Good humans..

This warms my heart. People reaching out, showing some love.

I also made a map (actually I found it and then drawed on it) that helps me visualize the flooding in NOLA.


I put a box around the approximate location of NOLA and as you can see, with all that water already surrounding the area, it is so easy to see how easily that city can flood.

I once knew a girl named Katrina

But she wasn't nearly as bad as that girl who rolled through the gulf coast.

I'm sitting here flipping through between The Weather Channel, CNN, MSNBC and FOX News. And I'm just awestruck by what I've been seeing. And I'm heartbroken. And I'm angry.

Awestruck by the sheer force of this hurricane. New Orleans is getting a lot of press, but have you seen pictures of Biloxi? That city got ravaged! Casinos collapsed, barges were driven inland, and the freight that was on those barges was thrown up and down the coast haphazardly.

Heartbroken to see the loss of life and property that this hurricane has caused. For the families torn apart. For the damage that has nearly turned NOLA into a modern-day Atlantis. Their infastructure got washed away. Bridges had their decks ripped from their piers. I saw this one photo that showed just a series of piers that used to support a road deck. Crazy.

And angry. Angry at the people who go and take advantage of the situation by looting empty businesses. People who are STEALING. If that's why you stayed behind...

And NOLA's not out of the woods yet. They've just reported that two more levees have failed and they expect another nine feet of water in the city by mid-day tomorrow. And not just NOLA, but all the affected areas are prime targets for disease and some major health problems.

Pray hard.

I'm seriously hoping that the people of the United States step up and show these people some love. I commented back in December how Tsunami Aid got a big time boost from A-list celebrities and how I hoped that they would help out with any sort of domestic disaster. I hope that those same people step up now and show some love.

I do disagree with a blogger who ridiculed a statment by an Mississippi official that "this was our tsunami." If a tsumani is the worst thing that they can think of to compare it to, than so be it. They could have called it "our 9/11," but that probably wouldn't have gone over well. They just tried to compare it the best way they could.

Katrina Links

Front page of The Times-Picayune this morning.

The local NBC affiliate streams their live news on their website.

This is where I've been getting most of my news.

I'm going to make heart of paper

I was working on a response to that article that I had referenced last week, but I stopped working on it and will not resume. I realized that I was doing it for the wrong reasons. My comments were not necessary for you to see what this person was trying to say. I wasn't going to say anything helpful. So I'm not going to say anything. If you were looking forward to reading my writings, let me know and I'll write you something else.

Part of me is a little frustrated at the moment at the way Christians attack each other. Earlier today, I read lots of stuff about the Donald Miller situation which Ocean Waves referred to on Thursday. And honestly, I didn't find any of it to be kind. Or loving. And that bugs me. But it also made me realize how easy it is for me to do, and sometimes not even realize it. And I've done it. In this very blog. That's scary.

Drop it like a mop

This one's going to be long AND random..

Chris Farley got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame over the weekend. Apparently, it's not really that hard to get one. It only costs $15,000 dollars. Read more.

Went to go get gas this afternoon and the lines were stacked at the pump. Why? Katrina.

Watching the VMA’s tonight. John Norris is wearing a sleeveless purple shirt. Yuck. Listening to these people talk is like Chinese water-torture. But I just can’t stop watching. I think I’m in trouble.

Here’s what I had to eat today (cuz I know you wanted to know):

Four pieces of pizza
Baked Oatmeal
Chicken Sandwich
Unsalted Peanuts

Ludacris has a Louis Vitton rainbow interior in his car. Kurt Loder is still workin’ it for MTV too.

Here’s a thought I had this morning. My apologies if I’ve already dropped this thought in your head. “When people think of a Christian, do they think of you? Or are you just a good person?” I thought Phil had a good word this morning and had some good stuff to share. I’m looking forward to hearing the ten commandments series. Also, after hearing Psalm 103 read this morning, I realized how much I enjoy hearing scripture read.

Random fact: BYU has one of the most comprehensive dance programs in the country.

Found out this weekend that the pastor that baptized me back in the day got divorced. His wife left him. That was sad to hear.

Had some ice cream from Maggie Moo’s yesterday. You should check ‘em out if you happen to be over near the The Shoppes at Susquehanna. They do the mix-in thing like Cold Stone, but they have more creative base flavors. I had double fudge ice cream with chocolate chips and peanut butter cups.

This just in, Mase is part of the G-unit (50 cent’s crew). Hmmmmm… And I don’t think that Diddy can dance. But Hammer still has the moves. Still can’t touch that. And my feelings for Kanye West have changed. Looking for a link to the interview I read in Complex.

Another thought for you to chew on. I’m watching Catholic TV right now and they’re doing a little thing on G.K. Chesterton. They were talking about the world and the Church’s role in the world. He said:

"A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it."

The stream being the world, and the Church being that "thing," stating that the Church needed to stand against the current for what is true and right, not necessarily what’s popular. Words the Church today should really think about.

You go Grandma!

Melba Clapp, 70

For those who keep track of such things..

*Derek Webb will be playing at Messiah, Wednesday night, 09/21/05 at the Larsen.

*I'm working on my response to the article by Mrs. Maken but it's going to end up being a word doc because it's long.

*Tonight, I get to eat food cooked on a grill for the third time in five days. And I am quite content with that.

*The Elks Theatre in Middletown is closing. Sometime this fall. Hopefully another theatre will open up in the same location.

$15.04

That's how much my bonuscard has saved me at my neighborhood Giant in 2005.

So I got a group project. I found this article. What I'd like you to do, is to read the article and then write a blog entry about it. If ya liked it, great. Tell us why. If ya hated it, great. Tell us why. I don't care what you write, just try to use complete sentences and correct punctuation.

I'm currently watching this program on Maryland Public Television. It's fantastic! They take the color footage and pair it up with excerpts from actual letters and diary entries from soldiers and other citizens. It's really quite insightful. For instance, did you know that grocery shopping used to be called "marketing?" Three cheers for educational television. Hip hip hooray!

An article worth your time:

Relevant talks to Dallas Willard

A Recomendation

On the Pennsylvania Turnpike, you may notice some new restaurant signs on the many travel plazas along the way. And maybe they're not that new, but they're new to me. One of the new signs advertises Pizzaria Uno. I saw it today and I was psyched. I like their pizza and I was looking forward to buying some. We stopped at the plaza and went in. My first clue that things weren't right, was the fact that a Cinnabon eatery was selling the pizza. And Nathan's hot dogs and Hershey's ice cream. My second clue was the fact that the pizza tasted horrible. I got home and had some leftover Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and that tasted better than my pizza did. So be warned. Pizzaria Uno pizza on the turnpike isn't what you think it is. Or maybe you're more astute then I am and already figured that out.

What's the deal with Pat Robertson? If you haven't heard, click here to read the latest. A while back, one of my esteemed acquaintences commented about what Christians do and how it harms our reputation. This is a prime example. I don't believe that Mr. Robertson has the right to suggest that a foreign diplomat be assasinated. What is that all about? And more importantly, how is that obeying God's command to "Love thy neighbor as theyself?" Crazy.

Speaking of love, a note about my prior entry. I don't say it enough. A lot of times I don't even say it all. Never been all that hot at expressing affection, whether it be in words or hugs or whatever. But I'm trying to work on it. So I thought I would just make a general proclamation. Start the ball rolling that way. So please, feel the love.

A Secret Message, Just For You:

I Love You.

$64.50

That's how much I left in New York City and surrounding suburbs on Saturday. Some friends and I made a little trip to Le Grande Apple. Twenty-six dollars of the aforementioned dollar amount went to a cruise around the island of Manhattan, courtesy of New York Waterway. If you're looking for a fun, semi-informative New York cruise, I'd recommend them. Of course, the only other boat I've ridden up in the city is the ferry between Liberty State Park and Lower Manhattan.

We also did our fair share of walking, from sixty-something down to 33rd, and from sixth west to the river. Sights seen included Lincoln Center, MOBIA, Central Park, Jekyll and Hyde, Rockerfeller Center, Duane Reade, Manhattan Mall, the Disney Store, Trump Tower, the stand that told me that "George Bush is an idiot," the shouting lady at Central Park, the phantom Pomme Frites stand, McDonald's, the Javitts Center, the Copacabana, and a TON of people.

And it all made me glad that I live nowhere near New York City. Sure it's a nice place to visit, but I would NOT want to live there. Not when I have to pay $11.95 for a Caesar Salad.

Hey, if you ever go on vacation somewhere, send me a postcard. I love getting postcards from people traveling about. I just got a postcard from a friend who was visiting family over in Poland. That was pretty cool. It's neat to see where people are and what they're doing.

8:18

This sounds kinda far-fetched, but I think it would be a neat idea.

I was thinking yesterday that there are two places that I really enjoy hanging around (coincidentally enough, I was at both places yesterday). These two places are my church and bookstores. I'm not sure on the "why" with the church selection. Maybe it's because of the sense of community that I associate with my church. I was thinking that if my church had a cafe that was open outside of Sundays, I would probably be there a lot. And the bookstores, heck if you can read, you probably enjoy hanging out at a bookstore. I suppose it's the variety that's available. I can read the latest Entertainment Weekly, then go read a bit of Spurgeon, look at a map of NYC and listen to latest Superchic(k) album, all in the same building!

This then prompted me to come up with my favorite five hangouts*. So here they are, in no particular order:

My Parent's House
Church
Ellie's Apartment
Bookstores (Borders or B&N)
Airports

*Based on careful market research analysis

And now, the news

Big news down in Lynchburg this week. Jerry's gettin' soft in his old age.

I'm happy to report that tickets for the Brad Sherwood/Colin Mochrie show at Messiah go on sale 09/12/05 and that they will be $25.00. And I'm excited to report that Mr. Tim Morgan will be opening up for them. If you know Tim, this is a really excellent opportunity for him.

In other Messiah College news, they announced their fall movie lineup. It looks something like this:

Contemporary Film Series - Fall 2005

all films are shown at 7PM and 9:30PM
except * where second showing is at 10PM

Aug 29 (free film outside of Larsen - 8PM)
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Garth Jennings, 2005, 109 m)

Sept 2-3
Crash (Paul Haggis, 2004, 113 m)

Sept 9-10
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ken Kwapis, 2005, 119 m)

Sept 16-17
Me and You and Everyone We Know (Miranda July, 2005, 90 m)

Sept 23-24
Millions (Danny Boyle, 2004, 98 m)

Sept 30-Oct 1
Batman Begins * (Christopher Nolan, 2005, 141 m)

Oct 7-8
Mad Hot Ballroom (Marilyn Agrelo, 2005, 105 m)

Oct 14-15
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Tim Burton, 2005, 115 m)

Oct 28-29
Howl’s Moving Castle (Hayao Miyazaki, 2004, 119 m)

Nov 4-5
Revenge of the Sith * (George Lucas, 2005, 140 m)

Nov 11-12
War of the Worlds (Steven Spielberg, 2005, 116 m)

Nov 18-19
March of the Penguins (Luc Jacquet, 2005, 85 m)

Dec 2-3
Cinderella Man * (Ron Howard, 2005, 144 m)

Dec 9-10
The Brothers Grimm (Terry Gilliam, 2005)

Mark your calendars accordingly.

Rachel Ray's in Cleveland tonight.

So I’ve been reading this book by Yancey and I’ve been getting some good thinking material out of it. Here’s the latest..

Ever notice how we live in a “star-oriented” culture? What do I mean by “star-oriented?” By that, I mean that we live in a culture where we put an emphasis on the popular stars of the entertainment and sports. We’re all into the lives of Jen and Ben, Angelina and Brad, Britney and Kevin, Jessica and Nick. Kobe, Barry, David and Terrell. These are the people we look up to. The people we idolize. The people we want to be like.

So why don’t we look to emulate Jimmy Carter or Mother Theresa? Why aren’t we a “server-oriented” culture? Well for one, I don’t think it really appeals to people. What’s in it for me? That’s the root of a lot of the world’s actions. People are not interested in serving others. They’re interested in serving themselves.

Now I haven’t really shared anything new or ground-breaking, and I didn’t expect to. But I do want you to imagine what a world this would be if there were more of us who were “server-oriented” and fewer of us who were “star-oriented.” Hmmm...

Be the Center

A Prayer

Jesus be the center
Be my source be my light Jesus
Jesus be the center
Be my song Jesus

Be the fire in my heart
Be the wind in my sails
Be the reason that I live

Jesus Jesus
Jesus be my vision
Be my help
Be my guide Jesus

-Michael Frye

Don't think me morbid

I read obituaries. Seriously. Here's why: You can learn a lot about a person. Oftentimes, an obituary will be a summary of a person's life. You can find out where they went to school, where they worked and what kind of activities they were involved in. It's actually a pretty cool little history lesson.

I have never read an obituary that had been written in the first person. Until yesterday. Dawn Myers Jumper passed away last week. And she wrote her own obituary. Read it here.

Voulez-vous mangez?

Big bloggings* coming soon, starting tonight.

I really like to travel. Thus far today, I have worked on a trip this Saturday to NYC and a possible trip to Colorado next weekend. And I went to Nashville yesterday.

I was thinking about why I like to travel. I like to see new things. I like to see and actually observe new people. I like to try new varieties of food (not necessarily new food, but familiar food redone a different way, like chicago-style pizza). Bottom line, I like to see what else is out there. Oftentimes we get so caught up in our little "bio-dome," that we don't get to see what the rest of the world has to offer. For that matter, we don't know what the rest of the world has to offer. And it doesn't have to involve airplanes or trains. You can get in your car and drive a few hours and discover a whole new world (cue the street rat).

So go somewhere.

Please note, the phrase "big bloggings" may not actually refer to the size of the blog entry, but the thought that the entry contains. Thank you.

Links-a-lot

Check out this tidbit gleamed from the Computer Shopper.

Google Hack -- You can perform basic Google searches from your cell phone by sending text-message queries to 46645 (GOOGL). To search for general services in your vicinity, type a word of description followed by a period and your city/state or ZIP code (sushi.10018). To get the weather, use the same format preceded by the word "weather," or for addresses and phone numbers, by the name of the business. You can even get driving directions by typing from followed by the ZIP code of your starting point and to followed by your destination's ZIP code - for instance, from 10016 to 10018. You'll receive text-message responses free of charge (depending on your carrier's text-messaging plan) within seconds.

Interesting editorial mentioning both Jesus and Jerry Falwell in this morning's Post Gazette.

Also a link to a blog that I read every once in a while, the Evangelical Outpost.

There's sweet tea in heaven?

I'm there.

Last night, I mentioned to some friends that there is some sickness that sometimes causes dogs to chew on their own limbs. My research this morning has confirmed to me that this is a symptom of an animal infected with rabies. So there you go.

I'm planning on buying the new Nickel Creek album this weekend. It's on sale at Target for $9.98.

I'm also planning on purchasing the following items at Wal-Mart this weekend:

Milk
Orange Juice
Yogurt
Kashi Go Lean Bars (4)
Granola Bars

I know your day is now complete, so class is dismissed.

Media Stuff

This should be an interesting movie. I think.

I like Alias as much as the next guy (who likes Alias), but this kinda borders on unhealthy. Just read those first three paragraphs.

There's a new version of Oliver Twist on the way..

Wanna know when that next hotly-anticipated album from your favorite Christian artist is coming out? Click here.

Watch Nic Cage as he portrays the all-American arms trader.

And finally, a trailer that I've been wanting to mention for a while but have forgotten. This looks like a pretty cool movie. Probably cuz it's got bears in it. Grizzly ones.

Thanks for clickin'

I did not win the prize,
I'm sad, just in disguise
I will not mope and pout
Instead, I'll scream and shout
For I did not win the contest,
But we're grillin tonight for dinner!

Hey, did you know that Ninevah is located within the modern-day boundaries of Iraq?

Go visit Shaun Groves

Read his blog. Laugh. Cry. Win me a shirt and a CD. I'll let you borrow the CD. And the shirt too.

Update: I did not win. The link that was in this post has been removed, but it's still over there on the right. Check up on him every once in a while. Ask him if he will route his tour with Kendall Payne through PA.

And I thought I was the only one..

click

Winkin, Blinkin and what's his face..

Sometimes I think I think too much. I think so much that my thoughts get all mixed up. Then I can’t think straight. So I need to be better at writin’ stuff down. But I wrote stuff down yesterday. And that’s what I’ll talk about now.

Here’s the quote du jour from Philip Yancey:

What would happen in the national consensus if these nine words came to mind when you said the word “Christian”: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?”

Hmmmm… My small group last week talked about joy, and the absence of it among Christians. Why don’t Christians have more joy in their lives? And more importantly, why don’t they express it? Next time you’re at church, look at all the smiling faces. Then look at the non-smileys. If the latter outnumbers the former, ya got trouble.

When Christians are out in the mission field, what kind of witness can we be if we’re gloomy and down? My favorite Winnie-the-Pooh character is Eeyore. The poor guy. He was always either losing his tail, or his house. And he was always mopey. I’m amazed that Rabbit, Pooh, Tigger and Piglet even hung out with him. The fact that those guys hung out with him is a testament to community. But that’s a story for another day. Back to Eeyore. If you weren’t buddies with him, why would you want to hang around him? He didn’t have any joy. He wasn’t any fun. So what was in it for you?

I know I shy away from joyless people. I’ll be straight with you. They bring me down. Sure, most people will have moments here and there where they lack joy. But it’s the people who are consistently joyless who repel me. So imagine what it’s like for non-Christians who see joyless folks who call themselves Christians. Not something very appealing. I’m just saying.

I like my letters in a sensical order.

I'm reading another book. And it makes me think, think, think.

Here's what I've been thinking about: God knew what he was doing during creation. He knew what He wanted to make, how He wanted to make it, and how much of it He wanted to make. So why do we think we can improve on His work? Why do we have men, who feel like they need to be ladies, just because they don't feel masculine. What makes scientists believe that by cloning life, it makes the world a better place? What makes man think he can one-up God?

What's in a word?

So this fellow at our church wrote a song called “Marks of Christ.” There’s a couple lines in the song that caught my eye.

Pierce my ear, Precious Master
The token of my life.

That word “token” jarred my brain. So I took a peek in the dictionary. In the New Oxford Dictionary, the definition of token is “sign, symbol, evidence.” Read those lines again, like this:

Pierce my ear, Precious Master,
The symbol of my life.

Here’s what I got to thinking. We’ve got to live our lives as symbols of Christ. People are not able to see Jesus Christ in a literal, physical sense. How can they know what they cannot see? Yes, to an extent faith plays a part. However, people need physical evidence. That’s where we come in. We are the physical manifestation of Christ.

Now how messed up is that? Christ is willing to let us, puny error-prone humans be his representatives. That kinda blows my mind a bit. We have a huge responsibility to be standards and representatives of Christ. Oftentimes, we fall short, and that’s discouraging. But we can pick ourselves up, and try again. And that's what we gotta do.

And I wanted to tell you that I experienced one of my favorite weather moments today. That time just before a storm arrives when the accompanying cold front starts to blow in and you just know it's going to rain? You know what I'm talkin' about. The temperature drops several degrees and the wind starts whippin' up. Oh yea. God, flexin' his muscles.

John Kerry wants me. For my money

One in an occasional series of letters sent to the John Kerry mailing list.
Please note that in the actual email, the phrase "Make a Contribution" is a link.

Dear Stephen,

This weekend the GOP is kicking off its 2006 campaign cycle at the party's annual summer meeting in Pittsburgh, with Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum playing host. What does it say about the Republican leadership that they're putting a right-wing extremist at the center of their effort to keep control of the Senate? It says that their goal isn't just to hold on to power, but to drag America away from mainstream values and the issues that matter to ordinary Americans.

I'm not up for re-election in 2006, but I - like every Democrat - must do everything in my power to fight to restore responsible leadership in the House and Senate that will act on behalf of the interests of average Americans whose voices are being drowned out in Washington today.

You bet we wanted to win last November, but it turns out that one of the things we did accomplish in 2004 was this: we built an incredibly powerful organizational force online and offline that can come together again in 2006 to win back the House and Senate.

Like it or not, that fight starts now.

With five million supporters and activists, we've formed an organization called Keeping America's Promise. Our work is to mobilize volunteers, activists, donors - and of course voters - in support of tight and winnable races.

Without you, the Senate and House will stay in the hands of outside-the-mainstream Republicans. Please support our preparations for victory in 2006 by making a donation to Keeping America's Promise today:

Make a Contribution

Consider what's at stake in just Democrat Bob Casey's race against Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. Santorum is totally out of touch with the reality facing American families and totally out of touch with mainstream American values. And yet he has become the mainstream within the Republican Party:

*Santorum believes millions of people are uninsured because, "some people don't want [insurance] - like the Amish." [Harrisburg Patriot, 6/10/97]
*Santorum believes child care is a "Washington" issue that ordinary Americans don't care about. [Congressional Quarterly, 3/9/05]
*He said that the environmental movement's days are numbered and that environmentalism is against nature. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 4/24/95]
*He believes in privatizing Social Security. [Congressional Record, S3231, 4/5/05]
*Santorum thinks it's wrong to help single mothers earn a college degree. In his book, It Takes a Family, Santorum said that "The notion that college education is a cost-effective way to help poor, low-skill, unmarried mothers with high school diplomas or GEDs move up the economic ladder is just wrong." [It Takes a Family, pg. 138]

By the time the GOP wraps up its summer summit on Saturday afternoon, we need to have raised $500,000 to support our work to defeat extremists like Rick Santorum.

Make a Contribution

The 2006 Congressional election cycle will be a fight between two competing visions of America's future:

Democrats see an America where everyone has an opportunity to work hard and get ahead. Republicans see an America where the special interests get their way and families get the short end of the stick.
Democrats see an America that is energy independent and a good steward of the environment. Republicans see an America that continues to send its hard earned paychecks to the Saudis and risks sending our sons and daughters to the battlefields of the Middle East over oil that's beyond our control, in the hands of unstable and undemocratic regimes.

Winning back the majority in the US Congress is an essential step toward realizing an American future that you and I want for our families and for our children.

And because of the power we built together in this amazing online and offline community, your continuing support of Keeping America's Promise is now a critical ingredient to winning the fight.

But we can only compete and win if you stand with us. Please make a donation today:

Make a Contribution

Thank you,

John Kerry

Ain't it funny?

Alright y'uns. Gather up a log and take a seat here by the campfire. I got a story to tell you. No, it ain't a ghost story. It's a man story.

Once upon a time, there was a feller who worked for menial wages, but his job had some nice perks. One day his boss said to him "How would you like to go on down to San Anton(io) for a conference? Boy howdy was this feller excited. He had never been to San Anton(io), but he heard that's where his hero Davey Crockett got into it with some Mexi-cans. Not only that, but they had some crazy thing called a riverwalk that was like a miniature river runnin' through the downtown! Well, this feller got all excited and couldn't wait to be goin'. He would only have to wait four more months, and he'd be on his way.

A month or so later, this feller was at the local church and was approached by one of the female church-folk. She said "I was wondering if you might be interested in helping us out with our Bible school this year. You and those other folks did such a fine job, we wanted to have ya back. And the kids love ya. What do ya say?" Well, what could he say? The children needed him and his washboard. And believe you me, this fella play a mean washboard. So he says yes. Then he finds out when the Bible school is going to be held. Gol-durnit, if it wadnt the very same days that he was goin' to be down in San Anton(io). He was besides himself! But he knew what the right decision was. So he said "yes" to school, and had to tell his higher-up at the ranch, "no." She asked him why. An he said cuz he was playin' his washboard for Bible School. She was okay with that, and that fella left for the day.

As the days wore on, that fella got more disapointed. Why oh why couldn't these two wonderful opportunities occur on different days? He knew playin' the Bible school gig was the right thing to do. But he also knew that the trip to San Anton(io) would be a great opportunity to see Davey Crockett's Alamo, as well as help him with his responsibilities as a sheep herder. And he was disappointed. He said to God "Why did you work it out this way? You know the desires of my heart!" Alas, God did not change the situation and he resigned himself to the fact that he would be playin' his washboard for the Bible School. He was glad to be helpin' out the children, but was sad for the lost opportunity.

One day during the Bible school week, the fella was goin' about his work and talkin' with some other herders. He was talkin' with this visiting herder from Ohio who he was going to go on the trip to San Anton(io) with. And he asked about the trip. And the herder said to him "are you jokin' with me?" And he said "no." Then he said "why?" With a pained look, the herder informed the fella that he did not get to go to San Anton(io). The trip was cancelled. He was going to take his missus down with him and have a gay old time. But they didn't get the chance.

After consoling the herder, the fella left. And he got to thinkin'...If he had decided to go to San Anton(io), he would have declined the invitation to play for the Bible school children. And they would have found someone else. But then his trip would have been cancelled. But he would not have been able to play the Bible school cause they would have found someone else to play the washboard (though not as good). And then he wouldn't get to do any of activities he enjoyed.

Ain't it funny how things work out?

Croc pot

Sorry fans of J.T. Croc-n-berry's. It's closed it's doors. The restaurant was bought by another chain restaurant. This fall, look for Charlie Brown's Steakhouse to open it's doors right next to the Outback and right in front of Texas Roadhouse. Oh, and less than a mile down the road from Lonestar. Union Deposit's new theme will be: "If you're not serving steak, get out!"

With Arms Wide Open

I was in the First Wednesday prayer service tonight at church. I was blessed to hear Dr. Musser speak. I rarely attend the church-wide prayer, mostly because I’m more a fan of personal prayer than corporate prayer. But I digress.

Dr. Musser was talking about a Willow Creek conference he was at that Bill Hybels spoke at. He told attendees about the first thing he did every morning before he did anything else. He got on his knees and asked God to give him an opportunity to share his faith that day. He prays this every day. That’s amazing. Sometimes it seems like sharing my faith is the last thing on my mind. It shouldn’t be, but it is. Something else for me to work on…

I wanted to share some lyrics to a song that was sung this past Sunday in church. It’s the second time I heard it and I think it’s a great song.

Surrender

You see me Lord, and all of my pain
You know my heart, my every refrain.
I need Your touch
I need Your love.

Lord, guard my heart and hold my hand
As I surrender to Your perfect plan.
Surround me Lord,
And fill my soul.

Help me give my all to You.
And help me to be all that you want me to be.
And may I live just for you
In perfect humility
Surrendering all of me

-Faith Minnich

Good news

That lady in Virginia who was brain-dead had her baby. Didn't hear about it? Read more here.

Of Mice and Men, Birds and Boys

According to this article, Rafael Palmeiro knew about his positive drug test prior to his 3,000th hit.

I'd like to give a shout out to the folks at Sheetz. They now offer a grilled chicken breast sandwich which is pretty darn decent. I had one last night with lettuce, ranch dressing, and the hot pepper cheese, all on a wheat bun. M-T-O's rule the school!

I'm watching NASA TV at the moment and I'm just amazed at the technology we have that we can watch somebody remove tile fillers over 100 miles above us in space. And not only can we watch them, but we can also hear them. Freakin' Amazing.

It takes a big man...

To forgive people for being incarcerated for 19 years.....for something you didn't even do. Wow. His name is Thomas Doswell.

And now some movie trailers that have caught my eye (or perhaps it was the ladies in them):

The new Reese Witherspoon movie, Just Like Heaven.

Here's one for the newest Pride and Prejudice starring Kiera Knightly.

And finally, Natalie Portman's next flick, V for Vendetta.

I'm mad

Rafael Palmeiro has been suspended for ten games for violating the MLB drug policy. And he told Congress that he didn't use steroids. Grrr....

Update: According to this definition, maybe it's NOT steroids..

SUBSTANCES
• Coupled with new federal legislation, the list of banned substances will include not only steroids, but steroid precursors and designer steroids such as THG, as well as masking agents and diuretics.