One reader of the humble ramblings was a bit confused by yesterday’s declaration of my affection for the Baylor Bears. They thought I was an Ohio State Buckeye fan.  I am. I am also a diehard Cleveland Browns and Texas Rangers fan. I have a nearly unlimited capacity for suffering. I proudly proclaim that I am an Ohio State fan by birth. I was born forty-five miles due south of the Horseshoe. For pagans the Horseshoe is the magnificent Ohio Stadium nestled on the banks of the Olentangy River in Columbus, Ohio. I have been an Ohio State fan since I can remember. If I became a Buckeye by birth then I guess I became a Baylor Bear by checkbook. Eldest son Matt became the first Bear. He was followed by brothers Scott and Brett. If I had given this much money to any other Baptist organization I would have a little plaque on a building somewhere.                 In Loving Memory of Dave Burchett’s Retirement Fund
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It is usually not a good thing when you read about some Baptists having a long session marked by aggressive behavior. But last night it was a very good thing. The Baylor men’s basketball team worked 5 overtime periods to beat the Aggies of Texas A&M and gave the long suffering Bears an incredible win. My Bears are now ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in forty years. Sic’em Bears! I like to review past columns now and then. This one caught my eye as I scrolled through the humble musings archives. The article tweaked my interest because I had just experienced a very bumpy flight through gray clouds last weekend. Here is that earlier post with some updates. I fly way too much. I have amassed nearly five million airline miles over the past twenty-five years of traveling. That is a lot of bad omelettes, delays, and bruised knees from incredibly unaware passengers who recline their seat backwards
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When last I left you I wrote something that some of you somehow interpreted to mean that an article would appear the next day. Here is what I actually wrote: The article on Dan Fogelberg seemed to connect with a lot of men and we will review those thoughts tomorrow. I guess I can see how you might read into that statement that I would post something the next day. I think using the word tomorrow might have been the problem. So now I must face the issue that all Christian people face at such a moment. How can I save face? Uhhhh….what I meant to write was how should I explain my obvious lack of follow through on my cyberword? I had a couple of thoughts. One would be to suggest that I am so godly that I view time like the Lord. Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as
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The humble ramblings have been silenced by the untimely passing of my computer’s hard drive. It seemed like it had so many gigs left to live for and so much data still to explore. It did manage to live long enough to watch it’s warranty expire just days before. But now I have a shiny new hard drive and I have managed to reload and recover most of my data. In my writing absence I was blessed by many of your comments. Faithful reader Kathleen wrote this very kind assessment. I chuckled today when both the Barna organization and Chuck Colson announced amazing new findings about how we Christians are viewed by the unbelieving masses, citing the books “unChristian” and “The Faith” as revolutionary expose. I haven’t the heart to tell them they could have saved themselves a lot of pondering and research simply by reading “When Bad Christians Happen to Good People.” That seems to be my lot in this
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Gilda Radner developed a very funny character named Rosanne Roseannadanna. She would go off on ridiculous tangents (not unlike this space on occasion) and then defend herself to colleague Jane Curtain. “Well Jane, it just goes to show you, it’s always something!” Yesterday was one of those “it’s always something” days. The day started with the unexpected and untimely demise of my computer’s hard drive. I spent my morning trying to revive it. That was a lovely start to the day. Last night my beloved Ohio State Buckeyes lost (again) in the BCS National Championship game. Earlier in my life journey those two events would have sent me into a multiple day funk of bad moods and bad manners. This morning I am not depressed. I wish my hard drive had lived a longer life. It would have been fun if Ohio State had won. But this season of my life is shaped by one very big word. Perspective. One
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My sons gave me a wonderful Christmas blessing, gift and challenge this year. I yield my space to my sons as I share their Christmas letter with you. They have a challenge for you, my tens of readers. As usual, I will have the last word at the end. Blessings, Dave Our dad is a little odd at times.  His self-deprecating nature, honest candor, and repetitious jokes all make for some entertaining moments throughout our growing up years.   He is occasionally witty and poignant in his “daily ramblings” while attempting to enter pop culture despite the increase in grey hair on the goatee.  He rarely misses an opportunity to toss out a dad joke or sports opinion while serving up a daily menu of dadisms.  Although these are the characteristics that come and go while adding to the quirkiness of our family, one thing about dad has never changed…his heart for a cause.  Granted, the causes have changed over the years. 
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This series was well received last year. You may view this as a repeat. I prefer to think of it as regifting. Here is Part 2 of the series. Blessings and Merry Christmas!    Dave As a public service I am providing a shopping guide for things you can give to Jesus on His upcoming birthday. Let’s be honest…giving the King of Kings and Lord of Lords a unique gift is really tough. Yesterday’s post examined the gifts brought to the young Christ child over 2,000 years by the three wise men, I had hoped that examining what the Magi brought might jump start our gift giving ideas.  By the way, there is a plaque that is available in catalogs this year with the title “What if They Had Been 3 Wise Women?” Here is the conclusion…. They would have asked directions. Brought practical gifts Made a casserole Cleaned the stable‘ Changed the baby And there would be peace on earth. Alert readers from yesterday remember that the first gift was gold. That is always a lovely
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