Sorry for the lack of activity here lately. It’s been kinda hectic this week. Still trying to rebuild all I lost from the Great Computer Crash of ’07. And the really bad news: the hard drive doc couldn’t recover ANY of my data. No music. No files. No (gasp) pictures.
So….we lost some pics of Jackson that we’ll never get back. We’re pretty bummed.
It looks like one of my favorite shows, CBS’ The Amazing Race, won’t be a part of the network’s fall lineup. I’m officially bummed. Sounds like it’ll be a mid-season replacement and if it doesn’t fare any better in a once-a-year format (a la American Idol) then it might get the axe. Expecting AI-esque ratings would be foolish, but Amazing Race has always been a critical darling that could never generate the kind of following it deserved. Of course, it’s hard to develop much of a following when the network jerks you from night to night (even halfway through a season). I’m just hoping it doesn’t go the way of Arrested Development.
In looking at the other networks fall schedules, it looks like Thursday night at 8PM Central, our DVR will have something of an ethical crisis. The wife is a big fan of both CSI and Grey’s Anatomy. These shows both air at the same time as a new favorite of mine, The Office. What are the odds I can talk the little lady into dropping one of her shows so I can watch the brilliance of Rainn Wilson? Don’t they air entire episodes of Grey’s online? (I remember when that show was called ER. Oh wait, ER is still on? Are you serious? I thought that show died when Dr. Green did.)
Two of my heroes in ministry are Art and Cynthia Leslie. For the past several years, they have been serving as the directors of the Huntsville Inner City Church of Christ. Their ministry is making a difference in the lives of “the least of these” in Huntsville. I personally appreciate Art and Cynthia for their humility, their compassion and their tireless devotion to service. Through efforts like the Huntsville Learning Center (which was started last fall and is already functioning at maximum capacity), Art and Cynthia are helping to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy that many of our inner city students are facing.
Tonight the Huntsville Inner City Church hosted their annual catfish dinner fundraiser. Nearly 600 people were treated to a wonderful meal of catfish, chicken and shrimp. (When I was feeling under the weather earlier in the week, I was worried that I’d miss out on all the great food!) After dinner, Art and some of the leaders of the Inner City Church shared what God has been doing in their ministry. After a brief program, we passed the hats and over $55,000 was raised to support this mission work. Praise God!
If you live in the Huntsville area or if you’re looking for a ministry to help support, I’d encourage you to consider the Huntsville Inner City Church. Click here for more information.
Good for you, Tiger. You have to admire a guy who has his priorities in the right place. The more I know about Tiger, the more I like him.
Woke up today feeling awful. I’ve been feeling weird for about a week and a half; come to find out, I have a viral infection. My doc gave me some meds for nausea, but I still feel like garbage. But tomorrow’s another day, right?
Tonight, Sunny and I did a little project with the kids. One of the ministries our church is involved in is sending encouraging notes and cards to the men and women of the United States Armed Services. Sunny picked us up several cards and envelopes and tonight we spent some time writing to our men and women of the military. The letters we wrote will go directly to an injured OIF Patient at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. We thought this would be something good for the kids to participate in, so here’s a pic of Joshua and Abby Kate eagerly decorating their cards.
We also took some time to reflect on what we should say to these injured men and women. Here’s a copy of what we wrote to each of them:
9/11/07
To Whom It May Concern:
I’m writing this note 6 years to the day from the attack of September 11th, 2001. I guess that day will forever be etched in our collective consciousness. Sadly, the images of burning buildings and chaos and rubble and death come washing over us much too readily, forcing us to relive them all over again. As I reflect on the horrors of that awful day, I’m simultaneously thankful for men and women like you: people of conviction who risk their lives for the citizens of this country. Indeed, it is at once brave and noble to live out of such selflessness. We appreciate the depth of your conviction and your devotion to the ideals of this great nation: equality, liberty, opportunity, security. Words simply cannot express our level of gratitude for your service. My 3 year old twins have drawn the pictures on this card for you; that’s their part of our family project of remembrance on this day. (Not sure what exactly the pictures are supposed to be, but I hope you enjoy!) Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers tonight. May God safely bring you back to your friends and family very soon. Thank you again for who you are.
Praying for peace,
Jason, Sunny, Joshua, Abby Kate and Jackson Bybee
I guess this is what I get for deleting some of my links.
Over the weekend, my computer’s hard drive just up and died. Thankfully, I’d backed up some of my pictures back in the spring, but we’re worried we might lose some of the pictures of Jackson that I had on my laptop that we never moved over to the home computer. Also, I hate to think that I might have lost all my music, too.
Of course, I have my music on my iPod. Anybody know if I can safely transfer my songs from my iPod back to my computer? Any tips would be helpful.
By the way, I’m rebuilding my address book, too, so zap me an email if you don’t mind and I’ll be able to add you back.
FYI, I’ll be cleaning up some of my links over the weekend. I’m thinking if you haven’t posted anything in the past month or two, you’re probably not going to mind if I remove you from my community. You’ve been warned.
I’ve been an NFL fan almost as long as I’ve been an MLB fan. Almost. But I’m always juiced about the return of the NFL season. With the Colts and Saints playing in the background, it’s time for me to roll out my NFL picks for the 2007 season. I think I’ll start with the NFC.
NFC East: Philadelphia
I’m picking Philly to repeat as champs of the NFC’s toughest division. This pick assumes Donovan McNabb stays healthy, which is admittedly dicey. But if he plays 12 games or more, I think Philly wins the division. I like Dallas to compete here, too, but the addition of Takeo Spikes gives the Eagles the better defense.
NFC West: San Francisco
This division is the Pac-10 of the NFL. All 4 teams (Rams, Cards, 49ers, Seahawks) can light up the scoreboard; the team that plays the best D will earn a playoff berth. The Niners added DBs Nate Clements and Michael Lewis in free agency and selected Ole Miss linebacker Patrick Willis with their first round draft choice. They’ll help shore up a defense that won’t be great, but should be good enough to win a fairly weak division.
NFC North: Chicago
Not really going out on a limb here, but the Bears are clearly the class of this division. The D comes back to earth a bit, but an improved offense should help make up the difference. Look for Bernard Berrian to break out in a big way this year, giving Rex Grossman a consistent target to throw to.
NFC South: New Orleans
They won’t sneak up on anybody this season, but I think this team might be better than the ’06 version. All-Pro QB Drew Brees is in his prime; Reggie Bush and Marques Colston have a full year of experience with Sean Payton’s system; rookie Robert Meachem gives this offense yet another weapon. I like Carolina to compete in this division, but New Orleans is the best team in the NFC in my opinion.
NFC Wild Card Teams: Dallas, Carolina
I think Dallas could easily win the East if Philly gets banged up. I like Romo better than some people do. He’s young, true, but the personnel surrounding him will make him better. I could easily see this unit winning 10 games. The question is, will Wade Phillips do what his predecessor Bill Parcells could not: win a playoff game. A year ago people were predicting the Panthers to go to the Super Bowl; an 8-8 season later, Carolina is completely off most people’s radar. This team will probably only go as far as the QB play. With David Carr waiting in the wings, Jake Delhomme has little margin for error. But a solid defense and a quality running game should limit the opportunities for mistakes.
AFC East: New England
The Patriots could once again be the best team in the NFL. The additions of WRs Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth and LB Adalius Thomas only improve a unit that made it to the AFC Championship Game last season. If this team doesn’t win 12 games, I’ll be shocked. I see them playing in teh Super Bowl.
AFC West: San Diego
Offensively, they’re as good as they come and the emergence of Vincent Jackson makes this unit even more dangerous. With Shawne Merriman anchoring an underrated defense, look for San Diego to continue to be one of the AFC’s premiere franchises. While they may not win 14 games again, I see them making the AFC Championship Game against New England.
AFC North: Baltimore
Defense has been this team’s MO for nearly a decade. This unit allowed the fewest points in the league last season, but the loss of Adalius Thomas brings them back to the pack a bit. But the running game should be much improved thanks to the addition of Willis McGahee. If I were in charge, I might consider adding Byron Leftwich for insurance if (or when) Steve McNair gets hurt.
AFC South: Indianapolis
After last year’s Super Bowl win, what can NFL-poster boy Peyton Manning do for an encore? How about a repeat? I think this team breezes through the regular season in a fairly weak division. The real test (as always) will come in January. That’ll be the time the weaknesses in this defense will be the most glaring.
AFC Wild Card Teams: Denver, Pittsburgh
I love Denver. Shannahan has coached a 1,000 yard rusher each of the last 12 years. Travis Henry is poised to become #13. The experience Jay Cutler got last year will pay dividends this season. The addition of Dre Bly gives the defense another play-maker. I see 10 wins for Denver, easily. I also expect Pittsburgh to rebound from last year’s 8-8 debacle. A healthy Big Ben could help remedy that. The defense should be solid, as usual.
NFC Championship Game: New Orleans over Philadelphia
AFC Championship Game: New England over San Diego
Super Bowl: New England over New Orleans
Our very first YouTube project! These are some of the Bible questions we’ve been working on with the kids. (My favorite is Joshua’s response to “Who saw the burning bush?”) Check out Sunny’s blog to see another video of our family. Enjoy!
As you enjoy this Labor Day holiday, I encourage you to read Larry James’ article today about what the words “labor” and “work” mean to the people of inner-city Dallas. As always, Larry’s blog smacks you in the face with a much needed dose of reality and compassion. If you’re not reading Larry already, you should really consider making it a part of your daily devotional time.
already & not yet 