ms hachinsky's kindergarten class

I just thought you might like to see kcrazorback daughter's class. Here it is.

the very scary football schedule

Sorry, unplanned sports post warning: If you know me at all, you know that for my 40+ years I have been a pig--a big one too--a gigantic University of Arkansas Razorback. I lived and breathed Hog football even before I ever went to school there (which I did and received a Master's degree in statistics 18 years ago).

There have been good teams and bad teams during all those years. But, this year's team is possibly the worst. Yeah, it doesn't make much sense to say that about a 2-0 college football team. Those two wins shouldn't count. One was a fourth-quarter come-from-behind-and-barely-hold-on-to-win heart-stopper against the Leathernecks of Div. I-AA Western Illinois. The other win was a one-point victory in the same manner against another supposedly inferior opponent--Louisiana-Monroe. Both games could have easily been losses.

IMHO, Coach Bobby Petrino does not have this Arkansas team prepared to win against the big boys. Of course it doesn't help that the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys are suddenly both better because two of the five best running backs in the country last year don't play on the same team in Fayetteville any more.

So, how will the Hogs do against the big boys? We're about to find out. Over the next four weeks, Arkansas will play the (current) AP-poll #9 (Bama), #7 (Texas), #4 (Florida) and #10 (Auburn) ranked teams back-to-back-to-back-to-back. I'll admit it. I am very scared. Four top-10 opponents in 22 days--are you kidding me?

Go Hogs! Allay my fears! A 6-0 Arkansas team this year would be the biggest suprise I can imagine. Of course, my understanding of inferential statistics doesn't allow me to be too hopeful. As soon as the next game starts, though, my optimism will overwhelm my lack of hope and the long odds and I will root hard for my team. Win or lose, I'll do the same the next week. And the next. And the next. And next year. And the year after that. You get the point.

children are amazing

At Barkley's annual Creativity Symposium last Friday, our CEO Brian Brooker talked to us about children. In our awful state of grownuppiness, we forget to be creative like children--to ask questions like children--to pick our noses--etc. Anyway, it was an inspiring talk that ended with 300 employees going out to the parking lot for recess--seriously, playground balls, ultimate frisbee, jumpropes, dodgeball, girls playing Miss Mary Mack...

I sometimes think that God gives us these little super-creative humans just to amaze us and remind us what is possible. My kid is ultra-creative. She doesn't let not yet knowing how to read prevent her from writing. She doesn't let potential messes stop her from creating art. In a mixed media masterpiece, she colored on the TV screen (she got in trouble for that one--parents weren't seeing through child eyes). On and on the list goes.

Her wise and beautiful mother gave her a digital camera and creative freedom on a recent walk at the park. She documented the photographer's trip on this blog post. The deer that ran by were too fast for the young photographer to shoot, however she did capture amazing images that we were too grownup to see. She took a picture of a leaf. She took a picture of a slug. She took a picture of her dad from an angle no one should be subjected to. She got down in the cattails at a park pond and took a picture through them of a fountain. She took lots of great pictures. Thankfully, she is a child.

The Greatest Creator created all of this beauty. Thankfully, He also created children (specifically this photographer) and, as an amazing gift, gave us creativity as well.

old hundredth

Post #100: Wow, I didn't know I could do that. One year ago I had never written a blog post. This is my 100th--in just under a year. I never intended to keep it up. But it's been a fun outlet. I've had a couple of dry spells this year because I was very busy at work. But I hope to gradually increase the number of posts without taking it too seriously as a goal.

last swim of summer

It's an early fall in Kansas City. Unusually mild temps in August are leading to some colorful trees already. I wonder if we're maybe a month ahead of our typical color schedule.

Our family swims every summer--a lot. Kcrazorback wife and daughter are both excellent swimmers and I can make a relatively large splash. We have a pool in our homeowner's association that we use almost daily during summer. We also have a membership to the city's two pool complexes (think small water parks).

For a month now, the water in the pools has been a little chilly. Usually, it's like a hot tub in August, but not this year. We've had the place to ourselves on a number of occasions because our neighbors apparently prefer to swim in warmer water. Oh well, more for us.

Now that September is here, though, the water temperature and the air temperature both appear to be headed down. We're pretty sure this is the last week before they shut the pools down for the season.

Last night, we went swimming as a family. Already, a cold front from Canada was moving in and since then rainy remnants from Gustav have moved into KC. We won't be able to swim today. I suspect that we won't be able to swim again this summer. It's gone.

Goodbye swimming. We'll see you again in May.

nationwide and cdot

Author's note: I started writing this blog last November and never completed or posted it. Here it is.

I have siblings. Lots of people do. No matter how mature you are as an adult, when you get together with your siblings, you tend to act like you did back in the day. It is pretty disgusting to act your age minus 30 years.

When my wife and I were first married (a very long time ago) she would get very upset with my behavior at family functions when my sibs and I reverted to our adolescently determined patterns. Of course, when we visited her family, she and her brothers did the same thing. None of us have grown up too much since then. It is fun, though watching the next generation establish their behavior patterns and drive their parents (us) crazy.

My brother is Nationwide. Read through some of my old posts and you'll learn quite a bit about him, especially about the best wedding gift we ever received. We are twins. Growing up with him was a real adventure. He and I have been known to get up before dawn and ride our bicycles to a pond to fish as soon as the sun came up. He did all kinds of crazy stuff as a kid. He once fired a shotgun inside the house. I don't think he meant too, but... My brother is a great example of someone who has overcome bad circumstances and adversity in his life.

My sister is Cdot. She was much younger than her two brothers but thought she could do anything. She usually did. This sweet little girl flew under the radar avoiding getting in trouble most of the time. She's had a dichotomous life. All of her life (to me) she's either been a precocious 7 year-old or a 30 year-old mother of twins herself. She's done a great job. She recently stole our very young mother (recently retired from teaching) to come and help out with the kids and be close to them. My sister is a great example of someone who has overcome physical and medical setbacks in her life.

My respect for both of them is many times greater than it ever was when we were kids.

However, when we get together for the next family holiday, expect the return of 1983 and "you better take that back" and "Star Wars is way better than Superman" and "who is Debbie Gibson" and "Michael J. Fox is a hero" and slapfights and shoulder punches and "mom and dad didn't love you" and "the five minutes before you were born were the best five minutes of my life" and "mine, too" and "you two were the wonderful children" and...and three very disgusted spouses/in-laws.

They say you only hurt the ones you love. Watch out siblings, I love you.

where was God?

It seems like we've had a lot of tragedies, maladies, etc. lately. And I bet you've heard someone ask something like "Where was God?"

Rhonda was terminally ill. The last few years, she was confined to a wheelchair. It was difficult for her to get around. Bodily debilitation continued to accelerate. Rhonda continued coming to church every chance she got, even when she had to completely rely on others to get her there.

Let's be clear, salvation has nothing to do with church attendance. Salvation has everything to do with your faith. It's who you trust, not what you do. If ever there was someone who could be excused from attending church, she was Rhonda. She kept coming.

One time, the preacher asked her why she kept coming. She felt closer to God where God was being praised. What an amazing response. What a spiritual response. What a scriptural response.

Yeah, that's a scriptural concept. God may have sat on the mercy seat in the temple, but His throne is where His people are praising Him. Psalm 22:3 says "yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel." (NLT)

You want to be where God is? Want to know where God is? Praise Him. Don't neglect praising Him. Go to church where you can join with others in lifting up a throne of praise for Him to sit on.

Where was God when tragedy XYZ struck? Where was God when Rhonda died? Where was God...? He was there. In our fallen world tragedy strikes, but God is there. He's comforting. He's answering prayers. Do you continue to praise God when the tragedy comes?

Rhonda was 34 when she died. She was the mother of one of the girls in our youth ministry. When she couldn't speak, her very presence glorified God. Because of her drawing close to God, she will be close to him for all eternity. In tragedy, she drew closer to the God that she knew was there. I think she may have asked why, but she didn't ask where.