Cinco de Mayo

So today starts my first vacation in at least two years. Not that I am going away or doing anything special, but it is a week with no work and no school that I can spend just being with my family and getting a few things done around the house. I guess I might even have more time to blog, but I probably will not be any more consistent because I have a full week planned.

Besides being Cinco de Mayo, today is also the birthday of my niece Taylor. I want to wish her a very happy birthday and to congratulate Stacy’s sister Tara and her husband Eric on making it through the first year. I know they have done a great job and should be very proud. Taylor is six weeks older than Bryleigh, but lives in Louisiana so they do not get to see much of each other. Even being in Louisiana though, I am sure that Taylor is a Gator fan at heart.

We spent our Cinco de Mayo hanging out with friends at Barnies cappy hour, (aka frozen coffee freezers), and then watching Dancing with the Stars on the big screen. Even though we do not celebrate Cinco de Mayo the traditional way, we have much more to celebrate because we have been blessed to have such great friends.

Hope everyone has a great week. I know I will.

A Legitimate Debate

So I forgot to mention Wednesday night’s Democratic debate. Now I have not watched many debates this political season, especially Democratic debates. They are generally moderated by very biased moderators who have an agenda and never get to the deeper issues of character and integrity. But as I flipped by the debate this Wednesday night, I noticed that Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos were asking some tough but fair questions about the character of each candidate. I have heard that ABC is getting a lot of complaints about the debate from people who frankly do not want to hear the truth. Some people just want to believe that their candidate of choice will make everything better, and that what the candidates do in their personal lives or the kind of person they really are is not important. There were complaints from the candidates and others that it took 45 minutes to get to the important issues, but I beg to differ. The candidates were uncomfortable because they were being asked questions about the important issues that they could not answer with their talking points, and they were confronted with personal issues that they could not blame on the current president or someone else. We all know about the economy, gas prices, healthcare, etc. We have also heard the candidates plans over and over this political season on all of these issues and we know where they stand. What we do not know is what kind of people they truly are and where their loyalties lie. We know they will say anything to get elected, but we need to know about the character and moral fiber of the person who would be president. Some people will say that it does not matter, but I say that it matters a lot, and in fact is the paramount issue of the campaign. Every truly great leader is known not only for what they have done, but for their character, perseverance, and integrity. So when you think of great presidents such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronal Reagan, you think not only of their great accomplishments, but of their character as well. The fact is that they could not have accomplished what they did without having such character and integrity as the foundation of who they were. So before you go out and cast you vote for someone who is promising you change, consider what that change may be because it may not be the change that you hope for. If we really want change then we should get involved and work at doing what we can to make a difference instead of waiting for the white knight to come in and save us. The reality is that many, if not most politicians are out for themselves and not necessarily the best interest of their constituents. The main thing is that we should vote on our convictions and not on our pocketbooks, and know that God will take care of us.

Speaking of the Democrats and pocketbooks, I will leave you with this quote to ponder.

“A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet”.

Have a great weekend.

On A Roll.

Can you believe it? Two blogs in a month. I thought I would work my way back in to it with at least one blog a week.

I really loved this last bit of cool weather this week, even though I did not really get out to enjoy it. Two more weeks of school and then I get a short break.

I did have some short-lived excitement when I heard that the Broncos were playing all three Florida teams this year. However, I saw the official schedule today, and they are playing every one of them in Denver. So unless I want to go to Atlanta, or I come across some free tickets to Denver, I probably will not be seeing a game live this year. Not much else happening this week so I will make this one short and sweet.

Have a great week

Still Here!

I thought I would drop a few lines so I don’t have to hear about how inconsistent I am about blogging. It really stems from being way too busy, and consequently having nothing going on in my life because I am too busy. It is a vicious cycle. The spring semester ends this month and I get a whole week off before it stars all over again.

Although things are crazy, Stacy and I have felt that God is challenging us to move out of our comfort zone and focus more on his will for our lives. Often when you get comfortable in life, your spiritual life can become stagnant. Fortunately God does not judge us by our performance, and he has blessed us over and over this past year even though we have done nothing worthy of his blessing. He continually shows us what unconditional love and grace are all about. We just want to follow his will for our lives and be willing to do whatever he asks of us.

Having a child also is a great motivator to try to be the best person and parent that you can be. Being the person that models the behavior that can shape a child’s character is an enormous responsibility. Not something I want to attempt without God’s direction and guidance. I will devote another post to my daughter and what an awesome blessing she has been in our lives. Hopefully it won’t be another month, but I have to make sure I have the time to share all the great things about my wonderful daughter Bryleigh.

Thanks for reading and have a Great day!

It has been too long!

I know it has been ages since I have blogged. Not that I do not have anything to say, it is just that I have so much going on that I never even think about it. Whenever I sit in front of the computer, my mind is flooded with all of the homework and lectures that I am behind on. However, I wanted to drop a quick line and let anyone who is interested in what I have to say catch up.

My dad is still recovering from the accident last year. They say he may be out of his neck brace in about six weeks. He also has not regained full vision in one of his eyes and they do not have a prognosis for that as of yet, and he has not regained full equilibrium either, so he is still in need of prayer.

My daughter Bryleigh was in the hospital this Tuesday for a virus that was causing her to throw up everything she ate or drank. They were worried about her getting dehydrated so they put her on an IV until she could hold something down. She was released on Wednesday morning and started feeling better by Thursday night. She is now back to her cheerful self and even has energy to spare. Unfortunately, her mother and I do not.

We appreciate all the prayers for Bryleigh, my dad, and our family. It is great to have friends who truly care about us. In that area, we are truly blessed.

Well it is back to the grind for me. I am never really caught up, I just measure my success by how far behind I am. Only nine months left at UF if all goes as planned and I maintain my sanity.

Life Is Not Fair!

Normally I would talk about the Broncos game tomorrow and how they were due for a win against their rival the Chiefs, but after the crazy events of today I am not in a sports talk mood.

Today my father was taking part in the Veterans Day parade in Orlando and was injured in somewhat of a freak accident. He fell out of the back of the truck he was in and landed on his head. Anyone who knows my dad knows that he is not in the best shape anyway with the damage to his back, his bad heart, and the many other ailments the doctors cannot seem to diagnose. I sometimes feel that if is wasn’t for bad luck, he would have no luck at all. From what we know now, he broke his neck, right knee, and some bones in his face. He can still move all of his extremities which is great, so things could have been worse. However, he definitely needs the prayers of as many people as possible. Because of his heart condition, he is not able to undergo any major surgery that would require him to be put under anesthesia. So we are praying for a quick recovery that requires no surgery.

My dad’s first injury to his back was in 1977, and he has suffered with that and his many other issues for the last thirty years. My dad is a great man and loving father who brought us up to love God and love others. I have more than once in my life wondered why he has had to continually suffer while so many people live happy and healthy lives. Even financially, my parents have always struggled to get by. Sure, it taught me to appreciate what I have, but more importantly, it taught me that life is not always fair. Of course, it is always about perspective and I know there are many people in the world in worse shape and with exceedingly worse circumstances. I have never blamed God, although I have asked many times for a miracle. I know his ways are perfect and he has a plan in all of our circumstances and trials. It may not seem fair from our perspective, but it was not fair that Jesus had to die for the sins of the world, even though he never committed even one of them. I still feel bad for my dad and I am sure I always will. Nevertheless, I know he will be rewarded one day for his perseverance and faith, as well as his positive attitude throughout his many difficulties.

I sit here writing this blog to solicit prayers for my dad’s well being. However, I also write it to honor him and let everyone know how much I truly love and respect my dad. There is much to write on those two things, but that is another issue for another blog that hopefully I will write soon.

I thank you in advance for your prayers,

Blaine

Another Disappointment

So the buffalo wings were good on Monday night, but unfortunately the Broncos team effort was not. Just when I think they are on the brink of turning things around, they go out and play the way they did Monday night. They really beat themselves in a game they could have, and should have, won. The Rockies were another huge disappointment for the Mile High city. They brought back memories of the 1995 Orlando Magic. And what can we say about the Gators? I guess there is always next week. A true fan never gives up on his team.

Have a great week.