The First Day of School

The First day of school!

I have to admit, the first day of school this year is not as bad as it was last year. It was difficult last year because it was a new town, school, congregation, faces etc... This year I am excited for them ... although I will miss them at the house, office, car, stores, front and backyards, etc... I will secretly miss the "I'm bored", "That's not fun", "Are we there yet?" etc ... statements! I guess my mind says, "Yeah!" but my heart says "No way! Not yet".

Baird Updates

Seems like we have been going in the fast lane for some time now. The kids are not as ready to go back to school as much as I am ready for them to go back to school!

Summer has been fun.

We coached Alexis and Hunter's T-Ball team. Makayla played machine pitch. None of my kids played ball in Juneau. It was a new and fun experience.

The Murrays came to visit (not long enough but we'll take what we can get). We went to the Great Wolf Lodge and a Texas Ranger Baseball game in Dallas.

The Bairds spent a week of Bible study (teaching) at QMCC in Oklahoma. It was good to see that many kids being taught spiritual things. It was also good to see so many kids having good wholesome fun! Makayla and Lexi loved camp and really did not want to leave. Lexi really missed the campers that she bonded with. Hunter played most of the time. He rode his bicycle, played basketball, ... It was a great week for him (meaning no hospital visits or major accidents!).

We also had a wonderful time in the mountains of New Mexico. My family got together for three days of fun, eating, fishing, playing games and good ole story telling. Lexi caught a fish and I caught 2. We left before everyone else (4:00 am) to travel to Searcy, Arkansas (about 15 1/2 hours). We had a blast there too. We camped in tents at Greers Ferry Lake for two nights. We played in the lake, jumped off cliffs, lived through a thunderstorm. We had a serendipity while we were there! We found out that the Marshalls from Juneau were going to be at Greers Ferry Lake too so we made arrangements to see them. Those kids have matured so much! It was great to see them.

We came home Thursday and had a soccer game that evening. Yes our kids are playing soccer! I love it! Two of our good friends (Jennifer and Anna) are coaching Hunter's team. Jennifer and Amanda are coaching Makayla and Alexis' team. Our kids have had lots of fun playing!

Now you know why they are not ready to go back to the humdrum school life and I am ready for a routine (at least for two or three weeks)!

Baseball and T-Ball

Our three oldest kids started playing ball this Summer for the first time. Makayla is playing machine pitch baseball. The ball ball is pitched to her at 45 mph. Dad sure thought that was really fast. I about had a heart attack when I saw her at the plate that first time! Like most things ... she has adapted well. The first single excited us. She hit a double the other night! And then she made it to third base! She was thrown out at home the next play. She will get a huge reward if she hit a home run!

Alexis and Hunter are on the same with their parents as coaches! I am not sure who we need to pray for more often; the kids or the parents. I have really enjoyed coaching T-Ball! What a fun age! All the kids progressed well with their throwing abilities, running to the right bases, some still need to work on baseline rules (not a game of tag all the way to the outfield - ha ha ha!) The games and practices were entertaining to say the least!

Lexi has really taken to the sport but I know she is just bidding her time until soccer starts. Soccer is what she really can't wait to begin! We need our good friend Amy Henderson from Juneau to help us out! Amanda and another good friend, Jennifer are coaching. They will do well.

I wonder if God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit discuss our spiritual "playing abilities". I can imagine them saying, "Is Bruce ever going to hit that ball - hahaha. Or good job! Home run! Hi five! We'll get'em next time!" I sure hope they are not saying, "When is he going to get off the bench? Why is he playing with the dirt? Is he really chasing that butterfly? Quit whining and get the ball!"

I hope I have the attitude of "Put me in Coach!" when the Coach needs me.

Have a great game! Get in the game! Love the game!

Thyroid Exam

Ever since Amanda's first diagnosis with Thyroid cancer a few years ago we have keep a careful watch for any changes in her thyroid. She recently went to an excellent Dr here in Tulia (whom is no longer practicing in Tulia - boo hoo). He referred her to an endocrinologist in Amarillo. She felt, sonogrammed, and biopsied nodules around her thyroid.

She received word today that there are no concerns at this time about the two new nodules or the one already diagnosed! Yeah!!!!!!!! I am so thrilled and excited! Amanda will need to have them checked again in April, 2010. Please keep praying for her and her family.

Father's Day

One little boy, when asked to explain about Father’s Day, said, “It’s just like Mother’s Day, only you don’t spend as much on the present.” That’s a joke, of course, but really, Father’s Day is not as big as Mother’s Day.

On Mother’s Day there is a higher attendance at church, mothers often have corsages, emotions run high, & people gather at Mom’s house – all to pay honor to the hands that rock the cradle. But on Father’s Day the church is not as full, emotions are not as high, & businesses do not profit as much - all except for the telephone companies, of course. You see, they report that Mother’s Day is the busiest telephone day of the year. But Father’s Day is a big money-maker for them, because there are more collect calls on Father’s Day than on any other day of the year.

Read these passages, soak it up, and ask "Have I been honoring my father and mother?" "How do I honor them? (notice it doesn't say if they deserve or are worthy of your honor and there doesn't seem to be any statute of limitations).

Matthew 15 1-11 - Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"
Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' he is not to 'honor his father' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: " 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"
Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.' "

Ephesians 6:1-4 - Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

So, how do you honor your father and mother?

Training Again!

Well, a lot has happened between this morning and two months ago!

One thing that has happened is our training (running program) has begun on a more serious note. I like to run, I like to exercise but when I feel like I have to then it becomes more difficult. I know, I know, its a mind set thing. That seems to be holding me back a little.

We ran just a little over 3 miles today because I had to! Actually, I ran because Amanda motivated me. I also knew if I didn't run then she would be way ahead of me on the 1/2 marathon schedule! Training is hard ... until you reach "the zone", so they say.

Spiritually speaking, "physical training is of some value ... godly training has value in all things", "train yourselves to be godly" and other scriptures suggests that spirituality doesn't just fall on our heads as we walk underneath the "spirit tree". It is training, against my will at times, exciting, new, fresh, revitalizing ... it is still training. The fulcrum seems to be the "have to" verses "want to". It is my opinion that He helps me want to even when I don't think I want to.

Pray for training - both physical and spiritual!

Hunting Easter Eggs

We decided to get a little practice hunting easter eggs this week because we are going to LTC next week. After potluck Sunday afternoon, several families planned on hiding/hunting easter eggs in the park but due to inclement weather, we hid them in the church's building. It didn't take long to hide them and it took even less time to hunt them! I wish our kids could clean as thorough and enthusiastically as they cleaned up those eggs!

I enjoy the easter holiday because it is a time where families come together. I like the thought of easter and the emphasis some folks place on easter as a celebration of Christ's resurrection. I wish folks would place that same emphasis on every day and not just on one day but if for one day I can have the opportunity to encourage folks to seek a relationship with Christ then I had better use that one day to glorify God, celebrate what He has done, is doing and will do so that others may be motivated to do the same. All-in-all, easter is an ordinary perfect day to glorify God.