Purple

Purple is one of my favorite colors. This farm is located about 2 miles from my house. I'm still playing with the settings on my new DSLR.

 

That's How I Remember It

I haven't had the opportunity to write anything lately because I've been out-of-pocket, so to speak. I couldn't say anything at the time, but now that I'm home, I can safely tell you that I spent the last couple of days at the International Space Station.

I know a guy that knows a guy and he was able to get me a stand-by ticket. We left Friday afternoon and hooked up with the Space Station that evening. Talk about AWESOME!!! They had a special dinner all ready for us when we got there and then they gave us a tour. Man, they've got some really cool gadgets up there in space! Saturday morning, they took us on a space walk and I got to help them work on some of the solar panels. (I'm qualified to do that because I've seen the sun before.) Saturday afternoon was spent in the laboratory working on some experiments--we built a perpetual motion machine, found a cure for cancer in white mice and developed a face cream that will take 20 years off your appearance.

After a very nice brunch Sunday morning, we packed and headed back home. As we were landing in Florida, we were told there might be sniper fire, so when we got off the shuttle, we had to run very quickly to the hanger! All in all though, it was a really nice trip. One thing taht was disappointing: they didn't have food or drink service on the Space Shuttle which I thought was kinda cheap!

 
The above story may or may not be true, but if Hillary can get away with it...

Special thanks to michellemalkin.com for the photo.

Good Friday / Friday Photos

Good Friday
Today is "Good Friday," the day that many (most?) people believe Jesus Christ was crucified. Prior to sunset that day, his body was taken down from the cross and places in a tomb...but Sunday morning, when Mary Magdalene, Peter and John came to the tomb they discovered that the stone covering the tomb had been rolled away and Jesus' body was not there. He had risen just as he said he would!

...and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. --Luke 24:46-47 NASB

Easter Traditions
One of the Easter traditions people observe is to go out and buy new clothes to wear to church on Easter Sunday. Well, most people buy new clothes. We knew some people years ago that had their own "tradition." They had several children and didn't make a lot of money, so each Easter they would go a department store and "purchase" Easter outfits for the family on their credit card. Easter morning, they would go to church in their pretty new clothes, being very careful not to soil them...then, yep you guessed it...they would return the clothes the next day for a credit on their card! Mission accomplished! Everyone got to wear something new on Easter and it didn't cost them a dime. The mom was quite proud of herself for devising such a cost-saving solution. I just thought it bordered on stealing.

Friday Photos
Three photos this week in celebration of my new toy.

Friday Photos

I haven't had much time this week to write about the Shepherds' Conference. Hopefully I'll have some time this weekend or next week. Simply stated: It was a great week--encouraging, restless and tiring at the same time. The worship times were unbelievable. Clayton Erb is by far the best Worship Leader/Minister I've ever seen.

One of the week's highlights is the "book give-away" on Thursday. Good stuff. Another plus, the Conference has two bookstores amply stocked. Needless to say: I like books--so I bought some! There were three of us that went to the Conference together; we bought so many books (plus the freebies) we had to ship them home via UPS. The books arrived this past Wednesday--it was just like Christmas!

I took the picture below on my way home from work this week. Some churches really know how to market themselves--and Jesus' resurrection. 'Nuff said.

flickr: Friday Photo Group

Politicians

 
And you wonder why people don't trust politicians?

Wow!

Wow! Light, sweet crude for April delivery rose $2.75 to settle at a record $107.90 on the New York Mercantile Exchange after earlier setting a new trading record of $108.21.

Video

My younger son created this stop motion video. I thought it was pretty cool. You can see some other things he has done here.

Another Shepherds' Conference Done

I just got home from the Shepherds' Conference in California. Great preaching/teaching, fellowship, food and weather. This is my "Friday Photo" (posted on Saturday since I wasn't home). I bought lots of books--mostly commentaries, ate too much and sunburned by head!

See more photos here.

A Conversation

It happened last week and went something like this:

"How come the So-And-Sos don't come to church here any more?"

"He was asked to step down from teaching his Sunday School class because he was teaching 'Baptist things.'"

"'Baptist things?' What's that?"

"I'm not sure, but he was teaching it and the Elders didn't like it."

"Why didn't they like it?"

"Because we're Christian, not Baptist."

"But I thought Baptists WERE Christians."

"Well, they are, but they teach different things than Christians."

"Like what?"

"You know. 'Baptist things.'"

"You already said that. What specifically was he teaching--the 'Baptist things'--they didn't like?"

"I really don't know."

"Who told you that?"

"People."

"Which people?"

"I really don't remember."

"So, people you don't remember told you things about someone that you really don't know what they meant...and you're repeating it?"

"Yea. Didn't you hear what I said?! He was teaching 'BAPTIST THINGS!' We're not Baptist."

"What are the differences in what we teach versus what they teach?"

"I'm not sure. I just know that we teach the Bible."

"Don't the Baptists teach the Bible?"

"Well, yes. I guess so. Are you trying to confuse me?"

"No. I'm just trying to understand...trying to find out why the So-And-Sos don't come to our church any more."

"[Sigh] I already told you! He believes in 'Baptist things!"

---
Stinkin' Baptists.

Turning 50

Webster (Emmanuel Lewis), Raul Julia, Robin Trower and I have the same birthday in March. I turn fifty this year, which puts me at the tale end of the generation known as "Baby Boomers," those individuals born between 1946 to 1964 (according to Wikipedia).

I remember watching The Andy Griffith Show BEFORE it was reruns. I was at the Sears store when I saw color TV for the first time. I remember when I wished someone would come up with some kind of recording device for TV so that I wouldn't miss Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights. I paid almost $3000 for my first PC that had two 5 1/4" floppy drives and no hard drive--and a monochrome monitor. The CPU was as big as a suitcase! Several years later, I installed Windows 3.0 (I think) on a newer PC and uninstalled all within a half hour. "That stinkin' thing will NEVER catch on!!!" (Wish I had purchased Microsoft stock) I remember Big Chief tablets, going to the movie on Saturday afternoons--$1 would get you in the movie AND a coke and popcorn, Henry's Five and Dime where things really did cost a nickel or a dime.

That stuff seems like a LONG time ago.