Bad Brad the Nomad

What is a nomad, well wikipedia defined it as people who move from one place to another without permanently settling down. Up till about a year ago, that is what I did. From April of 2005 to March of 2008. And let me tell you some of my so-called adventures, they are really quite lame, but they were fun. I lived in North Carolina for about three or four months in the spring and summer of 2005, to work at a wilderness program for troubled teenagers. I loved it at first. I was making good money and getting trained in some cool stuff. And I was also working long shifts. I was the head of a group of 10 guys who have had a history of being in gangs, drugs, violence, and even burglary. I had help at first, maybe for like the first two weeks and then they turned the reigns over to me and I'll tell you what, teenagers smell fear like bears. It really made want to travel on my days off, which were short and rare. And I did, I traveled the beaches, the steakhouses and even went to the Duke and UNC campuses and NC State as well. I left to go back to Texas to work at a much more rural wilderness program in the Davey Crockett National Forest of east Texas. I had a job where the average stay at the job, wilderness field guide, was 3 months. I stayed there for 30 months. For two and a half years, I led groups of very well to do kids, into the wilderness and hiking at least two maybe three miles a day with at least 30 or 50 lbs of equipment on your back. The one thing I liked about this job, is that I worked eight days on and got eight days off. There was this one time where I worked 21 days without a break and I almost went crazy when that shift was over. But anyways, I traveled the great state of Texas and occasionally up to Oklahoma. I didn't pay a rent bill for over three years when I had these jobs. It was awesome. I had friends in Ft. Worth and Austin. I had family in College Station, west Texas, and Oklahoma.

But throughout all this, I found out who I was what I stood for. I had a lot of free time on my hands and sometimes I used it wisely like when I was out on the golf course or in a small prayer group with loved ones. I rediscovered my desire for nature and learning lots about the surrounding areas. I learned how to make fire with a string and sticks, it was awesome. I started reading a lot and it is something that still do. I think in 2007, I tried to remember how many books I read and I think it totaled somewhere near 40 or 50, no joke. I loved just waking up early some mornings and watching the sunrise by a fire and thinking how grateful I was for the new day. I have lost that after being in the city for a while now and I need to get that back in my life. I take stuff for granted these days and I worry about a lot of pity stuff like when will I be able to go to the gym or what am I going to get to eat and at what fast food place. Out on the road and in the wilderness, I was free and I was comfortable with just being one with nature. I forgot all the media and the happenings. I didn't watch the Super Bowl from 2005 - 2008, because of work and I didn't care. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 to not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. I know it is a lot easier said then done. But it works, at least it did for me when I was Bad Brad the Nomad, and I don't think I have ever really been more at peace then I was during those Wilderness years, except North Carolina, I fell apart and had to rebuild myself up, it was a long hard process but I am stronger for having gone through it. I want to quite worrying about the national championships, I will still cheer my teams on, but when they lose the big one or when I'm watching them on T.V. I won't get upset and let it ruin my day if things don't happen the way I want it to. I am going to quite making sports my world. Here recently I quite softball, and I love softball, to make time for some prayer time with friends on Thursday nights and it was a lot easier to give it up then I thought it would be. Softball and sports won't always be there for me but my Lord and Savior will be.

Tattoos

When I was a sophomore in college I did one of the stupidest things, I think, that I have ever done. I let a girl talk me into getting my ear pierced. But not the normal place where guys usually get their ear pierced, I got mine on the upper part of the ear. It didn't hurt at all. I thought I looked cool and everything, but I went to a Christian college where they have strict rules on guys having pierced ears, so hiding it was going to be a bit of a project. Like most of my projects, it lasted for about two days. Some how my parents found out, I think I might have told them, and my mom started crying, no joke, threatening that I wasn't going to be allowed in their house with my ear pierced. We were going back and forth for about two hours over the phone, I was saying that stuff like " God doesn't look at the outside of the man but what is on the inside." What a dilemma, home cooked meals and laundry done for you or looking cool and stylish. I went with the home cooked meals. But I got them back, sort of. I was going to meet them halfway that weekend at Harding's road game in Russelville, Arkansas. So I got together earlier that week with my roommate at the time and I bleached my hair, or attempted to bleach my hair. I have dark and thick red hair and I bought that stuff from Wal - Mart that is supposed to only be used on light colored hair. It looked okay for about a day and a half and then it turned into this hideous yellow orange color, I really don't know how to describe it it was really bad. So I went to the game and I also got a magnetic clip on ear ring just to do a joke on my parents. I surprised them alright, especially when I went to hug them and my dad took off my hat and looked at my hair, he was speechless and I don't mean in a good way. I later went on to shave my head and start over, but that is another story for another time.

Today I am in conflict of rather or not I should get a tattoo. I have nothing against tattoos or against the people that have them. What I am in conflict with is why is it just a huge deal when it involves Christianity? I grew up in a small town Arkansas sheltered away from a lot of the big city stuff. So I was raised on my parents thoughts on why things are the way they are. On tattoos I felt like I was Adam Sandler in the Waterboy when he asked his mom questions and her reply was always " because it is the Devil." But she wasn't too far wrong with how many Christians think and act on topics such as this. Leviticus 19:28 stats" Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourself. I am the Lord." On doing research for this topic, this is the scripture that everyone put out there on why we shouldn't get tattoos as Christians. But I started reading a little bit more in Leviticus and came upon these things as well, " Do not eat meat with the blood still in it," and " Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard." If this is so, then how come hair salons are being looked down upon as much as tattoo parlors. And how come it doesn't mention anywhere in the New Testament about the sinful nature of getting tattoos. In 1st Corinthians 6: 19 -20 it stats that " our bodies are a temple for the Holy Spirit, it is not your own." and " therefore honor God with your body." i know for me personally, in the past, I felt uncomfortable talking about my faith and my beliefs with someone that had tattoos all up and down their arms, and I don't know why. Some of the greatest people I have come to know have a lot of tattoos, and I am not going to treat them any different then anybody else. I admit, I stare at them. And even so, they are still children of God, like it is stated in 1st Samuel 16: 7 when Samuel anoints David as the next king, " the Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." That was the argument I used about my earring, but I couldn't be laid out there any better then that. I am not saying that I personally am going to get a tattoo, it has crossed my mind though. I am still just a little afraid of the needles. But if I do I am not going to get something like my favorite sports team or Alma mater. But rather something that I know wouldn't defile who I am as a person or a child of God, no matter what is on the outside, my heart still belongs to God.

Unknown and some known sports heros

Everybody that knows me knows that i am big Denver Broncos fan but more important a huge John Elway fan. But it wasn't until an article written by Rick Reilly a few months ago that sealed the deal for me. It was a story about one of Rick's wife half brother, Lil Bob, and his son Jake. Lil Bob promised to take Jake to a Broncos, but never got the chance because this past March his liver failed. Jake took it hard and was struggling with every aspect that life offered. One of Lil Bob's friends bought tickets to a Denver game and they called up Rick Reilly, who lives in Denver, and took him to John Elways restaurant. Rick introduced them to John and Jake just froze. Elway then invited them up to his box for the game later that day and Jake couldn't leave his heroes side. Later into the day Jake called up his mom and started crying, which he hadn't done since his dad passed, and since that day started getting his act together and becoming the 13 year old he was before.

Or even people like Lyman Bostock, who was an up and coming star outfielder for the California Angels. He just recently signed a big contract at that time, 1977, and had a rough month where he batted around.150 and decided to give his monthly salary to charity stating " I just can't make that kind of money and not produce." It might sound like a cheesy pr stunt, but not with Lyman. I don't know if I've heard of many big name athletes doing that, just imagine A-Rod giving away his monthly salary, it might be enough to feed a couple of small countries.

Albert Pujols one of the most feared hitters in the game of baseball that ever played the game, and that is not just my thought, but everybody who knows a thing about baseball thinks the same way. He was recently stated in a Sports Illustrated article, " I don't want to be remembered as the best baseball player ever. I want to be remembered as a great guy who loved the Lord, loved to serve the community, and who gave back. That's the guy I want to be remembered as when I'm done wearing this uniform. That's from the bottom of my heart." Every year, Albert is the chairman for this charity called Buddy Walk, a charity for children who have downs syndrome. And almost every year a kid will ask him to hit a home run for them. In 2002, a 10 year old threw out the first pitch and when Albert handed the signed ball back to her, she requested a home run and he did in the first inning. Almost every year since then on the game after the Buddy Walk, Albert hits not just one, but on a couple of times, multiple home runs for the kids.

Warrick Dunn is an NFL running back who in 1993 lost his mother who was shot by gunmen robbing the Piggly Wiggly she went into to cash her paycheck. He helped raise his siblings while he was a star running back for the Florida State Seminoles. Here recently he came out with a book that tells of how he went to confront the accused man of shooting his mother and also facing his demons about the situation. If you just google his name, countless articles come out on how he buys houses and helps provide futures for down and out single mother families.

I know there are several other stories out there about athletes doing this type of stuff, but these are the one's that stand out to me. Roberto Clemente is one of the greatest and saddest stories like this. He was one of the greatest outfielders of his generation and is still considered to be one of the best to play the game. He was on a plane to Nicaragua to deliver aid to earthquake victims when his plane failed and crashed. His body was never recovered. He was known throughout the league to giving back to kids in Peurto Rico and other Latin countries. He remains a hero to me for his work off the field. I love hearing and following stories like these. To me, they separate the true athletes from the ones that just go out there and play. They use their name for the good of their sports and are role models to the younger generation.

Me, God, and Politics

I know I haven't written in a long time and I know that I need to be more consistent about this, I'm trying to get my buddy Jonathan to post this on his web page but he told me I needed to write more. I guess it is because I feel like I don't have good stuff to write about and that i think about what i want to write about way to much. so here is what has been on my mind over the last few weeks. I hope to get a few more people to read this and comment on it.

Ever since I became eligible to vote I guess I have been trying to get caught up and have been getting a little more clearer understanding of our twp party system and what both them bring to to the table. I grew up in small town America all my life and a little out of the loop until i figured out what the internet was and how to use it, which for me growing up in small town Arkansas, was around my junior year in high school. I knew who the president was and since he was a Democrat, that we didn't like him, but i didn't know why we didn't like him. i was too busy playing football or baseball to worry about that type of stuff. then i started taking some of my social work classes in college and started to get a little more perspective of what was happening during my high school years.and to be honest with you, I agreed with some of the things that took place while the democrats had the office those years. I couldn't ever say this to my parents or relatives because i might be shunned from family reunions and stuff. I grew up in a very republican house with grandparents to this day still have the television set on Fox News 24/7 in there house, so my political status was already set up for me.

i have never been the one to get all riled up about politics. Don't get me wrong, there are things that i care deeply about that politics are involved in such as the social injustice and poverty. I have chosen a career path where these things affect my work. i have had co-workers that were homosexual and have known friends beginning in the 8th grade that have had an abortion. i have had people all my life tell me it is all bout their choices and that they aren't living the life that was set up fro them. But we have choices to and most of the time, we chose to not do anything about it and just sit there and continue to criticize other peoples lives and forget about what was going on in ours that was keeping us from making a difference in their lives. i view the big news networks and bullies, who pick on the weak that and heavy laden instead of being encouraging and supportive of one another.

i could express my political issues and what i feel our society should do. but i am more concerned about being a better stronger Christian and follower of Christ then to worry about if i am a democrat or republican. I don't want to be remembered for my political standpoint but by my acts. and i can't help out but realize from experience and conversation that the one thing should be an answer to this isn't. Church. Church was meant to be a safe place for the downtrodden and the underprivileged, but over the times it has been a place where it has become their lost hope. why bother having a pantry if they are going to make anyone who comes in asking for it feel even worse about themselves then when they walked in. i thought Jesus taught about this in the Beatitudes or was that just supposed to be referring to those times and not today. Last time i checked, the resurrection hasn't happened it and that we are to go about living in anticipation and living His words. I haven't been the best about doing this, but i am trying and the Church that i belong to has helped gain a little visual of what that looks like. They have adopted a rundown and poverty stricken elementary school and has spent weekends making repairs on it and we aren't talking about hiring people to do it, members have given up their weekends to do so. i have never been part of a church, or a group of fellow believers, that have done service projects whole heartedly and enjoyed it.

I hope I am not bashing on any democrats or republicans that may read this, that is not my intention. I know politics play a huge role in or society and that it is hard to not get involved, but i have more important things to worry about. some of my beliefs can be viewed as democratic or republican, but I view them as having the Christian point of view and doing my best to continue that. God is my judge and i am doing my best to get a life sentence when i am up for trial.

Why I love Mondays

So yes it is true I love Mondays. I know that for everyone else out there Monday represents the start of another work week and that they can't wait till Friday gets here. But I love Mondays for a couple of reasons. The first one being that I get to rub it in to everyone of my freinds who have to wake up and go to work early while I get to sleep in and do nothing but relax and enjoy the day or just sleep in till the early afternoon.
But another reason and probably why I love Mondays the most is a thing that I get to be a part off every Monday night called School by the Pool. It is a one hour tutoring / bible lesson and games all wrapped up in one. Me a a few very special and warm hearted people dedicate our time every week for the kids in my apartment complex in Hurst. They are really great kids and can get a little out of control at times, but they love listening to the Bible stories and playing games. I love it because I consider myself a kid in an adults body. There have been times when we wouldn't have a lot of kids or when we have some of our most dedicated kids move away, that it just made me wonder if what we were doing is having an impact with the kids. But then there are times when those kids come back, even though they moved, and become the role models for the smaller kids.
I love Mondays for the fellowship of my fellow volunteers who some of the biggest hearts that I can think of. They truly care for these kids and they want to be there for these kids. Recently we had a couple of the kids, a brother and sister, who were having a hard time at the game we were playing and they came up and started talking to one of the volunteers. Later on when all the kids have left and we were cleaning up in the building, the volunteer told us about the conversation. You could just feel the compassion and the care that was felt in her voice. And then we all gathered around and prayed about the two kids and their family. You could truly feel the presence of God in that small building with five of His believers pouring themselves out for the kids of Hurst Gardens. It is an amazing experience and I am blessed with this opportunity to being able to reach out and help the kids in need.

Oh Yeah, did I mention that I Love Mondays.

Ballpark food.

Well, its coming around, my favorite sports season. Baseball. And what would baseball season be like without the food and the promotions that are handed out. I've been to maybe five different MLB ballparks and just love the variety of food. When I go the Rangers games I try my best to get a smoked turkey leg, nothing says baseball like a smoked turkey leg.

But this one beats out everything. So I recently ran across this story about the burger on the right. It is going to be sold at the West Michigan Whitecaps ballpark this coming season. Look at it, I don't think I will even try to eat that. Here is a list of what is in it, 5 hamburger patties, nearly a cup of chili and loaded with salsa and chips on a sesame seed bun. It all adds up to a measly 4,800 calories per burger. The ballpark is offering a free t-shirt wo anyone that eats the whole thing during the game. Really, I would offer to pay for the hospital bill or least throw in a couple bottles of mlylanta or something. They could possibly even do what the Grand Prairie Airhogs did last year and have a raffle for a free funeral.

A lot of the times the ballpark will have food that is popular in that area, like the turkey leg in Texas. In Colorado they have Rocky Mountain oysters, Seattle has grilled salmon sandwiches, Houston has the BBQ stuffed potato, Pittsburgh has the Primanti Bros. sandwich, and San Diego has the Rubio's fish tacos.

I just can't wait till baseball season hits back up, I might even get a couple of all you can seats at the Ballpark in Arlington. It really wouldn't be a game without the food, at least in my view. So I plan on watching a few games and eating a few turkey legs and then downing a few bottles of Pepto.

Trying to get back into this.

Sorry I haven't been posting lately, my friend Jonathan also known as J - boy has been busy as of late and we haven't been able to do any more backyard blogs.
Here is what has happened to me over the months or as far as I can remember. I have recently joined a city wide flag football team with some guys from the children's home and some guys from outside my work. We may not be the most athletic team out there, but we are the very interesting to watch. i've been switched around to three different positions since we started five weeks ago. I started out blocking then moved to an inside receiver and then lastly center. In the second week we had our other center get a concussion, of all my years playing high school football and intramural and club in college, I've never had an ambulance carry someone off the field till now. So I played center last week and snapped the ball over the QB's head twice in five snaps and the guy is 6' 3. I didn't last to long there. Then we have a cornerback who thinks he is a lot better then he is and always talks trash to the other receivers even when he gets beat five times in a row. Me and another teammate bet on who he is going to get in a fight with before each game, I won the last two weeks. We have had our last three games get called ten or so minutes early because of the hostility building up between the teams.
My NFL team, the Denver Broncos, have recently fired the best coach the organization has ever had and hired an idiot from New England, sorry if you are from the New England area. Josh McDaniels has pissed me off so many times in the last three months. He tried to trade Pro Bowl QB Jay Cutler to get the luckiest kid in the league last year Matt Cassel. I love Jay Cutler, not just that he is a Pro Bowler, but because he is playing with diabetes. My dad has diabetes so I know some of the stuff that Jay is playing with. He is a new kind of role model. McDaniels is bringing an unexpereienced coaching staff and getting rid of the guys that have made the program and force to reckon with over the last ten years or so, except this year's four week season ending pukefest. I will always cheer for the Broncos, but I'm not going to cheer for McDaniels.
I am going to try to do this about once a week or so starting today, don't mark it down. But I need to get back into this and share my mind however dumb it might be.