In My Personal Opinion

 A collection of my thoughts, beliefs and facts: 

Sanford and Son is the greatest sitcom of all time. 

Hank Aaron is the greatest baseball player of all time.

Chicago is the greatest band of all time.

70s music is the best. 

God will not keep people alive for the sole purpose of torturing them.

I am a happy Episcopalian.  

The trumpet is the greatest instrument. 

The Confederate/Rebel flag represents blatant racism. 

Key lime is the best pie.

Alaska is the prettiest state.

Running does not hurt your knees. 

Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead and lives today. 

Banana with peanut butter and honey is the best snack. 

Daughters are the greatest. 

Georgia is a blue state.

Robert Duvall is the greatest actor. 

It’s past time for a legitimate third party to rise up in America. 

Being the baby in the family is the best. 

Sugar is the devil. 

Cancer sucks. 

Retirement is not for everybody. 

Golf is the most frustrating game to play. 

Siri is dumb. 

Vanilla is the best flavor. 

Common sense is no longer common. 

Lee University sports is fun. 

Fall is the best season. 

Satan is not omnipresent. 

All lives don’t matter until black lives matter. 

If you feel the need to prove that you’re a prophet, you’re no prophet  

Pete Maravich was ahead of his time.

Cremation is the way to go.

TV preachers are for entertainment purposes only.

Legalism has pushed many people away from Christ. 

I’m an American. I’m a Christian. They are two separate things.

Vitamins are overrated. 

Ice cream is a little touch of heaven  

Jogging is not a sport. 

Lose and loose. Figure it out. 

Hair is overrated. 

I want a Boston Marathon tattoo one day.

The Apostle is my favorite movie. 

I want a hot tub at home. 

I miss my Mom and Dad and my sister. 

Roswell, Georgia was a pretty cool hometown.

Good onion rings are hard to find.

Everybody says the media is evil but they allow it to influence their decisions anyway. 

It’s ok to let that person go who is not loyal. 

Most of the Bible is symbolism. 

I love the smell of burning peat in Ireland.

Cats are better than dogs.  

I am affirming and an ally. 

A choir with a full orchestra is the best music in church.

Travel is a great education. 

I am in favor of health care for all. 

Most Americans don’t understand “freedom of speech.”

The ball will never go in the hole if you putt it short. 

We only have one body and we should take care of it. 

Climate change is real and man contributes to it. 

Cussing is not using the Lord’s name in vain.

The most evil men I know dress in a suit and tie.

Don’t read the comments! 

Maintaining weight is much harder than losing weight. 

A woman should be able to hold any office in the church. 

The Fruit of the Spirit is not something we strive for, it is proof of being a Christian.

People can’t be “pro-life” and be for the death penalty.

It’s not always best to let that car turn in front of you. 

I am for healthcare for all. 

We need a national lottery to help pay for public 4 year college for everyone.

Baseball is the greatest sport.

Mountains are better than the beach.

Pineapple belongs on pizza.

Don’t hang on to “friends” who are not good for you. Let them go!

Take care of God’s creation. 

Social media is a blessing and a curse.

I love to cruise! 

God promised to supply your need, not your greed! 

Politics do not belong in church. 

24 hour “news” channels have ruined TV.

I love history. 

Music is a gift from God. 

The most honest man in politics is Bernie Sanders. 

I hate Atlanta traffic with a passion. 

I love my grandsons very much.

I worry about my friends who have fallen down the conspiracy theory hole. 

I am in favor of changing the Atlanta Braves to the Atlanta Hammers on honor of Hank Aaron.

I am an ex-evangelical. 

Most scriptures are used out of context.

I am pro-woman! 

I like my Christmas music on the traditional side.

“The Messiah” is an anointed music piece. 

My Mama loved me. 

I have no want for a yard to keep up. 

I enjoy sarcasm. 

The best gift is spending time with those you love. 

I collect Starbucks city/country mugs.

I fully support Lee University from those who seek to destroy it in the name of “holiness.”

I enjoy sleeping. 

Every downtown in America is “historic.”

I don’t care for cutesy, cool nicknames for churches. 

It’s time for electronic strike zone in Major League Baseball. 

If your windshield wipers are on, your headlights should automatically come on. 

You are only responsible for what you can control.

There should be better gun control in the USA. 

I love a liturgical worship experience. 

Christianity was not intended to be used as a power tool against those who believe differently from you.

N.T. Wright is my favorite theologian. 

I am so happy that my immediate family is basically on the same page politically. 

The biggest regret of my life was spanking my children. 

The 2nd regret is that I didn’t get a degree for a career that I would have enjoyed. 

I totally understand people who are “deconstructing their Christianity.”

Lee Harvey Oswald didn’t act alone.

My great-grandfather held slaves  I’m not proud. 

A voice has saved me 2 times in my life. Angel? God? Don’t know  

Social Media is both a blessing and a curse. 

When I was a kid, I saw Dr Martin Luther King on a street corner in Atlanta.

My childhood phone number was 4080. That’s it! 4 digits. 

There are 127 humans that call me “Uncle Eddie.” 

I wrote  book about my life transformation called “All My Strength.” 

The original Braves stadium was called “Atlanta Stadium,” not Fulton County.

Evolving Faith

Ironically, just using the word “evolving” already shows an evolution in my faith. It is true that God never changes but for many of us, our understanding of God changes based on how we were brought up and where He is leading us in our beliefs. I was brought up in a fairly strict Pentecostal environment. I am 64 years old and have evolved in my faith in many areas of theology. The way I have evolved is away from a God who is looking for any and every way possible to “getcha” to a God of love and One who is looking for any and every way to “love ya.” 

I will follow up this blog with some specifics and explanations about my beliefs in other blogs. I do know that many of my family and friends will disagree with some of my findings but, that’s OK. We don’t fall out of fellowship for attempting to grow in our faith and discovering beliefs that are contrary to how we were brought up. Most of my evolution came about by simply thinking “that doesn’t sound like a loving God.” From that point, I would study and seek out counsel in what was disturbing me. Sometimes I got help and sometimes, I didn’t. I have found myself becoming more liberal in my theology, not to be confused with the political term “liberal.” But, if understanding more about the love of God and who He really is makes me liberal, then, so be it. God is not out to get you. He is out to love you! He loves you with an everlasting and unconditional love. It is not His will that ANY perish. Jesus says for us to come to Him, all of us who are weary and He will give us rest. He invites each one of us to His table to sup with Him. Break the bread and partake of the wine. 

Like I mentioned, I will follow up this blog with some of my new found thoughts. Keep in mind, I am not preaching to you in a way that I think my way is right and your way is wrong. I am simply wanting to share with you some things I found. Please let me know if you are reading and are interested in reading more about my evolving faith. 

It's a New Year.....again!

My Momma always told me "son, the older you get, the faster time goes." She wasn't wrong! 2015 was a wonderful year in so many ways for me. There is not enough room and I don't want to bore you with every detail so let me give you the "Reader's Digest" version.

I was blessed with good health and didn't miss a beat with running workouts and races. The races I completed included five 5ks, three 10ks and seven half marathons. I added races in Arkansas, Indiana, Nevada, Arizona and Maryland giving me an official race in 30 states now.

Family life has been great with one exception. Missi and Justin moved to Charlotte. That means my grandboys are not close by. More importantly, they are healthy and doing great! If you are my friend on social media, you see lots of pictures of them as they are growing up. Tiffany is still in Cincinnati working with Restavek Freedom Foundation which is an organization that helps children in Haiti. You should look them up and support them! Marie is teaching and loving her job in Nashville after moving there from Chapel Hill, NC. It's nice to have her closer to home. Cathy is in her 28th year at Primerica and is a VP there and is enjoying quilting. I had a good year in Real Estate and am looking for an even better year. You know where to find me if you need my services!

Goals for 2016 include running more, of course. I hope to add a few more states and run over 1,000 miles again. I am going to become a vegetarian for the year and will drink more water! One more thing. I hope to finish my book called "Directing My Paths." It will be a continuation of "All My Strength."

Most of all, loving my neighbor as myself. What if I just did that all year?

Happy New Year, everybody!!

Marriage, a flag and Poppy

If you follow me on social media, you are aware that my daughter, Missi, and her family moved to Charlotte a few weeks ago. Her oldest son, who is 3, is Finley. He came to visit with us last week for 6 whole days. Poppy and Gimi were so excited that he got to spend quality time with us. He is such a smart little boy who is also very affectionate. We had so much fun.



My favorite thing that happened last week was every morning, Finley would slowly come down the stairs and quietly say "Hi, Poppy." Then, he crawled into my lap and snuggled for a while and would always say "I love you, Poppy." There is nothing, no nothing better than that. I can't explain the joy it brings to me. He is so loving and it pleases me.

My next favorite thing was going to the swimming pool. He is not an experienced swimmer. In fact, he hasn't been to a pool very many times in his young life. He really liked jumping in the water into my arms, totally trusting that his Poppy was going to catch him and he would be safe. He never hesitated. Over and over again, he jumped into my arms. He loved playing in the water having faith that I would take care of him.

What does this have to do with a week full of news about marriage and a flag? I believe as Finley has treated me this week, we are to treat our Poppy the same. Love people and love Poppy. It pleases Him when He hears us say "Hi Poppy." It pleases Him when we jump into His arms and say "I love you, Poppy." With child-like faith, in the midst of the troubled waters, He wants us to jump into His arms and know that we are safe. There is nothing more important than this in our lives.

Mark 10:15  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

Spring time!

One of the reasons I love North Georgia is the change of seasons. Yes, it has been cold and messy for much of the Winter but that makes me appreciate the Spring even more. The best thing about Spring for me is it is the beginning of running season. The mornings are cool and the afternoon is warm. We do have to battle thunderstorms from time to time but for the most part, give me Spring in North Georgia!

Just like last year, I have a goal of running 1,000 miles for the year. Just like last year, January and February started off slowly. And, just like last year, it's time to log a bunch of miles. I have several races lined up and am looking at adding to my total of 25 states in which I have run a race. I am thinking about Indiana and Michigan in May and Nevada and Arizona in the Fall. If I can run 4 states this year, I'll be pretty excited about that.

I am also looking forward to playing with my grandsons this Spring. They love to run and play and I love being with them. There isn't anything better than play time with Finley and Jonah. They are full of life and hard to keep up with. I am looking forward to seeing them grow up. They will be good brothers.

Spring time!

Interview on Connect Run Club podcast

I don't have a lot to say in this blog other than I was interviewed by the Connect Run Club for a series of podcasts they broadcast. I was honored to be included with people like the great runner Jeff Galloway and the editor of Runner's World Magazine, Bart Yasso.

So, here is the podcast:

http://www.connectrunclub.com/podcast/

Turning SIXTY!!

This December, I turn 60. You want to know something? I am not depressed about it one bit. In fact, I am very excited about life in my 60s. I didn't like turning 40 or 50 but 60 is not bothering me.....seriously! For one thing, I am more healthy and fit today than when I was 30 and maybe even 20. I don't know how I will feel about turning 70 but it beats the alternative of not reaching it. 

In the next 10 years, I will have a wonderful career in real estate. I will continue to run and hopefully complete my goal of running a race in all 50 states. I will be half way through by the time I turn 60 this December. I am celebrating my 60th birthday by running a full marathon in San Antonio, Texas. If you would have told me that when I turned 50, I would have called you nuts! 

I will see my grandboys go from 2 and 3 to 12 and 13. Wow! I can't imagine the fun we're going to have over the next 10 years. I have plans to do some hiking with my daughters. Cathy and I will probably continue to cruise. That's what old people do anyway, right? We will find our retirement home some time in this next 10 years. Cathy will retire from a long, productive career with Primerica. We'll start getting Social Security too. It's going to be a great 10 years! 

It is going to be exciting! Yes, there are fears of losing some family members and friends along the way. It is inevitable. There are no guarantees for any of us. I pray that my children and grandchildren will be healthy during this time. I pray for His will in each of our lives. 

Yep, I'm turning 60 this December. I'm ready for it!