Your Tax Dollars At Work

I am on the Board of Directors for a local "crisis pregnancy center." The center began over 20 years ago as a ministry/vision to help young girls who are pregnant. When we started, we did pregnancy tests, counseling, etc

Today, we are a certified medical facility offering FREE ultrasounds, as well as information, counseling (obviously pro-life), baby strollers, clothes, diapers, formula, parenting classes, car seats, etc. ALL FREE!!!

Not once in 20 years have we received a single penny from any government agency. All of our operating expenses have been covered by the generous donations of individuals and churches in the community who believe in what we are doing. We have a small paid office staff, including a registered nurse and over 40 volunteers who help with everything from organizing the clothing and answering phones to mentoring the girls who come in to the center.

So can someone explain to me: If Planned Parenthood is such a much needed, necessary organization, why haven't people/private citizens stuck a crowbar in their wallets and funded it?!! Why do Democrats/Liberals feel it's the government's responsibility to provide a service like Planned Parenthood with MY tax dollars, but expect those of us with an opposing view (i.e. pro-life) to pay own own way?

Democrats/Liberals/Pro-Choice advocates need to put their money where their mouth is! If you fall into that category and believe it is a vital, necessary service, then support it. The idea that the majority of the people (taxpayers) should finance YOUR ideology, but not support MINE makes absolutely no sense. What I think they really fear is that, without forced support, aka TAXES, the pro-abortion services will not be available...and just maybe that is a more accurate opinion of the American people.

If the pro-choice side wants these services and feels they are necessary, then pay for them yourselves. Find the donors. Raise the money, pay your own rent, solicit your own donations. (Maybe you could persuade people like Al Gore and Joe Biden to be a little more generous with their charitable giving). We did it...and continue to do so after over 20 years.

Visit To Mayberry

For as long as I can remember, I've been a fan of the The Andy Griffith Show. Growing up, I never missed an episode. Then came cable TV, and I was in "hog heaven". I've read somewhere that since going into syndication, there hasn't been a single day The Andy Griffith Show hasn't been on a channel somewhere.

Once Barney Fife (actor Don Knotts) left the show, I lost interest. It was also about that time the shows went from a black and white format to color. (That's right kiddies, TV hasn't always been in color.) I don't care for the color versions because:
• Barney isn't a main character
• Helen Crump--Andy's girlfriend--is much grumpier than her black and white version
• The episodes lost their small town charm as Opie became a teenager and got all caught up in trying to be groovy and impress the girls with his cheezy band and mock turtlenecks...sorry, kinda rambled there for a second.

I recorded all of the B&W episodes (seaons 1 through 6) on VHS years ago. Some years later, I received all of those episodes on DVD for Christmas. I purchased and received as gifts several books about the show and it's characters--including one of Aunt Bea's recipe books. I also have an Andy Griffith Trivia board game, but no one in my family will play with me. To quote Barney: "He's a NUT!" (referring to myself) when it comes to Andy Griffith.

Well... a few months ago, I received an email about a business related conference to be held in February 2011. I kicked around the idea of attending, but really got excited when I noticed, looking at a map one day, that the conference was in Hickory, NC. Now there's nothing that really grabs me about Hickory, NC...except the fact that it is just south of MOUNT AIRY, NC which just happens to be the boyhood home of Andy Griffith, as well as the Andy Griffith Museum! Mount Airy also hosts Mayberry Days each Fall, the first weekend after Labor Day, but I've never been able to attend. Dana and I have talked about it, but it's just never worked out.

By now, I'm sure you've figured out where all this talk about Andy Griffith is headed. I registered for the conference, and with my boss' approval, booked my flight for a couple of days before the conference--turns out I got a cheaper ticket doing so--and made plans to visit Mount Airy!

Mount Airy sits at the top of the state, just east I-77 and about an hour north of I-40 and is the inspiration for the fictional town of Mayberry where Andy Taylor--played by Griffith--is the town's Sheriff. I landed in Charlotte, rented a car and drove to Mount Airy this past Saturday. I arrived in town too late to eat at the Snappy Lunch diner--famous for their pulled pork sandwiches, but I did have a little time to walk through the "historic downtown district." Floyd's Barber shop is there next to Snappy Lunch; and down the street is the Blue Bird Diner, businesses immortalized on the AG Show. Many of the street names in Mount Airy were also used in the show, as well as names of locals Andy grew up with.

As dumb as it may sound, it was a thrill to be walking on some of the very same streets that Andy may have walked on while growing up. The museum was closed by the time I arrived in town, but it was open on Sunday afternoon. I stayed the night and planned to hit the museum the next day.

Sunday morning, I made my way back to the downtown area where I found a couple of old buildings that appeared to have been restored and modeled after some of the businesses in Mayberry. Obviously, a lot of the town's appeal is Andy Griffith and many of the businesses have capitalized on that appeal, including "Mayberry" in their name or advertising Mayberry souvenirs. I also went by Andy Griffith's boyhood home. It has been purchased from the family and offers the opportunity for visitors to stay there! Wish I had known THAT in advance.

The highlight of the trip was the museum--filled with photos from the Andy Griffith Show, as well as promotional posters from movies and other television productions which starred Andy Griffith. Barney's suit, the "salt-and-pepper" complete with his hat, is there, as well as Otis Campbell's (played by Hal Smith) frumpy jacket and tie. One of Sheriff Taylor's uniform shirts is on display, as are the original signs from the Sherriff's office doors--SHERIFF and JUSTICE of the PEACE. Several items that sat on the courthouse desk are on display, including Andy's gavel. There are also items donated by Goober (George Lindsey) and Thelma Lou (Betty Lynn), Barney's on camera girlfriend, in the museum. Newspaper and magazine articles chronicling The Andy Griffith Show line the walls along with many other items either used in the show or related to Andy's time living in Mount Airy.

I imagine I was grinning from ear to ear as I looked at each display, recalling particular episodes and/or memorable lines from the shows characters. My favorite episode is when Barney buys a new car. Barney and Andy are sitting on the front porch of Andy's house, waiting on the car's owner, Mrs. Lesh, to arrive.

Barney: This is just about the biggest thing I ever bought.
Andy: It's a major step.
Barney: Last big buy I made was my Mom's and Dad's anniversary present.
Andy: What'd ya get ‘em?
Barney: Septic tank.
Andy: [amazed] For their anniversary?
Barney: Yeah. Oh, they're really hard to buy for. Besides, it was something they could use. They were really thrilled... 2 tons of concrete, all steel-reinforced.
Andy: You're a fine son, Barn.
Barney: Well, I try.

I laugh every time I see that episode as if it's the first time I've ever seen it. The only thing that could have made the trip any better, was if Dana could have come with me. Of course, she probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did.

I left the museum,and snapped a couple of pictures of the statue of Andy and Opie that sits out front. And for just a moment, I think I heard somebody whistling the "Andy Griffith theme song"(It actually has a name--The Fishin' Hole and lyrics, though I don't recall hearing them on the show.)

One more thing to I can check off my "Bucket List". Thanks Andy, Barney, Aunt Bea, Opie, Gomer, Goober, Floyd...and all the others for the memories/laughs.

More Mt Airy pictures here

Yesterday

Yesterday, I was a Senior in High School and I had big plans. As long as I can remember, I have been able to draw just about anything. I also have a love of type/fonts. And finally, I LOVE music, especially music from the 70s. My plan was to graduate, pack my stuff and move to Macon, GA --home of Capricorn Records and most notably, the Allman Brothers Band. Other artists recording at Capricorn were Wet Willie, The Charlie Daniels Band, and The Marshall Tucker Band--I loved them all. I was going to walk into Capricorn and ask for ANY job they might have. ANY JOB! I just wanted to be in the building and I didn't care if I had to work for free and sleep on the floor. I wanted to be where I thought the center of 70s Southern Rock was happening. During that same period, there was an artist by the name of James Flournoy Holmes that had done several album covers by the aforementioned artists. I hoped to meet him and maybe be able to show him some of my stuff. I just knew he would look at my work and say: "We gotta hire this guy!"

I graduated from High School and never made the trip to Macon. Seems like yesterday, but it was 35 years ago.

Yesterday, I graduated from OSU-Okmulgee with a diploma in Commercial Art. There were 75 of us that began the program; 12 of us finished. There were three of us that quickly became friends and throughout our time at OSU, it was a contest to see who could outdo the other, whether it was our class assignments or the pranks we pulled on each other, as well as our classmates. We graduated at the top of the class--I was number three--with very high hopes and prospects. Two of us made the decision to open our own design studio rather than working for someone else. We were going to make it big and we were going to make a LOT of money.

We did pretty well for a while, but making a long story short, we weren't very good money managers and ended up closing the doors to go our separate ways. It seems like yesterday, but it was 32 years ago.

Yesterday, I met this girl. I was painting a window sign on one of the businesses in the town where I grew up. She and some of her friends stopped to watch. "Did you draw that freehand?" "How do you make those lines so straight without a ruler" "Are those special brushes?" I answered all their questions, but the whole time I'm thinking: She is CUTE!! I've got to get a phone number.

I got the number; we dated for a couple of years. We got married in May of 1980--over 30 years ago--but it seems like yesterday. (She's still cute!)

Yesterday, we went to the hospital for the birth of our first son, Ryon. A few days later, we were back at the hospital for the birth of his brother, Alex. Ryon is now in college; Alex graduates from High School this Spring. It seems like yesterday...

Yesterday. It goes by pretty quick. Actually, it FLIES by! There were a lot of things I intended to do, but never did. Some of them, I'll get around to; some I'll never have the opportunity to do again. The things I did accomplish--those are good. I wouldn't trade them for anything. That's yesterday.

I still have today and tomorrow, which opens all kinds of possibilities. Sometimes I take on too much and get bogged down in the details of all the stuff to be done. But all that stuff is really surface.

One of the most most important things I need to work on is today...now. Yesterday, I got married, and became a father. Those things are way more important than all the other stuff. Sadly, I don't do those jobs very well sometimes. Today, I'm going to try to do better, but I better get busy...because tomorrow, today will be yesterday...

Remodel

We've been remodeling our house. Until recently, we've never really had the time or money to do anything major, but in the past couple of months, we've embarked on a fairly large project, i.e. new wood floors in the living area and hallway, new carpet in the master bedroom, and new paint throughout the house.

Still on the list is new trim and baseboards throughout (I'm making most of that), refacing the kitchen cabinets-including replacing the existing cabinet doors, replacement doors throughout the house (the builder's used a cheap hollow-core door; we're upgrading to a craftsman style 5-panel door), new appliances in the kitchen, and replace the tile in the entry and one of the bathrooms. I'm still deciding on what I may or may not do to the master bathroom. Now, don't get the wrong idea--we're not loaded and we're not spending near the money on these projects we could, mainly because I'm doing a lot of the work myself. And, we're pretty simple people; none of the changes/additions we're making are extravagant.

We live in an older neighborhood, the houses are all close to 20 years old or older. When we moved into our house, the neighborhood looked pretty good. Now, there are several rent houses on the block and people haven't kept their homes up like they could, so it looks a little worn in places. We stay because we like the layout of our house and it's CHEAP. You'd die if I told you how low my mortgage payment is. I'm pretty sure that we've over-built for the neighborhood, but we're not doing any of this to sell the house in hopes of getting more money for it. We just want to fix it up the way we like.

So, this past week we've been confined to the house because of that huge snowstorm that has hit the Midwest United States. Our town received 21 INCHES of snow in 24 hours! We sat in the house for several days...thankful we had heat, plenty of groceries, and a dry roof over our heads. During that time, we watched a bit of television, especially DIY, HGTV and A&E--all of those channels that show the "How-To" shows, and people flipping houses, etc. What really gets me about those shows is the amount of money people spend on some of their remodels. "We've got a budget of $75,000 to renovate the kitchen." Geezo-PETE! That's more than I paid for my entire house!

When the TV remodelers are asked about their projects, they say things like: "We entertain a lot, so we really needed a large area for friends...because we entertain a lot!" What does that mean, we entertain? Do they juggle? Have a trapeze act? Do a little standup comedy? It must be something like that because they just added 5000 square feet to their 4500 square foot house! And just how many people do they entertain that they need so much space? Since moving into our house 19 years ago, I can safely say that there's NEVER been a time we needed that kind of space. In fact, I can't remember there ever being a time we've had more than 10 other people in our house at a time!

Maybe we're just not very entertaining people...but we do have a nice, new floor.

Does This Make Me Look Fat?

DISCLAIMER: I'm eating a Baby Ruth candy bar as I write this.

I'll be the first to admit I'm not the epitome of health. I mean, I know I could stand to lose a few pounds...actually, about 20-25 would be about right. Is that still considered a "few"? But, and you knew there would be a but, I gotta tell ya, all this obsession with losing weight, cutting calories, trying to keep track of what's good and what's bad for your cholesterol, etc. gets a little overwhelming at times.

There are all kinds of books on weight loss, weight-loss programs, e.g. Weight Watchers, and even reality TV shows about people losing weight--Biggest Loser, Heavy, I Used to be Fat, and Obese to name a few. Tulsa area Youth Pastor, Sean Algaier, lost 155 pounds on The Biggest Loser. That's a PERSON!

Now, I know that some people really struggle with their weight; some have medical conditions that cause them to put on extra weight, but let's be honest--the reason most of us are on the "chunky" side is that we don't do enough push-aways, i.e. PUSH AWAY from the table! That's me. I love to eat...and I love to eat stuff that isn't good for me.

I went in for a physical not too long ago and the doctor told me my cholesterol was a little high and that I could stand to lose a few pounds. Oh, and I don't have colon cancer either, so I guess that's the good news. "Do you work out or anything like that?," my doctor asked. I told I did (and I do); I try to make it to the gym three to four times a week. Nothing overly strenuous--I get on the treadmill or stationary bike for about a half hour, then go through several different sets on some of the weight machines. I'm not trying to bulk up, just trying to stay fit.

"That's good," he said. "Keep that up --(he paused)-- and why don't you give up a double-meat cheeseburger a little more often, maybe eat some low-fat yogurt rather than the ice cream, okay?" I can do that, and I've been doing pretty good. It never hurts to eat a little more healthy, but honestly, I'm not going to knock myself out, 'cuz here's the deal: I'm 52 (soon to be 53) years old and I'm NOT going to be as thin as I was in high school...EVER. I'm in pretty good shape other than the "love handles" and I can't wear 32-inch-waist Levis anymore. I'll cut back (and have been) on the bad stuff, but from time to time, cholesterol be danged, I'm going off the wagon!

The way I've got it figured, this life ain't a practice run. It's the real deal and you've only got one shot at it, so I'm going to enjoy a little bit of it while I'm here. I'll keep going to the gym. I even got my Trek road bike out this past fall and started riding again; even talking about doing Oklahoma Freewheel again (I've done it twice) or some other ride, maybe Hotter 'N Hell. And every once in a while, I'm going to stop by Coney I-Lander!!

God Has to Follow the Rules?

I am a Christian, a Christ-Follower, Believer, "religious", "Bible-Toting-American"...whatever label you wish to put on me. I believe in ONE God, the only God of the universe. I believe He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present. I believe every word of the Bible is true. I also believe that God hears our prayers and actually does something about them, i.e. answers them. Sometimes the answer is "no;" sometimes the answer is "wait;" and sometimes the answer is "yes." God is God; I am not. HE is the one that determines how things will be.

Prayer is not about ME getting what I want--it's more about me submitting my life to God's authority/direction. Putting my trust in Him to know what is best for my life. But I still pray. I still ask. And I still believe that, even when things don't go the way I think they should, God knows what is best, He knows how His answer fits into His perfect plan much better than I ever could.

So, to my point, I got a phone call the other day from a friend who also identifies himself in much the same way as myself. The reason for his call was to ask me to pray for a friend of his that was having some serious medical problems and would be going through surgery that week. "Sure," I said, "I'll pray. Let me know how things go." I hung up the phone and prayed. (I find that if I tell someone I'll pray for them, and I don't do it right then, I tend to forget. That may be an entirely different post.)

A few days later, my friend called to let me know the surgery had been a success. His friend was recovering nicely and should be able to return to a lifestyle they enjoyed prior to the surgery. We both commented on how good God was/is to answer our prayers and how grateful we were that we believed in and served a loving, healing God.

As we continued to talk, the conversation turned to the Bible, specifically Creation. I am a 24-Hour Creationist, i.e. I believe God created everything in six, 24-hour periods ("...there was evening and there was morning, the first day...", etc.) by simply speaking it into existence. That's how I read the account in Genesis and it seems pretty straightforward to me. My friend doesn't believe that way. He believes--in a nutshell--that God did indeed create "the heavens and the earth" as it states in the Bible, but he believes God put things in motion over a period of millions and millions of years, having put into creation all of the DNA/molecular structures and allowing men, animals, sea creatures, and plant-life to evolve into what we see today. He reads the "days" in Genesis as being figurative, long periods of time.

I asked him why he believes that way and he explained:

I believe God created everything, but there are things in Genesis that just don't add up or make sense to me; things that appear to be figurative in nature. I also have a hard time believing that on the first day (or period) of creation, God created light, but it wasn't until the FOURTH day He created the sun, moon, and stars. Now how is that possible? The Bible says God created light and darkness on the first day and called them morning and evening. That's just not possible without the sun!

I knew a rebuttal would be fruitless, so I just commented something like, "Well, we will just have to agree to disagree on that one, " and we finished the conversation with some small talk and a promise to get together some time soon.

Later in the day, I was thinking about what he had said. His explanation sounded good, if you contend that God HAS to do things in a particular order. But that puts limits, i.e. human limits if you will--on God. If God is God and capable of CREATING an entire universe, who says HOW He has to do things? And what really got me to thinking was the prayers we had prayed. We both believe that God is all-powerful. We both believe that God is capable (not because we prayed, but because He is God) of healing someone, whether it be through the skillful hands of a surgeon OR by reaching into our human realm and completely removing a cancer as if it had never existed!!

If God can make cancers disappear, not to mention intervene in the courses of human history, direct the actions of men, cause events to come about, that from a human standpoint, seem totally insurmountable...who says He can't create LIGHT without a sun?! If you believe Jesus could take five little barley cakes and some sardines and feed over five thousand people, I don't believe it's that much of a stretch to believe God can create an entire universe, instantaneously having all the laws of physics, etc in place, capable of sustaining life and do it simply by saying "it is so"...and do it in any order He sees fit.

Not A Fan

I've lived in Oklahoma all of my life and I've never been a fan of the University of Oklahoma, aka OU, aka "Sooners" football team. I just don't like them and haven't for a long time. In fact, my disdain for OU goes back to the Barry Switzer days.

Actually, part of my dislike for the team is due to their fans; many of them I am acquainted with are down-right obnoxious. Their team is the best team in the ENTIRE NCAA! Their team is definitely better than your team. Their team has won this and Their team has won that! And God forbid you don't love their team as much as they do.¹

Here's the deal: I enjoy watching a sporting event from time to time. I played baseball from the time I was six years old until I entered High School. Like most every red-blooded American boy in the 60's, I dreamed of growing up and playing in the "big leagues". So I'm not against sports per se; I just don't put them in a place of prominence in my life.

Many sports fans live as if their team, its existence, its wins and [gasp] losses, its coaches, it players...are THE thing that makes or breaks their very own existence. Everything they own has their team logo on it. Their dog, cat, horse and parakeet (if they have one) are all named "Sooner" or "Boomer" (OU fans).

I watch NCAA baseball, basketball and football WHEN I HAVE TIME. I don't plan an entire weekend around it. I don't go into a manic state of depression when "MY team"² doesn't win. I watch the game. If the team I like wins, great. If they don't, I go out and mow the lawn or whatever activity/chore I've got lined up. I don't have entire team rosters memorized. I can't tell you who won the National Championship last year...or the 15 years before that. I can't tell you the names of the Offensive and Defensive coaches. In fact, I can rarely recall the final score of a game the next day. It just doesn't matter to me.

Sadly, some of these same fans, when asked, couldn't name their current Senators or Congressman. Some won't be able to tell you the names of the three branches of the Federal Government. Some won't be able to quote the books of the New Testament...but ask them who the starting defensive tackle or quarterback is for their team and they'll be able to tell you his age, weight, GPA, color hair, where he went to high school, his major, his stats from the last three seasons, his jersey number, and his celebrity girlfriend's name!!

It's just a game people, and in the total scheme of things, it really isn't that important.

---

¹ The Sooners have amassed an impressive number of National Championships in football, seven to date, I believe. All together, they have won 26 NCAA National Championships in baseball (2), football (7), golf (1), gymnastics (8), wrestling (7), and women's softball (1).

² For the sake of full disclosure, I graduated from Oklahoma State University (OU's in-state rival) and that's about the only team I'll make an attempt to follow. During my time in college, I don't recall actually attending a football--or any other sporting event. I have an OSU sticker on my vehicle, but again, my life doesn't revolve around the OSU Cowboys. The "Pokes" haven't won a football national championship, but the OSU does have 50 NCAA National Championships in wrestling (34), golf (10), basketball (2), baseball (1), and cross country (3). They have the fourth highest number of total NCAA Championships:
1. UCLA (101 titles)
2. Stanford (94 titles)
3. USC (84 titles)
4. Oklahoma State (50 titles)

Does that mean MY team is better than theirs?

What the Heck Does this Mean?

I have some very strange dreams; some of them recurring. You know the ones--you go to work naked or you can fly by holding your arms out and running real fast. (Surely, I'm not the only person that has had those dreams)

Last night was definitely one of the more bizarre dreams I've had: I'm driving an older Chevrolet pickup truck, probably a 1964 or 65 model--blue with tan interior (yes, I dream in color; doesn't everybody?). The interesting thing is I am driving from the passenger side of the truck, my left foot on the gas pedal, steering with my left hand. The windows of the truck are down as I drive at a fairly high rate of speed down a street of the town where I grew up. Ahead of me, on the right side of the street, is a young, middle-eastern man riding a Schwinn Cruiser (my dreams are quite detailed sometimes). As I pull abreast of him, he turns to me and asks: "There are quite a large number of cases of mono[nucleosis] in the United States, aren't there?"

My wife's alarm went off and I woke up.

What Change?

"Democratic lawmakers say Obama ignored them at crucial negotiating moments, misled them about his intentions and made needless concessions..." Sounds like business as usual in DC.

(Source)

Oh, I Love a Parade

This weekend was the "Tulsa Christmas Parade". Maybe you heard about it on the national news over the past couple of weeks. Seems that when the parade first began, it was known as The Tulsa Christmas Parade, and it operated essentially under that name for many years. At some point, PSO (an electrical utility company) became the main sponsor of the parade and the name was changed to PSO Christmas Parade of Lights. In 2009, for whatever reason, the name underwent another change becoming the PSO Parade of Lights. This year--2010--McNellies, a local restaurant/pub and new sponsor of the parade--changed the name to McNellies Holiday Parade of Lights. You following all of this so far?

Traditionally, the parade has always featured images associated with Christmas, i.e. nativity scenes, signs proclaiming "MERRY CHRISTMAS", Santa Claus, people dressed up like elves, traditional Christmas carols played by marching bands, etc. All the stuff you'd expect to see in a Christmas parade...and low and behold, that's apparently what people saw at this year's parade. The thing that caused this parade to gain so much attention was the stance taken by Oklahoma's Senator Jim Inhofe who proclaimed he would not participate in this year's parade since they had taken Christ out of Christmas by not including the word "Christmas" in the parade's name.

There was a LOT of bantering back and forth on local talk radio stations, as well as multiple interviews with Senator Inhofe on several national news outlets. There was even talk of the Tulsa City Council not issuing a permit for the parade unless the word "Christmas", but in the end, the parade sponsors were granted their permit, Inhofe stood his ground and didn't show up...AND there were floats with Merry Christmas banners, nativity scenes, and Santa Claus.

Now, I must admit that I didn't attend the parade, but it wasn't because of the name change. It just didn't fit into our Christmas, er uh, holiday plans. It really didn't bother me that they changed the name, but in a way, it did seem silly to change it. Even without "Christmas" in the title, it seems the over-riding theme of the parade was...CHRISTMAS. So why avoid using the word?

Several callers to a local talk radio station said the name change was necessary to show the diversity of the holiday. Really? What diversity? Again, from what I heard, there wasn't an over-whelming number of Menorahs in the parade; the American Atheists didn't have a float in the parade; the Muslims didn't have a float, either. The local Satanist coven didn't bother to participate. It was mostly community groups/organizations and churches from what I could tell. There was a group of people, I'm assuming from a local SPCA or similar shelter that dressed up dogs in "Christmasy" outfits, but other than that...the theme of the parade was CHRISTMAS!

Christmas falls into two camps from where I sit: it's either about the birth of Jesus, or the fun story of a fat guy that rides around in a sleigh delivering presents to kids on Christmas eve...or maybe a little bit of both. I can live without the fat guy in the red suit although I'm not against him being part of the whole deal. For me, Christmas...the holidays, aka "HOLY DAYS" are a time to focus on the gift of God's Son, Jesus Christ, coming to earth as a baby. I guess what I'm asking is: if we take word "Christmas" out of holiday name, do we really feel that strongly about the fat guy to plan an entire celebration around him?

Missions

First, let me say from the start that I am all for missions, i.e. giving of money and/or labor for the purpose of spreading the Gospel message, as well as serving/ministering to people in need. Missions can be in the form of sending a check to a group or organization to actually joining in doing some of the work yourself. Missions can be local or all the way across the ocean. Missions can be in the form of talking to someone about their relationship with Jesus Christ or simply offering them a warm blanket, a hot meal, or helping clean up after a disaster. There's no "set in stone" definition. For the sake of this discussion, I am referring more to missions done in association with one's faith or religion. That doesn't mean that I think only Christians can be kind or that we've cornered the market on helping other.

Second, I've got nothing against what is typically referred to as foreign missions. My wife and I have supported a foreign mission for over 15 years with a monthly check. We'll never go there; we'll never see first-hand the impact of our contribution, but we receive letters from the missionaries so we know that our money is being used wisely and goes to help people that might otherwise not have some of the things we take for granted here in the United States.

All of that said, I think we've (and I have to include myself in this one) missed the boat on missions in the church today. Here's why I say that. In many--maybe most--of the churches I've been part of or visited, it seems the emphasis is more on foreign missions, which are not bad, but I can't help but think: "Aren't there some people around here that could use some help?...and why are we going all the way to Mexico or Guatemala when there are people right down the street that need our help?"

This past week, I became aware of a situation where a single mother was in need of some major repairs to her home, so much so the insurance company told her they could no longer insure her home in it's current condition. Large areas of siding were rotten and falling off. The fireplace and chimney had pulled away from the house and consequently was pulling the exterior wall down. A portion of the roof needed to be replaced and the whole house needed a good coat of paint, just to name a few things. The sad thing, this woman is a member of a local congregation I used to attend...and apparently no one knew about any of this situation!

What really made this scenario even more frustrating was this same church's pastor proclaimed on more than one occasion his goal for the congregation was to see at least 50 PERCENT of the budget going toward missions! Now, I don't recall if that comment was ever qualified, i.e. how much would be for local versus foreign missions, etc. but here's the deal---if there's ONE, JUST ONE widow in a congregation that is living in a home in need of repair, a lawn that needs to be mowed, a dishwasher that needs to be repaired...and that congregation is sending the Youth Group to Mexico for a week BEFORE the widows or needy in the congregation are taken care of THAT'S JUST WRONG!

So...a group of us got together and spent the weekend working to get the woman's house repaired. At any given time, there were at least 10 to 12 people hauling debris, replacing siding, scraping and priming, re-building a wall, etc. One thing that made it interesting, I noticed all of the workers no longer attended the previously mentioned church (another story) and all of us don't attend the same church now...we were just a group of people that cared about a fellow sister in Christ, saw a need and took care of it. No committee. No committee meetings. Just a group of people "doing church." That's how it should be.

And you know what? It was FUN! We worked, we laughed and we found muscles and joints we didn't know we had. Now, where did I put that bottle of Ibuprofen?

"This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress..." (James 1:27)   "...Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me." (Matthew 25:40)

Talimena Drive

I've lived in Oklahoma all my life. Born here, raised here, and will most likely die here. The winters and summers are comparably mild; Spring and Fall are the best times. For those who have never been here, many people think of a place dominated by cowboys and Indians. And although we do have real cowboys (yes, they ride horses and raise cattle) and Indians (no, they don't live in teepees and run around half naked) here, the thing that really makes Oklahoma a great place is its natural beauty.

Oklahoma features all types of terrain from flat plains to rolling hills and an "almost mountain" to the densely wooded Ouachita National Forest in the southeastern portion of the state. Winding through the Ouachita Forest (pronounced wash-e-taw) is a 54-mile long stretch of highway known as Talimena Drive which connects Talihina, Oklahoma and Mena, Arkansas--hence the name. From approximately the last week in October through the first couple of weeks of November, the Talimena Drive is a favorite spot to view all of the brilliant fall colors.

Even though my wife and I are both life-long Okies, neither of us had been on the Talimena Drive. We decided this past weekend we would fix that situation. Friday afternoon, we drove to Poteau, OK--about an hour north of Mena, AR. Because we decided to make our road trip at the last minute, we weren't able to find accommodations in Mena. (Note: We determined early on that we wanted to make the scenic drive from east to west. Although it was a little longer drive to the starting point in Mena, it would make for a shorter drive home.) We stayed at the Best Western Traders Inn and opted for the King Suite --about $15 more than their standard Queen room-- which consisted of a King-size bed and a separate sitting area with a couch and occasional chair. Both rooms had a nice sized flat panel TV.

We checked into our room and then headed to downtown Poteau to check out a local steakhouse: Warehouse Willies. I had Willies specialty, the ribeye, while Dana enjoyed their bacon wrapped filet. Both steaks were very tender and cooked to perfection. Dinners came with baked potato and salad. The decor is probably best described as eclectic--everything from old signs, tools, screen doors and vinyl records covered the walls. I'd recommend Willies if you're in the area.

The next morning we made the short drive to Mena and ate breakfast at Skyline Cafe. GREAT biscuits and gravy! Dana got her usually scrambled egg(s) and bacon and I opted for eggs over-easy and grits--my favorite. Service was a little slow, but it was a Saturday morning and the place was PACKED. The wait staff did a great job of taking orders, keeping coffee cups filled and getting the food out to us. Nothing fancy about the Skyline's decor, just good old southern style cooking.

There are 26 different stops/vistas along the Talimena Drive. Several publications stated you could make the route in about an hour and a half if you didn't stop. Average time ranged from four to six hours if you stopped at each location. We took about four hours--we didn't stop at all of the vistas and our trip was slowed a bit by the heavy fog that rolled in that morning. Visibility was so bad at one point, we could only see about 10 yards in front of my truck! We drove through the Queen Wilhelmina State Park and could barely see the lodge. On a sunny day, I'm sure it's very nice.

By the time we reached the Kerr Nature Center, a little over half way long the drive, the fog had lifted and we were able get out and enjoy a walk along one of the trails there. As we approached the end of the drive it began to sprinkle rain, and by the time we pulled into the East Visitor's Center, it was a downpour! Perfect timing...and a great weekend getaway!

More photos on Flickr
Talimena Drive website

Sabbatical

Wow! It's been a while since I've posted anything here. It's been a busy summer and I've had lots of things on my mind, but never took the time to write them down.

Church
We left the church we've been attending for the past five years. I really thought this one was going to work for us, but the pastor went "dog day afternoon" on us, i.e. starting bullying from the pulpit, became argumentative with anyone that didn't see things his way, etc. There were some situations/conversations where he wasn't completely truthful and frankly, I don't need that in a pastor or a church.

We have visited several different congregations in the area and have been attending one in particular for the past few weeks. I worked real hard not to sway the decision-making process this time, since I was the one that picked the last church that didn't work out. Dana seems to like this one and has made comments to that effect the past couple of weeks. We know quite a few people there already, so the transition hasn't been too bad. I don't anticipate us placing our membership anywhere right now; maybe not for a long time. I've always said, church would be a great place if you didn't have to deal with people...myself included.

Alaska
We went to Alaska this summer; our second time. The first trip was for our 20th wedding anniversary. This time we took the boys and celebrated our 30th anniversary. We took a flight-seeing tour of the Misty Fjords in Ketchikan and went whale watching in Juneau. Absolutely gorgeous! Here's a few of the pictures I took (culled from over 1000!)

Another Project
When we bought the home we're currently living in, there was an 8 ft x 12 ft portable storage building in the back yard. Over the years, it started to deteriorate, so this summer I decided I would tear it down and replace it. After removing the roof and walls, I discovered that the floor was actually in pretty good shape, so rather than trashing the whole thing, I simply added on. The building is now 12 ft x 20 ft! I've completed all of the construction, just need to paint it. You can take a look at the finished product here

Reunion
I'm attending my high school's homecoming this weekend. We're throwing an "all 70s classes" reunion, i.e. all classmates from classes 1970 through 1979. I graduated in 1976. Should be fun. There are some people attending I haven't seen in over 30 years. I'm sure I look the same!

Hopefully, I won't be so long between posts this time.

I'm Beginning to Understand

I was raised going to church. We went every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. If the church doors were open, we were there. Lately, however, I'm beginning to understand why people quit going to church.

Worship Wars

I'm a hymn guy. You know, hymns like "Blessed Assurance," "Amazing Grace," and "It is Well." I also like some of the new hymns (new to me) like "In Christ Alone" and "Before the Throne of God Above." For the record, that's not to say I only listen to hymns. I enjoy a wide array of genres from hymns to classic rock to new age/ambient to bluegrass.

Now, in recent years we've seen this battle brewing over worship in the church, more specifically, the STYLE of worship, i.e. traditional (typically hymns) versus contemporary. Contemporary covers alot of things for alot of people. To me, the contemporary label includes "praise/worship choruses" to some music that sounds more at home in a concert arena. It seems that just about every church has adopted some level of the contemporary style of worship, for numerous reasons. Some feel they can/do reach younger believers/seekers with this particular style. Some feel the hymns are out-dated and don't speak to our present culture. And I guess one could make an argument for either of those reasons, but I'm coming at this whole thing from a little different angle.

Just as there are good and bad examples of other genres, there are good and bad examples of contemporary worship/music. The thing of it is, a particular style doesn't necessarily mean "better." What I mean is this: your church may WANT to have a contemporary worship service. Your leadership may believe it's the right and/or best decision for your church but...if your church doesn't have a group of people that can pull it off and pull it off WELL, it's going to be worse than just continuing what you're already doing.

I've seen churches that have had traditionally styled worship for years all of a sudden make the quantum leap into the contemporary style and it has worked. Others have tried it and it's been a train wreck. What's the difference? The "success stories" (churches that are doing contemporary worship well) took the time to evaluate their talent/skill level(s). Just because Mrs. Shoomacker has played the piano all these years doesn't mean she is the best choice for the transition from traditional to contemporary worship. She may play a mean "Great is Thy Faithfulness," but let's face it, she ain't gonna cut it when it comes to the newer stuff.

Those same churches also refused to give in to a mindset that says: "as long as we call it worship and our desire is to worship/please God, then our good enough is good enough." Worship is a celebration of God--who He is, what He has done, what He is doing, etc. He is worthy of our VERY BEST. To me, that means, striving to play and sing to Him in a way that is the absolute best. What does that entail? Just a few things of the top of my head: First, if instrumentalists and vocalists are not of a high enough caliber, don't use them! A single piano, played well--excellently--accompanying a skilled/gifted vocalist will set the tone and move people to worship much better than a crowd on stage, cranking out the latest contemporary tune that really wasn't written to be sung as a congregation in the first place. Second, it involves preparation. You can't do a 15-minute run through right before the worship service and expect things to go well. Segues, key changes, repeated choruses or phrases, tempo changes, where the instruments play, and where they don't are all some of the things that should be worked out BEFORE the service. Third, it involves dedication. The worship team not only needs to be capable of being excellent, they need to be need devoted to being excellent. That means showing up for scheduled rehearsals--and there SHOULD be scheduled rehearsals. And fourth, realizing that more speakers and LOUD does not necessarily equate to better. Playing louder doesn't cover up sloppy playing or singing either. I just magnifies it.

I realize not every church can or does have the highest caliber of musicians or vocalists. For those that do, use them to the glory of God, whatever the style! For those who don't, it's no shame. It's wrong to think we all have to be doing the same thing, i.e. style, when it comes to worship. There is nothing unBibical about a single piano--or no instrument at all--and God's people gathered, singing the great hymns of the past...and present. We need churches like that. Some people just prefer singing from the hymnal. Not everyone knows who "Casting Crowns" are...is...whatever. I don't, and if I do, it's news to me. I've just heard others mention them. By the same token, it is NOT wrong to have a contemporary worship style in your church service, provided the focus is God, it honors God and focuses the congregation on our Heavenly Father and it is done with excellence.

We attended a church a few weeks ago that was definitely contemporary styled in worship. It wasn't my cup of tea, but I found myself singing along on a few of the songs I knew because the entire service was obviously well rehearsed, the instrumentalists were incredibly good, and the vocalists exceptionally gifted. I heard PARTS (soprano, alto, tenor and bass)!!! There were slides, lights, and some very nice camera work by the video crew, all projected on the multiple screens. I could focus my attention on worship because I wasn't distracted by how poorly the whole thing was put together or how badly the [fill in instrument or vocalist here] was.

Some people may say that I'm focusing on the wrong things, too many of the little things. The drums, guitars, keyboards, and lights don't matter...and you're right in the overall scheme of things. But you know something, if the "little things" don't matter, I've got to wonder why God spent so much time on laying out the details, the little things of worship when he gave Moses the details for constructing the tabernacle and the manner of worship that would take place there.

God deserves our BEST...regardless of the style.

T4G (Together for the Gospel)

Just a few thoughts about attending T4G this week.

Fellowship - I went to T4G with Scott and his son, Luke; I've known them for years. Scott and I have been in a Bible study together for at least 16 years. We've attended several of the Shepherd's Conferences together as well. It's always a great time discussing the sermons/sessions, talking about what's going on in our lives, bouncing ideas off each other related to lessons we're writing, etc. We also like to eat and check out the local attractions. While in Louisville, KY, we visited the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum. All three of us love baseball.

Worship - at T4G is an amazing experience. Nearly 7000 --mostly men-- lifting their voices in praise to our awesome God and Savior, led by Bob Kauflin of Sovereign Grace Ministries.

The Word - The "theme" of the week The Unadjusted Gospel was presented in unique and amazing ways by all of the speakers. Highlights for me were RC Sproul, John MacArthur and John Piper.

Books - The bookstore at T4G is MASSIVE! Of course, I spent more than I should have. I picked up MacArthur's Luke Commentary - Volume 1, Philip Ryken's commetary on Luke, and James Montomgery Boice's 4-volume commentary on Romans...to name a few. Also bought the ESV Journaling Bible; looking forward to using it as soon as possible.

Matt Chandler - I knew very little about this brother in Christ until this week. His testimony, his strength and humility are a humbling thing to witness. God is using him in an amazing way, not only at the church where he ministers, but in the lives of most anyone that has the privilege of meeting/hearing him. Click here for Matt's session at T4G

T4G couldn't have come at a better time in my life. I needed a time of refreshing and this week was just that. The sermons, the worship, the fellowship and just having the time to reflect on God, His blessings and the magnificence of the Gospel have renewed my spirit and given me the courage/strength to move forward in some areas of my life that been stagnant the past few months.

Nook eBook Reader

I recently purchased a Nook, Barnes and Noble's eBook reader. I looked at Amazon's Kindle and Sony's Reader before making my decision. I was able to preview the Sony Reader at Best Buy; I read LOTS of reviews for Amazon's Kindle and the decision came down to:
- I didn't like the buttons on the face of the Kindle.
- The Kindle reportedly uses/used Sprint's wireless network (more about that later)
- I just didn't like the look and feel of the Sony Reader

The Nook measures 4.9 inches by 7.7 inches, slightly larger than your average paperback, but much thinner--only a half-inch thick! Navigation is via color touchscreen at the bottom of the device. From there, you can view your library of downloaded eBooks, as well as purchase eBooks from B&N.

To purchase books, you can search/browse B&N's entire catalog of eBooks for FREE via AT&Ts 3G wireless network (yep, I said FREE). Just select your book and it's immediately downloaded directly to the Nook. No connecting to your PC required. (The Kindle uses the Sprint network which I have for my cell phone and I HATE it. One of the main reasons I went with the Nook.)

The reading display utilizes E ink® Vizplex™ technology which makes reading outdoors just as easy as indoors. (Note: the display is not backlight--it's not necessary. Backlighting would also drain battery power.) You can make the font bigger or smaller, and change the font face --there are two serifed faces and one sans serif face to choose from. I prefer the sans serif Helvetica font. (Serifs are those little "spurs" at the top and/or bottom of the letters...and no, I didn't have to look that up. I'm a font geek--goes back to my commercial art days in college.)

The Nook boasts it can store up to 1300 books...even more with its MicroSD slot (not available on the Kindle). New releases typically run $9.99 with earlier releases around $5.99.

The Nook also has a built-in audio player (MP3) which works fairly well. I don't care for the way it creates playlists, but I didn't buy it for the audio, so it's really no big deal.

B&N states the Nook's battery lasts 10 hours if you don't keep the wireless feature turned on. I haven't seen that kind of battery life and apparently, neither have a multitude of other Nook owners. That's really the only beef I have with the device. So far, I've been recharging about every third day. I can live with it, but I'm hoping future software upgrades will remedy the battery situation.

Overall, I love it. I've already read David Baldacci's "True Blue" and I'm currently working my way through Francis Chan's "Crazy Love" and "Super Freakonomics" by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. What I like most is the fact that I can carry several books with me wherever I go. No more running out of stuff to read.

More Nook info here: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/index.asp?cds2Pid=30195

Christmas Gift

One of my most memorable Christmas gifts received: Gumby and Pokey (I was in elementary school). Most memorable Christmas gift given: Dana's engagement ring (30 Christmases ago).

What's your's?

Can't Afford Christmas

A lady on TV receiving free toys from a local charity just said: "We're paying for a new car and a new house and we just can't afford Christmas this year."

Luck or Providence

It was the summer of 1990 and Iraq had just invaded Kuwait, although we didn't know it at the time. We had been camping in the mountains of Colorado for the past week with our Youth Group from church. Real camping--no radios, no TV, no newspaper. Just tents, sleeping bags, lanterns, our Bibles and beauty of the Colorado mountains just outside of Leadville (elevation 10,152 feet).

We were on our way home and as we neared Hays, KS, we suddenly lost power steering. It didn't take us long to discover we had thrown a belt on the van we were driving. Our caravan consisted of five 15-passenger vans at capacity and we were about five miles from town. We split the kids up into the remaining four vans and headed into Hayes in hopes of finding a replacement belt.

We pulled off I-70 at the first exit and found a convenience store that just happened to be right across the street from a service station. Sadly however, the station was closed. Now, at this time, there wasn't much in Hays. It's been years since I've been through there, so that may have changed, but at this particular time, our choices were limited...at the moment looking non-existent. We figured we might as well get something to drink, grab a local phonebook and start looking for garages that might have a replacement fan belt.

As we entered the store, I glanced at the headlines of the paper on the rack next to the cashier. "Bill! Iraq invaded Kuwait," I shouted to one of the other Youth sponsors. The cashier look at me with a puzzled look and said, "Where have you guys been? On a mountain somewhere? They did that yesterday!" "Matter of fact," I answered, "We have. In fact, we're on our way home and we've shredded the belt on our van. Any chance you know who owns the garage across the street?" "Yeah," the cashier replied flatly, "but Ron closed around 4:00; he closes early on Friday afternoons. Won't be back 'til tomorrow morning." Not what we wanted to hear...and then it happened.

As we stood there trying to decide our next move, a vehicle pulled up into "Ron's" garage, and a man we assumed to be Ron, walked over to the huge sign at the edge of the property and began to change the gasoline prices. We ran across the street...hoping...praying. Seems Ron figured with all that fighting in the oil countries, he stood to make a little profit, he told us. "What can I do for ya?" he finally asked. "We need a belt like this for our van that's sitting on I-70," someone stated holding out what was left of our shredded fan belt. "'Fraid I'm not going to be able to help ya," Ron said. "That's a Dodge belt and we don't carry that size. Everybody 'round here drives Fords."

"Could you at least look?" we asked, actually more begged. "Won't do any good," he said, "but I'll look." As we walked into the garage, we noticed the parameter of the building was lined with belts of all sizes and shapes. Ron explained: "Ya see, you need a "such-and-such" size belt and we just don't stock those. It's kind of an odd size." Looking up at one area of the wall, he continued, "If I did have one, it would be...right..." There was a long pause, then Ron nearly whispered: "There." Our eyes followed Ron's and hanging there all by itself on the wall was a belt. Our belt. "Well I'll be danged!" Ron exclaimed. "I've never stocked that size or style belt! How in the heck did that get there?!" "It was probably my part-time help," he said as he grabbed a long stick to retrieve the belt. "I had him do the ordering last week, and he must have ordered the wrong one."

"No," someone said. "He ordered the right one."

We paid Ron, left him scratching his head about the belt and counting his gasoline profits. We all piled into the vans, made the trip back out to our stranded van and a short time later, we were heading back home...with our new belt that Ron normally doesn't stock. We know Who was really doing the ordering the previous week...and He works full-time.