Good Friday - 2008

WOW. is it really Easter time? Where does the time go?

How are u?

things are good here. Had a great time last week up in west michigan. I miss being there. But it was good to see family and friends and hang out.

Things here are busy. demands on time is great but it is still manageable. I would rather be busy than not. that is for sure.

Keep up on the political environment? i have. Not to get too political; but i see some falling apart in the democratic party. Not sure how this is going to shake out. Are we ready for a women president? are we ready for a black president? or will the GOP pull out all the stops? and where is Nader?

I don't know where i stand yet. too soon to tell. Being conservative by nature or nurture...lol...i am not sure where my loyalties lie at this point. I am sure it will become more clear as time goes on. Anyone's guess at this point.

I wished we would stop the blame game and focus on issues. the war. the economy. energy dependance. green environment improvements. healthcare.

I hope as time goes on we can see more definitive leadership in these areas and clearer communication on how change can be made.

Hope you have a blessed Easter season. He has Risen!

from the 405...
Carter Lee Clark

update #2

I have sat down to do this three times.

Dad is doing well. No cancer and no abnormal effects on the system. Should be fully recovered soon.

I am mucho better. The flu is AWFUL! but after 3 weeks, i am near 100%.

I am headed to the great white north next week. Cannot wait to see my daughter, family and friends.

In other news, the Lela Johnson Basketball tournament is happening the weekend of the 15th. The tournament raises money for 1st Priority in Grand Haven. It is cool because i have personal connection to this and am happy it is going well. I talked to Jeff about it the other night. Jeff is Lela's dad and the person who puts on the tournament (and my best friend). He is encouraged about the turn out and people signing up to play. It is a great opportunity for Jeff to speak with the kids about things. Jeff is a great speaker. And it raises money for a great organization.

Work is work. Busier than i can manage but i always say the opposite is far worse. I would rather be busy than not!

That's what up!
OUT!
Becca's dad

flu bug and other updates

Sorry to the 4 people who actually read this blog for not updating lately.

I have been struggling with the latest strain of flu bug going around. I am not sure what it is but holy cow, it is BAD. I am not sure but i think it should be called the Terminator of Flu. If you have not had it count your blessings. If you have consider yourself a survivor. if you are in the midst of it, hold on it does not get better any time soon.

In other news, the Becca is doing fine. She has relocated with her mom and stepdad to Grand Haven. THIS MAKES ME VERY HAPPY! The stress of getting up early for school and being away from her friends and family was great. In addition, there was a possibility that in her 9th grade year she would transfer schools - which i think would have been really rough on her. But now that she is in GH, she will continue thru until graduation in Grand Haven.

The other note is that she and family tried Watermark. Now for Becca this was a homecoming of sorts. But for the rest, i am just glad that tried it and really liked it. I pray they continue to get involved and immersed in what Watermark has to offer.

Becca is coming to Oklahoma for spring break. This is really cool! we have tickets to see the Blue Man Group which are coming to OKC in early April. Also, it is around her birthday - super cool for dad. I plan to take some time off around that time to see some sights and just hang out!

Other than that my dad is having some surgery today. Pray for him. There is a tumor on his bladder that needs to be removed. I am hopeful that is the extent of the damage and all will be fine.

Check in later
C

it is like running the 90 yard dash...

the only problem is it is a 100 yard race.

This is the way i felt last night when the NY Giants kicker did his job under pressure and weather conditions. As i sat there watching the Packers dream of a super bowl game go down the toilet, i was thinking about the weird year in football. College games that were major upsets all season. It just goes to show anyone can get beaten by anyone at anytime.

I know this is a long leap but....

this is why we need to by on guard - as a family, as husband and wife. On guard, because anyone can get beaten at anytime, anywhere. I like to watch TV land sometimes. They run the show MASH alot. This particular episode BJ Hunnicut was struggling with the fact that he found a women overseas. She was perfect. Her attitude, sense of humor, the look. Lets not forget that his character is married and has a child.

The odd ball part of it was a part of the dialogue. He was talking to this lady. She is apparently a journalist - so she comes and goes as the news hits or as she pleases. His comment was he is trapped. He wakes to the army; he sleeps for the army; he eats what the army tells him to eat. She can come and go as she pleases. She tries to make him feel better. He gets more enraged. He is trapped at home with his wife and that house...he confesses.

I am not sure where i am headed with these thoughts. I just know how easy it is to get distract. I know how easy it is to lose someone very special. I know how numb i became. i know the hard work it has taken to come as far as we have. I know the pain of waking up and not having family there.

Wow. i guess the show did bug me a little.

Carter

bumper sticker

Enjoy!

what a great holiday

yeah it was great. spent two weeks in michigan at the holidays. caught up with becca and other family and friends. Great time. Couple campfires. good quality time with becca and of course christmas and new years.

It is back to the grind this week. I am in indianapolis finishing up a couple loose ends. things are crazy at work. we have much to do with little time to do it in.

thats all for now. gotta get back at it.

Carter

how you know you have been naughty

naughty

It is better to give than receive

i love that statement. it was a premise i was raised under and it is one that my daughter is very familiar with. It brings a different feeling at christmas time.

I alooted to some feelings i have about Christmas time. I hate the material aspect. It is like the advertising media goes crazy this time of the year. Even financial analysists base how well the economy is doing by how much comsumers spend.
it drives me crazy.

A few years ago, a good friend of mine was talking about the buy nothing for Christmas. i am not so sure that line of thought is not spot on. It does not mean give nothing christmas and give from the heart.

That is my rant for now.
C
buy nothing for Christmas

pics from this morning

here is what i woke up to. these are pics of where i live.

extreme weather?

howdy.

right before i took the job at Spectrum, one of my future co-workers said that the weather in Oklahoma City is extreme. i am finding that out. late last week it was in the 40's here. for the last three days, it has been raining and freezing. we have ice and lots of it. many places out of power including some of my friends and co-workers. hopefully, that will correct itself soon.

anyway, we had our company christmas party friday night. good time was had by all.

in other new, i had an eye doctor exam on from friday and picked up contacts. i was having problems with my glasses seeing up close. so, the eye doc suggested having two different prescriptions in each eye to compensate. i understand this is a common practice. so i am trying it. i am having alittle tought time but it going well.

Getting ready to head to west michigan. can't wait to see my daughter.

Well, that is all for now.

l8r
carter

Getting ready for the Christmas holiday

Why is it that this holiday is so expensive?

I was conversing with my younger brother about this. We both struggle with the emphasis that is placed on the material side of Christmas.

I don't know. I think we miss the point.

More as i formula what the heck i am trying to say later
Carter

isn't this a nice pic?

Thanksgiving 2007

Wow. Has it been that long since i posted last? I apologize to the handful of you who actually read this.

Well, it was a good holiday. I spent the day with one of my co-workers and his family. it was great. we went out to the family farm in rural Oklahoma. There was a spread of food two tables long. I would guess there were probably 25 or so people there. We spread out all over the house and watched football. it was a good day.

The rest of the weekend i spent laying low. i was not active at all. i resisted the urge to go into work and started rethinking some things. between thanksgiving and the new year is always a renewing time for me. to reflect on the year past and see what changes to make for the year ahead. i will keep u posted.

In other news, i will be up in west michigan for christmas. My daughter wants to come down for Spring Break. and i am already making summer plans as becca wants to roll with me for the summer.

thats it! i hope u had a blessed holiday!
Carter

funny.

Yup. you are out of the office for 2 weeks on business and this is what happens.

Enjoy! Balloon-man

Carterland

The power of words

I frequent the bloggers i have. i am addicted. I do it because most of the time God shows me something. My friend Ken, whom i respect because of his wisdom, said to me one time "always remember Carter, words are eternal".

Check out these blog entries Moments of Clarity and My tiny little human.

People are always watching and listening to see how we react to situations.

Good stuff.
Carter

i have seen some silly things in my time. i stumbled on this reading another blog. This mom to be is worried about how the jackhammering is going to effect her unborn child. So much so that she had to light a cigarette to think about.

Way to go!
Carter

ok. there are times when life is just plain good

Ok. what i am about to write may not seem like a big thing but i am busting at the seams to share. I also know that this may be a small speck but...

I was talking to becca today. We talk almost daily. It is awesome. It helps keeps the distance shorter than it is. She was telling me that she is writing an essay. The essay is on who she thinks is her hero.

She had thought this out. Her mom. Her favorite teacher. My best friend Jeff Johnson. Two people from watermark (who have now moved on to other ministry positions) - wally harrison and jason deroche. and me. At this point i was really excited to make the list. So she proceeds to tell me why she chose each person. Great descriptions of how these individuals impact and impacted her life. Then she tells me who she chose to write the article on and why. It is me. i was and still am blown away.

Well, thanks for letting me brag for a moment.

carter

well -- all things come around

I am back in OKC now. I arrived thursday night about 9:30 pm. It is good to go but it is better to come home.

I have some time to think about things. Without going too deep, how important it is to tell the people you care about how much you love them. Let me give you an example.

My oldest brother's name is Chuck. He is married to Valerie. They have a great marriage and one daughter Melissa who is married and has two boys. They all reside in Cincinnati, Ohio. Chuck and Val have had up times and down times just like everyone else. But thru it all they have a great marriage and great relationship with God and others.

I have the greatest respect for all my brothers. But Chuck being the oldest hold my highest regards. He is not only a good husband, good father, but he is a man of character. And he is developing a wisdom side that is pretty awesome too. To see him in operation this last weekend with my family and people he does not even know just being the church and loving on people at the funeral was really cool. Needless to say he inspires me to be a better person than i am.

with all of that side, i have dished out a ton of crap to chuck. He is a funny guy and i have picked on him about many things for a long time. Well, in that process of harassing he was under a completely different opinion of how i felt about him. In fact, i stumbled on that while i was chatting with him on the phone.

I spent a good deal of time on the phone straightening that out.

I guess what i am saying is do not assume that the people you care about know that. Tell them, let them know. Life is too short.

Carter

dust in the wind

it does not take long in a conversation to me to discover how much i like classic rock. 80's, some of the 70's, 90's good stuff - well some of anyway. I am listening to Dust in the Wind by Kansas. I can remember when i was much younger and did not know Jesus how music influenced my world view. How music shaped my thoughts and would change my heart and feelings.

Well, i have sat here for 5 minutes staring at this screen trying to figure out how to write what i am about to write. so here it is. i received a call this morning from my dad. i never get calls from my dad in the morning. it us does not happen. so i know when he does call, it is bad news.

One of my nephews committed suicide last night. My brother Chris, who is slightly older than i, is a quiet person. He would give the shirt off his back - until you wrong him; than look out.

I have not spoke to him yet. i plan on trying to call later today. but that brings me back to dust in the wind. isn't it amazing quickly things change?

I have my itunes set up for shuffle. Ya know what was the next song? U2 still haven't found what i'm looking for. Next song. Boston more than feeling. not sure what all that means or what point i was trying to make.

Carter

***NEW BLOGGER ALERT***

Yes, yet again, another brave soul enters the blog world. One of Watermark's (my former church family in michigan)core values is to plant churches; reproduce what they are doing in another community.

Rob Paterson is the guy God has chosen to lead the charge. I have only talked to Rob a few times. but what i know about him i like. A man with a strong love of God, his wife and his family.

Anyway, read about his journey as God pushes him.

Should be good stuff.