More Zoo Photos

We were fascinated by the under water views at the Houston Zoo... I hope we can go visit the zoo again soon...! The weather is so nice now...!

Busy Week...

I haven't posted here for a few days... It's just been too crazy. I had a tournament here last weekend and it took every ounce of the days preceding the event to make it a success.

I have a little breathing room right now and I'm trying desperately to get caught up and then scale back my activity... -Is that possible...? The bible says with man some things are impossible, but with God All things are possible. That's an encouraging statement...!

I need to claim that promise and live in it...! Fear, doubt, and anxiety do not produce winning situations and circumstances. Oh, did I mention that I was fearful, doubtful, or anxious...?

I'm not, really. But I am weary of walking in the mud for so long. I've been bogged down with 'busyness' for way too long now. It's time to step up onto solid ground. It's time to take a leap of faith...!

But how...? And what is faith, anyway...? Heavy Questions, I know...

I'm going to try to answer those questions in the next few days. Please check back...!

Who's my inspiration today...? My inspiration today is Dr Earl Brown. He has always been a positive influence in my life. I remember he would hit with me when I was a junior player and not really at his level of expertise. He would always have a kind word of encouragement for me.

Today, over twenty years later he is still a positive influence and presence in my life, attending my tennis programs and still offering words of encouragement and advice. He is one of the smartest men I know and he is not afraid to share his faith. Thanks for the Witness, Doc...!

Thursday Politics...

Thursday is my day to write about politics. I really don't like much of what I'm seeing in politics today. Especially on the world stage. Situations and circumstances are changing so fast one can hardly keep up with what's going on.

The American media doesn't report the Truth. I'm not sure who if any news source can ever be completely trusted. But honestly, I'm afraid to be too negative in this public forum. While I want to take a stand for what I believe in I also want to remain aware of my Christian witness.

This site might be monitored regularly now by the Democrats because I slammed the Governator a few days ago...

But anyway... My mission is to be faithful to my God: Jesus Christ. My mission is to honor, protect, and provide for my family. My mission is to effect those around me for the Kingdom of God. Everything else is just details...

My Favorite Season...

Is it fall yet...? I'm not sure when Autumn officially gets here but I'm sure enjoying the cooler temperatures.

It's kinda crazy how it happened, though. I remember walking Elijah in his stroller on Monday morning. It was warm and humid... Then all of a sudden, BAM... The skies darkened and a cold front blew in and the temperature dropped from about 78 degrees to the mid 50's in a matter of seconds....

Our mornings have been cool ever since then... It's actually in the 40's outside right now... We're contemplating building a fire in the fireplace... It's been a while since I blogged by firelight...

Oh well... Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love when it starts to cool down like it is now... I love wearing sweaters or sweatshirts...

Today... I've got a busy day lined up today. I need to work on my web sites a little and then spend time on the Gran Prix Tournament. I need to research all the entries, make draws and post times. That will keep me busy pretty much the whole morning.

I'm hoping to get everything wrapped up for the tournament by Noon so I can spend the afternoon with Elijah!

That's about it for now... More tomorrow...

Coach Sam

My Inspiration For Today...

My sweet little boy Elijah is my inspiration today. I have a responsibility to care for and raise this little bundle of joy. But it is much more than a responsibility. It is indeed a privilege and honor to have a son like Elijah. I have been blessed beyond measure with this young man. He is a precious gift from God who is my ultimate inspiration...!

Today I will do the best I can do with the situations and circumstances I am given...!

Coach Sam's Health Report: I still have a scratchy throat. But I'm on the mend. Yea...! There's lots to do today in the life of Coach Sam.

Hey 'Governator': What's going on here with SB 777...?

While I'll normally stay away from controversial topics, Coach Sam just can't stay silent on this one....

An international organization promoting families says California families have no choice but to abandon the public school system after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a new "anti-discrimination" bill into law, effectively making terms like "mom" and dad" obsolete.

World Congress of Families Global Coordinator Allan Carlson said the measure, SB 777, is "a blatant attack on the natural family orchestrated by the alternative-lifestyles lobby."

The exodus call had been issued just one day earlier by Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families. "We're calling upon every California parent to pull their child out of California's public school system." "The so-called 'public schools' are no longer a safe emotional environment for children. Under the new law, schoolchildren as young as kindergarten will be sexually indoctrinated and introduced to homosexuality, bisexuality, and transsexuality, over the protests of parents, teachers and even school districts," he said.

The law at issue went through the California legislature as SB 777, and now bans in school texts and activities any discriminatory bias against those who have chosen alternative sexual lifestyles, Meredith Turney, legislative liaison for Capitol Resource Institute, said.

The World Congress noted the law prohibits "instruction" or "activity" that is perceived to "promote a discriminatory bias" against "gender," including cross-dressing and sex-change operations as well as "so-called sexual orientation."

"It will prohibit anything that suggests that the natural family – a man and a woman, married, with children – is normal or typical," said Carlson. "Thus, under this latest advance toward a Brave New World of polymorphous perversion, California textbooks will no longer be able to use words like 'mother and father' and 'husband and wife,' because they suggest that heterosexuality is the norm – even though that is manifestly the case, even in California."

The organization's statement called it "unbelievable" that teachers and students who oppose same-sex marriage and suggest homosexuality isn't innate, or disapprove of cross-dressing and sex-change operations, could be disciplined as "harassers," and students may use the restrooms designated for the gender with which they identify.

Yep... Home Schooling is looking more and more like the way to go these days...

More Later....

Status Report:

I'm feeling a little better this morning. (marginally) My poor wife is going down with a sore throat for the second time it seems, though. I pray we don't go through all this again next week!

Today is a big day for us... We have a home school camp today...! Even though I'm a little under the weather physically I'm really excited about everything that will transpire today.

I have tons of stuff to do today so I'll close for now. Hopefully I'll be up to posting some camp photos this evening...!

More later... Thanks for reading my blog!

-Coach Sam

Sick Day

Well, my body is telling me to take it easy today... My sore throat is better but I'm in no condition to teach my normal seven hour lesson schedule... I'm just resting today and trying to get as much administrative work done as I can and stay off my feet today. I may blog a little later today but for now I'm going back to bed!

As Elijah would say... Nite-Nite!

I'd Love to See More of This...

My Precious Little Baby has not been sleeping well lately. And as a result, neither have Mommy or Daddy...!

OK... I'm nursing a very sore throat today. It's going to be difficult to get very much productive done. I'll probably just try to take it easy and work from my computer most of the day and watch the weather... My voice is pretty shot for talking on the phone or coaching...

I've got a doctor's appointment this morning at 9:40 AM... Hopefully I'll get some antibiotics that will make me feel better. Then I can just go from there...

Yesterday...

I turned 42 yesterday... It was a good day. Unfortunately both Monica and I are fighting being sick... In fact I have all but completely lost my voice and very fatigued today. I'll be taking it easy this afternoon and I'm afraid I'm going to have to cancel my mens drill this evening. There's a good chance it will rain anyway... We'll see.

Right this second Elijah and I are watching television together. We're watching Cailiou...

Yesterday after church we had lunch at Miyako in Pearland. It was good. I haven't had sushi in a long time....! We ended up eating out for dinner, too... (-Johnny Carinos for those interested)

When we got home I blogged a bit. I just found a new blog site: http://christianblog.com/

I really like it and will probably be recommending it a lot in the future...

Well as for my weight... I'm still working on it. Obviously I didn't worry too much about what I ate yesterday but I didn't really over do it...

I'm holding steady at 222.2 today.

My sis stopped by to visit for a few minutes on Saturday. That was a treat. She was just in town over night for a friend's wedding. It was good to see her.

My favorite thing about my birthday yesterday was just spending time with my sweet wife!

I remember the first birthday we celebrated together about six years ago... She made me this incredible german chocolate cheese cake... Wow...! That was a Mega-Cake...!

Fun with Daddy

Here's a fun photo of Elijah and Daddy on Elijah's Birthday (2 years old)

Today is my Birthday... 42...! Yea... I'm recovering from some bronchitis and not fully 100% healthy today.

I'm eagerly anticipating church today and then afterwards a group of us from church are going to Miyako for lunch... Yea... I finally get some Japanese food....!

Then, I'm not sure how the rest of the day will turn out... But hopefully it will be good and fun like the photo above...!

Oh that Elijah...!

Last night Elijah would not sleep. Monica and I were up with him off and on until nearly 4 AM...!

I know he'll sleep late this morning. -Monica too.... So that leaves me a little tired right now, but I an very much enjoying a quiet house. -I'm going to go in to the office early and work hard until about Noon, then I'm going to take Elijah off Monica's hands for the afternoon so she can work on stuff.

We're trying to get Monica's art career back on track...! YEA!

Let's see... On Wednesdays I write about something that is one of my favorites...

Well, October is one of my favorite months...! I love the fact that it finally starts to cool off in October. I like that my birthday is in October.... I enjoy the leaves beginning to change color.... Typically, October is one of the dryest months of the year... I used to enjoy baseball playoffs but I'm not into baseball this season.

OK so there it is... Now you know a little bit more about Coach Sam than you used to know. Now go out and have yourself a great day! sc

Fun Weekend at Newk's

Two weeks ago I traveled with a group of twenty juniors to Newk's Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels for the HPTA Junior Gran Prix State Tennis Championships. Pictured here with me are three team members who also participate in the Columbia Lakes junior development program: Emily Dellinger, Jill Moss, and Ryan Beene.

It was a fun weekend. There was lots of good tennis and we had a great time at the Saturday night party. I'll be posting the video of our Karaoke Competition rendition of Village People's YMCA. (Jill was our leader, and she's great with a microphone!

I missed my family that weekend but it was still a good time and I enjoyed getting to know some of the kids and parents better.

On Tuesdays I typically write about someone who inspires me. I think I may have written about this person before but I've been thinking about him a lot lately and one of my favorite bible characters is the Apostle Paul. Paul lived such a remarkable life. To put it in a lyrical perspective 'he was running a hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction...' (Casting Crowns)

Before his life changed Paul was the greatest persecutor of Christians. Then God just knocked him to the ground and gave him a direct revelation about the error of his ways and then he became the most committed Christian and greatest Evangelist of all time. It is staggering to consider what all Paul went through for Christendom. He was beaten, stoned, flogged, imprisoned, left for dead, and shipwrecked not once, but three times. Ultimately, he was put to death but before he died he made a mark on this world that is still being felt today. He endured much for the Kingdom. I can't wait to meet Paul in person in Heaven one day!

Now what does the life of the Apostle Paul do for me...? Well, read any of his letters or books. They are over flowing with words of wisdom, insight, and inspiration.

I know I sort of got off track with my content today. You're thinking this sort of writing should be in my prayer journal. Well, it could have been, but I'm trying to blend the two blogs a bit these days.

The fact is on Tuesdays in 'Coach Sam's Life I write about people who have inspired me and today Saul of Tarsus, also known as the Apostle Paul gets the nod...!

Elijah's Tennis

Elijah loves hanging out at the tennis center. I will always have fond memories of Elijah running around the tennis courts with his racquet in his diapers....!

I'm fighting a bad sore throat today... I woudn't mind if it rained this afternoon. more later...sc

This is What Life's About...!

Ahh... The love of my sweet little boy...! Doesn't this photo just warm your heart...? What a beautiful gift from God...!

Elijah is really speaking a lot now. When he says 'I love You Daddy, or I love You, Mommy' it just makes us melt.

I love being a coach. I love interacting closely with others helping them learn to do things with their bodies and teaching them how to have confidence in themselves.

But the one thing I love the most is just spending time with my little baby boy, Elijah...!

Catching Up

Today is a 'catch up' day... Monica just loaded a bunch of photos onto my computer. To your left is a photo from Elijah's second birthday. We were just about to open presents and eat cake...

You have to check out some of the photos I posted on Elijah's Blog today, too. There is a really good one of Elijah and Monica.

So, as I wrote earlier, today I'm 'catching up' on stuff... I have so many little projects going on and events coming up that I hardly know where to begin. After I finish blogging here I'm going to go into the office this morning and work from my tennis shop. I have tons of paperwork to catch up on.

Depending on how Monica's feeling later today we might make a quick run into Houston to take care of a few errands...

I'm doing fairly well on my diet and exercise program. The weekend's are my biggest challenge. I'll weigh in on Sunday morning and give everyone a weight report then...!

More later... Bye for now... -Coach Sam

Missing the Boo Boo

I was gone all weekend to a junior tournament and was away from my family for over 48 hours... Boy that really stunk... I don't ever want to face that again...

I've got a very busy month ahead of me. But I do want to get back in to just working set hours and scheduling more time off. I was really good about that the previous few months. But here lately things have been getting out of control again.

Something has got to change. I can't keep living like this... I'm praying about it. I'm working on it. I know things will get better. -STARTING TODAY...!

OK, so my blog topic on Tuesdays is supposed to be Someone or Something that inspires me. Since I spent this past weekend at John Newcombe's Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels it is only fitting that I reminisce about my employment there when I was just breaking into the tennis profession.

Today's inspiration is Fast Phil Hendrie from John Newcombe's Tennis Ranch. I saw Phil this past weekend at Newk's. He was giving a private lesson on Sunday morning. It was the same old Phil as I remember him from the past 20 years. He was very energetic and very motivating. He knows how to get the best performance out of someone. I'm not nearly as talented as Phil is in that regard but I can definitely say that my association with Phil most definitely shaped and molded me as a professional coach. In fact, looking back on my stint at Newk's I have to say that overall it was a very rewarding experience that really influenced my career...!