Great lesson learned

I heard a very profound piece of ministry yesterday. And it was AFTER I got out of devotional.

It's hard to forgive yourself sometimes. You are the one who must live with the emotional consequences of your actions, even if it was someone one else who was hurt by them. But after speaking with a friend of mine about that subject, I have a new perspective.

She told me of Jesus' words in John 20:23. "If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven. If you retain people's sins, they are retained." I was too thick to fully understand what that meant, so she broke it down for me. I am a person. I'm in that group that God says to forgive, and if I don't forgive myself, that irritates Him.

If you're in the backyard with God throwing the football, and you drop a pass from Him, you have to get over that so you can get back to enjoying your time with God. He'll wait for you to quit kicking yourself, but get over the dropped pass. The only one more eager than you to do that is the Man Himself!

Valentine's Day

Something about Valentine's Day has puzzled me since I was old enough to know what the flip it was.

Sure, I get that prices are jacked up beyond belief (a rose on Feb. 14 costs as much as a bouquet of them did 4 weeks earlier). There's that whole stereotypical thing of how your girlfriend/wife says not to get her anything, then she gives you the cold shoulder for not getting her anything. But that's not what puzzles me.

My question is: When it's a well-known fact that the lines at most restaurants will be a mile long, why does everyone still insist on going out to dinner? If you went to eat out at 5:30 and were told the wait is 2 hours (and that's WITH a reservation and a $20 tip to the host), would you still go out? Of course not!

I say have a night in. Buy some groceries and spend the evening with your other half cooking your favorite dinner. That, in and of itself, is a bonding experience. And it's a heckuva lot easier than standing around waiting for someone to yell your name to say that the table's ready.

The key to running on a treadmill

Two words ... audio books.

I know, lots of people hate the treadmill because it's boring and offers no change of scenery. If you're lucky enough to have a YMCA membership, you have the option of changing the channel, what with those televisions mounted on the front.

But if you've got your own treadmill and it's collecting dust as quickly as you're collecting pounds, try this and kill two birds with one stone. Just about everyone has a stereo that plays CDs, right? Go to Sam's Club or Costco (or even buy used at Amazon) and get a couple of audio books cheap. Stick the stereo next to your stationary running trail, fire up that bad boy and listen to your favorite book as you run away the pounds. It's like reading for your ears!

I'm running the Music City Half Marathon and I hope to finish in under 2 hours. If I have a shot, it's because I stay on the treadmill. Names like Grisham and Crichton will keep me there. Try it yourself!

Reasons people quit blogging

Not that I have! I still blog as much as I ever did (granted, the most I ever did was about once a month). But there are reasons!

What kind of reasons, you may ask? I'm glad you asked!

Top reasons why people quit blogging
1. Their boss sees them and yells "GET BACK TO WORK!"
2. There are more than 10 million blogs out there ... but only 4 major TV networks. Which is easier to get information from?
3. They run out of stuff to say.
4. They run out of stuff to say.
5. Their computer crashed. Actually, every single computer they have access to crashed. Couldn't be avoided.
6. Other blogs may start up and run your blog out of business ... and that's fer dern sure!
7. About 37 people view my blog. I work with 250. If I want to say something ... dang it, I'll say it in the staff meeting!

Top 10 reasons why college football beats the heck out of pro

I know, I know ... we're many months removed from the 2007 college football season. It was a wild one; one of the most enjoyable I can remember.

Part of what I love about football (particularly college) is the upset victory. There were 7 (count 'em, SEVEN) times last year when the No. 2 team in the nation turned out to be the number 2 team on the field. If you were a fan of the little engine that could, then last year's college football season was your ticket.

Another reason I go crazy in the fall is the college football preseason poll. Half the fun of determining who should be No. 1, or go to the BCS title game, is the arguing. You get to plead your team's case, shoot down the competitors, and have a lot of fun doing it. Get some pizzas or smart-aleck TV commentators around you, and you're set.

So what are the other things I love about NCAA college football? Glad you asked ... find out here!

Best little things to do to make your relationship more romantic

Just like it says in my profile, I'm a hopeless romantic. One of the best things that ever happened to me was that I got married to my dream girl, and now I can spend my days doing the things that drive women crazy.

Helping with the laundry
Fixing dinner sometimes
Watching light romantic comedies instead of Arnold Schwarzenegger blowing people up

"WHAT??!!!" you may ask? Relax ... it ain't hard. Check out my simple tips for knocking your relationship out of the park.

Hillary Clinton concession speech quotes

So, I pride myself on voting for the best man or woman for the job. I don't vote for someone BECAUSE they are a man or woman, black or white, etc. Generally, my vote goes toward the Republican because I fundamentally am one. So it was only a matter of time before I made a list like this, regarding the loser of the Democratic nominee race.

Top things overheard at the Hillary Clinton concession speech
- Don't worry, I came close too. But think of the career you could have making documentaries about global warming!
- I take a backseat to no one! If anyone thinks I'm settling for being a vice presi - oh, is this microphone on?
- Yeah; I got a telegram here from Mr. Obama for a Zer ... Lou Zer. Anyone?
- Not only did she campaign in Arkansas ... she went to California, and Texas, and North Dakota, and Florida, and Washington, and Michigan .... YAAAAAH!
- Oh, honey, it'll be all right. Chelsea and I are here for you. In fact, when I get back from my date, we'll talk some more.