We ended up doing okay with the yard sale. I was out of town most of the day, but the next morning I got the report and we did better than I expected us to do (you’re wanting to know a dollar amount, I know. We’re not rich, by any means, off of this yard sale. But for selling junk, it wasn’t too bad.) I got back home about 10pm and my wife had been asleep for about an hour already. She’d had a long day. But mine was just as long to me, but I usually don’t require as much sleep. But it’s nice to be able to see the bed and loveseat in the guest bedroom now. There used to be boxes piled up obscuring any view or traffic in the room.

The Jr. High Dare To Lead retreat at CLS was pretty good. It was basically the same as the Sr. High two weeks ago, except for seeming a little less organized. Not sure why. And there was one less workshop that afternoon. So we went into town and hung out on the Square a bit (downtown Oxford Square…pretty neat, even if you are a Bulldog). The eight of us walked around sampling some of the stores. Square Books was nice as usual. During my college summers when I worked at Lake Stephens I would eat lunch on Saturdays then go sit on the upstairs porch at Square Books overlooking the Square. Peaceful & relaxing.

We also went in a children’s clothing store where everyone was telling I needed to get this/that for my daughter. I have to admit, they had some really cool looking clothes. All except the price tag, that is. Some of the outfits were well over $100. I mean, $66 for a pair of purple pants she’ll outgrow in less than a year! The yardsale wasn’t that great. We did go in Square Books Jr. and found her a book though…for $9.95.
A few more stores, harrassing a statue of William Faulkner before finally stopping at Abner’s for some of the best chicken around for supper. Oxford really is a good town. Lots of history and culture embodied there. Pretty town. But the air of social elietism that emanates from the University there tends to sour it just a bit for me.
Back at camp, I revisited my youth in a mean game of Four Square. Man, there are so many rules these days. And it seems that people never think they are out, even when it is obvious to everyone there watching. But I played more Four Square with a under-inflated basketball this weekend than I have in the past 8 years probably. But it was good fun with the kids.

Well, the mighty, mighty Bulldogs pulled off another win on Saturday. Their second win in probably the last 10 or so games. Florida-Shmorida! Who cares that UMiss beat them, we beat big bad Vandy!

So now we’re 1-4, 1-1 in the SEC. Not that good, huh? The crazy thing is, I don’t think we really stink that badly. I mean, yeah we do. But we shouldn’t. I think the talent is there on the team, it’s just not meshing or jelling with the coaches or the experience isn’t there yet or something. I still think the future looks bright, but the present is very cloudy.

Will Jackie stay or go? That’s the big question. And more and more I’m thinking he’ll still be here next year. I was thinking that even before the win over Vandy. Not sure that’s the right decision..but we’ll see. Memphis is next. A game we can win, but we’ll see how it goes.

My wife is having a yardsale today. Actually she’s out there right now, and it’s just past 6am. But lucky for me I’m leaving in an hour or so to go to Camp Lake Stephens for a retreat. But yesterday afternoon we put up some signs for this morning’s sale, then came back home to try to semi-organize some stuff, get it out on tables, hang up some clothes, etc. But people kept coming to the house because they saw the signs. I bet between 15-20 cars came by and half the stuff wasn’t out.

Anyway, this town has been yard sale crazy the past week or so it seems. Maybe the “market” is too saturated. But hopefully the sale will go well for her. I dont’ want to have to bring all that junk back in to the house. Maybe I’ll get an X-BOX with the profit!!!!

Man, it’s sad.

Back through the summer, the only gubernatorial tv ads I saw were for the Republican Candidate Haley Barbour. They were mild. But his commercials talked about him. The way it should be, in my opinion. But I really didn’t see any from the incumbant. Just in the last 2 weeks I finally saw one then another from the incumbant, Ronnie Musgrove. But they were all about Barbour. They were mud slinging. Then w/in a day I saw Barbour ads about Musgrove. They were pointing fingers back and forth, non stop. There was a gubernatorial (everytime I hear that word, I think of “goober” which is what most MS Govs seem to be) debate on Monday, and the highlights on the news showed them trading verbal jabs as well.

Then last night I saw that Barbara Blackmon, a challenger for Lt. Gov, issued a challenge to the other two female candidates. She started out saying, “I’m a Christian [uh-oh…what’s coming next?] and I believe in the sanctity of life. I’m issuing a challenge to the other candidates to take an oath with risk of guilt by perjury that they have never had an abortion…”

Excuse me? What? Now this lady is really going deep. The incumbant called it one of the sleaziest political tactics ever in Mississippi politics (while denying having had an abortion). Blackmon still wants a signed statement. Sheesh!

Have Mississippi politics really sunk this low? No wonder people make fun of us everywhere…

Because of some people here at the church being on vacation, I’ve had extra duties today. A day that’s busy enough as it is. But I got to do the devotions and coordinate the “play time” for our church’s Children’s Choir. I used to help with it nearly every week. Back then, when I was childless, I said that was the best form of birth control I knew of: hanging around those 50-60 kids.

As I said, it’s been a while since I’ve been to Children’s Choir for the entire afternoon….man, it’s rough sometimes. The kids that you think are good kids gain a ‘pack mentality’ in the larger group that make you just want to pull your (their?) hair out.

Of course, my kid will never be that way. I know better than to say that, but I sure hope if they are that I’m made aware of it so I can be sure to handle it at home.

Well, I expected a loss, and I knew it could get quite ugly. But after going nearly the entire first quarter with a still scoreless game I thought there might be some hope. Not hope in winning the game, but making it pretty respectable. But after the first score by the Tigers it just made them want more…. And more they got. And got. And got.

I guess I’ve finally accepted it. We’re just not that good. The Mississippi State Bulldogs are well below sub par. The perplexing question is what is the problem? I believe we have good coaches. I believe we have good players. Are they just not all on the same page? As much as I hate to say it, I think it’s time for Jackie Sherrill to go. Yes, he’s done more for the MSU football program than anyone else, but I think it’s about time him to step down.

Will it happen? Dunno. I hope it does in a way that he can hold his head high. But after two back to back three win seasons, and going winless so far this year (after four games), I don’t know how high he’ll be able to hold it no matter what happens. Sadness….

Now the question is who do we realistically hire as the new head coach. I say realistically because I can think of many coaches I’d want to hire, but it’s just not rational that they’d come to coach in Starkville right now (Spurrier, anyone?).

I don’t know if any of you frequent DashHouse, Darryl Dash’s home on the web. It’s a good read. But he began a new blog not too long ago called The Dying Church, which, in his words, has this as its theme:

It’s really about becoming the type of church that follows Jesus no matter what the cost, even if it costs a church its life. What if the church took up its cross and died to itself?

I have to admit that I’ve not read tons of it, but this particular post struck me as both funny and sad, when I reflect upon it personally. Take a look at it and tell me what you think.

Well, I’ve not said much about them this season…(not said much about anything lately), but I’m not sure what the deal is. Starting out the season, I was thinking the Mississippi State Bulldogs would surprise some people. We were picked stinking last in the SEC West again, but I could understand why. But I thought that we’d surprise some folks and finish about 4th probably. At one point, I even entertained the idea of winning 7 games.

But were are we now? We’re 0-3. I expected to be 2-1 at this point at the least…at the LEAST! So, I guess that means we suck. That may be a hard word, but I think it might be true. We may can salvage the season and win a few and think nice thoughts, but it aint gonna happen! Sherrill is done after this year. I hope he can retire as gracefully as possible, and then we either promote Steve Campbell or go after a top assistant at a winning program (a winning program!) for our next HC.

We’re going to the LSUx game tomorrow night. LSUx is pretty good. Top 10 in the country sort of good. It’s on ESPN2 @ 8pm if anyone cares to see the mauling that the Tigers are going to put on us. I’ll probably leave early….

Monday, just as I finished lunch there was a knock on the side porch door. Of course the dogs started barking and my daughter had to rush to the door. I went to the door and saw two really clean cut guys in short sleave shirts and ties…with name plates on their pockets. You know who they were: Mormon missionaries.

But I was unprepared. I had read a pamphlet once before about how to apporach their questions they’ll ask of you when they come to your door, but I didn’t remember them at all. I asked them “So where do you think that we, as Christians, have missed the boat?” They really didn’t have a great answer. Just refered to Hinkley being a prophet on the earth today that we can learn from and receive teaching from, and that he has apostles around as well. Kept refering to the ‘true church’.

I asked if they believed that I had salvation already since I claim faith in Christ Jesus, but I’m not a member of their church. They were really vague in their answers, but it sounded like a veiled ‘yes’, but kept talking about taking the BOM and praying to see if it was true or not. On and on about Josoph Smith and his visions and all that. I think they might come back sometime…..

So I gotta get my stuff together. Any hints?