addendum

Here's one of the pics from this morning's failed attempt to push photos to Blogger. It's our family crest and stuff.

I love Oklahoma

Oklahoma has been good to me. Not the least of which, it is home to my birthplace. Plus it is home for my big brother and his wonderful family. I got to spend much of the weekend with them. I am reminded that it is a funny privilege to be a Harris (literally, we make each other laugh without really trying, we just say what we think). On top of that, I got introduced to many of the nephews' friends with whom I was impressed. Including my niece, they seem to be really great kids. Mission accomplished, spent a good weekend just hanging out with family (which is becoming increasingly important to us). This would be the second privilege of family, getting closer through adversity.

Oklahoma was also good to me in a financial way. While driving through Kansas OK, I was pulled over by one of their local police officers. I had not been paying close attention to speed limit signs nor my speedometer, so he informed me that I was driving a little over the speed limit. He politely asked me to slow down and sent me on my way. Praise God, no ticket! Thank you to those police who are still more interested in protecting lives and ensuring safety than in collecting revenue for their employers. From now on I am going to do business in this little town as much as possible on my trips to Tulsa. Thanks.

Well, it's time to go to work. Thanks for reading these little updates. Sorry, no pics. Can't upload to Blogger again.

Addendum

So first is the little thing from Tuesday, some of my favorite cereals. It makes me smile thinking about it.The other is a self-portrait by a friend of mine. Or at least, the first chance he got to play with my new camera, this is the picture I get from it. Thanks.
More worrisome, "they" say that you are known by the friends that you keep. And to think that I wouldn't want to trade these friends for anyone else's.

And the thought for the last couple days... I guess I have a long-term house guest now. He probably has no where else to go that would be good for him spiritually, so I am glad he's here. And he is trying to be a good guest. It's just not what I expected when I came home, but maybe just what we need to do as well. So I pray that it goes well for all of us and is a positive growing experience too. It's just that our heart sometimes is bigger than our brain, and then it has to catch up with circumstances and still stick to its commitments of love and grace. I'm excited about what I'm learning and living.

Grace,

Brad

It's the little things

Possibly the first of many, "it's the little things that make me happy." Like a favorite kind of cereal. While in Tehachapi with Denise and the kids, I found a new kind of shredded wheat - one vaguely similar to cinnamon rolls (my favorite home-baked goodie in the whole world as of right now). So we bought it and fell in love with it. Alas, Devin loved the cereal more than I and I only got one bowl of it. And I glumly came home not expecting to find it yet here so far away from the land of good breakfast cereal (the land of fruits, nuts, and flakes). Surprise, surprise! Even in backward Nosepick, Arkansas, I found this new cereal on my store shelf. So I splurged and bought a box (okay, four boxes not all the same kind. I'm kind of a cerealaholic).

This weekend was good, though pictureless as I forgot my camera or I was told not to publish any of the pictures (some of my family is very secretive for reasons unknown to me). I did get to visit with my mom's family and eat their exceptionally good cooking, including smoked brisket. I preached at one church on Sunday morning (with divine intervention preventing a nasal disaster from my raging head cold). Then I was with my home church family for the evening, both for church service and hanging out by the pool of my friends' house. So overall a good weekend.

Monday was about catching up with people I hadn't seen in nearly a month or so. We caught up on news plus discussed doctrinal issues that we barely grasp well enough to know we need to know more before teaching them to others. I enjoy this coterie of friends who want to base not only our teaching, but our lifestyle by what the Bible teaches Christians to be. It often shakes us from what is comfortable and familiar, but forces us to anchor our answers to something more solid than tradition.

Now it is time to get to work again. Studying, cleaning, and calling.

Momentarily in...

Whew. It was a busy week at church camp, but I was really encouraged by the teaching, my group of guys I took to camp from my church, and especially by the depth of Christian character in some of my friends and fellow workers for the LORD. They are especially attune to things spiritual for themselves and in others and nurture the growth in others. Plus it is plain exciting to me to see teenagers talking and thinking about the things of God. Perhaps more on that in a later post.



Now I am back in town for about a day before taking for the rest of the weekend (I really intended to be gone well before now, but I didn't get any personal stuff done yesterday afternoon so I am making myself do it today). Speaking of yesterday, I did kick back with friends yesterday evening and night, including going to the drive-in. Today I leave for Mom's to see her sister, Aunt Pat, and supper with more of Mom's family. Good stuff. Then tomorrow I need to preach for Warren who was filling in at Weddington Baptist Church to help them out.

For lack of pics from camp, I included some from Zion National Park (last stop before reaching Denise's earlier this month).

In passing,

Well I overcame my faulty memory and finally recalled what my login was (I have a mind like a steel trap, whatever gets in it doesn't come out without getting severly mangled.). So now I am doing a quick update before taking off for a week at church camp.
Work was not too bad as I caught up with some office work and meeting people. Plus I had some teaching appointments that I managed to get covered.
Then Saturday was the funeral for my oldest cousin, Lonnie. His death was precipitated by a massive heartattack that proved more than his body could recover. He was enough older than I and rarely at family events that I attended that I did not know him well. But I was much relieved to know that he had been prepared. Lonnie had prepared some instructions regarding his affairs before his incapacitation and passing. But more importantly he was prepared regarding himself after death. When he was a young adult, he had asked Jesus Christ to forgive his sins and trusted Him as his Lord and Savior. While Lonnie was not a perfect man (otherwise the rest of us sinners would have been jealous), his sins were covered by Christ's blood through Lonnie's faith. That was reassuring news to hear that I would see him again on the other side of death. He taught us a good lesson in that regard. Thanks Lonnie.
The theme of last week continued through the weekend with me concentrating on spending time with family. I got to talk with Dad before he left for a weeklong trip to San Antonio. My big brother and his family was there Saturday as well. My nephews are insisting that I come spend a weekend with them befoe school starts (I'm working on it). I spent some time talking with Grandma who hasn't been feeling good but those times happen when you are in your 90's. Then I spent time with Mom and my younger brother. Mom wanted to hear all about my trip, see pictures of her grandkids (and their parents) in California, and general catching up.
So it has been a busy weekend (I actually left out some of the other important but unrelated activities with friends who are like family but in a different way). But I need sleep right now, that and relief from the heat.

Brad

Home Sweet Home?

Is it Home Sweet Home or Hot Sweaty Humidity? Yech! The desert has six things I miss now (the first five start with "D"!), I also miss the dryness. But otherwise, it's a relief to be off the road and back at home. Still not unpacked, but moved out of my truck. I almost extended my trip another night in Broken Arrow tostay a little longer with my big brother, but I really did need to get some things done at work and home. But thanks to Gene and Cindy for always being glad to see me and feeding me another home-cooked meal. More than the adventures and relaxation, this trip has been about family. There is something intangible yet fulfilling about good relationships with family. You pick your friends (and you pick your nose (no wait, wrong quote!)). You choose your friends but family is decided for you. Some people see that as a detriment, but not me. The relationship with family members is what each one puts into the shared circumstance of being related by someone else's decision. With some, it is decidedly easier to be close or fond of. Other family members may be kept more relationally distant. Yet no matter what, we are still family. You don't have that with friends or acquaintances. I have known my siblings for as long as I remember, I don't have anywhere near that long of a history with my friends. Residences and interests change, but I still share parents, siblings, stories, and deep family history with these four people no matter what changes in me or them. There is something "real life" about that. So I am thankful to have friendship with many of my family members. I am thankful for that, even when I have been guilty of taking it for granted. Can you tell that I've spent some time thinking about that while driving the last couple days? There was nothing else to do.

However, I am back here for now. I have a few days here to reorganize before I'll be off again, next week is church camp. Friends missed me while I was gone, though there have been no arguments over who would get to sit next to me (as frustrating as it was for all of us, I was a little flattered that Devin and Desirae wanted to be with their often absent uncle). My friends from our Christian fellowship here at ABS are important to me (preceding monologue not withstanding) not in competition against family but as a distinct part of who I am. We have a closeness based on more than a shared interest, but a life made different in Christ. I think it is significant that God chose to describe our relationship as Christians with one another in terms of brothers and sisters. I understand that a little better now than before because of my family. Thanks.

Anyways I've been long-winded enough for 2am (which will explain why this post may not make that much sense either). But it made sense yesterday and today as I was thinking about it in my heart and head.

Going solo soon

Alas, the time has come for me to leave my family and head for home. In the morning I begin the long journey back to the hills of the Ozarks. I have really enjoyed my time with the nieces and nephew, though I don't normally have a lot of contact with their age group. They are a lot of fun and seem a lot better than the other kids I notice elsewhere. No offense to the young'ans but even more so, I have really enjoyed my time with my "little" sister and Duane. It has been alot of fun, laughing and being silly in that way that only siblings (and her like-minded spouse) can do while everyone else would wonder what is so hilarious. Family time like this is something I will treasure long after both of our lives revert back to their "usual" routines. So... a big thank you for putting up with me disrupting your lives and hanging out with you.

Anyways, I better wrap up before I get too nostalgic and bleary-eyed. So I'll have more to say ona later day.

Thanks Duane and Denise and D-rest of you.

Brad

Getting started...

Whew, this could be a lot harder if I didn't have Duane coaching me over my shoulder. But then the "official" line is that "this is easy". So "they" say.