Somewhere I heard ...

Remember the story from the Bible when the adulteress is caught in the act, brought before Christ and the Pharisees try to trap Jesus by asking him if they should stone her to death for her sins?

According to scripture, Jesus starts writing in the sand ... but we're never told exactly what he's writing. Yet one by one, (starting with the oldest; hmmmm) the Pharisees all suddenly remembered they had something else that urgently needed taking care of on their To-Do list and quietly wandered away.

Somewhere I heard somebody say it's only speculation, but they thought maybe what Jesus was writing in the sand was a list of the Pharisees' sins ... right there in the open ... for all the world to see.

As though the Pharisees thought they could ultimately hide their sins from God.

OK wow, that's big.

Like BIG in a God-only kinda way.

Alone with the woman, "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

Still some skeptics argue that Christ was a fabrication created either by folklore and legend, or by a committee of scribes working in the bowels of the Vatican under the Pope's direction.

Shoot, from my experience church committees can't even agree on whether the pastor should get a housing allowance that's adjusted for inflation.

Somehow I can't accept that the perfect concepts of Forgiveness , Grace, Resurrection and Eternal Life evolved alongside our ancestors up there swinging between the tree limbs.

Midori

Girl brings it, that's all.




Okay, I know I misunderestimated the exposure in the bottom two photos by almost half a stop. But that's ok ... I had fun anyway and can't wait till next time.

All New Names - UPDATED

Thanks to FF for passing along this list of your Alternative Names:

1.YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current street name)
Moe McDuffie (wasn't he involved with Santo Trafficante's Gang back in the old days?)

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fav icecream flavour, favorite cookie)
Butter Macadamia (with a name like that, you know I'm Super-Baaaad)

3. YOUR "FLY Guy/Girl" NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)
J-Hal

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Green Dolphin (Okay Dano, book 'em and let's go for a swim)

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Dale Tampa (eeeeeww ... Charlotte, there's something I must tell you about Humphrey)

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 2 letters of mom's maiden name, first three letters of your hometown)
HalJoMiAnd (sounds like a greeting you'd hear from a drunk wookie)

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd favorite color, favorite drink put "The")
Blue The Red Bull (what?! I feel so weak and vulnerable without a cape, leotard and bold shape-complimenting tights)

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
Charlie Joe (listen here ... I own the turns. And whether you come out facing forwards or backwards makes no difference to me. Try it and find out for your own durn self, junior.)

9. EXOTIC PERSONA NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne)
Eternity (go figure)

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother & father's middle name )
Wilbur Janet (that's just grrrrreat)

I hate stuff like this ... kissing, etc. - UPDATED

Are you a good kisser?

I found this poll, and .... well, you figure out the rest.

1. Your most memorable kiss:
* Was sweet, sensual, and totally comfortable
* Was hot and unbridled
* Was the wild beginning to an even wilder night
* Was totally unplanned and spontaneous
* It's so hard to choose from them all
* Was totally romantic and the start of a great love
* Was long, deep, and sent you to the moon

Actually, I wonder if dogs count. Cause I only remember Jambo.


2. If you know a person well, the kiss tends to be:
* Good, if you do things to keep the spark alive
* A little less hot, unless things are rocky between the two of you
* Boring, unless they shock you in some way
* Much, much better
* Great - sometimes you have to find a way to kiss well together
* Pure bliss
* Not as exciting as kissing a stranger

Through a screen door.

3. Where do you like to put your hands during a kiss?
* All over the person's head and neck
* Up the shirt or down the pants just a tad for a tease
* On another person who's fooling around with you two
* Around your sweetie's waist
* In the naughtiest of places
* You prefer a tight embrace while kissing
* They wander to fit the mood

Uh, you're kidding ... right?

4. Your dream kiss leads to:
* A couple more short kisses
* Tons of making out and maybe more...
* More incredible kisses
* Nothing that you could put in print!
* A ton of flirting and a bit of mystery
* Kissing a couple other people
* "I love you"

Dehydration.

5. What kind of kiss is a total turn off for you?
* A kiss that comes from the same old person
* A kiss that uses too much tongue or saliva
* A kiss too soon
* A kiss that doesn't lead anywhere fun
* A kiss that's expected
* A kiss with someone you would never love
* A kiss when there's no chemistry between you and the person

Anything involving teeth.

6. You usually kiss someone new:
* Right away, if you're attracted
* After you've flirted and touched a bit
* After you know them a bit
* As soon as you think you can
* Once you think they would enjoy it too
* After a couple dates, if feelings develop
* When the moment is right

With feet pointed toward the door.

7. A good kisser:
* Is not posessive with their kiss
* Has good technique
* Is considerate
* Is wild and experimental
* Is also a good flirt
* Sets the mood
* Is naturally sexy

Is hard to find.

Kiki Gets A Bath - Nov 2, 2000
Baby, you were fast, wild and totally fearless. And that's everything I like in a Lion Hound.

You already know Tom at Adrenaline. He wisely followed my lead several years back, bought a Ridgeback and became a huge fan. He e-mailed this photo of his new puppy (on the right) just a few minutes ago.



Yes, my heart is broken. I miss my guys.

Miss something?

Did ya tune in to the MotoGP World Championships this afternoon and see Valentino Rossi fall at 80+ mph in the middle of a curve ... and lose any chance of winning a second straight championship title?

Doesn't matter, 'cause you can tune in to SpeedTV through the week and watch the replay. So let's move on to something really stunning.

When I was a kid I asked my parents once why God didn't speak to people or do miracles like He used to in the Bible. The answer they told me was, "Because so many people today are so evil."

I've seen four miracles in the past two weeks. No hyperbole, I mean real miracles. Three had to do with me personally so the details aren't important; trust me, they happened. But I saw the fourth miracle tonight at the 6 PM.

I got accused once of being "married to New Spring," and it wasn't meant as a compliment. I'm not on the church staff, I'm not trying to get hired or make friends with the church staff ... and I don't know P personally at all.

So it's just me talking here, standing on my own two feet.

But when P talked tonight about the addiction he'd put behind him in 1999, which not coincidentally was the same year New Spring started, it occured to me we were seeing an on-going, living miracle. I can't remember the exact quote but before God could get busy putting the man to work, the man had to set sinful distractions aside.

Seven years later we're still seeing the results of P's decision and committment as the gospel is being spread throughout the upstate in a staggering way ... and eight thousand people is just the beginning.

Not that numbers matter, except that every number represents a living soul.

People's lives are being changed ... despite what the critics say.

Are there things I don't like about my church? Sure, there's things that drive me up the wall. Like getting handed a pen that's out of ink ... which keeps me from scribbling in the blanks on my outline (in fact, I'm so angry I think I'll fire off a text message threatening to withold my tithe unless something's done pronto, just as soon as I get around to it).

Like I said, I don't know P and have to trust he was what he said he was before Christ powerwashed his soul ... but I've seen what the Holy Spirit has done through him.

So forgive me if it sounds like I'm bragging when I blog about church, the awesome staff or the hundreds of volunteers that make the whole thing happen every Sunday, or when I describe P as the most effective communicator, anywhere. But I've seen the big TV names ... maybe it's just that P makes the gospel come alive to me in a way I never thought possible. I'm only sharing my reaction.

Not bragging, not cheap praise, not deifying. Just telling you how I see proof of what the Holy Spirit can accomplish when a man is willing to set himself and his desires aside, and starts living his life with the throttle down, running his race all-out for Christ on every lap.

When I write about my church I'm trying to share just a hint of the excitement that's come into my life ... as a result of P putting himself aside and putting Christ first way back in 1999.

If I invited you to share a winning lottery ticket you'd probably be on your way over before I put the phone down. And if I invite you to go with me to share a gift that's infinitely more rewarding and seem frustrated that you don't or can't share my enthusiasm, then let me say thanks in advance for not getting mad or calling me a fanatic.

Maybe you're not in that place yet. But you will be.

I hope you'll be patient anyway, because I'm gonna ask you again ... and keep asking ... the same way ORP had to keep asking me before my hard-headedness softened up enough so I could start listening ... and started seeing a few real-life miracles at work, too.

You gotta let me know

I missed both the 9:15 and the 11:15 this morning after waking up feeling wretched, which leaves only the stompin' 6.

Siempre - coqetiando y enganyando

I wanna go ... then I start thinking I'm probably contagious. It's a minor dilema.

Well if you see me don't come near ... just walk on by.

Perplexing Don't Miss the 6 Playlist
Should I Stay or Should I Go - Clash

Bad habits I picked up at church

Yup, I bolted awake again this morning at 3:42 AM.

I previously described that this routine is a leftover from the old days, when arriving at 6 AM sharp on Sunday mornings to avoid Jake's wrath was essential.

But Daylight Saving Time meant the actual time this morning was 2:42 AM ... with the first service still 6 hrs 15 mins away. I need to cut that out, no kidding.

Other Bad Habits from Church

Peanut Butter Pie - I never ate desserts until I became a member you-know-where. Now I can hardly leave the house without a tacklebox full of chocolate bars ... which I'd quit eating since the fifth grade.

Tar-black Coffee - Used to be you could read the newspaper through the coffee I brewed ... but now my joe's gotta stick to the wall before it's drinkable. And I don't mind the sensation of centipedes nesting in my scalp anymore. Really. Thank Ken for this one.

Ice Cream - I hated it. Literally thought it was disgusting and a vice. Now guess what's stocked-up in the freezer?

Clemson Football - actually went to one game. Had a good time. The Tiger fans were great. Now I understand what all the excitement's about.

I look forward to being around friends from church. Whoa.
Better read that through twice. Wow, it's true.

(I'm saving this joke for the first person from New Spring I see when I get to Heaven: "Wow, I haven't seen you for an eternity!")

-----------------
Don't forget the MotoGP World Championship will be decided this afternoon at 3:30 on speed.tv from Valencia, Spain.

Things look grim for "The Kentucky Kid" Nicky Hayden (somehow this "Aw shucks, we's just racin" guy makes girls drool) ... but rival Valentino Rossi has already proved he has more fear of losing than he does of going face-first over the handlebars.


If you've never seen motorcycles drag their footpegs at 200mph over a road course, this will be the race to watch. Promise.

Sour Throat

I'm not posting, except to say there's nothing to say.

I'm not posting, except to say hello.

[ok, I can't talk with this new whatever headache/ache bug ... my thinking is fuzzy so I shouldn't blog either. Even The Playlist is spinning off-speed, and must be tightly squeezed for proper results.]

And I won't even discuss the mischief AF and FF happened upon last night, I simply won't.

Be In Before Daylight Saving Time Like, Eeeeeew It's So 60s Playlist

Get Ready - Rare Earth
Simple Sister - Procol Harem
Time of the Season - Zombies
Mony Mony - Tommy James & The Shondells
Gloria - Them/Shadows of Knight
Crazy - Patsy Cline
Papa's Got A Brand New Bag - James Brown

... and let me tell me you about Phaedra - updated

-from Wikipedia

'"Some Velvet Morning" is a psychedelic pop song written by Lee Hazlewood and originally recorded by Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra in late 1967. It first appeared on Sinatra's album Movin' With Nancy. The song has been covered many times since, almost always as a duet. Although "Some Velvet Morning" is one of the more famous duets Hazlewood and Sinatra recorded together, it is considered a departure from their usual fare, as it is decidedly less influenced by country western music. The single peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1968.

As with many psychedelic songs, its overall meaning is somewhat obscure. The lyrics consist of the male part describing a mysterious, powerful woman named Phaedra, who educated the speaker in the ways of love. The male part alternates with the female part, who identifies herself as Phaedra and speaks over ethereal, twinkling music about beautiful nature imagery — "flowers growing on a hill / dragonflies and daffodils" — and about the secrets held by an unknown collective "we."

A possible explanation for the song is that the alternating male and female parts represent the differences between men and women, especially in regards to sex. The implication is that women know more of this subject and men must learn to respect women in order to understand this knowledge [emphasis added]. However, another view posits that the male and female parts represent humanity and nature, respectively. The female parts are evocative of a supernatural setting, perhaps one one might associate with the nymphs of Greek mythology. This interpretation seems especially valid, as Phaedra is a character from Greek lore, who, upon being scorned by her lover Hippolytus, commits suicide. Thus, the song may be imploring men to respect the women they love, lest they end up like the classical Phaedra.

The song has been covered most famously by Lydia Lunch and Rowland S. Howard on the album Honeymoon in Red, by psychedelic rock group Vanilla Fudge on the album Near the Beginning, by Primal Scream and Kate Moss on the album Evil Heat, by Slowdive on the american pressing of Souvlaki, and by the Webb Brothers on the Lee Hazlewood tribute album, Total Lee! It has also been recorded instrumentally by guitarist Gabor Szabo and his band. The death/doom metal band My Dying Bride recorded the song on a compilation album for their record label Peaceville Records.'

Never mind all that. See ya Sunday.

All-Day Saturday, Sure Yeah Anyway youwantityougotit Playlist
Come to Poppa - Bob Seger

Guess It's Gstaad for Christmas Frashley Family Weekend Special- check your local listings - [fab fabulous for FF and AF]
Somethin' Stupid - Nancy and Frank Sinatra - For My Dad [or, Sugar]

Phobiaphile

Seems like I spent all day with dj but it was cold and raining, so I can't really be sure except that dj really is afraid of spiders.



At this point I'd confess I'm sorry about leaving one under the recliner facing the TV, but that would be lying ... and I refuse to do it.



Here's some popular church phobias:

Kainolophobia/Kainophobia - fear of anything new
Karkorrhaphiophobia - fear of failure or defeat
Katagelophobia - fear of ridicule
Peccatophobia/Hamartophobia - fear of sinning
Homilophobia - fear of sermons
Panophobia/Pantophobia - fear of everything

Equilibrium

Another small thing about boats.

On a sunny day out on the middle of the lake, boats tend to leak water from the bottom.

But whether on the lake or parked in the driveway, on rainy days boats tend to leak from the top.

So it sorta all balances out. Sorta.

Somehow.

The end of the world as we know it

Blogging's salad days are over. I just did a quick tally, and realized there's 36 blogs in my folder I check regularly.

Or, used to ... because the authors don't post often enough to maintain my interest.

-Seems like 75% of those post fewer than twice a month.

-15% post about once a week

-6% have something to say, but don't say it often enough

-With just one exception, I talk to all the others at least once a day on the phone

At least once every waking hour I keep coming back to lb's post about how much time gets wasted on-line, waiting for something interesting to show up on the screen. She no longer has internet service at home.

I'm really gonna do it too, I am, just as soon as I get three good e-mails in a row on an even-numbered Tuesday.

Stuff I've Learned from Luke Department:

No matter how important whatever you're doing at the moment seems, now's a good time to suddenly stop ... and start scratching.

Pressure-Cooker Full-Length Double-FF Friday Fandango Playlist

Look, it's hard to keep coming up with music to transcend and describe that magical place in the space/time dimension we share (popularly known as The Electric City, USA), but I do my best to kick down doors, take names and bust all barriers between us.

You asked for it, doggone it you got it.

Thunderbird - ZZ Top
Backdoor Medley - ZZ Top
Be Still My Beating Heart - Sting

... but it's not a REAL Church

Here's an interesting article about how the Bible came to be translated into English ... and also how John Hus was burned at the stake in 1415 for his trouble.

Funny how some folks argue today that the only "real" Bible is the King James Version, overlooking that until the 15th century the Latin Vulgate was the "real" Bible.

Many traditionalists today believe "it's not a real church" unless the building has stained glass windows, crosses and a steeple up top. "Real churches" must have choir robes, pews, organ preludes, Sunday School and offering envelopes.

And woe to the preacher who shows in jeans instead of a starched button-down shirt, and starts teaching without consulting notes from a lecturn.

But all those "church things" are man-made obstacles, and serve about the same function as the temple curtain that kept us separated from God's presence.

sic enim dilexit Deus mundum ut Filium suum unigenitum daret ut omnis qui credit in eum non pereat sed habeat vitam aeternam
-John 3:16

Not Perceptive

Not only am I dim-witted, but I'm also sorta slow to catch on.

I've been sending e-mails to AF for something like seven months now, and suddenly realized she'd never once written me back. Not a single time. So the next time we talked on the phone I asked why.

Turns out I didn't have the right e-mail address ... but gmail never bounced anything back.

Well, as I've said so many times before ... much is made clear.

LOST wrap-up

Yeah, whole lotta nothing goin' on.

What they need on that island is some reggae. Reggae, polar bears ... and that sailboat that's still out there somewhere.

One day we'll find out.

Why Not Thursday? Super Sundown Playing List

If I Was A Carpenter - John Holt
Sarah Maria - James Taylor
Delta Lady - Leon Russell
Little Help From My Friends - Joe Cocker (live at Woodstock)
Ramblin' On My Mind - John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers [song by Robert Johnson]
What'd I Say? - John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers

I'm A Bad Man ...

I got this e-mail a few minutes ago from YouTube ...

YouTube

Dear Member:

This is to notify you that we have removed or disabled access to the following material as a result of a third-party notification by CBS Broadcasting, Inc claiming that this material is infringing:

Darfur Reality: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZBGb-ifQZo

Please Note: Repeat incidents of copyright infringement will result in the deletion of your account and all videos uploaded to that account. In order to avoid future strikes against your account, please delete any videos to which you do not own the rights, and refrain from uploading additional videos that infringe on the copyrights of others. For more information about YouTube's copyright policy, please read the Copyright Tips guide.

Guess I'll stick with Fox News from now on, heh heh ...

Notes from the Sick Bay

Remember Star Trek, when regular cast members were stupidly sent down to the planet to investigate alien life forms & got injured, maimed or genetically modified and were beamed back up to The Enterprise for observation and recovery?

Captain Kirk always flipped the intercom switch from the bridge and checked with McCoy down at Sick Bay to see how they were doing (somehow it was always the nameless, scale-wage extras who paid the ultimate price down there on the planet) and to ask for their advice ... probably a leftover symptom of guilt for placing them in such hazardous situations in the first place.

I spent today in Sick Bay. Off and on five hour naps. Something down there on the un-charted planet must've got me ... and won't let go. Shields up, Mister Zulu.

But what happened to McCoy??? , odd upi hot;

Scotty, I need everything she'll give me. And set all phasers to Stun.

Lebo Mathosa Dies in Car Crash

-from CNN.com

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Reuters) -- South African pop singer Lebo Mathosa, a leading star of the country's home-grown "kwaito" style of hip-hop music, was killed in a car crash on Monday, her manager said.

"Unfortunately, Lebo was killed in a car accident in the early hours of this morning," Linzy Cowley told the SAPA news agency. "We send our condolences to her family and friends."

Mathosa, 29, died when her driver apparently lost control of their vehicle on a highway near Johannesburg, SAPA said.

Mathosa rose to fame in 1994 as a singer and dancer for the award-winning group Boom Shaka and went solo in 2000. In 2004 her album "Drama Queen" topped local charts and she was a featured performer in the 2005 launch of MTV's Africa music channel, MTV Base.

Southern Baptist Convention Fears Nothing

Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting - June 13-14, 2006
Resolutions:

1. Marriage Protection Act
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina, June 13-14, 2006, express our grave disappointment with those senators who refused to allow the state legislatures the opportunity to affirm the will of the people on the biblical and traditional definition of marriage

(I need to write the SBC and find out if "the marriage protection act" extends beyond US borders and includes mass rape.)

2. Federal Judges
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina, June 13-14, 2006, express our deepest thanks to God, Who heard our prayers and granted our request for judges and justices who promise to respect our constitutionally-established government of three branches (see Isaiah 33:22), each with its own prescribed and limited scope of authority; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we express deep gratitude to and great respect for President Bush and those senators who stood with him through the intense judicial confirmation process this past year; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage President Bush to continue nominating strict constructionist judges to fill the remaining vacancies in the federal judiciary as quickly as possible; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we call on the United States Senate to vote without delay on those judicial nominees who are currently awaiting Senate action, as well as on all future judicial nominees, in order that they might begin serving the American people; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we encourage all Southern Baptists and other believers to pray regularly for our president and others in positions of governmental authority that they might act justly in all matters.

3. China's Treatment of North Korean Refugees

RESOLVED, That we call on Southern Baptists and all our brothers and sisters in Christ to pray that God will turn the heart of Kim Jong Il to grant to all the people of North Korea the respect they deserve as God’s creation (Proverbs 21:1).

4. Darfur
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina, June 13-14, 2006, commend the President of the United States, George W. Bush, and the United States government for steadfastly pursuing a resolution to this humanitarian crisis; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage the government of the Democratic Republic of Sudan, and their president, General Omar al-Bashir to disband the Janjaweed militias and allow the United Nations peace-keeping force unlimited access to the Darfur region; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage the government of Sudan to turn over the perpetrators of the atrocities to the appropriate international tribunals; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we urge the international community to provide food, water, and international development assistance to the people of the Darfur region of Sudan.

5. Alcohol
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina, June 13-14, 2006, express our total opposition to the manufacturing, advertising, distributing, and consuming of alcoholic beverages; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge that no one be elected to serve as a trustee or member of any entity or committee of the Southern Baptist Convention that is a user of alcoholic beverages.

RESOLVED, That we urge Southern Baptists to take an active role in supporting legislation that is intended to curb alcohol use in our communities and nation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we commend organizations and ministries that treat alcohol-related problems from a biblical perspective and promote abstinence and encourage local churches to begin and/or support such biblically-based ministries.


All 15 SBC Resolutions available here.

What Can I Do To Help?

-Copied from Committe on Conscience:

WHAT CAN I DO?
Six things you can do to help prevent genocide

-KEEP INFORMED. Find out more about what is going on. Your gateway to more information
is our Web site www.committeeonconscience.org.

-CONTACT THE MEDIA. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or to
other news outlets to comment on their coverage of Darfur or to express your views
about the importance of public attention to the story.

-COMMUNICATE WITH THE GOVERNMENT. Tell your government representatives
your views and concerns about events in Darfur.

-SUPPORT RELIEF EFFORTS. Find out more about relief organizations mounting
efforts to help civilians affected by the crisis. They may have ideas of ways you can help.
See the Committee on Conscience Web site for a link to listings of relief organizations
operating in Darfur.

-GET ENGAGED IN YOUR COMMUNITY. Talk about Darfur to your friends, family,
members of organizations you belong to, and coworkers—help spread the word.
Look for groups within your community who may also be working to help address
the crisis. Schools, churches, synagogues, mosques, and groups across the country are
making a difference.

Your voice can make a difference.
Do not be silent.

Audio Commentary: Staring Genocide in the Face

Eyewitness to Genocide

Pick n' Choose Only The Verses You Like

Luke 4:17-19
The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Matthew 25:40
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Luke 14:11-17
Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Mark 10:21
Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Luke 6:23-25
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.

Matthew 25:45
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

I Didn't Know ....

Yes, you do.

Tom, coincidentally, just e-mailed me this quote:

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." – Martin Luther King Jr.

2006 Grand Prix Season Results

Michael Schumacher suffered a tire failure just a few laps into today's Grand Prix of Brazil, and set a race-fastest time on the white flag lap as he charged from last place to finish fourth ... but Ferrari's uber-driver failed to win his eighth World Driver's Championship in the last F1 race of his career.

Renault claimed the Manufacturer's Championship over Ferrari by five (5) points, but since Renault's made in France ... who cares?

"Pictures Are Worth A Thousand Manufacturer's Championships" Department:

This is a 1956 Ferrari 500 TR


This is a 1956 Renault 4CV

Word to your manufacturer.

2:45 AM Wake-Up Call

Never mind going to movies. Save your money and forget about it. Spending time with good friends is far more worthwhile.

Yesterday afternoon I dropped by Ken & Meg's to deliver Gardner's giraffe (these things take time).

Always one of the world's two most gracious and hospitable hosts, Ken cooked up some chai so strong it turned my earlobes brown, and packed so much caffeine that I didn't bother starting the engine to drive back home.

Maybe that's why I was up at 2:45 AM ... I needed more caffeine.

Ken's one of the world's true good guys. I mean it and really. You can see Christ in every facet of his life, and there's absolutely nothing I'd feel uncomfortable discussing or asking Ken about for his perspective (he could change his last name to Wisdom and keep the same initials).

I can even almost forgive him for using and endorsing Mac ... but not quite.

Ken thanks again for setting such a Godly, rock-solid standard.

Excitement Weekend!

The results of The Blue Book's latest poll are in.

Most respondents anwered with an overwhelming, but hardly surprising, decision when asked,

"What are you looking forward to most this weekend?"

1. Watching Clemson take on Georgia Tech - 5%

2. Watching Mark "The Hammer" Coleman take on Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko in the first-ever Pride Fighting event ever held on US soil - 1%

3. Watching Michael Schumacher take on Fernando Alonso to decide the 2006 World Driver's Championship in The Grand Prix of Brazil - 11%

4. Watching the best dirt track drivers in the Upstate take on each other in the last races of the season ( and possibly ever?) at Riverside Speedway near Traveller's Rest - 3%

5. Watching P take on Relationships in the first message of the new "Lord of the Rings" series - 80%

Somebody wanted to know if I forgot to mention the 2006 World Series (that would be baseball) starts this weekend.

No, I didn't. Yawn.

What Trees Do When We're Not Looking

Condition Report

Man, things are looking grim across the board.

FA is down with pink eye, an ear infection, and idiopathic grape louse

AF's gone coastal and roaming

And I'm MIA-UFN

... and then this actual e-mail from myspace

MySpace.com sent me this message. Really they did.

Subject:	WARNING: Please set you age correctly
Body:	MySpace has special privacy and safety settings for users under the age of 18. We would like to remind you that you may not pretend to be older than 18 to get around these safety measures. We are providing you a two week amnesty period to accurately portray your age. Please take this time to update your profile and set it to your real age to avoid deletion. Thanks!

So like Dude if my mom finds out, I'll be like soooo permanently busted.

Things to Think About

Thanks again to Tom at Adrenaline PowerBoats, for passing along these imponderables with this morning's email.

THINGS YOV'VE PROBABLY NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT:

-Can you cry under water?

-Why do you have to "put your two cents in".. . but it's only a "penny for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going?

-Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

-What disease did cured ham actually have?

-How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

-Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up like every two hours?

-Hey DJ, why are you IN a movie, but you're ON TV?

-Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

-Why do doctors leave the room while you change? They're going to see you naked anyway.

-Why is "bra" singular and "undies" plural?

-Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no human being would eat?

-If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?

-If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from?

-Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?

-Why did you just try singing the two songs above?

-Do you ever wonder why I started blogging in the first place?

Lembrete: Prática F1 hoje em 2:00 PM em Speed.TV



Friday's Disco Weekend in Sao Paolo Playlist:
Lady Zu - "Dança Louca"
Rita Lee - "Chega Mais"
Two Man Sound - "Disco Samba"

Friday Prayer List

I'm unplugging the phone all day on Friday so I can catch up my prayer list.

I wrote down all the essentials so I don't leave out anything important ...

-Grant me good health, so that I might keep on like I have been

-Please watch over my family, cause I don't have time to

-Please heal my car for 25,000 more miles, especially after my warranty expires or until I finish making all the payments, and can afford to buy a new one with No-Money-Down financing (make that 50,000 miles if you think my "God Is My Co-Pilot" bumpersticker is awesome)

-Bless my financial situation and punish those creditors who scorn me, that after I've taken a vacation and set aside a fat bankroll according to your heavenly design, I might start tithing again, and earn more respect and a say-so in church committees

-Be with our pastor, Bless His Heart, that he will not continue to say things during the service that really tick me off, or cause me to stay up nights. Don't let him preach about things that offend my friends who I've invited as guests to the service so they'll think I'm cool, or preach about controversial subjects that cause me to send anonymous e-mails to the church office on Wednesday mornings, even after I've talked to my attorney and calmed down

-Please watch and hover over the church staff, so that they will see the wisdom of every word that leaves my mouth, and check with me first before making any decision, amen

-Grant me strength to resist porn and temptation, instead of having the cable and internet disconnected

-Please forgive me for being bored and distracted when there's nothing else to do

-Be with that girl from church (you know the one I mean), let her see the many errors of her ways, let her realize I'm not a LOSER and see I was right (as usual) and come grovelling back ... that I may show her a full measure of grace and forgiveness ... so long as she acts right (the other one can drop dead with bee stings for all I care, if it suits you)

-Please end the relationship anxiety in my life by pointing me to the perfect partner, who is already perfect in every way

-Generally, please make me happy and as comfortable as possible, as proof of your awesome power

I know You're busy but also ...

-Let lots of people be saved around the world, even if I've never met them

-Don't let believers in other countries go hungry or without clothes, unless it pleases You and they deserve it

-Keep their populations under control, and teach them to be content with what they have

-Give me the strength to stay focused on what's most important to me

-Let others see the errors of their ways

-Help me live so that others see You in me

LIFE Magazine October 3, 1969

The grace of ballet ...


The Tumult of Hendrix

Never Leave the House on Halloween

11 Ways to Scare Yourself Silly on Halloween

If you're looking for a few screams this season, check out some of these wonderfully weird attractions. All are bound to scare, or at least impress, the most cynical visitors.

Headless Horseman, Ulster Park, NY
This is 45 acres of pure Halloween happiness. A one-mile hayride (enlivened with amazing special effects), a labyrinth corn maze, three ghost-infested houses, Cypher's Casket Company, the Haunted Gardens, and four ghoulish gift shops are among the star attractions. And, yes, there's a headless horseman merrily galloping around. Click here for details. $27. (photo above)

Dr. Lady Horror Hotel, Chatfield, OH
Laura and David Lady live inside their morbid mansion year round, opening their home to guests in October. The draw here are dozens of incredible life-size monster figures (most built by David, who designs latex monster masks for movies), which can be viewed on a tour that mixes high-tech sound and lighting effects with delightfully lowbrow humor. David and Laura personally conduct each tour. Click here for details. $5

Halloween Horror Nights, Orlando, FL
October 19-22, 26-29 & 31
Weekend nights in October, Universal Studio morphs into a weird world where vampires, soul catchers, and zombies romp around in a dark forest, a half-dozen haunted houses provoke screams of pure panic, and a 40-foot tall, 30-ton mechanical dinosaur rampages through the streets. Click here for details. $60. If you'd like to spend a few days quivering in fear, check out the Gory Getaway Vacation Package. (photo, right)

Bates Motel, Philadelphia, PA
Think you've stayed in some scary places? You ain't seen nothing yet. The Bates Motel is a high-energy haunted house whose inhabitants will do their best to keep you from ever checking out. If you do manage to escape their clutches, hop on the hayride and enjoy the Hollywood-style pyrotechnics as you battle off flying ghouls and goblins. The corn maze will convince urbanites that rural America is just as terrifying as they'd always suspected. Click here for details. $25

Haunted Overload, Stratham, NH
Get scared and feel really good about it afterwards -- half of Haunted Overload profits go to the local humane society, the other half are invested into enhancing next year's show. This old-fashioned attraction, built every year by Eric Lowther with the help of friends, family, and neighbors, features clever displays scattered around Lowther's Haunted Lawn. The grand finale, on October 30 and 31, includes 150-plus illuminated jack-o-lanterns, a battalion of fog machines, and "a chainsaw guy running wild." Click here for details. No set fee. Donations accepted.

Nautical Nightmares, Mystic, CT
Things that go bump in the night, creepy ghost tales, spirits guiding you through a dark village, and a mysterious lantern-lit boat ride along the Mystic River -- it's all part of "Nautical Nightmares," an annual Halloween event at Mystic Seaport. The nearly-departed share stories, unsolved mysteries, and strange legends with visitors as they sail down the river on a ghost ship. Click here for details. $18 (photo, right)

Netherworld, Atlanta
Located in the Georgia Antique & Design Center, the themes for 2006 are "Cursed," "Dr. Bill's Freak Pit," and "Shock-O-Rama". You'll marvel at the amazing monster makeup and special 3D effects even as you cower, gibbering with fear, in a dark corner. Click here for details. $15 for Cursed; $20 for Cursed and Shock-O-Rama in 3D or Cursed & Freak Pit; $25 all three shows.

Pirates of Emerson, Fremont, CA
Swirling fog, a desolate swamp, a creaking boat, an "underwater" tour of Davy Jones' Locker, a bilge rats maze, creepy dead pirates, outstanding special effects -- it's all here in a spook house with a swashbuckling theme. Pirates of Emerson has been frightening Californians for 15 years, and the attention paid to every devilish detail at this attraction is legendary. Click here for details. $18

Shocktoberfest, Sinking Spring, PA
Five minutes from Reading, PA, Shocktoberfest has the feel of a classic country fair gone crazy. The story is that the town was polluted by environmental waste and everyone went nuts. Visitors can explore the Toxic Asylum, climb aboard a BioHazard Hayride, visit a Prison of the Dead, and stroll along the Monster Midway to play games of ghoulish skill and chance. All of this is enlivened by "the same computer effects technology used by Universal Studios and Disney," according to the event's organizers. Click here for details. $30.

USS Nightmare, Newport, KY
Billed as America's Premier Haunted Steamboat, it's also America's only haunted Steamboat. Join the ghostly crew on a spine-chilling tour through the infirmary, the boiler pit, the pantry, the cargo hold, and the torturer's chamber. Meet the Rat Lady, legendary Captain Mitchell, and Captain Mitchell's evil twin, and the Pickled Brothers. When you're done screeching like a crazed banshee, have a slice of pizza in the Nightmare Mess Hall. Click here for details. $15. (photo, right)

The Darkness, St. Louis, MO
This is one of the country's scariest Halloween extravaganzas, according to HauntWorld, a magazine for the haunted house industry. But it isn't just cheap chills. The Darkness spends over $150,000 each year to upgrade its eerie offerings. There are 100-plus animations, 50 actors, and more than 40 demonically decorated sites to explore, all packed with demon mummies, zombified Pygmies, lots of weapon-wielding maniacs, and -- The Darkness' organizers firmly insist -- real ghosts. Click here for details. $15.

---Michelle Delio

LOST done lost it - updated 2:33PM

LOST is floundering ... and this time the smash cuts, polar bears and a sweat lodge didn't fool me.

Overlooking for a moment that not a single significant thing happened in last night's episode, this silliness about splitting the season up with three new episodes, taking three months off ... eight new episodes, take eight months off is like a server adding sandspurs to your salad and explaining, "Try this, it's different" as she hands you a fork.

Oh, and yes ... can we please have some more new characters in mid-season? Please pretty please?

Maybe if Kate could replace Rosie O'Donnell and become a regular on "The View" ... yah, that'd be cool.

I just realized how much Luke looks like a polar bear.
Much is made clear.

Killer Device Drivers

-from ZDNet

Surge of killer device drivers leave no OS safe

Posted by George Ou @ 5:39 am

Digg This!

News came yesterday that Linux users who used NVIDIA's drivers were in danger of being remotely exploited because a zero-day exploit code was released last week. Just the mere act of visiting a malicious website could trigger a buffer overflow that can lead to arbitrary code execution.

Since the attack is on the device driver which is closely tied in to the kernel, it operates beneath the user space and does not require root privileges to completely take over the system. Currently there are no patches or updated drivers that fix this issue so Linux users are faced with the difficult choice of running more generic drivers that lack hardware optimization or live with the risk of being rooted.

These kinds of device driver flaws aren't just limited to Linux; the reality is that they have recently plagued all operating systems from FreeBSD to Linux to Windows to Mac OS X.

Getting to know you ...

According to Ken, these are just a few of the "Would You Rather ..." questions folks had the challenge of answering last night during their Home Group's first "at home" meeting.

-Have Boba Fett-like thrusters in your nostrils OR retractable roller blades on the bottom of your feet?

-Have a foot long eyelash you can never pluck OR an earlobe the size of a basketball?

-Have your eye fall out at random times OR have uncontrollable constant drool?

-Have one giant tooth OR millions of tiny teeth?

-Get a bad tattoo OR have bad teeth?

-Wear a life vest the rest of your life OR a pair of parachute pants?

-Have one leg ridiculously shorter than the other OR arms that don't bend?

-Eat 3 lbs of hair OR Drink a gallon of shampoo?

-Have caterpillars on your face moving around on your eyebrows OR or be trailing paprika wherever you go?

-Have needles for leg hair, OR have flares shoot out of your nose every time you say the word "the".

-Hit every red light for the rest of your life, OR always be wrong?

Girl Knows Stuff

What do I know about women? Absolutely nothing (just ask me).

So after reading this post at Dysfunction Junction and seeing it was directed at women prone fretting about the turmoil, confusion and disappointments in their lives, I asked for permission and ORP was kind enough to allow me to include a few excerpts here.

You alone choose how to behave and how to react to every situation. You can choose to let things happen. You can choose to make a mountain out of a molehill, or a molehill out of a mountain range. You can choose to get angry and scream and break things (and people); you can choose to look like an idiot at best, and go to jail eventually at worst, and nobody can do a thing about it. But the fact remains that you are in control of and responsible for your own behavior.

You decide who you allow into your life. And guess what? Most people don't deserve a place in your heart. Cold? Yep. But I've seen first hand what an unworthy "friend" can do to your life. The same applies to dating relationships. Just because someone is "hot" or "sexy" doesn't mean he deserves a place in your life, your heart, or even your bed. Hell, especially your bed. Or, substitute "hot" or "sexy" for "rich".. the same applies.

You decide how people will treat you.. not based on how you treat them, but on how you treat yourself. A person who respects herself does not treat herself badly. She doesn't put herself in dangerous and shameful situations. She doesn't have unsafe sex or "casual" sex.. because come on everybody knows that for a woman, sex is never casual. She doesn't allow toxic people to worm their way into her life, and once she's kicked a toxic person to the curb, she slams the door on their bad influence and doesn't look back! She doesn't use coersion or manipulation or intimidation or her body to get what she wants. A woman who respects herself learns how to get what she needs on her own power, without sacrificing her self respect.

It basically took my world falling apart and all of my ideas about life and love and faith being slashed to the bone. It took me finally admitting that it's not all about me and gritting my teeth against a lifelong disgust for religion and God and opening my mind. I heard a pastor say something that God had been trying to tell me for years, and I was too hardheaded to listen:

I've lived my life for the wrong man.. a different man every few years, and every one of them wrong. God is the only one who doesn't disappoint you in the end. And more importantly, God made each of us exactly the way we were supposed to be. He made us on purpose, with a purpose, and for a purpose. In his image.

Now you know I'm not a church nut. I don't even attend every week. I'm not involved. I don't go around praying for random people and laying hands on them and speaking in tongues. I'm not out there thumping the bible and being a Jesus freak. In fact, I'm probably one of the most cynical and skeptic Christians I know. But you know what? Becoming a Christian changed my life anyway.

I'm not lucky and I'm not special. I'm not doing anything anyone else can't do. I've just realized that this works.


I Always Thought The Old Testament Was BORING Department:

Sunday School was never like this. But it shoulda been.

Yo Men, Listen Up

Hope I'm not violating copyright laws by lifting this awesome post from BIG TRUTH Small Packaging.

I don't know who she is ... but her words, aimed at men, are worth memorizing:

You are respectable. Respect is something that needs to be earned, and as a Godly man you succeed at that. Your strength, not just physical, is something that women need to reach our potential as well as reflecting well on you. I know that the intricate workings of yourY mind is essential in God's plan.

Does that surprise you? I know you think about sex as much as women think about chocolate; so you may have a problem with this statement. You were designed like that by God himself. Yes, there is a right way and wrong way to use this mind of yours. I have no problem with the way a Godly man handles this gift.

You walk with dignity and statue worthy of admiration. You enter a room and every woman knows they are now in the presence of a Man. There is a security in your presence that we can find no where else on earth. You bring conversation topics that make us laugh and think in ways women cannot achieve.

We love it when you take the time to present yourself in public. When you use products to make you smell irresistible and look GQ, we do notice; however it is your character that catches our attention. Women may be intrigued by the physical but are captivated by your character.

You are beautiful too.

You have an incredible responsibility to live up to and you’re trying your best to accomplish it. God himself chose to enter humanity as a man, and you are the reflection of his image. I can see glimpses of Christ Himself in you.

Briefly, moments will come when, I swear, you have shrugged off humanity itself and been covered in Christ to the point I can't tell you apart. Through this, tangible reflections of my Savior are given. We can see, touch, and feel the love of our Lord.

I say the world is better for having Godly men like you. I know I am better for it. Again I say Thank You, men, for just being good men.

The Bare Facts About Belton

www.nonudebelton.com

Saying No to No Clothes

October 15, 2006

A group of Belton residents are saying no to no clothes at nudist colony that wants to move into the small Anderson County town. And they are uniting with the help of a Web site - nonudebeleton.com.

The site offers information about the development that is proposed for 103 acres of land along Blake Dairy Road, just outside the city of Belton.

-The Anderson Independent Mail

The Big Rallye

Can you believe it?

Tonight The Blue Book stepped into the local political fracas by appearing live before The Electric City Council ... and sang a heart-felt (albeit solo) "Un di, si den rammento mi" from Verdi's Rigoletto to express outrage over the latest downtown redevelopment plan.

Yes. So I directed all white blood cells and enzymes to attack this viral intrusion, commanding myself not to get sick.

Is it working?

Not important ... so long as I function as though it's working.

No More Posts for You

I keep telling myself not to blog until whatever this is goes away.

I had a nagging sore throat yesterday, then woke up in the middle of the night with a headache (I can count my lifetime total heachaches on one hand) and felt like my situation would greatly improve if I unloaded last night's frozen pizza cargo.

I didn't ... and feel slightly better now, but just got an unsolicited e-mail from FF saying she was also sick this morning, with similar flu-like symptoms.

Glad I've still got the strength of 9.325 men, it comes in handy during flu season.

Backdoor Love Affair

Ya''ll quit already.

Whatever you're thinking, stop it and pay attention. I heard something tonight at The 6 that tied in with ... well, this classic ZZ Top song.

Any way you want it baby,
I'll settle for a back door love affair.

I call you on the telephone,
the party says that you ain't there.

When a man asked who's callin',
I said, just tell 'em it's a back door love affair.

At Tonight's 6 it sunk in that some folks are trying to hide behind dual-citizenship about their church membership.

They'll attend an early service at one church, then scoot across town (changing clothes en route?) to arrive on time for the service at the church where they grew up, where they were married, where their parents still attend.

I want to be clear: those people are spending more time driving than they are serving. They're focused more on keeping other people happy than they are on serving God's Kingdom.

Like someone wiser than me once said: If the church is Christ's body, are we sure we wanna close the back door? ... but that doesn't mean it's kept open so you can try to sneak in while nobody's watching.

Don't compromise your spiritual gifts by settling for a backdoor love affair.

Double Espresso Shot

I'm a dummy who doesn't even deserve having a blog.

I shoulda already mentioned you can catch the Sunday services every week via Podcast or direct link here.

Now you don't have any excuses, even if you live on the other side of the Pacific (and Yes, from now on there will be a quiz every Monday).

I'm not gonna say This is the most exciting church in the world! or Nobody Brings Scripture To Life And Makes it Relevant Like My Pastor! or My Church Has The Best Staff And Volunteers On The Planet! Even if I think they're all true, it's not about one church or one group of people or even about one person.

It's only about a man named Jesus Christ, and following his command to reach every corner of this community with the gospel.

Pocahontas and Me

Terribly awesome evening sitting on top of the Old Stone wall with The Frashleys winding down as we speak.

In the meantime, create your own audio-visual treat by clicking here for a time-lapsed look at the Aurora Borealis ... and mixing in The Playlist to suit.

Neil Young - Aurora Borealis

See ya at The Six.

Archival Feetage

By popular demand ... an untitled poem from a few years
back.


Your name
The customary word
Rings the moonrise
Silver echoes cascade
And split the hillside.

Phantoms chant
Through sun-seared eyes
I dreamed your soul melted into
A chorus inside me.

To know your touch
Breath and pulse
Your words before you say them.
Become me.

I dreamed I saw you sleeping
Alone in the desert
And in the saturnine sky
The stars spelled out your name.

Tendril Love.

If only we had time
Time enough
I'd poison you.

Solid Gold

"Time allows you to truly understand ..."

Stop whatever you're doing right now and click here.

Joe Sangl's October 12 post is titled "Financial Advice to Married Persons" but I'd add the caption ... and for folks who might one day get married.

Then print out 100 copies (we tend to lose things over the years), and carry one folded copy in your purse or wallet to have handy for reference the next time you meet Mr or Miss Awesomely Right.

Ask them to read it, explaining that you've got a few questions about the future and that you're curious to find out what they think. Do this long before any possibility of getting engaged is even a remote possibility ... like on the second (but no later than third) date.

Here's a hint straight from the core binding of The Blue Book.

If the new hottie who's put a twinkle in your eye and a skip in your step rolls their eyes, skims over the page and says something insightful like "I'm not interested in any of that stuff" or shrugs off the subject of financial responsibility without telling you what they think, then you're left with just one option for that relationship:

Don't walk away ... start running and don't spare the horses.

I promise you will not be looking back at Joe Sangl's advice five years from now, wondering why on earth you made life so hard when you had everything you needed to make it so easy.

Those with ears should start hearing.

I'll bet couples in love spend 1500% more time thinking about sex than they do thinking about their finances. Which goes a long way toward explaining why so many married couples find themselves financially screwed.

Hi Ho The Derry-O, A Voting We Will Go - updated 7:17 am Oct 14-2006

Thursday at lunch I thought McCoy was gonna throw me on top of the table and use a butter knife to get urgently busy finding out "What's wrong with you?"

Talk about sudden fury.

All I'd done was confess I hadn't voted in the last election, or even the one before that.

Can we put politics aside for a minute, please?

Both national political parties are morally corrupt: Democrats are Godless self-serving liars bankrolled by secular humanists, eco-freaks, trial lawyers and liberals dedicated to expanding their "progressive" agenda with moral relativisim and destroying our fundamental freedoms.

The Republican Party's been bought and paid for by blood-sucking corporate interests dedicated to stealing everybody else's money (like banks, pharmaceutical and petro-chemical monopolies), and shamelessly profiting from selling advanced (translation: highly-profitable) weapons systems to already-indebted Third World countries while ignoring their impoverished populations. And to destroying our fundamental freedoms.

I know God-fearing, Christ-loving people on both political sides, and they'll never see eye to eye on the issues. The fact that they'll turn around and vote against each other's ballots during an election is kinda puzzling ... and seems self-defeating.

No matter what your political affiliation, the simple fact remains that in this corporate-funded democracy, the candidate with the deepest pockets typically wins ... and immediately sets out to repay campaign debts and obligations by granting favors and privileges to his/her friends and sponsors while ignoring the nation's interests.

Big corporations, labor unions and PACs know this: that's why they hedge their election bets by generously contributing to both candidates on both sides of the issues.

And when it comes to being "representative," one well-heeled lobbyist in the D.C. Beltway packs more punch than 500,000 constituents back home.

It's almost like every four years our federal government is put up for sale at public auction, and goes to the highest bidder.

But what about hot-button topics like abortion? Or gay rights? And what about protecting our borders against terrorist attack?!

What about less time dwelling on fear and more attention focused on spreading the gospel ... and remembering that God alone is sovereign and in control at all times, no matter which party gets elected?

Jimi Hendrix, Ferrari and Following Christ

I've wondered if people sometimes land at The Blue Book almost by accident after Googling with words like Grace, Jesus Christ or salvation ... and instead find posts about Faith mixed with an odd assortment of ramblings about Jimi Hendrix, Ferraris, Formula 1 racing, something called Today's Playlist and who possibly knows what else.

Ok, I'll do my best.

Jimi Hendrix
I don't do illegal drugs, and neither should you. Hendrix's music was science fiction ... stories about outer space told with feedback through an amplified electric guitar.

-I also think he was the most original, innovative and influential electric guitarist who ever lived ... despite the arm-chair critics who say he was un-trained, un-skilled and musically un-educated.

Even if they're right, being "un-polished" didn't stop Hendrix from doing solos that leave other guitarists with their mouths hanging open ... even today.

Formula 1 Racing
Being strapped into a 1700-pound chassis carrying an 800 horsepower furnace that feels like it's flattening your eyesballs every time you step on the gas, and blasting through hairpin turns and chicanes at over twice the national speed limit with 4-Gs squishing you sideways in your seat, is probably something spectators would rather watch from afar, where it's safe ... while avoiding any direct participation.

-the same way some congregations sit back and watch their pastor run the race ... until he finally crashes and burns-out in front of the grandstands.

No racing team would ever hire a Formula 1 driver who said, "I don't care about winning because I've never been that enthusiastic about the manufacturer. Finishing second to the other guy is good enough for me, and that's as hard as I'm willing to work."

-but lots of churches would hire him without batting an eye ... and then go right back to arguing with the Building Committee about where to put the new water fountain

Ferrari
Never mind the flashy new models that cost more than the average American home; this has nothing to do with status symbols, extravagance or materialism.

Back in the 1950s one man's vision changed not just racing but automobile design forever, even though no one grasped Ferrari's impact at the time. What Enzo was doing was simply building the best cars in the world ... by hand, one at a time. The man had a single vision, an uncompromised devotion to what he would accomplish.

As long as Enzo was alive, his passion took Ferrari to levels beyond what anyone thought possible.

The Playlist
Is simply what I'm listening to in the background.

Minivan Drivers From Hell

Remember the old saw about "Be careful what you pray for, 'cause you just might get it?"

I'm learning to be very careful ... because the past few weeks I've been praying for Patience.

No kidding, prayer works.

Now a whole week can slip by with me still stuck in traffic at red lights, or trapped behind two drivers doing 20 miles an hour side-by-side on Clemson Boulevard. But I just turn up the volume and start wishing "Holy Holy Holy"could somehow play on the radio.

Or I can be waiting in the Express Lane for what seems long enough to let the Post Office know to start forwarding my mail while the customer ahead of me loses count of the pennies she's using to make a $400 purchase, and starts over ... but it won't faze me one bit.

Or I can be waiting in a restaurant while the ice caps melt and North America develops a food crisis waiting for my order to arrive, and never saying a word to the server about "What happened to my food?" Really.

But come Sunday ... whether it's one of the two morning services or the stompin' 6, when the time comes to head up Highway 81 it doesn't make any difference ... I've come to recognize there's hand-to-hand spiritual combat on the horizon.

Happens every time, as every minivan driver, every octogenarian on a moped and every person who's ever failed their driver's test decides it's time to get on the road, pull out in front and start blocking my way.

Last Sunday evening at a red light I was about 2 seconds away from climbing out, walking up to the driver ahead of me and asking if he'd mind if I checked his pulse. Drivers like him may not know it, but they are part of the army opposing me in spiritual warfare.

Seriously.

If I'd said the enemy had been hurling Lust! Greed! or Temptation! in my direction to distract me, even strictest legalists would understand exactly what I meant. But the idea that minivan drivers might somehow fall into the same category as an awfully-on-purpose painted-on skirt probably sounds like a stretch.

But I don't think so.

Here's the reason: if I pull up at church and have to immediately give myself a Timeout to calm down before getting out of my vehicle and walking into God's House, or if I jab my finger in the face of the poor guy on the Parking Team to let him know he's Number 1 for not pointing me to the parking space I want, that means I've lost focus and let myself become distracted just when I need to be most prepared to listen ... and the enemy has won that round.

That awareness applies across the board: any time I allow normal, day to day irritations to come between me and where I want to be, even though snapping at a server (or seeking revenge by not leaving a generous tip) might sound more like a quick skirmish than a nuclear spiritual attack, it's still one more opportunity for the enemy to snicker "Gotcha!" ... and another invitation for a bigger stumbling block to get tossed in my path next time.

If I let trivial annoyances, gossip, disappointments or anger distract me, my weakness just might be an invitation for the enemy to "check back soon" with something much bigger: if I've proved even insigificant distractions cause me to stumble then how on earth will I have the strength and experience to climb over boulders?

Maybe the enemy has the best chance of winning when we don't even realize it's him we've been fighting.