Sharla's family burried an icon today in Bell Falls, Texas. Pauline Odessa (Trout) Strawn, or Aunt Polly to the family, was burried today next to her husband of 68 years and 1 month, Mann C. Strawn who passed away 3 years ago.
There are so many things to tell you about Aunt Polly, but I do not have time right now. I do want to mention one item though.
Aunt Polly was living a full life until the day she died. She was that cool old person who did not realize that she needed to slow down in her old age. She was still driving and painting and attending church and visiting friends until the final week of her life. Shar and I went to her house last night in Morgan's Point and walked through the house of a living person. She was in the middle of art projects, and had supplies and plans for future paintings that she was planning to do for other people. There was no sign of a person who was expecting to die, yet Polly was ready to leave this world and reunite with Mann in Heaven. She missed him very much and was tired of being alone, but did not complain or sulk because things were not the way she wanted. She got on with her life and did so while confidently trusting that God was doing His will and would sustain her until this life ended and heaven began.
Too many things to say now about her, but I will say that Mann and Pauline were very dear to this married in member of the family. They took care of me from day one and I loved them both dearly.
Pauline falls in a very select group of women that I hold in very high esteem. Elderly, God fearing women who are a clear example of a faithful life to God. Along with Pauline is my Aunt Marge in Coronado, California and Marion Smith of Temple, Texas. I might give details to my opinion of these women at a later time, but the 3 of them have always been and encouragement to me and I have always been impressed by their lives.
Today was a sad day because we miss Pauline here on earth, but we are joyful knowing she is with Jesus and her Mann in Heaven.
On a lighter note, it is sad that I have been blogging for alomost 3 years, sharing my life, my children, my family, my ups and my downs and doing so from the depth of my heart, and yet when I write something about the sacred Aggies I recieve more comments then any other blog that I have ever written.
Let us look at this topic at it's most simplified core. Aggieland began as a trade school on how to plant seeds (agriculture) and how to fix tractors (mechanics). Do not begin to elevate them to the status of higher education, like that of THE UNIVERISTY OF TEXAS. Not a very confussing name is it?
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
FOOTBALL CLINIC
We had a football clinic this past weekend in College Station. It is called the Lone Star Football Clinic and is a really good gathering of college coaches and top ranking high school coaches. The lectures were good and then I took another beating at "Texas Holdem", but that is just going to happen.
The highlight of the trip was Saturday afternoon when all the coaches were invited to go to the Bright Athletic Complex at Texas A&M. It is their field house and it is just a beautiful and well set up building. The main hall with all the honored players and team captains and profession football players from the program over the years was really impressive. The new indoor facilities that were halfway completed were amazing, with 2 full size, indoor, turf, football fields.
The locker room was also very impressive, and professionally done. Giant open wood stained lockers with each players name and hometown on the upper ledge so you could know where these young men were from. Lunch was served in the Athletic Lounge of the players which is on the second floor over looking Kyle Field.
I really was impressed with the whole facility and I have to say that this gives me a new appreciation and general positive feeling about Texas A&M.
The best part of the 3 hours that we were there was when I got to meet the new Head Football Coach, Mike Sherman. And as I stood there shaking his hand, I could not help but smile with joy, just as I did while walking the looker room, weight room, and new practice facilities. The joy I had did not come from anything that A&M did, and again I was very impressed with all that they had to offer both coaches and kids. The JOY that I had came from the fact that I did all of the above mentioned while wearing my BURNT ORANGE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS POLO!!!!!
GO HORNS!!!!!
The highlight of the trip was Saturday afternoon when all the coaches were invited to go to the Bright Athletic Complex at Texas A&M. It is their field house and it is just a beautiful and well set up building. The main hall with all the honored players and team captains and profession football players from the program over the years was really impressive. The new indoor facilities that were halfway completed were amazing, with 2 full size, indoor, turf, football fields.
The locker room was also very impressive, and professionally done. Giant open wood stained lockers with each players name and hometown on the upper ledge so you could know where these young men were from. Lunch was served in the Athletic Lounge of the players which is on the second floor over looking Kyle Field.
I really was impressed with the whole facility and I have to say that this gives me a new appreciation and general positive feeling about Texas A&M.
The best part of the 3 hours that we were there was when I got to meet the new Head Football Coach, Mike Sherman. And as I stood there shaking his hand, I could not help but smile with joy, just as I did while walking the looker room, weight room, and new practice facilities. The joy I had did not come from anything that A&M did, and again I was very impressed with all that they had to offer both coaches and kids. The JOY that I had came from the fact that I did all of the above mentioned while wearing my BURNT ORANGE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS POLO!!!!!
GO HORNS!!!!!
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Men's Retreat
Great weekend this past Friday and Saturday at the RHCofC Mens Retreat held in Denton. It was really wonderful and encouraging to be there.
Chris Seidman was the key speaker with one set of break out sessions for smaller class discussions. The Theme for the weekend was "The Blind Side" and it focused on the fact that men, and christians need someone protecting their "blind side".
The first session dealt with the "blind side" analogy of the left tackle in professional football. Seidman said that the left tackle is the second highest paid position in football because most QB's are right handed and therefore the left tackle is the responsible for protection on the side that is not seen by the QB. The point was having someone there in your life to watch out for the area that is most dangerous.
The second session was about men's desire for positive feedback, or assurance or "blessings" is what we do. He spoke of the blessing that God gives man in Ch. 1 of Gen. and also God's blessing of Jesus in Mark 1 as he comes out of the river. Chris asked the question, "are we living to receive the blessing or are we living out of the blessing?" Everything that we do if for some sort of praise, or response or affirmation and Chris made the point that we have everything we need in Christ and since we do, we no longer need the affirmation of the world because we have the affirmation of God.
The third and final session was from John 5 with the Pool of Bethesada story. "Could Jesus have asked a more rude question to the man then, "do you want to get well?"" is the way Chris began this session. Why would Jesus ask that? Chris began to then talk about "institutionalization" and the fact that we get used to our surroundings. Short version is that if we struggle with a particular sin, then I need to find others who have conquered that sin to keep me accountable, or watch my "Blind Side". If I only count on those who share my particular sin, we will most likely not overcome because we all sit in the same mud together. The man at the pool was surrounded by sick, had always been sick and knew nothing else than being sick. The wild part is that when Jesus asked the man if he wanted to get well the man did not say YES. He gave excusses for why he was not already well. His side point to this was "that the submormal had become normal." The sick man understood how to be sick. We get comfortable with the life, faith, worship, marriage that we have and do search for ways to make it better. Don't let faith of now become the highpoint, but rather the ground from which to grow from.
I also attended a class by a guy named Ken Green. Powerful Black preacher who shared his story and the Word in a very special way. He talked for an hour out of 1 Kings 22:41 and following. Read that and try to come up with an hour long lesson.
I am very thankful that I went to the retreat. I entered a 3 on 3 basketball tournament that reminded me that I not very good at basketball and that I'm not 23 but instead 32.
I have to mention one sad fact. I had to use my sister Donielle this weekend to remind Chris Seidman who I was. After the last session I went up and introduced myself and thanked Chris for his words. He smiled and said "thankyou brother". I felt that was not enough since I had been with Chris while he was at A.C.U. and I was a highschool student visiting my sister. I was forced to say "my name is byron bundy, my sister is DONIELLE BUNDY, who married KENNY WINTER." A huge smile came across his face and Chris wanted to know how MY SISTER was doing and all that crap (stuff). I swallowed my pride as being the B.M.O.C. and gave my sister her due.
Donielle, Chris said hi.
Chris Seidman was the key speaker with one set of break out sessions for smaller class discussions. The Theme for the weekend was "The Blind Side" and it focused on the fact that men, and christians need someone protecting their "blind side".
The first session dealt with the "blind side" analogy of the left tackle in professional football. Seidman said that the left tackle is the second highest paid position in football because most QB's are right handed and therefore the left tackle is the responsible for protection on the side that is not seen by the QB. The point was having someone there in your life to watch out for the area that is most dangerous.
The second session was about men's desire for positive feedback, or assurance or "blessings" is what we do. He spoke of the blessing that God gives man in Ch. 1 of Gen. and also God's blessing of Jesus in Mark 1 as he comes out of the river. Chris asked the question, "are we living to receive the blessing or are we living out of the blessing?" Everything that we do if for some sort of praise, or response or affirmation and Chris made the point that we have everything we need in Christ and since we do, we no longer need the affirmation of the world because we have the affirmation of God.
The third and final session was from John 5 with the Pool of Bethesada story. "Could Jesus have asked a more rude question to the man then, "do you want to get well?"" is the way Chris began this session. Why would Jesus ask that? Chris began to then talk about "institutionalization" and the fact that we get used to our surroundings. Short version is that if we struggle with a particular sin, then I need to find others who have conquered that sin to keep me accountable, or watch my "Blind Side". If I only count on those who share my particular sin, we will most likely not overcome because we all sit in the same mud together. The man at the pool was surrounded by sick, had always been sick and knew nothing else than being sick. The wild part is that when Jesus asked the man if he wanted to get well the man did not say YES. He gave excusses for why he was not already well. His side point to this was "that the submormal had become normal." The sick man understood how to be sick. We get comfortable with the life, faith, worship, marriage that we have and do search for ways to make it better. Don't let faith of now become the highpoint, but rather the ground from which to grow from.
I also attended a class by a guy named Ken Green. Powerful Black preacher who shared his story and the Word in a very special way. He talked for an hour out of 1 Kings 22:41 and following. Read that and try to come up with an hour long lesson.
I am very thankful that I went to the retreat. I entered a 3 on 3 basketball tournament that reminded me that I not very good at basketball and that I'm not 23 but instead 32.
I have to mention one sad fact. I had to use my sister Donielle this weekend to remind Chris Seidman who I was. After the last session I went up and introduced myself and thanked Chris for his words. He smiled and said "thankyou brother". I felt that was not enough since I had been with Chris while he was at A.C.U. and I was a highschool student visiting my sister. I was forced to say "my name is byron bundy, my sister is DONIELLE BUNDY, who married KENNY WINTER." A huge smile came across his face and Chris wanted to know how MY SISTER was doing and all that crap (stuff). I swallowed my pride as being the B.M.O.C. and gave my sister her due.
Donielle, Chris said hi.
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