlessly long, relentlessly taxing, strange week.

Sorry I can't finish up on some of the posts I am working on because I am going into hour 13 in my normal 7.5 business day.  If I ever do get to leave my office I am going to spend time with my wife not anything else.  Grace and Peace for tonight.

I am not sure how much more I can take, I know it has been only been four hours in Jack's newest incredibly bad day, but my heart is already thumping out of my chest. Tony is bad but now he is good. Maybe Bill is bad and Chloe too. Then again maybe everything is as it seems. No one knows and one of the things I have learned about after many years as a 24 fan is that you can't be sure until the last episode. The worst part of this all is that I am the guy that over analyzes everything and I am not anywhere close to done over thinking the potential plot twists this season. Below are some of my potential plot twists for the remainder of the season.

1. The Dallas ending - the last 7 seasons have actually been a dream and Jack has been in a coma.

2. The Florida State vs. Georgia Tech ending - Jack will make a strong push to the end of the season have a chance to win it all with 3 seconds to go, fumble everything and the whole world blows up. (I know that this isn't going to happen, but I think it is the only way I can mention the way Florida State lost to Georgia Tech again without totally getting the crap beat out of me by my wife).

3. Godzilla ending - Bad guys contract a mercenary Godzilla who begins swatting planes from the sky and then begins threatening the White House or the grave of any of the like 20 presidents that have been used on the show thus far. After a few hours (like 24) of terror, Jack single handily slays the monster by sneaking up the back of Godzilla and killing him in a totally awesome way with a ball point pen and the cell phone charger that has never been seen in the show otherwise.

4. The Office ending - Jack makes terrorist sit through 22 hours of Human Resources meetings and they give up as they begin to move into changes of the dental benefits for the new fiscal year.

5. Internet ending - Facebook friends totally rat out plans for terrorists wife's birthday gift and then terrorist's wife twitters the whole evil plan. Former CTU operatives hack into computers of terrorist opening one adult content site and the flood of pop ups and self installing malware and virus crashes all system and averts disaster for at least 24 hours because that is how long it takes to patch a Windows XP system completely. (Everyone knows the bad guys use windows and the good guys use Macs.)

If you have any other endings leave them in the comments and I will blog them with some of my others in a few days.

Okay, I don't really know if this is stealing, because it was in the fridge and I don't really care, but I can't pick on her if I can't call it stealing. I really want to be able to give her grief and pick on her as much as I can, but all that goes away if I don't care.

The other part of this crime is that it is actually the crazy white melting cheese that you get in Mexican restaurants. We all know that it is impossible to resist that stuff. It calls to you in your sleep and the seal around the refrigerator door is not nearly enough to keep the siren from waking you in the middle of the night. How could I be mad with Erin for eating the last of the thick yet runny cheese if I am certain that it makes you temporarily insane until it is out of the house?

Now it is gone and all is back to normal. I have decided to not press charges this time. Although, I am still left haunted by the white creamy ghost that slowly drips from a floating nacho each night as I close my eyes to sleep. I wonder if I should call a priest or a Mariachi band.

I just finished the two hour season premier of 24 and it was awesome! It has been over a year and half since the last installment of 24 and the adventures and trials of Jack Bauer and I have really been curious to see if the writers, producers, directors, and actors were going to be able to pull off another season. That was answered tonight with a fantastic and resounding YES!

The story looks solid (better than the last couple) and I can say that I am already on the edge of my seat and will probably be sitting there until the season finale.

Keifer Sutherland plays the best angry guy ever that doesn't have to scream expletives (sorry Samuel L. Jackson, you are still the best cursing angry guy) to get someone to crack. It could also have something to do with the fact that he may have a gun to your head, forearm in your throat, or as he was preparing tonight something crazy with a ball point pen. I am surprised to see that long time good guy Tony Almeida is now an antagonist with still unknown plans. I can say for one thing, that it will be fun to watch Jack break his will to keep his plans secret over the next couple of hours.

Reminder the season premier event continues tomorrow with another wicked awesome two hours starting at 8 pm.

Okay, I am going for now because I may need some heart medicine as I think my pulse is still well over a 1000.

I work in a service field that at times becomes overwhelmed by ego maniacs that live their life as though they are the most important people in the universe (IT not Ministry, although at times it would fit there as well). I constantly resist the temptation to see my role as an end onto itself but as one who serves and facilitates the success of others in their work. I have allowed my desire to serve others and to not take myself too seriously that it has created a major problem. Every time a request for my assistance comes to my office, I immediately categorize the need as "Urgent" and begin a frenzy of effort until the issue is resolved. If multiple issues come in before I can clear the previous requests, I have no problem prioritizing them and working until all the issues are resolved.

The problem is that I fail miserably when I have a problem come into my office at the end of the day. I immediately spring into action diagnosing the problem and taking on the weight of the world onto my shoulders until I can fix it. I lose sight of the fact that I have already worked all day, that I don't get paid overtime (although I regularly work it), and that my wife and child are at home waiting for my time.

I know the reason I do this is because I understand that every time someone calls my office it is likely the most important and most urgent need that they have to get the job assigned them by the University completed. I take very seriously my responsibility to help them. What I do wrong is that I assume everything that is important is urgent. It is not. Important things will always be important and urgent things will always be urgent, but that doesn't mean that everything I do has to be some all consuming-Indiana Jones-like quest. No work I have ever done has change the world for the benefit of all mankind. No contribution I have ever made has saved the life of someone else. Staying late does not make me a better worker. Staying late does not make the work I do better or more valuable. Working more does not make me a better "Daddy" to Veronica or a better "Hubs" to Erin. It just means that I fail to place the proper importance on urgent things.

I have to spend more time remembering that I do important work. I respond to urgent issues. There are times that I absolutely need push on and stay until the work is done. However, the most important thing is that I do not need to do this all the time, and the urgent needs are at home. The lives I will change are those of Veronica and Erin and the lives that they can change by the contribution I make to them. With all this being said it is urgent that I understand the importance of understanding real urgency.

I have never been a Florida Gators fan. If fact it would be more fair to say that I have a bitter hatred of the team. It has been that way since I was kid and each year the Florida State vs. Florida game would be as contentious as any presidential election or decision between my wife and I regarding what we would have for dinner. This season however has been different for me in some regards. I have an undying love for my Noles but I have watched with interest to see how the Gators season would turn out. Then it came time the National Championship game. As I watched all of the coverage of the game it got easier and easier for me to cheer for Florida over Oklahoma. Here are some of the reasons why.

Rarely do you see a young man with the character of Tim Tebow (much less the skill, leadership, and talent).

I hate trash talkers, and Oklahoma certainly gave me plenty to hate in the media interviews the week before the game. I am just curious to know if Oklahoma thinks Tim Tebow is still the fourth best QB if he came to the Big 12.

During the game, adversity never seemed to have any impact on the Gators.

Urban Meyer has now won more National Championships than Steve Spurier did at Florida (man I can't stand that guy).

A team I was cheering for actually won a game. Like I said earlier in the week, I am a kiss of death to the teams I like.

For now I will congratulate the Gators on their victory. I hope it is treasured for some time to come. I hope we all remember the great value of seeing young men succeed not merely at a game, but in life. I also hope that they get beat like an old dog trying to steal the Thanksgiving turkey next year when they play the Seminoles.

I have been a fan of Jonathan Edwards for years (the theologian - not the cheating, fornicating politician from my hometown of Seneca, SC) and I am hard pressed to think of many other theologians that have had the impact of me that he has. Starting in 1722 he began writing a series of some of the most significant and staggering resolutions that have ever been written and he continued to until he had a total of 70 that he recorded his last in August of 1723. The weight of all his resolutions are far too much for me to attempt at this point in my life, but I am definitely going to be including some of his resolutions in with mine for the year. I am going to share some of mine with you now.

1.) Spend more time with family, and less at work (correlary: to spend less time with family that I am actually thinking about work).

2.) To not blame the dogs for that strange smell in the air when Erin and I are cuddling up on the couch.

3.) Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God' s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever. (clearly one of Edwards)

4.) To eat better, work out more, lose weight, get more sleep, and all the rest of the normal New Year's resolutions that most people have already started ignoring by this point in the new year. I just figured I would get it all out of the way now.

5.) To speak with grace, edification, and love. Unless someone is being an idiot and then it is totally fair game to tell them.

6.) Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it. (Edwards again)

7.) To never settle for mediocrity as a husband and father.

8.) To spend more time leading by example and to remember that the example is to be of the most ideal good and not what is easy, popular, or quick.

9.) Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can. (Edwards)

10.) Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live. (Edwards)

If you have any other ideas please let me know what to consider by leaving a comment below. These can be fun, funny, or profound so don't be reserved. If you are interested in reading the rest of Jonathan Edwards resolutions, please click the link below and enjoy greatness.

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

Nothing to see here, just keep moving on through.

Being a rabid Apple fan, I thought it fair to remind everyone that Apple is going to be throwing Phil Shiller to the wolves at Macworld and asking him to do a keynote when all of the Apple lovers like me are really wanting a "SteveNote". I know Steve Jobs is sick and is getting better but I thought that is what satellite feeds were designed for. I hope to see some cool new stuff and will definitely post if I find some new way to move my family a little closer to the poor house. If you want to follow along, I recommend you click on the Engadget link below and check it out.

This college bowl season has been a pretty good one all in all. A lot of close games, a lot of exciting finishes, and most importantly my Noles won big over the latest challenger put before them. The only down side has been that almost every team I have cheered for has lost. I have been an absolute kiss of death to every team I have tried to inspire to victory by cheering for them from my living room. You name a team and I have single-handedly taken them down. Tonight while watching the Fiesta Bowl, I almost got another one. With a little over two minutes left, I had cheered the Longhorns to a 4 point deficit and then they started driving down the field. With 16 seconds left in the game, they scored a game winning touchdown and by the slightest of margins they stole a win from me. It was miracle. A team I was cheering for had actually won a game. How dare any team break free from the clutches of my fanship (no, I don't really think that is a word either).

This year at Christmas I can think of many good things that happened but two moments will stick in my mind for as long as I am alive. I have to share them with you guys.

A lot of people have vices and one of mine is definitely bible lust. I am dying for this to be released next month. I know it is sad and that I have a problem, but my wife is totally aware of this problem so I guess I could do worse. I just can't wait for this printing to be released. Even though I know I am supposed to have this Bible at the house tomorrow as a replacement for my defective Single Column Reference ESV. Are there support groups for this?

Tomorrow is my first official day back at work after having some holiday time off to spend with my family. I know I should be ready to go back and part of me is, but another part of me has no interest in it. I have had a really good time with my family over this vacation. I will spend some of the next few days posting about what I have done over the break, but feel free to share what you have done over your time off with (if you had some). I am also pushing the late night hours today so I will bet you that I am going to be dragging first thing in the morning tomorrow because I will actually have to wake up and not just get out of bed when the dogs start barking. That is going to stink, but it is the cost of being a night owl I guess.

I just wanted to start my new blog by saying hello to everyone. I hope you enjoy what you read. I plan to talk about my family, work, theology, sports, the books I am reading, the music I like, things that drive my interest and everything in between. I hope to never offend but at times I do hope to challenge you. Have a good day and I wish for Grace and Peace for all.

Tim