from the Dallas Morning News:


Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo can draw a crowd more than two months before opening day.

Fans began gathering at about 7 a.m. Wednesday in advance of Romo's appearance at the Walmart in Arlington. Romo was present to present his fall line of athletic gear, including shoes, produced by Starter.

Romo is the polar opposite of LeBron James in this market. James, the NBA star, hawks athletic shoes that retail for up to $180. The prices on Romo gear run form $4 to $30. Walmart is the exclusive home of Romo gear.

Romo did this by design. He remembered being unable to afford "Air Jordan" basketball shoes as a kid because of the high price and wanted to offer an alternative that would appeal to a broad audience. Romo did not attach his name to the brand until being certain the quality was good, too.

"Why can't we get a nice shoe for an affordable price?" Romo said. "Starter has that: high-performance gear at an affordable price.

"When I was a kid, I couldn't afford "Air Jordans." Most kids can't. When you can get a quality shoe, that's a great thing. I don't feel like I'm giving back, but it's important to know this is good stuff."

The Southside Lectures here in Pasadena have been wonderful. Just one more day -- I will preach tomorrow night from Matthew 19:6. Then I'll head on to the Austin area...

I will be at the Cedar Park church of Christ this Friday and Saturday (June 25-26) for the 2010 Summer Youth Lectures. The theme is "Staying Spiritually Fit." I will speak Friday night at 7:30 on "Building Self Discipline," (singing begins at 7:00). On Saturday singing is at 1:00 p.m. and I will preach at 1:30 on "Strengthening Reverence," and again at 2:30 on "Exercising Faith." Paul White will complete the Lectures on Sunday, speaking at 10:30 AM on "A Worthy Workout," and at 5:00 p.m. the young men of Cedar Park will lead the services.

Cedar Park's website is http://cedarparkchurchofchrist.org/cpcofc/

Hope to see you there!

For the last several years special camps or schools for young men have been conducted in other parts of the country, like Alabama, that featured a week of emphasis on Bible study, prayer, worship and understanding biblical manhood and leadership. These camps have been a tremendous success and have grown quickly. They are making a difference in the lives of the young men who attend them.

This year Buddy Payne (of Stephenville, Texas) and I are bringing this idea to Texas. We are co-directing the Texas Mens Leadership School this summer, August 2nd through the 6th, at the Hensel Campground north of Austin.

Our goal is to help young men, primarily of junior high and high school age, significantly enhance their devotion to God, improve their worship leadership skills and learn to pray and study the Bible more effectively. This is not a preacher school or something only for young men interested in preaching. This is a week that will benefit any young man who wants to serve God and be a real man as the Scriptures teach.

The School will feature four days of intense, directed spiritual activity without distraction – something we believe every young man will find enormously profitable. We are calling it a school instead of a camp specifically to highlight that our purpose is not fun and games but learning, service and leadership.

Now, I am asking you to do two things to help this effort:

1. Please pray for Buddy and me and our staff as we prepare to help young men better serve the Lord.

2. If you have a son, relative or friend who is from junior high to early college age would you please give him my contact info so I can send him a brochure? Or you can just send him to the website - www.texasmensleadershipschool.com


Don't hesitate to ping this around to anybody and everybody please! We are trying to get the word out to as many young men as possible. Please help us do just that. Registration is open - c'mon before we fill up!

If you have any further questions please take a look at our website, www.texasmensleadershipschool.com or contact me and I will be glad to help you all I can. This school will be something special for the young men who attend – and our hope and prayer is that there will be a lot of young getting that benefit!

WHY YOU NEED A TECHNOLOGY BASKET AT HOMEby John Dwyer

The Best 2 Hours of the Day

During a normal work week, I get home around 5:30 and I put my son down for bed around 7:30. That means I have a maximum of 2 hours per day to foster one of the most important relationships I have. It also means that I have a whopping 22 hours a day to check email, facebook, twitter, read, sleep, etc.

Even though I have “all day” to check email and just two hours with my family, it’s hard for me to turn work off when I get home. I often find myself reaching for the phone in my pocket, believing that the world out there is somehow more important than the world right in front of me.

So for that window, I’ve decided to just pack up my devices where I can’t get to them. When I pull in the driveway, I leave my computer in my car or in the laundry room that sits between our garage and family room. I also like to leave my phone in there as well, although I keep it if I know I’ll be taking my son on a walk or doing something where I might truly need it.
Creating Space for Community

At a recent tech conference, I heard of a family that does something like this but with all of their kids. The parents used to tell the kids “no computer during family time from 6-8.” But the kids would do it anyway.

Their excuse? Dad does work some times in the evening and mom talks on the phone to her friends, so why can’t we?

In response, the parents created a special family basket and asked everyone put their most tempting electronic devices in for a few hours each evening. Dad put his work laptop in, mom put in her Kindle, and the kids dropped off their cell phones. Instead of just mandating rules, the parents decided to model how they wanted their family to operate. And instead of focusing on how to limit technology, they focused on opening up a space for conversation, games, and meals.

At any time, the parents and kids can look over at the basket and see what’s there and what’s not and hold family members accountable to it. As a bonus, the basket serves as a powerful physical reminder that the entire Internet and all its wonder is but a few inanimate devices relegated to a trash can.
Being Practical

As always, every family is different and this might not work for everyone. There is homework, grading, emergencies and so on that will break the rules. But I still think the idea is a wonderful practice even if it’s just a few nights per week, and I hope that as my children grow older my wife and I can implement something similar and model togetherness, physical presence, and the fullness of community.

SOURCE: from: http://donteatthefruit.com/2010/05/why-you-need-a-technology-basket-at-home/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DontEatTheFruit+%28Don%27t+Eat+the+Fruit%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

that is a blog I've never read before and know nothing about. I do not endorse its author, content, or color scheme.

saw this on someone else's pleo ... great stuff