Christmas Present 2019

email account clues

shortened today and what you are solving @ yahoo

password is boy friend "&" his home

Happy Birthday to my Bride...code

Amy -
you need to access a gmail account that contains a combonation that contains your present...

username can be found in a while listening to some strange online tunes

The first part of the password is nothing but yesterday's front page news
The second part of the password is our padwan's foe
________-____________


I hope you are enjoying this...I love you very much...

I can't see a thing...

As day after day go by, I feel like I take on more and more baggage. It is like the stress and burdens of everyday life leave their mark. I get through the stress of missing a flight or the burden of dealing with ants in our living room or the worry of how my daughter will get through this difficult stage. I move on from each one of these, but the finger prints of these burdens leave their mark, and sometimes these marks build up.

It's like each problem leaves a smudge on my glasses. As I move on past issues, I get more and more smudges and so my vision gets worse and worse. I don't even remember which problem caused which smudge, all I know is that I am still trying to meet the challenges of each day not seeing things as well as I should. I also get a headache and get a bit grumpy because of all these smudges.

There have been times in which things have happened that have caused more than a smudge. I actually end up with a crack in my glasses. Something like that will never go away, but it must be dealt with.

However, most of the time, they are just smudges. While at first they are annoying, over time they build, one on top of the other. I don't notice how my vision is being reduced. No single smudge is that big on it's own or really that thick. Anyway, I tell myself that I'm too busy to stop and do something about them.

Then some thing happens. Most of the time this thing is not good. Someone I dearly love has a health scare, one of my children cries out for help in a destructive way, I have to face my own mortality, I have to deal with a life changing decision. These things cause me to stop and see that I have no idea what I am doing. I have been plowing through life not seeing things as they really are. I have made decisions with limited information.

So I stop, take my glasses off, and clean them. Probably, the right thing to say is I ask God to clean them.

So He does. He takes my glasses off and cleans them. Of course I am scared as I stand there, blind trusting in Him. This is typically when I am right in the middle of this thing or event that finally makes me stop. It's not very comfortable. So I wait. Eventually I get my glasses back.

When I put the glasses back on, I am amazed at the view. Everything is so clear and bright. I can see and understand details I couldn't before. I forget about all that stupid small stuff that caused those smudges and I wonder why I went so long before asking for help. It's great to again see the color and beauty of things, such as the crispness of rain and the freckles on my son's face and the radiance of my wife's beautiful hair, and the individual leaves on the tree.

I can now see the first touch of sadness in the eyes of someone I love so that I can step in and tell her she is loved before the evil comes in and takes her away from me. I can hear the laughter begin so that it can warm my heart before it fades away. I can see the fear rise in his eyes and tell him he is strong and courageous. I can hear the first few notes of the song so that I can get caught up in the melody and sing along. I can see as He would want me to see, the way things really are.

I need to stop more often and ask God if I am missing something. Am I seeing things as clearly as He would have me see them?

If so, help me, God. Make the blind again see.

Advice taken

I had left work early since there wasn't really that much to do and that was the problem. I needed to get away and clear my mind, so I headed for the one place that I can think clearly without distraction and demands.

The golf course.

It was a cold March day and the recession was in full meltdown. Our company was appearing to crumble around us and there was no evidence that it was going to turn around any time soon. My hopes and dreams of making our firm into a remarkable place and growing old and retiring from there was slipping through my fingers.

So with a rush I ran from the pro shop, where Manny, the local golf pro, had given me the go ahead, toward the first tee. Hoping to get in all the holes I could before the light drained away, I quickly teed off. I pushed my first drive right, past the bunker and into the rough. With a quick burst of quiet profanity, I heaved my golf bag over my shoulder and went looking for the wayward ball. As I searched, I thought about how this is how my life feels now. Looking for something knowing that I really don't want to find it and that I probably won't be able to handle what I must do next. I don't want to find this ball on a sidehill lie, in deep rough. I don't want to try to hit this ball under the tree and carry the bunker in some desperate attempt to save par. I don't want to have to make a decision about possibly leaving the company I helped build. I don't want to have to try and keep everything going when I don't know what the hell I am doing even when I have spent my career convincing those around me, at home and at work, that I do. I don't want to have to deal with this.

So I find my ball and it is as bad as my pessimistic attitude predicted. I punch out toward the fairway, and my next shot does not even make it to the green. I hope to chip on and hit the putt and at least save bogey. However my distraught spirit does not allow for a delicate chip and so I skull it over the green. With anger burning in me, I finish the hole with a double bogey.

My anger does not equate to the score on my card. Other issues are raging within me. This round of golf is somehow symbolic of my life at this time. I am angry at God for allowing all these difficult things to happen. Why me?

I walk to the next tee and shoot up a quick prayer asking God to just give me one decent hole. Somehow this will show me that He is with me Hole number 2 is a tough hole that requires a very accurate drive. Typically I push my tee shot here because I don't really swing and so I try to steer the ball into the fairway. So with a bit of hope I swing big and strong and put the results in God's hands.

The ball does not go where I typically hit it, but today it goes even further right than normal into the fairway of Hole number 6. There are 2 golfers in that fairway and they look in my direction as my ball lands. My anger mixes with embarrassment and then quickly turns to despair.

I'm done.

I'm so finished with all of this. I don't want to walk down there and take the ridicule from those 2 guys. I don't want to face another awkward shot. All I asked for was one good hole to show me that God is with me. Some inkling of hope, some ray of light to ignite my faith once again. But no. I am left in another situation that I can't deal with.

Forget this. I'm going back in.

So I do. I turn around on the number 2 tee, leaving my ball in the fairway, and trudge up hill, the wrong way back up Hole number 1 to the clubhouse. It's exhausting and embarrassing. I know I am giving up, but I don't care. All I can think is I don't want to do this anymore.

With my head down and tears beginning to fill my eyes, I walk past the pro shop. I hear the door open and Manny pokes his head out. His face is filled with surprise but ringed with compassion. With a soft voice he says, "Mr. Glaze, you can't just quit. You gotta finish. You should always finish."

I can't look him in the eye. I know with all I have that he is right. I sputter out a quick, "I know" and head to my car. That is one of the last rounds of golf I play before our finances caused me to put the sticks away for a long time.

Fast forward almost a year...

The recession has not given up, but neither have I. Those words spoken by that wise old golf pro rang in my heart as things got even worse. Difficult decisions were required of me and my family. Some decisions seemed almost impossible to make, but God was with us and held our hand and gave us the strength to continue to follow Him.

While those dreams of retiring with my company have been put aside, a new challenge has presented itself and we believe this is what God has been preparing us for. This is an exciting time for us and while we bear heavy hearts in leaving what is familiar, we are looking forward to the opportunities God has for us in this new step.

I am happy to say I recently picked the sticks back up. One of my first days back, I found Manny and told him how his words helped me and my family through a difficult time. He said he remembered that day and was glad he could help. I can't thank him enough.

So, we have a new set of holes in front of us. I'm pleased to say that my current company seems to be doing well. It's nice to know that I am leaving it in good shape. My family and I have no idea what God has for us, but it is our prayer and hope that He will give us the strength to meet those challenges and continue on with Him playing the ball as it lies.

One of the greatest love songs

I ran across one of the greatest love songs ever. When I read these words and think of my lovely wife, it is hard to not become emotional.

Here are the lyrics:

It’s getting kind of hard to believe things are going to get better

I’ve been drowning too long to believe that the tide is going to turn

And I’ve been living too hard to believe things are going to get easier now

I’m still trying to shake off the pain from the lessons I’ve learned.

Having you here now I see things are going to be brighter

And feeling you here now I know I might make it through.

Loving you this long has made me believe in forever

And with you these dreams I have gotten might some how come true.

And knowing your grace this well just makes me want to be better

Knowing your heart this well makes me wish mine would grow.

Loving you this much makes we want to write sweet songs forever.

With a little luck we could make the whole world know how much I love you.

And when I see your face I swear to the Lord I was dreaming.

And when I hold your hand I watch time disappear into air.

And when I speak your name I can feel I just said something sacred.

While saints pray for heaven I thank God I’m already there.

Here is where I found the song. There may be some slightly offensive stuff until 1:15 into the video, so feel free to skip to that point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-H5XG5x1Fc

I so love my wife.

Arsenal v Liverpool

My kids were playing around with the computer in my office at the end of the Arsenal v Liverpool match. I am in the other room and it seems they turned Garageband on and it captured the audio in the house. When we listened to it again, we all got a good laugh out of it. Here it is...

As you can see, my family typically goes upstairs when Arsenal is on TV. They are happy when Arsenal wins because it will be a good day in our house.

To be honest, I had no idea I made some of those noises or that I was so loud.

Please pray for my family.

Go Gunners! We love you Arsenal...we do...ooh Arsenal we love you!

Cute Trailer

I have a feeling this movie will change the way I see the world, in a good way, and make me a better person.

For those of us with multiple kids, the first 42 seconds is proof we all have more in common than we think.



Who wants to go see it with me?