Apple didn't fall far

My daughter has my sense of humor. I know, I know. Groans just went up all over the world. The proof was last week. Grace (8 1/2) has taken on the task of folding socks after becoming frustrated by my inability to tell the difference between her socks and Shannon's. After she finished her task, she started folding my underwear. She then announced that I had too many pairs of underwear. She said "He must change them every hour". Shannon, instead of explaining that Daddy's undies only get washed when the whites are washed and that is why there were so many pairs, precedes to tell her "That would be hard to do while he is at work."

Grace's reply. Get ready for this one.

"It wouldn't be hard if he carried them in his BRIEFcase!" Look out world. Here comes another Duer with corny, punny humor.

First Pee Wee Practice for James

Last Saturday, while most of my family was in from out of town, a momentous occasion occurred. James had his first Pee Wee baseball practice. Here are some of the highlights:

James looked super cool with his cool wristbands MiMi brought him. He has the baseball player loose jog down pat.

James is given a ball and introduced to Trey. Then these 2 five year olds who have mastered the art of throwing much better than catching are told to play catch. There were no injuries but James informed me later that Trey was throwing the ball too hard. I agreed with his assessment but had to admit that Trey's wind up was impressive.

There were 4 practice stations: hitting, grounders & throwing to a base, catching pops and running the ball to the infield and holding it up (it's how Pee Wee's stop play which they have to unlearn at the next level), and throwing. The coach’s wife is a 1st grade teach and made excellent use of learning center theory so that no child had to wait too long and get bored. There were only 3 or 4 kids in each group.

It might have been James' first practice, but it was mine too. As a baseball dad, I need the practice. Practice to sit there and let my son be in someone else’s instruction and authority. It was hard. I wanted to tell James to get his hand out of his pocket. I wanted to tell the coach helping with throwing that James could throw just fine, he didn't need the beginner exercise the other kids in his group did. The other kids in his group threw like girls. Well, they did. They were girls. I’m not being sexist. But the hardest by far was hitting practice. You see, the coach didn't pitch to James the way I pitch to James. He pitched too soft and James pulled every thing down the 3rd base line. Normally he is an up the middle hitter. I was able to restrain myself to the end of practice and then I told the coach I pitch a little harder to James. He said he would try pitching harder to him.

As I processed with myself why it was so hard to watch and be still. I thought of God. I can only imagine the things He would have liked to say when Jesus was on earth. I took some solace in the fact that a few times He felt compelled to say what was on His mind. Both times he began by saying "This is MY son." I understand that phrase better as my children grow older.

I look forward to more ball practices and piano recitals where I have to sit and watch. I really need the practice. But I reserve the right to say "This is MY child, in whom I am well pleased".

Bracket update

For those who are anxiously awaiting the next update of the Duer family bracket challenge. The wait is over. So is the competition. Shannon Duer has run away with the bracket challenge this year. She is 100 points ahead of David and both of them have Illinois as their only team left in the tourney. Here are the point standings after the second weekend:

Shannon - 640
David - 540
Grace - 510
Steve & James - 410

At least James and I can keep each other company in last place.

You a caller?

The following conversation was overheard by my wife today.

Local #1: Hey, you ready for turkey season?
Local #2: Yeah, I got me a new bow last week.
Local #3: Wow, are you a caller?
Local #2: Yes
Local #3: I'm okay with the slate but I usually take a caller with me.

This would be a normal discussion you would expect her to overhear at the local coffee shop or car repair shop amoung men. But no, this coversation was overheard at the bank. Between 2 tellers and a female customer. My wife said the last thing she overheard was one of the local ladies saying "There is nothing like hunting."

A woman who hunts turkeys with a bow and can get you in and out of the bank with the right flavor sucker for your child is a woman to respect. All I have to say is "Look out turkeys!"

Good & Terrible At The Same Time

Last month, I finished reading book 5 of Harry Potter with my daughter. We decided that after 4 years of nightly reading together, it was James’ turn to have nightly reading time with Daddy. During the 4 years, Grace & I have gone through the Chronicles of Narnia, The Black Stallion, Davy Crockett – Young Rifleman (it was my Dad’s book and Crocket was born in the county where we currently live- that explains why I was reading it to a 6 year old girl) and the complete Harry Potter series. Now she is getting Mommy reading time as they are re-reading Ozma of Oz (did you know that the Wizard of Oz was a series of book?)

James and I are now reading through the Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis. I am always struck by how things jump out at me as I read through these books. This passage struck me a few nights ago:

“But for Aslan himself, the Beavers and the children didn’t know what to do or say when they saw him. People who have never been to Narnia sometimes think that a thing cannot be good and terrible at the same time. If the children had ever thought so, they were cured of it now. For when they tried to look at Aslan’s face they caught a glimpse of the golden mane and the great, royal, solemn, overwhelming eyes; and then they found they couldn’t look at him and went all trembly.” C. S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe

Good and terrible at the same time. What a way to capture the feeling of standing in the presence of God. I am glad that Lewis wrote this allegory for kids to help grown ups like me get a better picture of God. Do you view God as both good & terrible? If you made a list of the actions of God you consider good and those you consider terrible, which side would be longer?

Toast. My bracket is toast

Well, I guess I opened myself up for this ridicule when I invited others to join the picking process. Here are the standings after the first weekend of play.

Shannon is in the lead with 400 points.
Grace is second with 390.
David (Uncle Davidy according to James) is third with 380.
James is in 4th with 370.
And pulling up the rear is Steve with 330.

There's always next year.

Pay as you go?

As some of you know,I am a sucker for bad puns. This love was passed down either by nature or nurture from my father. This news story was too good not to share both for the bad politics and the bad puns.

Pay as you go: Florida lawmaker seeks to tax toilet paper

Pickin' Time

Well it's time for the NCAA basketball tourney. This has become a family affair at our house. My wife regularly wins because I always choose too many upsets. I am just a sucker for the underdog. This year, James & Grace will get in on the action too. I have set up an ESPN group to track our success. I would like to invite all of my loyal readers (yes both of you)and their friends to join the Duer Family NCAA bracket group.

Lord's Gym?

Check out Greg Newton's take on the opening of Lord's Gym in Birmingham.

Called to Preach

A few months ago, a friend sent me a book. That normally makes me nervous. Recommending is one thing but giving me the book...I was quite pleased it wasn't the latest Dr. Phil book!

The book was Carryin' On and Other Strange Things Southerners Do By R. Scott Brunner. It has Pat Conroy's recommendation for his first book Due South on the back and Rick Bragg's comment on the inside flap of the book jacket. (How's that for southern writer name dropping). The book is a compulation of essays he has written, some of which were read on Mississippi's Public Radio station and some have made it to National Public Radio.

My favorite chapter is called "Called To Preach". Here are some excerpts. Those from a church of Christ backgound might be able to relate.

It was one of the perils of being a post adolescent male in a rural church of Christ in the rural south: you were either a song leader or a preacher or both, of only for one solitary Sunday, and ability had absolutely nothing to do with it. As certain as Judgment Day, as avoidable as conscription, it was a preordained rite of passage by which an awkward, unwilling teenaged boy could actually experience true biblical suffering while at the same time inflicting it on the rest of the congregation, all in the name of cultivating the poor kid’s spiritual gift. …

I was scared to death I would get up there in front of the assembled saints; would launch into my little, little sermon; would get tongue tied, say something horribly wrong; and would, in short order cause a church split. It could happen. I knew congregations had split over less. …

In retrospect, what I also recall—surely with more fondness now than I felt at the time—was the undeniable affection and good wishes of the men and women who sat in those hard old pews that morning as I ascended into the pulpit…..Here were folk willing to suffer a foolish boy, willing to entertain the notion that such a worm as I could quite possibly grow into a mighty man of God. They believed that and I am a better man because of it.


It is like he was sitting in the audience the first time I preached on Sunday Night at Opelika church of Christ. Now, when I attend at the Opelika church of Christ, the many of the faces are different but there are still some of those faces who were there 20 years ago. It still feels good to see those faces and shake their hands when I go home. In August I will go back for my 20 year high school reunion, I look foward to seeing those faces during that visit and thanking them for believing in me and helping me become the man I am today.

Edit me

Are people who have blog links that say "edit me" the children of parents who have their VCR's blinking 12:00? Just a theory I have.

Actually "edit me" would make a pretty good prayer for my life.

Sign Sign Everywhere A Sign

Our church is having a bit of an identity crisis. We have a very basic sign on our building. It just says "Sonlight Church". We are getting feedback from those from the Church of Christ background that the lack of a sign makes them uncomfortable and might even keep some from visiting. We are also getting feedback from those who have visited and were expecting a more "spirit filled" worship.

The reason we don't have "of Christ" on our sign is not some big statement. It is the fact that the nice man who made the sign, ran out of room. It may make a bigger statement that it hasn't been an issue for us. However it appears it may be an issue for those out side the building. I know it bothers some family members of our members. What thoughts do those in blogland have on this signage issue?