I say this and post the picture below (which by the way, is one of just two recent ones I could find of just the two of us…Erin, let’s do a better job with that in the near future and kick the kids out now and again).  Anyhow, I say all this because today we give thanks for eight years of marriage.  Eight years of incredible joy and growth in grace and perfect marital harmony.

Ok, so I am overstating it here with the perfect marital harmony.  After all, we are both sinners.  But because of God’s grace in our lives, we really do enjoy a harmony and a joy unlike anything else.  And it is one I give thanks for today.  For she is the most precious gift in my life; and our marriage, though not easy, is the place of greatest joy and delight.  To look back over the past eight years (has it really been eight already?), is, if I am seeing clearly, to look back upon grace upon grace, gift upon gift.  It is to marvel at the Lord bringing us together and sustaining us and blessing us as we seek Him first together.  I’m not sure how many places we have lived or all we have had to work through, but it doesn’t matter.  The Lord has His plans and they are good and gracious and wise.  No where is this more evident than in Erin and in our eight years of marriage together…at least to me.

So I give thanks today for you my love.  I delight in you and praise God for you and pray for many more years to come.  I could make some long list of all the things I appreciate about you and give thanks for, but we both know that everything I mention cannot help but be inadequate.  For there is nothing sweeter than saying and meaning, “I love you just because I do.”  And thankfully, that is easier for me to say and mean with every passing day.

“He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 18:22).  Amen to that.  Thank you Lord for so much favor.

As a professional athlete, I really feel for her, because I know this isn’t an easy thing. The question of an athlete’s true identity is often difficult to define apart from sports, because when you reach a certain level of success, most people begin to relate to you on the basis of your place as an athlete. Combine this with the tendency of every human heart to identify oneself with what one accomplishes, and athletic success often makes it difficult to really define who you are in any real and lasting fashion.

From a Christian perspective, the only real answer to this concern is Jesus Christ. Sure, as a Christian, I still struggle with viewing myself as God views me, but to a great degree I have found the freedom that I believe only Christ can give, so that when that question arises, “Who am I?”, there is an answer that doesn’t change. Indeed, by God’s grace, He used athletic success in my life to show me that I needed Him.

And interestingly enough, I have found that the more I find my identity and security in Christ, the more free I am to enjoy the game I so love and in turn, the more free I am to play it better. When you aren’t defined by how well you perform, there is much less heat to perform great. There is freedom. And where there is freedom, there should be great play.

Of course, there is more to it than that, but there certainly isn’t less. And even if you aren’t an athlete, you should have compassion for Capriati, because you are just as prone as her to seek your identity in what you do rather than whose you are.

Here’s Al Mohler.

Cal Beisner.

And Jonathan Merritt.

Also worth mentioning is that Jonathan Merritt’s book, Green Like God, looks like a good one to check out.

All in all, they probably got around an hour or two less sleep last night. And though you couldn’t tell earlier in the day, the lack of rest became evident as the day wore on. The kids were slower in their obedience, little Naomi had a bit more ‘tude’ and each of them was much more apt to cry. And this is not even to mention little Isaiah.

Anyhow, it got me to wondering how many kids out there might be struggling with various issues of disobedience and whining or whatever in large part because they aren’t getting enough rest. I praise God that my wife Erin does a great job getting the kids to bed and making sure they get the rest they need. It’s a huge blessing to them and, in the end, everyone else they come in contact with. For when they get their rest, they are much more apt to be a blessing to each other and others.

The same holds true with us right? There is a clear connection between how well we rest and how well we live. So how are you doing with your sleep? And if you are a parent, are you serving your kids well by making sure they get in bed and stay there? Sure, a night out now and again is a good thing, but if you are making a habit of it (for yourself and/or your kids), I am thinking you are seeing some unnecessary negative effects. Might be worth checking into the link between the two. Take some notes over the next few weeks and note how well your kids rest and in turn, how things go the next day. Same for yourself.

Second, my annual landscaping vacation.  I am serious about that.  Each year, after my season finishes, I head back to our home in NJ for a few weeks of outside work.  And it is a joy to my heart.  Another precious gift from the Lord.  Below is a picture of me putting a roof on the kids’ swing set.  I thankfully had help from my Dad, but did do most of the work.  In fact, there were a few days where I literally spent the entire day outside.  I was so immersed in my outside tasks that I didn’t come in (though I did stop for lunch outside with the family and was sure to play a few games with the kids as a break).  No time for blogging when you need to spread some mulch or complete the swing set.

Third, the entire Crispin Crew made the move up to State College, PA and I began my off-season training.  I couldn’t find any picture that adequately conveyed that point, but oh well.  We purchased our home in SC last summer, but didn’t fully get settled in, so we have enjoyed getting settled.  And I have really enjoyed getting back to work.  Both Erin and I love it up here in State College.

I am sure I could come up with a few more excuses, but those are the primary ones to blame.  No doubt, I have thought about blogging a ton, but with all the different things I had to do, it didn’t climb up the priority list.  We’ll see how it goes from here.

Every time I see him play, I gain more respect for him and his game. Few guys are able to do what he has done in adjusting his game and moving from being the star to being a role player. And he has done it very well. I hope I am able to do it as well as the years start going by and I lose a step (or two!).

In what it described as a blow against the fattening temptations of fast food, the board of supervisors in Santa Clara County, south of San Francisco, voted Tuesday to ban the promotional toys that often accompany child-size portions of cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets if those meals don’t meet certain nutritional standards.

From my vantage point, this is absolutely ridiculous. Here are a few thoughts on the vote and one thought on the comment from the McDonald’s spokesperson.

1) These supervisors need more work.

The fact that fast-food toys even got a vote serves to show me that either everything is perfect in Santa Clara County or these people have way too much time on their hands.

2) Is this really something that should be addressed by a board of supervisors? And is it something they should be able to ban?

If a company wants to sell fatty foods and put toys in a box for children along with those fatty-foods, don’t they have a right to do so? It’s not like they are forcing children to eat the food or forcing parents to buy it for them. Which leads to point number 3.

3) Do the toys tempt children to such an extent that their parents cannot say, “No”?

This is the big question for me, because I am sure there are some parents behind this vote. And I just don’t understand it. If you don’t want your children getting fat off fatty foods, then don’t give them fatty foods. You have a choice not to eat fast food. Eating at McDonald’s or Wendy’s or wherever is not mandatory. I know many parents don’t realize this nowadays, but it is possible and wise and very good to often tell your children, “No.” The reality is that if your kid is obese, it is usually your fault as the parent. Not all the time I realize (the kid might have some sort of disease, etc.), but most of the time, yes. After all, you buy the food and monitor what and when your child eats. Or you don’t (which may be the problem).

How many people are under the impression that eating fast food is good for you anyhow? Sure, low-income families may eat that food more, but the reality is, eating out at fast food restaurants is, in the end, more expensive than going to the local grocery store and managing a simple list. So the argument that you are protecting low-income families from obesity is ridiculous. They still have a choice, to eat or not to eat. The parents can still say ‘No’ to both themselves and their children. Mr. Yeager, who interestingly enough doesn’t not have children, doesn’t seem to understand this.

4) A note to McDonald’s: Don’t try to defend the toys by telling us that your “Happy Meals provide many of the important nutrients that children need.”

That is just ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. So your food has zinc, iron, calcium and some protein. It also has 30 percent of your daily intake of fat (for an adult by the way). Just face up to the fact that your food isn’t the most nutritious. Don’t act as if I am a moron and try to convince me that it’s ok to give my children this food because it has zinc. Come on.

When I head to McDonald’s or any other fast-food joint, I am well aware that the food isn’t the best for me or my children. That is why I head there rarely. It’s a special treat. So I would rather have McDonald’s or whoever say, “We know our food isn’t equal to fruits and veggies. I am the spokesperson for McDonald’s and I don’t eat there every day (and I eat for free). And neither should you or your children.”

That would be much more refreshing and actually might get me to make a trip for some happy meals sometime in the next six months.

As you can tell, I was a bit fired up by this vote. No. I am not headed to Santa Clara anytime soon for Happy Meals, but a vote such as this just seems to give greater excuses for poor parenting and more power to government officials to monitor what is good for us. If we don’t want McDonald’s giving toys along with bad food, we don’t need a council vote. We just need to stop buying the Happy Meals. Or at least I think so.

1) I go through seasons where I really dislike the computer.

This is a serious one and actually the primary reason I got started on this long hiatus. I might be odd in this regard, but I hit periods of my life when I borderline hate my computer (and I even have a Mac). I want nothing to do with email or blogging or sometimes (gasp) espn.com. Ok, maybe not espn.com, but pretty close. Though my dislike did not last the full six weeks of my absence, it did get the absence started.

2) I wanted to give an example for why RSS is such a good idea.

Not a serious one, but not a bad idea.

3) My squad and I were in the midst of a championship run.

Somewhat serious actually. We were in the midst of a championship run that has since concluded with us as the champs! Did my time away from the computer have something to do with that? Definitely not, but it did coincide with it.

4) My wife and kids were headed back to the States without me, so I wanted to soak up every moment I could with them.

Definitely a serious one and one that I truly considered. But as my wife of all people would certainly point out, I still could have taken a few minutes to blog. And she is right about that.

5) I have been writing, just not here.

My final reason and another serious one. I actually have been writing a book I have long wanted to write re: Christianity and Athletic Competition (not the title, but more or less what it is about). It is has just been something I have long wanted to do and with the vast amount of time I suddenly have by myself (Erin and the kids back in the States), I decided to go for it. It has been a good learning experience. I will certainly let you know if it ever gets finished and definitely, if it ever gets published.

So I am back to blogging…at least for today.

Second, this news update took my breath away and made me long for the New Earth all the more.