Black Friday

Several years ago my wife, Sheree, and I set our alarm for 3:30am to get to Wal Mart and secure a sunshine care bear. Every year since then it has been our tradition to join the crowds on Black Friday and shop for bargains. My mother always goes and is really the leader of the group. Many times my sister, Laura, will join us and that is always a hoot! This year my new Sister-in-Law, Keri, joined us and we saw my other sister-in-law, Penny, at one of the stores. The real shocker is that mom sent dad out on a 6:00am mission to Lowe's and he went. He saw someone waiting in the half mile long line he knew and commented that he only got up this early to chase something with a tail or feathers (pop is a hunter).

I am certain my experiences are similar to what most experience, but I wanted to share a couple of highlights from the day. Let me start by saying that ladies you truly are a "different breed". Women take that shopping "stuff" seriously. You see them all in their baseball caps and jogging suits with sales adds and papers protruding from their purses. By the way, my wife tells me you ladies wear the caps when you don't take time to fix your hair. I hear ladies dispatching orders to others in their shopping group like a General in a war zone. "You go get that $15.00 DVD player, you go get those floor rockers on sale, you go get those towels on sale, and on and on for as many are in the group. I looked around and saw men spotted throughout the sea of ladies and all of us had this "what am I doing in this war zone look on our faces."

Speaking of towels, like a good soldier I was dispatched for an item and as I stood the lone man in the checkout line while my wife and mother remained back on the front lines, I saw ladies and cashiers up and down the line flipping through sale papers to "honor the competitor's add" and then my attention was drawn to the ladies in front of me. I listened to these two seasoned troops with buggies overflowing (They had to have spent $300.00 at least) complaining and wanting to speak to the manager because they paid $3.00 for a towel that was advertised to have been $1.50. After 10 minutes of listening to this I started to just walk up and give the ladies a dollar and a half. My wife says I should be glad I didn't.

I was trying to be polite and let a lady with a full buggy go in front of me as I was only carrying a single item. Well, there was this lady on up in years who really must have been battle ground experienced. She breathed in heavily but in short breaths and when she breathed out her severe under bite was evident. After breathing out her jaw kind of moved in a small circular motion. She looked at me and in her most stern voice with her jaw making circles and said "GO AHEAD!" Tying to be polite and oblivious to her anger at the time for me letting the other lady go ahead, I said, " Oh No ma'am, you go ahead and smiled at her." I was being very sincere and trying to show her some courtesy. I thought a short polite conversation might be nice so I said, "It is kind of useless to be in a hurry this morning isn't it ma'am." She then responded, "I said Go Ahead son you are wasting time!" I did as ordered and moved promptly ahead and thought, "This is really serious business".

All in all it was a wonderful day spent with my wife and mother. They allowed me to be a gentleman and let them off at the door and go park the car 2 miles away (I am exaggerating about the distance but the parking lots were full). I heard some very sound advice from one lady as she said to her shopping mate, "If you'll use it, get it, if you won't...don't" You can't get advice like that just anywhere.

In closing, I have done this Black Friday thing several years and I do not know what the news media will report, but I can report that business was strong at the stores I visited today. I also thought that if we truly want Bin Laden we should just run a sale in Afghanistan on towels, sheets, and such. We then give ladies paid airfare over and I promise they will comb those mountains for the bargains and kill anything that gets in their way.

Happy Thanksgiving all!

My first book signing

The Ardmore Public Library hosted my first book signing. My mother made all of the family special shirts with Tnetnoc on them. That was very thoughtful and a nice touch. Lindsey made a really nice sign to place on the table and she also signed copies of books sold on the page she illustrated. The boys spent most of the afternoon on the computers in the Library, though Sheree and I did catch our oldest, Michael, actually browsing bookshelves which was encouraging. Many friends and family stopped by and I appreciate so much the support they have given my publishing efforts. Ardmore should be very proud of the new library, it is a very nice facility and the staff there is absolutely the best. I also received a phone call from our local radio station WTBF in Troy, Alabama during the book signing. I dropped a copy of my book by a few weeks ago for their consideration in making it a part of their book bits. Book Bits is a program where books are summarized for the local radio audience. Anyway, I received a call letting me know that my book would be one of the books highlighted on book bits starting next Thursday, December 4th..which is also my daughter Lindsey's 10th birthday! I am planning another book signing in Troy, Alabama hopefuly for mid-December. I am not setting any sales records, but having a blast!

State soccer tournament

Nathan, Reilly, and Lindsey were selected to play on each of their respective age group soccer tournament team. Nathan's team, 13 and under, and Reilly's team, 11 and under, both won their district tournaments. Lindsey's all girls 9 and under team went straight to the Alabama Parks and Recreation State tournament.

The State tournament was this weekend in Dothan, Al and it was soooo cold. Lindsey's team won the State and became the first ever all girls team from Troy, AL to accomplish this. Nathan's team won the 13 and under State Championship. Reilly's 11 and under team lost in the championship game in a shootout. It was 0-0 and the end of regulation and after the first shoot out it was still tied 2-2. The second shoot out saw our opponent make their goal and block our attempt for the victory. The team was obviously disappointed, they finished runner up in the state last year as well. It was a great experience for all, we had wonderful coaches, great fellowship with friends, and all the Troy kids did a great job! Our oldest son Michael got up early every morning to drive to Dothan and sat in the cold and did not complain one time. We were very proud of him for that.

Family night at the fair

We recently had a fun family night at the fair. Lindsey's art work won a prize and the boys loved riding "The Ring of fire". I won't ride those rides and yes my wife is much braver than me when it comes to rides. I liked walking through the livestock exhibit while the kido's rode rides. I must admit I like the smell of a barn yard. I don't know why, maybe it is my dad in me, maybe a malfunctioning receptor in my brain, or maybe it is just a smell I associate with a simple life of hard work, family, and values.

The fair was a blast! The girls and I split a funnel cake. I told them, "you have not been to a fair unless you eat funnel cake."

Tnetnoc A Special Star

As I said I recently published my first book. I went the self publishing route which was a learning experience. This "blogging" is a learning experience as well. I am still not certain I understand how I am supposed to "correctly blog". Anyway, I am sure I will learn with time, practice, and most likely some mistakes.

Back to the book, I have been involved with Children's ministry for around 15 years. During Christmas 2003 I was "downsized", it happened on a Monday in November. The Sunday Night prior to being laid off on Monday morning, I responded during the invitation. At first, my response was, "God, you can deal with me here in the pew". His call grew stronger and I went forward to speak with my pastor. I told him I really did not know what I had come forward for, only that God had insisted I do so. We prayed together at the alter that night. The next day when I was called to HR to find I was part of a group of 46 who were losing thier job my first thought was God's call the night prior. I knew immediately that God had prepared me to receive this news. I felt secure and did not worry (Luke 12:22-34). I knew I still must get to work finding work because there I was a husband and father of four and no job.

Several weeks later during my children's Christmas Musical in early December, I found myself "sizing" everyone up. You know, looking over at Brother so-n-so and thinking he has a nice job at company X, and over there my Brother in Christ has a job at company Y, and Brother John Doe owns his own business. I knew God would provide, but the Devil was still trying to use this time in my life to plant seeds of envy. A story began to form in my mind, at the time I didn't understand it to be related to my current minds state of envy, I just thought my brain had shifted gears. I couldn't get this little story out of my mind and when I got home that night I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning putting the first version on paper.

I shared the story a year later with family and friends and I would get comments like "you should write children's books", and "I would have never thought of the Christmas Story from that perspective". I appreciated the comments and in my mind thought how wonderful it would be to write children's books. I had always made up what I refer to as modern day parables. Jesus related to men and women in the Bible with stories they could relate to and I have always tried to make up stories containing Biblical principles that children can relate to, God has given me hundreds that I have told over the years. Let me clarify one thing, there is no substitute for scripture and God's Word is complete.

Well it took me five years to finally publish the little story that helped me understand the sin of envy in my life during Christmas five years ago and offer encouragement at the same time. I am not setting any records with book sales and that is OK. I have defined success as having impacted a minimum of one life for God through the publishing of this book. God has blessed me beyond what I deserve and I praise Him.

People are hurting, not just this time of year, though Holiday's can magnify hurt. Praise God, I have not had to deal with losing a parent, I have not had to deal with one of my children being seriously sick, or with losing one of my four beautiful kido's, there are lots of hurts I have not experienced. However, I have experienced God's comfort during other trials in my life like losing a job. God's comfort and Grace are sufficient for all of lifes hurts, so while I may not have experienced the same hurt as you I can say through experiencing God's comfort that it is more than sufficient no matter what you are going through.

As I said all my modern day parables have Biblical principles at their core, below listed are the principles for this very special little Christmas book. At least it is special to me, it is a story I believe God gave me and I am not the most talented author or illustrator. I still feel it important to share the story with others.

By the way...Is this called a blog? (What I have just posted)

Principles you can discuss with your child related to the storyline of this book

Do not envy others

Everyone has a special gift or ability and all these come from God

Often good things/successes prevent our living for God

We should continue to live for God even when bad things happen or we are scared

Sharing the Good News of Jesus and showing others His way is every one's ultimate purpose

Be content with what you have/where you are as long as you are in His will

Be available for God's purpose for your life

Each time you read the book to your child you could focus on one of these principles giving the story a different emphasis with each reading.

Enjoy the Book and your time with your child