Marriage, Football, the Economy, and "Fireproof"

The following is from an article by Sharon Jayson, of USA TODAY:

   Around the house, women rule. And men aren't putting up a fight about it, according to a study from the Pew Research Center that examines how gender and power play out at home and in the community.
   Of 1,260 individuals surveyed this summer— either married or living together — women wield more decision-making power at home. In 43% of couples, women made more decisions — almost twice as many as men — in the four areas Pew surveyed: planning weekend activities, household finances, major home purchases and TV watching.

   The survey also found 43% of men don't have the final say in any of those decisions; they either share decision-making or defer to their partners.

What do you think?  A partnership arrangement has worked well for Beverly and me.  Well, at least she TOLD me it did:)

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What a stunner of a game last night.  Oregon State beat USC!

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I find it interesting that our elected officials can't solve the Social Security problem, but seem to have no trouble coming up with $700 billion to bail out the fat cats on Wall Street. Something tells me that amount of money would make Social Security solvent for a long, long time.  But we the taxpayers are going to be burdened with this debt because of the excessive greed of a handful of powerbrokers.

It just doesn't pay to be poor (I guess that is somewhat of a paradoxical statement).  Read Amos and see what you think God might have to say to a nation with such upside down priorities when it comes to our distribution of wealth.   

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There is a new movie coming out today called "Fireproof."  It is made by a group of Christians who also made "Facing the Giants."  They are hoping for people of faith to make this opening weekend a big one.  Beverly and I are going to the 4 PM matinee today.  

What's Important to God?

Beverly and I returned yesterday afternoon from Abilene where we attended Summit (once known as Lectureship).  It was really good this year -- with the keynotes all from Romans.  Of course, Beverly his a homerun with her class, and my daughter-in-law, Kayci, taught an excellent class as well. 

I went to a class on Amos that was outstanding.  I am only now becoming convicted as to how important justice is in Scripture.  As was pointed out in the class, when Scripture speaks about justice, it is not in the sense of punishment for crime.  Rather it is about concern for the plight of our "neighbor."  It is about concern for the poor and fair treatment of the "have-nots" as well as the "haves."   

How have we missed that emphasis?  "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."  "You should tithe, but what is more important is justice, mercy and faithfulness."  "Away with your religious rituals . . . let justice roll like the rivers."    

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Jeff Jones sent me the following:

Subject: TOP 10 PREDICTIONS NO MATTER WHO WINS THE ELECTION
1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed teaching
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.
ISN'T IT GREAT TO KNOW WHO IS REALLY IN CONTROL?!!!!

Religious Beliefs

The Tigerless Ryder Cup begins today.  On paper, it doesn't look good for team USA.  But maybe Tiger's absence will inspire the others to play better.  I don't know if I can take another Sergio Garcia strut and gloat session.

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Baylor University conducted a religious survey in 2007 and the results have just been published.  Among their findings:

55 percent of respondents said they have been protected from harm by a guardian angel.

16 percent said they have received a miraculous physical healing.

Over the past six decades, the percentage of atheists has stayed at about 4 percent.  Recent books by atheists became best sellers because there are more than 12 million atheists who are potential buyers of such books.

82 percent said they are "absolutely sure" or "pretty sure" that heaven exists.

Traditional Christian religion decreases belief in such things as UFOs, the Loch Ness monster and Bigfoot -- while education has relatively little effect.  

The State of Marriage

Let's see:  Crude oil has dropped from $140+ to under $100.  That's a drop of over 40%.  Prices at the pump have dropped about 30 cents.  That's about 7%.  The free-market system is alive and well.  NOT!

And what's with the stock market?  I'm thinking about moving my mutual funds to a passbook savings account.  I could be doing much better.

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According to new findings of a national poll commissioned by PARADE, marriage seems to be working quite well for most.  About 88% say they are happy or reasonably content in their marriages.  Only 12% ranked their marriages at the bottom of the scale, in the range between "It's miserable" and "I wish I could get out."

Those responding also gave positive reasons for why they stayed married, with 71% choosing "deep love" and 73% citing "companionship."  

Compare this to the kind of information being imparted by Oprah: (paste in this link:  http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/articleoprah.aspx?cp-documentid=10274156&page=4).

Jury Duty

I have had a last minute call to jury duty this morning, so don't have much time.  

I would greatly appreciate you praying for me through this series I am preaching on prayer.  I want clarity to know what directions to go with it.  I want to challenge myself and others to take prayer to a deeper level.

Thank you so much. 

The Blessing of Kids

Beverly and I had a wonderful trip to Memphis last week.  We were blessed to get to see Josh and Kayci and Truitt in their house and new "environment."  The church facility where they serve is incredible!

Friday night they took us downtown, where we saw the site (made famous in pictures from 1968) where Martin Luther King, Jr was gunned down.  It was moving to me, because I believe he was one of the GREATEST Americans.  Wow!  What an orator.  What a visionary.

We ate supper downtown at a place that is known for its pork ribs.  Lots of famous people have eaten there.  Of course, Beverly and I added two more to that list:)

We feel blessed that our Memphis family has found such a great place to minister for the Lord.

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The trip home was a different story.  Ike was centered over Texarkana at 5 PM on Saturday.  Guess where we were at 5 PM?  And then, we had a flat tire just east of Dallas.  So I changed a tire in the rain, and put on the donut tire.  It went flat about 2 miles from our house.

Still, we are thankful to be home safely.  We are currently enjoying having Jonathan, Jennifer, Jed and Jocelyn staying with us, along with some of their friends from Houston.  They will stay until power is restored.  We even had Jenny and Malaya with us for supper last night.  This is like Christmas!

Would it be wrong for me to pray that it takes a while for them to restore it?  I think most grandparents would understand such a prayer.  Obviously, I am really praying that things will get back to "normal" soon for those displaced by Ike.          

Remembering Both Cowardice and Bravery

Yesterday I mentioned that sermons from the Decatur Church of Christ are now available on line at www.decaturchurchofchrist.com.  The reason I am writing this is:  If you went online and subscribed (which is free), you need to do it again.  There was another tweak made last night that will block your ability to access the site unless you resubscribe.

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It's hard to believe that 7 years have passed since one of the most cowardly acts in the history of the world.  May we never forget that there are people out there who hate us so much they will murder thousands of innocent people -- for what?  So they can hide in caves the rest of their lives?

In the midst of that most cowardly act, we saw the greatness of the American spirit.  Heroic feats of bravery were evidenced in each situation.    

Something tells me we will find Osama Ben Laden -- and fairly soon.  Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part.  What the U.S. has to consider is:  When we find him, what do we do with him?  What is the RIGHT thing to do with him -- politically and morally?   

Sermons On Line

Recently I have been asked with more frequency if my sermons are on line.  I can now say yes -- thanks to Mark Archer and Heather Baker.  If you go to our church website (www.decaturchurchofchrist.com) and click on the link on the left that says "media downloads" -- you can then either listen directly on line or you can download to Itunes.  Thanks to Mark and Heather for working to make this possible.

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From the way the weather forecasters are talking, we may be in for some severe weather on Saturday as Ike makes its way through north Texas.  Beverly and I will be headed back from Memphis at that time.  Please pray for safe travel for us.

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Did you hear about the lady who left her camera at a restaurant, and when she went back to get it -- it was gone?  The report was on GMA on Tuesday morning.  Someone had stolen the camera.  

Well, it just so happened that her camera had a feature where it periodically downloads to her computer any pictures that have been taken.  So a couple of days later, her pictures downloaded.  There were all her pictures of her kids, etc.  And there were pictures of the person who had stolen the camera.

She decided to take a stab at finding him.  So she called the restaurant and sent them the picture to see if anyone might recognize the person.  It was the Head Waiter at the restaurant!

She got her camera back, and decided to not press charges.  However, Mr. Head Waiter-Thief was fired.        

Getting Nostalgic

It is a beautiful Tuesday morning!  Temperature about 70 and it is raining.  I like that!

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Does anybody know a shortcut to Memphis, Tennessee?  Beverly and I are going to see our Tennessee family Thursday afternoon.  We have to come back on Saturday afternoon.  I hear it's about a 9 hour drive.  That used to not bother me at all.  When I was in school at ACU, Beverly and I would often drive to La Marque (near Galveston) on the weekend to see her parents.  But that sure seems like a long drive now.

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When Beverly and I were in San Francisco, we wondered why "The Streets of San Francisco" was never shown in reruns.  I remembered it as a great detective show of the 70s.  It starred Karl Malden and Michael Douglas.  Well, when we got back -- guess what?  It is on one of the local independent stations.  So I started DVRing it, and we have watched several episodes.  The plots are pretty good, but other than Malden and Douglas, the acting seems to be poor.  

And the clothes!  Did we really used to dress like that?

It's funny watching shows from that era.  Typewriters on the desks.  Large, bulky phones.  19" TVs.  HUGE cars.  PAY PHONES!  Telex machines.

The episodes we are watching right now are from the '75 season.  That's the year Beverly and I started dating, so I'm sure we never saw them before.  

There used to be some great detective shows during that time:  "Barnaby Jones," "Kojak," "Columbo."

The genre I am waiting for a return to, however, is westerns.  It seems like 80% of the shows from the late 50s and 60s were westerns.  I still like to see them, too.  "Bonanza," "Rawhide," "The Big Valley," "The Rifleman," "High Chaparral."  And of course my favorite -- "Gunsmoke."  

Prayer

I begin this week with my mind focused on prayer.  I pray regularly -- several times a day.  And yet, I feel weak in this spiritual discipline.  I desire the kind of prayer life I read about in the lives of others who have authored books, etc.  

I feel such a connectedness with Philip Yancey.  He is a man who is on the road of faith -- but doesn't claim to have arrived.  He doesn't have all the "answers" -- but he is brave enough to share his struggles, and admit that he has them.  In books like Disappointment with God and Prayer, he is very honest as he seeks answers.  His struggles are similar to the ones I have.

He shares the following story in his book on prayer.  It is the story of Ben Patterson, a preacher who had ruptured a disc and was ordered to 6 weeks of total bed rest.  Reading was virtually impossible.  While in that condition, he learned some important lessons about prayer.  

   I was helpless.

   I was also terrified.  What was this all going to mean?  How was I to take care of my family?  What about the church?  I was the only pastor it  had, and I could do nothing for it.  Out of sheer desperation I decided to pray for the church.  I opened the church directory and prayed for each member of the congregation, daily.  It took nearly two hours, but since there was nothing else I could do for the church, I figured I might as well pray for it.  It was not piety that made me do it, it was boredom and frustration.  But over the weeks the prayer times grew sweet.  One day near the end of my convalescence, I was praying and I told the Lord, "You know, it's been wonderful, these prolonged times we've spent together.  It's too bad I don't  have time to do this when I'm well."

   God's answer came swift and blunt.  He said to me, "Ben, you have just as much time when you're well as when you're sick.  It's the same twenty-four hours in either case.  The trouble with you is that when you're well, you think you're in charge.  When you're sick, you know you're not."   

Maybe our problem is that we are too WELL-off?

Taking The President-Speaking Vote

Watching John McCain deliver his speech last night, I couldn't help but think about how different his speaking style is from what we heard from Barack Obama a week earlier.  As I look back over my life, I have seen some presidents who were gifted orators (Kennedy, Reagan, Clinton) and some who were not (LBJ, Ford, Bush III).  I'll beat some of you to the punch (Jeff):  I never heard Lincoln speak, but I bet he was good.  Being a professional speaker myself, I am inspired by good orators.  However, it doesn't necessarily mean that their policies / ideas are better.

Who would you rank as the BEST speaker-President? 

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I keep thinking about McCain being in a prison camp for 5-1/2 years.  I cannot get my mind around that.  That's a LONG time!  I can't imagine the post-traumatic stress he must still deal with.  And bless his heart, he can't even lift his arms above parallel to the ground.  Yet he led the fight to reestablish diplomatic relations with Viet Nam.  Go figure.  I hope that I would be that big a man. 

My Attack on the PAC

"A government of the people, by the people and for the people."  Those are great words.  They have been quoted in great speeches by Lincoln and King.  But is it just a dream?

I was listening to a report this morning on PACs ("political action committees").  You probably already know how I feel about them.  Last week, they invaded the Democratic Convention, and now they are at the Republican Convention.  ACLU, NRA, the pharmaceutical companies, defense contractors, big oil, and I could go on and on.  They court the politicians and give their campaigns megabucks -- in effect buying their votes.  Thus, the politicians' loyalties are not to the people, but to the PACs.  It is legal bribery, and it is SO opposed to the idea of "of the people, by the people, and for the people." 

The report was telling about new rules as to the parties PACs can throw for politicians.  They are not to serve foods that require a fork and knife.  The intent is to not allow them to throw a sit-down banquet -- but only serve "finger foods."  So at the Democratic Convention, they served things that could be eaten with a spoon.  At the Republican Convention, they are serving the food in Martini glasses.  Any way to skirt the rules.

I am of the opinion that PACs are THE leading cause of corruption and partisanship in American politics.  Even if I believe in the causes of the PACs, I think they are ethically wrong.  One person, one vote -- THAT is a democracy.  

 

Good morning, Class

Happy Labor Day!

Observations about the upcoming Presidential election:
There will be a number of 1st for me in this election no matter who wins. For one, this is the first time that the winning ticket will have someone on it that is younger than I am. Both Obama and Palin fit that bill.

For another, this is the first time in American history that the winning ticket will have an African-American or a woman on it -- regardless of who wins.

This isn't a first in history, but it will be a first for many of you: There has not been a senator elected as president since LBJ. We tend to go for governors more than senators. Gerald Ford was a Representative and Bush, Sr. had been an ambassador and held other appointed offices. Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Clinton and Bush, Jr. -- all Governors.

So that is your political science lesson for today. Class dismissed.

My Kids

I just dropped my son Josh off at the airport.  He flew in yesterday and spoke at our church last night.  I told him he hit a grand slam.  He had some really sweet things to say about the Decatur Church in his own blog today -- which you will find linked here.  What a blessing it has been this summer to have my sons speak this year on our summer series.

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Beverly has taken my daughter and her best friend to San Antonio for the weekend to celebrate Jenny's 30th birthday.  My daughter-in-law Jennifer will meet them there, along with my granddaughter Jocelyn.

30!  I remember when I got to that age, I thought I was getting old.  Now I have a child that old!

They are going to some of our favorite places we used to go when the kids were little.  They will eat at the Market Square several times, I am sure.  I LOVE to eat there.  But Dad wasn't invited on the trip.  So, I went to Taco Bell for lunch today. 

Seek 1st HIS Kingdom!

As a minister of the gospel and a promoter of the Kingdom of God, I hope that no one knows what political party I vote for.  For the last 10-15 years, it has been assumed by many that if you are a faithful Christian you must vote Republican.  Truth be known:  I am so sick of American politics that I have become a member of the Cynic Party.

I am amazed that Christian people get involved in spreading lies about a candidate they disagree with -- and even convince themselves that it is their Christian duty!  Some of the emails I have received about Barack Obama are things the National Enquirer would not even print.  It's fine if you want to disagree with one's political views.  It is a SIN to spread gossip and slander.

But last night I was watching some of the Democratic convention, and I became equally disgusted with what I heard.  Many of the Democratic party have decided to paint John McCain as someone who cannot relate to the average American because he has seven houses.  They are beating this to pieces.

As I was watching this, I was thinking:  Every one of you are millionaires.  You have, for the most part, become millionaires through family money or by taking PAC contributions.  I don't know of a national politician who does not leave office as less than a millionaire.  And you are going to point the finger at John McCain?  He is known to be less accepting of PAC money than most any politician.  He is rich, yes.  His wife inherited multi-millions of dollars.  Why he has seven houses, I don't know.  But I doubt those pointing the fingers live in the projects and drive 12 year old cars.  Bill and Hillary Clinton have become extremely wealthy.  How?  By being "public servants."  (How ironic is that statement?)  It is the height of hypocrisy. 

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Here are some more words from Countdown to Sunday, in a chapter on preaching during an election season:   

   Preaching should help us place our hope in Jesus Christ amid all the vain promises and endless words of campaign ads and convention hoopla . . . the best way to be involved, the best way to serve America (or any nation) is by being the church.  Disciples first.  Americans and Democrats and Republicans and whatever else, a distant second.

   It is terribly easy for preachers to unwittingly allow the Word of God to be domesticated and nationalized . . . it's a sin against Jesus Christ and his church; it puts the church in danger, and if the church is in danger, then so is the nation.  For what the nation most needs is the church, God's new nation among the nations, herald of hope for the world.  

      

Sermon Illustrations

I am actually reading three books right now -- two are spiritually related and one is for relaxation.  On our trip to Canada I picked up a Louis L'Amour book and really liked it.  So I will be reading his stuff for a year or so in my leisure (he was a prolific writer, and his books now sell in paperback for $3.99.  That's right up this tightwad's alley!)

But I am reading a book on preaching entitled Countdown to Sunday, by Chris Erdman.  He has a chapter on Illustration.  I have often struggled with the use of illustrations.  Obviously, Jesus and Paul both used them extensively.  But there are also inherent dangers.

Here's what Erdman (who is a post-modern preacher, by the way) says:  This business of sermon illustration, though so common, actually obscures the text of scripture we hoped to bring to the light of day (emphasis mine).  Sermons preached this way may draw the masses, but I can't be persuaded that this is preaching.  Speech-making, maybe.  Entertainment, yes.  But not preaching. 

   I used to illustrate my sermons this way too.  There were too many Sundays for too many years when folks shook my hand or wrote me notes after worship and said things like, "You're a great storyteller," or, "That story today really moved me."  For too long I liked those responses-- loved them even.  I got to the point where I preached for those responses and stewed in my frustration for a while after a sermon if I didn't get them.  

   But over time the frequent compliments grew thin, and something began to gnaw at my preacher's conscience.  I began to realize that people loved the stories I told, the illustrations that populated my well-crafted sermons, but showed little evidence that they were growing in their love for THE Story.  They were increasingly dependent on my words, but not on the Word.  That troubled me.  I began to long for someone to come out of worship, shake my hand, and say, "Preacher, the text came alive for me today, and I don't think I'll be able to shake it off.  It's disturbed something inside me, and it may well take the week to make some kind of sense about what it wants to do to us as a church."  I began to figure that if I could get that kind of response, then we as a church might really be on our way to being the people of God.  

Oh, how I want that to be the result of my preaching as well!  

The Beauty of Reconciliation

Here is a picture of Beverly and me in Juneau, Alaska, taken by Virginia Buchanan.  We had been warned to watch out for the bears.  If you click on the picture, it will make it bigger.   

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Last week I kind of mentioned in passing about Beverly and me celebrating our anniversary.  I am so proud of her.  She has striven to be the best at whatever she undertakes.  She was an incredible stay-at-home mom.  When she began teaching, she won awards after just a couple of years that were normally given to teachers who had taught for 20 years or so.  And now as a counselor, she is helping to mend relationships that will affect families for generations to come.  Every day she gets to witness Satan losing another battle.

I thought of her as I read this poem this morning.  It was written by a child named Erika Chambers, as she witnessed her  own parents fall in love again.  Reconciliation is a beautiful thing!       

All is Right

Last night I saw you kiss her on the porch
I watched you from the window
Just before I turned my covers down
Now I can go to sleep and know
That everything is right
With the world, with the night
All is right.

I listen to you laugh outside my room
You're whispering your nothings,
And you don't think I can hear you
But when I go to sleep I know
That everything is right
With the world, with the night
All is right.

And I can rest my head upon
The thought of you still going strong
And I can dream of days I know will be
When a love like yours will find me

Tonight I watched you dancing in the dark
To music from a stereo you set beneath the stars
Now I can go to sleep and know
That everything is right
With the world, with the night
All is right.

All is right.

A Variety of Topics

Yesterday marked Beverly's and my 32nd anniversary.  We are actually celebrating tonight.  It has been an incredible journey -- the process of two very different people becoming one.  We have gone through valleys and mountaintops.  We have so many rich memories to look back on.  But I don't want to dwell there.  I look forward to our future together.  Hopefully we are less than half way through our journey.

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Today is a round-the-clock day of prayer at our church for students, teachers and the next school year.  Jacob and Heather do such a good job of putting this together, and Tanya Hamilton worked hard setting up and decorating the room.   What a blessing they are!

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So the Chinese gymnastics team is in danger of losing some medals because they may have forged some birth certificates.  Earlier in the Olympics they did a story about how children are removed from their families and forced into training as gymnasts.  Even when they beg to come home, their families won't allow them to.  Apparently the government pays the families for the "use" of their kids.  Sad, so sad. 

We take SO much for granted in the U.S.  Yes, we have our problems.  But I have about had my fill of U.S. bashing -- and also, of church bashing (I am not intending to connect the two here.  The kingdom of Jesus is not of this world.  These are two separate things.)  It is so easy to find the faults in a system.  I would rather work within that system -- encouraging what is good and tweaking what might be done better.  The danger in only finding fault is that the faults become exaggerated disproportionately so that the good becomes blocked out. 

A Childlike Faith

Today I am conducting the funeral service of Gerald Polley.  Gerald passed away Saturday after a long and courageous battle with cancer. His younger brother died the day before of a cerebral hemorrhage after visiting Gerald.  This has been a really tough week for this family. 

One of the blessings in it, though, has been getting to see Brent and Kristi -- Gerald and Cheryl's oldest son and his wife.  They have recently moved to Mississippi, and I have missed them dearly.  Today in the service I am going to share a couple of observations from their young sons -- but I wanted to share them here too.

Brandon (about 8 years old) said, "I'm going to call Grandpa on his cell phone and ask him what heaven looks like."  He also wanted to know what kind of cake they would have at the funeral.

After Gerald had died Saturday, Topher (about 6) asked, "Has Grandpa's soul left his body?"   Being told that it had, he looked up toward the sky and waved.

The wisdom and faith of a child.  We can learn a lot.    

Prayer: A Call to Action

In Yancey's book on prayer, in one chapter he talks about how prayer ought to spur us on to action.  I love the visual he gives when he writes, "Sometimes, like the boy who asks his parents to solve a math problem while he plays video games, we ask God for things we should be doing ourselves."  

Prayer is a call to action.  It is a call for me to get involved in kingdom business.  "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  How is that going to happen?  We have witness of it happening when Jesus walked this earth in the flesh.  His will is that it continue to happen through His body -- Christians.  To a significant degree, WE are the answer to that prayer. 

Olympic Pride

When we were in Alaska, we missed out on a week of Texas' worst heat.  Four days of 105 or above during that week!  Since we have come back, except for a couple of days, the weather has had a feel of Fall to it.  Highs in the 80s!  And this morning I awoke to RAIN!  With more in the forecast.  It is wonderful!

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When I was a kid (in the midst of the Cold War), the Olympics were about which form of government was better.  We always wanted to beat those cheatin' Russians in the medal counts -- to prove a point (?).

Now that we find ourselves in a more global community, I don't watch the Olympics with quite the same nationalistic fervor.  Oh, I still root for the US of A.  But I enjoy watching the great athletes from around the globe.

I guess it's a good thing, because we are getting smoked by China!  As of this morning, China had 39 gold medals to our 21.  Take away Michael Phelps, and we would have a paltry 13!  Someone's saying, "Yeah, but we are leading in the total medal count."  And they would be right.  We are way ahead of China in silvers (23 to 14) and bronzes (26 to 14).  Yee-ha!  We are better at 2nd and 3rd place.  What is it someone once said?  Winning 2nd place is like kissing your sister.

Funny.  I looked on the Official Olympic website where it has listed the current TOTAL medal counts.  China has themselves listed 1st.

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I am about to call and check on my brother and his family.  They live outside of Tampa, Florida.  Join me in praying that this hurricane brings them some much-needed rain without bringing destruction.         

What Are You Reading?

It was great returning to Crockett last night.  One of the elders who hired me 20 years ago this year -- his wife came straight to me as she walked in, saying in a loud voice, "There is my favorite person."  Wow.  It was a sweet evening.

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I do a lot of reading.  I love to read, and that is good -- because that is such a large percentage of what I do.  But for relaxation, guess what I like to do?  Read.

I especially like fiction for my entertainment reading.  I have read everything by Frank Peretti.  I also like Randy Alcorn.  They both write Christian fiction.

But I love John Grisham.  I have also read all of his books.  I have tried to read Tom Clancy. One of his books I really enjoyed, but I have had trouble getting into other ones.  His books have made some really good movies, though.   And while on the Alaska trip, I picked up a paperback Louis L'amore book.  I am now on my 3rd one.  His books are pretty much the same, but yet enough different to hook you.  Old westerns.  Each one has the feel of an old western movie.  He was a prolific writer, so I might be reading him for a while.

What is your favorite read?   

What a Story!

I came across the following quote from Edward Fudge that I found to be interesting:

He said some people "want a spiritual algebra book, full of precise formulas with exact answers in the back. But the Bible is instead a storybook -- the stories of God and his people. God creates people in relationship with him. People break relationship by sin. God seeks relationship through law. People break relationship by breaking law. God makes relationship with sinners through Jesus as a substitute and representative for People. People enjoy relationship with God through faith."

I used to be one of those people who carried my spiritual algebra book.  But more and more I am discovering that the Bible is a storybook -- the story of God's desire to have relationship with His ultimate creation.  That's not to say that there are not some exact answers and expected outcomes in it for us.  There are.  But from cover to cover -- it is a beautiful story! 

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Beverly and I are headed to Crockett tonight where I will speak for their summer series.  I always love going back to where I began my ministry.  Many dear, dear people.   

The Olympics and Prayer

So have you been watching the Olympics?  I usually have them on, but am trying to read at the same time -- so it's a good thing I have DVR to rewind.  If it weren't for Michael Phelps, team USA would not even be close to China in the medals race.  Phelps is pretty incredible, huh?  And it seems that the golds he has won are in the events analysts said he would have the most difficulty with.  Could very well be that he will leave China with 8 golds!

Maybe it's just me, but are you getting a little tired of seeing Phelp's mother?  Even when another American won the anchor leg of the race Sunday night, the cameras seemed glued to her.  Enough!  

OK, enough grumping.  Beverly and Kayci and I were talking the other night as we watched the Olympics, and we were trying to think of cities in the southern hemisphere that have ever hosted.  Did you know there are only two?  Melbourne and Sydney, Australia.  I wonder why that is?  You would think Johannesburg or Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro or several other cities could be good choices.      

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I'm reading Yancey's book, Prayer, and came across "A Franciscan Benediction."  I can't remember if I have shared this before, but thought it was worth citing.

May God bless you with discomfort

At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships

So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger

At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,

So that yo may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears

To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,

So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and

To turn their pain into joy.

And may GOd bless you with enough foolishness

To believe that you can make a difference in the world,

So that you can do what others claim cannot be done

To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Amen.   

 

Opening Ceremonies

I don't usually post on the weekends, but I just finished watching the opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics. It was incredible! I loved the way the athletes walked across the canvas after stepping in paint. By the end, the canvas was a beautiful mixture of colors. What a wonderful statement of the way the Olympics bring the world together for 16 days every four years.

And the 9 year old boy who walked with Yao Ming! If your eyes didn't tear up at that, something is wrong. Just two months ago, he dug his way out of rubble after the devastating earthquake and then saved two of his fellow students. Wow!

I can't wait to see the story lines that develop out of this year's games.

This just in: Dwyane Wade drew 15 fouls as he walked in with the US team.

Back in the Lower 48

We are back from Alaska, although I am 8 pounds heavier (Ugh).  It was absolutely gorgeous.  We didn't see a whole lot of wildlife (a couple of grizzly bears appeared as specks in the binoculars, a few bald eagles, seals and a number of orcas), but the landscape was absolutely breathtaking!

One of the blessings was that we missed 10 days of the hottest weather in Decatur in a long time.  While it was 108 here, we were enjoying temperatures in the 60s (I just had to throw that in for Jeff). 

The highlight of the trip for me was when we went into port at Skagway.  It is the sight of the Alaskan gold rush of the late 19th century.  It still had a lot of the flavor of that era.  Lots of historical sights.  We took a train ride up to White Pass, where over 3,000 horses and many men lost their lives trying to navigate the treacherous pass on their way to "riches" in the Yukon (very few prospectors made any money).  The train ride was pretty treacherous, too!

Glacier Bay was an awesome sight as well:  watching the glaciers "calve" -- as slices of ice would fall into the water.  The sound was like a rifle shot as the ice would hit the water.

Someday I will have to tell you about the taxi driver we had in Vancouver (from Iraq) who I was afraid was about to go terrorist on us.

I would highly recommend this trip to anyone.

Next on the agenda:  Israel in November.       

I Love the Mountains

The flight to Vancouver was nice. I enjoyed watching out the window once we got over the Cascade mountains -- in my opinion, the most gorgeous mountains in the Northern Hemisphere. Many are still snowcapped. I'm pretty sure I saw Mount Saint Helens.

Last night we ate at a restaurant that sits out over the water. It was cool, but not uncomfortably so. As the sun was setting, off in the distance we could see Mount Ranier. Wow! It stands so much higher than the others. The food was delicious.

This morning we are off for Victoria Island. It is drizzling rain this morning, so I don't know how much that will affect our day.

I love the Canadian idiosyncricies. I love to hear them say "about." It comes out more like "aboat." Interesting: I've been to Australia and Canada, and talking to them you would think you were in America -- except for every once in a while just a particular word reminds you. For instance, in Australia, instead of saying "You're welcome," they say "No worries." I guess I am digressing here.

"So, "Go-day, mate!"

Alaska and Tony Snow

I have been looking forward to today for a long time. This afternoon we will fly to Vancouver, British Columbia -- arriving (if on time) about 6:50 PM their time. Tomorrow we will rent a car and drive over (actually it involves an hour and a half ferry ride) to Victoria Island. We will have "high tea" at the Princess Hotel and then tour Berchard (sp?) Gardens. Then we leave on our cruise of Alaska on Wednesday.

I will try to blog while I am away, but I don't know exactly what the internet access will be like on the ship.

I praise God that Beverly and I are able to take a trip like this!
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I received an email with a speech given by Tony Snow, President Bush's ex-press secretary who died recently from cancer. It is fairly lengthy, but quite inspiring;

Commentator and broadcaster Tony Snow announced that he had colon cancer in 2005. Following surgery and chemo-therapy, Snow joined the Bush Administration in April, 2006, as press secretary. Unfortunately, on March 23, 2007, Snow, 51, a husband and father of three, announced that the cancer had recurred, with tumors found in his abdomen, leading to surgery in April, followed by more chemotherapy. Snow went back to work in the White House Briefing Room on May 3, but has resigned since, 'for economic reasons,' and to pursue 'other interests.' It needs little intro . . . it speaks for itself.

'Blessings arrive in unexpected packages, - in my case, cancer. Those of us with potentially fatal diseases - and there are millions in America today - find ourselves in the odd position of coping with our mortality while trying to fathom God's will. Although it would be the height of presumption to declare with confidence 'What It All Means,' Scripture provides powerful hints and consolations.The first is that we shouldn't spend too much time trying to answer the 'why' questions: Why me? Why must people suffer? Why can't someone else get sick? We can't answer such things, and the questions themselves often are designed more to express our anguish than to solicit an answer. I don't know why I have cancer, and I don't much care. It is what it is, a plain and indisputable fact. Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning truths began to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence: We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out. But, despite this, - or because of it, - God offers the possibility of salvation and grace. We don't know how the narrative of our lives will end, but we get to choose how to use the interval between now and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face. Second, we need to get past the anxiety. The mere thought of dying can send adrenaline flooding through your system. A dizzy, unfocused panic seizes you. Your heart thumps; your head swims.You think of nothingness and swoon. You fear partings; you worry about the impact on family and friends. You fidget and get nowhere. To regain footing, remember that we were born not into death, but into life - and that the journey continues after we have finished our days on this earth. We accept this on faith, but that faith is nourished by a conviction that stirs even within many non-believing hearts - an institution that the gift of life, once given, cannot be taken away. Those who have been stricken enjoy the special privilege of being able to fight with their might, main, and faith to live fully, richly, exuberantly - no matter how their days may be numbered. Third, we can open our eyes and hearts. God relishes surprise. We want lives of simple, predictable ease,- smooth, even trails as far as the eye can see, - but God likes to go off-road. He provokes us with twists and turns. He places us in predicaments that seem to defy our endurance and comprehension - and yet don't. By His love and grace, we persevere. The challenges that make our hearts leap and stomachs churn invariably strengthen our faith and grant measures of wisdom and joy we would not experience otherwise. 'You Have Been Called'. Picture yourself in a hospital bed. The fog of anesthesia has begun to wear away. A doctor stands at your feet, a loved one holds your hand at the side. 'It's cancer,' the healer announces. The natural reaction is to turn to God and ask him to serve as a cosmic Santa. 'Dear God, make it all go away. Make everything simpler.' But another voice whispers: 'You have been called.' Your quandary has drawn you closer to God, closer to those you love, closer to the issues that matter, - and has dragged into insignificance the banal concerns that occupy our 'normal time.' There's another kind of response, although usually short-lived, an inexplicable shudder of excitement as if a clarifying moment of calamity has swept away everything trivial and tiny, and placed before us the challenge of important questions. The moment you enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, things change. You discover that Christianity is not something doughy, passive, pious, and soft. Faith may be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But it also draws you into a world shorn of fearful caution. The life of belief teems with thrills, boldness, danger, shocks, reversals, triumphs, and epiphanies. Think of Paul, traipsing through the known world and comtemplating trips to what must have seemed the antipodes (Spain), shaking the dust from his sandals, worrying not about the morrow, but only about the moment. There's nothing wilder than a life of humble virtue, - for it is through selflessness and service that God wrings from our bodies and spirits the most we ever could give, the most we ever could offer, and the most we ever could do. Finally, we can let love change everything. When Jesus was faced with the prospect of cruicifixion, he grieved not for himself, but for us. He cried for Jerusalem before entering the Holy City. From the Cross, he took on the cumulative burden of human sin and weakness, and begged for forgiveness on our behalf. We get repeated chances to learn that life is not about us, that we acquired purpose and satisfaction by sharing in God's love for others. Sickness gets us part way there. It reminds us of our limitations and dependence. But it also gives us a chance to serve the healthy. A minister friend of mine observes that people suffering grave afflictions often acquire the faith of two people, while loved ones accept the burden of two peoples' worries and fears. 'Learning How to Live'. Most of us have watched friends as they drifted toward God's arms, not with resignation, but with peace and hope. In so doing, they have taught us not how to die, but how to live. They have emulated Christ by transmitting the power and authority of live. I sat by my best friend's bedside a few years ago as a wasting cancer took him away. He kept at his table a worn Bible and a 1928 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. A shattering grief disabled his family, many of his old friends, and at least one priest. Here was an humble and very good guy, someone who apologized when he winced with pain because he thought it made his guest uncomfortable. He restrained his equanimity and good humor literally until his last conscious moment. 'I'm going to try to beat [this cancer],' he told me several months before he died. 'But if I don't, I'll see you on the other side.' His gift was to remind everyone around him that even though God doesn't promise us tomorrow, he does promise us eternity - filled with life and love we cannot comprehend, - and that one can, in the throes of sickness, point the rest of us toward timeless truths that will help us weather future storms. Through such trials, God bids us to choose: Do we believe, or do we not? Will we be bold enough to love, daring enough to serve, humble enough to submit, and strong enough to acknowledge our limitations? Can we surrender our concern in things that don't matter so that we might devote our remaining days to things that do? When our faith flags, He throws reminders in our way. Think of the prayer warriors in our midst. They change things, and those of us who have been on the receiving end of their petitions and intercessions know it. It is hard to describe, but there are times when suddenly the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and you feel a surge of the Spirit. Somehow you just know: Others have chosen, when talking to the Author of all creation, to lift us up, - to speak of us! This is love of a very special order. But so is the ability to sit back and appreciate the wonder of every created thing. The mere thought of death somehow makes every blessing vivid, every happiness more luminious and intense. We may not know how our contest with sickness will end, but we have felt the ineluctable touch of God. What is man that Thou are mindful of him? We don't know much, but we know this: No matter where we are, no matter what we do, no matter how bleak or frightening our prospects, each and every one of us who believe each and every day, lies in the same safe and impregnable place, in the hollow of God's hand.' Tony Snow

Gives a Whole New Meaning to "Courting"

I saw an interesting story this morning on GMA.  Seems a woman was jilted at the altar by her live-in boyfriend.  He fled to Europe and had his best man break the news to her.  Well, she decided to sue him for breach of contract.  After all, she had left her job (with benefits, medical, etc) and home in the mid-west and moved to live with him.  And now, she was left with nothing.

The jury agreed with her and awarded her around $150,000 in damages.  At 1st, I thought that seemed reasonable.  After all, he jilted her.  Then I got to thinking:  How wise was it for HER to leave her job and move in with him before they were married -- with no commitment yet made?  When is a contract made?  When they are married, right?  And how will this affect other engagements?  Will it mean that once a couple is engaged, if one gets cold feet he or she is subject to being sued?

It's sadly like someone said in the interview:  He would have been better off to marry her, and then divorce her after a couple of months.

What do you think?   

Summer Camp Begins

I told you that my daughter-in-law, Kayci, would get my blog page back up.  Thank you, Kayci.

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Why even play this year's NFL season?  It sounds like everybody is basically saying the Cowboys should win the Super Bowl.  Interesting, since they haven't even won a playoff game in 12 years and have a coach who has had equal success.  

I hope they do win it.  But the preseason predictions and the weekly power-rating stuff is really just fodder for radio sports talk shows.  They still have to go execute on the field.  And that is something I have not seen this Cowboy team do -- yet.  I know, I know.  Wade keeps bragging about how they went 13-3 last year.  SO WHAT?  What did that accomplish for them -- except to lower them in the draft?  It's all about winning playoff games.

Jerry Jones gives his annual "State of the Cowboys" address today.  Wow.  Let me guess what he will say.      

  

Angels Wish

As I was jogging this morning, I was listening to Steven Curtis Chapman on my iPod.  The song, "Angels Wish" came on.  I  had heard the song a number of times before, but when I'm running I'm able to concentrate on the words more.  They really touched me this morning.  They come from the verse in 1 Peter 1:12 that says, "Even angels long to look into these things."  

Was God smiling when He spoke the words that made the world?
And did He cry about the Flood?
And what does God's voice sound like when He sings, when He's angry?
These are just a few things that the angels have on me.

[Chorus:]
Well, I can't fly, at least not yet.
I've got no halo on my head.
And I can't even start to picture Heaven's beauty.
But I've been shown the Savior's love. 

The grace of God has raised me up to show me things the angels long to look into.
And I know things the angels only wish they knew.

I have seen the dark and desperate place where sin will take you.
I've felt loneliness and shame.
And I have watched the blinding light of grace come breaking through with a sweetness
only tasted by the forgiven and redeemed.

[Chorus:]
Well, I can't fly, at least not yet.
I've got no halo on my head.
And I can't even start to picture Heaven's beauty.
But I've been shown the Savior's love.
The grace of God has raised me up to show me things the angels long to look into.
And I know things the angels only wish they knew.

And someday I'll sit down with my angel friends up in Heaven.
They'll tell me about creation and I'll tell them a story of grace.

[Chorus:]
Well, I can't fly, at least not yet.
I've got no halo on my head.
And I can't even start to picture Heaven's beauty.
But I've been shown the Savior's love.T
The grace of God has raised me up to show me things the angels long to look into.
And I know things the angels only wish they knew.

I was especially captured by the bridge (I have highlighted it).  Surely that IS what Peter was referring to when he said "even angels long to look into these things."  Won't that be exciting? 

Hot, hot hot

Today is going to be a scorcher.  I really do wonder how people survived in Texas summers prior to air conditioning.  Actually, I do adapt well to hot days.  I play golf and do yard work in the middle of the summer afternoons.  But when I get really uncomfortable is if it's hot when I am trying to sleep.  I cannot sleep hot.

Vancouver, BC:  high today is 68.  Juneau, Alaska:  high today is 58.  Lord willing, that's where we will be in a week. 

We are having a new roof put on in the next few days thanks to the hail storm back in early April.  The roofer called me this morning and said they are running behind because due to the heat they can only work a few hours a day.  I can only imagine what it feels like on a roof when it's 103.

Be cool.

The ESPY's. the Old Man and the Old Country

I have never watched the ESPY's before, but last night I turned it on while I read the paper.  I have to admit:  I like Justin Timberlake.  He was hilarious.  So was Will Ferrell.  It was by far the best awards show I have seen. 

 

When I was a kid, I watched the Oscars and the Emmys.  They don't even get a look from me anymore.  They are full of Hollywood types who think that because they can act that it makes them experts in politics, world issues and the environment ("You little people must cut back on your usage so that we can continue to keep up our mansions.")

But the ESPY's were funny, light-hearted and inspiring.  The recipients of the awards were not irreverent.  They were gracious, and often gave glory to God for where they are.  I found it quite refreshing.      

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Greg Norman couldn't finish the job Sunday -- starting with three straight bogies.  But for a 53 year old to finish 3rd at the British Open -- under the most grueling of conditions -- was pretty impressive.

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Beverly and I are going to Israel, Lord willing, on November 3-13.  There are still about 10 places open on the trip, and the airline will only hold the seats until the middle of August.  If any of you readers would be interested in joining us on a trip of a lifetime, let me know and I will get you the information.  But you need to let me know before the end of the week.  Because one week from today, we are headed to ALASKA!!!!!  I cannot wait!    

Free-for-all Friday

Boy, the British Open is looking pretty nasty.  Phil Mickelson, V. J. Singh and Ernie Els pretty much shot their way out of it in the 1st round.  As I am writing my blog this morning, Greg Norman is leading and Tom Watson is not far behind.  GO 50+!

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Oil has dropped about $12 over the last three days.  At the pump?  No change.  I understand that -- if it also worked the other way.  When it goes UP, by late afternoon of the same day the pump prices go up.  Oh, well.  I'm beating my head against a dead horse (that's a mixed metaphor that Jody Adams said he heard a speaker use one time).

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So Nancy Pelosi has come out charging that President Bush has been a "total failure" as president.  I admit that I have been disappointed in what he has failed to accomplish.  But I believe if I was the leader of Congress that now sits at an historic low approval rating of 14% (that's right -- 14%), I would keep my mouth shut.  It appears she has no room to talk. 

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Have a great weekend!     

Countdown to Sunday

I am currently reading a book by Chris Erdman entitled Countdown to Sunday.  It is a book about preaching -- for preachers.  I just finished a chapter entitled "Preaching and War."  It has challenged me in the middle of a reassessment of my preaching. 

 

First, let me say that I am a proud American.  But I am 1st and foremost a citizen of the Kingdom of God.  And these two kingdoms are more mutually exclusive than they are overlapping.  This is where the problem has often come for preachers.

Here are some quotes from Erdman:

"It's hard to keep the Word and its people free from entrapment to powers that aim to enlist God and everything else in service to their agendas.  It's hard but it is necessary.

It's an astonishing thing in my mind that in 1944 a Nazi soldier could attend worship on Sunday, then bludgeon a prisoner to death come Monday, or that in 2003 someone in the Pentagon could name a bomb the Mother of All Bombs and threaten to drop it on Iraqi women and children . . . and there was nary a peep from American pulpits. 

Holding fast to this story that has captivated us, we will be unable to shake ourselves free of the gospel that declares that the world is saved -- that we are made safe and receive the peace of a just world -- through the ministry of the One who disarmed the violent without violence, who died before he would kill, who loved and refused to give in to hate.  And we will arm ourselves only with this word of truth, so apparently fragile up against war and all its machinery.  But we, who are conformed to the One in who name we preach, realize that preaching, rightly done, does violence to violence itself."

   

Anyone For a Vespa?

This morning "Good Morning, America" had a segment on "Ride to Work Day."  They were reporting on the huge increase in the sale of Vespa's (up 127%!).  

For those who may not know, a Vespa is a motor scooter.  Any time you see pictures of downtown scenes in Asia, you will see hundreds of them.  They get tremendous gas mileage.

So I asked Beverly, "Would you like for me to get you a Vespa?"  She said, "Sure, do you want one, too?"  I said, "No, I'll just use yours.  Because unless the temperature is between 68 and 70, you won't use it anyway."

I have a counseling session this morning:)

But really, it is going to be interesting to watch as the landscape of America changes.  GM is retooling as quickly as possible away from larger vehicles to smaller, more gas efficient cars.  My guess is that mass transit and rapid rail will be on the increase.  We may even see the return of the passenger train.  I can remember as a child traveling by train.  It would be nice to do again.

It may take a few years, but America has always been a nation of ingenuity.  I have no doubt we will figure this energy situation out.  I will be interested to see how T. Boone Pickens' proposal to increase wind energy is received by our politicians.   

I've said it before, but even as tight as I am, I would be willing to pay $5 a gallon for gas if we could tell the Middle East that they can have their oil.  I am sick and tired of us indirectly funding the very terrorists who threaten our nation because of our importing of 70% of our nation's oil.

I better stop.  I'm starting to rant. 

   

Two Different Directions

I do not intend to pass judgments in this blog today -- only making observations.  Celebrities are like politicians in that their public opinion polls can change due to circumstances or things they say or do.  I cite two today.

1.  Josh Hamilton, outfielder for the Texas Rangers.  Given up on by two previous Major League teams because of his addiction to crack cocaine.  Playing like a superstar in his 1st full season with the Rangers.  VOTED as an all-star.  A guy who credits the Lord for turning his life around.  A young man who has placed accountability figures into his life to assure that he does not return to his addictive ways.

And he is playing lights out!  He left people awed at last night's home run contest.

Props to Josh Hamilton!

2.  Brett Favre, retired -- wait, not retired quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.  I have loved Brett.  Gutsy.  Overachiever.  But his recent actions leave me wondering if he should be sports "average Joe."  He is behaving like what we have come to expect from a professional sports megamaniacal superstar.  Whining about how Green Bay doesn't want him.  Brett, you retired, remember?  No one forced you out.  You have hero status in Green Bay.  You went out on your terms.  But now, you want to change the terms.  And you are sounding like a crybaby.

Fact of the matter is:  This is actually not the 1st time.  A couple of years ago at the end of the season, Brett gave a tearful farewell speech.  In that speech, he threw his receivers under the bus.   

I really feel sorry for Favre's replacement, Aaron Rogers.  Made to think that he would be the starter this year.  Now wondering where he stands in Green Bay.

Just wondering:  How would the public be reacting to this if it were T. O. instead of Brett Favre?

Brett, go back to Mississippi and enjoy your family.  Leave a good legacy.  The last month is already tarnishing it a bit.      

       

Congratulations, Kenny Perry

My guess is that the golf coach at David Lipscomb University in Nashville is one of the happiest people on the planet these days.  Here's why:  KENNY PERRY!

First of all, congratulations for another win, Kenny.  This year, Perry has won around $4.5 million dollars in the PGA tour.  He has won three times, had a fluky finish in another tournament that he should have won, and been in contention in the Tournament Players' Championship until collapsing in the final round.

Perry is a member of the Church of Christ in Franklin, Kentucky.  When he ventured out onto the tour years ago, it was with the financial assistance of an elder in his local church.  As it came time to pay the elder back, Perry was told that was not necessary.  Instead, the elder recommended that he donate 5% of all his earnings to Lipscomb's golf program.  That means that this year alone, they have received over $200,000 from Perry.  For his career, I would guess that figure would be around $1.5 million.       

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How about this one from Tozer:  

We in the churches seem unable to rise above the fiscal philosophy which rules the business world; so we introduce into our church finances the psychology of the great secular institutions so familiar to us all and judge a church by its financial report much as we judge a bank or a department store.

A look into history will quickly convince any interested person that the true church has almost always suffered more from prosperity than from poverty. Her times of greatest spiritual power have usually coincided with her periods of indigence and rejection; with wealth came weakness and backsliding. If this cannot be explained, neither apparently can it be escaped. . . .

The point I am trying to make here is that while money has a proper place in the total life of the church militant, the tendency is to attach to it an importance that is far greater than is biblically sound or morally right. The average church has so established itself organizationally and financially that God is simply not necessary to it. So entrenched is its authority and so stable are the religious habits of its members that God could withdraw Himself completely from it and it could run on for years on its own momentum. The Warfare of the Spirit, 9-11.

Home Sweet Home

We made it back.  After multiple delays, my plane landed at DFW at 2:45 this morning.  I got home about 4.  ZZZZZZZZ.

The trip was incredible!  I don't know what my favorite part was.  Standing at the 18th hole at Pebble Beach.  Sitting on Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey watching the sea lions play in the water.  Alcatraz.  Great memories.

But it's good to be back home, too.  Nothing like 100 degree weather.  I mean really:  Wouldn't YOU get bored with weather that is always mild?  (I'm kidding)

We stopped for breakfast on Wednesday morning on our way to Monterery.  It was a quaint little town called Half Moon Bay.  As we sat outside eating, an older man (obviously a regular patron of the restaurant) came in and I could hear him talking to the owner.  He said, "This is supposed to be the hottest day of the year.  It's supposed to hit 76 today."  76!  Our LOW this time of year doesn't get to 76!

I would love to post pictures, but something has happened to my blogsite.  I am going to have to get my trusty daughter-in-law Kayci to work it out.   

Yesterday's Blessings

Last night I went with Beverly to a dinner at which Bill Doherty spoke. He is one of my favorites at this conference -- just sharing such practical advice. Last night he spoke about things to teach your kids about marriage.
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I began reading The Shack yesterday afternoon. I am sure I will finish it today. I couldn't put it down once I started. The issue around which the plot builds deals with my greatest fear when my kids were home: The abduction and murder of a six year old girl.
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I also finished Yancey's Disappointment with God yesterday. For me, it was one of the best read's ever. As I have said before, I think he and I share such a common journey. I wore out a highlighter on this one.

Here are some snippets from the last chapter:

We are given few details about the future world, only a promise that God will prove himself trustworthy . . . J. R.Tolkien invented a new word for this good news: it will be a "euchatastrophe"

Few people who are trapped in pain, or in a broken home, or in economic misery, or in fear -- for all those people, for all of us, heaven promises a time, far longer and more substantial than the time we spent on earth, of health and wholeness and pleasure and peace. If we do not believe that, then, as Paul plainly stated, there's little reason to believe at all. Without that hope, there is no hope.

The Bible never belittles human disappointment . . . but it does add one key word: temporary. What we feel now, we will not always feel. Our disappointment is itself a sign, an aching, a hunger for something better. And faith is, in the end, a kind of homesickness -- for a home we have never visited but have never once stopped longing for.

I wish I had come across the above before I did my series on Heaven. Finally Yancey quotes T. S. Eliot,

And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.

We're Here!

We have begun our week in San Francisco. We actually won't even leave the hotel much until Monday. I was struck by the difference in temperature. We left Dallas yesterday around noon, with temperatures in the low 90s. Got here at 2:30 and it was about 60. It was really pleasant as we walked to Union Square to eat. In fact, I had on a pullover windbreaker and Beverly had a bluejean jacket.

I look forward to some quiet time over the next few days. But I really look forward to doing some sightseeing starting Monday.

Are You Going to San Francisco?

Tomorrow morning Beverly and I leave for San Francisco.  She will be attending the "Smart Marriages" conference, and I will take a sabbatical.  I plan to do a lot of reading and reflecting.

I have never been to San Fran, so I am excited.  I have heard it is a fascinating city.  We do plan to take a couple of days after the conference to sightsee.  We will take a tour of Alcatraz, see the Golden Gate Bridge, drive down Highway 1 to the Monterey Peninsula and go to a redwood forest.  I've been told we must go to Lumbar Street and Fisherman's Wharf -- to eat at Bubba Gump's.  Does anyone who has been to San Francisco have any other "musts" for us?

I don't know how regular my blogging will be over the next 8 days, but I will try to update.

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On a light note, the other day Jacob (my ministry partner) and I were talking about our upcoming trip.  I started singing, "Are You Going to San Francisco?" and he looked at me like I had gone crazy (No, Jonathan.  It was not because I sang it so badly -- although I probably did).  Who would have thought that a guy in his late 20s would have never heard one of the flower child songs of the 60s?  (By the way, I hated that song).    

Living Between the Steps

Last week I came across a story that I used yesterday in my sermon.  I have not been able to get it off my mind since I read it.   

   A college professor told of being invited to speak at a military base one December. On arriving, he met an unforgettable soldier named Ralph. Ralph had been sent to meet him at the airport. After they introduced themselves, they headed toward baggage claim.
   As they walked the concourse, Ralph kept momentarily disappearing. Once it was to help an older woman whose suitcase had opened up. Once it was to lift two toddlers up to where they could see Santa. Another time it was to give directions to someone who was lost.
Each time, he would return with a big smile on his face. “Where did you learn to live like that?” the professor asked.
   “During the war, I guess.” Then Ralph told the professor about his tour of duty in Vietnam. He described his job – clearing minefields. He said he had watched friends be blown up before his eyes – one after another.
   “I learned to live between the steps,” he said. “I never knew whether the next one would be my last, so I learned to get everything I could out of the moment between when I picked up my foot and when I put it down again. Every step I took was a whole new world. And I guess I’ve just been that way ever since.”

I want to be a person who lives between the steps.  I am adding this to my list I made earlier in the year that included "taking every thought captive."

Crunch Day

Friday is the day of the week that I have a love-hate relationship with.  Early in my preaching career, I would do my prep work for my Sunday morning sermon on Tuesday or Wednesday.  Now I do most of my study on Thursday and then organize my thoughts and notes on Friday.  I have just found that it is fresher for me on Sunday by doing it this way.

There are weeks that I can't wait to come to the office because my mind is full of things I want to say.  Those weeks, the text seems to just jump off the page shouting its message.  But there are other weeks in which I have read the text, chewed on it, read what others have said, heard what others have preached, read the text again.  And I come in Friday morning going, "What am I going to say to the church Sunday?"

But here is the love part.  God is always faithful.  And it amazes me that often times those weeks in which I struggle with what to say are the very weeks that, after I preach, people will say, "That is exactly what I needed to hear today.  You spoke right to me."

So here I am this morning.  It's one of those weeks.

I LOVE this job (if it is right to call what I do a job).  Thank You, Father.        

Happy Birthday Yesterday, Jonathan

Last night Jonathan spoke here at the Decatur church, and did an incredible job.  I am so proud of him and his family.  We have had Jennifer, Jed and Jocelyn with us since Saturday.  And it has been a treat.

Yesterday was my youngest child's (see Jonathan, above) 25th birthday!  I know, it seems cliche-ish -- but my, how time has flown!  He was the only one of our three that I actually got to be in the delivery room (actually, the operating room) during the birth.  (My, have things changed in that regard.)  I was the 1st to hold him after he was delivered.  I will never forget that moment. 

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I came across this quote and can't get it off my mind.  It really changes my perspective.

"Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory."  

Reframing My Blog Mission Statement

I decided last week to stop blogging because I had concluded that somehow I was not being effective, since blogging is intended to solicit responses.  That may be so.  I have been writing a blog for nearly four years, and have been ineffective in getting a dialog going.  So I felt like I must be doing something wrong.

But I have discovered that I miss it.  I miss putting down thoughts each day that mean something to me at that time.  I guess more like a personal diary that people are able to peek in on.  So I am going to try to redefine what I am doing and not be concerned about if I get any responses or not.  This is my online diary -- it's therapeutic for me.   

I quote from A. W. Tozer a lot.  He was a basically uneducated preacher (in the sense of formal education) from the mid to 3rd quarter of the 20th century.  Sometimes he comes across as a bit grumpy, but his insights into many things are as fresh today as they were when he wrote them.  Here is one for today:  

Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.
--Psalm 96:8-9

We of the nonliturgical churches tend to look with some disdain upon those churches that follow a carefully prescribed form of service, and certainly there must be a good deal in such services that has little or no meaning for the average participant--this not because it is carefully prescribed but because the average participant is what he is. But I have observed that our familiar impromptu service, planned by the leader twenty minutes before, often tends to follow a ragged and tired order almost as standardized as the Mass. The liturgical service is at least beautiful; ours is often ugly. Theirs has been carefully worked out through the centuries to capture as much of beauty as possible and to preserve a spirit of reverence among the worshipers. Ours is often an off-the-cuff makeshift with nothing to recommend it. Its so-called liberty is often not liberty at all but sheer slovenliness...mostly there is neither order nor Spirit, just a routine prayer that is, except for minor variations, the same week after week, and a few songs that were never much to start with and have long ago lost all significance by meaningless repetition.

In the majority of our meetings there is scarcely a trace of reverent thought, no recognition of the unity of the body, little sense of the divine Presence, no moment of stillness, no solemnity, no wonder, no holy fear. God Tells the Man Who Cares, 4-5.

Tiger and I are Taking Leave

The heroics of Tiger Woods' U. S. Open victory continue to grow.  Anyone who thinks he was grimacing for the theatrics of it (I must admit, early on I was wondering myself) should apologize for thinking that now.  I mean really!  He played 91 holes with a double stress fracture in his left tibia?  AND WON!

So Tiger is gone for 8 months to a year.  My guess is that Tim Finchen (commissioner of the PGA) is pretty depressed today.  Take Tiger Woods away from golf and what do you have?  Can Phil Mickelson carry it?

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I want to thank those who have read my blog for several years.  However, I have decided to take a leave from it for a while and consider if it is something that is worth taking time every day to do.

Blessings.

The Battle

The media was falling all over itself yesterday as it reported on California's 1st day of homosexual "marriage."  Every news source I turned to was all over the story.

Calling this "marriage" does not make it marriage any more than calling me Tiger Woods makes me so.  Words have meanings, and the meaning of marriage goes back to Genesis 2: 24:  "For this reason a MAN shall leave his father and mother and be united to his WIFE, and the two will become one flesh."  

However, there is good that comes out of anything -- if we just look for it.  I hate the sin of homosexuality.  I also hate the sin of marital unfaithfulness, and the sin of cohabitation.  I hate the sin of greed.  I hate the sin of materialism (ouch.  Now it's getting personal).  I confess:  I used to have trouble separating hatred for sin from hatred for the person.  I am not saying I am over that now.  But I did find myself praying this morning for God to allow homosexuals to see past the hatred of "Christians" -- and find healing for their wounds in Jesus.  So one positive is that God is breaking down my hard heart.

I see a paradox at work here.  We Christians believe homosexuality to be an abomination.  After all, that is what God called it.  Yet because of our poor history in being so slow to fight against racism, we have supplied homosexuals with their greatest political tool.  They are claiming to be fighting for their "civil rights."  And they are saying that the church opposes them today just as it opposed Blacks -- denying them their rights years ago.  So here we sit with egg on our faces.  

Sure, it isn't the same argument.  Scripture would be adamantly opposed to racism -- even though many adherents were not.  The same argument cannot be made about homosexuality.  In fact, Scripture uses some of its strongest language in opposition of this sin.

Let us pray that God can break through to the heart of the homosexual.  And I want to pray that I will be Jesus to him or her -- the Jesus of John 4 and John 8.  Boy, do I have to battle my flesh on this one.       

  

Get Well Soon, Tiger

Somehow Tiger managed to pull it out again.  I think half the trophy should be given to Rocco.  What a bulldog!  And what a nice guy.

Tiger has said he will be away from golf indefinitely because of his knee.  What in the world does that mean?  I would hate to see him not play in the British Open next month, or the PGA in August.  And certainly, he has to play in the Ryder Cup in September.

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Yesterday my son, Josh, left a reply saying "Props to Romo."  I am assuming either he meant "Rocco" or he is referring to the challenge that Tiger issued last year after the U. S. Open at Oakmont.  He said that a 10 handicapper could not break 100 on a U. S. Open course.  So, Golf Digest got together a foursome -- Tony Romo (scratch golfer -- 10 better than Tiger's comment), Matt Lauer (8 handicapper), Justin Timberlake (6 handicapper) and one guy who was chosen from thousands across the country (12 handicapper).

The media has acted like Tiger was proven wrong.  Romo shot 84 -- 13 stroked higher than his average score.  Lauer -- remember, an 8 handicap -- shot 100.  Timberlake, a 6 handicap, shot 98.  The other guy shot over 110.  Sounds to me like Tiger's assessment was right on.  It also reminds me of just how much better those pros are than I -- a 5 handicapper.

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I get my car back today!  It has been in the body shop after a fender bender a month ago.  I have been driving a loaner pickup.  Whew!  You can watch the gas gauge move just by starting it.    

Tiger vs. Rocco

WOW!  What a U.S. Open!  Tiger has hit enough incredible shots to fill a career highlight reel.  But he has also looked like me at moments.  And who could root against Rocco?  What a delightful guy!

Today I will be glued to my TV for the playoff.  I want to see Tiger win because I am caught up in his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus' majors record.  But I won't be disappointed if Rocco wins, either.  In the famous words of Bill Murray, "It's a Cinderella story."

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More from Yancey's Disappointment with God:  

Faith, the forgiveness of sins, the power of the Evil One -- these were the concerns that drove Jesus to his Father in prayer each day.  Such an emphasis confused the crowds, who primarily sought solutions to their problems in the physical world:  poverty, illness, political oppression.  In the end, Jesus failed to measure up to their expectations of a king.  (Has anything changed?  I know of many ministries that emphasize physical healing and prosperity, but few that direct their focus to such persistent human problems as pride, hypocrisy, and legalism --the problems that so troubled Jesus.)      

Lessons from a Doe, a Deer

Yesterday morning, Jonathan and I played golf in Houston.  We had a great time together. When we reached the 18th tee, we looked up to see a deer running across the fairway.  Mind you, this is not out in the country!  It's in Spring, Texas -- pretty much surrounded by houses!  I felt sorry for the deer.  She crossed the fairway, looked around, and ran back.  You could sense the panic in her.  Then she repeated the process again.  Finally, she found a little bit of undergrowth and disappeared.

I have thought about that several times since.  The feeling of helplessness -- being in a place you don't belong and looking for a place of safety.  I feel like that at times, too.  But I realize that while I long to be home with the Father, I have been placed here not to run around in fear and confusion -- but to bring the Kingdom of God into a fearful and confused world.

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Tiger survived yesterday.  Only 4 back.  Phil's only three back.  Just about where they want to be.  I am still wondering if Tiger's knee is going to hold up.

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How about the Celtics last night?  I know that many of you are not for that Eastern division team.  But as I said in an earlier blog, I can't stand the Lakers:  Guru Phil Jackson, Kobe (keep the women inside) Bryant, Jack Nicholson and the whole Hollywood ("We are actors, so that makes us experts on every subject") scene.  So I would consider being for the Iranian team if they were playing the Lakers.

Here's hoping the Celtics wrap it up in 5.  What a turnaround! 

Summer Plans

Today Beverly and I are headed to Houston where I will speak tonight at the Bammel Road Church of Christ.  My son Jonathan is one of the ministers there.  Tomorrow he and I plan to play golf before we return home tomorrow night.  It's a tough assignment -- having to go get some sugars from two of my grandkids, so pray for me:) 

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Right now my mind is thinking ahead to upcoming events.  As I get older, I try not to do that as much as I used to -- wishing away time because of something I would be looking forward to.  But Beverly and I are going to a marriage conference in three weeks -- in San Francisco.  I will attend a few sessions, but she will be in sessions all day.  I am really going on a week's vacation / sabbatical.  I plan to do a lot of reading, sightseeing and refocusing.

Then a few weeks later, we are headed to Alaska for a cruise.  I have been getting packets from the cruise line, and it makes me all the more excited.  Many of the excursions look so interesting -- but I would need to get a 2nd mortgage to do them.  But I would really love to go on an Orca watch.  I may splurge for that one.

Lord, help me not to waste one day, but stay in the present -- even as I get excited about the future.  

Playing God

The Cowboys have been a little unsure of themselves at running back.  So, I bet Jerry Jones is licking his chops this morning with the news that Cedric ("I know some people think drinking and driving is wrong; but I haven't broken any laws") Benson has been cut by the Bears.  He would fit in perfectly with Jones' collection of characters.

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Here's more from "Disappointment with God":  

From Time, July 23, 1984:  "It was an unholy coincidence that many took to be divine retribution.  Two weeks ago, canon David Jenkins, 59, who had publicly asserted that neither the Virgin birth nor the Resurrection need be taken too literally, was formally consecrated as Bishop of Durham . . . Less than three days later, in the early hours of the morning, lightning forked down on the wooden roof of the minster's 13th century south transept . . . Jenkins' detractors lost no time in claiming that their views had been vindicated . . ."

Yancey then observes:  "The problem with the York Minster lightning bolt, of course, is that it stands as such an exception.  So fire from the heavens hits a famous church -- what about all the Unitarian churches that brashly deny orthodox Christian doctrines, not to mention the Muslim mosques and Hindu temples?  Why should David Jenkins provoke divine wrath when the outright blasphemer Bertrand Russell lived unpunished into cranky old age?  If God consistently sent lightning bolts in response to bad doctrine, our planet would sparkle nightly like a Christmas tree." 

I have thought the same thing when people want to say that God punished New Orleans with Katrina and Muslims with the tsunami.  So what was the punishment against the Decatur Church of Christ building for when it was destroyed by a tornado in October 2001?  We sure need to be careful when we start pretending to play God. 

Finding God

It's US Open week!  Yeah, buddy.  I wonder if Tiger will be ready?  I would love to see it come down to him and Phil on Sunday afternoon.

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I heard something interesting on GMA this morning.  Did you know that since Gerald Ford, every president except one has been left handed?  That's right.  Carter, Reagan, Bush, Sr., Clinton.  And the two candidates for this year?  Both left handed.  What's with that?

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I am trying to become more of a reader.  My son Josh reads a book a week it seems.  I absolutely love to read, so this should come easily.

I have begun a book that I have wanted to read for years.  I love Philip Yancey.  He just seems to put on paper the thoughts that I am struggling with.  I've read nearly everything of his except perhaps his best-seller, Disappointment with God.  So far, it is one of the best books I have ever read.  I will keep it close for re-reading.

In the 1st chapter, "God Within the Shadows," he begins with this quote from Annie Dillard.  I have been chewing on it since I read it Friday night:

"You do not have to sit outside in the dark.  If, however, you want to look at the stars, you will find that darkness is required.  The stars neither require it nor demand it."

Wow!  That is SO true of God.  Think about it.   

Introducing Jocelyn Brooke Ross

Here I am holding Jocelyn only hours after she was born. She just looked perfect!
I don't know if you can see it or not, but Jonathan and Jed both have toothpicks in their mouths. Jed likes to do whatever his daddy does. Jonathan, you better watch out!

Isn't she precious?! I love holding my babies.

Jocelyn Makes Four (Grandkids)

We got home last night. What a few days it has been! On Monday, Jennifer went into labor at about 6 AM. By 11:30, she went to a Birthing Clinic. At about 1 PM, Jocelyn Brooke was born -- 7lb14oz and 20 3/4 inches. She was born in water! It is a new technique for the US, but I can't argue with the results. She did not look like a normal newborn. Rather, she looked more like how a baby looks after several days.

Anyway, by 4 PM -- Jennifer and Jocelyn were home! You read it right. They were home with a 3 hour old baby. We got there about 6, and what a joyous time it was! Everyone is doing great. Jed isn't quite sure about the new person who is receiving so much of HIS attention. But he will do fine.
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What is with the wind this year? I do not remember a year that it has been this windy. Today it's supposed to be blowing 35-40. I'm thinking about getting a windmill generator.

Changes

This morning we saw our son Josh and his wife Kayci and our grandson Truitt off to their new home in Memphis, Tennessee. Josh will be the preaching minister for the Sycamore View Church of Christ in Memphis. I know they have a long day ahead of them, and pray that everything goes well. Truitt isn't crazy about his car seat. I can only imagine! Being strapped in like that could be claustrophobic!

As we were helping them pack and get off, we received a call from my other son Jonathan. His wife Jennifer has gone into labor. So we will probably be leaving early afternoon to go meet our granddaughter Jocelyn.

Lots of changes going on in our family these days!

The Old Variety Shows

For my generation growing up, almost everyone remembers "The Carol Burnett Show." It was a variety show, which was a very popular format during the 60s and early 70s. One of the funniest people on TV was Tim Conway. He never could carry a show on his own, but he was hilarious as supporting cast. Kind of like another one of my all-time favorite comedy actors, Don Knotts.

Well, the "Carol Burnett Show" was filmed before a live audience. And part of the funniness of it was that Conway did a lot of improv. He would do something funny that the other actors weren't expecting in the skit, and Carol and Harvey Korman would just roll over laughing.

I heard this morning that Mr. Korman has passed away at age 81. When I think of him, I don't think of his own humor. I see him busting it laughing at Conway. A show like that wouldn't make it today. But it brought laughter to millions for many years.

Does anyone else remember variety shows? There used to be a lot of them. My dad liked "The Dean Martin Show." But none had the longivity of Burnett, though. I think I saw where she was voted the 2nd best female comedian in TV history. #1 of course was Lucy.