Thinking of Lyle watching Will

We had not been over to Lyle and Evette's many times. I think we went over to watch an OU game. After the game Lyle wanted to watch, The Best of Will Ferrell. Some of the clips made Evette think, "Lyle, this is our pastor and his wife!" We laughed and laughed. I still remember that laugh we reflected on nearly two years ago - that laugh that seemed to emanate from deep in the belly. Lyle's body would shake.

Today I stayed home. Despite telling Patty I did not feel too bad, she thought it unwise to subject everyone that would be in the office today to the high fever I fought last night. On Tuesdays and Thursdays our Children's Day Out meets. We have received numerous calls over the past few weeks noting someone's child was still battling the flu. Whether or not is was the flu may be debatable. What is not is the need to keep from potentially exposing children and workers just because I sometimes feel overly compelled to push it.

I caught up on some reading and writing. I had been slow posting a series on the selected title for my blog. A proposal I noted I would accomplish some time ago. I offered a post on what it was like to feel good and then suddenly be hit with a fever reaching above 104. I remembered the SNL skit with the Blue Oyster Cult and Will Ferrell. The line that came to mind, "I have a fever and the answer is more cowbell." So, in memory of my late friend and his love for laughter I posted a clip on my site.

It would have been funny to watch this one with Lyle.

Providing the Balance

I have been listed as a contributor on this blog for quite a while now, but have not posted anything until now. I am a believer in the old addage "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all." I am a believer in it, but not very good at practicing it. I just happen to be extra careful when it comes to group blogs. I have to say that I have been thinking about Lyle the last couple weeks. I have been wondering if I would be where I currently am theologically, if I still had Lyle to bounce things off of. Lyle always provided a good balance for me as I tend to jump in with both feet. He was usually there to offer a hand back out of the deep end and always without making me feel like the "greenhand" that I was. I always respected Lyle's experience. He had "been there and done that" with most of the theological wandering I was / am doing. I wonder if I would be as theologically liberal as I am right now if I still had Lyle to bounce things off of. I also wonder if I am as theologically liberal as I feel like I am. Lyle was often my counterweight on these issues. I hope I can someday help disciple someone in as kind and calm a manner as Lyle helped me.

Unfinished life

My grandma mentioned tonight that my dad had been building shutters for someone right before he died, and the other day she came across everything that he had had laid out in the barn. So many more things were left unfinished…

The week after Dad’s passing, he and mom were supposed to have started planning for their retirement through the fire department.

One time while at a craft show with Mom, Dad had seen a tire swing that looked like a horse saddle. He wanted to buy it, so that maybe by the time he was a grandpa, the trees on our land would be big enough to hang a tire swing on.

Like Todd said at the service, Dad’s death came too soon. I think that’s okay to say. I think now we are realizing more and more the things that were left unfinished, everything from shutters to time spent with family and friends…

Memorial

Today we went to the Fallen and Living Firefighters Memorial Service at the firefighters' museum to honor Dad.

The fire department has been amazing since we lost Dad, and they have considered his death one of "in the line of duty." For the memorial service, his name was listed under "supreme sacrifice," along with other Oklahoma firefighters who have died in the line of duty. He is also listed on the wall of fallen firefighters, and we got to do a pencil sketch of the engraving.

The grounds of the museum and the memorial wall are beautiful, and the Oklahoma State Firefighters' Association put on a moving, honoring service. It really is one big family, like they say...

Thinking about a phone call ...

Last night Patty and I attended Stacy's wedding. We did not make the first Tuttle High School football game. Try as we might we could not find out how the game had gone. Late in the evening we discovered the weather had interrupted the game and Tuttle was behind. They lost to Marlow 8-7.

I thought of last football season. Generally when I did not make an away game I could count on a phone call from Lyle. He would give me a run down. I missed that call last night. During home games when he was at the station he would call me to see how the game was going. If he was not at the station we would be sitting at about the 50-yard line watching his Alma Mater tee it up. I will miss the calls and my friend in the stands.

I am watching the OU game. Right now OU is tied with UAB at halftime. Again, if Lyle were not at the game he would have invited friends over to watch the game. No doubt he would be a bit disappointed OU was not up at least 21-7. Yet, he would be optimistic.

The season will be a bit longer this year.

However, I am reminded of the description in Hebrews of the great cloud of witnesses that surround us. I suspect Lyle may see the games I see from a different seat. Who knows? We'll find out one day.

A reminder ... what would he have written? ...

Charie and I shared an e-mail conversation yesterday . You can tell he read this blog from time to time as he wrote,

In my rant email yesterday I was thinking last night that it sure would be nice to have read what Lyle would have written in his blog. He and I seemed to have similar thoughts on things, while his were usually more down home and based on common sense.

This reminded me how often I too wonder what Lyle might have thought or written. I wonder if while working out and watching Fox just what he might say having read what provoked Charlie's original e-mail - Milking It?

I am not sure I could come close to putting into words Lyle's possible thoughts. Instead, Charlie simply reminded me of the various ways our friend comes to mind - with a great deal of regularity.

Living the "with God life" ...

I found some talks online with Todd Hunter and Dallas Willard. Since some come to this site due to the title and its connection with Dallas Willard's, Divine Conspiracy. I thought it not a bad idea to link to them. Go here.