Children of Light

What a Sunrise

2011-01-10T15:56:00.000-05:00

2010-10-14T08:17:00.000-04:00

2010-09-18T20:18:00.000-04:00

Libby Mansdoerfer. My niece.

2010-09-17T14:23:00.000-04:00

Shore

2010-08-28T17:09:00.000-04:00

Me and Dawn at the shore.

A Dragonfly

2010-07-21T12:08:00.000-04:00

While we were picking blueberries, a dragonfly decided to hang out with us. It's tail was almost the color of the berries.

A Good Mess

2010-07-20T12:49:00.001-04:00

While Chef Boyardee's Beef Ravioli is very delicious, a good source of protein and only 190 calories to a (small) bowel, I take exception to one thing that really makes me crazy. It is impossible to remove that aluminum lid without spraying red sauce all over the place. Even if you are careful and peel the lid all the way out successfully, you'll still get nailed by the last pop of the lid. I challenge you to prove me wrong or agree.

Andy Rooney and Prayer

2010-07-09T08:12:00.002-04:00

Got this in an email and had to share:

Andy Rooney and Prayer

Andy Rooney says:
I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin , but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his Theory of Evolution.
Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.
But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue..
Yes, and this is the United States of America , a country founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect -- somebody chanting Hare Krishna?
If I went to a football game in Jerusalem , I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer...

If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad , I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.
If I went to a ping pong match in China , I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.

And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit.
When in Rome .....
But what about the atheists? Is another argument.
What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer!
Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do.. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.
Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep.Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.
God, help us. And if that last sentence offends you, well, just sue me.
The silent majority has been silent too long. It's time we tell that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard that the vast majority doesn't care what they want. It is time that the majority
Rules! It's time we tell them, You don't have to pray; you don't have to say the Pledge of Allegiance; you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right; but by golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away. We are fighting back, and we WILL WIN!
God bless us one and all ... Especially those who denounce Him, God bless America , despite all her faults. She is still the greatest nation of all. God bless our service men who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God.

Let's make 2010 the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions . And our military forces come home from all the wars.
Keep looking up.

I have returned

2009-03-27T21:00:00.006-04:00

Wow, so far I'm not too into 2009. The year started out with a fire at my office it has progressed with political developments which I personally classify as nightmarish, and two very close friends of mine have passed away very close to each other. Needless to say I haven't been much up to blogging of late. Still though, happiness to be had. Below is one of my sources of joy. Kayleigh came to the farm with me last saturday and after work, we had the opportunity to take a few pictures. Here are some.

Okay, now I feel a little better.

Tom

Those Wonderfully Dirty Geese

2009-02-09T22:35:00.003-05:00

Here's a picture I shot a week or so ago. Had to share it with a few of my close blogging buddies.
Thanks,
Tom

Flash Back To Mean Joe Green

2009-02-02T22:05:00.003-05:00

I love this commercial, but I do not advocate many of the others that pop on when this one is over.
Tom

value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/LD_5x181yAJrztHUiK4RXw">

Now for the original.

Classic Stuff!

Color me "Happy"!

2009-02-01T23:23:00.000-05:00

A very conflicting story for me.

2009-01-23T07:23:00.003-05:00

I got this through the email and thought I'd pass it on.

Kurtis the Stock Boy and Brenda the Checkout Girl

In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy was busily working when a new voice came over the loud speaker asking for a carry-out at register 4. Kurtis was almost finished and wanted to get some fresh air, so he decided to answer the call. As he approached the checkout stand, a distant smile caught his eye ~ the checkout girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he was only 22) and he fell in love.

  Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card, punched out, and then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA. He walked out only to see her start walking up the road. Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work. She simply said it wasn't possible.

  He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn't afford a babysitter, so he offered to pay for the babysitter. Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday. That Saturday night, he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The babysitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, "Well, let's take the kids with us."

  She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda brought him inside to meet her children. She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, and then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a paraplegic with Downs Syndrome.

  Kurtis told Brenda, "I still don't understand why the kids can't come with us." Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities ~ just like her first husband and father of her children had done. But Kurtis was not ordinary ~ he had a different mindset.

  That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids and went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything, Kurtis would take care of him. When he needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him, and brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with.

  A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children. Since then they have added five more kids.

  So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy at a grocery store in Cedar Falls, Iowa and Brenda the checkout girl? Well, Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Arizona where he is currently employed as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his Cardinals in the hunt for a possible appearance in the Super Bowl. Is this a surprise ending or could you have guessed that he was not an ordinary person.
      It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI...and he has also been the NFL's Most Valuable Player twice and the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player. He established the First Things First Foundation in the spring of 2001 with wife Brenda to promote Christian values and bless the lives of those less fortunate with projects such as trips to Disney World for ill children, building recreation centers in children's hospitals, helping single moms achieve the dream of homeownership and teaching Special Olympians the football basics. All projects are centered on Kurt and Brenda's life theme: faith and family come first. The official website is: http://www.kurtwarner.org <http://www.kurtwarner.org/>

I feel compelled as a Steelers fan to follow this story up with a resounding, "Go Steelers!" just so we're all clear where my loyalties are.

I don't know if this is real, but it is worth reading.

2008-12-26T11:57:00.001-05:00

This will give you the chills.......
GOOD chills. A young man had been to Wednesday Night Bible Study.

The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice. The young man couldn't help but wonder, 'Does God still speak to people?'
After service, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message.
Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways...

It was about ten o'clock when the young man started
driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, 'God...If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.'

As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, 'God is that you?' He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk.

The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli.

'Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.' It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.
As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, 'Turn Down that street.' This is crazy he thought, and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street . At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, 'Okay, God, I will.'

He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi- commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed.
Again, he sensed something, 'Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street.' The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat.

'Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.' Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk.

Finally, he opened the door, 'Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something, but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here.'
He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, 'Who is it? What do you want?' Then the door opened before the young man could answer.

The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. 'What is it?'
The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, 'Here, I brought this to you.' The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway.

Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face.

The man began speaking and half crying, 'We were praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk..'
His wife in the kitchen yelled out, 'I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?'The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put it in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face.

Are we truly listening for the urging of the Spirit in our lives?

Dynamic Worship

2008-12-21T21:52:00.003-05:00

Dynamic worship is from the heart and as individual as the relationship we have with God. It is a mature time of devotion to the creator carefully developed and practiced like a long daily walk over familiar ground. The more you do it, the better you become at the journey. GM and Jeanne both imparted great wisdom for us in their posts on the last blog, and I appreciate it very much. However, if this is all true (which I believe it is) what do we do for the young or spiritually young? How do we harness this wonderfully mature perspective on worship and translate that into something a spiritual babe might find appealing. I have heard many a mature Christian say something like "Oh, it doesn't really matter that the lesson or the song service is good, it only matters that your heart is right". Amen, but that type of a "worship service" doesn't always speak to our searching visitors or even to some of our less grounded, less mature members.

So let me go back to my original question and refocus it a bit. What are the key ingredients of a successful, dynamic, effective worship experience (here's the tricky part) that will draw people from the community and draw our fringe members closer?

I'd like to take a second to highlight some of what GM posted last time because I think she's right on the money, but she also illustrates the difficulties. Here goes:

I think a dynamic worship service comes down to, basically, having a JOY in sharing the WORD. I don't want an 'entertaining' preacher-I can turn the TV on to be entertained-I want a preacher who is COMPELLING! And I don't think a song leader has to have a lot of talent....but enthusiasm is good, along with a nice mix of old and new, fast and slow hymns. The prayers should be spoken for everyone present.....if they're too personal it feels like we're eavesdropping and if they're too bland, then it's difficult to have that 'connection'.

For the record, I agree 100% with everything listed above, but let's consider it for a moment.

Premise: Dynamic worship = Joy in sharing the WORD!!! Amen, amen amen! We can really stop here and be technically correct, but there are people out there who have difficulty finding that joy, so there must be something more to do.

Preaching: Not entertaining, but rather compelling. Amen again. I agree totally. I often use the word "Engaging" rather than compelling when saying the same thing, but I think both are good. My problem is that what compels me or engages me is someone who is skilled at one of two things, orating a well delivered lesson, or imparting some insightful Biblical information. What that does for us is to garner and keep our attention. It captivates us and holds us and doesn't let go until the end, and if he's really good, he'll leave us wanting more. The tricky thing is that if I was talking about a book, movie or TV show when I made that last statement, you could say it was an "Entertaining" book, movie or TV show. So even though in our worship services "entertaining" has a bad taste attached to it, when push comes to shove, it still applies. I'll admit that that term mostly holds a feel good, positive (cushy) connotation, whereas "compel" or "engage" can be cut to the heart convicting and still be effective. I've been compelled by something that wasn't so entertaining. Point? This too takes maturity to wade through the differences. We have many who are capable, even adept at this wading, but also many who are not. We must find a way to reach those who are not.

Songs: Not a lot of talent needed, but a good mix of old and new, fast and slow hymns. Please allow me one more Amen. Amen! Still though, I have a little difficulty here. I'm a song leader at church. I'm by far not the best song leader you've ever heard, but I can read music and carry a tune if you give me a big enough bucket. I think I have a relative feel for tempo, and I try (try very hard) to mix the songs up (old, new, fast, slow). Can I just take a moment and say that this is a fairly difficult task. By the time I get the time signature, the key note (or at least the starting pitch) find it and blow it on the pitch pipe, remember that tone and modulate to and sing the starting note, follow the music and the words, making sure to move my hand in the proper beat pattern in the proper tempo, oh and I have to also make sure I'm worshipping while all this is going on, it's no wonder that there are times I break out in a cold sweat. Oh, and then we can add in the option of running a power point thing for the overhead projector. At this point, can I say that I've far exhausted the small bit of talent that I have. I do my best and hope for the best. I pray that the congregation will overlook my sour notes and accept what I do in the worshipful manner in which it is given. For the most part, I think they do, but here's the kicker, what about the new Christian, the visitor, or the person who needs that extra something to hold them to their seat? I'm quite sure I've not lead too many song services that inspired a visitor to return. I've had song services that inspired members to come to me and thank me for singing a certain song or a certain type of song, but I've also had members complain about my singing of the same song or type of song. How exactly do you spell "Arrrrrgggghh!"?

Prayer: Not too personal or to bland. GM, I agree once again, but again, I find difficulty in the application. I realize that this isn't exactly a tightrope that we have to walk, but most men have difficulty at first simply getting up to pray in public. Often they get over this fear by practicing and getting up with a fistful of phrases like "guide guard and direct" or "our most gracious heavenly Father" or "until the next appointed time" and then we often find ourselves listening to canned prayers that are passed down through the generations. (Please don't be upset with me for posting all this, I'm talking about myself and my difficulties, and not pointing fingers or throwing stones at anyone else).

I guess what I'm saying is that when you take this "Worship" thing out of its box and examine it closely, it gets pretty tough. When you further try to make it effective for everyone in the building regardless of their preferences or spiritual level it becomes even harder. And when you try to do all of that within a certain time frame ... well, good luck!

Both GM and Jeanne gave good advice on worship last blog. GM, thanks for letting me use your suggestions for this post. The last one I'll use is also the first one I used. Joy! This is personal! God has made it personal. I have come to know that the best I can do regardless of what I'm doing up front is to truly and deeply attempt to worship. If I mess up a song, God will forgive me. I'll keep worshipping. If I goof up the beat pattern, I'll stop waving my arm around altogether (half the people in the congregation couldn't care less anyway) but I'll continue to worship. If I stumble over a prayer or get choked up in emotion, I'll keep worshipping and hope everyone else does the same. At best, I'll get a few things right a couple of times. At worst, you'll see me for the failing but forgiven man that I am with my neck out there on the public forum, but I pray that what I do (that what we do) reaches to God in Spirit and in Truth. If it does, I'm sure he is willing to accept it.

Dynamic Worship

2008-12-16T16:07:00.005-05:00

Do you have a dynamic worship service at your congregation?

What makes it dynamic and effective? This question has come up quite a lot lately. As we seek to worship our wonderful God, is there a practical way to manufacture a meaningful worship experience for the majority of the congregants? Does it simply take a really good song/worship leader, or is it something more? Let me propose a short list and let you add to it what works at your congregation:

What makes a dynamic worship service?

1. Entertaining minister

2. Very talented Song Leader

3. Everything fitting within the 1 hr. time frame

4. A good devotional talk at the Lord's Table

5. Short prayers

6. Heartfelt prayers

What combination of these or other things makes up a dynamic worship service for you?

Merry Christmas like it or not?

2008-12-13T22:21:00.003-05:00

Ah, it's that time of year when things seem just a little bit sweeter, when hustle and bustle are good things, and when every small child has a glint of hope behind his or her eye. I love Christmas. I know that we can't exactly pin down the day that Jesus was born. I know that we aren't told specifically to celebrate his birth on a certain day and I understand that there are many who don't celebrate this at all. I'm very sorry. I don't, however, hesitate to hold the door of Wawa open for, well, just about anyone and heartily wish them a "Merry Christmas". I do it all the time. I am usually met with some surprise and then a smile and then the greeting is reciprocated in some fashion. If "Merry Christmas" is offensive to you though, let me take this time to say I'm truly sorry. If my saying "Have a Merry Christmas" bothers you, then please take it this way. We traditionally celebrate Christmas on December 25, (just in case you live under a rock) and I truly wish "Merriment" (or just plain "Happiness") for you on that day and all the days of the Winter Solstice.

I would honestly prefer that you understand and accept that the God who made the world and everything in it set forth a time when he would send His only Son. On that day, whenever it was, the Angels sang out the news. The news wasn't just that a baby was born. It wasn't even to tell that there was something miraculous about the birth. The news was that He would be the one capable of saving us from ourselves. He could remove the stain of sin and take on himself the death that waited for us all. So the angels sang because a monumental event had occurred. God had finally sent salvation into the world. This salvation is for everyone without limit or exclusion; and its free.

So when I say "Merry Christmas" what I mean is "God Loves You and Jesus Died For You", but if you don't want to hear that, then let it mean "Have a nice day".

Sincerely,
Tom

David Phelps O Holy Night.

2008-12-05T22:37:00.004-05:00

Okay, if you don't know who David Phelps is, I'm sorry. This is he, and this is my absolute favorite Christmas song. One other note, Dawn and I (along with the Baldwin's) were at this concert on about the same row, though we were ver far to the left of whoever was taking this video.
Enjoy! Let me know what you think. By the way, the sound is soft early, but it builds (wow does it build).
Tom

Gone the Sun

2008-12-05T22:09:00.004-05:00

Night falls out of the sky tonight leaving pinpricks of dim light where the mighty Sun had recently shone. His nightly demise places a peaceful sadness on my soul, but with in that sadness there is the ability to reach into the sky with my spirit and reach for God.

A toddler reaches to his father, far beyond his own ability to climb or fly, yet within the child's eye there is a certainty of success. There is success because there exists a promise from above. The promise of a loving father who will reach across a distance which the child is incapable of crossing, and those fatherly arms will bear the child over. The child's success isn't in the climbing or the flying, but simply in the reaching. The father does the rest.

Night falls out of the sky leaving pinpricks of dim light where the mighty Sun had recently shone. I look to the stars and search behind them for the Father. His power is all around me; in the stars, in the yard in the trees and in my heart. My success in reaching exists in my Father's promise to reach across the gulf that I can not cross. He'll reach and he will draw me close.

"Come near to God and he'll come near to you."

Thank you God for drawing us to you. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

The Age Old Question

2008-12-04T11:12:00.001-05:00

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?

Why did the chicken ever cross the road? Here are the responses of some well known people...

KINDERGARTEN TEACHER:

To get to the other side.

PLATO:

For the greater good.

ARISTOTLE:

It is the nature of chickens to cross roads.

KARL MARX:

It was a historical inevitability.

TIMOTHY LEARY:

Because that's the only trip the establishment would let it take.

SADDAM HUSSEIN:

This was an unprovoked act of rebellion and we were justified in dropping 50 tons of nerve gas on it.

JACK NICHOLSON:

'cause it wanted to. That's the reason. You want the chicken? You can't handle the chicken!

RONALD REAGAN:

I forget.

CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK:

To boldly go where no chicken has gone before.

HIPPOCRATES:

Because of an excess of phlegm in its pancreas.

ANDERSEN CONSULTANT:

Deregulation of the chicken's side of the road was threatening its dominant market position. The chicken was faced with significant challenges to create and develop the competencies required for the newly competitive market. Andersen Consulting, in a partnering relationship with the client, helped the chicken by rethinking its physical distribution strategy and implementation processes. Using the Poultry Integration Model (PIM), Andersen helped the chicken use its skills, methodologies, knowledge, capital and experiences to align the chicken's people, processes and technology in support of its overall strategy within a Program Management framework. Andersen Consulting convened a diverse cross-spectrum of road analysts and best chickens along with Anderson consultants with deep skills in the transportation industry to engage in a two-day itinerary of meetings in order to leverage their personal knowledge capital, both tacit and explicit, and to enable them to synergise with each other in order to achieve the implicit goals of delivering and successfully architecting and implementing an enterprise-wide value framework across the continuum of poultry cross-median processes. The meeting was held in a park-like setting, enabling and creating an impactful environment which was strategically based, industry-focussed, and built upon a consistent, clear, and unified market message and aligned with the chicken's mission, vision, and core values. This was conducive towards the creation of a total business integration solution. Andersen Consulting helped the chicken change to become more successful.

LOUIS FARRAKHAN:

The road, you see, represents the black man. The chicken 'crossed' the black man in order to trample him and keep him down.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.:

I envision a world where all chickens will be free to cross roads without having their motives being called into question.

MOSES (via Monty Python):

And God came down from the Heavens, and He said unto the chicken, "Thou shalt cross the road." And the chicken crossed the road, and there was much rejoicing.

FOX MULDER:

You saw it cross the road with your own eyes. How many more chickens have to cross the road before you believe it?

RICHARD M. NIXON:

The chicken did not cross the road. I repeat, the chicken did NOT cross the road.

MACHIAVELLI:

The point is that the chicken crossed the road. Who cares why? The end of crossing the road justifies whatever motive there was.

JERRY SEINFELD:

Why does anyone cross a road? I mean, why doesn't anyone ever think to ask, What the heck was this chicken doing walking around all over the place, anyway?"

FREUD:

The fact that you are at all concerned that the chicken crossed the road reveals your underlying sexual insecurity.

BILL GATES:

I have just released the new Chicken Office 2009, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook.

BILL CLINTON:

I'm going to say something important. And I'll say it again to make sure you understand. I did not have sexual relations with that chicken. I did not.

OLIVER STONE:

The question is not, "Why did the chicken cross the road?" Rather, it is, "Who was crossing the road at the same time, whom we overlooked in our haste to observe the chicken crossing?"

DARWIN:

Chickens, over great periods of time, have been naturally selected in such a way that they are now genetically disposed to cross roads.

EINSTEIN:

Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road moved beneath the chicken depends upon your frame of reference.

BUDDHA:

Asking this question denies your own chicken nature.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON:

The chicken did not cross the road .. it transcended it.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY:

To die. In the rain.

COLONEL SANDERS:

I missed one?

Harvest Time

2008-10-11T15:09:00.001-04:00

I had previously said that I wouldn't be blogging very often during harvest, but that when I did I'd have some fresh pictures. Well, I am nothing if not a man of my word so here they are. This first image is of the gathering crew in a beautiful red ring of berries. I was blessed to be in some waders on today when I took this and so I was very close to the fruit.

Next we see from a week or so ago the hands of Santa (seriously) in so

me fresh picked cranberries.

When we flood a bog to get ready for picking, millions of little (and some not so little) spiders scamper away from the water and end up making webs on the sides of the dam. Here is a picture depicting such an event.

and finally, Beauty and the beautiful beast. This is a wonderful picture of a spider on the berries (ergo the beauty and the beast reference), but take a close look at the back of the spider and you'll notice that this icky critter is actually a mommy walking away from danger with all her icky babies on her icky back. How wonderful; icky but wonderful.
More to come...

Tom

For better and worse

2008-10-02T07:59:00.002-04:00

Dawn is both a little better and a little worse. The treatment increases in dosage every couple of days. Yesterday was her first increase and it nocked her a little further into woozyville and added a bit more to the nausea with which she's been dealing since beginning these treatments. As for the "better," she mentioned this morning that the pain seems to have lessened a little. We're not doing backflips yet, but our prayer is that the easing of the pain will continue through the coming days.

The view from the waiting room holds a nice angle of Billy Penn as the early Sun pushes its light over the tall buildings. This picture is of Mr. Penn's statue, but I didn't take it and the angle isn't from the waiting room window. Still, you get the idea.

Tom

Dawn's Procedure

2008-10-01T11:04:00.001-04:00

Good morning to all. Here is a Dawn Update. She is doing alright. We've now been to two of her many Ketamine treatments and is a bit groggy for her efforts. She has had to go to Philly for the treatments where she stays recumbent for 4 hours in a recliner while they administer Ketamine intravenously. She comes out of it a little nauseous and woozy the first day she had some strange and vague dreams. All in all she's holding up well under the circumstances. Today is my first day back at work away from her and I miss being there. I didn't do much but sit, pray and read while trying not to hear the television (Good Morning America, Rachel Ray and The View aren't really my cup of tea). She's there now without me. Wonderful people from the church family here are pitching in to help us with all her back and forth travels, and I love them all. Of course Dawn's parents are extending their considerably wonderful helping hand with the kids through this. Kayleigh is getting some really cool Pop pop time and Mom mom is coming over daily to help the kids get off to school. Today Christian is at home with a slight fever. We think it might be a sinus infection. We'll get him up and running (not just his nose) soon, Lord willing.

Thanks to all for the prayers. Needless to say that all of this happening at cranberry time couldn't be much worse. Still though, I'll thank my God for the blessings I have.

Tom

Coupon

2008-09-18T20:36:00.009-04:00

We'd like to extend our apology to everyone who may or may not have stopped by this blog over the past couple of weeks. You see, things here have been very busy. We've had new school issues and exciting church happenings as well as a cranberry harvest to get ready for. We are sorry that the tech resources have been diverted to other functions. Please bare with us as we get our heads above water again. I may not be able to blog often in the coming weeks, but I'll try to put pictures of cranberries and such on here so as to make amends.

Thanks,
Blog Management

Please accept this coupon as a token of our appreciation.

A Big Step to a New World

2008-09-04T10:21:00.006-04:00

I watched her with confidence step out beyond anything she'd ever done before. I observed as she took brave new steps onto a stage larger than any she had hitherto endeavored. She held her head high and walked with powerful confidence and charming certainty toward a nebulous destination. The smile on her face, infectious as it was, calmed my momentary concerns. The easy tone of her voice made me aware that things were going to be alright. Her ability to laugh in that moment of challenge, gave me the sense that no matter what pitfalls she meets, she will take them in stride. I rest assured that the day will be good if some part of it rest in her hands. Her eyes show the clarity of her desire to learn and make the changes she needs in order to grow. They show determination and eagerness. They seem incapable of giving up or quitting, and they reflect the spirit that resides in her heart.Last night I watched Sarah Palin give her first big speech before a packed RNC. I really thought she did well, but I'm not talking about Sarah Palin. No, I'm talking about another brave young soul who is also taking big steps today. She, like Sarah is beholden of a go-get-em spirit and doesn't know how to quit. Her name is Audrey, and today she's off to her first day of Kindergarten.

Snubbed Kiss

2008-09-01T21:47:00.000-04:00

Did she do this on purpose or not?

A Riddle

2008-08-27T14:19:00.004-04:00

A Roscoe will be awarded to the first person with the answer. (Riddle provided by Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Calendar)

I can sizzle like bacon, I am made with an egg, I have plenty of backbone, but lack a good leg. I peel layers like onions, but still remain whole. I can be long, like a flagpole, yet fit in a hole. What am I?

Have at it then. It's been a while since I've given a Roscoe out to anyone.

Tom

What are the odds

2008-08-23T11:59:00.003-04:00

Both of these come from my Uncle John's calendar:

Somebody upstairs likes Billy:

In 2004 nine-year-old English soccer fan Billy Harris had a dream that Middlesbrough, his favorite team was going to beat Bolton 2-1 and win the English League Cup and that a specific player, a gent named Zenden, would score the wining goal. Billy's dad, who had never bet on a game before put the equivalent of $27 dollars on the team. On February 29th the game was played and Middlesbrough, a 60-to-1 long shot, beat Bolton and won the cup. The score was 2-1 ... and Boudewijn Zenden scored the winner. Dad won $1,600 and mom gave Billy a notepad to write down all his dreams.

Somebody like Rolla? Not so much...

In 1949 Rolla Primarda of Taranto, Italy, was struck and killed by a bolt of lightning. According to weather experts, the odds of that happening to anyone are about, 600,000-to-1. Having said that, what makes Primarda's fate so amazing is that his dad had been struck down by lightning 20 years earlier in the exact same spot. Spooked yet? 3o years before that, his grandfather had died ... in the same place, in the very same way.

Is there a blurred line between destiny and luck? Are there forces behind some of these occurrences or simply the law of averages stretched out through the ages? In the coming blog postings I'd like to look at some of these types of things. You are welcome to play along.

First of all, are these coincidences or not?

Tom

2008-08-21T08:42:00.003-04:00

Both the silver and the Bronze medals were lost in the men's 200 meter sprint last night, and not only by those too slow to keep up with the leaders, no they were lost because two runners stepped on the white line on the inside of their lane. So, while Uusain Bolt performed his "I'm #1," "Whose the Fastest Man" happy dance, Churandy Martina and Wallace Spearmon had the visage of, slightly diminished, elation wiped from their exhausted, vein extruded faces as each man in turn heard that his quest for a shiny circular prize had fallen just short. You see, the rules state that if a runner steps on the inside line (even just a little bit) they will be disqualified; end of the line, take your shoes off and sulk while your lawyers protest the IOC's ruling. Personally, I feel bad that these two men worked hard and lost, but at least we've finally found in this, a moment of absolutes; a hard line not to be crossed, or even stepped on. In a time when wright and wrong are mixed into shades of grey and responsibility is something victims push off on their parents, their bosses, the government and society as a whole, here stands one clear moment of absolute. You step on this line and you're out.

Wouldn't those lines be better applied in the legal system, in government, and in - well - life? Let's draw a white line on the inside lane of marriage and call it "till death do we part" and remain true to that. Let's draw a line on the lane of parenthood that says "I'll be here for your son and daughter" and let it stand. Let's draw a line on the track of honesty and integrity and not trample it underfoot. Let's paint a white boarder down the narrow lane to God and dare not cross it for fear of disqualification. Ah, but we're human, we mess up and we stomp all over these lines. We are automatically disqualified and told that we may as well hang up our shoes and pay the consequences. Thankfully, we have an authority greater than the IOC. We have Jesus who took himself out of the race on our behalf. He sees where our feet hit white paint and he takes on our disqualification.

So today I'll run. Lord let me run valiantly. If I sacrifice integrity for a short cut, rebuke me. If I exchange honor for accolades, instruct me. If I trade your will for my want, correct me. If I lose, let me congratulate those with fleeter feet and truer training. And if I win, let my happy dance be about you Lord.

Tom

New School Prayer:

2008-08-20T16:31:00.003-04:00

WRITTEN BY A 15 yr. Old SCHOOL KID IN ARIZONA:

Since the Pledge of Allegiance and The Lord's Prayer are not allowed in most public schools anymore because the word 'God' is mentioned, a kid in Arizona wrote what follows:

New School Prayer:

Now I sit me down in school where praying is against the rule

For this great nation under God finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites, it violates the Bill of Rights.

And anytime my head I bow becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green, that's no offense; it's a freedom scene.

The law is specific, the law is precise. Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall might offend someone with no faith at all.

In silence alone we must meditate, God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks, and pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks..

They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible. To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen, and the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.

It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong, we're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls, study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.

But the Ten Commandments are not allowed, no word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess, when chaos reigns the school's a mess.

So, Lord, this silent plea I make: Should I be shot; My soul please take!

Amen

This was sent to me in an email and at some point along the way was tagged with one of those lines that try to guilt me into forwarding it. I promptly deleted the guilt and posted the story here. Is this really how we've let our society develop? Are we in the process of pushing God right out of everything public? One can only wonder where this will end. Come Lord Jesus.

Tom

Mythical Mysteries

2008-08-18T09:13:00.005-04:00

Two things used to scare the bejeepers out of me when I was the impressionable tender age of 6 (or thereabouts). The first and probably the worst thing that scared me was Army Ants. While I was over at a friends house, I saw a movie I would have never been alowed to see at home about gigantic, truck squashing, human eating ants. My Mommy had to contend with all the nightmares I had after seeing these mammoth creatures ravage towns and villages, eating whatever was in their path. I believe the movie may have been the one pictured on the right, but I'm not sure. While I wouldn't condone seeing a movie titled thusly if it were made in the past few decades, I believe this one was made somewhere around the early 50s and so is less likely to be as revealing as the title suggests. I can't recall seeing anything I wasn't supposed to see, but I was too busy hiding from the ants to worry about whether or not there were scantily clad people on the screen. I just knew that these giant ants would seek out my house and my window to be their next target for pillaging and human flesh consumption. I somehow managed to survive those years without these critters finding me. I did develop a liking for killing as many ants as I could, regardless of the size of the ant or the size of their army.

The second thing that gave me nightmares of the same ilk happened to be another movie; "Big-foot" which I saw in the theatre. Oh, and don't you know that the big screen makes nightmares even bigger in your mind. I'll not forget the scene where some girl was sitting in her living room watching tv. There were a couple of windows behind her and a large shadowy figure kept moving about the porch outside. It was when she heard a noise and went to check it out at one window that a gigantic arm broke through the other window and a frantic struggle for life and death ensued. It was also at the moment of the window crash and the accompanying musical climax that I spilled a large movie soda all over myself. During the sticky ride home my big sister did her level best to convince me that we had just seen a true story with live footage. Aren't sisters wonderful. Years later, I would finally put together that if there were camera men in the room filming the live footage of the monster crashing in the window, they would have surely warned the little girl about his presence.

Last week, the inner child I am possessed of, was momentarily appeased. Last week some guys in Georgia found Big-Foot dead. They say they have him in a freezer there and are providing DNA and Photographic evidence of their story. They also say the there were other Big-Foots (or is it Big-Feet) meandering about the area, so while I can take some solace in the passing of a terror, there is still the looming possibility of a Mrs. Foot and Junior Foot out there to give me pause.

On a side note, they've also captured police footage of the Mexican legend Chupacabra. What's next, Loch Ness?

Have a great day

Tom

Long term church goals?

2008-08-11T18:20:00.003-04:00

What is your congregation's long term vision? Do you have one? Is it generally known by the whole of the membership? Is it effective?

As most of you know, the congregation I attend is beginning a new phase with a new minister. There has been a lot of emotion in this process and a lot of confusion in the mix. Pulling back together after a set of events surrounding a change like this is difficult. Add to the normal difficulties a group of nearly 30 men who stepped in through that time to try (very difficult though it was) to fill the previous minister's ample shoes, and you have a tired, disgruntled group of people at best.

Now infuse a "new guy" and hope that all the folks who've been working hard for this long lag time don't throw their collective hands in the air and say "okey-dokey new guy, its all yours!" More than that, try and draw those tired Christians into a cohesive core to continue keeping on keeping on.

To this end, do you feel that a long term vision would be beneficial? What type of vision would you suggest? Does a church dare set a numbered goal; i.e. "We want to reach 1000 members in 10 years"?

I'll take any thought and any comments.

Tom

I've been converted (at least at work)

2008-08-05T10:27:00.004-04:00

I'm sorry to disappoint everyone. I know that there are some traditions that need to be held close to our hearts. I realize that there are some points upon which we must stand regardless of the pressure. I understand that many will no doubt disown me for my decision, so I thought it best that I come out here on the blog and publicly acknowledge my departure.

Almost my whole life I have been loyally doing my best to stay on track and on the path that I knew to be the only way. I've often fell short in my knowledge and have been able to learn more and more as the years have passed. I'm far from complete in my knowledge, but I've come a long way. In recent years I've been able to take what I know and teach others as well as help them through the difficult times. I've been there when many had become corrupt and near the point of no return. I've even been fortunate to help some come back from the brink of darkness. There were times when I wasn't so lucky and the situation was beyond my ability to help. Still though I've taken it upon myself to believe and to help as many as possible. Until now.

Sure I'll still try to help when and where I can. I don't want to see people suffer needlessly, but it's different now. Now a time has come and things have changed that have made me challenge the core beliefs I have held to for so long. Things at work have caused me to look in a new direction and operate under a different system. I know it will be difficult at first. This will surely take some getting used to. For the foreseeable future I will be living a double life as things at work and things at home will conflict. I wish I knew which I will stay with. The future is so uncertain. The two will no longer be compatible.

I'm very sorry to disappoint many of you, but at work I'm getting a new computer; it's a Mac. I'm even now waiting for it to come FedEx.

What did you think I was talking about?

Tom

Wednesday Worship (part 2)

2008-08-01T15:50:00.004-04:00

Jeanne M. wrote some very profound things in the previous posting, here is one:

Just as I eat more than one meal a week - or a day - so I need more "meat" from the scriptures than is given in one - or two - hours on Sunday. But then I want to be with the brothers and sisters every opportunity that is presented to me. Study alone is good, but study with others helps me learn from their thoughts, just as reading blogs from those I admire and know have well-thought out ideas to present does, too.

Thank you Jeanne for that wonderful insight. What you said rings very true. Would any of us - I mean any - dare suggest that the spiritual food we receive from 2 hours a week is enough to sustain us? Yet, so many people try to survive on that or less. Granted, someone one will say that they don't need to come to church to get spiritual food, they can read their Bible at home. This is very true, you can read your Bible at home. I'll go a step further and say we should absolutely read our Bibles at home, frequently. I'm not sure how we can truly survive without this study time. But let's take this food analogy a little further.

How would our meals fare if our moms choose to not be involved in them. Speaking for my house, we would be hungry a lot because I'm not the best cook. Moms involve themselves in our meal time gatherings because if they aren't involved, we probably wouldn't eat. Now I can imagine the objection; the preacher is there to feed the people who come on Wednesday night, so why do they need me? Even as a very small child I remember sitting around our table at home. When my Dad asked me to pass the salt, I passed the salt. He could have gotten it himself, but I'm part of the family and it was my part to do for him. I may not be the preacher or the song leader, but I can still pray. I can still share in someones sorrow. I can still pass the salt. We are family and we gather together as all families should. When one of us weeps, we all feel sorrow. When one of us celebrates, we all feel joy.

There is internal Christianity and there is external Christianity. Internal is a spirit thing that is between me and God. It is very personal and very powerful. It is the place where my spirit and His Spirit communicate and where the Holy Spirit takes my heart and gives it to the Father. External Christianity is when I take that relationship that I have with God and the Spirit through Jesus and share it with people around me. I'm not just talking about preaching, but rather living. Doing what I can to take care of the needs of others. Being a shoulder to the crying, a light through the darkness or an echo in times of joy. External Christianity is born from Internal Christianity. It gives back though because External Christianity when given from the heart is a gift not only to the person you help, but also to God. In our efforts, we come near to God, and when we do that He comes near to us.

We may feel we don't need Wednesday night worship (or Sunday night), but maybe Sunday and Wednesday night worship needs us. How much greater impact would the service have for everyone involved if everyone was involved.

I told you I would share something that Patrick Mead said in his blog at www.patrickmead.net/tentpegs so here it is:

I confess: even though I understand that these times together aren’t a requirement, I find myself becoming legalistic when I think about them very long. They ARE good and, if done right, are highly beneficial… but God didn’t order us to attend them and elders overreach when they make a law God’s wisdom didn’t require Him to make. At the same time we must humbly realize that "daily and from house-to-house" was the pattern of the early church. We’ve cut that down to a couple of hours on Sunday and an hour or so on Wednesday and STILL we chafe under that "burdensome" duty! What a bunch of wienies we are!

What a bunch of wienies we are! (I think I'll end with that)!
Tom

Wednesday Worship

2008-07-31T07:15:00.005-04:00

There is an apparent trend among American Churches wherein many congregations have ceased holding a mid-week service and a popular argument to accompany the move. Firmly ensconced on one side of the argument are those who adamantly proclaim the familiar mantra from Hebrews 10:25 which states, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." A wonderful verse and an effective argument for getting together.

Others however are equally cemented within their view that the scriptures defining New Testament worship never call us to a specific mid-week service. There's is also a securely defensible position. Searching the New Testament will provide, to my knowledge, a gaping hole where the command to meet on a specific mid-week day should be.

In view of this, how do we handle Wednesday nights? Should we worry about the lag in attendance and view it as a less than favorable sign of the spiritual maturity of the absent congregants? Should we approach them concerned, pray for and with them and encourage them to more frequent attendance? Should we pull out the Hebrews 10:25 mantra and scold them for their shortcoming? Or should we back off, live and let live? As the trend toward skipping this particular service begins to take hold within a congregation and fewer and fewer come, is the only alternative to cancel the service?

I have further views on this, but I thought I'd toss it out there for your consideration. I've enjoyed reading a posting on this from Patrick Mead's blog and I'll bring up a couple of things he said in further postings.

Tom

I'm Back

2008-07-29T07:53:00.006-04:00

We've returned from a wonderful (if not a bit too rainy) vacation camping in Massachusetts. What fun we had. From campfires and Smores to swimming in the lake, we had so much fun. The best part about being home is the dryness and comfort of our own wonderful beds. I'll post more details later, for now please accept these pictorial expressions of some of the fun we had.

First, Christian in his element. He loves the water!

Second, Audrey flying high on the trampoline at an Alpine Slide resort.

Thirdly, Kayleigh enjoying a moment in the water with a noodle.

More to come... Tom

WRONG E-MAIL ADDRESS

2008-07-19T07:27:00.000-04:00

Got this in an email from a very good friend.

This one is priceless...A lesson to be learned from typing the wrong email address!!!!

A Minneapolis couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier. Because of hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate their travel schedules. So, the husband left Minnesota and flew to Florida on Thursday, with his wife flying down the following day. The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an email to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter in her email address, and without realizing his error, sent the email. Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returned home from her husband's funeral. He was a minister who was called home to glory following a heart attack. The widow decided to check her email expecting messages from relatives and friends. After reading the first message, she screamed and fainted. The widow's son rushed in to the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read:

To: My Loving Wife
Subject: I've Arrived
Date: October 16, 2007
I know you're surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now and you are allowed to send emails to your loved ones. I've just arrived and have been checked in I've seen that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then!!!! Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.

P.S. Sure is hot down here!!!!

From Uncle John

2008-07-17T14:23:00.003-04:00

Read All About it!

Did you know that according to Uncle John's Bathroom Reader 2008 Calander, Goldilocks was originally named Silver hair?

or that...

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are really named Henry and Edward

Did you know that in the Oz books, the Tin Woodsman's name is Nick Chopper?

Also, some real bumber stickers...

"I'll bet you a new car that I can stop faster than you can!"

"Boycott shampoo! Demand REAL POO!"

"Everyone has the right to be stupid. Some just abuse the privilege."

"If you don't like the way I drive, stay off the sidewalk!"

"Preserve nature: Pickle a Squirrel"

Word origin...

The Lollipop was named after Lolly Pop, one of the most famous racehorses of the early 1900s. Now you know.

Tom

Camping again

2008-07-12T17:03:00.001-04:00

In one week the family and I will once again head North for a camping destination. This picture is of me and Kayleigh at the campground last year. Audrey was sitting in the grass just beyond Kayleigh, so it was a good time for Daddy and his girls. There were many other pictures I could put on here, but since I haven't printed them for Dawn to scrap book yet I think it best that I not put many more on here for public consumption. We are looking forward to a great time of camping with family and friends. Everyone attending are "Church Folk" so the week does take on a happy spiritual demeanor.

Also I'm in Blueberry Season now, so I haven't had much time for blogging. Thanks for your perseverance.

Tom

Picnic on Friday, zoo on Saturday

2008-07-07T09:00:00.004-04:00

The kids at the zoo.

Butterfly faces, what fun! These lasted until the girls wanted to play with Christian and his friend Justin in the sprinkler at home, then the butterflies were gone.

Fourth of July picnic at the house. Good food, good friends, good fellowship, a pool for the kids and most of all, no rain. What a wonderful day we had to spend with our church family.

In need of prayer

2008-07-03T12:09:00.002-04:00

What follows is a letter from a missionary in Venezuela. It is getting very bad down there. Please add these people to your prayer list. Tom

Dear brothers and sisters
My family and I are sending a warm greeting to all you.
I would like to say that everything in my country is fine but the true is everything is going worse every day. The crime is increasing very fast, the government has not the capacity to stop the crime and many people are killing by deliquescent , during the weekend the crime increase , we have more people killed than the Iraq's war.
A group of the Harding University came to Venezuela to help San Antonio Church ( 30 minutes from Caracas)They had a campaign for two weeks, my daughter Karen came with them to work in the campaign , one night after finish the conference a lady RosaVirginia where Karen and one American girl called Kelly were stayed decided to stop on store to buy some food, there were four men in same place, those men start to follow the girls , when they are entering in the building where they are staying , they were stopped with those men and three of the came into the car and the other one stayed in their car, those men forced the girls to go with them in the girl´s car and the men put their guns in the head of the girls for three hours, they kidnapped the girls, here in Venezuela the criminal people take people to ask for money to their family, that is called express kidnap , They ask Karen who are I am, where I work, where we live and those questions they asked to all of them , they want to take one of them to another stated , my daughter was praying and also the lady, those men started to shout to Kelly she was crying, she cannot understand what they say to her, they kept the girls for three hours and they decided to release the girls in a dangerous place, they took the girl´s car and all the bags with the things of the girls, Kelly´s passport was taken by the men, thank God they did not do any physical damage to the girls. Karen is very affected with that situation, I have had to take her to doctors, she felt very bad, her health is no fine, we had to talk to the Harding university to stop her study, we are planning to send her back to Harding university in January in the next year, the doctors recommended it. My wife is affected, that hurt us very much but we trust in God. I beg you to pray for us , we are having hard time in this moment.
Venezuela is not safe for people, the corruption is increase everyday and the price of everything is expensive.
We are baptized five persons last month, I am sending pictures of them, I continue working in a city called San Juan De Los Morros, we have bible study every Tuesday and also there is another city close to Maracay called Cagua, we have Bible study every Monday
We have many people in Church who have many emotional problems, I am helping them, I go to Los Teques Church ( two hours from Mararcay driving) to help members with this problem, I spent all day working with them that is Thursday .
I would like to know if you receive this e-mail please let me know
God bless you
We are God´s soldiers for this world
Jorge Perez

Spiritual Significance?

2008-07-02T07:47:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure what caused me to do this with this picture. It was after all a cool picture of a turtle before I messed with it. The turtle's under-shell had a fire red tint to it which I think inspired the edits. Does anyone see a spiritual significance to this photo? Thanks, Tom

Pop-Tarts and such

2008-07-01T07:44:00.004-04:00

As I sit here Tuesday morning I have my cup of Wawa freshly brewed coffee in front of me and I'm eating a Pop-Tart. I don't want you to confuse this with a Toaster Strudel or a generic "Toaster Pastry," I'm eating a boneifide genuine, often imitated but never duplicated Pop-Tart (with milk). Okay, I can hear everyone saying a collective "So?". My favorite Pop-Tart is Blueberry unfrosted. You remember, the original one from years back. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find those now-a-days. Dawn finally found them at Target and bought two boxes. I tend to stretch them out to make them last, but if Christian runs out of his favorite (blueberry frosted) he will eat mine, so it doesn't benefit me to save them too long. Dawn and the girls like the Brown Sugar and Cinnamon variety Pop-Tart. I've seen them bring home the Smoores kind as well, and while I like brown sugar and Cinnamon in my oatmeal and love actual over the campfire Smoores, I don't want that in a Pop-Tart. You may call me a purest if you'd like.

So here are the questions:

1. Obviously, what is your favorite type of Pop-Tart?
2. What is your least favorite type of Pop-Tart?
3. What do you drink with breakfast, OJ, milk, coffee or other?
4. Finish this phrase with specifics. I like __________ with peanut butter.
5. Do you toast your Pop-Tart of eat it right out of the box?

Enough for now. Thanks for playing.
Tom

Still more ancient notbook (are you tired of these yet?)

2008-06-28T22:14:00.009-04:00

What I have done for you

The stars are silently placed in their high perch in the heavens, with a thought the sun begins to glow and the earth is formed. In a beautiful garden, life is breathed both into a man, and into a world and in a whisper on the new wind, words are spoken, “This is what I have done for you.”

Time is created and rolls swiftly on its course and blessings cascade on the world one after another like cool waves of the sea on a sunny shore. A heavenly smile is continuously cast upon earthly children and in a cheerful exalted voice that rides on a sunbeam again it is proclaimed, “This is what I have done for you!”

Then the world falls and the life given becomes stagnant in disobedience and offensive in sin. The gift of life is horribly abused and the only possible true punishment is the loss of that gift. Thus enters death into the world and sorrow finds its way into the heart of the Creator.

Time again passes on the on the blue ball and though some continue after the true and the right, others become self-absorbed and gods unto themselves. With the penalty of death still hanging over their heads the people continue on in their own designs without pause or prayer to Him who Is. Yet in his forbearance, he allows it to continue.

A baby is born and grows into a healthy young man and at some point in his years he realizes that he is living in a world which he made. Perhaps he notices that the flowers seem to look like a far away dream, or maybe the crisp air curls around his face like a kiss as he walks in the morning hours. Perhaps while sitting in a grove of trees, a robin lands on his knee and sings the sweet song of love as one sings for a friend. The boy grows in body and spirit and comes to understand his power and purpose in the world that he created. Once again the light from a heavenly smile beams down on the small globe. With the presence of God on earth the very air seems to shout, “This is what I have done for you!”

With his mission forever in front of him, Jesus gathers his flock and begins to teach them how to please the One who Is; life for the sake of love, and love for the gift of life. But still hanging like a noose, is the punishment of death. To be pure and just, that debt must be paid.

With signs given and miracles shared, the teacher moves across the face of his world. Some follow true to him, others leave when his teachings come in conflict with their desires. Others despise him for shattering their shallow packaged lives. Growing room must be forged out of the protective fences built by the prideful and self-important.

In his eyes shine love while in theirs grow the glare of hate. He teaches strangers of brotherhood and they treat brothers as strangers. They want nothing but to take his life not knowing that his life is ultimately the very gift he will give to his people, his world.

In a garden, dark from hours past the man kneels and prays. His heart is given as his body will soon be. From his forehead flows sweat as from his eyes flow tears. The trusted followers sleep on their watch as an angry crowd appears. Jesus is taken, not with swords and clubs, but with the kiss of one he had called friend. Force doesn't bend him to their will, but his obedience to the will of his Father in heaven.

An already dismal night grows even darker as time slowly passes in what has come to be the most eventful night in history. On a rugged pole with a splintery crossbar hangs the man who had known the sent of a flower before he came close enough to smell it. His love is poured out in blood. His heart, the heart that beats in time with the rhythm of all creation, is nearly crushed by the weight of the sins of the world. This great man who had done nothing wrong speaks with his last breath, “It is finished.” …

… and in heaven the One who Is turns away from his Son and speaks in an eternal whisper to each person in the world, “This, is what I have done for you!”

Tom Shuff

The Russian Bar (not a hangout in Moscow)

2008-06-27T14:23:00.003-04:00

If you don't watch America's Got Talent, or you missed this one, I think you'll be impressed with The Russian Bar. Thank you to everyone who expressed enjoyment at the last few trips into my old notebook. I have others I'll put on later. I have to toss something else in the mix or I feel weird and self-serving. Enjoy The Russian Bar. Keep in mind that she is on a bar that is only 4 inches wide; about the width of her foot.
Tom

Drowning

2008-06-25T21:12:00.001-04:00

With his shirt plastered to his chest, the six year old boy who had been fishing with his sister and father tried desperately to keep his head above the water. His pants were soaked with the dirty brown lake water and the extra weight pulled him under. If he had time to regret he may have felt sorry for not listening to his dad warn him to stay close by. Staying alive was more pressing than regret. The swirls of water washed around his head and the long deep stems from the lily pads wrapped around his arms and legs making it nearly impossible to stay afloat. He tasted the bitter water as he opened his mouth desperately wide for air. His attempts for oxygen brought more water into his stinging nose and throat. Scrambling to the surface he tried to scream, but his cry for help only proved to give him another mouthful of the dirty lake. Fortunately his eleven-year-old sister was nearby and capable of a more than healthy scream.

Down below the water again, and then with little legs frantically kicking he faught back up. It was then that he opened his burning eyes to see something he would never forget. As a photo in his mental album, this picture would forever stay with him. There on the shore, running along the slanted hill that ringed the lake, came his daddy. The sight of him casting off cumbersome articles of clothing, zigzagging between trees, pushing through thick branches and shedding knots of tangled fishing line took on the mystique of a man taking off his glasses and shirt to reveal a large “S” and a billowing red cape. In an instant the man was wet and the boy quickly found himself safely in the arms of his father. Through it all, the man never took his eyes off his sinking son.
Forever, the son remembers.

There is another who remembers. He recalls being pinned to a wooden cross where he waited for death to creep slowly and excruciatingly into his beaten body. He remembers the morning turning into day as he and his two companions slipped into the approaching darkness. He remembers the tears that were shed by the woman standing at the base of the next splintery death post. But most of all he can’t forget the voices. The collective voice of the mob was burned in his mind as it screamed hatred and scorn till hearts burned furious and throats burned raw. He remembers the voice of a dying thief as he ridiculed out of fear and selfishness, “If you are the Messiah, save yourself, and us.”

But then time gets jumbled and his memory a little hazy, like the world suddenly started spinning and speeding by too fast. He recalls saying something, but it takes a while to match thought with word. He remembers trying to defend the man who hung between him and the blasphemous thief. He recalls making a hopeless request. He, a man who had sinned his entire life and who had come to this wretched and deserved end approached the man from Nazareth with a plea that could only come from a drowning man. Drowning in sin, drowning in pain and drowning in death he made a very simple plea. “Teacher,” he said looking to the ground past his blood soaked feet, “Teacher, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

The response could have been the worst rejection the man had ever suffered; it should have been. Instead he was given the greatest gift of his life. He was thrown the lifeline for his soul. The drowning man was pulled from the gaping mouth of the grave.

With dried blood on his cracked lips, the forgiving voice of Jesus uttered words that will forever play through the man’s mind. “Today, you will be with me in paradise.” And with those words Jesus dove into the man’s sinful heart and pulled him out of the black waters of spiritual death. There was an instant when Jesus was wet with blood and cold with the sins of others; an instant when the sinful drowning man found himself safely in the arms of his Savior.

The same Jesus who spoke those words on that cross makes the same promise to all who choose to live for him today, and paradise waits. Through it all, He never takes his eyes off his sinking, struggling children.

Tom

The Notebook

2008-06-24T21:05:00.001-04:00

The Traitor’s Last Song

My spirit is draped in darkness as I recall the past few days. The coins in my hand reflect a face I no longer recognize. Temptation and greed have bought my heart and I cannot seem to break their strangling hold. The compelling call of the jingling silver rings in my ears and I yield to its cry and bow to its empty throne.

The lips of betrayal have met with the face of love, and the heart of the Master looked deep into my darkened soul. Where can I go to hide from what I have done? How can I live when I have doomed the only hope for the world to his death? Forgiveness for such guilt is unthinkable. I dare not kneel to ask. How could God forgive me when I have all but killed His only Son?

A crooked tree hanging over a cliff is my home and a rope my last embrace. When the rotting branch finally breaks the awaiting rocks will be my bed though no rest will be found there. Then I will have the payment I deserve, and then I will reap the seeds that I have sown.

May all be warned who pass this way, and may all avoid my resting place, least they be tainted by the blood of a traitor.

Judas Iscariot

By
Tom Shuff

You provide the caption returns

2008-06-23T22:04:00.003-04:00

Not sure I can come up with a caption for this picture, but I wanted to bring back this old gag to allow me a second to step away from seriousness. I was peering through my old notebook and may have a couple of other things to put on here in the days to come, but I don't want to bore everyone with them all the time. Soooo, give me your best captions.

Another visit to my little notbook of things written and forgotten

2008-06-20T22:29:00.002-04:00

The Legacy of Eve

In the early morning hours as the sweet smell of creation lingers in the new air, Adam lay asleep. With the gentlest touch a rib is taken from his side and in his slumber he feels, as a soft breeze on his face, the breath of his comforting God. The rib lifts slowly in the air and floats above the man from whom it had been taken, and there it waits. God looks at Adam and sees in him a wondrous being of flesh and spirit. The prefect combination of emotionally driven man with the soul that is able to connect with the Creator himself. Then God looks with Adam’s heart where He knows exists an emptiness. He knows something is left missing. Then God smiles, and with a slight turn of His wrist he extends His mighty hand out beneath the floating rib and allows power to flow from His fingertips. Within the masterfully creative mind of God exist a picture, and the hovering rib begins to move and grow to match. As God wills, it changes and becomes the companion for the man. With only a thought He has given to man a being full of compassion. With less than a gesture He has gifted creation with a motivating force that will be the cause of a myriad of wonderful things. In less than an instant the awesome God has inspired countless poems, stories and songs. He has created the most perfect work of art, and the exact answers to an empty heart. He gave love to man in the form of woman. As this incredible woman floats like a feather down beside Adam, her arm gently falls across his chest and her perfect face brushes up next to his. There in the quiet dawn of a day bursting with wonderful new possibilities, while they both lie asleep, the very first human embrace gently occurs and is seen only by the eyes of the Creator. In a moment of splendor God whispers his breath on the two and calls for them to rise from his creative sleep. They do not see him as they wake; they only stare into each others starry eyes amazed at the overwhelming joy that fills their hearts. This joy will set in place a continuing pattern for everyone ever blessed to gaze into the eyes of the one they love.
A legacy was also created on that day. In the light of that creation, when God looked at Adam and Eve, He could see each couple to follow. While in his infinite wisdom He saw how happy His precious new gift would make Adam and Eve, He also knew how happy we could make each other. He knew that the touch of the one we love would fill us with the same awe Adam must have felt waking to see Eve beside him.
If Adam felt anything similar to what we are capable of, once he woke to see Eve, he must have never wanted to close his eyes again. May we often remember to take the opportunity to gaze into the eyes of the one we love as we did at the beginning.

Tom Shuff

Down to the farm

2008-06-10T15:09:00.002-04:00

I got this in an email and thought I'd share. Sometimes a good ol' grampa and grandma can say what needs to be said. Enjoy.

Tom

Spelling Error

2008-06-10T07:36:00.003-04:00

I am frequently an offender of the hard and fast rules of spelling, as most of you know. It is usually my goal to correct these as soon as I can (unless of course it proves to be funnier if I leave it as is). I recently ran across an example of a spelling issue far worse than any I've ever made (save my grade school report where I confused the word "Algae" for a similar sounding word which begins with the letter "O"; and since that error was on an oral report, it was less a spelling issue and more a "talk of the school" faux paux. This error is one that most all of us have seen and may not have realized. The following is the content of a page from Uncle John's Bathroom Reader 2008 Desk Calendar, Date Monday, June 9:

"Monnopely"
In 2002 Parker Brothers admitted that for the previous 60 years it had misspelled Marven Gardens, named after a street in Atlantic City, New Jersey, as Marvin Gardens on the popular board game Monopoly. But the company said that recalling the game and manufacturing new editions with the correct spelling would, at this point, be too costly.

Blogger's Note: The obvious misspelling of the word Monopoly in quotes at the beginning is as it is shown on the calendar page, and not a typo of the blogger; this time.

Blogger's Second Note: The faux paux I mentioned earlier did cause me some embarrassment, but it also managed to save my grade. You see, the oral report was being timed and while I didn't have enough material to fill the time allotted, the laughter at my misspeak managed to use up the balance quite nicely.

Anyone else feel like sharing an awkward moment or a memorable mistake?

Take a kid fishing day

2008-06-09T15:15:00.003-04:00

So there we were, all piled out of a bus to a certain spot I know of, with our children in tow and fishing gear ready for a wonderful day of fishing. In the picture below you'll see us in the distance. I'm in the blue shirt, Christian (my boy) is to my right (your left) and Audrey and Kayleigh are beside me. About twenty-five people were involved in one way or another.

It was a very hot day and there far more people involved than there were fish. Although I have to put on my "proud daddy" hat for just a second because the two fish that did get caught were caught by my 5 year old little princess Audrey. Yay for her!

We went back to the church building and had a wonderful lunch (mostly thanks to John and Debbie who cooked and prepared the meat and some desserts, Rene who prepared enough potato salad and beans to feed a small army {other things were brought but I don't know to whom I should credit), and Cindy and Dawn who coordinated and orchestrated).

Thank you Lord for friends, for our children, and for a wonderful day (oh, and for Audrey's fish).

Tom

After Three Days

2008-06-05T09:33:00.004-04:00

Three days after his injury, here's Christian playing in his first band concert. Unfortunately we also had a sick Kayleigh and so one of us had to stay home. Since Dawn had been on sick little girl duty all day, I took a turn and stayed with her thereby missing the show. Dawn took a video camera and recorded it so I have it. They did well. If you look closely, you can see some of his battle wounds. Thanks for all the prayers and concern. As I've said, we are very blessed.

Tom

On the way to church ...

2008-06-01T22:45:00.003-04:00

I pulled up to the curb as I always do when we are late. I opened the automatic sliding door on the van and Christian was the first one out. In the blink of an eye he jumped to the sidewalk, jumped up and grabbed the stone blocks that top the wall to the right of the steps. That fast, two stone blocks fell from the wall and one of them hit him on the head and face as it fell to the sidewalk. He stood there for a moment thinking he was in trouble and calmly stated "Well, that never happened before." That is when we first saw the blood. A significant gash had been cut into his forehead at his hairline. Dawn was calm, I got somewhat panicky. We got him to the ER where he had 9 stitches in his forehead which are enhanced by some cuts and scrapes down his nose lip and chin. He's doing a little better now but he will be feeling this for some time. We stayed home tonight and hung out. We also prayed and hugged a lot.

Tom

Written in My Youth

2008-05-31T21:37:00.005-04:00

HE IS NEAR

The sun still shines here, though not quite as bright as before. Outside the wind sweeps briskly across the ground creating a tiny multi-colored whirlwind from the freshly fallen leaves. The chill in the air adds to the freshness that makes Autumn sweet. The wind has that bite in it that makes campfires cozy and long walks better in two's. God is painting a spectacular picture and the Earth is His canvas. We are the fortunate ones who get to experience its splendor.

The rain came yesterday pounding a rhythmic beat on the hard pavement. Small rivers rushed down the road until they disappeared in miniature waterfalls underground. Before too long the rain stopped and things dried and returned to normal. Still, we saw God in the rain, he touched us in the drops and kissed us with the Sun.

God blesses us in so many ways. Sometimes those blessings come to us in ways to which we are blind. An occasional loneliness can provoke enough of a need that we turn to God and pray for companionship, while not realizing that through our prayer and God's tender fellowship, we have received the most glorious companionship ever imagined.

"Come near to God, and He will come near to you."

Tom Shuff (written sometime in the mid-eighties)

Whew. I think this may be the first time this has ever been seen by anyone other than a few close friends. In the process of cleaning out the basement, I found a few notebooks of this stuff. I don't know how many people are still stopping by my blog, but it is my hope that these few thoughts expressed so long ago may be a momentary bright spot in someone's day. If nothing else, feel free to laugh at the author. He doesn't really mind.

Tom

Uncle John's and a movie review

2008-05-31T09:32:00.005-04:00

Uncle John's Bathroom Reader in any of its various editions is as at home in "the necessary room" as is toilet paper and Oust. I have long enjoyed UJBR and the quippy little readings it provides, but this year I expanded Uncle John's influence on my life by purchasing a desk calendar. I have often thought that these would make interesting inclusions into the blog-o-shpere, but have up to now not felt like incorporating them.

Why now? I'm not sure if its because I have been so busy to be incredibly creative on my own, or because I have so much on my mind, but at least for today, I'll go to the "can" of Uncle John for a couple of interesting chunks.

Chunk 1: From Thursday May 15th

WHEN YOU GOTTA GO...
"A cemetery in Santiago, Chile, is offering its clients coffins with sensors that detect any movement inside after they have been buried. According to a spokesperson for the cemetery, 'We want to be pioneers and avoid catalepsy cases, in which a person gets completely paralyzed for a few hours and ends up buried as if they were dead. We want families to rest assured that if a case like this ever happens, their loved ones will be immediately rescued.'" -BBC

Chunk 2: From Friday May 30th
UNCLE JOHN'S DICTIONARY OF WORD ORIGINS
Mascara

Meaning: A cosmetic applied to darken the eyelashes.

Origin: The word comes from the Spanish word mascara (with a little ' thingy over the first "a"), which in turn comes from the Italian maschera, both of which mean, appropriately, "mask." The root of those words, however, is the Arabic maskharah, which means "buffoon" or "clown".

A movie review: (having nothing to do with Uncle John or the bathroom)
Christian and I watched Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium last evening. I liked the imaginative nature of the film. I loved all the characters and the actors. I thought the casting was brilliant and everyone was wonderful. The little boy was fabulous, the mutant accountant played his part to very convincingly, Natalie Portman was sweet and lovable throughout the whole film and Dustin Hoffman added another proof to his astounding ability to convincingly portray any character thrown at him. Mr. Magorium will stand strong beside previous characters such as Hook, Rain Man, the strange Little mumbly guy (I think his name was in fact Mumbles) in Dick Tracy and Tootsie. I suppose the plot could have been stronger and the loose-ends were many, but all in all it was a good rent.

The one glaring thing that stuck my crawl, was at the very end where Natalie Portman was dancing and conducting the store back to life. Eeeiwww! As accomplished and as cute as she is, I found this part of her performance stiff and limited. Where's Jim Carey when you need him?

I liked the movie, loved the characters but not so much the end.

Tom

Happy Memorial Day

2008-05-26T11:54:00.001-04:00

Preparing to leave for a Memorial Day Picnic with our fellow Christians. I'll update everyone in a while.

Tom

Response to Lisa's blog

2008-05-22T15:52:00.004-04:00

Lisa,

I don't know if this is what you were hoping for, but maybe this will help. If anyone askes me what my sign is, I'll point them to this.

Tom

Wacky Survey

2008-05-21T22:45:00.003-04:00

Okay, I've been suffering from horrible lack of time. I haven't had much time to blog lately, but I don't want to quit. So, in an effort to maintain some readership here is a wacky survey.

1. Who was your favorite charachter on Gilligians Island?

2. Which of the Happy Days characters do you most closely relate?

3. If you had to take a job at Disney World as one of the characters, which would you choose?

4. How much did you last pay for gas?

5. In this fuel price crisis, would you rather walk, ride a bike or ride a horse?

6. Name the first name of one person who has made a near life changing impact on your life.

Thank you for your patients.
Tom

Been working hard

2008-05-16T09:55:00.002-04:00

Wow, what happened. I've been so busy with everything that I haven't had a spare moment to blog. Sorry. I'll try to do better. My special thanks to Jel for her help on a project I'm working on. Her photography is excellent. She let me use one of her shots for a website I'm working on. It isn't completed yet, but you can see Jel's hawk picture on the home page at www.blueskyrep.com. Thanks again Jel.

Also thanks to everyone who has been praying for Dawn. She and I both appreciate it very much.

Tom

RSD

2008-05-12T07:56:00.004-04:00

Many of you have been praying for my wife Dawn for a while. I so appreciate your concern for her, but I probably haven't been very good at explaining what's going on. Dawn has RSD. It started after she had surgery this past November to remove a cartilage tumor in her left ring finger. Her cartilage tumor came because a bit of cartilage in that finger never turned to bone. The tumor was benign and they took a small bit of bone from her wrist and put it where the bone in her finger should have been. Dawn should have been better within weeks, but the pain never went away. It actually got worse and moved up her arm and across her shoulders. After going back to the doctors a many times we found out that she was exhibiting all the signs of RSD (also knows as CRPS or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome). I’ve included some descriptions below of RSD. You can see this and more at http://www.rsds.org/index2.html. Not too many people are aware of RSD. We sure weren't. I'm wearing a small orange RSD Awareness wrist band on my left hand. I hate to have things on my wrist, but if Dawn is going through this constant pain in her left hand and arm, the very least I can do is have this supportive minor annoyance on mine.

Thanks for your concern and your prayers.
Tom

RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy) is a chronic neurological syndrome characterized by:
* severe burning pain
* pathological changes in bone and skin
* excessive sweating
* tissue swelling
* extreme sensitivity to touch
There are Two Types of CRPS - Type I and Type II
* CRPS Type I (also referred to as RSD) - cases in which the nerve injury cannot be immediately identified
* CRPS Type II (also referred to as Causalgia) - cases in which a distinct "major" nerve injury has occurred
* CRPS is best described in terms of an injury to a nerve or soft tissue (e.g. broken bone) that does not follow the normal healing path
* CRPS development does not appear to depend on the magnitude of the injury. The sympathetic nervous system seems to assume an abnormal function after an injury.
* Since there is no single laboratory test to diagnose CRPS, the physician must assess and document both subjective complaints (medical history) and, if present, objective findings (physical examination).
Criteria for Diagnosing

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type I (RSD)
* The presence of an initiating noxious event, or a cause of immobilization
* Continuing pain, allodynia, or hyperalgesia with which the pain is disproportionate to any inciting event
* Evidence at some time of edema, changes in skin blood flow (skin color changes, skin temperature changes more than 1.1°C difference from the homologous body part), or abnormal sudomotor activity in the region of the pain
* This diagnosis is excluded by the existence of conditions that would otherwise account for the degree of pain and dysfunction
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type II (Causalgia)
* The presence of continuing pain, allodynia, or hyperalgesia after a nerve injury, not necessarily limited to the distribution of the injured nerve
* Evidence at some time of edema, changes in skin blood flow (skin color changes, skin temperature changes more than 1.1°C difference from the homologous body part), or abnormal sudomotor activity in the region of pain
This diagnosis is excluded by the existence of conditions that would otherwise account for the degree of pain and dysfunction.

Finally Moving Forward

2008-05-05T20:55:00.003-04:00

Hello all. I've lost count of the time since the congregation here stepped into the thirsty land of trying to function without a minister. It is no secret that I deeply miss the man and the family we had. I said prior to their moving that I was sure that God had a plan for them and I believe that has proven true. It has taken us some time and the process has not been without its share of difficulties, but we have finally moved forward. As of sometime in late June or early July, Bill McGee will come here and take up the post of minister for us. It is my hope and prayer that the days, months and years following his arrival will prove productive days blessed by God. May we reach out to this community and share with them the truth that comes from knowing Jesus. Please pray for us in this time.

ON a personal note, fishing will still not be the same.

No extra charge.

2008-05-03T21:54:00.001-04:00

Sorry I've been away. Here are my two captions on these pictures. No extra charge.

Picture "A"

Having spent 10 years on China's National Soccer Team before transitioning to the Olympic Ping-Pong Team, Chin Lee still found it difficult not to "head" the ball.

Picture "B"

Erma had no idea that raising a boy like Tom would give her sufficient skill and expertise enough with a paddle to qualify her for the Australian Vets Olympic Ping-Pong Squad.

Tom

You Provide the Caption #4

2008-04-30T11:34:00.007-04:00

Here we go again. I'm sorry that I haven't been posting more substantial stuff lately. I pray that things return to normal soon. Enjoy the caption game.

Picture "A"

Picture "B"

Have at it.
Tom

You Provide the Caption Weekend Edition winners

2008-04-29T08:55:00.002-04:00

Thank you for letting me run that YPTC (weekend edition) all the way till Tuesday. Here are the results.

Picture A

"I'll tell you everything you don't have to squeeze it out of me!"

Picture B

"Agent Orange"

Congratulations go to everyone, but especially to Loni and Solo on their quippy quotes.

For the record, my captions would have been:
Picture A: "Troubled to the brink, Sunny considered ending it all as his once true love looked on having lost her appeal."

Picture B: "Whew, I've really got to cut back on my citrus intake. I can't keep carrying around this juice belly."

Thanks for playing. We'll be back on our YPTC Wednesday schedule um ... tomorrow.

Have a great day.
Tom

You Provide the Caption (Special Weekend Edition)

2008-04-25T16:30:00.006-04:00

Hello everyone,

Thank you all for your prayers for Dawn. Wednesday was a bit busy, so we'll play the caption game this weekend. I received these pictures in an email (some of you may have seen it). I thought them a little strange, very creative and funny. Let's see how we do for captions.

Picture A

Picture B

Good luck and have fun.

Thanks,
Tom

Update on Dawn

2008-04-24T19:23:00.003-04:00

I've been a little busy the past couple of days. Dawn is doing alright. She's still in a lot of pain but we have some hope that this operation has a good chance of helping her with her RSD. Some of the medicine that they had given her for the RSD hadn't worked prior to this surgery, but is now giving her some relief. Please keep her in your prayers. If this doesn't work to fix the RSD she will have to undergo some significantly difficult procedures.

Thank you for keeping her in your prayers.

Tom

Operation, The Wacky Doctor Game

2008-04-22T16:59:00.004-04:00

Dawn considering a test drive just before we bought our Honda Odyssey

Dawn made it through her second hand surgery. This one was to loosen her tendons and ligaments so that she could have use of her finger, but more importantly so that perhaps the RSD would be somewhat relieved. She has been in significant pain in her hand, up her arm and across her shoulders. She is in a lot of pain at the moment, but we are hoping that as her finger re-heals that her pain receptacles in her brain will reset and she won't feel the constant pain she was in before. Please keep her in your prayers.

Thanks,

Tom

The Big Bank Theory

2008-04-21T10:50:00.008-04:00

The Big Bank Theory is a Pew Mouse Production.

These little guys will hopefully be helping kids (and parents) in our area open their minds a bit to God. As of now, what they've done is just a bit of interesting web reading fun. Take a look at the following link and let me know if you think the book is too difficult to use. It will really help me to have your input.

http://www.tabernaclecofc.org/childrens_book.html

Thanks,

Tom

Two Things Today

2008-04-19T12:01:00.011-04:00

Light the Fire

Last evening we had a wonderful time of singing hymns and spiritual songs around a blazing campfire at one of our members homes. This was followed by smores, perfectly roasted marshmallows, brownies and other goodies. It was a wonderful evening of family, friends and fellowship. During times like this I am often taken back in my (wild) imagination to what it must have been like for the disciples and Jesus when they were traveling from place to place, or after a long day fishing when they would settle around a similar fire and eat and sing. Tomorrow is Sunday and I'll appreciate the padded pews and PA system, but it was good to feel, for a second, a little of the way it might have been back then. So if you get the chance to sit around a blazing fire with its light flickering orange on the faces of brothers and sisters in Christ, do it.

Have you ever stood in the family, with the Lord there in your mist,
seen the face of Christ on your brother?
Then I'd say you've seen,Jesus my Lord.

Have you seen Jesus my Lord? He's here in plain view.
Take a look open your eyes, He'll show it to you.

This is the one song I forgot to sing last night (visualize me kicking myself)

Real or Photoshop

I want to do a fun new segment that allows you to give your input on what can be done with pictures these days. I'll put a picture or two on the blog and you get to guess if the picture has been significantly doctored. I'll begin with this image currently on display at http://tomsplace4photos.wordpress.com/.

So my questions are: is this picture Real or Photoshoped, and what do you see that makes you think it's been changed?

For return visitors, I had a picture on of Hilary Clinton demonstrating a fictitious hostage situation in Bosnia (just after her sniper incident) in which she had a little blue water gun pointed at her own head. Thinking that this may bother someone I had a pole to decide to keep it or not. One of the options was "take the picture off, it's horrible". I told myself that if I got one vote of this kind that I would remove it. Well, true to my word, it's gone. My apologies to anyone who this picture bothered. Unlike a politician I will not make excuses as to why I put it on, nor will I defend it in any way. I meant no offense, I was wrong. It's gone and that's that.

We can continue this game with the blueberry picture. For the record the Hilary picture was absolutely "Photoshoped".

Blessings,
Tom

Idol Musings (American Idol loves Jesus)

2008-04-17T14:37:00.005-04:00

I'll admit that I don't watch American Idol. I have never watched an entire episode. I'd like to employ some moral high ground here so you could all be impressed with my piety, but I can't. While there are good reasons that I don't watch American Idol (here-to-for listed as AI), any compliment these reasons might give to my character are erased by the fact that I hardly ever miss an episode of "The Apprentice". So regardless of the reasons why; it is my habit not to watch American Idol. The point is that I didn't see the segment below on its regular airing, I found it on another blog (and now I can't remember which one). I'm glad I was blog surfing because I'm delighted I found this part of the show. I'm sure I would have otherwise missed it. Had I been watching AI that evening on TV I'm sure I would have been surprised and even managed some delightful goose bumps at what occurred. To make matters worse, I would have probably looked on AI with a less contemptuous glare. So, with apologies for all the things I've said negative about American Idol, take a look at this clip. Oh, and don't worry, I'm sure AI will give me more carnal ammunition to complain about as I change the channel to "Survivor".

Enjoy the clip, Tom

So, do you watch AI and does this change your view of the show?

You Provide the Caption #4 winner

2008-04-16T13:36:00.009-04:00

Yes we have a winner. Our collection of impartial judges (that's what I like to call myself) have thought diligently and come to a contusion (I mean, a conclusion). I like Wednesdays because I know I'll get a laugh from someones caption. This week I laughed a lot. Congratulations to Tim. Here are the pictures and the winning captions for ...

"When Animals Attack"

Picture "A"

"That's right... using only her lips, Petunia has balanced herself perfectly on this baby's head... and the child is completely unharmed!"

Here is the rest of the picture for those of you who don't believe. There wasn't much of a crowd around that day, but they did have quite a cerimony.

Picture "B"

"Tigers. Tigers? I'm telling you... there's not a tiger within miles of this place."

Thanks to everyone who participated. As you know from previous weeks, we have had difficulty keeping track of ROSCOE (the golden statue prize).

He thumbed his way to LA to find his brother OSCAR.

He had a mishap on the red carpet.

And once out of the body shop he went camping.

Well, there is some good news. He's back from all his gallivanting. I had a meeting with him this morning to tell him how far behind he is on his prize duties. The meeting went well and he is very sorry to have disappointed prior winners. Then he requested a leave of absence due to a movie deal he struck while in California. He is apparently the lead in a new epic called Roscoe's Riders. In the movie Roscoe teams up with two stars from other films to put out a truly "Golden Age" film. He gave me an early promo shot and told me I could post it so you would all know how serious this is. He asks that you please accept his apologies.

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You!

Apparently they think he has the mettle to become a big star.
Sincerely,
Tom

You Provide the Caption #4

2008-04-15T13:47:00.006-04:00

After a couple of days of some super scary topic blogging, were back to Wednesday, which as everyone knows is "You Provide the Caption" day. (Waiting for applause to settle down). This weeks instalment includes a bonus image and our theme is

"When Animals Attack"

You have your choice of pictures to caption. You can choose one or both. Again the ROSCOE will be awarded to the best caption as judged by - well - me.
Picture "A"

Picture "B"

Good luck and have fun.

Tom

Lead Zeppelin

2008-04-15T07:18:00.013-04:00

No, I’m not talking about Robert, Jimmy, John and John Paul, a mean guitar riff or even a reunion tour (past, present or future); I’m referring to the inability of my last blog post to get off the ground. Oh well, it was Monday and I did toss out something very difficult to deal with.

You see, there are verses in the Bible that sometimes go under explored. Most of the time we can quickly point them out if the verse in question supports our vista while debunking someone else’s.

“Why, if they’d just take the whole Bible, instead of only part of it …”

I’ve said it myself many times.

It seams so clear, what I read in the Word of God. This verse obviously means “this” and that one surely says “that”.

But then, along comes a passage that is somewhat more difficult. What then? We read it of course. We have too; it is part of God’s Word. Speaking only for myself, I find that it becomes easy to “gloss” over a difficult passage; to quickly read through it so to minimize my chair squirming.

Let’s be honest for a second, we aren’t going to understand everything God has put in His book (at least I’m not). Still though, that fact needs to be balanced with a healthy dose of “What in the world does that mean?” questioning.

Is this kind of questioning good to do or is it not?

I sat in a Bible class once while we discussed the way Jesus healed the blind man at Bethsaida. You’ll recall the story found in Mark 8:22-26 where Jesus spits in the man’s eyes and puts his hands on them but the healing doesn’t seem to "take" and the man can only see what looks like “trees walking around”. Jesus touches him again and then the man’s eyes are opened and he sees everything clearly. In class, I asked the question “Why did Jesus heal the man in this way?” One of the men thought I shouldn’t ask that question. He thought me disrespectful to question his method. I explained that I meant no disrespect to the Master, only that perhaps there might be something to learn from asking this question (and the many other questions that come to us in our study time).

Was I being disrespectful or was I digging in the Scriptures?

And what of our previous blog post (I mean besides “the crickets”)? Does Paul's mention of "baptism for the dead" in 1 Cor. 15:29 change anything for us? Let me make three statements and see if this pushes us to any further thought processes (and please allow me the freedom not to necessarily believe what I state herein).

1. If I can be baptized for someone who is already dead, then I can argue that baptism is more of a symbol of a relationship with God and less of a critical factor in the development of that relationship.

2. If baptism for the dead is viable without the dead person’s consent or agreement, then I can argue that infant baptism is certainly valid (since the infant is at least alive at the time of the baptism).

3. Also, if baptism were so important to the early Christians that they would go so far as to be baptized for someone who had died, can we afford to blink at its importance for us today? (Alright that was a question and not a statement, but who’s counting?)

My thanks to all for letting me play "devil's advocate" and especially to Jel for sharing in the sweet melodious sounds of cricket chatter with me (last post). I've laid out a few thoughts here that could be discussed, but I'll also re post the picture of the confused lady with the Bible so we can talk about how silly that is, if nothing else.

Thing Two:
Please go see the movie by Ben Stein “Expelled, No Intelligence Allowed”. He is challenging “Big Science” on evolution and intelligent design. I don’t know if this has been highly publicized, but it should be. Here is a link to his site.
"http://www.expelledthemovie.com/"
Thanks,
Tom

Big Bible Brain-Twister

2008-04-14T11:14:00.005-04:00

I have a Baptism Brain-Twister for all of you, but before I put this out there I want to lay down the “Rules of Engagement”.

“Da Rules”
Rule #1: If you have an opinion about baptism, you probably fall into the category of “Christianity” please keep that in mind as you post. Thoughts and opinions are welcome, spit and venom isn’t.
Rule #2: Refer to rule number one.

Alright, realizing that there is a “Baptism Fence” that people are usually firmly entrenched on one side or the other, I’ll lob this tough passage in the middle and see what happens. How and where does it fit in your ideas about baptism? Does it change your thought process? Do we have to ignore this passage to hold onto our view point?

Here’s the passage from 1Corinthians 15:29

29Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?

Paul expresses to the church that there was a practice of being “baptized for the dead”. He neither supports it nor condemns it, but verifies that it did occur. With regard to your hermeneutic (biblical authority based on “command, example or inference”) how does this verse fit in? Have at it, but remember rule number 1.

Tom

You Provide the Caption #3 winner

2008-04-11T10:15:00.004-04:00

This was one of my favorite pictures thus far, I guess because of the silliness of the bull going "Head over Heels". The winner is gm! Congratulations are in order. Here is the picture and the winning caption:

"..and the latest couple to get booted off DANCING WITH THE STARS..."

gm, we've located ROSCOE. It seems that after his mishap at the awards ceremony he's gone on a camping excursion. He should be returning soon and will be able to take up his position as your prize (though he is getting pretty backlogged).

Tom

You Provide the Caption #3

2008-04-09T15:35:00.002-04:00

It's Wednesday, which means time for another "You Provide the Caption". Last weeks picture was a good one. This week I had two I wanted to use. I've decided on the one below. Let's see someone can "horn in" on the winner's circle. Good Luck!

Alright, give me your best caption.
Tom

"Trip" the Light Fantastic

2008-04-07T21:04:00.005-04:00

Two things tonight:

First (Trip the Light Fantastic);
I know, it’s a dancing reference, but you have to know from whence I have just come. My boy, Christian, and I attended his school’s annual roller-skating party this evening. I skipped out on Men’s class at church so that I could enjoy this time with my son. I soon found myself inside my 42 year old body on roller blades making many left turns while weaving in and around a mass of very small bodies. The good news is I didn’t squish anyone. Actually, I didn’t fall down at all. Christian has only been on blades once before and the ones he had this time were brand-spanking-new. He is at the stage where he definitely wanted me there, and he wanted me to see him skate, but he didn’t really want me to be right beside him all the time. I’m alright with that. He hovered near the wall and worked out the newness of his wheels. He clomped around for a while and then as he got warmed up he started really doing well. I of course watched from a distance. With the knowledge that he didn’t want me right beside him, I did what any overly silly, wacky dad would do; I skated. The DJ played music more suited to my two youngest (girls) than me, (I’m referring to songs selected from the likes of “High School Musical Two”). Not once did I hear “Don’t Bring Me Down” or “Pin Ball Wizard” which were “hip” at the skating rink when I was much younger. Still, music aside, there I was wheeling around beneath a sparkling light ball that refuses to go out of style, enjoying the beat of whatever song was playing. I had found a time machine which took me back to when, as a child, I would go to our local rink for a skate-a-thon to raise money for some great cause that now slips my mind. We would skate all night long. I’ll not soon forget the blisters I earned while skating beneath an original version of the same sparkling light ball. Good times, good times.

Fortunately, today I have no blisters to speak of, but I do have good memories of the evening. At the end of the night when my feet were tired and Christian was “on a break” we played a rousing game of air hockey and a car driving game. Just then they announced “The Last Song” and my boy looked at me and said, “Come on Dad, let’s go skate.” And we skated; nothing fancy, just a dad and a son working their way around a slatted wooden floor together. He fell once and though every ounce of my daddyness wanted to help him up, I didn’t. I remembered 10 years prior, looking through a crack in the door at my small infant boy as he struggled to sit up in his crib. Every ounce of my daddyness wanted to go in and scoop him up kiss him and sit him up. I knew then that he had to work it out for himself, and I know the same thing now.

My prayer is that in 5 or 8 years from now when he has the opportunity to fall down on bigger ways, that I’ll have the same wisdom to help when I can but let go when I must. Father, help me be a good daddy!

Thing number the second (love pants);
One dad at the skating rink cruised the hardwood with his very small daughter. Almost everything was perfect. Having two little girls of my own, I could feel the specialness of the moment. The music playing, the lights working their glitter on the walls and floor, the tiny hand held within his safe fatherly grip. I am still touched by the scene as I type this blog post. Still, I did say “almost perfect” one glaring thing ruined this for me; one thing that I’d like to use this blog to rail against. This wonderful loving father who powerfully skated with his little girl protecting her from every fall, every encroaching little boy skating far too fast and far too reckless and every possible danger, this father had let his little angel wear a pair of pants with “Love” written across her bottom. While I appreciate he and his wife for wanting to advertise the loving spirit that this world needs so much to hear; I’d rather not see it written on a 5 year old girls back pockets. Please, please, please if you have a daughter of any age, don’t make her rump into a bulletin board. Please also, if you are a teen girl and you are reading this blog, please don’t wear pants, sweats or shorts (really anything) that places words on your buttocks. Boys will notice you well enough without you having to draw their attention by taking out an ad. There are far too many wacko people out there who can’t be trusted, and they are also looking.

I’d like to announce that I am now stepping down off my soap box. Tom

There's a Sweet Sweet Spirit ...

2008-04-07T07:35:00.003-04:00

"From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise." (Psalms 8:2) Enjoy

Scary, Woe, and Squirrely

2008-04-06T17:22:00.003-04:00

Saw this on Greg Englands blog http://gregengland.com/ loved it, had to share. I usually don't go all political on everyone but this is worth viewing. My apologies go out to the families of the Stooges.

Tom

You Provide the Caption winner #2

2008-04-02T09:47:00.006-04:00

Congratulations goes out to Lisa our winner. Here is the origional photo with the winning caption. Lisa will be awarded our second ROSCOE award.

"nah-nah-nah-nah-NAH-nah, you ca-an't get me"

Lisa, I'm sorry to say that ROSCOE had a bit of difficulty while trying to get in to see his brother OSCAR at work. As I understand it nothing was broken but unfortunatly things were dented in the end. Roscoe should be out of the metal shop really soon and ready to resume his duties as your prize.

You Provide the Caption #2

2008-04-02T08:19:00.007-04:00

It's that time again; time for every body's favorite game show "You Provide the Caption!" The rules are simple, take a look at the picture behind curtain number (uh - alright, there are no curtains) so just look at the picture and give me your best caption. The winner will be chosen Thursday night and awarded the coveted ROSCOE (he looks a lot like his big brother Oscar and has a bit of a jealousy thing going on, but we like him anyway). Good luck and have fun.

Tom

Gentlemen (and ladies) start your diesels

2008-04-01T20:23:00.003-04:00

Today I took a busload of farmers (past, current and future) on a trip to Trenton, New Jersey to protest the Governor's decision to kill the Department of Agriculture (Garden State, duh!). It was quite a nice day. I got a hat and a support sign to poke into the ground at the farm (ref. the cranberry farm where I work, for those of you who don't know). I met some very nice people and got to experience a bit of the ballyhoo though most of my time was spent tethered to the bus since I had a few elderly folks who needed to take advantage of the couch seating somewhat frequently. I did hear a muffled loudspeaker in the midst of a crowd and understood, by an uproar of cheers, when the muffled voice made some proclamation or statement that was largely agreed upon. I'm sure to read a summation of the statements in one of the local papers in the coming days so I'm not too torn up about what I missed.

It's what I didn't miss that is of some interest. Horses and tractors were the key elements of this rally. As I understand it there were somewhere in the neighborhood of 25-30 equestrians and in the vicinity of 120 tractors all motoring (or hoofing it) through the New Jersey capital city. It was indeed a sight to behold. There were many a small boy beside the road with eyes wide and mouth agape as tractor after tractor of various sizes tooled down City Street after City Street. Along with the horses and tractors were some other supportive farm related vehicles. There were a few produce delivery trucks, an alpaca bus, a truck pulling a very large wooden carved pig (seriously) and our farm's Cranberry Harvest Tour Bus. Aside from these there was one other noteworthy vehicle; a hearse. Yes, a decked out older hearse complete with casket in back (empty I hope) and a supportive phrase lettered on the side having something to do with "Not Killing the NJDA". I am prayerful that the rally does what it was intended to do and the Dept. of Ag. manages to survive. For what it's worth, I'd like to point out that on a day when truckers everywhere across this country pulled over or slowed down in traffic to make a valid point about the cost of fuel, hundreds of farmers entered the capitol of NJ on horseback or tractor seat (and bus) and we did this without even slowing down rush hour traffic. These people are, for the most part, good people of the soil who work hard and sleep well. They don’t complain much and they enjoy staying to themselves. I’d like to make a plea for these people.

When you go to the grocery store and pick up anything to eat; anything at all, please remember that someone somewhere grew that from a seed, a vine, an egg or a youngling. No farmers equals no food. Nuff said.

Tom

I was predestined to post this blog

2008-03-31T21:37:00.001-04:00

We’re studying Romans in a small home Bible study and we’ve just waded through chapter 8:28-30 (the predestination bit). “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined he also called; those he called he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”

What do you think about this? Is it:

A: God has hand picked all the people who get to be saved?
B: Paul is referring to the larger plan of salvation and not to the specifics about people?
C: Paul is speaking about specific people in specific situations and at specific times (eg, the apostles)?
D: A combination of B and C?
E: Something totally different?

In continuing our look into the “Emerging Culture” and how they feel about the church, I think some issues like this are helpful to explore. We may have an understanding as to what we think, but there are usually those who take opposite vistas. Because of this, many issues simmer in churches and straw-man arguments are used to promote one church over against another. Before long, Satan cultivates division between people who all say they are following Jesus. Caught in the ensuing crossfire are those who are staining simply to know Jesus. These emerging eyes want nothing more than to see Jesus as the loving, benevolent, defender of the faint and accuser of the religiously smug. Is there a way to view passages like these and have open discussions with other “faiths” without casting the stones of judgment? Dan Kimble of “They Love Jesus but Hate the Church” suggest that the emerging generations look at the church (as in all of them) as rule laden organized religion; people and leaders with more concern for political or doctrinal agendas rather than sharing and showing the love of Jesus.

So ye brave visitors to blogdom, choose ye the letter from above which correspond with your opinion. Also, let me know if you think there be any way doctrinal purity can be maintained while also preventing judgmental attitudes and staying somewhat inviting to innocent bystanders? Wow, that’s really asking a lot. Just do your best. Feel free to be anonymous if you want. I’ll spill my views in a day or two.

Tom

Google Goth

2008-03-29T16:18:00.007-04:00

Tonight (March 29th) from 8 to 9 o’clock is "Earth Hour". The "global warming" set suggest that we turn our lights out in solidarity and support for conserving energy. Even Google has gotten involved and has turned their Home Page black with white letters. Now they have admitted that their new look doesn’t really help the environment: “… it saves no energy; modern displays use the same amount of power regardless of what they display”. Regardless of this, they view their “Goth Google” look as supportive of this cause.

While I don’t completely buy into the whole “Global Warming” scare, I am not usually one to want to be outdone. So, taking inspiration from our web browsing friends, I suggest the following.

1. Put down your Snickers bar and pick up a Milky Way Dark
2. Order your steak blackened (Cajun style).
3. Eat leg and thigh instead of back and breast.
4. Don’t use salt on your food (add an extra dash or two of pepper).
5. Use only black ink or black font on your work.

What can you add to this list? Give it your best shot. We might even have to award another ROSCOE award.

We’re having Bible study tonight at our house during this hour and I’m quite sure we’ll have the lights on. But none of us will be eating marshmallows (well, we are going to have rice crispy treats, but we’ll make sure to only serve chocolate milk).

So regardless if you celebrate it or not, may your Earth Hour be happy and BRIGHT!

Tom

The ROSCOE award

2008-03-28T10:42:00.004-04:00

Alright, since I don't want everyone to have to wait all weekend to find out who wins the Roscoe award. We'll make the deadline Thursday at midnight, (hey, they're my rules, I can change them if I want). DB really made me laugh with his Southern Typed caption on this weeks picture and so congratulations go to DB Carden. Here is the Picture and winning caption:

In the name of the Lord JE-sus Christ, I command you evil spirit to COME OUT...of this tennis ball!!

DB, as you can see in the picture below, we are having a difficult time keeping track of where Roscoe is (he has delusions of being like his twin brother Oscar). I'm afraid you may have to wait for your award. Sorry about that!

Picture taken somewhere near the west coast. Not to worry, I'm sure we'll track him down soon.

Thanks for playing everyone. I'd like to run this game every Wednesday.
Tom

You Provide the Caption

2008-03-26T08:49:00.004-04:00

I saw this on an Emerging Culture site and saw some pretty funny comments. I have other pictures I'd like run by everyone, but this one was so funny I had to begin with it. Give me your best caption.

Easter Fun

2008-03-24T12:48:00.009-04:00

Alright, Easter came and the kids had a blast. I've chosen three photo's in this first "Family Portion" of the blog. Enjoy!

Here's my boy reading the directions to his new stackable computer block people - uh, thingy. (Dawn says that I make that same face when I'm concentrating on something. I'm probably making it now).

My Big Girl looking for those elusive eggs.

My slightly less Big Girl proud of a successful hunt.

We centered our worship around the sacrifice and Resurrection of Jesus and centered our lunch around a ham (no spiritual significance). We got enough candy to last us until Halloween (we tossed out the last vestiges of Halloween candy to make room for yesterday's haul).

Our children smiled and our hearts sang.
Tom

2008-03-23T21:26:00.002-04:00

2008-03-22T22:12:00.002-04:00

Not a lot of time tonight to blog. I have a mid-night rendezvous with a large furry creature who comes to our house to bring chocolates and goodies and such. I'll post some pictures in a day or two. We'll keep the discussion going about the "Everging (yes, I know I spelled it wrong) Generation." I look forward to hearing your continuing thoughts on some further points.

Happy Easter
Tom

The Everging Generation Part 2

2008-03-20T12:52:00.003-04:00

Continuing in discussion of Dan Kimball’s book “They Like Jesus but Not the Church”

In chapter 2 Dan states that “Today, Christians are known as scary, angry judgmental, right-wing finger-pointers with political agendas”. Seriously, that’s a section heading. He quickly adds the caveat that “most of us don’t” fit that stereotype, but still the point is made. In our last blog, Lisa posted the comment about how we are perceived to be (I’m paraphrasing here) un-fun, hypocritical, narrow-minded, rule followers who don’t necessarily live any better lives than do many non-Christians. I don’t disagree with either Lisa or Dan in their comments. I think we would all agree that the best answer to this problem is to simultaneously have all Christians everywhere to put down their judgmental machine-guns and their pious platform shoes and begin to share the love of Jesus with the lost.
Problem; with all the different denominations (each with subsets and split-offs) firing plenty of ammo out their own stained-glass windows (carefully aimed at the neighboring churches similarly painted stained-glass windows) how can we possibly hope to change this viewed stereotype? If that is how the world views Christians (especially in non-Bible-Belt communities) how do we go about combating that impression? Do we join the throngs of Kum ba yah singing, tolerance preaching, everything’s okay as long as you want Jesus in your heart, people? If that is the answer, I’ll lead the song, the band, the rap or metal group. Here are the words, everyone get ready for the down beat.
Kum ba yah my lord, Kum ba yah! Kum ba yah my lord, Kum ba yah! Kum ba yah my lord, Kum ba yah! Oh Lord, Kum ba yah. Someone's crying, Lord, Kum ba yah! Someone's cry … Alright, you get my point.

As much as the world wants us to say “Everything is okay”, everything is not okay! There are some things that God warns us against doing and other things that God commands us to do. Can either of these be ignored? How do we strike a balance between sharing the truth and the Spirit of Jesus and not being scary, angry judgmental, right-wing finger-pointers with political agendas?
Three questions:
1. Is this really how the world sees us?
2. Do you find any validity in it?
3. Should we be content simply to be the “Faithful Few” on the “Narrow Road”?
Thanks, Tom

The Emerging Generation

2008-03-19T10:52:00.002-04:00

Wow, the pressure. I've been commenting on different blogs for a while now and many have suggested that I start my own blog. The reasons not to do this are many, and can almost all be summed up in the following question: "Where will I find the time?"

Having said that, here I am. If I'm going to do this, I want to do it well. What should this blog be about? Well, I'd like to make it fun so I'll probably spend some time being a bit silly. I love photography so I'll probably have some pictures. I love my family and will probably include some images and stories from home. I am also very busy at church so there will be many spiritual discussions here. I hesitate to make this a church blog simply because I don't want to pretend to represent the entire congregation, but I'm sure that church and church topics will come into play quite often. So welcome to the site and here we go.

I am in the initial chapters of a book by Dan Kimball entitled “They Like Jesus But Not The Church insights from emerging generations.” In the introduction Mr. Kimball states that “2/3 of those who graduate from high school and stay in the area end up leaving the church.” I would like your help in understanding the scope of this problem.

1. Very simply, is this true where you attend?
2. What do you think some of the causes are?
3. Can it be fixed?

4. Your best guess at how to fix it.

Thanks,

Tom