Reputation is the shell a man discards when he leaves life for immortality. His character he takes with him. Jason Oelrich

Today’s Top 50 Person: Mike Brister
Today’s Christian Song: “Everything About You” by Sanctus Real

Today’s Quote: “Let us not take for granted the brevity of this life, or the length of the next one.” Tate Cockrell
Today’s Thanks: Dogs. Dachsunds. Pets. My first dog was a dachshund, because a cousin of mine told my mom that they were great pets, and it would be good for me to have one since David had grown up and was out of the house when I was growing up. Besides, they had one and loved him. So, we went to Birmingham and got STRUPI!!! Oh my, how I loved that dog!!! And we have had dachshunds ever since. Nicky (I came up with that name, short for Nicholas – a German name), Cinnamon, Chester, and now Majik and Scooby. I wanted to name Scooby “Piper”, but oh well . . . you see how far that went! So much for the German names too! (Strupi was supposedly short for a long German name that nobody around me could pronounce.) Even though these current dogs will not be house trained, our love for them supercedes that disdain for their actions. Except for Angie. Haha! What would my life be like without dogs??? Scooby might be the largest dachshund in the world – he is 37 pounds! And with his long hair, we tell him he looks like a black bear! He is so pretty and so lovable! Majik is scared of his own shadow, but I love him. And boy, does Mom love him! He lays in her lap all day, belly up!!! Funniest thing I’ve ever seen, and it’s funny every time I see him do it! Which is just about every day. I call him a Fox-Dog, because he is colored red like a fox, and he has a kind of bushy tail. Which is tucked between his legs most all the time. I also tell him he has “rabbit feet on the back” because his back feet look just like the lucky rabbit’s feet you see hanging from certain rear-view mirrors! I think it hurts his feelings, but he still loves me a pretty good bit. As long as I don’t make any sudden movements, he will come in my arms and “get his loving” for the day. Haha!
Today’s Verse: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Today’s Top 50 Person: Rich Malone
Today’s Christian Song: Know You In The Now by Michael Card

Today’s Quote: “Giving thanks would require a belief in the existence of Someone Who has blessed you. If He does exist, you owe it to yourself to find out Who He is, and why He is blessing you!”
Today’s Thanks: Laughter. What would life be like without being able to laugh? Even when we are physically sick, laughing helps us feel so much better. We draw close to friends by laughing with them. We remember jokes when we can’t remember many other things that have been spoken. I am so thankful for the release of tension and sadness that happens when I let loose, or when I happen to think of something hilarious, and just laugh!
Today’s Verse: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1.

Today’s Top 50 Person: Michael Bowen
Today’s Christian Song: Let It Go by Whiteheart
Today’s Quote: “The bookends of success are starting and finishing. Decisions help us start; discipline help us finish.” Dr. John C. Maxwell
Today’s Thanks: My Mother. Space doesn’t permit, nor can words express my thanks and my love for my mom. It’s almost trivial to attempt. But let me just say that nobody could ever mean more to me than her. She has survived the loss of 3 husbands. She raised me by herself. She always believed in me, always encouraged me. She waited on me hand and foot, probably too much. As I got older, she took care of me financially so that I could go do what I wanted to do. She has provided for me things that I never even knew that I needed. She has been a Godly example of what a mother should be. So now that she is older and needs help, it is my turn to provide for her. But I could never repay her to what she has done for me. I love my mom!!
Today’s Verse: “For as high as the heaves are above the earth so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103: 11, 12.

Today has been a lazy day. I find myself just not feeling very good most days. I’m not sick but I feel very weak and like I just need to lay down. So I have some today! But Jaron and I went Mother’s Day shopping today, and then I took him to get a haircut this morning and to a party tonight. Rawls Taxi Service! Angie and Melody went to the coast to see Mimi for Mother’s Day and because she is recovering from her knee replacement surgery. I wish I could have gone, but things need to be done here. And it’s been good to hang with Jaron!
Today’s Top 50 Person: Cliff Hardin
Today’s Christian Song: “Lord of the Harvest” by the Imperials. Signature song off an album that came along at a great time for me, when I was just learning all about Christian music.
Today’s Quote: “Happiness is not an accident. Nor is it something you wish for. Happiness is something you design.”
Today’s Thanks: Clean water. Most of the world does not have clean water to drink, and therefore, sickness is rampant. It is easy to take water for granted since it is so readily available, but water is not only healthy but is literally life giving. We drink it and we bathe in it, and for both of these I am extremely thankful!
Today’s Verse: “Then he said to them all, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23.

Today’s Top 50 Person: Beth Sartain Allen Bowman
Today’s Christian Song: Graverobber by Petra

Today’s Quote: “People don’t fail because they aim too high and miss, but because they aim too low and hit.” Les Brown
Today’s Thanks: Angie loves her work. I am so thankful that my wife loves what she does every day! It gives her great satisfaction and is so committed to it. It stretches her, keeps her on her toes, and utilizes her best talent. And she absolutely loves her students, and they love her! And I get to enjoy good music!
Today’s Verse: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17.

Today’s Top 50 Person: Jeff Slaughter
Today’s Christian Song: Take Me to the End of the World by Greg X. Volz

Today’s Quote: “Your life begins to change when you change something you do every day.” John C. Maxwell
Today’s Thanks: Color. Isn’t God amazing? He could have created a world and left it in black and white. We would never have known! Or just one color. But He created all these colors and variations, and then gave us the understanding to appreciate them! Having trouble with my eyesight lately, I am determined never to take something beautifully colored for granted again!
Today’s Verse: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5.

Today’s Top 50 Person: Andy Sharpe
Today’s Christian Song: Be Ye Glad by Glad

Today’s Quote: “Where you will be five years from now largely depends on two things: the books you read and the people you hang around.” Charles “Tremendous” Jones
Today’s Thanks: Living in the South. I am so thankful to live in a place that is not quite so frantic, it has it’s own charm and hospitality, and although we are not on the straight and narrow, we are definitely conservative. Rankin County, MS might be the most conservative county in the United States! I will devote a day later on to living in America, the home of the free, but today I am thankful not to live in another part of this great country. (Except maybe the mountains, the ski slopes, or of course, DALLAS!)
Today’s Verse: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Romans 8:1.

Today’s Top 50 person:  Robby Seitz.

Today’s Christian Song:  Stand Up by Petra; the first Christian rock song I ever heard by the first Christian rock band I ever heard.  I remember clear as day in college walking into New Life Supply in Columbus, just dying to try to find anything that sounded good, that had a Christian message.  I saw the album (yes, the vinyl record) that had the spaceship on it, and the rest, as they say, is history.  Haha!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB2nLMU6hrI

Today’s Quote:  “The value of anything can be determined by how much of your time and life you are willing to trade for it.” 

Today’s Thanks:  Technology.  As I was fooling with an old laptop at work today, we began talking about how far things have come since I was in college in the 80’s.  I am so thankful that today I can go to the internet, type out a document, work with a spreadsheet and do most anything from in front of a PC or laptop.  Amazing, and I take it for granted.  It really has changed the way we live our lives. 

Today’s Verse:  “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”  2 Peter 1:3.

Today’s Top 50 person: Kevin McHann

Today’s Christian Song: Invitation by Whiteheart

Today’s Quote: “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Ghandi

Today’s Thanks: For my house. It may not be a mansion in the suberbs, but it is enough to give us decent shelter. Most of the world doesn’t have decent shelter. And we have a lot of square footage, which I am thankful for since we have 2 kids, 1 mother and 3 dogs living here! AND all our junk!

Today’s Verse: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13 -16.