Serendipity

My "Trip" to Peru

2009-10-18T21:37:00.002-05:00

OK, I just got back yesterday from a trip to Peru with Compassion International. Compassion is beginning to team up with churches and wanted to have some ministers go and see what the programs look like on the ground in the countries where Compassion works. I was vry fortunate to go on this trip to Lima, Peru from Monday to Saturday(or in my case, Tues-Sat You will learn why in a second.) There are really two main parts of my trip that I want to blog about. I wanted to do them separately, because neither one is connected to the other. Sandwiching one of the most amazing weeks of my life was one of the most frustrating travel experiences of my life. I want to talk about the travel first, because that is simply factual and not the result of introspection. In all honestly, a trip that may be as life-changing as this one was is not ready to be constrained to words yet. My travel experience in no way affected the impact of the trip on me. I just think the story is worth telling.

I got to the ATL airport on Monday in plenty of time to make my 12:30 departure time on that morning. I knew that my turnaround in Houston was short, but I thought that I would certainly make my 3:55 flight to Peru with the rest of the team. Due to weather in both Atlanta and Houston, the flight wsa delayed by 2 1/2 hours. I knew by the time we took off that I would miss the flght, but all I could do was go on. I arrive on the ground in Houston at 4:30 CT, having missed my 3:55 flight. I went straight to the Continental desk to see what my options were. Turns out that someone in ATL had booked me on a straight flight from ATL to Lima getting there about the same time as the other flight. The problem was that no one had bothered to tell me about it. Ironically enough, the 3:55 flight was still on the runway in Houston and was an hour late leaving, so I guess we all did make it to the airport at the same time. Since there is only one fight from Houston to Peru a day, I had no choice but to get a hotel in Houston and wait until Tuesday to fly down. I missed an entire day in Peru, but I did roll in at 10:30 Tuesday to be greeted by the trip director Ronnie Brown. A local pastor has bought his van and we had to push it to get the van started. Seriously, was there no transportation on this trip I didn't an adverse effect on?

So that was my getting there story. Surely, I thought that would be the end,but it turned out to be only half the story( and even the more boring). We were scheduled to leave Peru Friday night at 11:45. I knew that the turnaround time was very short and that I had to clear customs, get my bag, recheck it, go through security, AND change concourses. That was enough in the hour and a half I had, but we didn't even leave Lima until 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning. I had a half an hour when we touched down in Houston. I was busting it to get through Customs, when the homeland security officer asked me to step aside after he scanned my passport. With no apparent concern for my connecting flight, I was taken to a large room full of chairs and made to sit while a HSA officer worked with my passport and case. After a while, the agent(who was very nice, but still not concerned about my connection) came out and asked me to come into the office to answer some questions. She wanted to know what my parents names were and my SS#. As frustrated as I was, I simply asked her why I was being detained and she told that they were verifying my identity. I was sent back out to the big room and every so often the officer came back out to ask me a question, such as my place of birth or marital status. After 45 minutes, they finally agreed with me that I was who I said I was and I was released. Apparently, someone else with my name is somewhat suspicious and I paid the price.

Needless to say, my connecting flight home was long gone and I was 0 for 2 on connecting flights on this trip. I retrieved my bag and headed over to have it inspected. In Continental's defense, they were aware of the situation and had already rebooked me so that they handed me a new boarding pass when I picked up the bag. I was then subjected to the most thorough baggage check that I have ever seen. Everything in my carry on and regular was examined. Following that fun, I then had to go through security again, which was incredibly redundant. I did make the next flight out of Houston, but boy did my day get extended.

So, there is my travel story. Both legs made for excitement, but I did make it home. It sure made for an adventure, but wait until I post about the time in Peru. Let me just say that I would go through what I experienced again in a heartbeat to have the time that I did in Peru. I am just not ready to try and put that part into words just yet.

2009-10-01T18:07:00.002-05:00

This is funny. Who knew even Sesame Street would get in on the healthcare debate? Actually, it was a spoof from Conan, but it is still quite amusing.

If My People

2009-09-15T21:24:00.002-05:00

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

I have been thinking about this verse a lot today. It is resonating with me more in the last little while than it has before. Our country is very much at a crossroads. Many of us have grown used to living in a country that allows us to live pretty much as we want, but that is very much in danger as things are rapidly changing. People that have never been politically active are standing up to demand their freedom, pushed to the edge and feeling the need and urgency to do something. What is it that we have allowed to bring us to this point?

I was reminded today by a radio commentator that I greatly respect that we have allowed the government to be overrun by corruption. And before you read partisanship into that statement, it is rampant on BOTH sides of the aisle. Morals are thrown out, money and power is the ultimate goal. The government is crumbling from within and taking the country in its wake.

If any change is going to happen at all, corruption has to be rooted out. The idea that was floated by the radio host is to try and find 56 men that will stand up and help "re-found" the United States. That is same number of men that signed the Declaration of Independence. Surely, out of 535 reps and all the other people in D.C., 56 people are willing to put their "lives, fortunes and sacred honor" up for the world to see. They have to come forward.

Here is what is so beautiful. If these people are willing to forsake(confess) the things that they have done that are wrong, willing to root out the massive corruption in the government, then there can be hope. We CANNOT forget grace and redemption. There can be a second chance, but the past must be renounced and adherence to the virtues that founded America must be embraced. There is no other way to do this.

So that brings me back to the verse. God called His people to "humble themselves." Our leaders need to be reminded of what they should be doing. God called us to pray and seek His face. We need to seek His leadership for our country. We are also called to "turn from our wicked ways." Until corruption is eliminated from the personal and public lives of our leaders, we have no hope. But, when it is, through God's mercy, we can have direction and a hope for this nation.

Which One Is It?

2009-08-23T19:24:00.001-05:00

I was flabbergasted last week to hear that President Obama had convened a conference call with various religious leaders to help get traction on his push for healthcare overhaul. I certainly don't mind that the president wants to involve religious leaders in his policies, but the event itself was opportunistic at best. Here is a link to a write-up of the event and some of the the things that PBO said.

PBO stated that some people, who he claims are propagandizing lies about his healthcare overhaul are "bearing false witness." Now, I know what he meant, but when is the last time that you actually said that someone bore false witness when you meant they lied? Really? That sounds a little like a contrived catchphrase, that was intended to hit that audience. A little too over the top for me.

PBO also stated that we have a "moral obligation" to insure that everyone has healthcare. Without spending time arguing the obvious fact that everyone already has access to health care in this country, I want to talk about the President's attempt to take on this mantle on as a moral leader. This is the same man who told Rick Warren, at the Saddleback event, that defining when a life began was "above his paygrade," yet voted against a bill in the Illinois senate that would protect babies born from a failed abortion attempt. Apparently, he knew then whether or not it was a life.

PBO also rescinded the Mexico City Policy, which kept foreign organizations that receive federal money (aka US tax money) from performing abortions. PBO doesn't have any problem allowing the US tax payers from having their money sent ( whether or not they find it abhorent) to fund abortions.

Finally, I have hard time following the moral leadership of a man that conspiciously failed to meet with religious leaders on the National Day of Prayer, a major event among the religious community in America. PBO did find time to meet with the LGBT pride groups and assure them that he was working hard on their behalf. The president himself said that you can judge him by the people that he associates himself with. In my eyes, his omission of the National Day of Prayer was a major mistake.

I have said all that to say this. I have seen mostly inconsistency in the message that the White House projects toward any sort of moral leadership on any issue. From my perspective, this meeting with the religious leaders is nothing more than an opportunistic chance to gather some help for his much(and rightly)-maligned health care overhaul plan. It concerns me that there are people that won't see that event for what it was.

Christians, Wake Up!!

2009-07-31T11:26:00.003-05:00

"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."
-Thomas Jefferson

I have been struggling with an attitude that I am seeing more prevalently among my church friends and the church at large. I am sensing a slide into the fatalistic attitude of thinking that since God is control(which I firmly believe that He is), we don't need to worry about what is going on in our country. I have heard them say "Well, it's all in His hands, so I am just not going to worry about it." I cannot accept that that is a correct way to view our roles as citizens. I know that my allegiance is to a God that is bigger than any country, leader or movement, but time and time again, God has used individuals to shape His plan throughout history and I firmly believe that He wants to do the same today.

I think back to the story of Mordechai and Esther in the Bible. Mordechai learned of a plot to kill the jews and He came to Esther, because she had access to the king. He told her that perhaps she was born for such a time as this. (Could this be a reminder?)Esther determined in her heart that she would go see the king, even if it cost her life. I cannot imagine what would have happened if she had simply said, "Well, God is in control, so I will just ignore it and hope that somebodyelse does something about it." God could certainly had accomplished His will another way, but that was the way He had chosen.

Folks, we are losing our freedoms right and left. If you don't think so, look at this overview of the health plan(HR 3200). First, it forces us onto the gov't health plan, where our medical service is controlled completely by the gov't. That is scary enough for many reasons, but this plan also includes gov't sanctioned abortion and health care rationing. That means that your and my tax money will be going to help fund the ending of life. I cannot live with that. In my opinion, that should be enough to stand against this plan.

Look back to the cap and trade bill that the house snuck through late on a Friday afternoon when nobody was watching. Not only will that take money out of our pockets by increasing our energy expenses, it will make America less competitive on the global market and weaken us, both economically and militarily. This bill is a disaster for any country that loves freedom.

These may seem like relatively minor "freedoms' to give up and maybe you don't care. You think " I can live with that." Let me remind you that this is how liberty is lost. Remember what Benjamin Franklin said "Anyone who trades liberty for security deserves neither liberty nor security." Now is when we must stand up. If we don't, we may not have a voice later to speak out. Today, Hugo Chavez is stating that there can be no freedom of speech in Venezuela. You're thinking "Yeah, but that's those crazy Latin American countries." Remember, that not too long ago, Chavez praised what Obama had done to that point and joked with Castro, that they may end up on Obama's right. Don't think it can't happen here. We would lose our right to speak out against what we disbelieve and what we do believe.

And do not fool yourself into thinking that we couldn't lose our freedom to worship, one of America's hallmarks and something most of us, take for granted. The progressive movement, which is largely in power right now is tied closely to the idea of evolution, as they believe that man evolves and so does his form of gov't. The Constitution, that gives us our right to worship freely, is seen by progressives as an outdated document that needs to be scrapped. The very idea of the evolution of man is predicated on the idea of no God. Progressives have to hold tightly to that idea to succeed. The Founders rightly stated that we get our rights from God and we just loan them to the gov't. If the progressives can destroy the belief in God, then our rights can only come from the gov't, and we are enslaved. Keep in mind that attacks on the church have happened, but they are going to be seen more and more. Do you remember hearing about this? A measure was introduced the New Hampshire house to give the gov't oversight of the church's budget. It failed, but it will be back. And we will see them with more frequency and more intensity. The idea of a "crisis" is one of the ways that will be used to steal our freedom.

Martin Luther King, Jr once said "The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict." I am aware that hell is only reserved for those who do not accept Christ as their one and only Savior, but his quote rings true in that God has called us to be watchmen, not only over his Body, the church, but the world He has placed us in. He has given us an amazing and wonderful country to live in and enjoy great freedom. But that freedom comes with great responsibility. We must be vigilant to attempts to usurp our God-given rights. They are being threatened today and we CANNOT remain neutral. For the sake of those that come after us and for the rest of the world, we may have been put here for "such a time as this."

I implore you to stand up and make your voice be heard. We cannot be loud enough. The time is drawing near.

Is This What We Have To Look Forward To?

2009-07-27T22:21:00.002-05:00

We need to wake up and see what is going on. We may be headed to this if we don't do anything.

How Much Is A Life Worth?

2009-07-22T21:13:00.003-05:00

To say that I am deeply concerned about Obama's healthcare proposal may be an understatement. As I understand the proposal, Obama wants to start a gov't backed plan to compete against the private insurers. My first thought is that the gov't should never be involved in what the private market can handle. The numbers being thrown about with 50 million uninsured is wildly overstated. The correct number is probably about 10 million when you take out the non-citizens and 18-30 years olds that opt not to have coverage. That's really only about 3% of the population. Yes, the health care in America can be better, but gov't is not the answer.

Assuming that the plan goes through, the gov't will have endless funding(thanks to us, the tax payers) and should have no problem putting the private insurers out of business. Or, as the media will report, "the private sector has failed." The ensuing "crisis" will them lead us to a single-payer system.

What happens then scares the mess out of me. What was once the best healthcare in the world will be another gov't run program. I challenge anyone to name one government program that is run well and not on the edge of collapse. It can't be done. Bloated gov't bureaucrats will start thinking in terms of finances and how to save costs, not what is best for the patient or preserving quality of life. Healthcare rationing is the obvious result.

This leads me to the question that haunts me in all of this. How do they draw the line at who will receive healthcare? At what point does it cease being cost-effective for the government to take care of someone? Who has the moral authority to make that decision? Is it when a person can no longer contribute to the collective or costs more to keep alive than the benefit they bring to the society? These are questions we should not be asking.

Here is where I radically differ from the progressives and their ideas on society. I am unashamedly a Christian. I know that I am made in the image of God. Every person is made in that image and their life is given sanctity. We are given our rights by God, not the gov't. This is why I am completely against abortion and rationing. We have no right to terminate an innocent life, at either end of the spectrum. This sounds harsher than it will be presented, but the result is the same.

I am praying that these things never come to pass. It will be a horrible day in the history of the greatest country in the world when a group of politicians try to put a value on my or anyone else's life. My value does NOT come from what I can for the collective, but the fact that I am made in God's image. My life's trajectory comes from that value.

Fun Way To Watch The News

2009-07-21T17:24:00.000-05:00

Check this out. This is pretty impressive.

My Thoughts On "Atlas Shrugged"

2009-06-29T19:44:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I finished reading Atlas Shrugged. I have waited until I had some time to let it rattle around in my head (and it did not lack for room) and form some cohesive thoughts. With a book as epic and philosophical as this, I am probably going to do it injustice by trying to discuss it in a few paragraphs.But I will try.

Let me start by saying that I was totally overwhelmed by this book in many ways. For those of you that are unfamiliar with this story, Ayn Rand illuminated her thoughts on what she called objectivism vs. socialism. It is set in novel form and tells the story of a group of heroes that fight for the rights of individuals in a society that is being perverted by leaders that lead from the ideals of a socialist form of government. Rand does a superb job of showing the fallacies and inconsistencies of the progressive mindset. I gave up trying to count how many times I thought that she must have read the statements from the current administration and plugged them into the words from the leaders of the government in her book. It was eerily prophetic at the very least.

The basic premise of objectivism is that the individual is beholden to no one but himself and should not look out for any interest but his own. The objectivist does nothing that does not benefit himself. At a cursory glance, this seems to be a very selfish ideal, however, when it is played out in society, a person that embraces this ideal is interested in increasing his standard of life, which has reciprocal effects on society as a whole. The role of government is to get out of the way of the individual and let them succeed. One of my favorite parts of the book occurs when the heroine, Dagny is talking to a man and he is complaining about the state of Colorado, where all the industry seems to be thriving. He can't figure out what good Colorado's government is since they hardly do anything. I laughed aloud at the irony. The founding fathers would have loved that type of government.

Toward the end of this book, the main hero, John Galt, delivers a massive speech outlining the power of the individual and the fallacies of the collective, as espoused by the other side. It was here that I finally broke with Rand's philosophy. Galt stated that two things have held back the individual. One was people that continually suppressed others to gain their own power and talked about how men were beholden to give up themselves for the betterment of society. I agreed with Rand. It was the second group of surpressors that frustrated me. Rand placed the blame on religion. She stated that man has been using religion to enslave other men to think that they had no right to live for themselves and were to be enslaved to the religious leaders to tell them how to live.

I think that Rand had a very stunted view of religion. Rand stated that the religious leaders would use the idea of original sin to convince people that they were bad and that they had to work to be better. Rand believed that man was not bound by original sin and she hated the idea. Rand is missing the fact of salvation. Because of what Christ did at the cross, man does not have to be under the threat of sin. He has been freed to pursue what God has called him to do. This point shows that Rand has a very uninformed view of religion, as understood in the Scriptures.

I believe the founding fathers would have agreed with this. As our country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, the founders believed that our rights were given to us by God and then we were to act on them. They were serving the society as a whole by creating a country that allowed men to be free. They saw that they were to use their freedom to allow man to thrive.

All in all, I am very glad that I read the book. Rand did a superb job of showing how socialism can only collapse on itself. She helped me to see the end game of that type of thinking and it is a total degredation of mankind. She also enforced the idea that man will thrive in freedom, both political and economic. This is a timely book. May its lessons permeate the thinking of our country in this timeless of aimlessness from decision makers

Five Thousand Year Leap-Principles 17, 18 and 19

2009-06-22T20:36:00.002-05:00

OK, I finally finished "Atlas Shrugged," so I am returning to "The 5000 Year Leap." I hope to finish this off shortly, although it has been a fascinating read. I will post my thought on AS, as I have many, but I wanted to let them simmer. When you read a tome like that, there is a lot to digest. I didn't want to rush my thoughts, although it is fairly obvious to the most casual observer that "rushing to blog" is not a malady from which I suffer (I keed, I keed)

Principle 17: A system of checks and balances should be adopted to prevent the abuse of power.

This was a great chapter in that it explained the genius of the founders in how they related the three equal branches of government, as noted in the last chapter. The author thought it interesting to point out that many of the founders wanted to keep each branch's power so separate that no branch could do anything. Instead, they had to have some some system of allowing the branches to work together, lest nothing could get done. The branches had to have a method of restraints against the other branches, but still had to be dependent on the other branches for the government to be operational.

The main reasoning behind the "checks and balances" was to avoid the accumulation of too much power by any one branch. The founders were well aware from their dealings with the king of England that too much power invested in one individual is not a good thing. They also knew that the nature of power is to, more often than not, reach for more power and they wanted a means of restraining each branch's power.

The beauty of this system is that it provides a peaceful means of repair when one group gets out of line. Instead of a full-blown revolution or violence, the power can be transferred through non-violent means, which is always preferable.

Principle 18: The unalienable rights of the people are most likely to be preserved if the principles of the government are set forth in a written Constitution.

This idea is fairly simple and finds its roots in the Anglo-Saxon common law of England. The assemblies ruled by the common knowledge of the law, but found it destroyed when the Norman invaded. They had not taken the time to codify it. The American Constitution and the state constitutions that preceded it were some of the first in modern history to be written down.

The author takes time to note that Thomas Hooker, a minister in Connecticut, helped to initiate one of the first written constitutions in 1639 in his home state, not long after the Mayflower Compact in 1620. Although not very well known, Hooker deserves his place among the fathers of our democracy.

One final thought on this idea was that the founders were convinced that many voices writing the Constitution were better than one . Although it severely dragged out the time for the drafting, the American Constitution was no doubt a stronger and better thought out document.

Principle 19: Only limited and carefully defined powers should be delegated to government, all others being retained in the people.

This principle is more important than it is usually given credit for, as it is a major sticking point between the progressives and the founders. The founders rightly allowed for the fact that the nature of government is to grow and so determined to limit the power of the federal, or common, government, while at the same not allowing the federal government to weaken such that is was useless(....although, in my mind, it is an interesting thought.)

The author also took time to note that at first the states were reluctant to ratify the new Constitution, fearing the encroachment of the federal government. It was these fears, that led to introduction of the bill of rights, giving power to the individuals and keeping it from the federal government.

One final thought that I found fascinating was the fact that the author believes (and I greatly concur) that the founders would vehemently disagree with the 17th amendment, which allows for senators to be elected by popular vote. Before that amendment, senators were appointed by their state legislatures and were beholden to them. If a bill was in congress that threatened states's rights, they had representation to counter that bill. By allowing the senators election by popular vote, the senators became beholden to the same issues that surrounded the representatives and getting(and staying) in power. This was done in 1913, and is very much a progressive idea, as it took power away from the state and consolidated it in Washington, D.C., allowing the federal goverment to continue to nibble away at states' sovereignty.

Mice Beware!

2009-05-22T16:44:00.005-05:00

Last weekend, Carmen brought home a new cat. For those of you that read my blog regularly, you know that we lost Gorbachev a couple of months ago. We have been waiting until we move, but caved in and brought this guy home. His name is Rasputin (note the russian theme).

He seems to be a decent cat, as far as cats go, but I have been waiting on making a call on him. He seems to be pretty nice and actually enjoys being around people. So far, so good.

This morning he won my approval when Carmen called me in to look in the room that he stayed in last night. There was dead mouse on the floor. Given that we live near the woods, I am not shocked or suprised by mice. I just don't want them running around the house. A cat that will take care of mice and lizards is all right in my book. Rasputin has begun to earn his keep.

He seems to be pretty laid back. Notice his casual demeanor as he sleeps:

And he doesn't seem too worried about the dogs. Today he took over Anna's bed: (she was not happy about it)

And so life goes on at the Copeland household. Animals everywhere.

The 5000 Year Leap-Principles 14, 15 and 16

2009-05-22T15:07:00.002-05:00

Good Stuff in these three principles. The author discusses some of the basic rights that humans should enjoy to the reasoning behind the creation of the separation of powers.

Principle 14: Life and Liberty are secure only so long as the right to property is secure.

This was a great chapter and as I was reading, I kept seeing so many discussions from "Atlas Shrugged" in here. I guess I shouldn't be amazed that the concepts of natural law and freedom pervade all types of liberty.

The author begins with the basic premise that man was given dominion over the earth by God to subdue it. It follows logically that man cannot subdue unless he has control. Control requires that man has exclusive rights to what he is subduing, hence, private property rights are necessitated.

The author also points our that four things would happen without the right of property ownership:

1. People would lose their stuff after they improved to anybody else.
2. A person would lose the fruits of his labor.
3. Bands and gangs would go about taking as they wanted.
4. Everything would be on a meager level as there would be always be the threat of attack from accumulating anything.

It is also pointed out that Locke maintained that a threat to property rights is essentially a threat the essence of life itself. If a person puts effort into an activity, then the they own the right to that property, whether it is physical or intellectual. This is a major theme in "Atlas Shrugged."

The author also stated that it is the job of the government to protect this right and that it was not until 1936 that the Supreme Court perverted (my words) the general welfare clause of the Constitution to advocate the redistribution of wealth obtained by the government. Notice that this came swiftly on the heels of the progressive movement.

Principle 15: The highest level of prosperity occurs when there is a free-market economy and a minimum of government regulations.

The author starts off by mentioning that impact that Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations had on the founding fathers. His principles for an economic system fit right in line with the philosophies of the founding fathers.

The author also mentions four rules that are inherent in the free-market system: 1. The freedom to try; 2. The Freedom to buy; 3. The Freedom to sell; and 4. The Freedom to fail. I quickly noted that the current and previous administration have taken away the fourth right from several larger companies and have handicapped the economic recovery.

There is considerable discussion of the role of Adam Smith and then his disappearance thanks to the adherents of Karl Marx and the fact that modern academia has passionately embraced Marx at the expense of Smith. The author points out that he has seen a ressurgence in interest for Smith, but based on the direction of our current administration, I find that very hard to believe.

Principle 16: The government should be separated into three branches- Legislative, Executive and Judicial.

This chapter was primarily a historical discussion of the three branch system of government that we currently use. The author begins by discussing the Greek philosopher, Polybius. Polybius ended up being taken taken to Rome when Greece was captured by Rome. Through his years there, he became enamoured with the Roman government and traveled throughout the Roman empire. He first postulated the idea of three equal branches of government: an executive monarch, a senate and a popular assembly.

Once the Romans adopted an emporer, Polybius' ideas disappeared, until they were rediscovered by Charles de Montisquieu, an 18th century French Baron. The founders were deeply influenced by Montisquieu's improvements on Polybius's ideas. Montisquieu postulated that the executive branch should have one ruler instead of multiple executives. The founders took his ideas and even improved on those.

There is also a discussion of John Adam's role in bringing about the three separate branches of government. Adams stood alone in his own state Constitutional Conventions and even that of the USA in calling for the three separate branches. I think it is obvious that he was proven right, and even some of his own contemporaries eventually agreed with him. Although it is not well-remembered ,the current system of "separate but equal" branches is almost single-handedly attributable to John Adams.

The 5000 Year Leap-Principles 11, 12 and 13

2009-05-11T19:31:00.003-05:00

Ok, as I mentioned earlier, I am working diligently to get through "Atlas Shrugged." It is so briliant and so timely. However, I felt a need to read some more in "The 5000 Year Leap." Here is a brief summary(mingled with some interesting and witty social commentary from myself) of the 11th, 12th and 13th principles.

Principle 11: The majority of the people may alter or abolish a government which has become tyrnnical.

This chapter is fairly self-explanatory. The founders believed that rights given to people were derived not from the government, but from God, therefore, when any government had become tyrranical or oppresive to the majority, they had the right to throw off that government. They were then tasked with the job of forming a new government. It should be noted, that the author quoted from Locke's Second Essay Concerning Civil Government, which the founders relied on heavily. It should also be pointed out, as Locke did, that the power to revolt does not lie with a minority, but only the majority.

Principle 12: The United States of America shall be a republic.

The first thing most of us think about when seeing this principle is the pledge that we say (used to say) and quoting "and to the republic for which it stands." The author explains in this chapter exactly what type of government the founders were creating. There has been a lot of misuse of the term "republic" and the term " democracy." They are often used interchangeably, when they are not the same. A democracy is a government that is ruled by the people. They have to make decisions as a whole, and this often leads to mob rule (or mobocracy) or tyranny. The authors notes that the early Greek city-states tried this model and most disintegrated into tryanny.

A republic is one in which there are elected representatives that act of behalf of the people and whose power is derived from these people. The american system is a republic and logically so. A true democracy can only work in a small area and for a limited amount of people. America was a young and growing nation and a republic could be expanded to fit the growth of the country.

The author also spends some time discussing the erosion of the word "democracy" in the early 1900's. A group known a Intercollegiate Socialist Society (one of the early progressive groups in America) began to use the word democracy to refer to socialism. The group later changed it's name to "The League for Industrial Democracy." Obviously, they were not using the term "democracy" to apply to the classical sense, but sufficiently watered it down enough to diffuse its meaning.

Woodrow Wilson was surrounded by a number of the early leaders of this group and heavily influenced by their philosophy. One would think that a simple glance at the multitude of failed nations espousing socialist philosophy would have been enough to see that this system cannot sustain itself. These leaders went on to take powerful leadership positions throughout the nations and have set precedents that have continued to this day. Their influence has greatly weakened the country and the dedication that many have had to the vision of the founders.

Principle 13: A Constitution should be structured to permanently protect the people from the human frailities of their rulers.

This idea is a major crux in the difference between progressives and conservatives. Progressives will often preach that the Constitution was written over 200 years ago by mainly farmers, while the times have changed. I vehemently disagree with this statement. While the statement may be factually true, it is meant to imply that the Constitution should change with the times.

The founders wrote the Constitution to deal with one issue that never changes, the human condition. The founders understood that power corrupts and that men have the tendency to continue to collect power. The Constitution was derived to restrain that tendency and place no absolute power in the hands of any one group or individual. The government must be controlled or it will become tyrranical. This is just another example of the brilliance of those "farmers" and their keen ability to understand the human condition.

The Non-Political Political Pageant

2009-04-20T21:38:00.002-05:00

I ran across this article that I found on the foxnews website. Apparently, during the Miss USA pageant, Miss California, Carrie Prejean, was asked a question by Perez Hilton concerning gay marriage and she did not give the pre-approved answer.

The funny (read : sad, pathetic) part of the story is certainly not that Prejean stated her mind on that subject. It's that there is a furor at all. Here is why this really disappoints me:

1. If, as the head of the pageant stated, this is to be a non-political event, do they have judges that are controversial, and allow them to ask a question that is obviously a political flashpoint? Her answer either way would have created controversy, which leads me to my second point.

2. The only reason there is a "controversy," is because it is a trumped up one by the media. If she had spoken in favor of gay marriage, I am certain there would have been no story. The only controversy is that the media is outraged that there are people that do not agree with them or the viewpoints they espouse.

3. If, as Keith Lewis(the pageant head), stated, this event is to be a non-political event, did he feel the need to express his opinion on the subject and that he did not like her opinion? The correct answer for him would have been that they encourage their contestants to form their own opinions and then speak their minds, being true to their convictions. His opinion is of absolutely no relevance to this story.

4. I have known enough pageants contestants in my life to have heard the same story at every pageant I have ever seen. The say the standard lines about wanting women to be intelligent, beautiful, independent women that have opinions on subjects. Why else would they ask them about world peace so much? Why is it, that as soon as someone has an opinion that they don't like, they create a controversy.

The controversy is not in Prejean's remarks. The controversy should be in the fact that their should never have been a "controversy" in the first place.

I have to say that I am very impressed with Prejean's stand and glad to see that she has not stepped down from her remarks. Isn't this the kind of woman that the pageants claim to want to produce? Or is that just rhetoric while they produce a mainstream media friendly winner that goes along with what she thinks people want her to be?

The 5000 Year Leap-Principles 9 and 10

2009-04-16T18:40:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine from college emailed me last week and reminded me that I needed to get off my duff and keep blogging on what I am learning in this book. (my words, not his) Unfotunately, I have also started reading Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and have become completely engrossed in that book. That book is blowing my mind. It was published in 1957, but could be ripped out of todays' headlines. I will blog about that later.

Back to The 5000 Year Leap. Here is principle 9:

To protect man's rights, God has revealed certain principles of divine law.

This principle is a derivative of the idea/truth that God has endowed each human with certain rights. Because God has given each person these rights, He also revealed divine law, which is used to protect, promote and preserve these rights.

A good basis for these laws is found in the 10 commandments. In these commandments, one can see that they are determined to assist man in relating to God, his fellow humans (community) and himself. Although this is not the extent of what God revealed in regards to divine law, it is a good basis and relatively easy to see how having laws derived from these principles ensures that the rights given by God cannot be usurped or tread upon by other people.

The author also expounds on how humans are given unalienable duties that correspond to their unalienable rights. In order for the rights to be preserved, man must act in certain ways. The author calls these public duties and private duties, with public duties being enforceable by law and the latter not being enforceable and up to the integrity of the indiviual.

Principle 10 is as follows:

The God-given right to govern is vested in the sovereign authority of the whole people.

The author begins the chapter by recounting the words of Algernon Sidney, who was beheaded by King Charles II for stating that kings did not have a divine right to rule and that the right to rule was vested with the people.

The author also quotes John Locke, in stating that the right to rule emanates from the people and that anyone that does not use the correct methods to come into power does not have the right to be obeyed. The founders deeply believed this same idea. They believed that rulers were the servants of the people and that the people had the right to elect or remove a leader. They believed that God did not give any man the right to rule over others unless that power was given to him by the people. This idea was reflected in the Constitution of 1787 and multiple state Constitutions.

5000 Year Leap-Principles 7 and 8

2009-03-23T19:29:00.002-05:00

OK, here is where we get to the part about what the government can and can't do, according to the founding fathers. It hurts me to see that these concepts are either not understood, or more likely, completely ignored by so many of the past administrations:

Principle 7 states that "The proper role of government is to protect equal rights, not provide equal things."

It is obvious that this concept is the exact opposite of the beliefs at the core of socialism and what we are witnessing with non-existant shame in D.C.

In a nutshell, the founders believed that the the government had no rights which people themselves did not have, since the people could not give what they did not have. One way to say this is that, since I do not have the legal right to go and take from someone (in the interest of "fairness") to give to someone else, the government does not posses that right either. However, the founders believed that we are given, by God, the right to protect ourselves and our property, therefore it is logical that that right can be entrusted to the government to ensure that each person is protected so that they can live their lives.

Benjamin Franklin spent a great deal of time in Europe and had more than a few scathing things to say about the European governmental system. He particularly mentioned England's "provision for the poor" as it took from the wealthy and gave to the poor. First of all, England did it against the will of the people it took from. While every founder believed highly in charity, it should only be done voluntarily (ed. note...I predict the definition of that word will be highly misconstrued over the next few years.) Franklin also specifically mentioned that the treatment of the poor caused them to stay in that class and did not entice them to better themselves, which ultimately robbed them of more than any money could give. Franklin was known to believe that poverty should be a place that no man would want to exist in, which would entice him to work to leave it.

Principle 8 states that "men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights."

Simply stated, man is given a number of rights that are not given by the state, monarch, or ruling government, They are bequeathed by God and not to the taken by the state. These rights are to be distinguished from vested rights, those given by the state, such as the right to hunt during a specific time of year.

It was widely believed, as noted in Blackstone's legal work, and a majority of state constitutions, that people were given these rights (which are significantly more than the three listed in the Declaration of Independence)by God and that the government was bound to protect them. It should be noted that man could forfeit these rights by choice, such as comitting a crime, but only then could they be taken from him.

I think it is pretty easy to see that since the founders believed that the we are given rights by God, the first line of attack against those rights is to remove God. Without the fundamental authority of God as the backbone of our government, the state is free to enact measures that secure the power for greedy and unscrupulous leaders. The current attack on religious freedom, as well as the lessening of the teaching of the founders' deeply held religious convictions, have paved the way to the chaos that we are currently witnessing in our society. As John Adams said, our Constitution was meant for a religious and God-fearing people.

Tribute To a Mean Little Cat that Managed to Sneak In My Heart

2009-03-15T21:42:00.007-05:00

This is a blog that I never really expected to have to write. In fact, let me just start by saying that it really stinks that I am writing it all. Sometimes life just throws you a curve ball and you are not at all prepared for it.

Carmen and I said goodbye to our cat the weekend before last. We let him out Saturday night and he never came back. Carmen went out looking for him on Monday afternoon and found some evidence that suggested a struggle in the woods not too far behind our house. Based on what some neighbors told us, we are pretty certain that a coyote may have gotten him.

Up until this week, I have always enjoyed having a little fun with the cat. He was always good for a story since he was known to be a little antagonistic. He was not really the friendliest cat that I have ever seen, but he was ours. This was the first pet that Carmen and I got, right after we found out that she was going to have her kidney transplant. We watched him grow from the scrawniest looking little kitten ( as seen in the above picture) into a large Maine Coon. We called him Gorbachev because he had that black spot on his head. He was a fiesty little guy.

What has been most surprising to me was the fact that I had grown sort of fond of having him around. He had become part of the rhythym of life at the Copeland house, along with our two dogs. He was known to hold his own when the dogs got too close.

I am really irked by the injustice of the whole thing. Gorbs was just out wandering around our property minding his own business when he was attacked. Although I am sad, I am glad for the 6 or so years that Gorbs got to enjoy life. He loved skulking around the back yard and terrorizing baby birds and mice. He loved to rip the wrapping paper when Carmen was trying to wrap a present and he loved to sit on the railing of the back deck and survey his kingdom. He tolerated me, but he absolutely loved Carmen. He had it as good as a cat could want.

Gorbs, we're gonna miss you,buddy. Somehow you managed to worm your little way into my heart. I hate that it ended this way.

Let me state that I am putting every and all coyotes on alert that there will be retribution. Just being a coyote is evidence enough. Each of you better run looking behind you, dragging your sorry tails with you.

5000 Year Leap-Principles 5 and 6

2009-03-08T19:31:00.002-05:00

The fifth principle states:

All things were created by God, therefore upon Him, all mankind are equally dependent, and to Him, they are equally responsible.

This principle follows right on the heels of the preceding principles, that we are beholden to God and answerable to Him and His law. The founding fathers were great admirers of John Locke, the philosopher, who reasoned that it is obvious that there is a Creator and therefore His law is pre-eminent. Locke deduced that, since creation, has an order, there must a Creator that is greater than His creation and the fulfillment of all the good traits that man is known to exhibit.

The founding fathers believed that since God has created natural laws to govern the universe, He also created laws that determine how man is to relate to other men, hence the establishment of the law. It is interesting to note that the founders were inherently distrustful of anyone that did not declare belief in God, as they thought that the atheists had not used their mental capacities to their full extent, which would lead to belief in God. Witnesses that declared themselves to be atheists were often excused as witnesses in court.

The 6th principle states that:

All men are created equal.

The founders believed that every person had an equal standing before God, therefore they were created equal. This implied that every person had an equal standing before the law and an equality of rights to pursue their life.

It should be noted (and will be further expounded upon with principle 7) that equal rights does not imply that people are equal in every way. The author quotes John Adams' dismissal of Rousseau's idea that all men are born with equal gifts, talents, social status, etc. It can be easily be seen that people are different in multiple ways simply by observation. Some people are short, others tall. Some have red hair, some are blond. It is just as obvious that some people are more gifted in certain areas than others. To assert otherwise is to believe a fallacy.

Regardless of the differences in people, each person should be given an equal standing before the law and equal opportunity to pursue their life.

It should also be said that America has not been perfect in administering this equal standing as it has grown through many experiences with gender and racial equality fights, but is closer today(in those respects) to the founders' ideals.

The author also tells the story of Eldridge Cleaver, a militant communist Black Panther in 60's that reversed his ideological stance when he lived among the communist nations of the time and saw that true equality was found in liberty and not through government sanctioned "equality." When cleaver returned to the U.S., he had to pay for crimes he had commited, but stated that he "would rather be in jail in America than free anywhere else."

5000 Year Leap-Principle 4

2009-02-25T13:12:00.002-05:00

I finished the fourth principle in the "5000 Year Leap" yesterday and it goes hand in hand with the first three. It is this:

Without religion the government of a free people cannot be maintained.

As the majority of the founding fathers were very religious in their own right, it should come as no shock to see that that those beliefs played heavily into their thoughts about having a free nation and how it could exist given human nature. They were wise enough to understand that no one particular denomination could have sway over the role of religion, so they basically agreed to five points that were common throughout Christianity to underpin the value of religion that was needed:

1. A creator exists and should be recognized and worshiped by mankind.
2. There is a moral code that has been revealed and distinguishes right from wrong.
3. Mankind will be held responsible for his actions.
4. There is life beyond this one.
5. There is judgement in the next life for man's actions in this life.

These 5 concepts were taught in schools and considered vital in training people in a moral code that the founders believed was essential to maintaining liberty.

It should also be noted that the founding fathers were very clear in noting that there needed to exist a "wall of separation" between the federal government and religion. Since this phrase has been so twisted and abused, it is hardly understood today. This meant that the federal government had no right to establish any type of national religion. In effect, the federal government was to treat all religions equally. In no way whatsoever did it mean that the federal government was absent of religion.

The Consitution left the religion concept to the states. But, given recent Supreme Court rulings and misunderstandings of the Constitution, people now believe it means that any form government should be absent of religion. That is a completely foreign concept to what the founders intended. Religion was to play a role in the everday lives of the citizens and hence, it would be an intricate part of the affairs of the state.

A Day In Macon

2009-02-21T18:09:00.004-05:00

Today, I am taking a break from my deep political posting to cover a lighter side of my life.....what I did today. We had one of those fun days that come along occasionally.

I got up this morning and exercised, being the disciplined person that I am (that was for my wife, because she has some weird love/hate relationship with the fact that I like a schedule). I then pulled out my new 2000 psi pressure washer and climbed onto the roof to get the pollen off the side of my house. Our house has yellow siding, so green pollen is very obvious. And, of course, using the pressure is always a good time.

After the house was squeaky clean, we met our friends, Russ and Vicky, for a brunch at a new restaurant in town, J. Christopher's. We were trying to figure out the over/under on when it will close since Carmen and I ate there. It has been an eerily similar strings of corollaries as to the establishments that we frequent and that close down in Macon. J. Christopher's has no idea what just happened today.

We then went down to Central City Park to the Friends of the Library booksale. I am an avid reader, as is Carmen, and my personal stack of books to read grew from its present stack of about 25 books to about 30.

Today was day three of the sale, so it was pretty picked over, but we found a few keepers. I was disappointed that I did not find my first edition "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe." I know that I can't afford the $10,000 tag on ebay, so I keep my eyes open until I find it at some unassuming book sale.

We then parted ways with our friends, who had an important basketball game to watch ( ed. note....no basketball is worth watching. We are way more fun.). We took the puppies to the Ocmulgee park and river walk for a fun outing. We walked for a while and even took pictures with the Otis Redding(who was from Macon) statue. That is Anna, the lab, in the picture with me. This was before she succombed to her overpowering Labrador traits and threw herself into the Ocmulgee River and got all muddy when we tried to let her get a drink.

All in all, a great day. I got to be with my beautiful wife and enjoy one of the nicer parts of Macon. Good times!

5000 Year Leap-Principles 2 and 3

2009-02-19T18:04:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I have taken a few days to get to the next few principles that the founding father believed as they set our nation in motion. It was a very busy week in ATL, and I could never find the time to read the book, let alone blog. I did cover principle 1 in my previous post, so here is a summation on principles 2 and 3.

Principle 2: A free people cannot survive under a republican constitution unless they remain virtuous and morally strong.

I think that this point is self-evident to some people. Whenever freedom exists, there remains on its recipients a duty to be bound to a moral code or that freedom is lost. That is exactly what the founding fathers believed. In order for people to rule themselves in a system where the power was derived from the bottom up( viz., the people elect the rulers and give them the power), they had to be morally strong. If not, they would denigrate into anarchy and lawlessness.

One of the things that the author stated that I found most interesting was that the founding fathers had a great deal of belief that education in that moral code was the only way to raise up virtuous leaders to continue in freedom. Thomas Paine noted, that in 1775, there was great debate as to whether the colonies were virtuous enough to govern themselves. That subsequently led to a moral resurgence among the colonies as they sought out "public virtue," where the people look past their own interests to see that they need to exhibit concern and action for the larger community.

Three of the areas that the founding fathers believed would continue traning in virture were the family, the schools and the church. I quickly noted that each of these area is heavily under attack by secular areas of society. The basic role of the family is being threatened in every way possible by insistence on acceptance of perversions of what it should be. Schools are, at best, becoming secularized and at worst, places of indoctrintation by teachers or groups that use their platform as a bully pulpit. Churches, one of the last and great bastions of morality in America( at least, they should be) are harassed, threatened and beatean down by groups such as the ACLU, that like to wave the scare tactic of loss of tax-free status to keep them out of the public arena. That would be a foreign thought to our founding fathers, as many of them had either Bible degrees, or were, in fact, ministers themselves. They saw it was their sacred duty to help the founding of America.

Principle 3: The most promising method of securing a virtuous and morally stable people is to elect virtuous leaders.

This one may be even more obvious than the one before it, at least to those with common sense. It is incumbent on the morally sound population to elect leaders that embrace that same moral code and will rule with those principles in mind.

I found it interesting to note that the author spent a great deal of time in this chapter talking about Ben Franklin and how he traveled Europe watching the administration of the government posts. He correctly noted that the "aristocracy" there were awarded positions of honor because of station in life or their wealth. Thomas Jefferson called for a different aristocracy in America that was based on a person's talent and virtue, and nothing else.

Franklin also spent a great deal of time at the Constitutional Convention calling for the limitation of salaries for those in public. Franklin argued that substantial pay would bring out ambitious, unvirtuous men, whereas limited pay would place the motivations for the job on duty to society and seeing the role as a place of honor, not of gain.

There was one very timely quote by Franklin that I want to repeat here. He was discussing the rule by the person that took office for the power or money. He said that " these, too, will be mistaken in the expected happiness of their situation; for their vanquished competitors , of the same spirit , and from the same motives, will perpetually be endeavoring to distress their administration, thwart their measures, and render them odious to the people."

That certainly sounds like a accurate description of the left and vitriol that was spewed toward President Bush over the last 8 years. Human nature doesn't change much. The founding fathers had great insight into those areas. That is one more reason why their genius is evident in the American government.

5000 Year Leap

2009-02-15T20:45:00.004-05:00

I am becoming increasingly concerned about the direction that the USA is taking. As I watch decisions that are being made, I see a nation that is a long way away from its original design. But, just to be clear, this didn't start with the current administration. This movement away from the the founding fathers' plan has been going on as long as there has been the tension between the forces of smaller government and centralized government. Each of the administrations over the last 20 years are complicit in where we find oursleves.

Given the fragility of our Constitution these days, I have determined that I need to understand better what the genius of the founding fathers was in creating our nation. I would like to think that I learned all about this in public school, but as I read, I continually find out that there was a large amount of pertinent information that I was not taught that has influenced out nation's birth and helped shape it to become the greatest nation in the world. It saddens me to realize how little we have been told.

I have started reading a book entitled "5000 Year Leap." This book outlines 28 principles that influenced the founding fathers as they designed our Constitution. As I read, I am going to blog the ideas that I learn. I am hoping that these ideas will challenge people to think about what the intentions of the founders were and how those intentions stack up against where we find ourselves as a nation today. Please feel free to send this information on and talk with people you know about this. We need to be reminded of our heritage.

The first principle is this: The only reliable basis for sound government and just human relations is Natural Law.

Cicero, the Roman philospher and lawyer, postulated that true freedom and just rule was derived only from natural law, that is law that is based on God's law. Only law and government that is patterned from the law that God set forth will bring true justice and happiness to the people that are governed by it. The founding fathers all put a high premuim on Cicero's writings. They began from the presupposition that God's law is the only basis for the rule of man. It was this concept that framed the idealogy that shaped the birth of our nation.

Spendulus and the Need to Get It Now

2009-02-09T22:31:00.003-05:00

I caught a little bit of the president's prime-time speech tonight. I am becoming concerned at the speed at which this bill is being pushed through. We are being told that this has to be done right now in order to save the economy, but the American people are not being given time to digest the biggest spending bill in the history of the US. Just the fact that we are watching this sail through the Congress and being told that it cannot wait should put up a huge red flag. Something of this magnitude needs time to be reviewed. It seems that even a recent Fox news poll shows that a majority of the American people are skeptical of this bill and what it will do to the economy.

Notice that I said "to" and not "for" the economy. I remain a true believer in capitalism. The free market is set up to incentivize companies to succeed. That being said, there is always a risk of failure. It will hurt, but if the government would leave the market alone, we will recover from this depression. I am afraid that, in the long run, this bill will do a lot more harm than good. Recently, a group of economists from UCLA published their findings that FDR's New Deal actually prolonged the Great Depression by 7 years. If they had left the economy alone, it would have recovered much faster. It seems that, while the rest of the world suffered a depression during that time, only in America was it "great."

It appears that we have not learned from history.

Cre:ate Day 3(full day, that is)

2009-02-04T18:48:00.002-05:00

Wow, what an amazing day. I am not sure I will be able to adequately describe the many things that I have experienced today. I will give it a shot, but these are only words, they ultimately fail in comparison to the experiences of today.

A couple of the guys from the group 10th Ave. North led us in a time worship this morning and then Randy Elrod gave a pretty amazing talk on "The Curse of the Blessings of God." In a nutshell, Randy has always been a guy that has what I call the King Midas touch, where just about everything he touched turned(as he admitted himself). Over the last few years, he has struggled through some issues that he has walked through. The points he made were great, but I think most attendees would agree that Randy's honesty and vulnerability led us to a great place today.

After lunch, Ken Davis spoke to us. Ken is a professional communicator/comedian. As he did last year, he made us laugh like crazy and then be challenged by his point that the hope is never dead where the love of Christ is present. Absolutely outstanding.

Later, Ian Morgan Cron spoke on the power of the eucharist. Keep in mind that I have been proudly non-liturgical for all my life, but I am seeing God open my eyes to the beauty that is contained in some of the liturgical elements. Cron led us in a celebration of the eucharist and it was one of the most moving and beautiful times of worship that I have participated in. I so wish that Carmen could have been here to experience it with me. I know that I will not be able to relay to her or anyone what it was like. I am really impressed with Cron. I got to speak with him for a few minutes and it was a very encouraging time. He is a very smart, articulate, and talented artist/pastor that has impacted this conference greatly.

Tonight, we are headed to Saffire, here at the Factory, for dinner. It is sponsored by Brentwood-Benson and some of their artists are going to be there. I am looking forward to seeing Travis Cottrell tonight.

In summary, the day was full of experiences that lose some value by my attempt to capture them in words, but it was (and is still) an outstanding day.

Cre:ate 09

2009-02-03T18:52:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I am in Nashville this week at the best conference for worship leaders around, Randy Elrod's Cre:ate conference. As usual the conference is off to a great start. It's also fun that this is my third year, so I know a number of the folks that are here. I was bummed at how many people that have been here both of the other years I have are not here this year.

Last night, we kicked off the conference with a meet and greet at the O'More Mansion. Not much to say about that. The place was tiny and way packed, so I hung by the door until we went to dinner. You couldn't move in that place. We ate dinner at Sol, a gourmet Mexican restaraunt off of downtown Franklin. It was excellent and that is probably the best guacamole I have ever eaten ( nd I do not like Guac.) We went back to the Factory, where the main sessions are being held, and heard the Adam Nitti band. These guys were absolutely astounding. Adam is a bass player and blew me away. Each one of the players were amazing. They played all instrumental jazz and I am completely understating it to say that it was the best thing i have ever heard or seen at this conference.

This morning we were led in worship by Carl Cartee. I did not know much about him, but he has written some excellent worship songs that I want to incorporate into our church body. We then heard from Iam Morgan Cron, an anglican priest and the author of Chasing Francis, a book I just finished that is very basic primer on the life of St. Francis. Kron's premise is that, just as Francis helped bridge the gap between the Medieval period and the modern period (with the beginning of the Renaissance), his concepts can be utilized by the church to reach out to the post-modern era. Incredible stuff and a great time with Cron.

After a great lunch at the Boxwood Bistro, we head Stephen Guthrie, a theology professor at Belmont, speak on the integration of worship and the spoken word. Well done by Guthrie.

Tonight, we are headed over to the Harpeth Community Church, where we are going to have dinner and then be led in worship by Michael W. Smith. That is going to be a great time.

That is day one. It was packed full of stuff and really just whets the appetite for the rest of the week. I will post some more over the course of the week.

Update: We had a great time with MWS. It was really cool to see him in a non-concert setting, where he was just talking and making it up as he went along. The highlight was definitely singing "Agnus Dei" with the guy that wrote. It was a great time of worship.

The Brits Call It Like It Is

2009-01-26T20:25:00.002-05:00

I read a great article today that details the direction that the US is headed in if we keep up this runaway train of reckless and uncontrolled spending. A British Viscount states that we will be bankrupt if we continue on this path. He speaks from experience, as Gordon Brown, the PM of Great Britain, has led his country right up to that precipice. Last week, the Royal Bank of Scotland received a huge bailout from the British government, since the collapse of the RBS basically means the collapse of the UK economy.

I love the quote that the Viscount, Monckton, gives: "He adds that hope does not trump experience. "We have politicians who simply haven't had enough experience in the real world before going into politics to know how things run, to know how many beans make five," Monckton notes."

Sounds like he could have said that about many of politicians. I am flabbergasted by the spending I see coming out of DC. No way could I run my household, or any kind of business like that and stay afloat. Well, probably a business, since tons of banks did and got bailed out.

We need to get the message out that we have to rein in spending and let the market correct itself. In no way will the government be the answer to our problems. Let capitalism do its job and self-correct. I am scared that we will only learn this lesson in hindsight.

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T18:31:00.003-05:00

I spent a good bit of time watching with great interest the swearing in of the new president. I LOVE the american system of government that allows for such a peaceful transfer of power. I truly believe that we are a nation that was founded by the touch of God and divinely appointed. It was quite a sight to see.

Let me first say that I think I understand the historical significance of the day, but for me it lies mainly in the fact that we have elected our first president of color. For many americans that seemed an unreachable goal in their lifetimes. It bodes well for our country that this could happen, but as Martin Luther King said, the goal is that we will look beyond the color of someone's skin and at their character. This is where I am concerned, as I want to see where we go from here. I was somewhat taken aback by the comment of the pastor that gave the benediction when he said "the white can emrace what's right", the only jab in his prayer. I struggle to see how that fits with the new post-racism that we are hearing about today.

As I listened to Obama's speech, he had a number of statements that make me wonder how he will play those things out during his administration. He said that "every person deserves the chance to pursue our full measure of happiness." I agree with statement. It was one of the three God-given rights in our Declaration of Independence. My concern is that the government will then start placing restrictions on some people's pursuit to allow for others' pursuit, all at the hands of the government. That kind of government cannot work in a free market or free society. In fact, Obama went as far as to use the term the "watchful eye of goverment" in how they "look over" the ecomony. On the surface, it sounds sort of Orwellian, but what bothers me is not the watchful "eye" but the prying "fingers" as government pokes around in the economy so much that it is no longer free.

He also said that "we will not give up the ideals (of the Constitution) for expendiency's sake." I pray that he means that literally. Obama is not known as a Constructionist. He, like many others, believe that the Constitution is a "living, breathing document". I have no reason to believe that any writers of that document planned for it to keep "expanding" like it has. There is a reason they wrote in the bill of rights and created our government to limit it power and authority. Obama said today that "the question is not if the government is too big or small but if it works." I believe President Washington would have disagreed. The founding fathers believed the the government would work becase it was small. I remain concerned that there are those in the government that would like to take away some of the rights that the writers of the Constitution believe are divinely granted and not up for discussion.

All that being said, Obama is now my president. I will continue to pray for him and that he succeeds for the good of country. I will champion him when he is right and respectfully disagree when I think he is wrong. I will not be like many that have vilified Bush over the last 8 years and even went as far as to sing "na-na-na-na, hey, hey, hey, goodbye" as he left to fly out in Marine one today. That hatred and attitude have been a large reason that not as much was accomplished as could have been. I pray that our country (and those that are no longer in power) will react in a gracious manner, ready to work together for the posterity and continued strength of the greatest country this world has ever seen.

The kids are all bundled up

2009-01-17T14:51:00.004-05:00

We had a cold snap in Macon the last couple of days, so Carmen made sure that the beagle stayed nice and toasty. You ever wonder who those weird people are that put their dogs in clothes? Yeah, that's us.....well, really Carmen. I just make fun of the dog the whole time that she is wearing it.

Notice how excited the dog seems to appear about being in the coat. In our defense, Carmen bought the coat as a super discount item at Old Navy for about three bucks.

MIracle on the Hudson

2009-01-16T16:02:00.003-05:00

I was watching TV yesterday when the news broke in that a jet had crashed in the Hudson River in NY. I immediately thought that it was probably a little four seater and the passengers had jettisoned early enough to survive. I was very surprised to hear that it was a passenger plane with 151 people on board. I sat with amazement and watched the newcast as they showed the rescue efforts led by the Hudson River ferries and the search and rescue teams. I thought they were amazing.

It is even more interesting today to hear the stories of the heroism that come out, particularly that of the pilot, that walked the length of the plane twice as it was sinking to make sure everyone was out. He was the last one out. In fact, from what I have heard, it was his skill level as a pilot that allowed him to land the plane on the water and save each one of the passengers. He is a true hero.

For those of you that know me, you know that I no fan of flying. As far as I am concerned, flying is a necessary evil. Every time I land, I feel like I have cheated death just one more time. I am still amazed at how a contraption, of which no individual part can fly, can fly when bolted together. I hear all the time "Flying is the safest form of travel," but I don't buy any of that. Statistically more people drive every day. so there would be more accidents. Simple mathematics.

What does give me comfort is that there are well trained and highly skilled men and women behind the controls that know and enjoy what they are doing. My wife's friend, Jason Canada, is a career pilot. Although I have never flown with him, he loves what he does( and he has to live in Michigan to do it). I am glad that he has been called to that. I can surely attest that my calling is not to spend my life in the air. But kudos to each of the pilots, air traffic controllers and others that do such a good job in keeping our plane system safe.

Faith with Feet

2009-01-08T16:09:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago, my father-in-law sent me this article. Faith Christian played a football game against a correctional institution, but they were purposeful in what they were doing. It wasn't about winning the game, but about how and why they played.

When I read this story, I was moved to tears, and I am not a crier at all. I cannot imagine the impact that the actions of Faith Christian had on the lives of the young men on the opposing team. Please take a few minutes to read it and then ask yourself, "How can we be intentional in our lives to show others the love and grace of God?"

New Years Resolutions

2009-01-05T21:55:00.006-05:00

Ok, so if you think that I am about to set out a list of things that I want to do in 2009, you may need to wait a little longer. I am here to vent about about secondhand resolutions. You know, the kind where you are affected by someone elses' resolution whether you like it or not.

Here's what I mean: I belong to a gym here in Atlanta. I am a regular(at least the days that I am in ATL). I like my little routine. I hit the gym at different times and kind of know how to work the timing to hit the machines at the right time. Now, in the last two days, the gym has been invaded by an entirely new type of creature; the resolution types. I have been on a Sunday afternoon, which is typically the deadest time of the week. I could barely do what I needed to yesterday.

That creates a dilemna for me. I certainly want to encourage people to be healthy, but they are messing up my routine. Of course, this article says that resolutions involving weight issues can be hazardous to peoples' mental health. I certainly would not want for them to feel bad about themselves if they fail. So, how do I reconcile my encouragement of their willpower with my desire to not stand around at the gym and wait? Hmmm, maybe my gym should resolve to be bigger next year.

Well, we'll see in February how many of them are still there. Hopefully, they won't be feeling bad about themselves and sitting on their couches eating a bowl of rocky road ice cream. But, at least I can find an open treadmill.

And So It Begins....

2009-01-05T21:35:00.005-05:00

I have been rustled out of my blog respite by I story that saw today. There is a story up on the newsbusters website stating that Sarah Palin was placed among some of our country's most disgraced politicians in a CNN story. Check that story out here.

The CNN story in question is here. I saw the story earlier in the day but did not check out CNN. When I did, I noticed that Palin was no longer listed. What on earth could have made CNN think that Palin deserved to be placed on that list? All she has done is stand up for the things that she believes and holds dear. In fact, she is actually known for fighting corruption, something none of the other politicians on the list have been part of.

Maybe it was a mistake by a lone CNN staffer, or maybe it was intentional. It really shows me that the mainstream media is going to do what they can to discredit her. Why? Because they are afraid of her. They know that she will stand against many of the things that they hold dear. It scares me that this may just be the beginning.

My Post Election Thoughts

2008-11-07T11:23:00.004-05:00

I have waited a few days past the election to set down my ideas and thoughts as to what transpired Tuesday night. Let me first state that it is a historic day in the United States that a black man is elected as the president. Congratulations the new president elect. I pledge to pray for him as my president and I will specifically pray that He seeks Godly direction on the decisions that he makes.

I am proud to be a citizen of the greatest country that the world has ever seen. Our election system worked as it was supposed to and we have a new president. I agree to support the president when he is right, but I will not support him when I believe that he is wrong (as I did Bush)and I will not sell out my convictions.

Here are some random thoughts that I have observed since Tuesday:

1. I still do not believe that this was a radical shift to the left by the US. This is not the country of Pelosi and Reid. The country is more conservative than that. The election was not a landslide, despite what you will hear. The amount of voting was statistically the same as in 2004. See here. I really think that this election was a referendum on the Bush years. I am not going to go into details about what I think about the Bush years in this blog. I think history will vindicate him when it looks at his presidency in retrospect. But I do believe that he was vilified by the left and by the media. They hated him and his policies and too many people didn't take it upon themselves to think through the issues. They just bought into the media spin.

2. Speaking of media, it seems to me that Obama received basically a free pass through the election process. I expect that continue. One prominent media figure has already stated that he thinks it is his job to make sure Obama suceeds. Really, that's the job of a journalist? I think the best way to deal to with the mainstream media at this point is just like the president's dog, Barney. At least there is one astute creature in D.C.

3. Lay off of Palin. The Replublican party made it hard enough on her having to be tethered to a candidate that was almost a democrat. Let Palin go back to AK and gain more experience and them come back. This back-biting and inferring about her (from McCain's former staff members) is asinine. The media will eat this up as I expect them to be gunning for her already. She is a threat to the left.

4. This may be the best thing that could have happened to the conservative movement in America (note: not the republican party). Given all the country is going through , a lot the promised agenda may not be able to come to pass. If the conservative movement can figure out what they stand for, they may be better off in the long run. Here's the deal. Don't wait to respond to what the left does or does not do. Get the message out. You CANNOT win by playing defense. You win by playing offense. Remember the things that the founding fathers built this country on and that made it great. Rally around those things and watch the people come.

That being said, America's best days may still be before us. I am proud to be an American and the last great bastion of freedom on the earth. May it stay that way.

Your Vote Matters!

2008-10-23T17:00:00.002-05:00

The American Family Association has produced this great video that reminds us that we have the power to uphold the things that we, as Christians, hold dear, through the legislative process. Please take a minute to watch the video. Do not be duped into thinking that your vote does not matter or that this election is over and done. That is far from the truth. A large number of values that we hold dear can be destroyed if we do nothing. Make sure that you vote and vote according to your values. They should and do play a large role in how you cast your vote.

Hope in the Lean Times

2008-10-20T19:10:00.002-05:00

I will start out this blog by stating that, regardless of the state of the world, I do not believe that God has changed. He is not surprised, nor at a loss of what to do over the coming years as America enters an economic downturn that will hit us hard.

I do have hope that God is in control. At the same time, God has also blessed each of us with mind to reason and make wise decisions. Given that, we need to be well-informed and aware of what we can do as we face this crisis. I am not really seeing any reason nor hope coming out of Washington, D.C. I have posted two other articles by Glenn Beck sharing "What Happened?" and "What's Coming?". Both are excellent, well-documented thoughts on how the US got to this economic crisis and what else is on the way.

Beck posted the final of the three articles asking "What I Can Do To Prepare?". He makes some excellent points and suggestions about being prepared. Please take a few minutes to read this. What encourages me is that ends on a message of hope. Folks, I can't see that the answer for this is going to come from Washington. America was founded to give power to the individual. That is where the hope lies. Pray for our leaders, but lead where you are. We will weather this storm, but we cannot sit back and expect others to lead us through. We have to stand up and remember the values that we know to be true, regardless of how little attention the world seems to pay to them.

A Couple of Thoughts

2008-10-13T21:04:00.002-05:00

I saw an article today that gave me a renewed sense of how warped and biased the information that I am receiving from the mainstream media is. We have heard over and over again for the past few weeks that Obama is pulling away and putting this election away. Hannity even mentioned his theory that the continually falling stock market is partially due to investors' fears over the so-called "pulling away" of Obama in the polls.

I saw this article that show blatant bias on the part of pollsters wanting to sway the election. They oversample the democrats to the republicans and have a left-leaning result, skewed even more by the margin of error. I heard today that is not uncommon for Republican candidates to be polling behind the democratic candidate at this point. Even Reagan was trailing Carter during the same period in 1980. This thing is not close to over yet. Don't be swayed by the "polls" and think there is no point in voting. That is what they want. Encourage your friends and neighbors (and dead relatives if you work for ACORN)to vote.

One other thought that concerns me is the possibility of a filibuster-proof congress. If the dems pick up 10 seats in the Senate, they will be able to pass legislation without a filibuster, a horrendous thought. Given the possibility of a democratic president and congress, there would be no stopping the massive government programs and socialization that would ensue. Make sure that your voice is heard. To me, this is not even a partisan issue. Imagine if the ultra-left or the ultra-right had that kind of power. That is exactly what the country does not need. The balance and system of checks and balances would be skewed in a way that would be very detrimental to the US.

How We Got Here

2008-10-09T17:36:00.002-05:00

The US is a crazy place today. The Dow Jones just tumbled below 9000 for the first time in 5 years landing somewhere around 8500. Investors are selling off like crazy. If you are anything like me, you are probably lot confused, somewhat angry and wondering what on earth happened as we went about our lives, living by the rules and doing what we believe to be right.

How on earth did we get to this place? Who is to blame for this fiasco that is bludgeoning our very standard of living? Glenn Beck is currently writing a three part series on his website that sets out to answer those questions and then looks at where we might go from here.

Please take some time to read this article. It is a lengthy read, but it is well documented and very informative. I have long admired Glenn as someone that does not adhere to any political party, but is an independent conservative ready to tackle the tough issues. He does a great job showing what led the US to this precipice.

Most importantly, it shows us that we have to be aware of what is going on in Washington DC with our elected officials. We cannot afford the folly of assuming that they are trustworthy and have our best interests at heart. I think there are some that do, but I am afraid that they are falling more and more into the minority. This is our country and those politicians work for us. That is how the country was founded and we have to make sure that it stays that way.

Glenn also shares his thoughts on what is coming in this follow-up piece. I will post the link to his final segment of these issues when it becomes available.

Reasons #5895849-5895859 that this Election is Important

2008-10-08T23:00:00.002-05:00

I am not sure that I can say it enough. The stakes that are at play in 4 weeks are extremely high. When I look at both candidates, I see one that has philosophical and politcal viewpoints that are in stark opposition to my own. The other just flirts with the middle. Neither are particularly conservative in the traditional sense of the word.

However, I was reminded today of one more set of reasons that I have to make sure that my viewpoints and thoughts are weighed into this election. The Committee for Justice has detailed "10 Things That would Change in an Obama Administration". Here they are:

TOP TEN THINGS TO EXPECT FROM AN OBAMA SUPREME COURT

#10 – expanding and perpetuating the use of racial preferences
#9 – creating new constitutional rights to physician-assisted suicide and human cloning
#8 – expanding judicial oversight of military detentions and CIA interrogations
#7 – prohibiting tuition vouchers for religious schools
#6 – banning the death penalty
#5 – creating new constitutional rights to massive government welfare and medical care programs
#4 – stripping "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance
#3 – eroding property rights
#2 – ordering all 50 states to bless gay marriage
#1 – requiring taxpayers to fund essentially unlimited abortion rights
(list is based on Stuart Taylor’s 7/26/08 National Journal column)

This is not about "hope and change." That's a smoke screen. This election is about a decision between a fundamental and profound shift in the direction of the country towards socialism and something significantly less liberal.

It is a big deal. Let your voice be heard. Whether you agree with me or not, get out there and vote. Either be for something or against it. DO NOT sit on the sidelines. There is too much at stake.

How much would it cost for 535 spinal transplants?

2008-10-07T17:28:00.002-05:00

I have been watching with great anticipation and not just a little bit of disappointment as the economy has taken a major freefall over the last few months. I am consumed by the accusations that I hear being hurled from each side of the aisle trying to curry favor as the election bears down on us.

I think that I have a fairly good idea of what brought the housing crisis upon us and it seems to me that neither side can legimately claim to have clean hands. We can thank the Carter administration for the Community Reinvestment Act, the Clinton Administration and Senators the like of Barney Frank and Chris Dodd for years of pushing sub-prime loans, and then the Bush Administration for not hammering down the door on overseeing Fannie and Freddie and spending us into oblivion ("look, we need a stimulus............let's borrow it")

But, here is the deal. We are here now. I've lost interest in the blame game. It's just being politicized by both sides to win the next election and get the coveted power.

Here is where I am blown away and I can even thank the two Republican Senators in my state for my disillusionment. A little over a week ago, the bailout ( I know, which one....they seem to come in rapid succession and where are they getting this money from ?) failed to pass. I emailed my reps and said that I was against it. Although I saw what happened to the market, I am firmly against any type of government intervention in the free market. At the least, it taints it. At worse, we become a socialized nation.

So, the Senate rides in with the bill loaded with a ridiculous amount of pork, to save the day. Honestly, do we really need wool research, a subsidy for wooden arrow makers and more subsidies for rum producers?

Is the future of this great country and the world's strongest economy not enough to spur them to action? Do the politicians really have to be bribed to decide whether it is in their interest to do what is right for the country. Are there no men(or women) in Washington, DC who will call a spade a spade and put the interest of the country first instead of playing footsy with the american electorate to hold on to their positions?

Keep in mind, I think the bailout is a bad idea. There are other things we could have done such as lowering capital gains, getting rid of Sarbanes-Oxley, lowering the tax rate on business that would spur the economy. But, at least vote straight up for the bailout by itself. Whether you agree with it or not, as the elected officials of this country, you are honor bound (note the irony) to act in what you see as the best interest of the country. What I saw was the basically bribery to get the bill passed.

Finally, I know that economic hard times are ahead. Carmen and I have made decisions that have us relatively secure in relations to credit. We try to avoid using credit. Why should I ask my country to keep piling it on, lowering the overall worth of the economy? I would rather take the lumps now so that we can hit the bottom and start to fix this mess so that it will be stronger in the long run. I think the bailout will only slow down the process. The free enterprise system works.The market will correct itself if it is not interfered with. Let it do its job.

Palin Comparison

2008-09-14T21:48:00.003-05:00

I have been incredibly interested in the political battle that is being pitched in the US this year. It is a strong battle of ideology. Do the American people want to go further down the road of socialism and becoming like Europe or do we want to return to the principles that our country was founded upon?

Coming out of the primay, I was not particulary fired up by the candidate that was "closer" to my viewpoint, but my concerns led me to believe that my vote was fixed by making sure that I had done all I could do to not allow the US to swing even further towards socialism.

But, then something changed. When Obama picked Biden to be his running mate, I noticed a schism that could work to the right's favor. The day after that choice, I told my pastor that McCain should pick Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska. That would steal the Dem's thunder over having a woman on the ticket and would bring a strong and traditional conservative on board. Dean, my pastor, had never heard of her, so I told him about Gov. Palin. In fact, I had blogged back in April about her choice to have the now-famous Trigg. You can read that here. She had been my front-runner for the VP nomination since then, but I thought she was a dark horse. Nobody had heard of her. My pastor thinks I am a political genius, ha.

I can honestly say that I am excited to be voting for something and not against something. Such a better place to be when you have a candidate that espouses the values that you hold dear: pro-life, right to bear arms, faith, smaller gov't and less spending. From what I am seeing and the media's glaringly pathetic inability to pin anyting on her, I really like what she brings to the table. Sometimes I forget about that other guy on the ticket.

Here are just a few reasons, I think she is awesome:

In 2003, the US considered deploying Sarah Palin to Iraq as a 1-woman commando squad, but wanted to make it a fair fight

Sarah Palin doesn’t need a gun to hunt, because she can throw a bullet through an adult bull elk.

Sarah Palin drives herself to work everyday - in an M1A1 tank

Check out more about the amazing awesomeness of Sarah Palin here.

Worship Confessional #1

2008-08-24T20:21:00.002-05:00

I realized the other day that I have not done a worship confessional in my new post as Worship Pastor at Brookwood. Let me rectify that today.

Overall, I thought we had a good day of worship. We are having some strange weather thanks to Tropical Storm Fay, so I am not sure what effect that had on attendance,or attitude but it might have had some.

Here is the song set that we used today.

Hosanna(Baloche)
Beautiful One(Hughes)
Blessed Be Your Name(Redman)
You are God Alone(Not A God)
How Marvelous(I Stand Amazed)-arr. Tomlin
Be The Centre

The only song that was really new to the congregation was "Beautiful One"although a number of them knew it. The one interesting thing that happened was that the pastor got up after the second song and did an "impromptu" lesson on clapping and made us repeat the chorus of "Beautiful One". Let me state that the people were singing along well, there just wasn't much in the way of physical participation. I was reminded again that I really need to start challenging the choir/praise team/band to be more proactive in leading worship, i.e read that there is more to worship leading than just singing on stage. I apparently need to move that way up on my list of things to get done quickly.

I thought it was a great Sunday. "How Marvelous", although new in arrangement, was very well received and was very worshipful. They sang their hearts out.

Good day. How was yours?

Bathroom Update

2008-08-24T20:00:00.007-05:00

For those that remember far enough back, you will remember that Carmen and I decided to redo our master bathroom. I have learned a valuable lesson. If we buy another fixer-upper when we move to Atlanta, we are going to do the master bath first. In both of our last two houses, we did the master bath and then sold the house. As much as we spend in there, you would think you would want to enjoy it.

We are finally finished with what we are going to do to the bathroom. We have painted, changed out the countertop and sinks, and changed out the mirrors and towel racks. We also ripped up the linoleum floor and put down ceramic tile and a new toilet. Carmen posted yesterday that I would have original shots of the bathroom up, so here are the before pics from the bathroom remodel:

I you are interested in the process of seeing the floor go down, you can check that out here.

And...........................here is the final product. Carmen decided to paint the larger room of the bathroom yesterday, so that officially finished off the bathroom for all that we are going to do to it.

It took us about three months, but as most of you know, we are in transition right now. We like it. Too bad somebody else will get to enjoy it (hopefully soon.)

Is it worth it?

2008-08-03T18:17:00.003-05:00

Today, after we finished the service in Lawrenceville, Carmen and I headed back to Macon. Now, normally, Carmen would head back to Macon and I would stay in Lawrenceville, but as I am not going into the office tomorrow and I can get as much done from home in Macon as anywhere else, I opted to come on home.

On the way back, we passed a church that had an "interesting" sign in the front. In case you're having trouble reading the sign, the first line states "OMG! Meet Pastor Jamie"

I am not really sure where to begin with this sign. I am astonished that a church would even think this was a good idea. I will give three reasons why I am disturbed by what I saw.

1. First of all, the acronym "OMG" is seen by many people to be an offensive term. I can relate. For a church to use that term is degrading the name of the God they claim to worship.

2. When I think about the term "OMG, " I think about the tv show "the Hills" and celebrity gossip sites. Does the church really want to try and be so culturally "hip," that they would connect themselves to a show that glorifies many things, few of which most churches would agree with? I would have opted to forgo that attempt to be culturally relevant.

3. I don't know Pastor Jamie, but I am assuming that he/she is new and they are introducing that person to the community. Is that really the introduction that a pastor wants to the community....a teenage slang term to help build your "credibility"?

I am curious as to what others think. Are you cool with this as a funny, hip way to relate, or a pathetically underthought and inappropriate use of a slang term to attempt to meet culture?

I'm not saying this church missed the mark....but I'm not not saying it either!

Jumping Back In The Saddle

2008-07-28T21:23:00.002-05:00

Wow, a ton of time has passed since I last put fingers to the keyboard and imparted my "wisdom" to the seeking. I think it's kind of like school. You quit for a little while and take the mindset that "I'll go back someday" and then you are 52 years old with a wife and grown kids and are all like "where did the time go?" Ok, maybe that's a wee bit of an exaggeration, but I took a little "blogacation" as we started the transition to Atlanta and went on vacation and I just couldn't get much more motivation out of me to start again. It is happening now.

The question becomes what to blog about. A lot has happened since my last post. Carmen and I spent a week and a half in FL with my family in Cocoa and hers at the beach in Fernandina. It's nice when the hardest decision you have to make is which book to read ( I knocked out "Blue Like Jazz" and read some more of "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Darwinsim and Intelligent Design.".....I know, not really beach reading. ) I had some of the best seafood I can remember in recent history.

We then came back to Macon and began the transition. I am spending Sun-Thurs up in Lawrenceville staying with some folks in the church. I then rush home on Thursday nights to see my beautiful wife and get up at 5 a.m. on Sunday mornings to come back up and start again. It's not too bad. It's a lot better than when we moved from Nashville to Macon.

Finally (for this post), the church is going well. Things are somewhat slow here as the summer winds down. The church is spending its Sunday nights in the parks out being in the community. The student pastor has been out since I got here two weeks ago, supposedly in "seminary", so things are just about to get cranked up. I am kicking off choir next Wednesday. I am looking forward to it. I haven't had a choir for a number of years and I want to help these folks find the jpy and excitement in worshipping through music as a body.

So, there is our life in a nutshell. We are trying to sell our house (keep that in prayer, I want my family back together again.) and I am living in a suitcase. But, I am convinced that God has a plan in this and we are looking forward to seeing it.

More to come................

Exciting News

2008-06-12T19:38:00.002-05:00

OK. I have been absent from my blog for a few days (and hopefully noticeably so). I am back and I can finally explain the lack of blog activity. Carmen and I have been working toward a new part of our life and a change in our ministry.

As of June 1, I have accepted the position of worship pastor at Brookwood Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, GA. We are very excited about this new opportunity. We really believe that God opened this door and is continually confirming our call to this church.

On the other hand, we are also leaving a great church that has been a huge blessing to us. We love the people and staff at Ingleside and will miss them greatly, but we know that God is moving us toward this new ministry.

It has been killing us not to let all of you know the exciting thing that has been going on, but we recently had a big concert/recording on June 8 at Ingleside and my worship pastor and I really felt that we wanted the participants to focus on that night, so we waited until this week to let the church know.

I will be working at Ingleside until the end of the month and then Carmen and I are headed to the beach to relax for a few days. I will hit the ground running at Brookwood on July 14. Carmen is planning on staying here in the house until it sells, while I shuttle between Macon and Lawrenceville.

Please pray for three things:

1. Please keep Brookwood Baptist in your prayers. The reason that Carmen and I feel called to this church is because of the sense of expentancy that the people feel there. They believe (as do I) that they are on the threshold of watching God do something amazing. We feel strongly that God is putting us there to help in that.

2. Please pray for Carmen and I as we are apart. I don't like it, but it needs to be done. Hopefully, it won't be long.

3. Please pray that the house sells quickly. I know that market may be a little down right now, but, as God is sovreign, He is certainly capable of bringing the right buyer to us quickly.

This is a very exciting moment for us and we step into the next stage of God's plan for our lives. As with all changes, there is a sense of trepidation, but there is also a sense of God moving us and the excitement of knowing that we are going where He already is.

I will post more as the official "move" draws near.

Something In CA to Be Proud Of

2008-06-04T20:42:00.004-05:00

I am oh so proud of the voters in CA. They are doing things the correct way to show the elitist activist judges in CA what they, the voters, want. This is the legal/political system doing what it has to to correct itself.

As most newswatchers know, recently the CA supreme court, pictured here, overturned the state's ban on same-sex marriages. They held no regard for the fact that voters had recently made their point, across the entire state, that they wanted marriage to be limited to one man and one woman.

The California Family Council has successfully introduced an initiative on the Nov. 6 ballot to amend the state's constitution to keep marriage between a man and a woman. Read about the process and the overwhelming support of the petition here. Now the voters have the opportunity to tell the judges what they think about their decision. They needed 694,000 votes to get the initiative on the ballot. They got 1.1 million. The people are speaking. The judges need to listen up.

My favorite Christian Legal Group, Liberty Counsel, was involved. I love that those guys are dedicated to making sure that the interests of families and Christians are represented fairly by the law. I will be praying and watching that the people of CA reaffirm what they already said. Let the judges take note. You cannot legislate your opinions from the bench.

Here We Come.....

2008-05-29T17:50:00.010-05:00

Today, I had the chance to meet a TV show icon from my childhood. Well, actually, he was before my childhood. I met Davy Jones...he of the Monkees fame, not the scary octopus faced-guy from Pirates of the Carribean. You know, the guy that sang and played tambourine in the first pre-fab band. They even had their own show in the late 60's.

A friend of mine is a VP at a local bank and they had Davy in to bring in some new customers. I already have an account with the bank (and own some shares of their stock), but I thought it would be fun to meet him.

I even shared a good laugh with the "Daydream Believer."
What were laughing at? I'll never tell. I guess you just say Davy will have to take it to his locker.

Regardless, now I can say that I'm a believer.

The People versus the Judges

2008-05-28T21:55:00.007-05:00

I have not said much about this, but the more I think about it, the more frustrated I get with the "power" that legislating judges have. This was witnessed last week in CA, when the CA Supreme Court ruled that opposing "gay" marriage is not constitutional.

I am not even going to argue about this from a moral standpoint about why I think it is wrong. I will save that for another time to talk about the sham being put forward as an equal to traditional God-ordained marriage.

My problem is that court blatantly flew in the face of the CA people. In 2000, the voters passed a referendum stating that marriage was to be between one man and one woman. It passed in every county and mostly by a wide margin. Richard Land discusses this vote in his article today.

The people had spoken and then were told to "shut up." A small group of liberal judges completely overrode what the majority wanted. This country is based upon the idea that the people have the power, yet it has been ceded to a small group of liberal activists in many cases. Their job is to interpret the law, not make new ones.

Land notes that there is a ballot initiative in Nov. to change the state's constitution to restrict marriage to being between one man and woman (also cutting out polygamy). I will be praying that that passes. The question now becomes how the judges will try to get around that.

Week In Review

2008-05-27T11:39:00.002-05:00

Wow, a week has flown by with little to no blogging by myself. If you are a regular reader of my blog, thanks for keeping on checking. I should be able to pick up the consistency. Life seems to be a whirlwind right now. I will be expounding on that over the next few weeks.

Let me recap my last week for you(warning: not very exciting, just very busy). As you know, one of the projects that Carmen and I have going is remodeling our bathroom. The weekend before last, we laid the tile in the bathroom and then Sunday night, I put the grout it. What a mess.

In the most romantic of nights, Monday night was taken up with purchasing a new toilet. Tuesday, Carmen took off for a conference and I would not see her again until I picked her up on Friday. The fun was that I needed to get the toilet set before the weekend. Both Tuesday and Wednesday, I was at church until 9, would come home and work on the toilet, and then get mad, and quit. Each night, something would happen that would preclude getting the toilet set. Finally, Thursday, I had the right parts and got it working (aside: it has not leaked yet...it kind of creeps me out). I spent the rest of the evening getting my yard partly mowed, before it was dark. I was on the mower again at 7:30 Friday morning and finished it up in a couple of hours. I then cleaned the house and ran the dogs to the kennel.

My Memorial Day weekend had begun. I drove to Calloway Gardens and picked up Carmen and we drove on to Birmingham, AL where we met my parents and sister's family who had traveled to my aunt's house. We stayed there a night and then all drove back to Macon on Saturday. Sunday was church and then hanging with the family until they left on Monday afternoon. Carmen and I spent the afternoon and evening just being tired.

So, I have been busy. Great week, but there was precious little time to blog. I am back in the saddle, at least for today.

Blast from the Past

2008-05-20T23:14:00.005-05:00

My friend Tripp ran across this picture on facebook. Since Paul J. posted some old-school photos of himself, I thought I would throw this one out there as well (granted I am no big-time rock star with a cool keytar.....I do have an old casio sk-1 sampling keyboard. I wonder if that would count?)

This is from a mission trip that he (Tripp) and I went on in 1990. No real need for more commentary. Been a while since we both looked like that. Tripp is in the front and I am in the second row on the right.

Initial Thoughts on Prince Caspian

2008-05-16T13:57:00.003-05:00

I went last night and caught the first official showing of "Prince Caspian" at 12:01. I love catching the midnight shows, because that's usually when the serious fans are there. This, of course, was my first midnight show in Macon. The people here seemed to be more enamored with going to a midnight show with the actual movie being secondary. Not quite as into it as some of the Nashville crowds during the LOTR movies.

Anyway, I got to see the movie after waiting a long time since the LWW. I have a number of initial thoughts, but I don't want to give too much away since a number of you will not have seen it yet. I'll be as general as I can.

I thought it was a solid movie, not the epic, others have described and definitely not the over-the-top messianic analogy that others claim. Adamson did take some serious departures from the book (which I read last week, probably to my detriment). He added a number of scenes, which for the most part, worked well for movie purposes. I thought that he significantly rewrote much of the timeline involving which characters did what and which places they were at when key things happened. I can live with it, but I am not sure all of the changes were for the better (again, trying not to be specific).

I read a review on www.msnbc.com this morning that thought the Aslan as Savior metaphor was was over emphasized. I totally disagree. I thought the introduction of Aslan was far too late in the movie. This was another significant departure from the book. I find myself on the edge of my seat everytime that Aslan spoke and having him become prominent so late in the movie definitely lessened Alslan's impact. I wished there had been a lot more.

I did like the development of the Miraz storyline. That added a lot to his character and impact in the movie. He also became more involved in the overall story arc.

Overall, I would give it a B. I just don't think it could compare to the LWW. How can you compete with the story of the resurrection? I still get goosebumps thinking about Aslan roaring on the hill after the stone table is broken.

I am going to see it once more on Sunday since we are using it as an outreach event with our student ministry. I will be able to watch it with different eyes and perhaps understand a few more things that the producers did. This is definitely a worthy entry in the Chronicles movies. I am already looking forward to Voyage Of The Dawn Treader.

Can Politicians Twitter?

2008-05-14T12:44:00.006-05:00

I was thinking the other day about how this new twitter thing has affected my life. I sit at my computer during the day and watch my friends' twitters pop up in my im and I keep up with their lives. I like it a lot.

But, I also got to thinking about how twitter forces me to say things in less than 140 characters. Not always an easy task. I have to wordsmith quickly to get what I want to say in.

I wonder how this type of technology will affect this generation. Are we going to become a society that values brevity and efficiency?I LOVE those things. I am a busy dude and don't have time for someone to take 10 minutes to tell me what they could have in 2 or to take 2 days to make a decision that could have been made in 10 minutes.

So, I started thinking about people that would have a hard time using twitter:

1. politicians.....can anybody say less in more time than an elected official? They even prize that ability.

2. some pastors....not all, but 45 minutes to say what you needed to say in 15?

3. actors/actresses talking about their political convictions....do I really need to know?

4. writers for keyboard owner's manuals...try to read one and you'll understand.

These are just a few that came to mind. Who are some other people that would struggle to twitter?

Oh, two things:

1. if you want to check my tweets and twitters, check it out at www.twitter.com/scope71

2. This post is my weekly contribution to water cooler wednesday.

Macon Takes A Smackdown, Pt. II

2008-05-12T20:48:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I blogged yesterday about the now-confirmed tornado (class 2) that touched down in Macon Sunday morning and sent our town into a tizzy. When I blogged, it was 10 in the morning and information was scarce. The sheriff was telling the citizens to stay home ( which I heard again as I was in my car leaving the house to get something to eat) and to conserve water(which I remembered as I took a bath).

The rest of the story gets better. See, we had weathered the storm well and had no trees down and did not have any power outages. Well, that caught up with us. About 2:45, our power went out. After Carmen got home, we called GA power and they told us that they needed to take our substation down to do some work for the other 50,000 people that had no power. I was cool with that. I certainly could do without power for a few hours as they got other people on line.

However, when evening settled and we were in the dark, we called back to GA power and were told the party line answer that it may be midnight of the next night (which would be Monday) before we had power. I was not happy. But, what could I do? So, Carmen and I spent an evening without power. I left to go to work this morning, hoping the power would be on sometime today.

I got home at 5:00 with no power. So, for the third time, I called the power company again and was told that it would be midnight tomorrow (Tuesday night). I was really not happy. I explained to the young lady that that was unacceptable. We had not even lost power in the storm, yet it was taken away (sounds kind of like socialism, huh?). Once again, not much I could do.

So, Carmen came home and we went to Panera to eat and use the wi-fi. Ha, they closed at 7:00 thanks to the curfew. We went to Krystal (yes, I even stooped that low) and found that their wi-fi was way too slow even if I could have accessed it. We gave up and went to K-mart to scavenge through what was left of the batteries and flashlights. I was settling in for a night in the dark. Carmen was bailing out to go to a friend's house.

However, as we drove into our neighborhood, there was a truck working on the power lines. As we drove down the street, lights staring popping on all over the place at exactly 9:15 p.m. It was a glorious, glorious sight. We are now back in business (I'm blogging from my couch, insert big smile).

Let me just say that you don't appreciate your power until it is gone. I definitely don't want to go back to the prairie days. I like me some electricity. Hopefully, this story is complete.

Check out Carmen's take on this adventure.

Macon Takes A Smackdown

2008-05-11T10:39:00.003-05:00

What a strange night/morning it has been. For some reason, I just could not get to sleep last night. I think I woke up about 1:00 am and never went back to sleep. I tossed and turned until about 5:00, when the dogs wanted outside.

I let them out and them decided to exercise and go ahead and get ready for the day at church. I was supposed to sing this morning, so a good aerobic exercise was going to help me get my pipes warmed up. As I was on our elliptical machine, I noticed that a number of the local stations were staying on the doppler radar and predicting some major storms to roll through over the next few hours. They were very right.

It rained pretty hard at the house between 5-7 am and we only lost power for about a minute. I went on to church and was greeted by the felled tree in the picture above. This was in the parking lot that I park in on Sunday mornings. To give you an idea of the size of the tree, the base of the tree is about as wide as I am tall. I stood next to it to make sure.

When I walked over to the church, most of the staff and volunteers were standing around outside. Apparently, we had no power and weren't sure when it would come back on. I also learned that Macon (south of where I live) was hit pretty hard. There is currently belief that a tornado touched down on the southern part of town and did a lot of damage. The mayor went as far as to declare a state of emergency, asking everyone to stay at home. As a result, we ended up canceling services (for the first time in my professional ministry career).

So, it is not even time for our normal church service to be finished and this has already been a crazy day. I'm scared to ask what else may be next. Happy Mother's Day!!

Using My Mad Skills

2008-05-10T19:34:00.016-05:00

For those of you that have known me in previous portions of my life, you have not known me to be a home improvement guru. That is just not something that we did in my family growing up. You moved into a house, and then it stayed like that until you moved out.

However, over the last few years, I have been introduced to the fun (see money) of updating your home. Carmen and I have been talking about redoing the floor in our master bath since we moved in, so this weekend I decided to give it a go. Once I took out the floor and toilet, I have to finish it. My personality is such that I can't stand to leave projects undone.

Here are some shots of the bathroom before I started. You can see the linoleum and the cool wood seat on the toilet.

I ripped out the linoleum and the toilet and threw them into the garage until I took the stuff to the dump today. Let me just add, there is nothing like the smell of old sub-floor.

You can see there there has been some water damage from the toilet and the tub at some point, but the sub-floor was dry and wasn't brittle, so I worked over it.

The next step that I did was to lay down the concrete backerboard. I actually cut it yesterday and then put mastic on the back and secured it today. (I doubt there are many things that require as many screws as backerboard, but you do NOT want that coming back up after the tile is down.) I barely got all the backerboard down. We have 41 sq. ft. of floor and I bought three 3x5 backerboard sheets for 45 sq. ft. When I was taking them out of my car, one of them broke in a most unuseful manner. I managed to make the pieces work, but I am convinced that there is some sort of conspiracy. This happened before when I was using backerboard. It is my nemesis.

That's as far as I can go this weekend. We haven't even picked out the tile yet and I need Carmen to help since she has a great eye for making sure the grout lines are straight. We will hopefully knock that out next Friday. As you can, we are set to use the shower for the next week.

I will post some more pics after we finish the project so you can see the upgrade. It was a good start to the project. I look forward to knocking it out. It's already starting to bug me that there's no floor in my bathroom.

10 Things A Man In Church Should Do

2008-05-07T12:42:00.003-05:00

Esquire Magazine had an article yesterday that outlined "75 skills that Every Man Should Master". I looked through them with interest. A lot of them I can do now. Some of them I should learn. A few I see no point in (i.e "tying a bow tie") and the rest I can't/won't do for moral reasons. But it raises a good point about being a man and embracing my role a male in the world. So I thought to myself, "Self, What are some things that men in church should be able to do?"

Self came up with 10 things, albeit in a random order, that a MAN in church should be able to do:

1. Protect A Single Woman- Look, here's what I mean by that: When I was seminary, there were a ton of guys that had no clue about how to treat a woman. I was single, and a lot of my friends that were girls were single. They were also some of the better-looking women there. There were constantly being "stalked" or bothered by guys that had no social skills or clues in that area. Many were the times that I had to step in and put an end to those guys being around.

2. Be Able to Talk Intelligently about worship music- at least be able to say, " I really like 'such and such' a song' and remember some lyrics that ministered to you. It beats "I like the song with all the guitars and the music that sounds like U2."

3. Pray In Public- I don't know who came up with the thumbs up thing before a meal in public. Can I just say that I hate that? You might as well just say that "I don't like talking to Jesus. You do it."

4. Contribute to Theological Discussions- If someone has something to say about everything else until the topic turns to theology and then shuts up(yet has been a believer for years) why are they at church?

5. Read The Chronicles of Narnia- Read it like a child and enjoy it simply for the story that it is. Then read it like a adult and bask in the rich symbolism that C.S. Lewis wove thoughout the story. I think that is what he would have wanted.

6. Let Someone Know When they Might Need to Change Ministries- you probably know exactly what I am talking about. Sometimes, y ou just have to have the hard talks and let people know that their skill set may be better utilized in another area.

7. Commit to Something/Lead Something- I find this to be more frustrating in single guys than married one, but when you make a commitment to a ministry, make that a priority, not a convenience. It honors God that you put a commitment above your own personal wants.

8. Find Balance between family and ministry- this has become the recent mantra amount ministry types, but sometimes you have to make a choice. I really think it honors God, and your family, when your kids and spouse see you sacrificing to serve the Lord. That instills a valuable set of priorities into their lives. Use that wisely.

9. Take Constructive Criticism Well- Sooner or later, someone is going to tell you that you need to do something differently. Don't let it rile you. Chances are, they may be right. Your worth is not found in their opinion of you anyway. A man learns and moves on, for the better.

10. Call a spade a spade- A man in church (and outside the church) will not be afraid to call sin what it is. No rationalizing and trying to be PC. Say it in love, but it must be said. God will be honored.

These are just few of my thoughts. What are some other things that a man in church should do?

This is my Water Cooler Wednesday post for today.

What's next? Gorilla Poking

2008-05-06T19:35:00.006-05:00

I am big fan of the zoo. In fact, Carmen and I went to the zoo in ATL last year for her birthday. It was quite possibly the best zoo day ever. We enjoyed all the animal exhibits, but never once did I have to fight back the urge to accost any of the animals.

Check out this story about a dude that punched a camel at Six Flags. I mean, I heard about cow-tipping, but usually the cows won't fight back. Camels could put the smack down on you.

But, in his defense, look at the role models he has. Even the governor of his state has gotten in on the action at one time.

Where are we when we can't even use politicians as role models? Maybe that should be the next game, elephant and donkey satirizing.

Leaving Me In The Dust

2008-05-04T20:25:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, my wife joined the ranks of professional musician. I am very proud of her and the way that she has embraced singing and worship leading. It was not something that she was born into.

We played a wedding yesterday. I played piano and contracted out a couple of string players that the bride asked for. It was probably the most musical control that I have ever had over a wedding. They let me pick a duet and all the preservice music (well ,except for three pop pieces that they requested). Anyway, Carmen sang "How Beautiful" and we sang a duet that I arranged from Steven Curtis Chapman's "We Will Dance."

Since we were paid jointly for our services, this marks the first time that Carmen has been paid to sing. Welcome to the world of being a gigging musician.

I asked Carmen the other day if it was weird that being a singer was something that is now an identifying characteristic since she grew up playing sports and being known for that. She is now seen as someone married to the worship associate and being an active part of the worship ministry. She said it was weird, but I wasn't sure if she meant being known as a singer or being married to me. Probably both.

Here's to more gigs!!!

Don't Question, Just Think What We Tell You

2008-05-02T22:40:00.005-05:00

Apparently, science is no more about questioning, investigating and looking for the answers that best fits the evidence. The Texas committee for higher education has rejected the Institute for Creation Research's request to grant Master's and Doctoral degrees in Texas, despite the fact that the school is run by very accredited PhD's in varied scientific fields. Pray for the ICR. They have been doing great work and are a large part of the cultural battle to allow students to think for themselves and come to their own conclusions in the manner of pure science. The battle continues.

How To Play Like A Winner

2008-05-01T17:43:00.002-05:00

This is absolutely the most incredible story of sportmanship (or sportswomanship) that I have ever heard. Check out this video of an amazing act by opponents on a softball field.

Embracing Suffering

2008-04-30T09:48:00.005-05:00

I just started reading through Sex God by Rob Bell. I don't know that I am firm believer in all that Mr. Bell has to say, but he does say a lot of great things and says them very well. One of those things captured me this morning while I was reading the first chapter. He was talking about the fact that all of the children of God has the divine image in us and it honors God to respect that humanity. He gave an example of a lady he knows that has specifically adopted many special needs children to give them hope. He writes that she does not see them through the labels that many people would put on them ,but as a human, a child of God.

This got me to thinking about an article that I read yesterday about the governor of Alaska. She and her husband just had their fifth child. Congratulations to them. The stunning part of this story comes in the fact that the child has down's syndrome. They knew about the condition because of early pregnancy testing. It was not a surprise to them. They chose to embrace the suffering and hardships that the child will bring. Why? Because there is a greater joy behind it. In the eyes of today's culture, the quick and easy thing to do would be to get rid of the child. She is a busy politician and active in national politics. This will bring many inconveniences and struggles into their lives. Yet, she and her husband have made a statement that they are willing to love this child, because they know that past the struggles this child will have, he bears the image of God.

I hesitate to blog about this, because I have never been through a situation like theirs. I cannot imagine the anguish that must have befallen them. Yet, I wholeheartedly think they made the right decision. I believe God was honored in that. I pray that I will become a person that will intentionally embrace suffering to bring honor to God. Praise God for people that have done this to honor God in front of the world.

This is my Water Cooler Wednesday Post for today.

Creating Culture

2008-04-28T20:30:00.003-05:00

I have been hearing a lot lately about giving up the idea of "redeeming" the culture. Instead, as Christians, we should be leading the charge to create the culture and use it to honor the Creator. I came across a great article today that sums up the ideas in Andy Crouch's new book, Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling. Here are some of the points that Andy makes in his book:

-Cultivate Culture: don't throw out all the culture. Take the parts that are good and build on them. Regardless of the author, all of us have the spark of the Creator in us and there are parts that can be used.

-Dare To Take Risks: Be willing to do what has not been done before. Pray that God will give you those ideas and then help you overcome your fear in doing so. (author's note: if this is/could be a sin, then I would be the chief among sinners)

Notice where God is at work and join Him there: This idea was unpacked well in Experiencing God, but the truth is still the same.

Work With Other People: There is great strength in collaboration and others can often help you get to places that you would never have gotten to alone.

These are just a few of the points in Andy's book, but it appears to be a great call to arms for Christians in engaging culture. I am looking forward to getting my hands on a copy.

Jack Of All Trades or Master of One?

2008-04-27T22:20:00.003-05:00

I am back. I took a little blog "vacation" as Carmen and I took care of a few things that needed tending to.

Tonight, after Sunday's festivities were over, Carmen and I watched "Amazing Grace." We have owned the movie for months and finally sat down and checked it out. What a great movie. They were quotes galore that inspired thoughts in me, but I will have to save those for another time.

One quote that stuck out to me was when one of the characters said to William Wilberforce "Are you going to use your voice to praise God or change the world?" That statement is chock full of directions that I could take it, but I want to pose a question that it raised in me and see if anybody has any thoughts.

I have developed a sort of philosopy of talent. One statement that we use at our church is "Excellence honors God and inspires people." I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. That being said, it should be my duty to take the gifts that I have and hone them to be the best that they can be. I think that ascribes great worth to God. Esentially, we tell Him that we think He is worthy of our time to make our gifts the best they can be to use for Him. Great, I think we all agree on that.

At the same time, I find myself with a variety of interests and a modicum of talents at a few things. That brings me to my question: Does it honor God more when we are the best we can be at one thing (talent) or when we are pretty good at a few things?

I can't come to a complete answer for both sides. On the one hand, it honors God when we take a talent or gift that He has given us and shape it to be as good as we can make it. On the other hand, by being involved in various and sundry activities, we can contribute our abilities to more ways to honor Him.

I have kicked this around a while and I curious to know what others think. Which do you think is better and honors God more?

Art to Die For

2008-04-22T20:16:00.004-05:00

One thing I love doing is coming across quotes that challenge me to see a facet of life in a new light. I ran smack into one of those statements a while back. Check out this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

"The artists must be sacrificed to their art. Like the bees, they must put their lives into the sting they give."

As a musician, a semi-coherent wordsmith and patron of the arts, I love that statement. How romantic is that? The death of a person sacrificed to the noble ideal of the art. All the great art is from the artists that could do nothing else. They poured their lives into what they created and it endured beyond themselves. They continually evaluated and judged. They decided what was good and what wasn't. They made it their lives' work to make sure their art was the best it could be.

As I bounced this idea around in my head, I realized that that is exactly what Christ was calling us to in Mark 8 when He called us to lay down our lives for His kingdom. There is no middle ground. He wants everything. I need to take that same artist's eye to my life that I take to my art. I must constantly evaluate what I am pouring my life into. What is good? What will help me to convey the message of my life and what is superfluous? Those are the choices that I am called to make, not only to make the art the best it can be, but to make sure that it points right back to the Great Artist. I must sacrifice my life to that end, so that when it is all over, the art is the best it can be, but not for my glory.

This is my Water Cooler Wednesday post for today.

The Little Dog That Could

2008-04-19T13:33:00.003-05:00

Hey, I came across a story on WND about a dog that can walk on two legs, because she is missing her two front legs. This dog is amazing. The dog never realized what she couldn't do, only what she needed to do.

Does This Ever Happen Up North?

2008-04-17T12:32:00.003-05:00

I live in Georgia. As much as we fight the rural image that the south brings, sometimes there's just not much you can do. Last week a baby zebra was found on I-75 and now this(here is the link if you don't believe it):

Wandering pig slows traffic on I-75
The Associated Press
MARIETTA, Ga. --A wandering pig tied up traffic on Interstate 75 in Cobb County Thursday morning as commuters slowed down to get a look.
Marietta Police spokesman Mark Bishop said the pig apparently came off a small truck that was traveling southbound about 9:30 a.m.
Traffic was temporarily halted to rescue the pig, which sustained minor injuries. Bishop said the pig was tied up to keep it from receiving more injuries until animal control officers arrived to get it. He said no accidents were caused by the pig.
Last week, a baby zebra was found injured on I- 75 south of Atlanta.
Noah's Ark, an animal rescue center near Locust Grove, says they believe the male, estimated to be 2 to 3 months old, fell from a truck and then was hit by another vehicle. The center got a call April 8 that the zebra was eating grass along an I-75 exit.
An official at the rescue center says the zebra is healing, but faces a long road to full recovery. The identity of the zebra's owner remains a mystery.

Hmmm, maybe they're all trying to get to this "Noah's Ark" and just know something that we don't.

Baton Hero?

2008-04-14T21:34:00.004-05:00

Finally, I can have my chance to be a superstar conductor. For those of you that don't know, one of my degrees is actually in choral conducting. But that is nothing like orchestra conducting. For starters, in choral conducting, you can actually make out what the pattern is. All of the good orchestral conductors I have seen have no discernible pattern. Somehow the orchestra knows how to stay with them. In fact, there was one conductor who gave away the actual beat with his knees, not his baton.

Anyway, for those lovers of classical music, a new video game has been revealed. There is a traveling game appearing at musical halls across america that allows the user to conduct an orchestra through three pieces. Maybe it will spark a love for the classics in the younger generations.

So my question is this, what is next? What other experience can be brought to the masses and expoited? How about "Worship Leader Hero" where you can lead a mass audience in p & w. How fast you play determines how excited the crowd gets. Perhaps you get more points for having a cool "worship leader" hairdo and well-placed tatoos.

Just wait, you think I'm joking don't you? I hope that I am.

IRS, Taxes and the Fun of Being Self-employed

2008-04-13T18:12:00.006-05:00

Ok, today is April 13th and it is that time of the year for my annual tax rant. I sent off a massive sum of money to the US government on Friday to pay off the tax debt that I had from 2007. This gets me to thinking every year about where my money goes and how effectively it is used by the powers in D.C.

Let me first start by saying that our system of government is, as I firmly believe, the best in the world. I am also a believer in abiding by the law and paying to "Caesar what is Caesar's." It is lawful that I pay my taxes and I will do so, but I don't think I neccesarily have to enjoy it.

For those of that you know me, I place a high premium on efficiency. Carmen and I have a budget we have to live within and we have to be wise with our money. I am considered self-employed by the government and so I have to set aside money every month into a special account. From that account, I send the government my FICA and self-employment tax (both halves of SSI and medicare). It makes me acutely aware of how much I send off, so I try to be a wise steward of what I have.I hold that same high standard to our government as well. It saddens me that I see so many examples of incomprehencible uses of the american people's money. I am proud, however, of our great military and national security and that my money goes to help keep us safe.

One of the things that struck me as odd was the process of taxation. I overpayed my state taxes in 2006 and received a refund. That was fair. It was my money and I had paid what I owed. What was not fair was that the IRS viewed that as income to me and taxed me on the refund in 2007. Hold up. Was I not taxed on that before? I sure was. I had to pay money because I overpaid the state goverment. What lesson did I learn here? I am better off to make sure that I break exactly even on my estimated taxes or pay enough to have to pay some but not be penalized for not paying enough.

I am hearing some crazy stuff about current politicians (whom I shall not name in my effort to remain non-partisan on my blog) and their desire to strengthen the "death" tax. As I understand it, you are taxed about 50% on inheritances, money THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN TAXED! I am also hearing that one politician wants to put a 10-12% tax on capital gains, so that you have to give up money to sell your house if you make any profit on it. How is that pro-economy? People will be penalized for moving.

Ok, I'll stop here. My desire is not to bash the IRS. They are simply doing what is passed into law. It just seems some common sense in deciding what is to be taxed and then some efficiency in spending the money and living within the means of that income by the government would be a great display to the american people. I am not saying anything that has not been said before, but inevitably, this time year it is heightened as I send massive amounts of money to our government.

Every year I become more of a believer in a fair and equal tax code. Everyone pays their share and a flat tax would be most equitable and way to tax the american people. It seems like common sense to me, but as Benjamin Franklin said, "Common sense is not so common."

Bubble Boy

2008-04-10T18:48:00.002-05:00

I was reminded the other day that I am getting dangerously close to a recurring point in my life. Every few years, I will stop, look around me and realize that I am completely surrounded by Christians. Now, hear me when I say that being surrounded by other Christ-followers should be a mainstay in my life and the place where I draw the most energy to live life in the world.

My problem comes, however, when I am only interacting with Christians. I think I am there again. I am praying as to how God can use me to be in a constant interaction with some folks that don't know Christ. This same dissatifaction with the Christian "bubble" has led me to join a fraternity at my college and to spend a few seasons singing at a Theme Park in TX. I really don't think I am living out the calling in my life when I only interact with Christians.

I just read a great article by Phil Cooke talking about the Christian sub-culture. He goes as far as to call it a sin to live there. I would assume he means to live there at the exclusion to living in the larger world. He makes some great points about only being in the Christian media culture, but it spurred a deeper longer in me. Sometimes the Christian sub-culture drives me crazy.

I HATE it when someone makes me feel guilty because I enjoy a well-made movie or music group that may espouse a few views that I would not embrace. There is still beauty there to be enjoyed there and we should know that all beauty comes from the same place and can be redeeming in any situation. God is manifested in many more places than we bother to look. I hurt for people that work so hard to stay in the bubble out of fear of something. ( I am not sure what that something is, but I meet way too many people that are almost scared to be out in the world making a difference.)

Phil has a few great points in asking why we are trying so hard to protect something, i.e. our selves or families. First, Jesus certainly never lived a safe live, so who are we to think that we should not embrace that same approach to life? Second, what are we teaching kids when we try so hard to shield them from the world that they are afraid of the world instead of running to engage culture with the power of the God that loves the world? Would we not honor God more by showing them what the world embraces and how that stacks up against God's values? (obviously, this is done appropriately and in moderation, but serves to show kids what the world believes and that God is greater)

I am not sure what this means for me this time, but as much as I love the ministry that God has called me to, I can't be part of changing the world by being immersed in the Christian bubble.

What I Wish I Knew

2008-04-09T12:32:00.002-05:00

I have been wrestling with my learning curve as of late. Not because I think it is slowing down, but because it probably needs to speed up. I am involved with a seriously cool blogging community of guys that are nothing like me. They are cool, hip, very tech savvy and Christ-followers and are challenging me to learn like I never have. Check out guys like JVO, Carlos, and Ethos.

I am trying to learn to be a productive member of this community and then trying to figure out how to use this information to reach out to others. I was wondering if there was some way that I could have learned some of this information before or it is just that society is changing so rapidly that by the time someone figures out how to teach it, the thing that is being taught is already passe.

I had a more formal education in ministy in that I went to seminary. While I would never take away from what I learned in those years, I feel as if what I am learning now is practical and real. Sometimes I felt like my education there was more mired in what had worked before and not how to adapt to reach a changing world. Here are some things that I wish seminary would have prepared me for:

1. How to engage culture and find the points that we can use for connection to reach the world
2. How to identify and use new technology to reach people instead of using methods that are not or are no longer working.
3. How to identify and anticipate cultural shifts that will open up windows for Christ-followers to impact culture.
4. From a worship standpoint, how to use a band in the traditional rock sense( I have learned what I know about this from trial and error, mostly the latter) to promote excellence.
5. Contemporary methodology for instruments and vocalists in the church ( even saying it like that makes it seem outdated). I had to look outside the church to learn about this.

I am sure that I could come up with some more if I spent time thinking about it, but I am curious as to the thoughts of the some of the guys that have come to be worship leaders from a different journeys. Do you feel your path prepared you to engage culture, did you have to learn it elsewhere, or do you feel like you missed out by not having the "traditional" education?

This is my Watercooler Wednesday Post for today.

Which Muppet are you?

2008-04-07T21:13:00.008-05:00

One of my favorite group of characters is the muppets. I have laughed along with them since I was a kid.

I found this quiz that asks a few questions to determine which muppet you are. I am not so sure what I think about this, but here is my result:

You scored 33...
You are ELMO

You are cute and everyone loves you. You are a best friend that no one takes the chance of losing. You never hurt feelings and seldom have your own feelings hurt. Life is a breeze. You are witty and calm most of the time. Just keep clear of backstabbers, and you are worry free.

Worship Confessional #1

2008-04-07T20:22:00.003-05:00

So this is my first stab at a worship confessional. Since I do not lead worship at my church on a regular basis, I have read others' after Sundays, but have never posted my own. I did, however, lead worship last Sunday since the worship pastor was out of town. I will post some thoughts about what worked, what could have been better and what I saw.

Here is the worship set from 4/6/08:

Majestic (Brewster)
How Can I Keep From Singing (Tomlin)
Be The Centre
The Solid Rock (arr. Hall)
Everlasting God (arr. Brewster)

I thought it was a good solid set. Mark, our membership pastor was speaking on our hope in the inheritance that we have and I felt that these songs resonated with the idea of God being our hope.

I think the thing that surprised me was how much trouble we had with "The Solid Rock". For those of you that know that arrangement, it is in 6/8, as opposed to 4/4 and the groove seems to change between the turnaround and the verses. All in all, I thought the band did a great job, but it took a while to get there. We did do Brewster's shredding guitar solo in "Everlasting God." That was a lot of fun to have in there.

It was a typical Sunday as far as the congregation. There were a few singing, some overtly worshiping and a more than should be just watching. That, unfortunately, is not uncommon, but still frustrating.

Since I am not the worship leader on a regular basis, I struggle with building the repoire with the congregation that I think helps to facilitate worship leading. I have to assume, which I think is correct, that regardless of me, the people that are there to meet God, will do so. I pray that I do not get in the way.

I thought it was a great Sunday. Whenever I lead, I am reminded of how much I miss being the primary worship leader. I am glad that I had that opportunity.

Big News...

2008-04-03T22:26:00.002-05:00

I always love when I get to start off any letter, email or blog post with that title. You always wonder what are the first images that people's minds conjure up.

I am very pleased to announce that my fabulous wife, Carmen, has joined the blogging community. You can check it out here.

Be sure to give her lots of link love and comments.

Wish Fulfilled

2008-04-03T21:27:00.002-05:00

My friend Paul Joseph, at criesoftheheart.com, posed a question to the blogosphere yesterday. He wanted to know what bands we wanted to see get back together and tour. Check out his post here.

I think his real wish has been fulfilled. Check here to see who is getting back together.

Hornsby/Skaggs

2008-04-02T10:30:00.003-05:00

This is my inaguaral stab at Water Cooler Wednesday, so I thought I would talk about an event that I went to last Saturday that literally blew me away.

Last Saturday night, I went to see Bruce Hornsby and Ricky Skaggs in concert together. It was a pretty amazing show. I think that they first got together for a CMT "Crossroads", then made an album and are out touring it. Basically, Hornsby just sits in with Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder (which, by the way are in no means short on talent. I have never seen a guy play the acoustic better and faster than a lot of lead guitarists.)

But, I really went to hear to Bruce Hornsby and he did not disappoint. As I listened to him improv(which is all bluegrass is with lyrics thrown in occasionally to allow the instrumentalists to rest), I would think "yeah, I've heard that lick before off one his records". But, something my piano teacher has said to me on multiple occasions came back to me. He(my piano teacher) likes to quote an old trumpet player from the forties when he was asked why he doesn't do all the different styles in his genre of music. The trumpet player stated "You should do what you do so well that no one asks why you don't do anything else."

That was Hornsby to a tee. In all his improv, I never once found myself wanting to hear something else. One of the things he did so well was to mimic the style of a plucked instrument in many of his solos. Since bluegrass doesn't not generally have a precussive instrument such as the piano, he made it work beautifully.

All in all, both guys were fantastic. I cannot remember a show that I have been to in a while that I have enjoyed so much. They do have an album out together. I would highly recommend it. It was a feast for an instrumentalist.

(Oh, and sorry that the picture is not real clear. The security guards went kamikazee on anyone that even hinted of taking a picture. My wife snapped this without a flash when the guard was turned the other way. )

Things Baptists Like

2008-04-01T21:30:00.002-05:00

I recently came across a blog entitled "Stuff White People Like". Now, I am not endorsing or necesarily recommending this site, but a few of the posts made me just about shoot milk out of my nose when I read them.

Having been a Southern Baptist all of my life, I thought it might be fun to list a few of the things that Baptists like:

10. Little postcards produced by the Baptist Sunday School Board that say things like "What's missing in Ch ch? U R." (I don't know if this needs any commentary at all)

9. The sit-down chord at Vacation Bible School. (No lie, to this day I will sit down, wherever I am, at any time, if I hear those chords. No doubt some sort of Pavlovian response.)

8. Fifth Sunday Night Hymn Sings (I am sure these are not limited to SBC only, but they were always fun. We got to request hymns, so my buddies and I stood up for some of the lesser sung hymns in the hymnal such as "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "The Great Physician." Mostly what we got was a dirty look from the song leader.)

7. Singing out of the Sing 'n Celebrate III praise books (We sure thought we were cutting edge, belting out those rockin' tunes like "Pass It On" and "I Wish We'd All Been Ready")

6. Youth-led Sundays ( That's still funny. Now that I am in leadership in the local church, there is no way that I have would have turned over leadership to me. What were they thinking?)

5. Day Camp for kids while their parents are at a conference center and/or the SBC convention ( Do I really need another leather bracelet that I stamped with my name and stained?)

4. Calling each other "brother" or "sister" so-and-so. (Once again, not exclusive to baptists, but it still makes me laugh. I'm not really sure why. It just does.)

3. Sunday School Round-up and/or Jeans Sunday (Surely, no one else can corner the market on this. We had a rodeo to promote to the next grade level in Sunday school and we got to wear jeans to church that one Sunday of the year. Now we encourage people to come as they are. The times, they are a changin')

2. Pastors that joke about other pastors' choice of seminary. (yeah, this has always driven me crazy. Most people in the congregation can't even tell you how many seminaries the SBC has, let alone where they are. Calling out another pastor from the pulpit as to his seminary affiliation is funny to about a maximum of one person, and even that's debatable.)

1. Jot ( If you have to ask, you either have never been a southern baptist or came along pretty recently. This still rocks my face off.)

Dr. Crazyman

2008-04-01T21:00:00.003-05:00

So, I went to go see my doctor yesterday. Don't worry, nothing is wrong with me, at least physically. I was running short on some meds and needed refills.

I thought it might be fun to tell you what a visit to my doctor is like. This is my general care/family doctor that I see periodically, so I don't go very often, but every time I go, it is some kind of adventure. Since there are a few people here in Macon that occasionally read my blog, I will refrain from naming the said doctor to protect the innocent.

First of all, let me say that I would love to have an appointment where the doctor actually begins the medical portion of the appointment within 20 minutes of walking into the room (which, of course, has generally been preceded by my waiting for 40 minutes for him to get in there). Usually, he launches into the latest rant/rave that has him worked up.

But, the best part of the visit is not the length of his diatribes, but their substance. Here are some samplings of the topics that have been covered (mostly by him, with my throwing in an opinion that may or may not be mine, but is mostly intended to egg him on).

1. "Americans are stupid and lazy and that's why they will elect anybody that's shiny and new regardless of the candidate's substance"

2. "We should taint all illegal drugs to get rid of the meth users" (totally his words, not mine, but the ensuing conversation/rant was VERY interesting)

3. "We could eliminate the majority of diseases by getting rid of all kids under the age of five" (yeah, I was confused on this one for a while until he told me that we could then pick up with having kids after the diseases were gone)

I have never once asked him a question that led to these statements. They were totally unsolicited. I am not sure exactly what I should think about having a physician that espouses these views, but it's like a train wreck. My interest in what he will say next has completely overridden my desire to have a new doctor. Besides, he's a family doctor. I can always find a specialist that believes the moon landing was faked if I have a serious disorder.

March Blandness

2008-03-25T20:58:00.002-05:00

There are few things in the world that have as little interest to me as the so-called "March Madness" and its ensuing tournaments. Members of the staff with whom I work spend way too much time talking about their brackets and who won what game. I am counting the days until opening day for the Braves ( 5 days for the rest of you that are counting). Here are two more reasons that March madness is dangerous:

1. Alexis Glick mentions in this article that March Madness will cost employers $1.7 billion dollars in wasted work time. That doesn't even include the parts of my life that I will never get back listening to someone tell me how their bracket has been blown.

2. Glick also mentions that $7 billion will be bet during the tournament. He states that an estimated $3 billion dollars will be bet by white-collar workers in office pools and $4 billion will be bet in online gambling.

This just enforces my theory that this "dead season" is too long. We need either longer football or baseball seasons.

Star Spangled and Amazing

2008-03-25T12:03:00.003-05:00

I came across this video today of the Star-Spangled Banner at a basketball game in TX. These girls are phenomenal! I don't need to say anything else. Check this out:

Easter Rewind

2008-03-24T17:11:00.003-05:00

All right, as I sit in my favorite comfy chair on this side of Easter weekend, I am ready to spend a few minutes thinking about what happened, what we did and what the implications of the weekend may be. Let me break it down into three sections: 1. the actual schedule, 2. the songs/content of what we did and 3. the results of prayers that we were prayering in direct relation to last weekend. Here we go!!

1. Our schedule was not incredibly different than that of years past with the exception of one extra service. We had a rehearsal with the choir, orchestra and band last Wednesday night and we also rehearsed again for two hours on Saturday morning in preparation for the services. We did a service on Saturday night (which we only do on Easter and Christmas) and then three on Sunday morning. We normally do two Sunday morning services, but attempted to shorten the services and start a little bit earlier to get three in. We did do all three, but the services ended up being the normal length(even while we started 5 minutes earlier each time) with only about 3 minutes turnaround between services. Kudos to our volunteers for being full-on all day Sunday! Thank you!

2. Here is the set order for Easter weekend:

I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever (orchestra opener)
My Savior Lives (New Life Church)
Awesome Is The Lord Most High (Tomlin)
He Lives (Cindy Cruse Ratliff)
Jesus Paid It All (Stanfill)
You Never Let Go (Redman)
Alive Forever Amen (Cotrell)

I also want to mention that my wife had one of the solos on "He Lives" and did a fantastic job. She spent the whole weekend freaking out about singing in front of all those people, but she, like I knew she would, did great.

3. Finally, we had been praying that God would bring over 5000 people through our doors over the course of the weekend. I have not heard any final numbers, but my best guess is that the numbers in the big room were probably around 4200 and there were about 300 kids that did not come into the big room, so we probably hit around 4500. Praise God! All of the age-graded ministries emphasized the salvation message yesterday and the only report I heard so far is that some students prayed to become a Christ-follower. I will have some more information once we meet tommorow as a staff.

In retrospect, I was very proud of our great volunteer teams (specifically the band, orchestra and choir). They poured their hearts out this weekend. I believe that God will honor our offering and we look forward to hearing some of the great things that happened last weekend. He is risen indeed!!

Seriously, Who Would Put These Together?

2008-03-20T18:27:00.002-05:00

I have meaning to post this for a while. I came across this video a while back and was blown away ( no pun intended.) If only the Fat Boys could have had a cameo.

Serving Those Who Serve Us

2008-03-20T18:14:00.003-05:00

I came across this article today that brought me great joy. An organization called "Puppies Behind Bars" provides service dogs for disabled people and is venturing into new territory.

They recently started providing service dogs for disabled vets that have returned from Iraq. In this picture, Pax(the yellow Lab) looks out for his master's back. His master, Sgt. Bill Campbell returned from Iraq with a phobia about being attacked from behind. He also need assistance in remembering to take his medications and help with other things. Pax is able to understand 50 commands and help his master to live a more normal life.

Regardless of which side you fall on regaring the war in Iraq, people that risk their lives to protect ours deserve our support and gratitude for their sacrifice. This is a great program. Kudos to "Puppies Behind Bars" and thank you for caring for the men and women that are helping to keep us safe.

We Must Leave Changed

2008-03-18T19:37:00.002-05:00

I have been reading some quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson about art and beauty. I found this one especially interesting:

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not."

Wow, what a statement! I have posted before that it honors God when we appreciate the beautiful and allow that appreciation to flow out in acts of creation. Emerson catches that idea exactly when he says that if we are not shaped and changed when we encounter the beautiful, then we cannot (or did not) appreciate it at all.

Isn't that ultimately the goal of art, to bring about change? Some political and social revolutionaries use it for change in society. We, as Christians, should use it to change lives by bringing people closer to the Creator.

Another way to say that might be to state that art is just another facet of God. What I mean by that is that, just like art, if one encounters the Creator(God) and does not leaved changed, then he did not encounter Him at all.

What art has changed you?

SCC Pics

2008-03-18T15:21:00.005-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post, we hosted Steven Curtis Chapman at IBC last Sunday night. Here are some pics:

These were taken by our worship intern, ERobb. If you want to check out some more pics from the concert, click here.

Weekend in Review

2008-03-17T19:09:00.002-05:00

Normally I don't spend a lot of time talking about stuff that happens to me, but Carmen and I just had one of the busiest weekends that we have had in a long time. Not only did we have 7 10th grade boys at our house all weekend long, the worship team at church hosted the biggest concert we have had to date at Ingleside.

Yeah, so we kicked off this weekend Friday with the boys coming over the house. I was doing double duty as a host home/driver and a group leader. That basically meant that I was teaching and hosting. For those of you that have ever participated in a disicplenow weekend, you know that it is a very good idea to have both host home leaders and a group leader and them not be the same person. However, as God constantly reminds me, He has a plan. We had a great time, doing the lessons, having worship time, doing recreation and all the usual Dnow activities. Sleep, however, was very elusive, as the boys had little interest in it. The first night was very short and the second saw me up until 1 in the morning trying to unsucessfully fix a clogged toilet. ( I was finally successful today, after the weekend was done.)

The other major event this weekend was a concert that we have been planning for about 6 months at church. Last night, was hosted Steven Curtis Chapman. I'm not going to do a review since most everyone knows that he is incredibly talented, a great performer and just a great guy, both on and off stage.

Instead, I will tell you about the day. Since it was on a Sunday, we had regular church. I rolled in at my usual time, around 7:30 a.m. When we finished the services, we struck the stage and immediately had the stage crew bounding in wanting to set up. My responsibility for the concert was the load in/load out crew. I had 16 guys that were helping to set up, so we unloaded the semi and got those guys set up in about 3 hours. I was around for a few hours just to help and put out fires. The show, as expected, was phenomenal, although I would have like to have had more of his music (He let his son have a large portion of the opening portion. With a repertoire as big as SCC's, time is of the essence at his concerts.)

After the show, we jumped back in and got those guys loaded out and back on the way to Nashville. It was the last night of the tour and they were as anxious to get out of there as I was to let my head hit a pillow. We shut the back door as they rolled out at about 1 this morning. I think I was at the church about 18 hours yesterday, running mostly on fumes.

But, all that being said, I believe that God was honored in both the DNow and the concert. I probably need to be more careful how much I volunteer for, but they were both great events. (yeah, I would probably do it again in a hearbeat.)

(P.S. I did get to meet and talk to Steven. He really is as genuine as I have found for a performer of his caliber. I should have some pictures forthcoming.)

All Right Kids, Everyone Settle Down

2008-03-13T19:30:00.003-05:00

I posted a few days ago that the SBC had changed their tune on the official stance concerning global warming. The national media picked up the story and ran with it.

The Baptist Press is backing up on that story and attempting to set the record straight. You can read this article here that has two major points in it:

1. The SBC has issued a statement that the official stance on global warming has not changed. The statement notes that the initiative is not an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention, nor is the document representative of the SBC. They reaffirm that the official resolution from the 2007 Convention is still the official stance of the SBC concerning climate change. It notes that the term "Southern Baptist" in the initiative's title is misleading.

2. Richard Land and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Committee did not endorse the initiative. Land correctly stated that, as an entity of the SBC, they were obliged to follow the SBC resolutions (I insert a big "that's exactly right" for Richard Land. I think that he acted exactly as he and the ERLC should have.)

I think that two things came into play in causing this uproar based on an initiative by a 25 year old seminary student:

1. The national media loves a story that has the SBC changing any position and especially one that has them jumping on the global warming "bandwagon." I can easily see why the media ran with this without bothering to do any research or fact checking.

2. Given some of the high-profile leaders that put their names on this initiative, it gave it a lot more credence than it should have. Unfortunately for the world outside of the SBC, it's not a long jump to assume that when some high profile SBC leaders state something, then it must be true for all Southern Baptists. ( That may be true, especially in matters of scriptural integrity, but please do not always assume a small group of vocal Southern Baptists always speak on behalf of the entire group.)

I am greatly relieved to know that there has no been no change without any viable scientific evidence. Maybe that day will come, but I will need a lot of convincing based on what I know now. I pray that we will approach this issue in a way that upholds Scripture and presents a clear and unified vision to the world.

How Did We Live?

2008-03-12T21:54:00.003-05:00

Ok, so I am no spring chicken. I have been around a couple of the proverbial blocks. I mean, I even remember the age of eight track players, in cars no less.

However, there are two inventions that are such a part of my life, that I am not sure that I can honestly remember what my life was like before them. They are:

1. Cell phones

2. The internet

This came about tonight because, as Carmen and I sat in our living room, she asked if it was true that Alaska was 4 times bigger than Texas. Since my lap top was sitting on my lap (and aptly named) I clicked two times and found out that Alaska is 586, 000 square miles and is, in fact, 2 1/2 times the size of Texas.

I have a vague recollection of, at one point in my life, having to go to a library and look in things called "encyclopedias" to find out information. My life is so much richer and fuller today.

And how did we exist without being able to call someone and get them wherever they are, at any time? I have read in history books that we used to have to come home and check notes left by others to see if someone called us. Wow!!??? How inefficient was that?

What other things have become such an integrated part of life that we can't imagine being without them? (well, besides Teddy Grahams)

Tread Lightly

2008-03-10T19:34:00.006-05:00

I came across this article today. Apparently, Southern Baptist Leaders have done an about face concerning their stance on global warming. At the convention last summer, a resolution was passed stating that the SBC should " proceed cautiously into the debate on global warming due to a lack of consensus" on whether it even exists or its causes.

Today, I learned that there exists a Southen Baptist Environment and Climate Initiative. You can view their website here. I am considerably perplexed by this sudden foray into this arena. It concerns me on several levels:

1. I think the decision made to be very careful in what the SBC involves itself in is prudent. There is absolutely no consensus concerning global warming and whether it is caused by man. Just last week, the founder of The Weather Channel was on Fox News speaking against global warming. He recently called global warming the "greatest scam in history." It concerns me that the SBC would jump so quickly into this after affirming a much more cautious approach.

2. By putting the SBC title on this document and initiative, it will appear to most people that the Southern Baptists as a whole have endorsed these actions. One of the tenets of the SBC is the autonomy of the local church. We can and do have the right to pray and seek God's direction over issues for ourselves. I am always concerned when denominational leaders "speak out" for the convention on controversial issues. ( Let me note here that I am firm believer in being good stewards of the creation that God entrusted to us. I am concerned that the SBC will engage this "issue" at the expense of issues that are more clearly delineated in the Bible, such as helping the poor, the sanctitiy of life and preserving the sacredness of marriage, among others.)

3. I spent some time looking at the website. If we are going to venture into this area, there needs to be clear and persuasive scientific evidence that leads to this conclusion. In fact, the actual document states that there is no "special revelation" that led to this initiative, but the same information that is available to all. I did not see any scientists or specialists in climate-related fields listed on the website or associated with the initiative. Given the fact that this issue is so divisive, I would think that a mountain of evidence would be needed to show the reason for the founding of this initiative.

All in all, I am mostly concerned by the fact that my denomination is throwing its "collective" hat into this ring. Let me state again that I admire the hearts of people that take God's command seriously to be good stewards of His earth. However, there are clear things that can be done to take care of creation, such as recycling, reforestation, etc. I remain mostly unconvinced that global warming is solely a man-made phenoma and I cautiously view it as more of a political issue than anything else.

I would like to know more about the initiative, specifically pertaining to how it relates to the SBC, how it is funded and how it plans to be involved in this particular issue.

Let me finish by stating that this is solely my opinion, based on my own personal research. It is not the offical stance of my church. I am aware that there are much smarter people than I (engineers, scientists, etc.) that may be able to help me see other viewpoints. If so, I welcome them.

Until then, I would advise much prudence in this issue, especially when we, as southern baptists, begin to dip our toes into this pool. We need to make sure that this is a priority in line with the mandate given to us by Christ.

"Ruff" Day, Part II

2008-03-08T20:00:00.002-05:00

How could you ever be mad at a face like that?

"Ruff" Day

2008-03-07T18:57:00.001-05:00

A day in the life of a Copeland dog. Carmen wasn't watching.

Appreciation > Creativity

2008-03-03T20:14:00.002-05:00

I came across this quote by Frank Oz about Jim Henson(the creator of the muppets, et al.) today:

"Many people see Jim as an extraordinary creator and I realize that I see Jim first as an appreciator. He appreciated so much. He loved London. He loved walking on the heath. He loved Parliament Hill, flying kites. He appreciated his family and his colleagues and his Muppet family and he appreciated the performance and the design of a puppet. He appreciated the detail on a Persian rug. He appreciated beauty. I really don't believe that Jim could have been such an extraordinary creator if he hadn't been such an extraordinary appreciator."

I thought about what Paul says in calling the Thessalonians to "give thanks in all circumstances." (1 Thessalonians 5:18). I think, being made in the image of the Great Creator, there is a facet of Him that shows itself in our thankfulness, specifically appreciating beauty. It's kind of like we are a sponge. There is probably a certain amount of thankfulness that we need just to function and be Christ-followers, but we reach a saturation point and the excess begins to pour out, beauty created, flowing from the appreciation of what we have been given as His children. Of course, the desire to create in beauty is ulmately found in our desire to be thankful towards God and express that in our "creation."

Praising God In The High And The Low

2008-02-25T21:20:00.003-05:00

Carmen and I went to a used book sale this weekend and picked up a few books. One book that I bought was a picture book from 1973 that is a collection of pictures around the life of C.S. Lewis. On a page with a picture of a dark forest is this quote from Letters To Malcolm:

"We--or at least I--shall not be able to adore God on the highest occasions if we have learned no habit of doing so on the lowest. At best, our faith and reason will tell us that He is adorable, but we shall not have found Him so...Any patch of sunlight in a wood will show you something about the sun which you could never get from reading books on astronomy. These pure and spontaneous pleasures are "patches of godlight" in the woods of experience." -C. S. Lewis

There is much to be said about the actual experience of meeting God as opposed to knowing all about Him. It's as if, everytime we think we have a handle on knowing Him more, He delights in letting us see one more facet of Himself and and we are reminded that He is God. We have eternity to understand Him more.

What Do You Think?

2008-02-23T17:51:00.002-05:00

I came across this quote the other day and it caught me a little off guard. Here it is:

"It is so much worse to be a mediocre artist than to be a mediocre post office clerk."
Rudolf Bing (1902-97)

I was not familiar with Bing, so I googled him. He was an opera impresario and he was the director of the New York Metropolitan Opera from 1950-1972. I think that gives a little more light on his background for this statement.

However, I am not entirely convinced that I can jump on board with this assumption.

First of all, I do not know a thing about Bing's relationship with Jesus Christ. That flavors my thoughts. If a person has only mediocre talent in an art form and they get as much out of that talent as they can, I believe that God is honored. I really don't think that God cares as much about our talent as He does our intention in using said talent. However, being a mediocre postal clerk is probably more about desire to do a job than ability and is not nearly as abstract.

Second, art is inherently subjective. One person's thought of what is mediocre can be seen by another as genius. A test for being a medicore postal clerk is not nearly as subjective. Is the job (an objective set of tasks) getting done well and efficiently? It should be much easier to discern mediocrity among postal workers than artists. This may be apples to oranges.

Maybe my thoughts just aren't as refined as Bing's, but when I think that God has not given each person the same gifts and talents (or levels thereof), He may not be as concerned about the final product as why we are using it and how hard (and for what reason) we try. All of it, regardless of how great we think it is, falls infinitely short of what God deserves.

Those are my initial thoughts on that quote. What other ones are out there? What do you guys think?

Something Unexpected

2008-02-23T17:40:00.002-05:00

Carmen and I were out driving around today and came across this church. This is St. Innocent Orthodox church. I have lived here for over two years and never noticed this building. Granted, I do not drive by here very often.

For those of you in the north, you may not think twice at seeing this type of church or construction, but here in the midde of Bolingbroke, GA, a very rural area, it is quite unusual. Small, baptist churches are as common a sight to this area as are people in camoflauge, but it is not everyday that we see this. Interesting.

High Falls

2008-02-23T17:20:00.007-05:00

Carmen and I took the puppies out to High Falls this afternoon. High Falls is a state park about 25 miles north of us right off of I-75. We did some hiking and playing around near the water.

High Falls is aptly named since there is a waterfall there. One of them can be seen in this picture although the picture is not close up. Carmen, ever the tour guide, let me know that this was the last fall before the "Fall Line." Basically, south of there the land gets to sea level and water falls are very scarce at that point. One of the more interesting things we saw today was a wedding. There was a bride and groom, who are also in the picture, in full wedding attire. They were still taking pictures when I took this shot. It was a beautiful day to get married. We should have offered Anna and Lexie to be the dogs of honor.

If you decide to take some time and do some hiking in one the of most beautiful areas in middle GA, make sure that you get an envelope to stick on your dashboard. We got there and no guard was present. In fact, the sign said to procede to the collection boxes and get an envelope to stick two dollars in and then place on your dash. No envelopes were left, so I just stuck a couple of dollars in there to help upkeep our state parks. Nonetheless, a park ranger still gave me a ticket. Nevermind that there was absolutely no way for me to get anything to show that I had paid my two dollars. He "kindly" let me out of the ticket.

As always, the dogs were a big hit. Lexie, our beagle and social dog, made friends with everyone. In fact, she is actually playing with the little boy in this picture. Anna, the vigilant one, is making sure that no one sneaks up on us. I think they had a good day.

Wii Finally Got One

2008-02-18T20:54:00.008-05:00

So, after months of searching and calling, and calling and searching, going to every electronic store in town and bugging the mess out of multiple sales people, today was the day.

I had resigned myself to the same conversation that had been repeated over and over again:

Sales Person (said with little enthusiasm): "Hi, this is ________ electronics. How may I help you?"

Scott (said with much enthusiasm): Hi, I was wondering if you happen to have any Nintendo Wii's in stock?

Sales Person (whose tone just turned darker at the mention of the Wii): NO!

Scott: Oh, OK. Do you happen to know when you might get some in?

Sales Person: No.

Scott: Is there a certain day of the week that you might get one in?

Sales Person: No. There is no rhyme or reason to anything pertaining to the Nintendo Will. In fact, we resent that you actually have the nerve to waste our time by calling this store and asking the question that we get 8000 times a day. There will never be any Wii's here so don't ever call this store again.

Ok, the last part (after the last NO) is my interpretation, but that is what I felt like.

That is until today. I called Gamestop and went through the conversation. He then answered that yes, they had Nintendo Wii's in stock. I about dropped the phone. After I recovered, I rushed to the store and picked one up.

It is pretty cool. Carmen and I created Mii's for ourselves. They are our little characters that look like us and that we play as in games. There is a cool feature on the Wii where the Mii's can travel. You have to hook your Wii up to your wireless network and then they can go to other peoples' Wii's (we've come a long way since the Atari 2600). I told our Mii's that they could travel and I haven't seen them since. I guess the old saying is true "If your love you Mii, set them free. If they come back....." Well, you can see where that went.

We are really excited. I think we are going to enjoy this unit. We can play these games together and it is really easy to use.

Who else out there has a Wii? How do you like it? Let me hear from fellow Wii owners. And how do you get your Mii to come back home?

More Out Of Uganda

2008-02-14T19:37:00.002-05:00

I have been posting this week about a trip that a number of my fellow bloggers are on. They have gone to Uganda to spotlight the work of Compassion ministries in that country, and around the world.

I have been floored by the stories that are coming out of there. I am seeing pictures of people that have so little to live for (and on) and yet love God and long to know him more. I have been reminded that my little that I can give to help support a child will LITERALLY save their life and give them a chance to know about Jesus Christ.

Please stop for a few minutes and read some of these stories. Randy's blog, Carlos' blog, and Spence's blog. These children can be given hope and can make a difference in their own world. Please, please consider becoming a sponsor for one of these children. Click here.

Compassion Blogs Day 3

2008-02-13T22:06:00.002-05:00

There are more powerful stories coming out of Uganda and the Compassion guys that are over there blogging.

Check out Randy's blog, Spence's blog and Carlos' blog.

It is amazing that there is such a difference between the kids that are sponsored by Compassion and the ones that are not. $32/ month is really nothing to us, yet can support a family of four in Uganda. If you have not sponsored a child and feel like God is leading you to do that, go here.

Please keep praying for these guys. Spence noted that one of the group had a fall and had to go to the hospital. They greatly need our prayers.

Best In Show

2008-02-12T23:08:00.005-05:00

Tonight history was made as Uno won the top prize at the 2008 Westminster Dog Show. Uno is the first beagle to ever win that prize and Uno had one thing to say...."It's about stinking time!" Actually what he probably said was something along the lines of "Hey, gimme a treat."

As a fellow beagle owner, we were all rooting to see the first beagle crowned at Westminster. Well, almost all of us. Our beagle, Lexie, slept right through the big event. I am not sure that she understood the magnitude of what happened tonight. But she did get a a treat.

Compassion Blog Day 2

2008-02-12T22:14:00.002-05:00

Hey, you need to check out some of the blogs that are coming out of Uganda. Both Randy and Carlos have told stories that will break your heart. Check them out here for Randy's blog and here for Carlos' blog. Also, check out Spence's blog here.

I really believe in what these guys are doing. Maybe because we sponsor a child, maybe because it makes me realize how easy our lives are in America. If you can afford to do it, please consider sponsoring a child. You will change their lives. You can do that here.

And keep these guys in your prayers. They need it.