FAMILY FEUD-ALABAMA STYLE

This time of the year I don’t think there is a state in the union that is more divided than the state of Alabama.  I’m not talking about politics, I’m not talking about a flag or a monument, I’m talking about football.  You are for the right team or you’re rooting for the wrong team.  Now which team that is I’ll let you the reader decide.   I’m sure those of you reading this will be just as divided as everyone else in this great state.

There have been two perennial powerhouse football teams in this state long before I was born.  The rivalry is older than I am and this month I will be a half-a-century old.  There have already been bad blood between fans of the two schools.   I’ve heard the University of Alabama be called the school of convicts and I’ve heard Auburn called a cow college (correct me if I’m wrong but I think that phrase was made famous by none other than Paul “Bear” Bryant himself).

Those of you that are not from this state or may be passing through while on your way to Florida or the Gulf Coast vacationing don’t be surprised that you’ll see more vehicles with an ‘Alabama/Auburn-House Divided’ car tag on the front than one with a rebel flag on it.  Many Alabamians are very proud of their southern heritage but we are just as proud, if not more, of the heritage of our favorite football team whether it's the Alabama Crimson Tide or the Auburn Tigers.

Want to make it worse?  Let both teams have a successful season with championship implications on the line.  That’s like building a fire with wood and then throwing an old rubber tire on top of the blaze.  It can get really hot really fast.  Now that we have that, let’s throw something even worse in the mix, or on the fire if you will.   Let’s add social media.   And that is just like a fire that was started but now you have a hot fire with an old rubber tire on it and now you decide to go ahead and throw gasoline on the flame as well.  Naturally it burns bright.   As a matter of fact it burns so bright everyone in the nation is looking and watching the fire burn.

Oh yea, we have our differences between whether to vote Democrat or Republican but that can be forgiven.  We might fight and fuss over whose young’un started it first but that too can be forgiven. But if you pull for the “wrong” team I’m not so sure that’s forgivable.

Since social media has been added to the mix I have never in my life seen so much animosity toward each other.  I knew it was bad, especially when you have people killing each other and destroying property over a ball game.  But now you have people, friends and family that are deleting and blocking others simply by what the other said.   If I was to keep score I would have the say the devil has one and the football fans have zero.   I’ve read quite a few comments with pictures and I think many of them are funny.  Some of them are toward the team I root for and some against.

To me it’s just a game.  Win, lose, tie or draw it’s just a game.   I don’t like it when my team loses but I take it, congratulate the others and move on.  I don’t dwell on it, I don’t get mad and blow up and tear something up or take it out on someone or something else.  I just move on.  You as an individual, as a friend or family are far, far more important to me than any ball game.   And if I’m your friend, and especially my family, I hope you love me more than a ball game as well.  Poke fun at me if my team loses, I’ll poke fun at you if my team wins.  But at the end of the day you are still more important and I love you more.

I have one question: Do you worship the team you root for?  If it gets to your emotions so much that you wish evil on another, you hate and despise another, you wish harm to another, you end a friendship because of the other then that team has become your god.

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15 KJV)

WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?

This is the time of year where everyone starts talking about what they are the most thankful for.  It's sad that it takes a holiday to make us ever mindful of the things we are thankful for all year long.  Is this the only time of the year you make the statement, “I am most thankful for...”?  I see people put comments on Facebook of what they are thankful for each day of the month in November.  Start on January 1, 2018 and start talking about what you are most thankful for and end it on December 31^st and then start all over again.

I may not always post it on Facebook or anywhere else for that matter but I give thanks every day. There is not a day that goes by that I don't say what I am thankful for.  Every morning on my way to work the Lord and I have good conversations.  Before the sun peaks the horizon I'm already giving God thanks for the beautiful day, whether it's sunshine and warm or hot or rainy, cold and wet.  I give him thanks because I am glad he is in control and not someone else.  I thank him for my job, my family, my church and my church family, our missionaries.  I ask him to bring them all home safely. That is just a few of the many things I thank the Lord for while I'm getting ready to face my day.

In the evening when I ask the blessing over the food at home I thank the Lord for the wonderful day he has given us.   It may have been a tiring, stressful, aggrevating day but I thank the Lord for it all.   It gives me strength to know that no matter what, I am always thankful.   Just recently I was reminded how much things could be a lot worse, and for that I am thankful.   I am thankful that it wasn't.   I am thankful for the struggles we face.  Why?  Because our struggles are only a test, and test don't last forever.  Anyone remember those old Emergency Broadcast Test?  It would say, “This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System.  This is only a test.”  I hated those things but there was a reason it was done and it only lasted for a minute.   In the scheme of life these test are only for a minute and for that I am most thankful.

We spend a season celebrating and being thankful, why not spend a year, a lifetime?  Why not spend every day for the rest of your life being thankful?

My prayer is that everyone have a wonderful, safe and a very Blessed Thanksgiving. 

Love you all!

In EVERY THING give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thess. 5:18 KJV)

Our Newest and First Children's Book

We are excited to announce the publication of our first children’s book.  Birthday Surprise can now be purchased through Amazon.  All proceeds go towards the Crenshaw County Animal Society.

You can get your copy by clicking the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1974501906/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1502760284&sr=8-2&keywords=david+tadlock

Where Has The Time Gone?

Recently I had written a children's book.   I wrote the book and another young lady that is more artistically talented than I am did the illustrations.   If the book looked half way decent using stick figures then I wouldn't have had a problem doing the whole book by myself.  But what child would want to read a book with illustrations of only squiggly lines?

As I was reviewing the preview for this children's book I had come to the realization that I still had a blog page that I had completely forgotten about.  Now that is strictly an issue with me and my lack of enthusiasm in writing blogs here or on any other web page.  I love writing stories, I love writing songs and I love reading books by other writers, especially new writers.  I'm a new writer too so I want someone to read my books as well.  I asked myself the question: How am I going to get people to read my books if I don't post it on webpages, websites and blogs?

When I looked back and realized that I have not written a blog on this page since 2010 I was flabbergasted.  I couldn't believe it has been that long since I have been on this website.  Or blog if you will.   I'm still trying to wrap it around my head of why I never posted anything on here.  It was like I started this page because someone had told me I needed to since I was trying to make my mark on the literary world with a new book.  Since then I've written two other ebooks, 'Mistaken Identity' and 'Brotherly Love', as well as this children's book that will be coming out on the market in just a matter of days.  The name of this book is called 'Birthday Surprise'.   If you like Dr. Seuss rhyming style stories then I hope you will like this one.  It is my first time in writing a children's book so go easy on me.

Every once in a while I would post something on my personal website, david-tadlock.com, but most of the time I usually just post on my Facebook page.  A lot has happened in my personal life since the last time I've written something on this blog page not to mention so much that has happened in the world since 2010.  They have come out with at least a half dozen or more Batman and Spider-Man movies.  Exactly how many more movies does Hollywood plan to make with those two characters?

Anyway, I am determined that if I am truly sincere about becoming a full-time writer (which I am) and speaker then I really need to step it up and step out.  So from this point forward I will not promise but I will try to get on here as well as my other website more often and let the world know that I am alive and kicking and still writing.  At least I'll try not to wait another seven years before I post something else on here.

Love you all and have a very BLESSED week!