I'm looking forward to meeting Jesus.
Not to dying, obviously, but to coming face to face with the man whose love was so overwhelming and all-encompassing that he allowed himself to suffer horribly and be crucified ... knowing the entire time that billions of people would nonetheless sneer, reject him and suffer eternity separated from God.
I keep imagining what it must've been like for the disciples to have known Christ in the flesh. Was he really the way some movies depict him ... perpetually sad with the burden of our sins? Did his eyes always seem distant and focused on some faraway, incomprehensible truth?
Or was Jesus so much like us that even his own brothers, and some family members, thought he was crazy and initially failed to accept that he was the Messiah?
I wonder if Jesus ever told a joke or two during the long, dusty walks between cities or after a long day of healing and preaching to the masses. I've even wondered how Jesus decided what clothes to wear on what days or if he had a favorite food or snack.
I've also wondered if, being human, Jesus had at least some hint of doubt whether God would raise him from death following the crucifixion. I mean, if it had been me waiting in Gethsemane that night watching the guards coming with swords and torches ...
Just one of the traits I'm sure I'd see in Jesus more unlike anything I've seen among men would be his decisiveness. I simply can't accept that the Son of God was big on Maybe, I'm not sure, I changed my mind or Check back with me tomorrow.
And I don't mean just decisive about what scripture says or about preaching the gospel.
I believe the man Jesus Christ lived without uncertainty, was never mealy-mouthed, and anything but vague in every decision ... like who would be included in the twelve, what time he intended to arrive in Jerusalem and even what species of fish and type of bread would feed the five thousand.
Jesus was so decisive and knew what he was about because he had perfect faith ... the only kind of faith that empowered him to reject Satan and temptation, live a life completely free of sin and ultimately conquer death through his resurrection. Perfect faith in his father, the almighty God, and perfect faith in the plan God made for his life and our salvation.
Being decisive as followers of Christ surely grows from that kind of unqualified, absolute and committed faith in God.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
What's it all about?
The thing about the traditionalists with the blog I mentioned yesterday is that in their zeal to emphasis the importance of their fundamentalist perspective, they're overlooking what their dogma seems to be suggesting ... and it's not exactly subtle.
When these folks boast (yep, boast) about the critical urgency of perpetuating the requirements of their traditions ... well, I wonder if they've realized that insisting on their rules, their traditions, their constitution and their political positions might be implying that faith and devotion to a living Christ isn't enough, that Grace won't get the job done, and that the Holy Spirit somehow needs the assistance of whatever resolutions this year's convention chooses to support.
Just saying, and just trying to be constructive, with love.
"So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?"
He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
"For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galatians 2:19-21 (NIV)
When these folks boast (yep, boast) about the critical urgency of perpetuating the requirements of their traditions ... well, I wonder if they've realized that insisting on their rules, their traditions, their constitution and their political positions might be implying that faith and devotion to a living Christ isn't enough, that Grace won't get the job done, and that the Holy Spirit somehow needs the assistance of whatever resolutions this year's convention chooses to support.
Just saying, and just trying to be constructive, with love.
"So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?"
He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
" 'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me." Mark 7:5-6 (NIV)
"For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galatians 2:19-21 (NIV)
Monday, December 25, 2006
Sorry, but this made me laugh long time.
First off, I'm not mocking. Please keep that in mind.
Just finished reading a blog that described itself as a rally point for Fundamentalist [insert denomination here].
The writer went on to criticize Rick Warren for singing "Purple Haze" at Saddleback's 25th anniversary.
I've never read The Purpose Drive Life or anything else by Rick Warren but I'm just not sure what the fuss is about "Purple Haze."
Am I happy
Or in misery?
Whatever it is
That girl put a spell on me.
The first two lines remind me of Sunday School but heck, if I was married to a Godly woman I'd wanna sing those last two lines all day, every day.
Maybe the blog's author prefers Gibson's Les Paul, while Jimi Hendrix used a Strat?
Just finished reading a blog that described itself as a rally point for Fundamentalist [insert denomination here].
The writer went on to criticize Rick Warren for singing "Purple Haze" at Saddleback's 25th anniversary.
I've never read The Purpose Drive Life or anything else by Rick Warren but I'm just not sure what the fuss is about "Purple Haze."
Am I happy
Or in misery?
Whatever it is
That girl put a spell on me.
The first two lines remind me of Sunday School but heck, if I was married to a Godly woman I'd wanna sing those last two lines all day, every day.
Maybe the blog's author prefers Gibson's Les Paul, while Jimi Hendrix used a Strat?
Grumbling ... and making bad decisions -corrected
It's 45 degrees and raining lizzards and snakes here in The Electric City. Not quite the Christmas weather we want, but here at The Blue Book we find life lessons even when it's foggy outside.
Especially when it comes to dating and relationships.
Most people might be surprised to find out private pilots can take off and land in rain, snow and yes even FOG that would leave commercial airliners stranded on the ground, so long as the pilot has an Instrument Rating. The navigation tools and instrument procedures are identical to what the 747s have with one big exception.
Airline pilots are strictly controlled by airline regulations about when conditions are too iffy to take off and land.
Private pilots are pretty much controlled by their own judgement.
In other words so long as the FAA minimum conditions are reported, private pilots are absolutely free to take off and have at it (btw, the minimum for landing is only 200 feet vertical visibility and zero feet horizontally for take-off).
The fine print that allows private pilots so much discretion is that pilots flying by instrument rules are assigned an exact flight plan in advance by air trafffic control (ATC) ... and instrument-rated pilots are expected to demonstrate their skill and proficiency by (1) adhering to the flight plan as issued, and (2) staying in constant contact with the controller.
You stick to the flight plan you've been assigned because once you're in the clouds, or run into blanket-thick fog ... or when your electric panel dies and start smoking, you are suddenly all alone in the big big sky and completely unable to see anything whatsoever past the propeller.
With no visual reference to the ground it's impossible for even the most experienced pilots to tell if they're flying upside down (not hard to believe once you've experienced it). That's what the instruments are there for -- to help keep you flying right-side up.
You stay in contact with the controller and do exactly what he says when he says it because there's no one else on earth who can help you get back down with the wheels on the bottom and the wings on top.
After all, there might be a 747 in the clouds 200 feet over your head descending to land on top of you ... or a hungry mountainside waiting to eat you ... or a confused pilot who's lost contact with the controller flying a head-on collision course in your direction... and you'd never see any of them coming because you can't see what the controller sees.
Only the controller sees the big picture and that's why he's calling the shots.
Flying and landing safely in weather is not for free spirits, individualists, the chronically indecisive ... nor for folks with even a whisper of trust issues.
Trust is the name of the game if you have a single cell in your body that's interested in staying alive.
When the air traffic controller calls your number and commands "Left turn to 180, descend to 6000" you do it now without asking why or whing about maybe personally liking 6001 feet better, complaining about the harsh tone in his voice or bothering to express your innermost reflections about the importance of self-expression and making personal choices.
Instrument Flying requires submitting to the controller's authority completely and trusting the controller's ability to warn you about and guide you around hazards throughout your flight. In fact, you're under the controller's authority until you've come to a stop and switched the engine off.
There's an old saying around the hangar: There's old pilots and there's bold pilots, but there are no old and bold pilots.
I'm amazed almost daily at how many people I see who are followers of Christ who still insist on fine-tuning the controller's flight plan ... particularly when it comes to dating and relationships [The Blue Book's definition of a "relationship": what you've got while waiting for something better to come along.]
But there's no flight plan better than the one you've been assigned.
We start changing flight plans and deviate from our assigned routes when we forget about staying in contact with the controller, through prayer. No wonder then if we start feeling scared, lost and alone in the clouds, or worried over being knocked around in turbulence.
But just like that little Cessna buzzing along at 10,000 feet all by his lonesome ... the controller is still tracking his flight with radar that can guide the pilot through the worst weather conditions and lead him to safety.
A pilot focused on staying alive in the clouds can never re-write his flight path, ignore the controller or fly two flight plans at the same time. Those of us who trust Christ must remember he is always in control no matter what the conditions, and that he's already assigned the plan for our lives.
"People who are ruled by their desires think only of themselves. Everyone who is ruled by the Holy Spirit thinks about spiritual things. If our minds are ruled by our desires, we will die. But if our minds are ruled by the Spirit, we will have life and peace. Our desires fight against God, because they do not and cannot obey God's laws. If we follow our desires, we cannot please God." Roman 8:5-8 (CEV)
That means there's not two plans, not one with a detour, not one with a scenic option, not one with unscheduled stops at landing strips of our choosing (not even when we pout about being tired, or feel entitled to make an unapproved landing to use the bathroom or satisfy some other physical need) and most definitely not one that allows unauthorized "friends" to play with the controls and tinker with our flight's speed, altitude or direction for their (or our) amusement.
Because there's just one way to follow the flight plan and and reach the intended destination.
Merry Christmas!
Especially when it comes to dating and relationships.
Most people might be surprised to find out private pilots can take off and land in rain, snow and yes even FOG that would leave commercial airliners stranded on the ground, so long as the pilot has an Instrument Rating. The navigation tools and instrument procedures are identical to what the 747s have with one big exception.
Airline pilots are strictly controlled by airline regulations about when conditions are too iffy to take off and land.
Private pilots are pretty much controlled by their own judgement.
In other words so long as the FAA minimum conditions are reported, private pilots are absolutely free to take off and have at it (btw, the minimum for landing is only 200 feet vertical visibility and zero feet horizontally for take-off).
The fine print that allows private pilots so much discretion is that pilots flying by instrument rules are assigned an exact flight plan in advance by air trafffic control (ATC) ... and instrument-rated pilots are expected to demonstrate their skill and proficiency by (1) adhering to the flight plan as issued, and (2) staying in constant contact with the controller.
You stick to the flight plan you've been assigned because once you're in the clouds, or run into blanket-thick fog ... or when your electric panel dies and start smoking, you are suddenly all alone in the big big sky and completely unable to see anything whatsoever past the propeller.
With no visual reference to the ground it's impossible for even the most experienced pilots to tell if they're flying upside down (not hard to believe once you've experienced it). That's what the instruments are there for -- to help keep you flying right-side up.
You stay in contact with the controller and do exactly what he says when he says it because there's no one else on earth who can help you get back down with the wheels on the bottom and the wings on top.
After all, there might be a 747 in the clouds 200 feet over your head descending to land on top of you ... or a hungry mountainside waiting to eat you ... or a confused pilot who's lost contact with the controller flying a head-on collision course in your direction... and you'd never see any of them coming because you can't see what the controller sees.
Only the controller sees the big picture and that's why he's calling the shots.
Flying and landing safely in weather is not for free spirits, individualists, the chronically indecisive ... nor for folks with even a whisper of trust issues.
Trust is the name of the game if you have a single cell in your body that's interested in staying alive.
When the air traffic controller calls your number and commands "Left turn to 180, descend to 6000" you do it now without asking why or whing about maybe personally liking 6001 feet better, complaining about the harsh tone in his voice or bothering to express your innermost reflections about the importance of self-expression and making personal choices.
Instrument Flying requires submitting to the controller's authority completely and trusting the controller's ability to warn you about and guide you around hazards throughout your flight. In fact, you're under the controller's authority until you've come to a stop and switched the engine off.
There's an old saying around the hangar: There's old pilots and there's bold pilots, but there are no old and bold pilots.
I'm amazed almost daily at how many people I see who are followers of Christ who still insist on fine-tuning the controller's flight plan ... particularly when it comes to dating and relationships [The Blue Book's definition of a "relationship": what you've got while waiting for something better to come along.]
But there's no flight plan better than the one you've been assigned.
We start changing flight plans and deviate from our assigned routes when we forget about staying in contact with the controller, through prayer. No wonder then if we start feeling scared, lost and alone in the clouds, or worried over being knocked around in turbulence.
But just like that little Cessna buzzing along at 10,000 feet all by his lonesome ... the controller is still tracking his flight with radar that can guide the pilot through the worst weather conditions and lead him to safety.
A pilot focused on staying alive in the clouds can never re-write his flight path, ignore the controller or fly two flight plans at the same time. Those of us who trust Christ must remember he is always in control no matter what the conditions, and that he's already assigned the plan for our lives.
"People who are ruled by their desires think only of themselves. Everyone who is ruled by the Holy Spirit thinks about spiritual things. If our minds are ruled by our desires, we will die. But if our minds are ruled by the Spirit, we will have life and peace. Our desires fight against God, because they do not and cannot obey God's laws. If we follow our desires, we cannot please God." Roman 8:5-8 (CEV)
That means there's not two plans, not one with a detour, not one with a scenic option, not one with unscheduled stops at landing strips of our choosing (not even when we pout about being tired, or feel entitled to make an unapproved landing to use the bathroom or satisfy some other physical need) and most definitely not one that allows unauthorized "friends" to play with the controls and tinker with our flight's speed, altitude or direction for their (or our) amusement.
Because there's just one way to follow the flight plan and and reach the intended destination.
Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 24, 2006
How The Grinch ... updated in hindsight
About 18 months ago I bought a new dishwasher. It's supposed to be the top of that manufacturer's line.
But I don't like it for two reasons: (a) the "Sanitize" cycle takes more than 2 hours, (b) Luke does a better job in two minutes. And the plates taste better the way he dries them, too.
I started thinking about cleaning up the house in case company maybe drops by tomorrow afternoon. Then I decided it'd be easier to just stop thinking about it. But shoot, I ended up doing it this morning anyway. Until around 2 this afternoon. I'll do the other half tomorrow.
I spent about two hours on Myspace tonight, just seeing who's there. I was surprised how many people were online. What kind of person has nothing better to do on Christmas Eve than Myspace?
I live a block from downtown and have been surprised all day at how quiet the streets are ... as though The Electric City had suddenly run out of gasoline. Then when I got in my car and headed over to dj's, apparently all the first-timers who thought Christmas Eve was a good time to learn how to drive decided to hit the roads all at once.
It's great how some things never change.
I'm glad the company I mentioned earlier never drops by The Blue Book. I think maybe I'd rather be at the marina with my head stuck in the engine compartment figuring out where that smelly exhaust leak's coming from. Company rescheduled for tomorrow and to be perfectly clear this time, I'm looking forward to it. No kidding. Really. Just no hitting, ok?
Nobody ever drops by the marina except Captain Mike ... and he's never irascible or exasperating. Hmmm ... maybe those two qualities add a certain flair and intrigue. And the thing with a boat is, when you see company coming down the dock you can just fire up the engine, untie the ropes and be underway before they're within shouting distance. Which of course assumes you have a boat that runs.
I think I'd rather spend next Christmas on a boat anyway. But it's definitely not my first choice. Let Santa Claus try to find me and then tackle climbing through my porthole.
One more thing about having Christmas on a boat: if somebody handed me a gift when I hadn't bought one for them, instead of saying "I haven't wrapped yours yet" I could shrug and explain, "You crazy nut, yours musta fallen overboard."
HAVE A VERY BLUEBOOK CHRISTMAS!
I LOVE YA'LL AND APPRECIATE YOU DROPPING BY!
I've got the best friends in the world (even the irascible and the exasperating), go to a church that's all about Christ every Sunday [gossiping's not allowed here at The Blue Book ... but somebody got some big news!] ... and those two things gotta be the best gifts of all.
But I don't like it for two reasons: (a) the "Sanitize" cycle takes more than 2 hours, (b) Luke does a better job in two minutes. And the plates taste better the way he dries them, too.
I started thinking about cleaning up the house in case company maybe drops by tomorrow afternoon. Then I decided it'd be easier to just stop thinking about it. But shoot, I ended up doing it this morning anyway. Until around 2 this afternoon. I'll do the other half tomorrow.
I spent about two hours on Myspace tonight, just seeing who's there. I was surprised how many people were online. What kind of person has nothing better to do on Christmas Eve than Myspace?
I live a block from downtown and have been surprised all day at how quiet the streets are ... as though The Electric City had suddenly run out of gasoline. Then when I got in my car and headed over to dj's, apparently all the first-timers who thought Christmas Eve was a good time to learn how to drive decided to hit the roads all at once.
It's great how some things never change.
I'm glad the company I mentioned earlier never drops by The Blue Book. I think maybe I'd rather be at the marina with my head stuck in the engine compartment figuring out where that smelly exhaust leak's coming from. Company rescheduled for tomorrow and to be perfectly clear this time, I'm looking forward to it. No kidding. Really. Just no hitting, ok?
Nobody ever drops by the marina except Captain Mike ... and he's never irascible or exasperating. Hmmm ... maybe those two qualities add a certain flair and intrigue. And the thing with a boat is, when you see company coming down the dock you can just fire up the engine, untie the ropes and be underway before they're within shouting distance. Which of course assumes you have a boat that runs.
I think I'd rather spend next Christmas on a boat anyway. But it's definitely not my first choice. Let Santa Claus try to find me and then tackle climbing through my porthole.
One more thing about having Christmas on a boat: if somebody handed me a gift when I hadn't bought one for them, instead of saying "I haven't wrapped yours yet" I could shrug and explain, "You crazy nut, yours musta fallen overboard."
HAVE A VERY BLUEBOOK CHRISTMAS!
I LOVE YA'LL AND APPRECIATE YOU DROPPING BY!
I've got the best friends in the world (even the irascible and the exasperating), go to a church that's all about Christ every Sunday [gossiping's not allowed here at The Blue Book ... but somebody got some big news!] ... and those two things gotta be the best gifts of all.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Loose Pieces
While we're counting down till tonight's six, just the odd bits I found on the floor under the table ...
1. I met dj's new dog last night. It didn't come from the pound; it came from pounder. I can't remember its name because I'm so badly traumatized by what happened I'm still shaking.
I thought this little weiner dog loved me, because he sat in the chair beside me for thirty minutes kissing all over my face. I thought it was cute and indicated affection.
Then he got bored with that, and focused his affection on Sheldon the cat who was sleeping in my lap but the cat wasn't having any of it.
I still think he's a sweet dog though.
2. Back on November 21 I wrote an unnecessarily long piece that mentioned something about the .600 Nitro Express elephant rifle from by-gone days. This morning I found a site all about Schamankangulo, the mysterious elephant hunter known as Larsen, who was one of the few men to use a Jeffrey .600 double in Africa.
No one's sure exactly when or how he died, which I think adds to the story's intrigue.
3. Sometimes my thinking is a bit off: I thought waiting until the last minute to do my Christmas shopping would give other shoppers a chance to finish up first and clear out before I got started on mine.
Evidently more people think like I do than I suspected, because it looks like there's lots of last-minute shoppers waiting for their turn to empty out the mall.
4. Turns out that was my friend Barrett's house on Market Street that caught fire Thursday afternoon.
1. I met dj's new dog last night. It didn't come from the pound; it came from pounder. I can't remember its name because I'm so badly traumatized by what happened I'm still shaking.
I thought this little weiner dog loved me, because he sat in the chair beside me for thirty minutes kissing all over my face. I thought it was cute and indicated affection.
Then he got bored with that, and focused his affection on Sheldon the cat who was sleeping in my lap but the cat wasn't having any of it.
I still think he's a sweet dog though.
2. Back on November 21 I wrote an unnecessarily long piece that mentioned something about the .600 Nitro Express elephant rifle from by-gone days. This morning I found a site all about Schamankangulo, the mysterious elephant hunter known as Larsen, who was one of the few men to use a Jeffrey .600 double in Africa.
No one's sure exactly when or how he died, which I think adds to the story's intrigue.
3. Sometimes my thinking is a bit off: I thought waiting until the last minute to do my Christmas shopping would give other shoppers a chance to finish up first and clear out before I got started on mine.
Evidently more people think like I do than I suspected, because it looks like there's lots of last-minute shoppers waiting for their turn to empty out the mall.
4. Turns out that was my friend Barrett's house on Market Street that caught fire Thursday afternoon.
Friday, December 22, 2006
When We Cherish And Respect Each Other -updated 12.24
Here's a caveat: Feel free to stop reading whenever you start disagreeing. It won't hurt my feelings.
There's one fundamental difference between men and women: Women want to be cherished, and Men want to be respected.
While the distinction may seem simple on its face, it's what's underneath that tends to cause problems when two people commit to live together as man and wife.
We live in a social climate that leaves us in a perpetual state of expectation ... when will I graduate, when will I find the right job, when will I find my perfect someone , when will I have kids ... all ultimately pointing to When will I have it all and find real happiness?
On our Journey To Happiness we think we need to lose the right amount of weight, get our hair done at the right place, wear the right clothes, have the right job and plan the right wedding ... yet the USA divorce rate has passed one out of every two marriages because getting everything just right is awfully darn hard.
We're used to Having It Our Way, in Every Way ... or else it's the highway. And disappointment or divorce drops us right back in the loop asking When?
I'm convinced three things are essential to marriage: each partner must set Self aside and focus on putting Christ first. Always and before everything else: No one ever stormed into divorce court shouting, "I shoulda listened to the advice column in Cosmo ... because Jesus and all that talk about patience and forgivenesss really messed up my life!"
The second is that a woman must only commit to a man who has earned her respect, while a man must only commit to a woman he would lay down his life for without hesitation.
If that sounds silly or melodramatic right now it might not seem so bad the day after a long night of fighting, name-calling and throwing breakables through the dining room. In fact, it's the search for those two essential affirmations that leads many married people into extramarital affairs.
Women should refrain from provoking, name-calling, moodiness, secrecy and threats. Men must never allow sarcasm, conceit, anger, secrecy, unilaterally making plans or emotional withdrawl to become tools for subordination or revenge.
Always treat each other as precious, valuable and irreplaceble ... especially when children are involved ... remembering that a thousand years from now whatever you were fighting about will hardly seem worthwhile.
There's one fundamental difference between men and women: Women want to be cherished, and Men want to be respected.
While the distinction may seem simple on its face, it's what's underneath that tends to cause problems when two people commit to live together as man and wife.
We live in a social climate that leaves us in a perpetual state of expectation ... when will I graduate, when will I find the right job, when will I find my perfect someone , when will I have kids ... all ultimately pointing to When will I have it all and find real happiness?
On our Journey To Happiness we think we need to lose the right amount of weight, get our hair done at the right place, wear the right clothes, have the right job and plan the right wedding ... yet the USA divorce rate has passed one out of every two marriages because getting everything just right is awfully darn hard.
We're used to Having It Our Way, in Every Way ... or else it's the highway. And disappointment or divorce drops us right back in the loop asking When?
I'm convinced three things are essential to marriage: each partner must set Self aside and focus on putting Christ first. Always and before everything else: No one ever stormed into divorce court shouting, "I shoulda listened to the advice column in Cosmo ... because Jesus and all that talk about patience and forgivenesss really messed up my life!"
The second is that a woman must only commit to a man who has earned her respect, while a man must only commit to a woman he would lay down his life for without hesitation.
If that sounds silly or melodramatic right now it might not seem so bad the day after a long night of fighting, name-calling and throwing breakables through the dining room. In fact, it's the search for those two essential affirmations that leads many married people into extramarital affairs.
Women should refrain from provoking, name-calling, moodiness, secrecy and threats. Men must never allow sarcasm, conceit, anger, secrecy, unilaterally making plans or emotional withdrawl to become tools for subordination or revenge.
Always treat each other as precious, valuable and irreplaceble ... especially when children are involved ... remembering that a thousand years from now whatever you were fighting about will hardly seem worthwhile.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Untested
Of Christ's disciples only the "beloved disciple" was present at the crucifixion.
The others had run away ... doubtless from concerns for personal safety and convenience.
Christ was crucified, and died, forsaken by those (including Peter) who'd followed him for three years, by the very men who'd witnessed Christ's miracles, including seeing him raise people from the dead ... yet their faith wavered when push came to putting nails through the hand.
For crying out loud, Christ's chosen disciples gave up and ran away ... denying in at least one case even having known him. But scripture does tell us that Peter wept as a result.
Just as Jesus had predicted.
Where was their faith? Where was their strength and conviction? Jesus knew they would fail and fall short, yet he loved them regardless. And he forgave them.
Each one of them could have stepped forward and demanded, Put me on the cross to die beside him.
But not one of them did. Maybe they were focused on saving their lives, while Christ was focused on saving ours. Given difficult situations we're inclined to look for the most convenient, and easiest, way out of trouble. That's the difference between Christ's love and the weakness of our faith.
Seeing that difference is what makes me wonder why traditionalists and legalists can presume to have the authority to set regulations about what's the "right way to worship" or demand "the reverent way to have church" when even Christ's disciples lacked faith and ran away rather than take the cross beside him.
2000 years later we know that Christ was resurrected. Shouldn't that be reason enough to know our faith is in him ... and not in hollow reverence and convenient traditions?
The others had run away ... doubtless from concerns for personal safety and convenience.
Christ was crucified, and died, forsaken by those (including Peter) who'd followed him for three years, by the very men who'd witnessed Christ's miracles, including seeing him raise people from the dead ... yet their faith wavered when push came to putting nails through the hand.
For crying out loud, Christ's chosen disciples gave up and ran away ... denying in at least one case even having known him. But scripture does tell us that Peter wept as a result.
Just as Jesus had predicted.
Where was their faith? Where was their strength and conviction? Jesus knew they would fail and fall short, yet he loved them regardless. And he forgave them.
Each one of them could have stepped forward and demanded, Put me on the cross to die beside him.
But not one of them did. Maybe they were focused on saving their lives, while Christ was focused on saving ours. Given difficult situations we're inclined to look for the most convenient, and easiest, way out of trouble. That's the difference between Christ's love and the weakness of our faith.
Seeing that difference is what makes me wonder why traditionalists and legalists can presume to have the authority to set regulations about what's the "right way to worship" or demand "the reverent way to have church" when even Christ's disciples lacked faith and ran away rather than take the cross beside him.
2000 years later we know that Christ was resurrected. Shouldn't that be reason enough to know our faith is in him ... and not in hollow reverence and convenient traditions?
Worship this instead? - updated 4:07 PM; 5:52 PM
I grew up (was reared) in a traditional Southern Baptist background. There were sins a-plenty, but drinking alcohol was obviously the worst.
In hindsight "lesser sins" like anger, gossip, self-righteousness, worrying and idolatry were somehow swept aside or completely overlooked ... sins like those weren't what folks were used to hearing about in church.
Seems like committees and conditional requirements were in; Christ's unqualified love, patience and forgiveness were out.
Whoa, did I say idolatry? I did, but not because our church sold gold cow statues in the vestibule, and not because members drove around in cars with bobbing apostle statues glued to their dashboards.
But it seemed pretty clear that "church" had to be THIS WAY, with Sunday School starting at 9:15 and not any other way. THIS WAY meant stained glass windows, a steeple, organ preludes from the 1700s and an Invocation and Doxology starting each service... and of course a dress code with suits and ties was an unspoken mandatory requirement to reveal how God had materially rewarded each person according to their faith.
When it came to reading from scripture, let thyself possess King Jimmy in great abundance henceforth ... because "Jesus himself talked that way."
Only no, he didn't. Maybe the word I shoulda used instead of idolatry is I-dolatry: only Our Way is The Way church is done correctly because we like it That WAY. You see.
The church where I'm a member now does not have stained glass windows, a choir or a steeple (maybe they spend every penny trying to reach people for Christ instead).
There is no Sunday School, no church bulletin, no business meetings and no Christmas Contata. There are no deacons, no hymnals and there are no pews. We don't do "revivals" every third quarter either.
I can't recall our pastor ever teaching from the King James translation but I do remember that every Sunday he does teach about Jesus, Jesus and Jesus.
Yet critics of our church claim the message is somehow watered-down because it's presented in a comprehensible, clear and relevant way. Visitors from traditional church backgrounds may walk away thinking, "But there's no pulpit, no baptistry and no paintings of Jesus ... so I just don't feel the same way that I do in a real church."
I gotta ask, Do you think a church is just an ugly building unless it's got all the traditional symbols and adornments? Does having a building with a steeple or stained glass windows make a statement to the world about your church's adherence to sharing the Gospel?
Or is a building's steeple supposed to alert nearby sinners to be aware and take notice of the congregation's holiness?
Is how satisfied you feel as a member when you settle down in the pew with your name attached to it really what's important about your church?
Are you more focused on how your church satisfies your expectations than you are with how your church is satisfying Christ's?
Some critics think "breaking the rules" to reach people means somehow wandering away from scripture and pussyfooting around the message. That's probably what the Pharisees thought when Jesus turned water into wine, fed the 5000 and told Peter to pull the coin from the fish's mouth to pay the temple tax [Mathhew 17:24].
No one had ever pulled stunts like that before, and the Pharisees found fault even when Christ performed miracles to prove he was the messiah. In fact, the traditionalists tried to mis-use Christ's miracles against him for breaking their rules concerning the Sabbath.
Because Christ wasn't doing exactly what they were accustomed to seeing.
Christ's creativity drove the traditionalists nuts because they'd never seen anything like it ... and because they had no rules to tell them what Christ was all about or what they should think.
Even Jesus's own family sometimes thought he was nuts [Mark 3:20-21], and the apostle Paul described himself as "out of his mind" for the sake of God [2 Corinthians 5:13].
Is your pastor out of his mind for the sake of God? Or is he committed to "not rocking the boat" and keeping the big contributors happy?
Is your church more focused on Wednesday night dress codes, what videos are acceptable for viewing and which candidate to vote for in this year's election .. instead of reaching unsaved people with the Gospel?
Here's the problem with being a traditionalist: It's too easy to substitute rules and sentimental traditions for Faith and ignore that we worship the resurrected, living Christ.
Church rules and traditions too easily supercede faith, and stagnant self-righteousness puts Christ in second place behind I-dolatry.
Traditions are easy and comforting in a crisis... but faith takes prayer, submission and hard work.
Finding comfort in rules, traditions, boundaries and legalisms means staying indoors on Sunday mornings, hiding in holy huddles behind hymns and stained glass windows, building a reliance on archectectural entrapments and focusing on what's comfortable and familiar instead of rolling up our sleeves, bearing witness to the living God, living life as followers of Christ and professing our faith 24x7.
Christ told the apostles to tell others about him (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:48, John 20:21).
He didn't say "Put me in a box till Sunday morning and worship me according to what you find familiar and comforting" or to "Make me into an idol of your convenience, self-righteousness and superiority over sinners."
We profess faith in a Living God, not faith in rules and empty traditions constructed to separate believers from the very people Christ commissioned us to reach.
In hindsight "lesser sins" like anger, gossip, self-righteousness, worrying and idolatry were somehow swept aside or completely overlooked ... sins like those weren't what folks were used to hearing about in church.
Seems like committees and conditional requirements were in; Christ's unqualified love, patience and forgiveness were out.
Whoa, did I say idolatry? I did, but not because our church sold gold cow statues in the vestibule, and not because members drove around in cars with bobbing apostle statues glued to their dashboards.
But it seemed pretty clear that "church" had to be THIS WAY, with Sunday School starting at 9:15 and not any other way. THIS WAY meant stained glass windows, a steeple, organ preludes from the 1700s and an Invocation and Doxology starting each service... and of course a dress code with suits and ties was an unspoken mandatory requirement to reveal how God had materially rewarded each person according to their faith.
When it came to reading from scripture, let thyself possess King Jimmy in great abundance henceforth ... because "Jesus himself talked that way."
Only no, he didn't. Maybe the word I shoulda used instead of idolatry is I-dolatry: only Our Way is The Way church is done correctly because we like it That WAY. You see.
The church where I'm a member now does not have stained glass windows, a choir or a steeple (maybe they spend every penny trying to reach people for Christ instead).
There is no Sunday School, no church bulletin, no business meetings and no Christmas Contata. There are no deacons, no hymnals and there are no pews. We don't do "revivals" every third quarter either.
I can't recall our pastor ever teaching from the King James translation but I do remember that every Sunday he does teach about Jesus, Jesus and Jesus.
Yet critics of our church claim the message is somehow watered-down because it's presented in a comprehensible, clear and relevant way. Visitors from traditional church backgrounds may walk away thinking, "But there's no pulpit, no baptistry and no paintings of Jesus ... so I just don't feel the same way that I do in a real church."
I gotta ask, Do you think a church is just an ugly building unless it's got all the traditional symbols and adornments? Does having a building with a steeple or stained glass windows make a statement to the world about your church's adherence to sharing the Gospel?
Or is a building's steeple supposed to alert nearby sinners to be aware and take notice of the congregation's holiness?
Is how satisfied you feel as a member when you settle down in the pew with your name attached to it really what's important about your church?
Are you more focused on how your church satisfies your expectations than you are with how your church is satisfying Christ's?
Some critics think "breaking the rules" to reach people means somehow wandering away from scripture and pussyfooting around the message. That's probably what the Pharisees thought when Jesus turned water into wine, fed the 5000 and told Peter to pull the coin from the fish's mouth to pay the temple tax [Mathhew 17:24].
No one had ever pulled stunts like that before, and the Pharisees found fault even when Christ performed miracles to prove he was the messiah. In fact, the traditionalists tried to mis-use Christ's miracles against him for breaking their rules concerning the Sabbath.
Because Christ wasn't doing exactly what they were accustomed to seeing.
Christ's creativity drove the traditionalists nuts because they'd never seen anything like it ... and because they had no rules to tell them what Christ was all about or what they should think.
Even Jesus's own family sometimes thought he was nuts [Mark 3:20-21], and the apostle Paul described himself as "out of his mind" for the sake of God [2 Corinthians 5:13].
Is your pastor out of his mind for the sake of God? Or is he committed to "not rocking the boat" and keeping the big contributors happy?
Is your church more focused on Wednesday night dress codes, what videos are acceptable for viewing and which candidate to vote for in this year's election .. instead of reaching unsaved people with the Gospel?
Here's the problem with being a traditionalist: It's too easy to substitute rules and sentimental traditions for Faith and ignore that we worship the resurrected, living Christ.
Church rules and traditions too easily supercede faith, and stagnant self-righteousness puts Christ in second place behind I-dolatry.
Traditions are easy and comforting in a crisis... but faith takes prayer, submission and hard work.
Finding comfort in rules, traditions, boundaries and legalisms means staying indoors on Sunday mornings, hiding in holy huddles behind hymns and stained glass windows, building a reliance on archectectural entrapments and focusing on what's comfortable and familiar instead of rolling up our sleeves, bearing witness to the living God, living life as followers of Christ and professing our faith 24x7.
Christ told the apostles to tell others about him (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:48, John 20:21).
He didn't say "Put me in a box till Sunday morning and worship me according to what you find familiar and comforting" or to "Make me into an idol of your convenience, self-righteousness and superiority over sinners."
We profess faith in a Living God, not faith in rules and empty traditions constructed to separate believers from the very people Christ commissioned us to reach.
The Gravity of the Situation -mildly updated
Everything they told us in school about the earth being held in orbit by the pull of the sun's mass is false.
What's really happening is that the sun's mass is warping space/time, creating something like a big indentation in a rubber sheet that causes the earth to be trapped in a falling orbit around the sun.
Gravity's not so much pulling the earth as it is distorting the dimension around us.The bigger the object's mass, the more far-reaching the indentation and the harder it is to escape its attraction. Like a marble spinning around the inside of a toilet bowl, till it finally loses speed and goes down the drain.
Once a star dies and becomes a super-dense black hole, its gravity is so severe that not even light can escape it ... hence the name Black Hole. Every object affected by a black hole's gravity is trapped and eventually consumed by it.
You can tell Christmas is around the corner not because Glad Tidings and Peace on Earth are everywhere, but because BIG SEASONAL SALES! are. It's as though Americans, who have more stuff than any other people on the planet, suddenly wake up the day after Thanksgiving each year convinced they're either out of stuff, need more stuff or are simply tired of their old stuff.
Who was it who said "Money makes the world go around"?
Look around you next time at the mall: people aren't happy or merry, they're grim-faced and clinch-fisted, cross-eyed with anxiety to find the very best deals on stuff they don't need so they'll have room left over on charge cards to buy even more stuff they don't need.
And then spend the rest of the year being miserable about being in debt.
I've seen people living on the edge of starvation, with rags for clothes, who smile and gladly share their food with a stranger without asking for anything in return. Yet "generous" is hardly a word we associate with investment bankers or business tycoons even though they have all the stuff they need.
Money has no gravity for people who've never known it, yet its pull on greedy people who are always looking to have "just one dollar more" is unmistakable and distorts every dimension of their lives.
Materialism focused on having stuff creates a pull that grows exponentially with size, leading to wanting even more stuff ... to the point where we can become trapped in a financial orbit around an irresistible dead star called Debt.
Or like the marble circling inside the toilet bowl, with nowhere to go but down.
What's really happening is that the sun's mass is warping space/time, creating something like a big indentation in a rubber sheet that causes the earth to be trapped in a falling orbit around the sun.
Gravity's not so much pulling the earth as it is distorting the dimension around us.The bigger the object's mass, the more far-reaching the indentation and the harder it is to escape its attraction. Like a marble spinning around the inside of a toilet bowl, till it finally loses speed and goes down the drain.
Once a star dies and becomes a super-dense black hole, its gravity is so severe that not even light can escape it ... hence the name Black Hole. Every object affected by a black hole's gravity is trapped and eventually consumed by it.
You can tell Christmas is around the corner not because Glad Tidings and Peace on Earth are everywhere, but because BIG SEASONAL SALES! are. It's as though Americans, who have more stuff than any other people on the planet, suddenly wake up the day after Thanksgiving each year convinced they're either out of stuff, need more stuff or are simply tired of their old stuff.
Who was it who said "Money makes the world go around"?
Look around you next time at the mall: people aren't happy or merry, they're grim-faced and clinch-fisted, cross-eyed with anxiety to find the very best deals on stuff they don't need so they'll have room left over on charge cards to buy even more stuff they don't need.
And then spend the rest of the year being miserable about being in debt.
I've seen people living on the edge of starvation, with rags for clothes, who smile and gladly share their food with a stranger without asking for anything in return. Yet "generous" is hardly a word we associate with investment bankers or business tycoons even though they have all the stuff they need.
Money has no gravity for people who've never known it, yet its pull on greedy people who are always looking to have "just one dollar more" is unmistakable and distorts every dimension of their lives.
Materialism focused on having stuff creates a pull that grows exponentially with size, leading to wanting even more stuff ... to the point where we can become trapped in a financial orbit around an irresistible dead star called Debt.
Or like the marble circling inside the toilet bowl, with nowhere to go but down.
Knowledge is Cheap; Experience is The Best Deal of All
Sometimes I wonder if the recent posts about my ordeals with boating create the wrong impression. After all, we've heard boats described as "Holes in the water that you throw money into."
But the holes don't have to be that deep and in this case they're hardly luxurious.
Ben is a 24-foot 1973 SeaCamper.
The Kid is a 34-foot 1969 SeaGoing.
Ben lives in my driveway and is worth around $2000. Mike estimates The Kid is worth about $2500.
In the past seven months I've spent a few bucks under $200 for repairs on both boats ($135 of that was for The Kid's alternators), plus $500 in slip fees/insurance and about $60 in gasoline.
That's about $108 a month for two boats. Fifty-four bucks apiece, or $1.80 a day.
In the past seven months I've learned how to scrounge parts, make copper joints with flare fittings, run plumbing, replace leaking fixtures, install 110-circuit breakers, add extra outlets, re-wire 12-volt and 110-volt circuits to ABYC standards, make battery terminals with a torch, troubleshoot circuits and test for ground leaks with a multimeter, wire a galvanic isolater, wire a portable generator to a boat, learned the difference between grounding and bonding circuits, learned how to diagnose and repair faulty ignition components, replace alternators ... well, you get the idea.
Paying someone else to do the work would be impractical, given what the boats are worth.
I guess there's different way to save money. One of them is by postponing preventative maintenance and repairs, ignoring small problems until they mature to financial-crisis proportions (which ends up costing exponentially more in the long run).
Another way is to save money is by learning how much you can do yourself.
Yesterday afternoon I took The Kid out for almost four hours and returned to the dock without a single hiccup. There's more to do, lots to do, but I'm looking forward to learning even more and to the satisfaction and confidence accompanying hands-on experience that comes between here and getting there.
But the holes don't have to be that deep and in this case they're hardly luxurious.
Ben is a 24-foot 1973 SeaCamper.
The Kid is a 34-foot 1969 SeaGoing.
Ben lives in my driveway and is worth around $2000. Mike estimates The Kid is worth about $2500.In the past seven months I've spent a few bucks under $200 for repairs on both boats ($135 of that was for The Kid's alternators), plus $500 in slip fees/insurance and about $60 in gasoline.
That's about $108 a month for two boats. Fifty-four bucks apiece, or $1.80 a day.
In the past seven months I've learned how to scrounge parts, make copper joints with flare fittings, run plumbing, replace leaking fixtures, install 110-circuit breakers, add extra outlets, re-wire 12-volt and 110-volt circuits to ABYC standards, make battery terminals with a torch, troubleshoot circuits and test for ground leaks with a multimeter, wire a galvanic isolater, wire a portable generator to a boat, learned the difference between grounding and bonding circuits, learned how to diagnose and repair faulty ignition components, replace alternators ... well, you get the idea.
Paying someone else to do the work would be impractical, given what the boats are worth.
I guess there's different way to save money. One of them is by postponing preventative maintenance and repairs, ignoring small problems until they mature to financial-crisis proportions (which ends up costing exponentially more in the long run).
Another way is to save money is by learning how much you can do yourself.
Yesterday afternoon I took The Kid out for almost four hours and returned to the dock without a single hiccup. There's more to do, lots to do, but I'm looking forward to learning even more and to the satisfaction and confidence accompanying hands-on experience that comes between here and getting there.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Email from TZ
Just got an e-mail from Vernon: "Habari yetu ni nzuri. Habari yako? Karibu tena Tanzania. Wote wanakusalimia! Rafiki yako, Vernon"
{Hope you are well. How's everything going? You are welcome again in Tanzania. Everyone greets you. Your friend, Vernon.")
Doggone it, I miss my friends.
{Hope you are well. How's everything going? You are welcome again in Tanzania. Everyone greets you. Your friend, Vernon.")
Doggone it, I miss my friends.
Frashley surprise
Just got off the phone with FF, who called to say she's picking me up for lunch tomorrow afternoon.
That's pretty awesome in itself, but when she said she's buying ... well, my attention became single-purposed and undivided.
Her boyfriend works for a down-under type steak house, so hopefully there's a plump NY Strip and a Bloomin' Onion in my future.
Cheesecake is good, just in case she asks.
That's pretty awesome in itself, but when she said she's buying ... well, my attention became single-purposed and undivided.
Her boyfriend works for a down-under type steak house, so hopefully there's a plump NY Strip and a Bloomin' Onion in my future.
Cheesecake is good, just in case she asks.
A new pony would be nice, too - updated
This was still on my mind last night because somebody asked me recently, "Why does God let bad things happen to good people?"
What popped up this morning was troubling, but probably worth mentioning here.
You're asking the wrong question, dude ... because there are no 100% good people, even if some seem less wicked than others. "No one is good except God alone" (Mk. 10:18) Besides that, no matter what tragedy takes place, no matter how unfair or cruel life becomes, things could always be much, much worse.
When I was a kid prayer seemed like God's way of granting wishes to his favorites, like a moody and sometimes stingy genie ... and all you had to do was rub his bottle the right way to receive anything on earth you desired. Maybe that's why even as adults we catch ourselves praying for stuff: things like a better job, more money, a new relationship, a newer car ... even a bigger house in a safer neighborhood.
As though God is willing to make presents of things we want instead of accepting that he already knows exactly what we need.
Maybe people who pray for material or personal "upgrades" don't consider themselves asking for presents, that they're merely asking for a reward instead ... or at least requesting an early draw on their heavenly asset account.
My ears tingle every time I hear the words And let thy will be done casually tacked on at the end of a mealtime blessing. It makes me wonder, "Do you actually want God's will to be done in your life? Really and completely?"
Maybe your answer might be a grudging, "Well, that depends ..."
Sorry, but I don't believe that becoming a Christ-follower involves any promises of a safe, happy or easier life. No matter what the latest best-seller says. People ask for things, instead of seeking God's will, when they're focused on this world and have become anxious for a supernatural shortcut to achieving their own ends.
I don't think scripture teaches that Jesus died on the cross so that we could have plasma TVs, become famous or drive a new car. I don't even think the abundant life means our kids will never get sick, that we'll get that big prommotion, or a vacation house, or that we'll always have a closet full of the latest fashions.
I think following Christ, and asking for God's will to be done in our lives, means full-time submission without excuse or hesitation at all. Total submission means becoming, as Paul described himself, a slave to Jesus Christ ... and there's no such thing as a part-time slave.
So why on earth would anyone willingly follow Christ if it might mean being less popular, or having fewer friends at work, or accepting a lower standard of living or putting Self aside and focusing to be more like Christ in every situation? Accepting all those things seems hard, especially when we live in a society that's focused on Having It Your Way.
The answer will seem either ridiculously simplistic, or fundamentally simple.
Because as believers who've felt ourselves reborn in the Holy Spirit there is no other choice than to follow Christ, no matter what, nor any desire to fine-tune or "improve" God's plan for our lives.
What popped up this morning was troubling, but probably worth mentioning here.
You're asking the wrong question, dude ... because there are no 100% good people, even if some seem less wicked than others. "No one is good except God alone" (Mk. 10:18) Besides that, no matter what tragedy takes place, no matter how unfair or cruel life becomes, things could always be much, much worse.
When I was a kid prayer seemed like God's way of granting wishes to his favorites, like a moody and sometimes stingy genie ... and all you had to do was rub his bottle the right way to receive anything on earth you desired. Maybe that's why even as adults we catch ourselves praying for stuff: things like a better job, more money, a new relationship, a newer car ... even a bigger house in a safer neighborhood.
As though God is willing to make presents of things we want instead of accepting that he already knows exactly what we need.
Maybe people who pray for material or personal "upgrades" don't consider themselves asking for presents, that they're merely asking for a reward instead ... or at least requesting an early draw on their heavenly asset account.
My ears tingle every time I hear the words And let thy will be done casually tacked on at the end of a mealtime blessing. It makes me wonder, "Do you actually want God's will to be done in your life? Really and completely?"
Maybe your answer might be a grudging, "Well, that depends ..."
Sorry, but I don't believe that becoming a Christ-follower involves any promises of a safe, happy or easier life. No matter what the latest best-seller says. People ask for things, instead of seeking God's will, when they're focused on this world and have become anxious for a supernatural shortcut to achieving their own ends.
I don't think scripture teaches that Jesus died on the cross so that we could have plasma TVs, become famous or drive a new car. I don't even think the abundant life means our kids will never get sick, that we'll get that big prommotion, or a vacation house, or that we'll always have a closet full of the latest fashions.
I think following Christ, and asking for God's will to be done in our lives, means full-time submission without excuse or hesitation at all. Total submission means becoming, as Paul described himself, a slave to Jesus Christ ... and there's no such thing as a part-time slave.
So why on earth would anyone willingly follow Christ if it might mean being less popular, or having fewer friends at work, or accepting a lower standard of living or putting Self aside and focusing to be more like Christ in every situation? Accepting all those things seems hard, especially when we live in a society that's focused on Having It Your Way.
The answer will seem either ridiculously simplistic, or fundamentally simple.
Because as believers who've felt ourselves reborn in the Holy Spirit there is no other choice than to follow Christ, no matter what, nor any desire to fine-tune or "improve" God's plan for our lives.
Monday, December 18, 2006
you are so beautiful
It's already an awesome Monday.
The church web site not only has a new look, but now there's also streaming video from the services! It's amazing, especially since music is included (can Joel mix down a live service, or what?), and a must if you think church is (or should be) boring.
Can the internet possibly get any better? Not until AVCLUB works the last few kinks out of wireless life-sized 3D hologram transmissions later this week. Great job on behalf of the staff and scores of volunteers whose hard work and devotion to sharing the gospel pays off 3 big times every Sunday.
Check this out ... wow (the song starts at 11:00)
The church web site not only has a new look, but now there's also streaming video from the services! It's amazing, especially since music is included (can Joel mix down a live service, or what?), and a must if you think church is (or should be) boring.
Can the internet possibly get any better? Not until AVCLUB works the last few kinks out of wireless life-sized 3D hologram transmissions later this week. Great job on behalf of the staff and scores of volunteers whose hard work and devotion to sharing the gospel pays off 3 big times every Sunday.
Check this out ... wow (the song starts at 11:00)
Sunday, December 17, 2006
What, ME worry?
Sometimes I gotta make myself go to church.
I mean it, sometimes on Sunday afternoons I watch the clock creep past 5 PM and tell myself There's No Way, Not Tonight, I'm Not Going & You Can't Make Me. Just seems like too much trouble to take a shower, change clothes, drive for 10 minutes and all that.
You know the routine and all the excuses that lead up to explaining on Monday morning, "Well, I almost went."
But a couple of weeks ago I figured out what's going on. I think I might not feel like going because there's going to be something happening in church I need to see and hear. Maybe you don't believe in demons or a literal Satan who enjoys tossing temptations and distractions in our direction, but I do.
Maybe that's not the case here, but on the other hand ...
Tonight on my way to church a car pulled out in front of me from The Regency and crossed my lane to get into the right-hand lane while I was booking along in the left lane at 50+ mph. I couldn't believe any driver with eyes would pull out across oncoming traffic moving at that rate of speed - but then it got worse as she changed her mind and pulled over into my lane.
My brakes locked up and I was actually, literally going sideways trying to keep from 4-wheeling over the top of her car.
You may already have guessed the reason why she had to pull out and then change lanes so suddenly: she wanted to turn in at the same place I did ... the church parking lot. Which she then proceeded to drive across at about 5 miles an hour.
But I didn't yell or say a single word or do anything to let her know everything she suddenly had to be THANKFUL for.
Really I didn't ... because instead of being upset because this driver seemed blissfully unaware that she'd come within a second of losing her life for no good reason, I had the sudden feeling tonight's message was gonna be The World Series, The Super Bowl and The Triple Crown all rolled into 45 minutes, and what had just happened might've been put there to distract me.
Check out the message and see ... you can download or listen to it here.
I mean it, sometimes on Sunday afternoons I watch the clock creep past 5 PM and tell myself There's No Way, Not Tonight, I'm Not Going & You Can't Make Me. Just seems like too much trouble to take a shower, change clothes, drive for 10 minutes and all that.
You know the routine and all the excuses that lead up to explaining on Monday morning, "Well, I almost went."
But a couple of weeks ago I figured out what's going on. I think I might not feel like going because there's going to be something happening in church I need to see and hear. Maybe you don't believe in demons or a literal Satan who enjoys tossing temptations and distractions in our direction, but I do.
Maybe that's not the case here, but on the other hand ...
Tonight on my way to church a car pulled out in front of me from The Regency and crossed my lane to get into the right-hand lane while I was booking along in the left lane at 50+ mph. I couldn't believe any driver with eyes would pull out across oncoming traffic moving at that rate of speed - but then it got worse as she changed her mind and pulled over into my lane.
My brakes locked up and I was actually, literally going sideways trying to keep from 4-wheeling over the top of her car.
You may already have guessed the reason why she had to pull out and then change lanes so suddenly: she wanted to turn in at the same place I did ... the church parking lot. Which she then proceeded to drive across at about 5 miles an hour.
But I didn't yell or say a single word or do anything to let her know everything she suddenly had to be THANKFUL for.
Really I didn't ... because instead of being upset because this driver seemed blissfully unaware that she'd come within a second of losing her life for no good reason, I had the sudden feeling tonight's message was gonna be The World Series, The Super Bowl and The Triple Crown all rolled into 45 minutes, and what had just happened might've been put there to distract me.
Check out the message and see ... you can download or listen to it here.
Making a plan
It's 1:18 PM on Sunday afternoon here in The Electric City.
I figure that leaves me 4 full hours to drive to the marina, ride around on the lake until something breaks, catches fire or falls off, run the batteries down trying to raise help on the radio, waste 10 or 12 distress flares trying to get a passing boater's attention, wash ashore on some uncharted beach in Georgia, find the nearest highway and hitchhike a ride home in the back of a turnip truck ... in plenty of time to make The Six.
Sounds like a plan.
I figure that leaves me 4 full hours to drive to the marina, ride around on the lake until something breaks, catches fire or falls off, run the batteries down trying to raise help on the radio, waste 10 or 12 distress flares trying to get a passing boater's attention, wash ashore on some uncharted beach in Georgia, find the nearest highway and hitchhike a ride home in the back of a turnip truck ... in plenty of time to make The Six.
Sounds like a plan.
My version ... and I'm sticking to it
Because The Kid's new alternator is too big for the old tension arm to support, yesterday afternoon I sawed off a piece of 1x4" plank and used a hammer to wedge it in for a tight fit between the alternator and the nearest support rib.
After admiring my ingenuity for almost an hour, I pronounced The Kid seaworthy and ready for boating action.
And she ran fine last night with AF and I aboard without a hint of any problems that couldn't be temporarily ignored. But just to be safe and not take chances, after about 15 minutes of cruising I headed for the nearest island, made sure there was plenty of water underneath, and shut down the engine.
The Kid's anchor rope isn't long enough to reach bottom unless the hull's practically aground - which explains why I always carry a spare anchor with 200 feet of rope around in my car (although it doesn't explain why I've never bothered actually putting it on the boat, where it might do some good).
AF and I spent the next 30 minutes or so sitting on the foredeck doing nothing, just looking at stars and watching traffic cross the bridge, then the depth sounder alarm sounded because we'd drifted close enough to the island that we now had just 10 feet of depth.
Trying to be careful again, I re-started the engine and ran us out far enough to have another 40 feet of depth, and shut back down.
The lake was like glass with hardly any current I could see, and maybe another 30 minutes went by while we sat in chairs on the foredeck just drifting along. Neither one of us heard the depth alarm go off again or felt the hull touch bottom but when I finally walked over and looked to the right there was the big island ... so close we coulda jumped ashore without getting our shoes wet.
We'd washed ashore, broadside like a beached whale, without even knowing it.
Of course the sterndrive was stuck in the mud.
Of course I couldn't raise Towboat on the VHF radio.
Of course Mike thought our predicament was hilariously funny when I called him on AF's cell.
Of course Mike suggested I roll up my pant legs, jump overboard with the 1x4 and use it like a big crowbar to pry the 34-foot boat off the bottom.
Of course I fouled the brand new spark plugs trying to get us unstuck.
Of course I ran both batteries down trying to get the engine to start.
Of course hysterically sobbing "Why me?!" with my face buried in a lifejacket for 20 minutes didn't help one bit (and probably only scared AF for no good reason).
Thank goodness for cell phones because Towboat US has a tollfree 1-800 24x7 service number and dispatched Captain Bill right away. Captain Bill and his assistant know their stuff and epitomize the word "professionalism" ... they're sorta the opposite of me when it comes to boating skill and expertise.
They towed us back to the marina without further incident (except when we were halfway back and Captain Bill finally stopped laughing, and threatened the cut the towline loose just to teach me a lesson), not even bumping the rub rails when we coasted to a stop at the dock.
Those guys are good.
I'm already thinking about taking The Kid back out tonight, just to see how close I can get to the beach without getting stuck.
Maybe this time I'll try calling Captain Bill before leaving the dock, just to confirm my towboat reservation in advance.
After admiring my ingenuity for almost an hour, I pronounced The Kid seaworthy and ready for boating action.
And she ran fine last night with AF and I aboard without a hint of any problems that couldn't be temporarily ignored. But just to be safe and not take chances, after about 15 minutes of cruising I headed for the nearest island, made sure there was plenty of water underneath, and shut down the engine.
The Kid's anchor rope isn't long enough to reach bottom unless the hull's practically aground - which explains why I always carry a spare anchor with 200 feet of rope around in my car (although it doesn't explain why I've never bothered actually putting it on the boat, where it might do some good).
AF and I spent the next 30 minutes or so sitting on the foredeck doing nothing, just looking at stars and watching traffic cross the bridge, then the depth sounder alarm sounded because we'd drifted close enough to the island that we now had just 10 feet of depth.
Trying to be careful again, I re-started the engine and ran us out far enough to have another 40 feet of depth, and shut back down.
The lake was like glass with hardly any current I could see, and maybe another 30 minutes went by while we sat in chairs on the foredeck just drifting along. Neither one of us heard the depth alarm go off again or felt the hull touch bottom but when I finally walked over and looked to the right there was the big island ... so close we coulda jumped ashore without getting our shoes wet.
We'd washed ashore, broadside like a beached whale, without even knowing it.
Of course the sterndrive was stuck in the mud.
Of course I couldn't raise Towboat on the VHF radio.
Of course Mike thought our predicament was hilariously funny when I called him on AF's cell.
Of course Mike suggested I roll up my pant legs, jump overboard with the 1x4 and use it like a big crowbar to pry the 34-foot boat off the bottom.
Of course I fouled the brand new spark plugs trying to get us unstuck.
Of course I ran both batteries down trying to get the engine to start.
Of course hysterically sobbing "Why me?!" with my face buried in a lifejacket for 20 minutes didn't help one bit (and probably only scared AF for no good reason).
Thank goodness for cell phones because Towboat US has a tollfree 1-800 24x7 service number and dispatched Captain Bill right away. Captain Bill and his assistant know their stuff and epitomize the word "professionalism" ... they're sorta the opposite of me when it comes to boating skill and expertise.
They towed us back to the marina without further incident (except when we were halfway back and Captain Bill finally stopped laughing, and threatened the cut the towline loose just to teach me a lesson), not even bumping the rub rails when we coasted to a stop at the dock.
Those guys are good.
I'm already thinking about taking The Kid back out tonight, just to see how close I can get to the beach without getting stuck.
Maybe this time I'll try calling Captain Bill before leaving the dock, just to confirm my towboat reservation in advance.
Notorious - updated
Was J and Jrd's 5PM wedding INCREDIBLE? Yes, it was.
PS. The Big Man knows how to do (and I want that tie).
(I didn't even see the reception's RSVP envelope that came with the invitation till Thursday afternoon, 3 weeks past the deadline for responding. Embarrassing to admit it.)
After AF and I met up with FTF/FF at The Islander it seemed like a good idea to go boating ... sure.
Look, All I'm saying is this: when you run aground at midnight and the first thing Captain Bill says when he pulls up for The Rescue is, "Joe!? I haven't seen you in 18 months ... I thought you were in prison!" and then tells AF after we're tied up back at the slip, "Never go near a boat with this guy" it kinda makes you doubt your personal sea-worthiness.
Maybe more Monday. Let's wait and see what AF's version of events turns out to be.
PS. AF is a good, solid & reliable co-adventurer ... and never came close at all to freaking out about being stuck on the lake at night. Neither did she mock me a single time for rolling around on the deck, kicking and screaming and pulling my hair out over my stupidity (which I possess in great abundance).
PS. The Big Man knows how to do (and I want that tie).
(I didn't even see the reception's RSVP envelope that came with the invitation till Thursday afternoon, 3 weeks past the deadline for responding. Embarrassing to admit it.)
After AF and I met up with FTF/FF at The Islander it seemed like a good idea to go boating ... sure.
Look, All I'm saying is this: when you run aground at midnight and the first thing Captain Bill says when he pulls up for The Rescue is, "Joe!? I haven't seen you in 18 months ... I thought you were in prison!" and then tells AF after we're tied up back at the slip, "Never go near a boat with this guy" it kinda makes you doubt your personal sea-worthiness.
Maybe more Monday. Let's wait and see what AF's version of events turns out to be.
PS. AF is a good, solid & reliable co-adventurer ... and never came close at all to freaking out about being stuck on the lake at night. Neither did she mock me a single time for rolling around on the deck, kicking and screaming and pulling my hair out over my stupidity (which I possess in great abundance).
Friday, December 15, 2006
Losing by a little
Today's traumas with The Kid's alternator are too excruciating to recall right now and I smell too much like grease ... so in the meantime here's a story from today's headlines ...
(I hate boats, and boats hate me)
(I hate boats, and boats hate me)
The U.S. Treasury announced today that it is recalling all of the
"We are recalling all the new
The quarters were issued in the order in which the various states joined the
"The problem lies in the unique design of the
"Apparently, the duct tape holding the two dimes and the nickel together keeps jamming the coin-operated devices."
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Give it to me LIVE
Sure, you know it's true.
They Don't Make Make Anything Like They Used To (entirely free of studio gimmicks) Playlist :
Heartbreaker- Pat Benatar
Down on Me - Big Brother and the Holding Company - Live at Winterland 68
Piece of My Heart- Big Brother and the Holding Company - Live at Winterland 68
Inside Looking Out - Grand Funk Railroad - Live
(linked video makes ignoring the latent KC-and-the-Sunshine-Band-look mandatory)
On the other hand, why bother watching a great song get ruined
'Talent is No Substitute for Experience' Department
May This Be Love
For FF and AF
They Don't Make Make Anything Like They Used To (entirely free of studio gimmicks) Playlist :
Heartbreaker- Pat Benatar
Down on Me - Big Brother and the Holding Company - Live at Winterland 68
Piece of My Heart- Big Brother and the Holding Company - Live at Winterland 68
Inside Looking Out - Grand Funk Railroad - Live
(linked video makes ignoring the latent KC-and-the-Sunshine-Band-look mandatory)
On the other hand, why bother watching a great song get ruined
'Talent is No Substitute for Experience' Department
May This Be Love
For FF and AF
The more things change ...
I know ya'll are tired of hearing about boat stuff; believe me, so am I.
Especially today, when after consulting with Cap'n Mike we decided it'd be a good idea if I just wired up the old voltage regulator and see if it worked with the twice-rebuilt alternator.
It didn't.
Not only that, but I managed to foul at least one spark plug in the process. And unlike car spark plugs, once a boat engine fouls a plug it's gotta come out and be replaced. Only there's no way of telling which one, cause one is all it takes to start fouling all the others. So you wind up replacing all the plugs.
Lovely.
But I'm not defeated yet.
Mike said Ben's alternator might work in The Kid ... and all I gotta do to find out is swap alternators and re-wire The Kid's electrical harness. Neither of which I've ever done before, but I can't see there'll be any problems at all, absolutely none whatsoever ... and performing the entire surgery on two different boats with two different electrical systems should be a piece of cake.
I hate boats.
Especially today, when after consulting with Cap'n Mike we decided it'd be a good idea if I just wired up the old voltage regulator and see if it worked with the twice-rebuilt alternator.
It didn't.
Not only that, but I managed to foul at least one spark plug in the process. And unlike car spark plugs, once a boat engine fouls a plug it's gotta come out and be replaced. Only there's no way of telling which one, cause one is all it takes to start fouling all the others. So you wind up replacing all the plugs.
Lovely.
But I'm not defeated yet.
Mike said Ben's alternator might work in The Kid ... and all I gotta do to find out is swap alternators and re-wire The Kid's electrical harness. Neither of which I've ever done before, but I can't see there'll be any problems at all, absolutely none whatsoever ... and performing the entire surgery on two different boats with two different electrical systems should be a piece of cake.
I hate boats.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Why so slow?
Eeeh, not much happened today that's worth going into.
Captain Mike found a voltage regulator for The Kid from an outpost called Lätta Eddie's marin- reservdelar för rabatt och bärgninghyddas, located somewhere above the Arctic Circle in Sweden.
As expected the pri$e tag had me rolling around in the driveway, kicking and crying and pulling my hair by the handfuls. After listening to about an hour's worth, Mike agreed to call his buddies over in Belton to find out if they had something "like it" that might cost a whole lot less.
Arg.
I hate boats.
This is the girl.
Captain Mike found a voltage regulator for The Kid from an outpost called Lätta Eddie's marin- reservdelar för rabatt och bärgninghyddas, located somewhere above the Arctic Circle in Sweden.
As expected the pri$e tag had me rolling around in the driveway, kicking and crying and pulling my hair by the handfuls. After listening to about an hour's worth, Mike agreed to call his buddies over in Belton to find out if they had something "like it" that might cost a whole lot less.
Arg.
I hate boats.
This is the girl.
I'm Not Gonna Do It
Those of you who've been keeping up with my adventures trying to get my SeaCamper into some kind of live-aboard situation may remember earlier this year when, with Ben parked in the driveway, the bilge pump failed and rainwater seeped to a standing depth of about 4" inside the cabin.It only took a few months of cleaning, crying and disinfecting to get through the cosmetic damage but then I learned that SeaCampers came from the factory with open-cell foam, for flotation in case the boat starts sinking, sealed in fiberglass under the cabin floor.
Open cell foam absorbs water ... and many SeaCamper owners report removing almost half a ton of water-sogged foam from under their floors during rennovation ... which naturally requires gutting the boat's interior.
Hmmm. Should I start thinking about doing that now, before Ben gets back in the water?
Naaah, I'll wait till everything else is finished, then jump back to Step 2 and start over.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Imagine my chagrin ... updated
This just arrived in my Inbox ...
We need consistency in our lives and today the blue book has changed and we are now out of sorts. ff
Ok, I'm not good with colors and stuff. I guess that's pretty clear.
Frankly I'm impressed any time I can dress myself without having people point and start laughing (probably they do, only I'm too dense to notice or catch on).
Here's A Good Idea Department
"We're bored, there's nothing on TV at 3 AM. I want donuts. And coffee. Boooo."
Hey, I know. Let's put on our pajamas, head for the interstate and start driving around looking for strangers to take into custody. And let's keep our heads stuck out the windows with 'The Rhythm of the Night' turned up so loud we can't hear our phones ring.
Man, things are gonna be different after this weekend. That's a promise.
We need consistency in our lives and today the blue book has changed and we are now out of sorts. ff
Ok, I'm not good with colors and stuff. I guess that's pretty clear.
Frankly I'm impressed any time I can dress myself without having people point and start laughing (probably they do, only I'm too dense to notice or catch on).
Here's A Good Idea Department
"We're bored, there's nothing on TV at 3 AM. I want donuts. And coffee. Boooo."
Hey, I know. Let's put on our pajamas, head for the interstate and start driving around looking for strangers to take into custody. And let's keep our heads stuck out the windows with 'The Rhythm of the Night' turned up so loud we can't hear our phones ring.
Man, things are gonna be different after this weekend. That's a promise.
Alarm: I must be getting soft - updated
This afternoon I ran across a slideshow of Top 10 Vacations for Bachelors at Forbes Traveller.
I skimmed through the first two destinations before deciding I could come up with something better on my own ... and do it in just one weekend for a lot less money.
Ha, pretend it's for a special occasion.
Friday Afternoon 6PM
10 minutes before I'm supposed to pick you up, I call your cell and explain my car's broken down ... and could you please pick me up at the intersection of Fant and River Street.
But when you show up there's a limo waiting to take us to Sona, which FF has thoughtfully arranged to have reserved ... entirely to ourselves.
After dinner we head for the marina, naturally, where Captain Mike escorts us to the fabled 1929 Christ Craft Commuter for a leisurely cruise around Apple Island.
The driver ignores the speed limit on our way back into town because being a gentleman, I promised to have you back home at a respectable hour.
Saturday Afternoon
Hot air balloon ride over The Electric City, en route to land at Hollywild ... where we'll hand-feed and pet real African lions.
Saturday Night
Don't worry about dressing up, because I'm doing the cooking. Afterwards we'll spend the rest of the evening with a coal fire ... listening to the wind rush through the chimney, imagining the stories it's trying to tell us.
Sunday
The six.
See? The Perfect Bachelor Weekend.
Ho-Hum, Tomorrow's Just Another Wednesday After All Playlist
We Belong - Pat Benatar
Always I'm surprised how well you
Cut my feelings to the bone
I skimmed through the first two destinations before deciding I could come up with something better on my own ... and do it in just one weekend for a lot less money.
Ha, pretend it's for a special occasion.
Friday Afternoon 6PM
10 minutes before I'm supposed to pick you up, I call your cell and explain my car's broken down ... and could you please pick me up at the intersection of Fant and River Street.
But when you show up there's a limo waiting to take us to Sona, which FF has thoughtfully arranged to have reserved ... entirely to ourselves.
After dinner we head for the marina, naturally, where Captain Mike escorts us to the fabled 1929 Christ Craft Commuter for a leisurely cruise around Apple Island.
The driver ignores the speed limit on our way back into town because being a gentleman, I promised to have you back home at a respectable hour.
Saturday Afternoon
Hot air balloon ride over The Electric City, en route to land at Hollywild ... where we'll hand-feed and pet real African lions.
Saturday Night
Don't worry about dressing up, because I'm doing the cooking. Afterwards we'll spend the rest of the evening with a coal fire ... listening to the wind rush through the chimney, imagining the stories it's trying to tell us.
Sunday
The six.
See? The Perfect Bachelor Weekend.
Ho-Hum, Tomorrow's Just Another Wednesday After All Playlist
We Belong - Pat Benatar
Always I'm surprised how well you
Cut my feelings to the bone
Experience
ALWAYS wait till 11 pm, when you're already tired, fuzzy and irritable, to decide you want to start playing with HTML to give your blog "a new look."
I hate this new layout, btw. Must fix it soon.
I hate this new layout, btw. Must fix it soon.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Make Sense?
You know I'm malingering on a Monday afternoon when I bother re-posting stuff from my Inbox over at myspace ...
"What Does A Kiss Mean?
~Kiss on the Forehead ="I hope we're together forever"
~Kiss on the Ear = You're my everything
~Kiss on the Cheek = "We're friends"
~Kiss on the Hand = "I adore you"
~Kiss on the Neck = "We belong together"
~Kiss on the Lips = I like you"
What the gesture means...
~Holding Hands = "We definitely like each other"
~Holding on tight = "I don't want to let go"
~Looking into each other's Eyes = "I just plain like you"
~Playing with Hair = "Tell me you love me"
~Arms around the Waist = "I like you too much to let go"
~Laughing while Kissing = "I am completely comfortable with you"
--Advice--
Dont ask for a kiss, take one.
If you were thinking about someone while reading this,
you're definitely in Love. "
"What Does A Kiss Mean?
~Kiss on the Forehead ="I hope we're together forever"
~Kiss on the Ear = You're my everything
~Kiss on the Cheek = "We're friends"
~Kiss on the Hand = "I adore you"
~Kiss on the Neck = "We belong together"
~Kiss on the Lips = I like you"
What the gesture means...
~Holding Hands = "We definitely like each other"
~Holding on tight = "I don't want to let go"
~Looking into each other's Eyes = "I just plain like you"
~Playing with Hair = "Tell me you love me"
~Arms around the Waist = "I like you too much to let go"
~Laughing while Kissing = "I am completely comfortable with you"
--Advice--
Dont ask for a kiss, take one.
If you were thinking about someone while reading this,
you're definitely in Love. "
Lying in the shade
"Habari yako and karibisho on behalf of Bad Bush Country Air Charter Service. Due to this afternoon's unexpectedly high temperatures, our departing flight will be temporarily delayed ..."
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Nutshell
I write too long, I know it. But try this.
What New Spring means to me:
Most every Saturday night I feel like a diver who's been holding his breath underwater all week ... waiting for Sunday and a breath of living air.
What New Spring means to me:
Most every Saturday night I feel like a diver who's been holding his breath underwater all week ... waiting for Sunday and a breath of living air.
The Strong 6
Forget everything you think you know about me for a minute. Really.
For the first few years after I moved to SC I was a weight freak and lived to work out in The Dungeon, a primitve weight room located under the pool on the Clemson campus ... but a 6'3" 240-pound guy curling 150 lbs for reps on the preacher's bench (wow; go figure) and doing 30 pull-ups with a 50-lb weight strapped around his waist or doing seated rows with 300 pounds for 15 minutes is headed for BIG long-term HEALTH PROBLEMS, for nothing but vanity.
It also comes down to the fact that people who weigh less, whether it's muscle or fat, tend to live longer. It's true.
The point here is this: on the bench 315 pounds is 315 pounds ... no matter if you're Mr Universe or Arnold or Woody Allen.
Any weight you're lifting is still heavy.
Weight weighs the same no matter how big your triceps are. Are we tracking?
And when you're staring at stacks of 45-pound plates on the bar nobody can lift heavy weight without having faith that overcomes the weight.
When P handles 45 minutes of heavy weight for 3 reps every Sunday (soon to be 4 reps... and possibly 6x) maybe it seems effortless and easy, but it can't be. There's no way. I say this because I was in tears tonight after hearing Payne Stewart's daughter without even knowing it'd happened.
Heavy weight is always heavy weight when it's bearing down on your chest.
Sometimes life hands us situations that seem unfair and beyond coping or bearing. So when we feel powerless and overwhelmed the tendency is to look for excuses like "It's not fair!' or "But I'm a good person" or "Why do I deserve this?"
Because the weight is always heavy ... every time it's on the bar.
If you live long enough you'll know or have seen people who've faced disappointments, crises or failure ... people who've "lost it" and gone over the cliff after feeling their lives have been ruined by situations beyond their control.
Maybe you've wondered why God allows bad things to happen in the first place. Isn't God love, after all?
Or maybe you've stood at the edge of the cliff and thought, "If God won't keep me safe then what's the point in trying to pick up the pieces?"
But tonight I realized things in life may show us the cliff ... but God is never the voice inside screaming Jump!
Faith is what holds us and makes lifting the weight possible ... and God is always there to keep us from going over the edge - no matter how difficult any unfairness in this life might seem.
For the first few years after I moved to SC I was a weight freak and lived to work out in The Dungeon, a primitve weight room located under the pool on the Clemson campus ... but a 6'3" 240-pound guy curling 150 lbs for reps on the preacher's bench (wow; go figure) and doing 30 pull-ups with a 50-lb weight strapped around his waist or doing seated rows with 300 pounds for 15 minutes is headed for BIG long-term HEALTH PROBLEMS, for nothing but vanity.
It also comes down to the fact that people who weigh less, whether it's muscle or fat, tend to live longer. It's true.
The point here is this: on the bench 315 pounds is 315 pounds ... no matter if you're Mr Universe or Arnold or Woody Allen.
Any weight you're lifting is still heavy.
Weight weighs the same no matter how big your triceps are. Are we tracking?
And when you're staring at stacks of 45-pound plates on the bar nobody can lift heavy weight without having faith that overcomes the weight.
When P handles 45 minutes of heavy weight for 3 reps every Sunday (soon to be 4 reps... and possibly 6x) maybe it seems effortless and easy, but it can't be. There's no way. I say this because I was in tears tonight after hearing Payne Stewart's daughter without even knowing it'd happened.
Heavy weight is always heavy weight when it's bearing down on your chest.
Sometimes life hands us situations that seem unfair and beyond coping or bearing. So when we feel powerless and overwhelmed the tendency is to look for excuses like "It's not fair!' or "But I'm a good person" or "Why do I deserve this?"
Because the weight is always heavy ... every time it's on the bar.
If you live long enough you'll know or have seen people who've faced disappointments, crises or failure ... people who've "lost it" and gone over the cliff after feeling their lives have been ruined by situations beyond their control.
Maybe you've wondered why God allows bad things to happen in the first place. Isn't God love, after all?
Or maybe you've stood at the edge of the cliff and thought, "If God won't keep me safe then what's the point in trying to pick up the pieces?"
But tonight I realized things in life may show us the cliff ... but God is never the voice inside screaming Jump!
Faith is what holds us and makes lifting the weight possible ... and God is always there to keep us from going over the edge - no matter how difficult any unfairness in this life might seem.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
About last night
17 degrees F? In December?
I had to get up in the middle of the night just to make sure I hadn't switched on the AC instead of the heat.
Tonight's feature at Ben's Dockside Theater is Dear Wendy (2005), directed by Thomas Vinterberg and written by Erik Nietzsche, whom you know as Lars von Trier.
Seating is extremely limited, so make your reservations early.
I had to get up in the middle of the night just to make sure I hadn't switched on the AC instead of the heat.
Tonight's feature at Ben's Dockside Theater is Dear Wendy (2005), directed by Thomas Vinterberg and written by Erik Nietzsche, whom you know as Lars von Trier.
Seating is extremely limited, so make your reservations early.
Friday, December 08, 2006
How Low Can You Go? - updated
A few minutes ago I heard the overnight lows for The Electric City are plummeting to something like 18 degrees F.
IS that cold?
Si, chica. Es muy frio verdad.
"The Weather is Here, Wish You Were Too" Jimmy Buffet Playlist Buffet:
Volcano
Growing Older But Not Up
Somewhere Over China
We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About
Havana Daydreaming
Wonder Why We Ever Go Home
The Captain and The Kid (ouch)
Coast of Marseilles
A Pirate Looks at 40
Biloxi
Come Monday
Brown Eyed Girl
Miss You So Badly
ps. Yes I AM anti-materialism ... but still can't take my eyes off boats that have dinghys longer than Ben and anchors that weigh more than I do :-).
Quien es mas Papa? - updated
The Blue Book's first-ever popular reader poll.
Which of the following best represents:
The Seaton 50
Krogen 54
Nordhavn 46
Diesel Duck 44
Hemingway leaving Havana aboard the Pilar.
Forgot it's a Frashley Friday Playlist:
Walking on the Moon - The Police
Which of the following best represents:
The Seaton 50
Krogen 54
Nordhavn 46
Diesel Duck 44
Hemingway leaving Havana aboard the Pilar.
Forgot it's a Frashley Friday Playlist:
Walking on the Moon - The Police
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Not a nugget of wisdom - updated
I'm convinced the worst part of "The Flu" occurs after the big symptoms have passed ... like feeling hungry (yet losing appetite within a few bites), being thirsty (but even Gatorade causes nausea), I forget the others.
A neighbor just told me The Electric City's sure-fire cure for the Flu: a quart of water mixed with a spoonful of salt and two spoonfuls of sugar. Drink one glass right away, the rest over the course of the day.
I'd try it, but then I don't keep salt or sugar in the house.
A neighbor just told me The Electric City's sure-fire cure for the Flu: a quart of water mixed with a spoonful of salt and two spoonfuls of sugar. Drink one glass right away, the rest over the course of the day.
I'd try it, but then I don't keep salt or sugar in the house.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Underway
Nyquil Cold/Flu is amazing stuff.
A cap and a half before bedtime conked me out till 9:30 this morning, meaning I got almost 3 days worth of sleep in one sitting.
Plus, it tastes like cherry syrup.
A cap and a half before bedtime conked me out till 9:30 this morning, meaning I got almost 3 days worth of sleep in one sitting.
Plus, it tastes like cherry syrup.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Down for maintenance
Uh oh, a couple of hours ago I started presenting classic symptoms of a 24-hr virus. Gee whiz, the stuff your body can do is amazing.
I dragged myself to the chemist 15 mins ago and got some Nyquil HD Cold/Flu and some Gatorade, so tucked into my expedition sleeping bag I should be all set.
I hate being sick, etc.
I dragged myself to the chemist 15 mins ago and got some Nyquil HD Cold/Flu and some Gatorade, so tucked into my expedition sleeping bag I should be all set.
I hate being sick, etc.
How 'bout them ghosts
Yeah well while ripping drawers and dusty envelopes apart this afternoon I inadvertently released the odd ghost or twelve.
Imagine my surprise when I found the above picture of my girlfriend back in college. We dated four years (and yes, I was a jerk the entire time). Talk about feeling ashamed and wanting to run from the room screaming.
But like the guy in the movie who'd been turned into a newt, I like to think I got better.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
飛旋鏢愛 - in traditional Chinese, ya'll
有時您感覺像蛋卷, 您有時不。 我忘記, 我講流利漢語, 希望這不是太生鏽的。 呀, 我開始學習在愛上以後"蹲下的老虎, 暗藏的龍。" 真是一部偉大的影片! 噢, 和我由包裹做偉大的熱和酸湯..., 抱歉。但這仍然是相當好的。
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Trawler Fest '07 - updated
Today's post comes pre-disqualified from serious consideration ... it's a daydream, after all.
What're we doing next summer? We're taking a month off and touring Florida by trawler like we talked about ... if we assume Ben's running by then.
Because I'm the man (and Papa after all) I've pre-arranged our itinerary. Don't start complaining too soon if it looks like I've forgotten anything, 'cause there might be a few surprises along the way.
Day 1 -Wakullah, Florida
Wake up in our cabins at the Shell Island Fish Camp and Marina. Pick up last-minute items at the Bait and Tackle store, board Ben and follow the west Florida coast south toward Yankeetown, which protocol demands we bypass on principle.
Arrive Cedar Key, Florida
We've got dinner reservations waiting at The Seabreeze on the Dock. After dessert we'll head over to The Island Hotel, built in 1859, for coffee. This is what the hotel looked like in the 1940s.
This is what it looks like today:
Our our way back to Ben I'll show you where I used to live on Second Street ... I think I can still find it.
Day 2 Siesta Island, Florida
The best white sand beaches in the world. Plan on staying an extra day, so I can tinker with any mechanical glitches while you spend the day shopping in town. If you're back in time we'll take a long stroll along the beach, hold hands and sneak a kiss or two with our eyes closed once the sun sets.
Day 4 & 5 - John's Pass & Treasure Island
We'll be flexible here because you might want to stick around and have dinner at The Don Cesar since we're in the neighborhood. Scott Fitzgerald thought The Don was swell.
Day 6 - Flamingo
All I'm gonna say here is be ready to roll before sun-up ... and pack a motorcycle helmet and a camera.
Days 7-10 The Conch Republic
Wow, I'm worn out. Let's plan on laying low at Hemingway's house, visiting Fort Jefferson and being expatriates for the weekend. Or three.
Assorted live Cayo Hueso cams are available here. My favorites are Mallory Square and Sloppy Joe's, obviously.
Day 24 - Sandy Cay, Bahamas
Remember that shot at the opening of Gilligan's Island? Sandy Cay (also known as Honeymoon Island) is the closest Bahamian island to the US and that's where we're headed ... at least till things settle down back on the mainland.
(Don't tell me what happened, I don't want to know the details.)
Days 25-29 At large in Bimini
Day 30
A short taxi ride along the narrow highway through Alice Town takes us to the ramp where the seaplane flight home is waiting. Neither one of us seems much in the mood for talking, as though staring out at the waves and the fishermen's huts blurring past the windows could make the past 30 days last forever.
At the customs shack you check your luggage at the counter and suddenly whirl around. "Where are your bags?"
I can't face what I see in your eyes then and turn back to the window and the docks. Outside the seaplane's engines whine in protest, rumble and roll over, the propellers kicking white spray out of sight behind them.
Then the blades are spinning dizzily and the flimsy walls seem ready to rattle loose from the blast. The attendant points to the seaplane and motions the last stragglers aboard. Behind me and what seems like years ago, over the propellers and between the thunder and wind I hear you whisper, "I'll stay too, if you want me ..."
But when I turn around there's nothing there, nothing in your eyes and nothing anywhere else to hint that you'd said it.
Saturday Night's See You In Cuba Playlist: Live Radio from Key West
Radio Margaritaville
What're we doing next summer? We're taking a month off and touring Florida by trawler like we talked about ... if we assume Ben's running by then.
Because I'm the man (and Papa after all) I've pre-arranged our itinerary. Don't start complaining too soon if it looks like I've forgotten anything, 'cause there might be a few surprises along the way.Day 1 -Wakullah, Florida
Wake up in our cabins at the Shell Island Fish Camp and Marina. Pick up last-minute items at the Bait and Tackle store, board Ben and follow the west Florida coast south toward Yankeetown, which protocol demands we bypass on principle.
Arrive Cedar Key, Florida
We've got dinner reservations waiting at The Seabreeze on the Dock. After dessert we'll head over to The Island Hotel, built in 1859, for coffee. This is what the hotel looked like in the 1940s.
This is what it looks like today:
Our our way back to Ben I'll show you where I used to live on Second Street ... I think I can still find it.
Day 2 Siesta Island, Florida
The best white sand beaches in the world. Plan on staying an extra day, so I can tinker with any mechanical glitches while you spend the day shopping in town. If you're back in time we'll take a long stroll along the beach, hold hands and sneak a kiss or two with our eyes closed once the sun sets.
Day 4 & 5 - John's Pass & Treasure Island
We'll be flexible here because you might want to stick around and have dinner at The Don Cesar since we're in the neighborhood. Scott Fitzgerald thought The Don was swell.
Day 6 - Flamingo
All I'm gonna say here is be ready to roll before sun-up ... and pack a motorcycle helmet and a camera.
Days 7-10 The Conch Republic
Wow, I'm worn out. Let's plan on laying low at Hemingway's house, visiting Fort Jefferson and being expatriates for the weekend. Or three.Assorted live Cayo Hueso cams are available here. My favorites are Mallory Square and Sloppy Joe's, obviously.
Day 24 - Sandy Cay, Bahamas
Remember that shot at the opening of Gilligan's Island? Sandy Cay (also known as Honeymoon Island) is the closest Bahamian island to the US and that's where we're headed ... at least till things settle down back on the mainland.(Don't tell me what happened, I don't want to know the details.)
Days 25-29 At large in Bimini
Day 30A short taxi ride along the narrow highway through Alice Town takes us to the ramp where the seaplane flight home is waiting. Neither one of us seems much in the mood for talking, as though staring out at the waves and the fishermen's huts blurring past the windows could make the past 30 days last forever.
At the customs shack you check your luggage at the counter and suddenly whirl around. "Where are your bags?"
I can't face what I see in your eyes then and turn back to the window and the docks. Outside the seaplane's engines whine in protest, rumble and roll over, the propellers kicking white spray out of sight behind them.
Then the blades are spinning dizzily and the flimsy walls seem ready to rattle loose from the blast. The attendant points to the seaplane and motions the last stragglers aboard. Behind me and what seems like years ago, over the propellers and between the thunder and wind I hear you whisper, "I'll stay too, if you want me ..."
But when I turn around there's nothing there, nothing in your eyes and nothing anywhere else to hint that you'd said it.
Saturday Night's See You In Cuba Playlist: Live Radio from Key West
Radio Margaritaville
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