Long Weekend

But it never seems long enough, when you get to be with people that you like and love. Had a great dinner with my in-laws Thursday, went to HS football game Friday night (Hibriten lost a tough one to end the season.) Had friends over last night for BBQ chicken ( you would have thought it was prepared by someone who was on Top Chef, the way people raved) and then lunch at Moms today.

After some rough times, it feels like my family (my brothers and I) are together again. I guess it is just a process in life and people go through different things at different times. You can't know what is happening in their lives, only yours. I am very glad that we are at ease with one another again. Hope it continues, we are all very lucky.

Go under the knife on Tuesday and I am a little apprehensive. I guess it is always a little scary when someone else is control. I guess in a way there is always someone else in control. You just need to be able to realize that and understand that you can only control certain things and pray that the things you can't control come out alright.

Heels looked sharp, even without Tyler H. I hope he plays Wed. night and hope the Hospital has ESPN. If not, I will go to fall back plan and listen to Woody.

Who's fault is it

I would like an answer to this question, but maybe I don't. It could be that it is a little of all our our faults. We have forgotten the past and we may be re-living some of it. Here is a column that was sent to me last week and I would like to share it with you:

Troubling Times Provide a Real Lenten Season

By Alan Eddington

While I have been hearing and reading various opinions regarding whether or not our national financial situation should be a matter addressed by organized religion and church leaders, I would submit that this topic could be richly rewarding for individual spiritual direction and meditation, as well as family and small group discussion.

For me, a meaningful and vibrant faith life must include the dynamic interplay between my life and the societal conditions in which I live. One of the societal conditions affecting my life is the economy of my community, my country and my world. So when this economy takes a significant down-turn, as it recently has, how do I deal with this reality in my faith life?

One of the centuries-old ‘spiritual practices’ of Christianity is the observance of a time of Lent. Traditionally, this is a 40-day period of fasting and withdrawal, modeled upon Jesus’ time of fasting and prayer in the desert, and occurs during the six weeks leading up to the Celebration of the Paschal Mysteries. The Christian Lenten observances in many instances, however, are what I would call ‘trial runs’ or ‘drills.’ It is an artificial time, a time when we try to impose upon ourselves, to greater or lesser success, what it is like to endure a period of denial and hardship, and how this impacts our spiritual foundation. I would submit that for people of faith, we now have a real time in our lives to grapple with denial and hardship. This will also be a time without the artificial boundary of 40 days, but rather, will last for a season, which is the true meaning of the Scriptural references of “40,” be it called to the mountain top for 40 days, or wandering in the desert for 40 years, or withdrawing into the desert for 40 days. For as long as this financial condition exists, that will be how long our ‘Lent” will last.

In these Scriptural Lenten seasons, what happens to the individual(s), and what is the result upon their lives? Two predominant factors seem to be present at the outset: a) God, Yahweh, the Father beckons them, and b) there is significant lack of clarity and understanding, ‘blindness’ if you will, around what is happening and what is to happen. It is after one has ‘drawn apart’ to grapple with the confusion and blindness within a setting of faith and constant prayer, that there emerges purpose and direction and peace-full confidence, that is to say, an authentic metanoia.

I would apply this spiritual tradition to our current economic situation. Perhaps the loudest collective clarion call resounding at the moment is, “Who can we blame?!” “It’s those greedy Wall Street tycoons!” “It’s those tax-and-spend liberal Democrats!” “It’s those laissez-faire, trickle-down economics Republicans!” But just how far beyond our own selves should we push this question of, “Who’s to blame?” This is the question that I would take with me into the desert, to grapple with vis-à-vis my faith principles, and to critically examine just how much of the ‘blame’ resides within my own life-style.

Just how tempting is that “apple” of a new home beyond our reasonable means? How tempting is that over-accessorized, gas-guzzling vehicle? How much will-power and self-control is there, when browsing the latest electronic gadgets at Best Buy? To what extent are the ‘good steward’ principles being practiced, when it comes to time, talent and treasure? Is financially responsible behavior, or extravagant spending, receiving the accolades of peers, and thus driving my fiscal decision-making?

Having taken stock of my own financial attitude and behavior, I have to ask, “What needs to happen in the living of my life that will be a truer reflection of my spiritual principles?” This is where I need to pray intently and intensely without ceasing, for guidance and clarity, and for the fortitude and resolve to act upon the answers to my prayer.

I do believe that we are being presented with a real opportunity to withdraw for a season of fasting and prayer. I do believe that this is a real opportunity for growth and insight. I do believe that this is a real opportunity for churches and church leaders to be credibly relevant!

© The Barrick Report, 2008.

Alan Eddington is a retired parish priest. He writes from his home in southern Illinois.

Published in:

• Christian Living

on November 21, 2008 at 12:52 pm

My wonderful wife said we have been through such a period in our lives, a time when I was not functioning at my highest (it it possible for me to function any lower?) We survived and we have grown closer. We don't require a lot to live and we don't have a lot of wants. Maybe a path to a simpler life will help us get through tough times as a country. I think we are about to find out!

I am guilty, however of wanting more TarHeel basketball victories and another National Championship. Go Heels!

It's the most wonderful time of the year

Yes that's right, it is the start of college basketball! Heels had their first game and even though they were a little rusty and playing without two senior starters they won easily. I think this team can be very special, especially if they stay healthy and un-selfish. We will know for sure in early April.

I am working out hard, preparing for my hip replacement. I want to be as strong as possible, in hopes of helping my re-hab. I think my entire outlook will improve after getting rid of the pain. It isn't constant but it flares up every time I put it under stress. I know it won't be as good as new but should be better than what I have now.

Still watching HS football and the Hibriten Panthers have a real shot at going to the 2AA finals and the scary part is they may be even better next year. They have a few seniors but a really strong group of soph's. They have a young man named Trip Patterson that could be a serious DI athlete. Several others that are almost that good and a solid O-line.

Have my eyes set on the Apps and hope they make it back to Chattanooga. My goal is to be well enough to make that trip. Should have the staples out and back on my feet. It is good to have goals.

Who took the joy?

Today should have been a really great day for my staff and I. We had a huge announcement yesterday, $50 million in new investment and 200 jobs ain't to shabby for a small town. Instead, I feel tired and rung out.

I can't really put a finger on the cause, perhaps it is the recent election and the trauma brought on my this. It may be a cumulative effect of juggling so many balls for so long. Maybe it is the pain in my soon to be replaced hip or maybe I am just naturally grumpy. Whatever the cause, I find myself unable to enjoy the moment and this makes me sad.

I hope the situation improves after my surgery and the new commissioners get settled. I think I will have a better handle on what they expect and how they will govern. I hope they will give us the tools we need to continue to succeed and let us do our job. Just for those keeping score, in the last 23 months, the EDC has announced 2250 jobs and $703 million in new investment. Thanks to all the allies that made this possible. The list is long but this couldn't have happened without a great deal of support.

Caldwell 20/20 in focus

I finally got to see a copy of a proposal prepared for Caldwell County by a consultant from Atlanta ( i understand why they kept it so close for so long). The purpose was to determine what could be done to help the county move forward, into the new economy. For $150 k, they got exactly what I expected. The consultant proposes a public/private partnership, doing away with the current EDC, the City of Lenoir's EDC and replacing it with a new organization, managed by a board, directed by a high paid CEO and adding a worker bee and another staff person. This great accomplishment is going to be accomplished for only two times the costs of our current efforts.

I guess it is a little difficult for me to be objective but I think the EDC has functioned extremely well over the last two years (or thereabouts since it has been under my care.) We have announced numerous projects, lots of investment, we have a retention/expansion program, a new web site, a new marketing campaign, new GIS site (in March), a green commission (set up by the county commissioners) and a new workforce development program. I say, give us the $450 K and let us hire a couple of staff people, get these folks who seem to know everything involved and lets see what happens.

Their new structure will probably work after 12 or 15 months, after they hire their CEO, a new staff and the community gets used to them. Can this community really afford to give up 15 months of effort. I don't think so and I hope there are others that think like me. My biggest problem will be expressing my opinion Friday, without losing my temper. Stay tuned for the results.

Just Go Away

I had hoped that after the election the Gov from Alaska would simply ride off into the midnight sun. She isn't going quietly and much is the pity. She is playing the poor misunderstood, mistreated card for all it is worth. I may be blogging in my PJ's but it doesn't make my thoughts on the matter any less relevant than the fine reporters on many of the national news programs.

I have listened to her attacks, I have heard her gaffs and I am sick to death of hearing her blame everyone else for her failures. Let's just get it out in the open. She let her ego get in the way of her decision making process and she dove in way over her head. She was not ready for national politics, she was unprepared and she did not help the Republican ticket. I hope she runs again and is as unprepared the next time or better yet, let her have her own right-wing TV or radio program. She can then spew all the venom she likes without worrying about the facts. After all, why let the facts get in the way of a good story

This is still America, isn't it?

As if the local election had not caused enough consternation, I got a warning today that I had better be careful about my blog, that the Republicans might not like it. This came in a round about way after one of my few blog readers talked to this unnamed person about it over the weekend. I think he finds it amusing and he was sharing the humor (at least that's what I hope) The un-named source is very far right and would not be amused by my muse and there is the rub.

I am still very concerned by the local election and what it could mean to my job. I have heard from two of the elected that they have no plans to be any thing but supportive. I will take them at their word. I, however, don't think my writing on this blog, done in my home, on my own time should ever come into question. As long as I am not slanderous or disrespectful of this group, then what is the problem. Maybe I am naive but as I proved a few post ago, I have read the first amendment and know what it says. That I have the right of freedom of expression as long as I don't impinge on others. I respect others rights to do the same, I just don't have to agree with them. That is what makes America great!

Post Election Blah's

The election is over, winter is on the way and I am three weeks away from hip replacement surgery. There are more than a few things on my plate to keep my thoughts from wandering: Will I have a job after the new commissioners take office Dec 1? They made a lot of noise about making changes in my department and beefing up the efforts. I have to ask the question: exactly what do they want? If they want someone to promise hundreds of new jobs and tons of new investment, they have the wrong person. They can certainly find someone that will make those promises but delivery is a different issue. There are too many variables in today's economy to guarantee results. What I promise is that we will be positioned to make a run at new companies, we will market the area aggressively and leave no stone unturned in our efforts. I don't believe they will find anyone with more passion, knowledge of the local market, warts and all. I hope common sense prevails and not political gamesmanship.

Basketball season is just around the corner. I find it curious that my beloved Heels throttle UNCP and the headline in Charlotte Disturber reads: Heels weakness exposed. They won by 40 without the NPOY for heavens sake. Yes I know the battle on the boards was closer than it should be but this will be corrected and the missing parts will be back on the court soon. Heels will be a handful and it will take either an extraordinary effort by someone or a really off night to beat them.

Hibriten Panthers are the number three seed and maybe the best 2AA football team in the West. Time will tell and even if they are, Reidsville looms as the "Beast of the East" I am very proud of the efforts of the players and impressed that the coaching staff has started to show some flexibility after several years of being stubborn.

On a less upbeat note, I have been emailing with some of the Chowan Football coaching staff. It seems that their stories change quicker than the weather. I am sorry to see my son's football career seemingly come to a halt but am still puzzled by the many mixed signals he received from this school. I mean, they doubled his football money, he was first team throughout the spring, the line coach had good things to say about him, he worked his tail off during the summer and he was demoted to 4th team before the first day of fall practice. This was not a powerhouse and the players they played in front of him were either freshmen, retreads from other positions or imports from their previous program.

The only answer I received and the only one I will likely ever get was that both Jacob and I were under "mis-perceptions" and that he really shouldn't have been a starter last year. I was told he was a good player on paper but couldn't sustain blocks in their new offense. I would like to point out that the players on the field couldn't only not hold their blocks, they couldn't get to the defensive players to slow them down. I hate to be told a line of BS and would have a great deal more respect if they just told me that they didn't want him on the team because they felt he was a link to the past. If this year is any example of what the school can expect in the future, then this group will soon be the past and I hope forgotten as a bad dream. It will, however, come to late to help my son or the other players along with him that have been ignored, bullied and forgotten on the sidelines during this miserable campaign. One last note, after professing to be all about making sure the athletes received and education, one of the coaches had the audacity to complain about Jacob missing practice due to him having a late afternoon class. These are student athletes and earning a degree is what it is all about! He questioned how committed he was to the team. I ask how committed are they to producing quality young men? My respect level has sunken below the point of no return and come December, Jake can shake the dust from his feet. I hope the AD steps up and takes care of the other returning players, as they might not be so lucky to have other options.

Life in a small town

The election is over and things are starting to sink in. Caldwell County, NC is probably one of if not the most Republican County in the US. It is about 63% registered republican and it votes that way.

Thus, good people, people who could make a difference to this county, who are registered Democrats or Independents have a very difficult time getting elected. I think it probably has something to do with the area being sheltered in earlier times and it has retarded the growth of a two party system here. I hope that the three commissioners that were recently elected realize that having allies in Raleigh is a good thing and we must reach out to them to continue to successfully build our economy.

I think Pres. elect Obama ( I really enjoyed writing that) is off to a good start on setting up his government and it appears that he is reaching across the aisles to put the right people in the right positions. I pray that he is successful and that we can once again be the United States of America.

Tonight is the Night

That I hope starts our country on a different track. We have elected a man that I believe has the chance to unify our country. I hope that we look to him to provide leadership and that the masses aren't looking for a handout but are heartened by his story and say, I now have the opportunity to become more than I ever thought possible. If this happens, we can see a turnaround in the attitudes of our population. I will say a prayer tonight that this is what will happen.

As great as this makes me feel, I am disheartened by our local race for county commissioner. The group of three that ran together and all stated that they would hire a new Economic Development Director for Caldwell County were elected. I am not sure what this means for me and my family. We have had great success in the recent months and I never thought that I could be a political casualty. I will simply continue doing my job and let the chips fall where they may.

1 Day til ?

So we are almost there. There have been a lot of stories posted all over the web and so much venom and mistrust sewn that it is hard to believe that we are all one country and that on Sept 11, 2001, we were as united as we have been in 60 years. That has slipped away and tomorrow is another chance to make it right. Both candidates have talked about reaching across the aisle and making things better. If America is to be the country she once was and I hope she can be again, this must happen. The parties must settle their differences and make a stand for what is right for America and all Americans, not just the ones they agree with. We can't allow big corporations to control our government and we can't take away the ability of Americans to reach for a better life. I don't believe we should soak the rich, I also don't believe they should be able to avoid their responsibility just because they can hire better lawyers. I think our Constitution is a grand document and it is the law of the land. We, in the past have been a nation of laws and everyone knew what we stood for. That line has been blurred and it is a dangerous time. If we don't have elected leaders that check their egos at the door and do what is right not what they want, I am terribly afraid that our country's time as a world leader is numbered. Please, hold your elected officials responsible and if they don't do as they should, fire them and hire a new bunch.

That leads me to my next thought: I have read about numerous dirty tricks that people are using to take away a persons right to vote. This is one of the most reprehensible actions that I am aware of. I hear many people talk about our soldiers dying for this right and to have some cretin creep in and look for ways to disallow voters from the other side form voting is beyond my comprehension. Our society is one person, one vote. I do not have to agree with you and I probably won't but I will defend your right to say it. Anyone who is caught and convicted of this crime should be sentenced to the fullest extent of the law. If they do it and get by with it, I hope at some point they are made to pay a price for their actions. It isn't cute, it isn't funny and it should not be tolerated!

Finally, no matter which side you are on, VOTE! We as Americans have a duty to do so and if you don't then as far as I am concerned you give up your right to complain. Don't let this happen.

Go Heels! (I just thought that needed to be said)

3 Days Til ?

Haven't heard a lot of whoppers today until I heard Sen. McCain's campaign chairman say that Obamma was spending money in ND, AZ and GA because he couldn't figure how to reach 70, what he didn't say way the seventy he was looking for was 370. If the polls are to be believed and I look at the poll of polls for info to see that these states have moved to toss up status. Not only that but AR and SD have now been moved to the leaning side.

I don't think anyone knows precisely what is going on but the numbers looking increasing difficult for the McCain and Gov Sarah "if we lose I'll let my husband secede from the union" Palin to reach the 270 number. For I sake, I hope the polls are correct.