Up Late Tonight...

Today has been a good day... I got up early this morning and took Elijah to Bay City with me. That's a regular routine now. He loves playing tennis with his home school friends in BC. We visited my grandmother Mimi... (Elijah's great grand-mother)

Tonight Connor and I are watching sci fi, eating junk food and drinking IBC Root Beer while I cook some ribs and chicken on the smoker...

I'm over my depression about the presidential election results

Now I'm a 'political-activist-watch-dog'....! I'll probably write the white house and my congressmen one or two letters a week for the next four years...

I'm also one of the newest members of the Presidential Prayer Team. Did you even know there was such a thing...? Check out the PPT website. It's pretty cool.

Go to: http://presidentialprayerteam.org/

I invite you to join me in prayer for our country's leadership every day from now on for the rest of our lives...!

Defend Life...!

For more than two centuries our flag has been a symbol of hope in the face of danger and strength in times of peace. One day after terrorists used commercial airplanes to destroy the World Trade Center Towers and attack the Pentagon, firefighters take a moment to unfurl the flag over the scarred stone as inspiration for fellow rescue workers searching through the debris Sept. 12
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In my opinion, America made a mistake electing Barrack Obama as the president of the United States. The fact that he supports abortion alone is enough for me to oppose His entire platform.

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Sanctity of life is a 'deal breaker' for me.

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One thing I know of for sure: This election and it's issues have made activists out of Monica and I. The headline and article below reflect my family's sentiments exactly this morning.

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Please read this important article.

Advice to Christians: Defend Life, Prepare for Persecution

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Hey, Check out my Newest Blog: Quotes From Our Founding Fathers

I Think I'm Becoming an Activist...!

What is an activist...?

According to Merriam Webster, an activist is a person who takes direct, vigorous action especially in support of or in opposition to one side of a controversial matter or issue.

Previously I was just someone who 'had an opinion' about stuff. Now, I seem to be writing letters or blogging about issues that are near and dear to my heart pretty much every single day. -I'm always fired up about something...!

-And I just can't keep quiet about it...!

So, what am I taking direct, vigorous action in support of or against today...?

Oh there are so many things I don't even know where to start...

I suppose one of the biggest issues I'm getting steamed up about is the culture clash between Christians who are willing to stand up for what they believe in and those non Christians who are trying to take every reference to and about Jesus Christ out of our society.

God is out of the public school, and has been since the 1960's All the 'mess' happened back in the early 1960's before I was even born...!

Now, 50 years later our country is so far removed from what our founding Father's intended it puts me on the verge of tears every time I think about this culture that my children will have to grow up in....

Where were all the Christians back in 1962 when the Supreme Court was legislating God, prayer, and the bible out of the schools...? They were sleeping...!

Well it's time for Christians to wake up and defend what they believe in before it's too late.

All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men and women to do
nothing...! -Edmond Burke, One of America's Founding Fathers

Evil is triumphing in America right now... But take courage. God is still on His Throne. He is Sovereign. He is control.

I'm not going to sit around and do nothing like my parents and grand parents did. They slept.

But I am awake...! And I'm getting Grouchy...!

To be continued....

Button it Up, Ann....!

Interesting discussion... But do you think it would be too much trouble for NBC's Ann Curry to button her blouse...? She's dressed like she is an extra on 'Desperate Housewives' instead of a professional major network journalist.

Compare Veteran Anchor Brian Williams to Curry in the side by side screen shot at the beginning of the segment... Williams dressed up for the occasion and Curry dressed down. What's up with that...? Am I the only one who has a problem with that...?

I know it's a small thing to take issue at but I think she was dressed inappropriately.

Birthday Photo

Yesterday was my birthday... Unfortunately I was pretty sick and we were not able to celebrate it like we had planned. Also, we just got another digital camera and haven't figured out how to use it yet so I'm posting a photo from Elijah's Bday this past summer....

Hopefully we'll have some new photos this weekend...!

It was a nice Bday in that I had my whole family around me to celebrate with and I heard from all my extended family, too... Even those who haven't kept in touch for years, so that was really a blessing...!

My Life is Good....

Up Early Today...

I awakened at 3:35 AM this morning and have to get started preparing for a tournament at the tennis center. I would have loved to have everything prepared last night before I went to bed but that was impossible. I was so sleepy I could hardly keep my eyes open. I was reading to Elijah trying to help him fall asleep and ended up falling asleep with him. Just before I dosed off I prayed to God that He would help me get up in time to fully prepare for today's event, and HE did just that...!

Praise the Lord, I know today will be a good day!

I'm much more of a morning person than a night owl. I'm pretty certain I'll get to bed early tonight, though....!

Well, I'll probably blog a bit more this evening. I gotta get going...! Bye for now...!

Fun Day on Court...!

About My Wife....

I love my Wife. I've never met a sweeter, nicer person my entire life. I knew the first time I ever met her that she was very, very special. I've never once in my entire life not observe her give 100% of herself to the task at hand. She's an awesome mommy to Elijah and Connor. She's a totally devoted wife to me. She always thinks of and places everyone else's needs before her own. She's a beautiful human being both inside and out.

We've both grown very much in our personal relationships with Jesus Christ since we first met. It's really been an incredible journey. I love how we encourage and inspire each other. I love when she prays for me and when we pray together. I am a very blessed man because of my precious wife.

Monica, I know I'm embarrassing You and you'll deny that you are deserving of such high praise, but it's that very humility, kindness, and gentleness about you that sets you apart from the rest of the world and makes you so special. I want everyone to know how special you are, what you mean to this family, and how much I love You. I praise and thank our heavenly Father every day for You and our family. You are a blessing to us!

Tree Limb Down...

This is the worst of our storm damage in the back yard. As you can see, we got off pretty easy at my house. We had lots of branches and spanish moss to pick up...

One of our neighbors had significant damage from a large tree falling on his porch.

The golf course suffered pretty severe damage. They have been cleaning up for nearly a week now and are still not ready to open.

A very large tree behind the tennis center came down. This was one of my favorite trees on the property.

One of our two bulletin boards was demolished by the high winds of Hurricane Ike.

Another Bulletin Board went down at the tennis center.

Connor climbed up in one of the trees to give you an idea of the size scale. We had many, many trees lke this one go down all over our neighborhood.

Back Home...!

Hello Friends and Family, (maybe a few strangers...)

We arrived back home on Monday and the discovered our neighborhood looked like a disaster area. There were huge trees down everywhere. Some were on houses. Praise God our house had really no damage. The only inconvenience we have suffered is no internet at our house. I do have internet working at the tennis shop, though and that is where I am posting from this morning.

It's been six days since the storm and our little comunity is still far from back to normal. Farther south and east of us the situation is even more dire. I'm going to spend today calling and checking up on many of my tennis students.

That's about it. I have many photos to post and I'll try to get around to that as soon as possible.

More later...

Coach Sam

Hurricane Aftermath

It breaks my heart to see some of the damage from Hurricane Ike. Wow… Galveston really suffered a lot of destruction. According to reports from friends who stayed behind, Columbia Lakes suffered quite a bit of damage. There are many fallen trees, power lines, and the electricity is out.

We are still in Dallas. We were planning to return on Sunday afternoon but may delay that return if our power is still out.

More Later…

Coach Sam

Evacuation Blog

In anticipation of Hurricane Ike, we left the gulf coast area Wednesday night to avoid any traffic issues... We arrived at our destination about midnight.We're in Dallas right now resting comfortably. We've been watching Galveston begin to get pounded this morning.

We're glad we're not there.

Earlier this afternoon we went to Dinosaur World in Glen Rose, Texas. We just barely missed touring the Creation Evidence Museum.

And we were not able to visit Dinosaur Valley State Park. I think we'll definitely come back for another visit sometime, hopefully under more favorable circumstances.

Tonight we've been watching the live coverage of the hurricane's landfall non stop, but I'm pretty worn out and think I'll go to bed pretty soon...

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

Coach Sam

God Created the Heavens and The Earth...

As seen from outer space, Earth looks like a bright blue ball. The blue is water, which covers most of the surface of Earth. Clouds and bodies of ice, such as Antarctica, appear white, while land forms look brownish. None of the other planets in our solar system are capable of supporting life. But in contrast, millions of different species are able to thrive on planet earth.

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I simply refuse to believe that all this happened by chance. It is preposterous to consider that all life, all this diversity of living is evolved over millions and millions of years.

The bible clearly states: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. God created all life. Humans are the highest form of life on this planet. What is our purpose here? Why did God make us? Why did God make You and Me...?

The answer to that is for us to know Him, to tell others about Him, and honor Him with the way we live our lives. We are no accident.

Today I simply marvel at the Greatness of God, and humble myself before Him. God is Great. God is Good. God is in control. He truly does have the whole world in His hands.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord I love You. How Great thou Truly are. My King I submit to You. I seek only to do Your will. Father God You are the Maker of the universe. You are the Author of Life, the Giver of all good things. You are my Comfort in times of trouble. You are the Everlasting, All-Powerful God.

Father God I give this day to You. Thank You for another day of precious life. Thank You for another opportunity to make a difference in this world. I recognize that everything I have and everything I have accomplished is from and because of You. Lord I live for You.

And I pray these things in the sweet name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Nice Weekend...

Wow... I awakened around 7 AM this morning and stepped outside for a moment and the temperature was a crisp 68 degrees...! I'm not sure what the humidity level is but it must be a little lower than normal. Although I'm certain that we'll still have lots more dog-hot days, a cool morning like this morning signals that fall is just around the corner...!

The weekend is starting off nicely. Yesterday was a good day. Today should be pretty good, too. I'm about to head out for lessons. Ive got a busy schedule today so I probably won't complete this post until this evening sometime.

Any way, I just had to take a moment to remark about the weather...!

OK, that's it for now. I've got to get to work. More later....

To be continued....

Art Teacher

Here's a photo from earlier this summer when Monica conducted an art class during tennis camp. Teaching art is now a budding career for Monica as this fall she is working with many of the local home schoolers in our area. Today is her first big day of classes so I wanted to honor her in my blog this morning.

I think she is an awesome teacher. Really, she's one of the best I've ever seen. But that doesn't surprise me because her mom is a retired teacher from California who won the California State Teacher of the Year award on more than one occasion.

Today is also a big day for Elijah... He's participating in his first day of school today, too...!

So this morning the house is quiet. Really Quiet. I'm enjoying some extended blogging time.

But I have quite a bit of work to do today, too. I'm teaching in Bay City all afternoon and evening and I have plenty of things to keep me busy in the mean time...

So I'll close here for now... -Coach Sam

My Next Vacation Will Be to the Cross

Wow... I just discovered there is a 19 story cross and a stations of the cross 'park' located in the Texas Pan Handle in Groom, Texas off of Interstate 40 just outside of Amarillo, Texas.

This Cross was erected in 1995. I can't believe that I haven't heard about it until now...

Here's a website link with more information.

What an awesome witness...!

In addition to the CROSS, there are numerous bronze statues depicting scenes from the life of Jesus all around the property.

Amarillo is a pretty long drive from here, but I think it would be well worth it to visit this incredible testimony.

Oh, the Open...!

The US Open Starts today. I won't be there. I haven't gone to the Open since 2003. I miss it. It always used to be something I greatly looked forward to every year.

But I greatly enjoy being married and having children, too. And now that I am married and with kids my priorities and responsibilities have changed. Elijah's still too young to go to the Open right now but when he's old enough to appreciate it we'll start going again.

That's something to look forward too...!

Today I'm starting many new home schoolers in tennis. I'm excited about that...! And it's also Connor's first day as a sophomore in high school. I'm excited about that, too...!

It's a BIG Day...!

My Buddies...

Here's a photo of myself (center) and two very good friends of mine. In fact, these guys are two of the nicest men you'll ever meet. I really can't say enough positive things about them. They always go out of their way to help me and they always consider the needs of others around them. They are true gentlemen in every sense of the word!




Brad, to the left of the photo is a local avid player whom I have just begun to know better in the past few years. He is a super nice guy who loves tennis and often volunteers to help with programs here in the local community. Jim, to the far right has stood by me through thick and thin. He has been a great ambassador of tennis and has volunteered literally hundreds of hours over the past decade and a half helping to promote the great sport of tennis that we both love so much...

I am humbled and greatly blessed to have two good friends like Brad and Jim.

Coach Sam's New Weight Loss Journal

Here's a photo of Elijah and I back in January 2008. Look how large I am... I've lost a little weight since that photo was taken, but nothing of great significance. This morning the scales said 228 pounds. I'm sure I'm in the 230's in that photo. Wow...!

Of course, it has been difficult exercising with my knee injured, but praise the Lord my knee has been feeling better this month and I'm finally playing tennis more frequently.

I'm really working hard on my diet these days and plan to enroll in a Weight Watcher's program this week...! Elijah is really starting to enjoy tennis more now that he is older. Connor is showing a renewed interest, too. I want to be in good shape so I can enjoy tennis with them for years to come.

I desperately want to get back to a normal shape. That's going to involve me losing at least fifty pounds...! I know that goal is possible and attainable. I just have to take my time and stay the course... Right now I would just love to get below 200 before the new year...

Oh how I would love to get below 200 and stay there.

Starting today I plan to use this blog as a record of my efforts to lose weight.

Let's call it:

Coach Sam's Weight Loss Journal

Yes, that sounds good...

OK, Day One... August 13, 2008

I weighed in this morning at 228 lbs. Now, I'm not going to be a slave to the scales, weighing in every day. I'm just going to do my best to lose weight every day, be patient, and give it to God.

I acknowledge going in to this thing that my chief concern is honoring God. I know God wants to use me for greater things and if I don't get in better shape, my health will hinder me. I used to be as conditioned as any world class athlete, now to say that I am a shadow of my former self is the understatement of the year.

I've got a long way to go, but I have my family and many others encouraging me. And of course, most importantly, my Lord and Savior is right by my side every step of the way...

Losing weight for me is a spiritual battle first and foremost. And it's one that I am going win because I can do all things through HIM who strengthens me...!

Super Boy

I'm sitting in a big chair with a lap top on my lap this morning watching the news coverage of the big storm just northeast of us. We had braced ourselves over night for a hurricane but awakened to relatively mild weather.

As it turns out, we may not get very much rain at all today. I'm not complaining, but I wouldn't mind if my yard, the golf course and tennis center got a good soaking today..

So far Galveston, League City, Kemah have all had pretty stormy weather. But West Columbia is on the dryer side of the storm.

Now when I blog on Tuesdays my on going topic is child hood memories.

This photo of Elijah in his superman suit with his wagon of books and toys reminded me that I didn't have very many toys growing up. I had an imagination, though. My superman costume was just a bath towel clipped or tied around my neck. I liked to pretend to be superman. I also liked to pretend to be batman. My brother John and I loved to make fortresses and space ships out of big cardboard boxes... Oh those were the days...!

Already at age three Elijah has many more toys and books than I had my entire childhood...!

Elijah's Big Boy Bed

A few days ago we moved Elijah's Baby bed out and gave him a 'big boy' bed... Oh how he loves it! it's obviously decorated with a 'Car's' motif... It's definitely a boy's room...! Check out more photos of Elijah at his own website: http://elijahchadwell.blogspot.com/

We had a nice day today. We traveled to Clear Lake and visited a church where I used to be a member when I first moved to Nassau Bay. Afterwards we had an excellent lunch at Pappasitos. When we got home Elijah and I went to the tennis center for awhile. We relaxed at home after that....

Tomorrow will be a busy week. I may not post every day... But thanks for reading my journal... Until next time.... Bye for now... -Coach Sam

Friday... Family Day...! More Photos From Elijah's Birthday

Wow... That tower goes up pretty high... I stayed on the ground where it was safe...

Here's the observation deck about to land.... Monica, Connor, and Elijah are waiting for it to land.

Here's the family about to board the observation tower at the Kemah Boardwalk. Elijah got distracted at the last second....

On Fridays I like to write about family. This has been a busy summer. And wow... July has been a blur... The first part of the month I'd just like to forget about.

But we recently celebrated both Connor and Elijah's birthdays and they were both very memorable. Connor and Elijah are both growing like crazy...

My favorite Friday activity is to prepare some kind of Mexican food (usually fajitas, tacos, or nachos) Then enjoy watching Sci-Fi Friday with Monica and Connor. Sometimes it's too scary for Elijah so we usually wait for him to go to bed, first...

Our favorite show to watch is Stargate Atlantis...! There's a new episode on tonight... Yea

Something Political: Let's Pray for this Country!

On Thursdays I'm supposed to write about something political... OK, today's blog will be short but these are my thoughts on the upcoming election:

Sigh... Sadly the only thing I can report is that I'm not thrilled with either presidential candidates this election season.

Obama's views and values just simply don't line up with my own. McCain is in full 'politician mode' and I don't think he can be trusted, either.

Seriously, is this the BEST that America has to offer? I think we are in big trouble no matter who the next president is...

It's really time for men and women of Faith to get on our knees and Pray for this Country....!

Favorite Thing.... Storytelling

Hmmm.... One of my favorite things to do is tell stories. I love when something comes up or is said in a tennis class that reminds me of a story or something that happened to me in my childhood. Telling stories is a great way to drive a point home. It's one of my favorite teaching methods. I really love it when a young person comes up to me days, weeks, months, even years later and asks me to tell a certain story again. When that happens I know I've made a connection and have impacted their lives...

Elijah's Birthday Video

This Blog only allows videos up to 100 MB in size... The one you are viewing is 75 MB We have another video of Elijah unveiling his present that is 172 MB. I'll have to try to figure out how to post in a different forum...

Oh this was a very happy day...! Elijah loves his Fire Truck...!

Today is Wednesday and my Blog Topic is something that is a favorite of mine...

Fireman Elijah to the Rescue...!

Yesterday was Elijah's Birthday...! One of his favorite gifts was a fire truch pedal car... Oh how he loved it. I don't know if I've ever seen him so excited before...! More photos and stories to come... Please check back...!

Happy Birthday Elijah...!

Guess who is three years old today...? Not the guy with the beard... No, we are celebrating Elijah's birthday today...! YEA...! It's my precious little boy's birthday...!

We have a very special day planned for the Boo Boo...! Look for a full report in the next blog post tomorrow on Elijah's Blog.

One of My Favorites...Riker of Star Trek The Next Generation

I'm relaxing this evening watching some Star Trek TNG episodes on our DVR. I'm a huge science fiction buff. One of my favorite characters on the 'Next Generation' was first officer William T Riker. One thing I liked about him was that he played the trombone.

If I were a TNG character I would most likely be Commander Riker. After all, he had a beard, too...!

I hope to start posting a little more regularly on my blog now. Tomorrow I will be talking politics.... You don't want to miss that...!

4th of July...! Twilight Zone Marathon

It's been a tradition for the past five years for the Sci Fi Channel to air twenty four hours of Twilight Zone episodes. I'm looking forward to taking in a few episodes this afternoon...

Although, I must confess that my wife and I are pretty burned out on television. We hardly watch anything on TV any more. Not only is it difficult to find any show that is 'decent' to watch anymore, but many times not even the commercials are 'safe' to watch. We are very concerned about what images our sweet little Elijah is exposed too. Praise the Lord for DVR's and TiVo where we can pause live television.

Oh, how our society has really decayed morally over my life time...

What ever happened to shows like the Twilight Zone...? For it's time, the Twilight Zone really pushed the moral compass and often times made bold political statements in it's little vignettes.

Granted, there were many episodes that just 'bombed', but there is a certain charm to those old black and white re-runs that just keeps me coming back. I suppose it's the hope that I'll come across an episode that I've never seen before...

One day, when we have some extra discretionary resources, we'll just purchase a dvd collection of the entire Twilight Zone series. Then we'll be able to view them at our leisure without the annoyance of Viagra or Maxoderm commercials. Until then it's remote control time...

Side Note to Last Night's Blog:

The brisket turned out fantastic...! I ended up going to bed about midnight and finished it off in the oven instead of waking up throughout the night tending the fire... I know that true BBQ 'purists' turn their nose up to that, but they probably don't have a soon to be three year old at home...!

I'm still working on publishing a video on the web... I'll get that figured out later today... It's 5:30 AM and I can't sleep. Am I on some kind of weird schedule or what...?

I think I'm going to close here for now, but I'm sure I'll be back to post some photos and more commentary later...

Thanks for reading my blog... (You've got to have better things to do than this...!) :)

The Brisket Vigil...

8:23 PM.... OK... Still having trouble uploading a movie...

The learning curve is getting 'curvey-er'....


7:47 PM... The Brisket Vigil and Home Movie Update

OK, Let's see if I can upload the first goofy video Elijah and I made together... Remember, we are not professional actors...!


Oh Too Bad...... It wouldn't publish because the file was too large... No Problem... This is the learning curve... I'll try it again after a quick trip to the grocery store...

Coach Sam... 7:50 PM Texas Time...


6:52 PM Update on the Brisket Vigil...

The Brisket is looking good. I've had steady smoke and temperature for close to seven hours. I'm smoking with mesquite and pecan wood. I like to mix the two for longer smokes because 19 hours of mesquite smoke can be overpowering to the meat in my humble opinion. The milder pecan smoke helps balance out the taste....

I got my web cam installed. The installation took a long time. But I've already made some goofy home videos. It's pretty fun. Now I'm going to see what I have to do to publish them to the web or send a video post card... - Coach Sam 6:58 PM Texas Time!


5:30 PM -The Brisket Vigil...

It's the 3rd of July and I'm making my traditional brisket. This one was 15 lbs so and I put it on at about 12 Noon. It needs to smoke for about 22 hours. I've got 14 hours to go...

I've stayed busy so far this afternoon working in the back yard trimming and weeding.

Right now I'm installing a new web cam on my lap top so I can create videos and post them on my website....

More later.... -Coach Sam 5:58 PM Texas Time....

Another Soap Box... HEINZ Deli Mayo AD

I don't want this to seem like it's turning into an 'Angry' Blog... But I just learned about an advertising campaign from Heinz that features two gay men kissing. It's airing in the UK now but how long will it be before commercials like this are airing in America...?

Some people have the perspective that it is a 'funny spoof' on Gay marriage. I say there is nothing funny about Gay marriage and I don't want this type of advertising on American television.

I contacted Heinz that my family is now boycotting Heinz because of their advertising content.

I'm afraid we'll probably just have to turn our television off completely in the near future because it's difficult enough to find a decent television show to watch anyway, and now we have to worry about the content of almost every commercial...

Here's a link to the ad... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl0bkv0jCCM

You decide if you want your children poisoned by this kind of media.

This Makes Me Sick...!

Planned Parenthood of Houston & Southeast Texas purchased a 7 story, 78,000 square foot building at 4600 Gulf Freeway (I-45 and Elgin ) in Houston. This building, after being remodelled, will be the largest free-standing abortion facility in the Western Hemisphere where unborn babies through all 9 months of pregnancy can be aborted according to the State of Texas.

This headline was brought to my attention by the mom of one of my home school tennis students. Abortion is one of the most disgusting acts I can think of.

It's murder, plain and simple. -And it's Wrong. Abortion is most certanly an abomination in the eyes of God.

Sadly, after visiting the Houston Coalition for Life website, I did some research and discovered that this project has been in the works for some time.

And now there's not much time left to effect change. -I plan to use my time and resources in the upcoming weeks to speak out and educate everyone within my sphere of influence about this issue. I plan to stand in the gap for unborn children in Houston and around the world..!

You know, I don't think that the average person really takes much time to consider what a sinister, evil act abortion is. I think it's something that is sort of 'out of sight, out of mind'...

Well, it's not out of my mind... And after going through Focus on the Family's The Truth Project, I've been more attuned to the many things that are wrong with our country and how it seems to be in a continuous, downward spiral. Legalized Abortion is definitely one of the things that is wrong with our country, and the world.

I urge everyone reading this blog post to prayerfully consider what You can do regarding the issue of abortion.

You're either for Abortion or against Abortion.

If you are against it then I urge you to take a public stand!

If You oppose the idea of abortion and don't do anything in opposition to it then you are just standing around while innocent babies are being murdered right here in Houston and across the US and around the world...!

What can one person do...? -Me, I'm not wealthy or powerful but I do have a voice. -And I do have a degree of influence in some small circles... So this is not the last you've heard from me on this topic...!

To be continued....

My Sweet Bride's Birthday...!

Today is Monica's Birthday...! Yea...! We don't have any specific plans just yet but I'm looking forward to honoring my sweet bride today...!

There's no one on this planet who is more deserving of a special day than my precious Monica!

I love you very much, Sweetie...! -HAPPY BIRTHDAY...!

Getting Ready For Father's Day...!

Well, it's Father's Day weekend... I'm not sure what we're going to do yet. It won't be anything expensive, that's for sure. We're a little 'strapped' financially these days just like just about everyone else, it seems.

But for me that's ok... Father's Day is about 'Being a Daddy. I don't need any 'Thing'. I am just happy to be able to spend a relaxing day with my family.

We'll figure out something to do...

Our Country is in Crises...!

The morality of our country has sunk to an all time low... I'm referring to CBS' airing of the pilot episode: Swingtown. It's nothing but pornography and it's being aired on a major network during prime time. Is this what the majority of television viewers in our country want to see...?

Aaugh... I'm not a big fan of television anyway, but this is ridiculous.

Of course, same sex marriage is also legal in some states. Abortion is legal. And it is against the law to pray in school or display the ten commandments in public.

What is going on here...? What kind of world am I raising my children up in...?

What can I do...? As a Christian I am called to do something. First and foremost I am called to pray. Secondly, I have to let others know how I feel. I can't be shy, quiet, or politically correct any more. Who am I trying to please, God or man...?

'Swingtown' is an abomination. It weakens our country. CBS is no friend of mine. I'm going to take time to write the major advertisers of CBS and tell them exactly how I feel and that my family and I am prepared to take action with our wallet in the form of boycotting the products of CBS sponsors until this filth is removed from the air.

Speed...

Hello Everyone...! I'm back...! Here I am checking the speed of some one's serve with a radar gun at my recent USPTA Tennis Across America Event...

Wow, I haven't posted since April. I completely missed the entire month of May. Life has been crazy, that's for sure. I'm into my busy summer season. But I'm going to try real hard to update this blog at least once a week...

The fastest serve at the TAA event was 100 mph... My life feels like it's moving way faster than that...!

The big news is that Monica and I are expecting another child...! We're going for an ultra sound tomorrow to find out more details. Stay tuned for more news soon!

Where have I been...?

Wow, it's been over a month since I posted on this blog...!

Let me catch you up on my life the past forty days or so...

One Word.... CRAZY...!

Other than that it's been good.

I do want to start spending a little more time here in this blog venue in the near future. My problem of course has been time management. I can't seem to get a handle on managing my time better. Lately I have been feeling the burden of spending any precious spare moments either engaged in God's Word, or with my precious family.

Speaking of God, He's really up to something right now in my life. Read today's Prayer Journal for more details.

Today is a full day for me as I have lots of lessons and I am also preparing for a big tournament this weekend. I'll post a full report sometime Sunday...

Bye for now...! -Sam

Home School Fun Day

Yesterday a local home school sports group came to Columbia Lakes for an activity day. The weather was beautiful and everything went very well. There were over forty kids present to sample tennis and golf.

Good Chance of Rain Today...

Well, here we go again. Another good chance of rain today! There's an 80% chance or more of rain this afternoon. Sigh... My poor Bay City program is going to be washed out again. Oh well. The weather is something I simply can not control.

All this rain now probably means a hot, dusty summer! Speaking of summer, I need to get started planning my summer programs. Ahh, today will be a busy day for me!

A Beautiful Day...

Yay...! We finally have a beautiful day on our hands today! The weather has not been very good this whole year. It's about time we had a pretty day.

I've got a busy full day as usual...! But I'm hoping that today I make some progress on my back log of work... I'm optimistic... At least the day is starting off promising...!

More later...

Sam

How To Get Caught UP...?

That is a good question. I've been thinking about it for some time... I am desperately behind schedule on some projects. I am in dire need of a personal assistant. It can't be my wife....

I'm going to be in prayer about this. Serious prayer. The next business decision I make has absolutely got to be God inspired and God endorsed...! I just need to go slow and wait on His Perfect Timing....

Relaxing....

I'm taking the advice of my two kitties Gabriel and Hobbes. I'm relaxing a bit this evening. Monica, Connor, and Elijah are at church this evening. I'm teaching lessons on Wednesday evening for the next eleven weeks. Tonight I had a lite schedule.

It seems really strange to be sitting here in a quiet house. I've got my lap top on my lap and I've got an episode of Star Trek Enterprise running in the background. I don't know if I'll be able to acheive the relaxed state that Gabriel and Hobbes but I'm working on it.

I've got a busy next few days ahead of me. Tomorrow I go to Dallas for a Tennis conference. Then I fly back Friday evening. Saturday I have a full day of lessons, and I've also got a tennis social scheduled for this Sunday afternoon. I'm pretty busy all next week, too.

Actually, now that I think about it, tonight might be my only chance to relax for the next ten days or more...

Oh well, that's the crazy life of Coach Sam...!

New Week....

OK... The super bowl has come and gone... I really wasn't in to it this year. Actually, I haven't been into it since I was in 6th grade...

This will be an interesting week. As usual I've got way too much stuff to do and not enough time to do it in...

I was just thinking this morning that my life has no slow down in sight. No sanity on the near horizon.

I've got to come up with a plan to get caught up and stay there. I don't know exactly what that looks like but I'll figure it out.

At first it's got to just be taking things one minute, one circumstance at a time. Little by little it will all work itself out.

I suppose the 'simple' plan is to just complete some projects I already have on the table before I take on any more new projects... And when I get these current projects completed then I need to be extra careful to not take on more than I can handle.

It's crucial that I get a handle on this immediately because I don't Elijah and Connor to be deprived of a dad because he's always too busy and stressed out.

OK... That's pretty much it. The order of the day is to teach lessons this morning from 8:30 to 10 AM, then come home and help Monica with Elijah until she has to go to her art class. Connor takes over with Elijah around 3:30 PM and I head to Bay City for lessons this evening.

There's not really going to be time for anything else today. But that's ok becaue I'm looking forward to an extended day with the Boo Boo...!

Ephesians 5:1-2.... Be Imitators of Christ, Walk in Love

Dr Charles Stanley's devotional this morning warned us against 'bad' relationships. He said that Christians need to be very careful with whom they intertwine their lives. He supported this statement by saying that because unbelievers lack an understanding of God's ways, their opinions and priorities can often lead us astray. He noted that this line of thinking applies especially to matters of marriage, choices of business partners and choices of organizations we join.

This devotional really hit home today as I inventory my experience with the consequences of bad 'life' choices on more than one occasion. I like what Ephesians 5:2 says regarding the matter...

Oh if only I could walk in love more often. There's no way I can do that on my own. And I really struggle with loving everyone. -There's a lot of people out there who are pretty unlovable, in my opinion... But when I run into those situations where I have trouble loving, that's where I really need to pray for the Holy Spirit to intervene.

I can't do it on my own...

Dear Heavenly Father,

It seems that every day now You are consistently showing me that I can't operate under my own power. Lord I want to be an imitator of You. Please Lord, help me to see things from Your perspective and enable me to walk in love like You. This is about leaning to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Father God, You seem to be showing me the same life lesson over and over again. I apologize that I am so hard headed. But Lord one day I will be just as hard headed for the cause of the Kingdom. It's a 'heart' thing, Lord. Help my heart.

Lord how can I say that I love You when I don't love others? I can't. I'm deceiving myself.

So Dear Jesus I've come to an impasse, and I don't want to continue in this condition. I'm pleading with You this morning to fill my heart with love and compassion. Going forward, I want my life to look different than it looks now. Lord, make it so. And let it be to Your Glory, Honor,and Praise.

I pray these things in Jesus' name, Amen.

Catching Up with Coach Sam

Yea... It's not raining today! Unfortunately, January has been a very wet month... I'm surprised that I didn't have more time to blog this past week but I did have to get a Gran Prix administered.

I'm way behind on a bunch of projects right now. At some point I'm going to have to bite the bullet and stay up really late to get caught up. That's do-able but the real key is that once I get caught up then I need to stay caught up!

It's a New Day, It's a New Year!

Hello Friends,

I found this photo on the accuweather website... Isn't it spectacular...? Just gazing upon something like that just puts you in a good mood, doesn't it....?

I've got lots of new projects going on in 2008. They are just getting off the ground, much like the sun rising in the photo above...

I'm very optimistic about the new year. More details coming soon. Please check back in next week!

Coach Sam

Home Schooling Elijah...

Elijah likes to look at books. He is keenly interested in learning to read. In this photo he has scattered the bottom row of books from the book shelf and sitting in the middle of a pile of books. It appears as if he's prepared to spend the rest of the afternoon reading.

Although we haven't started a formal teaching routine with Elijah yet, we are always engaging him in learning activities. He seems very bright for his age, but what parent doesn't think that about their own children...?

I really enjoy my 'daddy time' with Elijah. We read together, watch TV together, play tennis, golf, and go fishing just about every day...! I love spending time with him. I hate it when I come home from work in the evening and Elijah has already fallen asleep...!

I am greatly blessed with a career that enables me to have flexible schedule allowing for quality time with Elijah.

Elijah's First Movie

We took a family trip after church yesterday to the mall for Elijah to attend his first movie...! We went to see Veggie Tales: The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything... It was a fantastic time for Everyone. I have a few more pictures posted on Elijah's Blog. He was so excited...!

So, this is my first blog entry of 2008. I simply can't keep up my blogging routine like I used to. There's simply not enough time... Here are my priorities for 2008:

1...More quality time in bible study: Completely read the bible in one year...!

2...Spend more time with my family.

3...Play more tennis and get in shape.

4...Retire from my position with HPTA and narrow my focus to my own local community.

Of course, the top three priorities are normally on my list every year. But this year it will really stick. I've never been more focused and determined to accomplish these goals than here in 2008.

The transition out of HPTA is a big decision, but it's the correct one. I'm sure of that.

So there it is... I press on...

By the way, I will try to carve out a little more time to keep this blog updated. It may just be a chronicle of events and photos for the time being... Don't anticipate any deep thoughts for awhile... If you want deeper thoughts then please check out my prayer journal...

Lotsof Blogging Still Left To Do...

One of my Favorite 2007 Christmas Photos: Boy in the Box...

While there were many great photos taken of out family Christmas this year, this is one of the cutest.... After we had opened all the presents Elijah crawled into on of the boxes and I was able to capture this priceless memory of 'The Boy In The Box'.

Today is the last day of 2007. Wow, what a Year....! I haven;t posted in a couple of weeks and this morning there is not enough time to completely catch up and adequately wrap up the year. I have a tennis camp this morning from 10 AM to 3 PM today and then I'll be kicking back this evening, ringing in the New Year with Monica, Connor, and Elijah...!

More later... I plan to blog on into the New Year...!

Behind My Blogging Schedule

Oh... I realize that I'm behind schedule for this blog... Sorry... If I got paid for blogging things would be different. I've been spending more and more time in my prayer journal each day and the other blogs are being neglected at the moment.

I'm afraid that I may have to relegate this blog even further down the blog hierarchy and only update it about once or twice a month.

So, to catch you up on things happening since Thanksgiving...

We have stepped up our home improvement projects: finishing out the garage for Monica's workshop, and giving our kitchen a 'make-over'...

I have a really good person coming to help me at the tennis center for the Christmas break and beyond... I'm very excited about that...

We have been really busy at church helping with the Christmas program and in the nursery.

I am considering a major career shift... More on that soon...

I've bar b qued some excellent meals lately. -Have I ever mentioned how much I love to prepare bar b que...?

That's the highlights from the past two weeks...

Until next time.... Bye for now...

Turkey Day and Beyond

This is the final product of the art project my wife organized for my recent Activity Camp that included tennis, golf, fishing, and art. We held the camp the day before Thanksgiving and had sixteen participants. It was a very successful day, all in all...!

Our Thanksgiving was good. I smoked Turkey and it came out fantastic. All Monica's side dishes were excellent, too. It was a feast that we will long remember...!

The weather turned cold for Thanksgiving to give us more of a holiday atmosphere. I didn't as I normally have on previous holidays. I spent time hanging out with Elijah and Connor. We watched some movies and generally just had a good time. We also spent some time on a couple of home improvement projects we've been working on for awhile.

I've cut back on this blog to one a week or every couple of weeks right now because I have so much other stuff going on. I am trying to be faithful to my prayer journal and Elijah's photo blog, trying to update those daily.

Today Monica and Elijah are sleeping in because Elijah was up most of the night last night. he house is normally not this quiet at 8:30 AM and I'm enjoying some uninterrupted writing time.

I'm going to work on marketing upcoming programs all morning and then spend the afternoon with Elijah so Monica can work on her projects later today before we have church tonight...!

That's it. My mother and father in law are coming to visit next month for Christmas and I'm very much looking forward to that...! YEA!

I'll post more as soon as I can...!

-Coach Sam

WHO is on your Christmas List this Year?

Oops... I was supposed to post this on my prayer journal blog... Oh well, we are getting pretty close to the holiday season. It probably won't hurt to leave it here...

In all my years (42) I've never really thought of 'Giving God a Gift' at Christmas. I have always thought about God and used his birthday as my reasoning for giving gifts to others.

Have you ever heard the phrase question: What do you get the person who has everything...?

Well, Cere answers that very question in his current series: Wise Men Still Bring HIM gifts.

Cere spoke two weeks ago about the number one gift we could and should try to bring God this season is His favorite thing: Souls. Wouldn't it be nice to bring someone to salvation this Christmas?

But what else could we bring HIM...? Well, Jesus is pure and he loves gifts of Purity!

Where is Your heart? What do you dwell on...? What are your fantasies? Are they impure, ungodly, and self, or Purity, Godly, and Kingdom minded?

It's our warfare to cast down imaginations and abstract things that stand against our knowledge of God and to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ... 2 Cor 10:5

Those are two things I'd like to give God this Christmas: a pure heart and mind! But I'd like to really go all out on gifts to Jesus this season so this discussion is not over. (although I'm out of time this morning...)

More tomorrow.

Haven't posted in a while...

I'm a mess again. I'm barely keeping things together these days. I'd love to blog more but I can't prioritize an hour of blog time above more pressing matters. It's all I can do to keep up with my prayer journal right now. Beginning today, this blog is going to have to be reduced to a single weekly posting over each weekend. I'll pick it up again as the Lord blesses me with more time.

My major news at the moment is that I've been facing severe heal issues lately. It's never been more physically difficult to go out there and earn a living on the tennis court like it is right now. At the end of many days I can hardly walk. Off the court I'm constantly icing and elevating my feet.

I've seriously been contemplating a career change, or at least a 'sabbatical' in order to allow my body to recover from a life time of physical punishment on the hard tennis court.

Now I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me or anything like that. I'm just reporting the facts.

I know everything will work together for Good. (see today's prayer journal entry for more detail on that...)

In spite of all the seemingly insurmountable obstacles I'm facing, I'm still optimistic. I serve a God who is capable of anything. -He's a God of miracles. And I face a future as bright as the God I serve...!

That's Coach Sam's Life Today... Check in again for another update by Sunday, November 18.

My Favorite Cool, Refreshing Beverage These Days...

This is my favorite drink now. I do add a little organic sugar, but only enough to sweeten it a little. I think back to when I used to consume all sorts of bad drinks. I've given up all sodas and any alcoholic drinks. I'm really limiting the amounts and types of sports drinks I consume, too. I'm getting rid of all the excess sugars in my diet.

Oh, I'll have an occasional dessert here and there, but for the most part I'm watching my caloric intake very closely these days. It's very important that I lose weight, I haven't been under 200 pounds in over seven or eight years!

My family deserves a thinner and more healthy daddy and husband... -And I owe it to myself, too! Hopefully switching to mainly water and an occasional herbal tea for my fluid consumption will make a difference....

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

-Chadwell Out-

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...!