Churches Attended and Visited in 2018

Worship Services (21 of 52)
January 7 -- Absent (Ran the 111th Anniversary Jackson Day 9K, Arabi, LA)
January 14 -- Absent (Paced Waverly in the Chevron Houston Marathon, Houston, TX)
January 21 -- Visited Church Project, The Woodlands, TX (Jason Shepperd)
January 28 -- Absent (Announced Hot Chocolate 15K and 5K, Houston, TX)
February 4 -- Absent
February 11 -- Visited University Heights Baptist Church, Huntsville, TX (Richard Rogers)
February 18 -- Absent (Announced Galveston Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K, Galveston, TX)
February 25 -- Visited Church Project, The Woodlands, TX (Jason Shepperd)
March 4 -- Visited Celebration Church of The Woodlands, The Woodlands, TX (Frankie Mazzapica)
March 11 -- Visited Church Project, The Woodlands, TX (Hans Molegraaf)
March 18 -- Absent (Ran Silver Classic 5K in Killeen and attended Mississippi State at Baylor MBKB)
March 25 -- Visited Church Project, The Woodlands, TX (Jason Shepperd)
April 1 -- Visited Church Project, The Woodlands, TX (Jason Shepperd)
April 8 -- Visited Church Project, The Woodlands, TX (Dave Edwards)
April 15 - Visited Central Baptist Church, College Station, TX (Chris Osborne)
April 22 - Absent (Attended TCU at Baylor BB)
April 29 - Absent (Ran Texas 10 Sienna in Missouri City)
May 6 - Absent (Attended Silo District Marathon in Waco)
May 13 - Attended Grand Oaks BAPTIST Church, Spring, TX (Sandy Baird)
May 20 - Visited First Baptist Church of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK (Chris Mathews)
May 27 - Absent (Ran Gabriel Lee Friedline Memorial Run 5K in Schellsburg, PA)
June 3 -- Visited Church Project, The Woodlands, TX (Jason Shepperd)
June 10 - Absent (Announced Sylvan Beach Triathlon and Duathlon, La Porte, TX)
June 17 - Absent (Dad didn't go to church and Waverly was working in Children's Church)
June 24 - Absent (Ran 19th annual Rumford Lions/Scott Gorham 5K, East Providence, RI)
July 1 - Visited First Baptist Church of El Paso, El Paso, TX (Dr. Mark Rotramel)
July 8 -- Visited Church Project, The Woodlands, TX (Tierce Green)
July 15 -- Visited Church Project, The Woodlands, TX (Trace Howard)
July 22 - Absent (Needed sleep in Wichita, KS instead of getting up early and driving to Rogers, AR as planned to attend the First Baptist Church of Rogers)
July 29 - Visited Church Project, The Woodlands, TX (George Booth)
August 5 - Visited Church Project, The Woodlands, TX (Jason Shepperd)
August 12 - Visited Denton Bible Church, Denton, TX (Charles Stolfus)
August 19 - Visited Lakeland Baptist Church, Lewisville, TX (Donald Schmidt)
August 26 - Absent (Announced Bayou Bucket 5K)
September 2 - Absent (Slept in at the Fairfield Inn in Burleson, TX)
September 9 - Absent (Slept in at the Hampton Inn in Nacogdoches, TX)
September 16 - Absent (Returning from Amarillo, TX)
September 23 - Absent (Ran the Hokie Half Marathon, Blacksburg, VA)
September 30 - Absent (Ran Texas 10 Huntsville 5M and Bearkat Bolt 5K, Huntsville, TX)
October 7 - Absent (Announced Space City 10-Miler, Houston, TX)
October 14 - Visited Church Project, The Woodlands, TX (Jason Shepperd)
October 21 - Visited First Baptist Church of College Station, College Station, TX (Dr. Troy Allen)
October 28 - Absent (Announced Houston Half Marathon & 10K, Houston, TX)
November 4 - Absent (Ran Colt State Park Half Marathon, Bristol, RI)
November 11 - Absent (Spectated Cypress Half Marathon & 5K, Cypress, TX)
November 18 - Absent (Spectated La Porte By The Bay Half Marathon, La Porte, TX)
November 25 - Absent (Ran Run For Wellness 5K, Houston, TX)
December 2 - Absent (Ran Tyler Half Marathon, Tyler, TX)
December 9 - Absent (Attended University of Tennessee at University of Texas' women's basketball game in Austin, TX)
December 16 - Absent (Ran Santa Hustle Half Marathon, Galveston, TX)
December 23 - Absent (Staying home with Waverly, recovering from surgery)
December 30 - Absent (Slept in at the Hampton Inn in Bossier City, LA)

Church Services Listened To
1/14/18 (1/21/18) - "Instruct.Spirit.Witness.Go", Acts 1:1-11, Church Project, The Woodlands, TX (Jason Shepperd)
4/8/18 (4/14/18) - Proverbs 3:27-30, Central Baptist Church, College Station, TX (Chris Osborne)
6/3/18 (6/6/18) - Proverbs 6:12-19, Central Baptist Church, College Station, TX (Chris Osborne)
6/25/18 (6/24/18) - "Love Works To Lighten The Load", I Corinthians 13:5, First Baptist Church of El Paso (Dr. Mark Rotramel)
7/9/18 (7/8/18) - "People Matter:  Handle with Care", Leviticus 19:18, First Baptist Church of El Paso (Dr. Mark Rotramel)
7/11/18 (7/11/18 Air Date) - "Engaging Hearts and Minds In a Broken Culture", Focus on the Family
7/15/18 (7/8/18) - Proverbs 8:1-10 (Wisdom), Central Baptist Church, College Station, TX (Chris Osborne)
7/17/18 (7/8/18) - "Resting, Trusting and Waiting", Romans 8:28, First Baptist Church of Rogers, Rogers, AR (Dr. Bob Ford)
7/30/18 (7/16/18) - "God Meets Your Physical Needs, Part I", Tony Evans, The Urban Alternative.
7/30/18 (7/30/18) - "The Reality of Our Salvation" (Remembering What Not To Forget), John MacArthur, Grace To You

New Restaraunts in 2018 - 59

3B's Bill's Burgers and Beer, Spring, TX (May 4) +
Armadillo Grill, Decatur, TX (March 6)
Black Bear Saloon at Bradley Airport, Hartford, CT (November 4)
Bottlecap Alley Icehouse Grill, Corsicana, TX (March 12)
Brookstreet BBQ, Sugar Land, TX (November 5)
Bubba's BBQ and Steakhouse, Ennis, TX (March 19)
Café Texan, Huntsville, TX (March 16)
Cajun Tex, Marshall, TX (October 6)

Canyon Creek Cafe, Houston, TX (March 10) +
Cotton Patch Café, Ennis, TX (March 27)
Crust Pizza Co., Spring, TX (June 9) +
Delight, El Paso, TX (June 30)
Dolli's Diner, Nacogdoches, TX (July 14) ++

El Campesino, Altoona, TX (May 27)
El San Luis Mexican Cafe, Athens, TX (August 25)
El Sombrero Mexican Restaraunt, Kilgore, TX (March 3)
Falcone's Pizzeria, Oklahoma City, OK (August 24) ++
Farmhouse Restaurant, Van, TX (January 27) +

Fire Pit Junction, Victoria, TX (July 6)
Harvey Washbangers, College Station, TX (March 24) +
Health Camp, Waco, TX (April 22)
Herby K's Restaurant, Shreveport, LA (December 29)
Italian Village, Corsicana, TX (October 4)
Jack and Dorothy's Cafe, Stephenville, TX (June 9)
Jalapeno Tree, Tyler, TX (December 26)
Jefe's Mexican Restaurant, Wichita Falls, TX (September 1)

Julio's Mexican Restaurant, Rosehill, TX (September 14)
Jungle Burger, Sherman, TX (September 1)
Just 4 Fun Restaurant, Plainview, TX (September 15)
Kreuz Market, Bryan, TX (March 17)
La Presa Mexican Restaraunt, Spring, TX (May 5)

Little Napoli Italian Cuisine, Houston, TX (January 13) +
Logan's Roadhouse, Weatherford, TX (February 21)
Lucky Strike Restaurant, Chicopee, MA (June 23) +
Mi Rancho Mexican Grill, Spring, TX (March 18)
Mission BBQ, Roanoke, VA (September 23)

New Day Café, Joplin, MO (May 19)
Oma's Jiffy Burger, Waxahachie, TX (February 3) +
Palio's Pizza Café, Hickory Creek, TX (May 9)
Pappo's Pizzeria & Brewco, Springfield, MO (May 18) +
Peacock's Restaurant, Stephenville, TX (June 8) +

Plan B Burger Bar, Springfield, MA (June 22) +
Red Rose Pizzeria, Springfield, MA (June 22) ++
Rizo's Mexican Restaurant, Alamogordo, NM (July 1)
Rosa's Cafe & Tortilla Factory, Weatherford, TX (May 3)
Scotty's Brewhouse, Waco, TX (August 10) +
Simos Diner, Houston, TX (November 20)

Skinny J's, North Little Rock, AR (July 20) ++
Soulman's BBQ, Van, TX (December 27)
Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen, Houston, TX (November 13)
Taco Mayo, Bridgeport, TX (January 25)
Taylor Cafe, Taylor, TX (October 17)
Texas Legends Steakhouse, Madisonville, TX (September 17)
The Hungry Goat's Kitchen, Pawtucket, RI (June 23) +
The Original Joey O's, Corinth, TX (January 3)

TJ's Burger House, Wichita, KS (July 21)
Twisted Root Burger Company, Waco, TX (August 19)
Villa Grande Mexican Restaurant, Denton, TX (October 3)
Walls BBQ, Huntsville, TX (February 26)

Books Read in 2018 - 22

"My Boys and Girls Are In There:  The 1937 New London Explosion" by Ron Rozelle (post-Christmas 2017 purchase)
"Run To Glory:  The Story of Eric Liddell" by Ellen Caughey (birthday gift from Waverly)
"Choosing Donald Trump" by Stephen Mansfield (Christmas money purchase)
"Ask The Question:  Why We Must Demand Religious Clarity From Our Presidential Candidates" by Stephen Mansfield (purchased originally in late April 2016)
"Chasing Space:  An Astronaut's Story of Grit, Grace and Second Chances" by Leland Melvin (gift from Waverly)
"Beyond Just Win:  The Story of G.A. Moore / Texas High School Football's No. 1 Coach" by Ed Housewright
"15 to 28:  A Story of God's Love, Power and Redemption" by Matt Deggs (February 7, 2018 purchase)
"The Baseball Life of Willie Mays" by Lee Greene (published in 1972; will send to Kevin's boys)
"When Life Grabs You By The Baseballs" by Jon Peters with Ginger Kolbaba  (Finished July 5)
"The Republic Of Football:  Legends of the Texas High School Game" by Chad Conine (Finished July 15)
"Liftoff:  The Tank, the Storm and the Astros' Improbably Ascent to Baseball Immortality" by Brian T. Smith (Finished July 23)
"African-American Athletes in Arkansas" by Evin Demirel (Finished August 3)
"Never Die Easy:  The Autobiography of Walter Payton" by Walter Payton with Don Yaeger (Finished August 20)
"Season Of Saturdays:  A History of College Football in 14 Games" by Michael Weinreb (Finished August 20)
"Astroball:  The New Way To Win It All" by Ben Reiter  (Finished August 26)
"Remember Why You Play: Faith, Football, and a Season to Believe" by David Thomas (Finished September 19)
"Pre: The Story of America's Greatest Running Legend, Steve Prefontaine" by Tom Jordan (Finished September 22)
"Women Who Run" by Shanti Sosienski (Finished October 16)
"The Leftovers:  Basketball, Betrayal, Baylor and Beyond" by Matt Sayman (Finished October 31)
"Thirty-Three Years of Running in Circles" by Rand Mintzer (Finished November 2)
"Without A Word:  How A Boy's Unspoken Love Changed Everything" by Jill Kelly (Finished December 17)
"Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History" by Katy Tur (December 20)

Tap Out Ten; December 17, 2018

Tap Out Ten. 

It is something I started awhile back and that is to simply recap the day in a span of ten minutes.

It is nothing revolutionary, but just a sort of a dump of the day.

I'm in the process of starting another project within the job that I have. 

It will be totally different, but it is going to stretch my management capabilities.

I’m thankful to have it and I’m sure that I’ll be in a position to work as hard as my daughter has this entire school year as a first-year teacher.

It has been a challenging experience for her, but I’m sure that she’ll be wiser for it when everything is said and done.

Had a really good half marathon yesterday in Galveston. 

Basically had a personal best for a non-downhill course, but I’m not jumping up and down over it. 

It is just something in life to enjoy being given the ability to accomplishment and to be able to share it with friends and family who celebrate it with me.

My friend Leanne tried to get me to run five miles this morning with her and a couple of the runners in her sub-group within Volte, but I was still a little beat up from Sunday’s race.

I didn’t even have the alarm set to meet them for their 5 a.m. start in The Woodlands.

Sunday was good, but I didn’t get over to see my Mom and Dad like I normally do.

As we continue to deal with having lost my sister almost five years ago, I realize that I need to spend more time with them because we’re all not guaranteed tomorrow.

While working on cleaning up my office a little bit today, other than finding $100 in two birthday cards from this January, I noticed that my grandmother had called from her cell phone.

My parents talk to her every day at 7:30 p.m. Central time.

I didn’t realize that she had called at 5:30 p.m. until almost 6:30 p.m.

I called my parents to make sure there wasn’t some issue that they were aware of that they hadn’t told me about yet.

I then called her and we talked for about 20 minutes.  (She hadn’t tried to call me so not sure what happened or took place, so I’ll just believe that God determined that I needed to call her.)

She’s been amazing my entire life for me, but for her to be 93 – going on 94 in April – and to have lived almost five years alone – with a lot of help that she’s grateful for, of course – after my grandfather passed away three months after my sister did – is amazing.

The birthday money?

Well, I treated myself to five books ffrom Barnes & Noble in The Woodlands that I will read, but I finished my first book in a little while in Jill Kelly’s “Without A Word: How A Boy’s Unspoken Love Changed Everything” – the story about her and Jim Kelly’s son, Hunter, who passed away with Krabbe’s Disease at the age of eight.