What is your WorldView?

I just started a Beth Moore Bible Study in the book of Daniel and the very first day it referenced a scripture in Isaiah 47:10 that says, "I am, and there is no one besides me." Of course that contradicts the commandment in Exodus 20:3 that says, "You will have no other gods before Me" as well as God's statement in Exodus 3:14 "I AM who I AM" and the Psalmist who writes in Psalm 86:8 "there is no one like you." Finally, in modern day it is totally opposite of Rick Warren's Purpose-Driven Life in which the first line reads, "It is not about you." Or Louie Giglio’s book I am not but I know I AM. How ironic that the ancient Babylonian world of overindulgence and self-absorption perfectly parallels what the popular western (American) culture teaches and idolizes: material girls, pretty women, macho men - we are influenced by media (songs, movies, and now reality TV) in a powerful way. We are indoctrinated at an early age to focus on the external, the material, the shallow, and the appearance rather than "setting our minds on things above and not on things of this world." We have come full circle in 2500 years to back to this secular humanistic worldview...how much more important it is for us to have a Christian Worldview.

Timothy's first book (ch 4) encourages us to "discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness." He later (ch 6) exhorts us to "flee from these things...and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith and take hold of the eternal life to which you were called..." So what is it going to be? Will we take charge of our lives and discipline ourselves to live a life of faith that honors God or will we let the world dictate our morals and values? Hard questions - and an even harder road to follow. The sacrifices (in this world) are great; however the (eternal) rewards are greater still. Let' PRESS ON!

20 days

You know, they say that it takes about 21 days to develop a habit. Today was the 20th day in a row that we have topped 100 degrees here in the heart of Texas. The hottest day was August 17th, the birthday of a dear friend, and the day that 3000 freshmen moved into their dorms at Baylor University. Over 1500 volunteers directed traffic, drank gallons of water and sweated even more, carried boxes, TV's, pillows, carpet, and of course clothes - trying not to drip on them in the 106 degree temperature. My staff were real troopers. I met most of them betwen 4:30 and 5:00 am and most pulled double duty and did not leave until 4:30 or 5:00 that afternoon.

This link (http://www.baylor.edu/pr/news.php?action=story&story=41256) shows many of the Move In Day crew and the crazy one is Van Davis, our Fitness Coordinator who trolls around the campus on Move In Day, looking for people whose body or soul are dehydrated...she passes out water and is a fountain of encouragement. I am so proud of all of my staff....but Van is the ultimate positivity queen. Now that is habit I would like to hone: positivity - every day all day long.

Set in Stone

So, if you are not familiar with the financial models of private universities, you may or may not know about the bricks. Baylor likes to build buildings without debt; therefore it puts the burden of fundraising on the development department. We will soon open the basketball practice facility adjacent to our basketball arena (the Ferrell Center). So, when the buy a brick campaign kicked off for the basketball practice facility of the 2005 National Champions - the Lady Bears, I thought what a more fitting tribute to the first-ever Spirit Coordinator for Baylor University: Elizabeth "E.J." Williams. She came to Baylor when we were in desperate need of an infusion of spirit and the resurrection of traditions. She definitely left this university better than she found it. She started new cheers, she revived old traditions and started new ones, she pushed the teaching of the fight song, and most importantly, she served as a mentor and encourager to countless numbers of students. One student even told her, "EJ, you are my Baylor experience." She has been involved in Kingdom work for the past four years and now it is her time to "sit down" in her new life in Athens. See her blog for more details. Needless to say, she will live forever in the hearts and lives of many of us here at Baylor...and now it is "set in stone."

Men, babies & dogs

So, don't get the wrong picture...in fact, if you look at the pictures you will see one of the men in my life, two of the babies I have held, and a dog that I miss because she and her 'dad' and her 'mom' Elizabeth (picture on her last day as the Baylor Spirit Coordinator) moved to Alabama to follow their dream (and the Lord).

First about Men: as several of you know I have been "communicating" on EHarmony for about 8 months now. It has been in interesting time. It has totally alerted me to the fact that we think we are safer online than we would be in person. We (or maybe just I) tend to share more under the safety of typing and editing than we would if we were sitting across the table from a new person. I have had about 40 different "matches" and have moved all the way through the safely selected questions and guidelines with 6 different guys to open emailing. I have talked on the phone with two and gone out on a date with those same two. After seeing all the hype on TV about the "instant chemistry" and sparks and such...it seems that we still want the fireworks of our childhood fantasy mate. I have not found that. I have been out with two guys who are totally different. Both believers. Both gentlemen. Each is quite different in demeanor, physique, communication style, lifestyle, income, and other areas. It has been an interesting journey. I am not going into great detail here but I will say that the "older man" in the picture is the "main man" in my life and has been for the last 40+ years. My daddy is so sweet. We walk together about 3-4 times each week. He gives his advice and wisdom on everything from money to cars to investments to management to giving to family. I am so proud of him and hope that some day God will bless me with a man just like him. For now, I am content to be the Bride of Christ and a daddy's girl.

About Babies: there is a picture of me holding Jed West in a little Aggie sleeper that I gave him last winter. Jed belongs to Hope and Keith West of Denver, Colorado. I knew Hope and Keith from our days at Kanakuk. The second is a picture of little Abigail Bruner who is only 2 weeks old in this picture. She was born to Joe and Amber Bruner. Both parents worked at Kids Across America and were our fitness graduate assistants in the past few years.

About Dogs: Over the summer my friend Elizabeth Williams commuted back and forth between here and Alabama as she prepared to relocate. Her American Bulldog puppy (believe it or not) stayed all summer at the Ponderosa. This is a picture of her looking so fit and trim...what you can't tell is that she was in heat over half of the summer!!! Bella is the sweetest dog...she is so loving and energetic. She was so good on our cross country trek from Texas to Alabama even when I wrecked Elizabeth's car. :( She may never make it back to the Ponderosa, but I hope we will always reside in the heart of her and her 'mom'.

Floyd Casey's Facelift

Well, if you are not a Baylor Bear, you may not be able to appreciate this post. Our students came back to campus last week and started class yesterday. We had a Welcome Week Rally on Friday night to get the new Freshmen - we call them "SLIME" - pumped up about Baylor Athletics. Today in staff meeting we discussed the best time to serve up some cold watermelon to the Football Team, Soccer Team and Band as a small token of support and appreciation for their commitment to success...practicing in the 100+ degree temperature for over two weeks now...just to make Baylor look good in the win-loss column. As I drove out to Floyd Casey today, I knew that they had been "branding" the stadium. I was so impressed as I rounded the corner and saw the huge banners of Baylor Football All-Americans. Here are two shots - one from the visitor/student side, and one from the home side. The biggest one is of Mike Singletary, our most famous All-American linebacker who was All-Pro with the Chicago Bears. Looks great! Sic 'em Bears!

What's in a name?

PONDEROSA...why would I name my cabin?
The Ponderosa is the name of the lodge my family owned for years in Red River, New Mexico. Countless winters we skiied the greens, blues, and black diamonds...especially The Face. Numerous summers we hiked the trails to Middlefork Lake, Goose Lake, Wheeler Peak, and the River trail. I have very fond memories of the 4th of July Parade and square dancing in the community center. So, I kept the name so the memories would stay alive in my heart.

Here is a picture of my Ponderosa...where silence and solitude happen and here are my thoughts about all of it. This is an experiment and maybe an outlet. I will learn as I go and I hope you learn something along the way too. Here we go.

Country life is the best...you can be who you are and no one - not animal or human will resist you here in the country. Why is it that life is any different because we are surrounded by people, noise, clutter, and driven into busyness?
Stay tuned...more thoughts and alot more questions.

Velvet

Velvet...could be a soft fabric or material, or a woman's name, or something that is soft and quiet...but in the country it is the name for a young buck whose horns have started to grow. Here you can see on of the deer from the herd that hangs out in front of my cabin. He has ventured up close and in the yard today. If you look close you can see his small rack and the velvet soft fur that is covering the antlers. This velvet is sloughed off when the antlers stop growing and harden. How brave he was today. He actually had a friend alongside.

Isn't that the way of life. It is easier to encounter the unknown when we are in the presence of a friend. I have just experienced that very thing. I had the priviledge of driving one of my dearest friends, Elizabeth, across 3 states (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi) to her new home in Athens, Alabama "the other south" as she calls it...which is over 800 miles away. What I have found since I have been home is that I am so thankful for technology (computers and cell phones) and transportation (airplanes and automobiles). It truly brings the world so much closer together. I am thankful to have a Godly friend who is brave and courageous enough to defy worldly standards and follow her husband's dreams and ambitions and doing it with grace and generosity. I hope that the velvet of our frienship nevers gets sloughed off and that we never stop growing together for then we would grow hard. How precious are the lessons we can learn through nature...from the Creator of the Universe, the Creator of all good things. God is Good - All the Time!