Share Your Opinion on Health Care Reform With Key Players

I am not in favor of the health care overhaul that is being shoved down the throats of the majority of American people (doctors and congress) who oppose it by our President. It appears as the rush is based upon fears from the Executive branch that knowledge of what the bill entails will end with it being overwhelmingly defeated (based on CNN and FOXNews reports). If you care to express your opinion, here is a list of key players involved and how to contact them:

*The White House: (202) 456-1111
*House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.: (202) 225-4965
*House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio: (202) 225-6205
*Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.: (202) 224-3542
*Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.: (202) 224-2541
*Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which canceled its vote this week on health care legislation because there was not enough support : (202) 225-3976
*Rep. Joe Barton, D-Texas, ranking member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee: (202) 225-2002
*Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which passed its health care bill last week: (202) 224-2823
*Sen. Michael Enzi, ranking member on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee: (202) 224-3424
*Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which is still working on its version of a health care bill: (202) 224-2651
*Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, ranking member on the Senate Finance Committee: (202) 224-3744
*Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y. chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, which passed its health care bill last week: (202) 225-4365
*Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee: (202) 225-3561
*Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, which passed its health care bill last week: (202) 225-2095
*Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., ranking member on the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee: (202) 225-4501

Tony Romo: Product Spokesman

Tony Romo: Product Spokesman from Tony Romo

Who We Are In Christ

A friend of mine wrote this yesterday and I wanted to share it as it was written. Knowing who we are in Christ establishes the foundation to be what He wants us to be in and through Him. Here are my friend’s thoughts:

Anytime I read a passage where I'm able to witness Jesus' power over the world I'm reminded of the authority God gave each one of us that we rarely if ever walk in. 1 John 4:4 "Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world". The same God that empowered his son over darkness has given us the authority over the enemy.

Too many times I forget who I am in Christ and I fail to understand what my struggle is against but in the few times where I have walked in my God given authority I have seen my creator move in ways I never thought possible. It is by our choice not God's that we allow Satan to have control over areas of our lives and we must remember that we have the right and authority to take back ground that we have given over to Satan. To walk in the same Grace and Authority that Jesus walked in we must first be reminded of who we are in Christ:

John 1:12 "I am God's Child", John 15:15 "I am Christ's friend", 1Cor. 6:20 "I have been bought with a price, I belong to God", Eph.2:18 "I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit", Col. 1:14 "I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins", Col. 2:10 "I am complete in Christ", Rom. 8:12 "I am free forever from condemnation", Rom 8:28 "I am assured that all things work together for good", Rom. 8:35 "I cannot be separated from God", Phil. 3:20 "I am a citizen of Heaven", 2Tim 1:7 " I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind", Heb. 4:16 " I can find grace and mercy in time of need", 1John 5:18 "I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me", Matt. 5:13,14 " I am the salt and light of the earth", Eph. 2:6 "I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm, Eph. 3:12 "I may approach God with freedom and confidence", Phil. 4:13 " I can do All thing through Christ who strengthens me".

These are basic truths about who God created when he made us in his image and if we can grasp all that he created us to be we can walk, live, teach, love, rebuke, and share in the same authority that Christ did we he stood before Pilate and an angry mob!

Chia Obama... Seriously!

This is the stupidest thing I have ever seen... at least since I saw a cologne dispenser in a nasty Tennessee gas station (seriously, a cologne dispenser in a nasty truck stop gas station?). Anyway, how insulting is this to the president. It is about as ridiculous as his health care plan (among many issues, why on earth cover 12 million+ illegals in the plan)!



If you would like to order this real product go to chiaobama.com.

Shoulder Surgery: 2 Month Update

When all this happened with my shoulder I was told that it would take at least 6 months to recovery. My initial impression was that those people were nuts, after all it was just shoulder! Now it has been 2 months since my surgery, and I am hoping and praying to be back to normal in 4 more months. My doctor has me going to Physical Therapy 3 times a month (2nd month of 3 times a week), as well as doing at home exercise at well.

To my shock, I am still in need of icing my shoulder daily, with a therapist telling me I need to ice 3-4 times a day. My progress has been excruciatingly slow, to the point to where I can only bench and curl 5 pounds. The most significant improvement has been in my ability to lift my arm over my head. This week my PT also told me I have officially regained full range of motion above my arm!

Concerning pain, it is somewhat of an anomaly. People always ask me if it hurts, and while the pain is not always substantial it is always present. It is sort of like a nagging cough that will not go away. There is never a moment in the day where I am not aware of something being wrong with my shoulder, but rarely is there a time where I need to stop and catch my breath from the pain. In fact, this week someone smacked me in the shoulder and I noticed it did not really hurt. The weirdest thing of the pain is that on a typical day it hurts more in the morning than in the evening, which is opposite to my past experiences with other injuries.

Maybe God wants to teach me long-suffering in this… and it that is the case He is a very good teacher.

99 Balloons

Seventh Grader Sues School Over Right to Wear Pro-Life T-Shirt

This is a very interesting story to keep an eye on. Basically a 7th grade girl was manhandled by an administrator and forced to remove a pro-life shirt for wearing offensive clothing. In her defense, the pictures on her shirt were from a textbook. This is being taken to the court system and we will see what develops. Here is the article:

A California mom says her public school administrators violated her daughter's First Amendment rights when they ordered the seventh-grader to take off her pro-life T-shirt.

Anna Amador has gone to court on behalf of her daughter, who she says was ordered by her principal to change her shirt on "National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day." The shirt the girl was wearing displays two graphic pictures of a fetus growing in the womb.

The incident occurred in April 2008 at McSwain Elementary School, a K-8 school in Merced, Calif. Amador alleges in her legal complaint that school Principal Terrie Rohrer, Assistant Principal C.W. Smith and office clerk Martha Hernandez mistreated her daughter and denied the girl her First Amendment rights when they ordered her to leave the cafeteria and change her shirt.

"Before Plaintiff could eat [breakfast] she was ordered by a school staff member to throw her food out and report immediately to Defendant Smith's office, located in the main office of McSwain Elementary School," the complaint reads.

"Upon arriving at the main office, Defendant Hernandez, intentionally and without Plaintiff's consent, grabbed Plaintiff's arm and forcibly escorted her toward Smith's office, at all times maintaining a vice-like grip on Plaintiff's arm. Hernandez only released Plaintiff's arm after physically locating her in front of Smith and Defendant Rohrer...

Smith and Rohrer ordered Plaintiff to remove her pro-life T-shirt and instructed Plaintiff to never wear her pro-life T-shirt at McSwain Elementary School ever again...

"Completely humiliated and held out for ridicule, Plaintiff complied with Defendants' directives and removed her pro-life T-shirt, whereupon, Defendants seized and confiscated it. Defendants did not return Plaintiff's property until the end of the school day."

The school administrators dispute some of the allegations, said Anthony N. DeMaria, attorney for the McSwain Union Elementary School District.

"I think the school district has a very strong defense," DeMaria said. "The complaint does not properly characterize the events that happened. Certainly we dispute some of the events."

He said he was unable to reach the administrators to determine which parts they say are incorrect, because school is out for the summer. Rohrer, the principal, told FOXNews.com on Monday that she could not issue a statement without consulting with the school superintendent and their attorney. The other defendants and school district employees did not respond to calls and e-mails from FOXNews.com.

The school district sought to get the case thrown out due to "failure to state a cognizable claim," but a U.S. Eastern District Court judge ruled last month that all but one of Amador's claims could go forward.

The complaint quotes school district officials saying that they ordered Amador's daughter to remove the shirt because it constituted "inappropriate subject matter" in violation of the school's dress code, which bans clothing with "suggestion of tobacco, drug or alcohol use, sexual promiscuity, profanity, vulgarity, or other inappropriate subject matter."

Amador claims in the legal complaint that other students at the school have been allowed to wear expressive shirts, and she blames the school for “inconsistently applying their Dress Code based upon subjective determinations as to which messages are acceptable and which messages are not.”

One of the girl's lawyers, Mark A. Thiel, said that the images on her shirt of a fetus in the womb were same as those in her science textbooks. He said no student had complained about the shirt, and he said the girl's parents were not called when the incident took place.

"This was a young girl, not even in high school. But they didn't call," he said.

A spokeswoman for the local Planned Parenthood chapter declined to take sides in the case.

"Even offensive speech is protected as long as it doesn’t impinge upon the rights of others," said Deborah Ortiz, vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte.

"School administrators have a mission to educate, and the student’s right to political speech should be protected in balance with this education mission."

UCLA law professor and First Amendment expert Eugene Volokh said Supreme Court precedent appears to support the girl's case.

"During the Vietnam War, the Supreme Court ruled that wearing black arm bands [at school, to protest the war] was OK,” Volokh said. “If students can wear armbands in protest, why can't they wear a pro-life shirt?"

He said the case would be different if there was evidence that the shirt could have led to disruption or fighting.

"Schools have a lot more authority than the government does in regulating speech,” he said. “If someone is speaking on a street corner and it looks like other people are going to start a fight over it, the government's job is to protect the speaker. That is not the case in schools. We need to make sure students learn. So if speech is highly disruptive, well … in that case we can suppress it.

"But the school's position that they can restrict speech just because they find it inappropriate is not correct."

But the fact that it's a K-8 school with very young children could change things, said Brooklyn Law School professor William Araiza. He pointed to the 2007 Supreme Court decision in Morse v. Frederick, where the court allowed a high school to suspend students in Juneau, Alaska, who waved a banner that read “Bong hits 4 Jesus” from across the street during an Olympic torch relay, because it was seen as promoting illegal drug use.

“[The school] could almost use a “bong hits” kind of rationale about protecting students from inappropriate messages,” Araiza said. “For instance, would you allow a 4th grader to wear a gruesome picture of a bomb scene? You probably wouldn't.”

First Amendment attorney William Becker, who represents Amador, disagreed that the shirt could be seen as containing inappropriate messages.

"The message of the T-shirt is that life is sacred," he said. "One would be very hard pressed to find anything wrong with that particular idea, except that some people do object to the political message.”

Largest Participating Religions In the USA

Getreligion.org posted this article mainly about the age and decline of the SBC, but the map’s colors spoke to me. The map is a look at the largest participating religions in the US. It shows a clear picture of where SBC presence is mostly felt. While I currently serve in the red, my prayer is for the other colors as we need to reach beyond where we are to where we are not.

Along with map, here is the core of what the article had to say about the decline of the SBC:

Here is what Bob Smietana of the Tennessean stated about the decline of the SBC:

Three major factors derailed the Southern Baptist system.

First, the birth rate among white Americans fell. That was a problem because most Southern Baptists are white and because they found most of their converts among their children. …

Second, Americans moved from rural areas into cities and suburbs. That’s a problem because almost half of Southern Baptist churches are in rural areas. And Baptists have, until recently, started few new urban churches. Hall disagrees with some critics who think the decline in membership and baptisms is a spiritual problem.
“The problem is not a lack of evangelistic fervor,” he said. “It’s location, location, location.”

The third factor? New churches that don’t act like Southern Baptist churches. Those churches have often exchanged their choirs for rock bands, met in nontraditional places, and have preachers who dress casually and give edgy sermons. And many new churches also have dropped Baptist from their names as denominational loyalty fell.

Greece June 09: My Favorite Part of the Trip

My Favorite Part of the Trip is easy, being able to have Christy go with me! It was awesome to watch her light up the faces of the people she came in contact with, especially Helen in the coffee shop. God used her to embrace the people and have them embrace us too. She shone the love of Jesus throughout the trip and I could not be happier that she went.


Now when we pray for the nation, city, and our friends over there she can visualize what we are praying. As our partnership continues, she can refer to her experience with the people. When our kids get older, they can see her example of going even if it challenges every fiber of one's being. She overcame her fear of flying, fear of the unknown, and burden to be with her kids to be obedient to The Calling to go.


Not only that, but we had a great time together. Seeing the history of the Acropolis, studying God's Word on Mar's Hill and in Corinth together and drawing closer to Jesus is priceless. We will not forget Sunio and Aegean Island. She was my best part of this trip, and this trip was incredible!

Greece June 09: Shinning Bright

To go along with our theme for this year (SHINE in 09), here are some examples of how our team shined in Greece!

Greece June 09: New Friends

Having the ability to partner with a city in Greece makes it easy for us to make long-lasting relationships. One of our goals in this trip was to make sure we made an intentional effort to get to know some of the locals and establish an ongoing relationship with them. Here are some pictures of some of our new friends:

Daddy's Home = Great Excitement

Nothing makes me feel better than the excitement I see from my kids when I get home. They can make the worst day melt away with their smiles and jubilee. I think that God wants the same kind of excitement from us when we encounter Him every day. His love for us is greater for us, than our love for our kids… His pleasure in us must be greater too!




Also, there is another video I showed in church today during the offering. I am in no way a country music fan, but it definetly shows the importance of our example to our children. Our words do not matter at all if our actions contradict what we have to say.

Greece June 09: My Fear

One month before our trip to Greece to the day I had major shoulder surgery to fix a torn/shredded labrum. My doctor told me it was the worst case scenario, which brought about doubt if I would be able to go on the trip at all. Once he cleared me to go 10 days prior to our departure, we knew there would be many limitations on my involvement... many limitations!

With one exception on one day, my shoulder did not bother me anymore than it has before or after the trip. Everyone on our team was very mindful to help and protect me when needed. In fact, I would like to thank Christy, Jamie, Robert, and Cody who helped carry my stuff throughout the trip! Also, many thanks to Ms. Sandy for the shoulder rubs, they helped more than you know! Another huge blessing was being able to get ice every night from the hotel bar... relax I only got ice! And if my doctor or PT read this, I was faithful to do all of my exercise everyday on the trip.

The hardest part for me was not dealing with the discomfort that exist whatever my location, it was found in my not being able to participate in our partnership as I would have liked to. Typically, I would have jumped right in the middle of whatever they were doing, but not this time. Instead of participating in the track & field warm-ups, I watched. Instead of high-jumping and long-jumping, I measured the distance of each jump. Instead of running the 1,000 meters, I timed it. Instead of leading basketball drills, I... well I did play a little basketball one-armed and poorly! If you notice pictures of me participating in any activities, note how my left arm is always pulled in close to my body as not to move in a way to reinjure it.

Patience (in taking it slow), humility (in asking for help), and long-suffering are all things this injury has taught me to this point, but more than anything it has given me an appreciation for a healthy body God has blessed me with throughout my life. Sports and competition are two of my favorite things and it’s good to know in another 5 months I'll be able to participate again. God is good.

Greece June 09: Fun Times

During our trip we worked hard. In fact, part of my worry at the end of the week was that I might have pushed the team too hard. Blisters on one team member’s feet, soreness in multiple bodies, and some being worn-out-tired brought me to that conclusion, but the reports from team members have eased those fears.

We make it clear that we are there to work; we have a job to do! However, all work no play makes for a miserable trip so we try to add some fun activities as well. Here are some pictures with a brief explanation of what we did for fun:

Cape Sunion (pronounced Sunio), a beach on overlooked by Poseidon’s temple.




Playing tennis on a clay court at my favorite spot in Athens – I was really elated they allowed us to play for a few minutes. This is at a private club I would love to join if we lived there. They have grass, clay, and hard courts, as well as a nice café:


Racing Christy in Corinth on the ancient track starting blocks:



A ferry ride of the Aegean Island where we relaxed and played paddle ball:



Relaxing after dinner below the Acropolis:


Not pictured: Constant joking, laughing and smiles… usually at Robert’s expense!

Greece June 09: Our Partnership

We have been blessed with an opportunity to partner with a municipality in Athens. This partnership has allowed us to learn more about the Greek culture, as well as share with Greeks about our culture.


We have made a great friend in Kostas who allows us into his community. We have assisted and participated in various sporting events, from basketball to traditional Greek dancing!


There is nothing like the opportunity to play with the kids and talk to the parents. We are prayerful that this door will remain open so we can continue to Share and build relationships!

Greece June 09: Prayer

Prayer was a major focus of our trip this year. We began our trip at the Acropolis, followed by a Bible study at Mar's Hill where we focused on why we were there and asking God for His favor throughout our trip.


The next day our leaders had us praying for the city of Athens,


the Greek government,


and their Orthodox Church.



Future Greece Posts: Our Partnership, Fun Times, New Friends, Shining Bright, My Fear & My Favorite Part of the Trip

Religious Freedom Threatened In America

The first ammendment states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

In spite of that a San Diego couple was ordered to stop having a Home Bible Study:


"On Good Friday we had an employee from San Diego County come to our house, and inform us that the Bible study that we were having was a religious assembly, and in violation of the code in the county." David Jones told FOX News.

"We told them this is not really a religious assembly — this is just a Bible study with friends. We have a meal, we pray, that was all," Jones said.

A few days later, the couple received a written warning that cited "unlawful use of land," ordering them to either "stop religious assembly or apply for a major use permit," the couple's attorney Dean Broyles told San Diego news station 10News.

But the major use permit could cost the Jones' thousands of dollars just to have a few friends over.

For David and Mary Jones, it's about more than a question of money.

"The government may not prohibit the free exercise of religion," Broyles told FOX News. "I believe that our Founding Fathers would roll over in their grave if they saw that here in the year 2009, a pastor and his wife are being told that they cannot hold a simple Bible study in their own home."

"The implications are great because it’s not only us that’s involved," Mary Jones said. "There are thousands and thousands of Bible studies that are held all across the country. What we’re interested in is setting a precedent here — before it goes any further — and that we have it settled for the future."

The couple is planning to dispute the county's order this week.

If San Diego County refuses to allow the pastor and his wife to continue gathering without acquiring a permit, they will consider a lawsuit in federal court.

We better fight for our religious liberty and freedom to gather, because those opposed to Christianity are fighting to take that freedom away.

Shoulder Surgery: 3 Week Update

Today I had my 3 week checkup and it went great. Dr. Conway, who I would strongly recommend, showed me the pictures of my shoulder from surgery, then showed me pictures from a textbook, and it was obvious it could not have gone better.

He wants me to start physical therapy ASAP, and I was fortunate enough to get in for my first appointment tomorrow at 1:00. I have at least 4 weeks of going 3 times a week, and then he will give me new instructions after that. In addition to that, he gave me at home therapy as well… fun stuff.

Here are the pictures from my surgery. This one is a picture of my shoulder ball, where he fixed the major divot.

This one is of my shredded labrum, where he reattached the tendons.

Christy and I could not be more pleased with Dr. Conway and the process thus far… unless it could have been avoided altogether!

The Jenksies

This year for our Staff Appreciation day, I took a page out of The Office and we gave out The Jenksies (see the Dundies). Each church employee received a trophy, which are proudly displayed... somewhere!

It is a long story, but I received Most Likely to Sparkle (due to my shoulder, pain meds, and a plus size nurse), although I firmly believe I should have won Best Homework Assigner. Here is a look at a Jenksie:

Baskin-Robbins Coupon

I love me some ice cream, see the offer:

Share dessert with a friend today. Enjoy the 31° Below™ of your choice and get one free.

Print this coupon and bring it to your local Baskin-Robbins® store to receive one free 31° Below™ of equal or lesser value with the purchase of any 31° Below™. Some restrictions may apply. Offer valid at participating Baskin-Robbins stores in the US only. Offer expires 6/21/09.

Shoulder Surgery: 2 Week Update

Through Friday, I felt totally fine… thank you narcotics and pain meds! Saturday I tried jump off the pills and started to experience mild nausea. Sunday rolled around and the mild nausea turned to moderate nausea, with little pain in shoulder. That with the exception of the senior adult lady who decided poking my incision 3 times would be a good idea!

Monday I went cold turkey off all my meds and paid for it severely. Oddly enough though, it was not shoulder pain, it was terrible nausea. Around 7PM or so, I could not take it anymore and jumped back on my pills and patch that prevent said discomfort. Tuesday was met with extreme fatigue (from the meds), but an awareness that the nausea was being magnified by dehydration.

Since then, I’ve been pounding Gatorade, water, and anything else without caffeine. My problem Wednesday was a migraine, which lingered all day and diminished in the late hours of the night.

Going back to Monday, I decided to weigh myself due to many comments from church members asking me how much weight I had lost. When I stepped on the scale I was shocked to learn I had dropped 13 pounds, and weighed less than when I graduated high school! This morning I weighed and had gained 4 pounds back, mainly from fluids I guess.

Thankfully, I only have 1 more week until my checkup with my doctor. I am expecting to start physical therapy the following day and experience pain I have not felt since the initial dislocation… and for some strange reason I am honestly looking forward to it (and getting out of this sling)!

Just so you know, Christy has been my saving grace. She has constantly given of her time to serve me and our family. Although I feel terrible that she has to bear the brunt of everything in our home, she has not complained or made me feel guilty about it once. Christy is the best!