How to Be a Class Act

Ways to Be a Class Act. Since it don't come naturally for me, I gotta keep reminding myself. Man do I have a long way to go. 

1. Say hello first.

2. Use people's names - and remember them.

3. Hold the door open for the person behind you.

4. Let people merge in traffic. Even the jerks?

5. Write handwritten thank you notes. They don't have to be long - two or three sentences will do.

6. Don't bad mouth people behind their backs. Doing so tells people that you can't be trusted.  

7. Compliment people behind their backs.

8. Pick up trash that isn't yours.

9. Dress appropriately, for the occasion. It's a way of saying that you recognize the significance of the occasion.

10. Be on time. It communicates that you value the other person as much as yourself. 

11. Be a generous conversationalist. Ask questions, listen intently. Give others the chance to shine. 

12. Return things in better condition than you received them.

13. Say "excuse me" and "sorry" without qualifiers. No "buts". 

14. Tip generously. Err on the side of generosity. 

15. Put your phone away during conversations. Undivided attention is a form of respect. People really aren't interested in your vacation pictures. 

16. Keep your work - even on small things. If you say you'll call - then call. If you said you'd go - then show up.

17. Don't overshare. Not every thought needs to be aired.

18. Give credit freely. If an idea wasn't yours, acknowledge it.

19. Act with dignity if things don't go your way. No public tantrums.

20. Give people an out. Don't put people on the spot. 

21. Acknowledge service workers as people, not automatons or servants. Make eye contact. It's not hard.

22. Keep your complaints private and proportionate. Don't gripe loudly in public, or turn every minor inconvenience into a moral crusade. Handle issues calmly, directly, and without an audience. 

23. Don't correct people unnecessarily. If the mistake doesn't matter, then let it go. Being right is less important then preserving the relationship. 

24. Don't brag. 

25. Act like a "host" wherever you go. Make others feel welcome. Introduce people.       

A verse that's applicable for me right now is 1 Peter 3:15-16 - but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.   

Last night small group study on Genesis 34 and 35. No mention of God in chapter 34, and terrible things happened. Jacob was silent while horrible atrocities took place. God's silence does not mean he approves. Jacob's sons do not respond in kind to an injustice. Where do I feel righteous indignation and want to react in a sinful way? Sometimes very hard to respond wisely. In chapter 35 God appears before Jacob, and cares for him in his biggest fear.

Two hours at the gym. Takes up my entire morning. Not much else to report.

Denison: Christianity Today reports that “across Western Europe, Christians report ‘discrimination and bullying’ and ‘loss of employment’ for expressing faith-based opinions in their workplaces.” Some faced repercussions for views they expressed in private conversations or posted on social media. Such persecution does not begin to rise to the opposition believers face in North Korea, China, Cuba, and parts of the Muslim world. But when evangelicals are so blatantly stigmatized on one of the most popular podcasts in America, we should take note of where things may be going. 

Another Candler Park Renovation?

Will played golf with a friend who works for a design firm who is working on a proposal to reconfigure the entire Candler Park golf course, to make it more inviting and easier for beginner and average golfers. Right now the greens are tiny and in terrible shape, despite the course having been closed four months last year to renovate the greens - with quite disappointing results. Why the course is so difficult, by hole…

1. Wide fairway, small green at the top of the hill. Highest point on the course.
2. Plenty of room on the left to miss the fairway and green, but then the scrubby trees block your approach. Miss the green to the right and you lose your ball. Behind the green is a severe dropoff.
3. Downhill par three. Small green. Severe dropoff to the left, back, and right. Easy to lose your ball on this hole.
4. A decent par three, though like many of the greens, balls will roll off the back and left side.
5. Narrow fairway. Woods to the left, street to the right. Elevated green with the biggest dropoff to the left.
6. Par four. Marsh to the left, a few trees on the right - and a hill. Elevated green. Balls will roll off the back and left.
7. Large dropoff to the left, in the fairway and on the green.
8. Gotta climb a steep hill to the new tee box. It suits my game. Easy hole, but balls can roll off the back and feed down into the creek.
9. Tough uphill par three. Wide fairway with trees on each side, that funnels up to a tiny dome shaped green. Severe slope. Putts will roll back down off the front and left.

Tuesday morning I played golf for the third time all year. Teed off a few minutes after 7 am. 44 degrees, but the three layers kept me warm. Wore my gloves the entire round, as well as my old wrist wrap. Would've taken some pictures, but I would've had to take off the wrist wrap and glove.

1. Good straight tee shot. After a flub, my fairway shot was good. Then I chipped onto the green. Missed the par putt. 

2. Hit a fair tee shot, then lost a lightup ball when I hit a mulligan. Two good chips, but both went too long. on hole seven i would realize I chipped the entire round with the wrong club. Georgia State professor Gee T joined me. I hadn't seen him since December. For the most part, we only hit one ball on each shot.  

3. Hit two tee shots: one left, then one right. Nice chip, followed by a poor lag putt.

4. I'm beginning to think you can't hit a good shot on this hole. Gee hit a great shot, but it rolled off the left side of the green. My tee shot started way right, but it bounced down the hill into the left rough. Then I hit a good chip - and it almost rolled off the left side of the green. 

5. I hit a very nice tee shot, that settled just short of the green. made an okay chip, but it rolled off the left side of the green. So many tough, small greens at Candler Park. But then a nice little chip that stopped not far from the hole. Of course I milled the putt.

6. My drive off the tee stayed right of the big oak, but it still carried way past it. Hit a low 5 iron that rolled down the hill way over to the left rough. Then I overclubbed, but hit two nice 9 irons. The first stuck on the back of the green. But I hit a poor par putt. 

7. My drive was just okay, as was my 5 iron fairway shot. But I poked a nice 7 iron to the front fringe. Then another poor par putt.  

8. Hit a tree with my drive. It was directly in front of me, so at least I hit it straight. Hit a good mulligan down to the middle of the fairway. Then a great wedge that hit in the front rough, and rolled onto the green not far from the hole. Missed the birdie putt.

9. A good straight hybrid off the tee. Two decent chips, but a poor par putt. Finished at 8:30.

Drove straight to the gym. Only worked out for an hour. The ladies in the sauna were talking about a good book they were reading: The Correspondent. Later I checked it out - I already have it on hold to read. 

Forgot: Monday when I was getting my oil changed in Roswell, about a mile from Centennial High School, I overheard a lady talking on the phone. She lives in the house where the Seattle Seahawks head coach used to live when he was in high school. The coach's father still lives down the street.

It happens every year: USA Today predicted the Braves to finish third in the NL East, behind the Phillies and Mets. 

TONY LAZZERI  [SABR Bio] was the first to hit 60 home runs in a season. Lazzeri did it in 192 games for the Salt Lake City Bees of the PCL. Babe Ruth’s best home run year was 1927 when he hit 60. On 03-Jun-1932, Lazzeri hit for a natural cycle, namely, a single, double, triple & HR in that order, the last hit being a grand slam. But on the same day (a) Lou Gehrig hit four home runs, (b) Babe Ruth hit his 15th home run of the season, the 2nd-best in MLB, (c) Jimmie Foxx hit his ML-best 19th homer for the Philadelphia Athletics, and (d) John McGraw announced that he was retiring as the New York Giants manager.

Article: The Relationship Between Humor and Longevity. 

Article: Kid Rock quoted Kobe Bryant. The singer shared a quote labeled "Mamba Mentality" from the late NBA legend on his social media. “Learn to love the hate. Embrace it. Enjoy it. You earned it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and everyone should have one about you. Haters are a good problem to have. Nobody hates the good ones. They hate the great ones.”

Denison: I know that I will go to heaven when I die. I know that this life cannot begin to compare with that life and that after one instant on that side, I'll be eternally glad I'm there (Revelation 21:4). I know that I could die at any moment and find myself in Jesus' presence (Hebrews 9:27), and that he could appear at any moment in ours (Acts 1:11). But in full transparency, I don't want that day to be this day. I have more I want to do in this life. I want to see my grandchildren grow up. I want to experience more of the beauty of this incredible world and die when I have nothing more to give. And I'd rather not suffer on the way to my death, and emphatically do not want those I love to suffer on the way to theirs.

Denison has a new website article, "Should I have watched the Grammys? A reflection on cultural engagement and spiritual purity."

Ronald Reagan observed: "Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid."

Article: In Defense of Trump's Second Term.

Change Is Afoot

I suppose the new SPdL pastor will be charged with bringing in more younger people to the church. Change is surely afoot. 

Similarly, when the new worship center is built at JFBC there will no longer be two different worship services to choose from. The older people attend the traditional service in the sanctuary, and everyone else goes to the contemporary service in the gym. The JFBC activities center has two basketball courts running east and west. On the north end is a stage, with expandable bleachers set up on the south end. So its a pretty large space. But once the new worship center is built they'll try to appease everyone. Usually that means the older people won't like it as much. We'll see.

I wouldn't mind attending the traditional service, especially to sing traditional hymns. It's great to see and hear Heather Swilley sing, but trying to sing all these contemporary songs that I don't know takes away from me worshipping God. I'm having to pay too much attention to the words and unfamiliar melody. And mostly JFBC makes up their own songs. Ceil loves this worship time. 

My friend John Harrell attends the traditional service, so he misses Sunday School. His wife Laurel plays piano in services. They're the ones who know the Condras and Norma McDonald, who moved down to St Simons near Laurel's parents. 

On Sunday Ceil started working in a 2 year old class, teaching with Caleb's mother. So she will teach at 830, go to Sunday School at 10, and the 1115 service. She also serves in an outreach role for our Sunday School class.  

Meanwhile, construction continues two miles up Johnson Ferry Road, on the new church affiliated with North Point Community Church. Some keep saying that it won't have an effect on JFBC attendance, but I can't see how it won't. 

Caleb was out in Phoenix for a bachelor party at the Waste Management Open. To be a groomsman or worse a bridesmaid these days can be an expensive proposition.

Having the few Atlanta people come all the way to SC for our wedding was special. Besides the Whitakers, I remember that Beverly Britt and maybe Nondi Brooks or Ceil's roommate Joy Dempsey came. David Hurt was there. Plus Bill & Kitti Murray, and mark & Donna Fallis. Not sure about Glenn Cowart. Was there anyone else? 

Before my wedding for some season I walked out and sat on the front row to listen to Donna Fallis play the organ. I saw the Whitakers back there in the balcony and hated it. I should've had an usher go up and escort them down to sit up there on one of the front rows. It wasn't like we had a bunch of family there. Everyone was in the wedding except my mom, brother in law, and sister in law.  

My Super Bowl Sunday

As we often do in Sunday School, yesterday we broke up into smaller groups to discuss the Bible passage. I found myself in a group with three guys in the ministry: David, Randall, and young Christian. Also my friend Jim, who is quite the Bible scholar. Plus Gee and Robert, who are no slouches. I decided I would moderate, so I read off the questions and kept the conversation moving, making sure we covered all the material.

I rarely get to chat with our leader Brian. After class we were out in the hallway talking. Brian came by and said hello, and what do I say to him? Nice pants! Kinda blew my chance to have a meaningful conversation. 

Reminded me of the time back at SPdL on Sunday night not long after I had graduated from Tech. I was sitting next to a girl that I was interested in. We were sitting there in the middle pews before the evening service started. She turned and smiled at me, and said "We're both wearing khakis". Probably good that I didn't marry that one.

Sunday lunch was baked chicken, cole slaw, spinach with onions, and homemade French fries. After washing the dishes I mowed the grass, to sweep up all the pine cones, sticks, and gumballs that had accumulated over the past few months. It may be nice enough this week to play golf, get the cars washed, trim the hedges, and clean up the garage. 

As I was finishing up outside, one of the little precocious neighborhood boys happened by, asking if I wanted to buy a pack of baseball cards for a dollar. He said he wasn't really into baseball cards any more. I asked him what he was into now. Dinosaurs, he replied. I gave him a head's up about the Jurassic Park preview in the third quarter of the Super Bowl.

Lots of commercial breaks in the first quarter of the Super Bowl, and several decent commercials to watch. My favorite was Good Will Dunkin. 

I thought Ceil was going to nod off before the game started. Yes so many commercials during the first quarter and half. I was playing on my phone and laptop with the game on in front of me, but I was only looking up if there was a good play. Had to remind myself to look up for the commercials. Ceil went to bed before it was over. Looked like Holly was at the Super Bowl.

I posted a few bobbleheads and other Braves items for sale, and during the game was responding to messages. Got a few bites. So this morning I delivered several items over to a guy near the Braves stadium, and landed a bobblehead that a friend wanted in return. 

Then I spent two hours in the gym, bought a case for my phone at Walmart, dropped off two coats at the cleaners, got my oil changed and car washed, and stopped by Dollar Tree. Was gone from 830 to 230. 

It took SF RB Roger Craig long enough to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The 49ers Super Bowl success sure helped. He was the first with both 1000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season - a mark just missed by Herschel right around the same time. Herschel's NFL stats are comparable with Craig's, even without including the 8000+ yards gained in Herschel's first three professional seasons. Herschel played for mostly average to poor NFL teams, while Craig won several Super Bowls.

R.I.P. MICKEY LOLICH [SABR Bio] Lolich pitched 376.0 innings in 1971, the last non-knuckleballer to pitch that amount in the Live Ball Era. He was a teammate to  Eddie Mathews in 1967 & 1968 in Detroit, with Ozzie Smith in San Diego  in 1978 & 1979; and with Tom Seaver on the 1976 NYM. Until surpassed by CC Sabathia in 2019, Lolich’s 2679 strikeouts were the most-ever by an AL southpaw. In the 3rd inning of game 2 of the 1968 World Series, Lolich provided the only extra run he’d need in the game by connecting with a high fastball from the Cardinals’ Nelson Briles for his only home run of his entire 16-year major league career, in his complete game 8-1 victory. To celebrate, a 45 rpm record was released, titled “Roly Poly Mickey Lolich”.  It was produced by Marquee Records and reached #20 on the Detroit charts in the fall of 1968. You can listen here. Lolich and catcher Bill Freehan started as batterymates a record 324 times between 1963 and 1975. Their record was broken by Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina in 2022. Cast as Security Guard #1, Lolich screams his single line of, “Who the hell are you?” in the 1977 sci-fi horror film "The Incredible Melting Man". Watch Mickey's two-second total screen time starting at the 0:02 mark of this 8-second clip. Pitching in front of an AL Opening Day record 74,420 fans on 07-April-1973, Lolich’s Tigers fell to Gaylord Perry and Cleveland, 2-1. As a toddler, he one day tipped a motorcycle over  onto himself and his left arm and shoulder were severely injured. He wore a cast on his left arm all that summer.  When the cast came off he performed exercises to strengthen the torn muscles, and emerged as a southpaw. He did everything else right-handed. He famously opened and operated a successful donut shop after he left the game. Read more about Lolich the baker & his pastry success here. Go to the paragraph titled “Life After Baseball”. It was more than just donuts. He served in the Air National Guard during the1967 Detroit riots. Many Tigers were involved in helping to calm an angry populace that summer. Lolich’s had the same seven teammates from 1964 through 1974: Norm Cash, Bill Freehan, Willie Horton, Al Kaline, Jim Northrup, and Mickey Stanley.

Are You Frustrated With God?

Clay Smith JFBC
What's the Point?
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Frustrated With God
 
A Greek philosopher said: "You cannot stand in the same river twice". 

Life goes by fast. The days are long but the years go by quick. Some are in the fourth quarter of life, who feel displaced. It's part of being older.
 
Are you frustrated with God? Are we allowed to be? How do we deal with this?

v 1-8 For everything there is a season. Each season is unique. If we lived in Hawaii we'd probably complain about the weather there too.

14 couplets. A time to be born, a time to die. Joy and sorrow. Part of living in a sinful world. A time to embrace, a time to refrain from embracing. A time to speak, a time to not speak.

In 2025 there were over 60 wars going on around the world. A time to admit that we don't understand.

What's the point? God is sovereign over every season. The exercise of God's power. Life is not random, it is purposeful, and under God's control. We have a vantage point that Solomon didn't have. He was frustrated with life.
 
Romans 8: God causes all things to work together for good.

Solomon makes two conclusions...
 
1. v 9-13 Life doesn't always feel fair. The quicker you learn this, the better off you'll be. God makes everything beautiful proper and fitting - in its own time. God is loving.
 
v 11 God has put eternity into man's heart. We are different than the rest of God's creation. We are made in the image of God. We long for something greater than this world. What C S Lewis said in Mere Christianity

v 12 there is nothing better than to be joyful, to enjoy good, and take pleasure in your toil. To be content in small simple things. We often miss these things in the hustle and bustle of life. We're taking pictures of everything, but seeing nothing.
 
1 Timothy 4:4

2. v 14-20 Get Over It. Look at life through God's eternal perspective.

In the movie the priest tells Rudy there is a God, and we're not Him.

v 15 God is in control of everything. We need to place ourselves under God's authority. Man's decisions and prayers have consequences.

The quicker you realize that life isn't fair, the quicker you can get on with your life.

What's the point? You cannot hold contentment while you are grasping on to life. Give control to God. You can't have both true control and contentment at the same time.

Jesus is so good to us. He takes care of us.
 
Matthew 6: "look at the birds…you are more valuable than the birds, and the lilies of the field. Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added onto you.

Brian Fox
JFBC Sunday School
 
Recommended: Paul David Tripp's book on James Buchanan, when Lincoln was elected president. He became a Christian in his first term after his son passed away.

Steven Spielberg's Lincoln is a good movie to watch.

John Stott: if you don't understand Genesis 12, then you don't understand the rest of the Bible.
 
Genesis 12:1-3 the word blessing is used 5 times, then again in chapter 17 and other chapters after that. Only one curse, but blessings is plural.

Galatians 1-3 God preached the gospel to Abraham.

So what does Abraham do in response to this? What kind of person is Abraham at this point in his life? He's a pagan moon worshipper, who becomes a man of great faith.
 
12:4-20 applications…
1. God uses flawed people.
2. God expects flawed people to trust and obey.
3. The flawed people in this room are held to a higher standard than Abraham was, since we have the full revelation of God's story.
4. God is not finished with us yet. We are part of the story of what is yet to come. God still uses messed up broken people, like he did back in Biblical times.

41 in attendance.

Orange Man Wrong

Lots of people calling out Trump for posting such a racist image of the Obamas on his social media platform. And rightly so. Trump was wrong to do so. No one should behave that way, especially the President. Trump is a bully and a boor. That said, I'm glad he's on our side. Far from pretty and nice, but he gets the job done. Not like he's the only politician acting unbecomingly.   

Question: why weren't all these people upset when all the memes were portraying Trump as the orangutan?   

Some are saying the Obamas were only in the last 2 seconds of a longer clip about 2020 election interference. No outrage over a potential government overthrow. Hard to know what is and isn't truth these days. Unwise to speak out without really knowing the facts. As always, I'm speaking to myself, more than anyone else.

Friday: the the day got busy. Spend almost 2 hours at the gym, then returned home to get ready to go down to lunch with W&MC.

Ate at Sammy's just south of downtown on Northside Drive, about a mile south of Mercedes Benz Stadium, at the corner of Fulton Street, which runs all the way to 75/85 at the Georgia State Convocation Center / baseball stadium / football stadium. 

I had the Cuban sandwich. Will had the reuben. MC the Italian sandwich. Ceil got the Greek salad. Good food. Lingered for almost two hours. MC stayed there to finish her work day. 

As we were talking a familiar face walked in - Willis Norman. He's taken a new job with a startup construction company across the street. Right now the six person firm is building one project at a time (a single family home), with a few smaller renovation projects going on as well. Willia, Joel, and Charles all have birthdays coming up. 

Took an hour to drive back home. Traffic traffic traffic.

A very nice evening at the Halls last night, celebrating Lee's 70th birthday and my retirement. My other friend Reid grilled chicken and shrimp, to go with all the Mexican fixings. Nine in attendance: the Halls, Earharts, Murphys, Chos, and Sean Brasfield. The Halls gave me a cowbell to summon Ceil, and a red button that screams NO!    

Cindy Cho brought a delicious Mexican dip. Cindy specialized in cooking her native Korean cuisine. She says she might start a ladies dinner club once her youngest heads off the college this fall. Women will be falling all over themselves to sign up. 

Anna had a High Country yoga event at the Avalon this morning, then she and C went shopping. Caleb is out at the Waste Management Open in Phoenix.

This morning I pulled out 12 shirts to give away, a pea coat to take to the cleaners, and 30 shirts / jackets / qtr zips / jerseys to sell or give away. And the closet is still crammed. 

Plus I sold another pair of sneakers, making the current count 37 pairs of shoes I own, and an even 30 pairs that I've sold in the past couple of years. Sold my adidas Premiers, sneakers I like but rarely get the chance to wear.

Wolves In Sheep's Clothing

It never ceases to amaze me how Christians expect non Christians to behave like Christians. Or to expect the government to do the work of the church, as opposed to putting the interests of our country ahead of citizens of other nations.

What the preacher from Texas said in this article is spot on, declaring how Christians shouldn't choose to vote on a candidate based on perceived morality, but for the candidate who will do the best job governing the country and protecting the rights and interests of its citizens. He explains it better than I can.

Every election cycle you see candidates paying lip service to the church, then after election day their words and deeds are nothing but an abomination to the Lord God of the universe. And time after time, so many Christians allow themselves to be fooled. 

To call out one non Christian politician for not being familiar with the Bible seems petty, when so many politicians in Washington are so obviously corrupt and act in such illicit ways, proclaiming obvious lies, and working to personally benefit from their power and position.

The Bible says to pray for your leaders. It also says to judge not. This morning I am hearing a lot of "but he said he was a Christian!" Judge not. Point a finger and you have three pointing back at yourself. Christians reveal themselves with their fruit.    

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

So many people I know are only looking at half of the picture, with their heads in the sand, casting a blind eye on so much of the evil going on in the country and world.

I certainly don't claim to be expert in what's going on. Sure seems like satan is running rampant in the world. For my Christian friends who rail against the current president day after day - and hardly ever share anything else about what God is doing in their lives - how was our country and the world doing when the other party was in power? Such obvious corruption and waste of American taxpayer money - how can my friends argue against exposing and correcting these things?

Should every special interest group be upset when the President doesn't bend over and cowtow to every whim of every group? You can't please all the people all of the time. There are costs to all these proposals, and many are quick to forget that the government doesn't have a blank check to pay for everything that everyone wants.

I am no expert of scripture. I'm sure there will be pharisees saying that some of these verses are being taken out of context. But certainly not all of them. 

Romans 13:1-2 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

Daniel 2:21 God changes times and seasons, he deposes kings and raises up others.

John 19:11 Jesus answered Pilate "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given to you from above". 

1 Peter 2:13-14 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human authority, whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to the governors,... 

Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will give an account.

Proverbs 8:15 By Me kings reign.