July 4--How Was Yours?

What did you do over the July 4th weekend? Cook out? Go to the lake? Yard work? How about you, Kent Couch? You went flying? In a what?

It seems that Kent had a few friends meet him at his Stop and Go Mini Mart in Bend Oregon to help him fill some party balloons with helium and attach them to a lawn chair. Kent lifted off early this morning (7/5) and flew about 9 hours, covering more than 200 miles to land in Idaho. Kent is not the first and will not be the last to try cluster balloon flight. And this is not his first flight. Now, I do not recommend cluster balloons as a means to travel and I could not justify the $6000 for balloons, helium, and other gear (parachute, BB gun, 15-gallon containers of Koolaid for ballast). However, I have to admire the courage and ingenuity of a guy that goes into the back yard and builds an apparatus to soar through the sky unaided.

I wonder if he wore a seat-belt? I wonder how that would work in the southeast where there is always a 20% chance of afternoon thunderstorms? I wonder if his wife bought a new pair of shoes today?

Skywatch

Watching the amazing sunset on the Appalachian Trail.

Negative Space

This is what I am doing now;

Yes, I am eating Hershey's milk chocolate Kisses thanks to Tata. When I looked at the bag, it reminded me of a section of a book I am reading. The book is "A Whole New Mind" by Daniel Pink. It is a great book about how the USA has moved from an agricultural to industrial to knowledge and now to a conceptual age. It is fascinating and while explaining the "six senses" that he suggests will be essential in our workplace during the coming decades, he talks about art and how it helps develop "right-brain" thinking. I won't elaborate on all the lessons from the book but one concept he mentions that all artists are aware of (and many who are not artists have difficulty with) is the use of negative space. There is a clever use of negative space on this little bag I scanned (empty, of course). Can you see it? Some of you will see it quickly but most will probably have to look for a while. If you can't see it after a few minutes, I will post the answer in comments.

Before you look at the comments section for the answer, try this one. It is a little more obvious. If you see this one, then go back and look at the Kisses bag. The amazing thing is, after you see it, then it jumps out at you every time. It is an amazing commentary on perception and how our brain works.

Remember, you are looking at the negative space around and inside the obvious logo.

Wordless Wednesday--Quality Assurance

Protein

I had a protein bar for lunch today and my shoulder muscles have felt tight ever since.

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May I open that jar for you?

Are We There Yet?

What are your thoughts about this quote?

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours. He will pass an invisible boundary; new, universal and more liberal laws will begin to establish themselves around and within him; and he will live with the licence of a higher order of beings."

Henry David Thoreau




I feel as if I am pressing on that invisible boundary now. I believe. Lord, help my unbelief.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere.....

Let's see.....I think I will have the Compte Brake Ser and a Complet Tuneup. Do you take cheks?

Politics

While we prepare to elect a president to lead our country for the next 4 years, this quote from Abraham Lincoln that was forwarded to me by my mom seems appropriate to ponder;



You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

---Abraham Lincoln---

Vacation

Why do you go on vacation? To get away from it all? To see or do it all? There are lots of possible answers. Mine would vary from time to time. I do like to go places and do/see things, but I find the most rewarding vacations are those that allow me to view my life from a different perspective. As I sat on the cabin deck this past week with my extended family, we would occasionally comment on various birds or chipmunks we would see (or the hornet nest Lindsay discovered under the deck on the last day). Almost every time, somebody would say "I can't see what you are describing." The reason was the vantage point. When looking from different vantage points, we see different things. That is obvious and simple. Why then, do we have so much trouble applying that to larger life issues? Sometimes you can see things in my life that I miss or I may see things in your life you never saw before. I get a taste of that each time that we visit Vogel State Park in the north Georgia mountains. My mom rents two cabins to accommodate my brother's family and my family, including in-laws and potential in-laws. We get to spend time catching up on both mundane and large issues in each others' lives. Because we are family, we tend to question and comment more freely than you would with strangers or casual friends. And we see where other family members have grown. You miss that sometimes when you are together every day. We also get to evaluate our own growth and growth opportunities as we tell our story of "how things have been". I will share some of the beauty of the area in posts over the next few days. But for now, here are a few pictures of one aspect of the past week (plus two days) for me.

Why pictures of two guys on bicycles? These pictures represent two brothers who have passed the half-century mark and who refuse to concede anything to the aging process. My mom made the effort to drive ahead of us and take pictures as we pushed ourselves through self-induced physical difficulty on our way to accomplishing a goal. The short-term goal? To ride bikes from our cabin at Vogel State Park up Blood Mountain and back--about a 7 mile round trip. We did this several mornings and endured the long 4-5 mph climb up the mountain in order to experience the thrill of coming back down at speeds topping 35 mph. The long-term goal? I hope we can realize the possibility of being fit regardless of age and refuse to conform to the norm of accepting weight gain, loss of mobility, and declining health as inevitable. Thanks are due to Keith for posing as my conscience and leading the running and cycling activities. I also thank those nameless strangers that I boldly made conversation with who were cycling all the way to Brasstown Bald and climbing to the highest point in Georgia. That is so far beyond my capabilities that it is difficult to comprehend. But now I know that otherwise normal people actually do this. If they can do it.......?

Want to be heard?

Here is a link to a fun blog that is encouraging comments and sharing great blogs that are submitted. It is interesting to find good communicators and feel as if you are getting to know them through their various posts. If you have time to look around the blog, you will notice a cool t-shirt that reads "Comment Junkie". I may have to have one of those.
Check it out!
Remember, "If you don't comment, the terrorists win!"

http://thesecretisinthesauce.blogspot.com/

What Might Have Been....

A couple of weeks ago, I went for a run from our house. I ran through the cemetary that is less than a mile away. There is alternating shade and it is a quiet, reflective place. On this particular run, I went to the end of a road that forms a small cul-de-sac and was surprised to see a sign I had never seen before. I went back today to get this picture;

It is a section of the cemetary with only the graves of infants and children. I do not know its history. Many of the markers indicate that the infants died on the day of birth or within 2 or 3 days. That must be horrible for many reasons, not the least of which is connected to this site. "Are we supposed to have a funeral?" "How do we do that?" Others indicate a range of lifespans ranging from a few months to a few years. Here is just a sampling of the headstones. I hope it is not bad form to post these without knowing the families or the life story of each. Those of you who know me, know that I really want to hear "the rest of the story". And perhaps I will.

This is not the place I expected to see a "BabyLand" sign. BabyLand makes me think of this place;

That picture is from BabyLand General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia--the birthplace of Cabbage Patch Kids. I can't mention Cabbage Patch Kids without telling this story. When Cabbage Patch was all the rage and the supply could not keep up with demand, classes were formed to teach people (mostly grandmothers) how to make them. My mother signed up to make two Cabbage Patch adopted (knockoffs) kids. She enjoyed the experience except that it was during the weeks leading up to Christmas and she had many demands on her time. She was working full-time and actively involved in church events as well as working on the dolls almost every night. One night a lady at church asked if she was feeling well. My mom replied "Yes, I am just tired from working all day and making babies all night!" Well, who wouldn't be?

Obviously, the BabyLand at the cemetary holds few of the pleasant, happy thoughts and memories that surround its namesake. The parents who visit here must sit and think about all that might have been. I wonder how they feel when they watch a sibling of the deceased child or someone else's child grow and accomplish as expected. Do they wonder "What might have been?" As I have thought of this corner of the cemetary, thoughts of how we sometimes, as parents, communicate dissappointment to our children if they do not make all "A's" or make the All-star team. I hope I don't send that message to my children, especially in front of one of the parents of a "BabyLand" child. Oh, how they must yearn to show acceptance and love to that missing child.

Then I think of the miscarriage we had between Helen and Laura and what might have been. That is not the same, of course, as having a child in your arms and loving them for days, months, or a few years. I also notice that most of the headstones in the BabyLand section of the cemetary have dates from the mid 70's to the mid 80's--the period of time our kids were being born into our family. So here I sit, a few days before all my children and their spouses will join LaWanna and me and my extended family for a week in the north Georgia mountains. And I think, what a blessing that they are alive, all Christians, all doing well in most areas of life AND willing to spend vacation time with the old folks. How can you enjoy that blessing and not realize that, but for the grace of God, I would be visiting a familiar grave at BabyLand and wondering "what might have been". Here are some pictures of, thankfully, what is (in my life);

Thank you, God for not blessing us as we deserve. I am blessed far beyond what I deserve!

One of the Girls

I have intended to have fun posting about my recent trip to Pensacola. The counselors at Pre-Trial Diversion have at least one retreat per year for bonding and personal growth among the good folks that spend so much time helping others. This was the first retreat I have been able to attend and I have really looked forward to it. I was not disappointed. What an amazing group of individuals and what a blessing it is to be allowed a part in what is being accomplished! Thanks to Dr. Guest for planning and executing the trip (and to her daughter in P'cola for delivering the seafood smorgasbord Saturday night). Thanks to Libby, who although she could not attend sent her husband's rolls and world class cheesecake--lots of cheesecake.

What most people found interesting about the trip was that 14 of us attended and I was the only male. I slept on a fold out sofa in the living area which meant I was awake as late as the latest and as early as the earliest. As you might guess, there was not much sleep--5 hours Friday night and 3 Saturday night. That is fine, though. I would have stayed up and talked as long as any of the others wanted to anyway. That was the great part of the trip for me--the great conversation. Everybody there is at least masters level and three have doctorates. The organized education is only a base level for each of these ladies, however. Every person there has become highly involved in the lives of others at a level most people never experience. So the hope and excitement for making life better is pervasive among the group and fun to be part of.

Here is a picture of some of the ladies;

Just kidding. Here is a real picture--we ate well. This is at breakfast with oatmeal, lots of fresh fruit, and strong coffee.

There were lots of shells gathered.

Jeanell was the professional photographer. She worked hard to take lots of pics and made us all a DVD. Her photos are available on iPhoto.com and congratulations to her on her recent Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy.

I noticed these two insects uhh, doing what comes naturally in front of Phoebe's book "Passionate Marriage". I wondered if they had been reading parts of it.

I have lots more great pictures, but blogger is taking waaaay too long to upload and I have spent too much time on this already. Here is what I really took away from the weekend; 1) It is a small world and we impact each other more than we realize, 2) The most important ingredient in baking a meaningful relationship is time, 3) Communication is a challenging and the most difficult aspect is the most overlooked and under-developed--listening. Thank you ladies for allowing an old guy to tag along and show off a bit. Thanks for late-night and early-morning conversations--I learned a lot. Thank you Phoebe for sterling conversation as we drove down and back. You are a hero in my eyes. Thank you LaWanna for allowing me to go off with a bunch of females. Thank you Graham for entrusting me with 6 hours of unbroken conversation with your wife. The worship service with your brother was an adventure as well.

Guess Who's Coming to Oregon

This article is from the Corvallis, Oregon Gazette-Times. I think it is funny and could spark copy-cats from different genres. It paints a picture that is difficult to imagine in the south, but one that has an impact on national politics and why different regions of the country see each other in such unfavorable terms.




"The booths at the Saturday Corvallis Farmers’ Market have a wild mix of fresh produce, tasty food, plants and flowers. But this week, a table just outside the bazaar offered something more bizarre — “Meet a Black Guy.” Those who participated in the free service could chat with 21-year-old Corvallis resident Jeff Oliver, and get pictures taken with him. “It’s a statement about diversity in Corvallis. It’s not a very diverse place,” said Oliver, a lifelong Oregonian. He hoped to promote understanding, break stereotypes and perhaps even provide a comedic moment for hundreds of people strolling along the riverfront. The booth drew a mixed reaction, however."

The rest of the article can be read at http://www.gtconnect.com/articles/2008/06/01/news/community/1loc05_blackguy.txt.

This article also leads very naturally to the post below.

To Kill a Mockingbird

After all these years, I finally read (actually listened to on CD) "To Kill a Mockingbird". It is an excellent book and I find myself occasionally processing the thoughts presented, particularly concerning deeply ingrained racism and social class prejudice. That is probably why this video is so funny to me. If you have ever stood around hoping to be picked up on a work crew, you will love this.

Masterpiece

"For we are His workmanship (masterpiece NLT), created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 NKJ

Have you ever spent an hour or two thinking about what it means to be God's workmanship or masterpiece? Numerous passages tell us that we are given various gifts and abilities. But as I have asked Christians over many years what they think God has prepared them to do, most do not know and seem to be embarrassed to talk about it. Please consider the thoughts of Max Lucado from his book, Cure for the Common Life;


"Da Vinci painted one Mona Lisa, Beethoven created one Fifth Symphony,
and God made one version of you. You’re it! You’re the only you
there is. And if we don’t get you, we don’t get you. You’re the only shot
we have at you. You can do something no one else can do in a fashion
no one else can do it. You are more than a coincidence of chromosomes
and heredity, more than just an assemblage of somebody else’s
lineage. You are uniquely made. . . .
But can you be anything you want to be? If you are uniquely
made — now stop and think about this — if you’re uniquely made, can
you really be anything you want to be? If you don’t have the sense that
takes care of numbers, can you be an accountant? If you don’t have a
love for the dirt, can you be a farmer? If you don’t have an appreciation
and a devotion to kids, can you really be a teacher? Well, you
can be an unhappy one, an unsatisfied one. You can be one of the 87
percent of the workforce that doesn’t like their work — one of the 80
percent of the people that says “I don’t use my talents on a daily basis.”
You can be a statistic.
Lucado ends his comments with these powerful words: “Can you be
anything you want to be? I don’t think so. But can you be everything God
wants you to be? I do think so. And you do become that by discovering
your uniqueness.”

Jesus said "I have finished the work which You have given me to do."
How could he know He was finished unless He knew what His purpose was?
Sure Jesus is distinct, but Paul, Job and many others speak of having done what God intended for them to do. There is a special role(s) that only you can fill. The great news is that you and I do not need great skill to be God's masterpiece, we only need to be moldable clay.

What do you think about the idea that you are unique and nobody else can be what you have the potential to be?

Cute Couple

I can't tell you how many times someone has come up to me and asked "Were you and LaWanna always such a cute couple?" Well, I could tell you how many times--but that would make for a lousy intro to an otherwise hilarious post. The answer is, of course, "Yes" we have always looked good together. However, it was not always the same as now. We have made so many friends since raising teenagers that many of you have never seen me without white hair and a beard nor LaWanna without short-Jamie Leigh Curtis-hair. In response to the many, many requests that I post a picture from a few years back, please enjoy this entry from the Lakewood church directory. Can you say "love-stoned"?

Sweet Magnolia Blossom

Often I wish I owned a great digital camera that offered lots of features. But I have REALLY enjoyed my little pocket digital and, honestly, I doubt the out come would be any better with a $1000 camera--at least this time.

Leafing Through a Good Book?

Question; Why is there a leaf on the door of the Book Basket in beautiful downtown Wetumpka?

Let's look closer.

Hey, wait a minute! That is not a leaf, it is some kind of moth!

Crikey! That is a real beaut! Do you think he is waiting for the store to open so he can satisfy his voracious appetite for a good book? Or is he just crunching some numbers?

Global Warming!

There are lots of theories about the cause of global warming and whether it is even a reality. Let's say Algore is partially right and the globe is warming. I have a new theory about what may cause that phenomenon. Maybe it is as simple as Jennifer's smile. Really. All who work with her or know her are aware that when she flashes her smile, the room brightens up as if the Sun has come inside. All that happy glowing HAS to be warming the globe. Take a quick look;




Thank you, Jennifer, for making the workplace so "shiney and happy"!

What Could have Been

I feel the need to depart from weird news and nature pictures for a post that is more meditative. This poem is by W. H. Auden and I discovered it in the book "Rumours of Another World" by Philip Yancey. At this stage of my life, Philip Yancey is my favorite author. His book "What's so Amazing about Grace?" pulled me in emotionally more than any I have read in....maybe ever. I am tempted to write a dissertation about what this poem means to me, but will instead just post it and allow you to decide how deeply you think about it.

God may reduce you
on Judgement Day
To tears of shame,
reciting by heart
The poems you would
have written, had
Your life been good.

Mother's Day Hangover

As a follow-up to my previous "Mother's Day" post, I could not resist reprinting this article that I found online this morning. At the bottom is a link that is very interesting. Put the coffee cup down before you begin reading!



LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — It's a happy Mother's Day for an Arkansas woman — she's pregnant with her 18th child. Michelle Duggar, 41, is due on New Year's Day, and the latest addition will join seven sisters and 10 brothers. There are two sets of twins.
"We've had three in January, three in December. Those two months are a busy time for us," she said, laughing.
The Duggars' oldest child, Josh, is 20, and the youngest, Jennifer, is nine months old.
The fast-growing family lives in Tontitown in northwest Arkansas in a 7,000-square-foot home. All the children — whose names start with the letter J — are home-schooled.
Duggar has been been pregnant for more than 11 years of her life, and the family is in the process of filming another series for Discovery Health.
The new show looks at life inside the Duggar home, where chores — or "jurisdictions" — are assigned to each child. One episode of the new show involves a "jurisdiction swap," where the boys do chores traditionally assigned to the girls, and vice versa, Duggar said.
"The girls swapped jurisdictions, changing tires, working in the garages, mowing the grass," she said. "The boys got to cook supper from start to finish, clean the bathrooms," among other chores.
Duggar said she's six weeks along and the pregnancy is going well. She and her husband, Jim Bob Duggar, said they'll keep having children as long as God wills it.
"The success in a family is first off, a love for God, and secondly, treating each other like you want to be treated," Jim Bob Duggar said. "Our goal is for each one of our children to be best friends, and everybody working together to serve each other makes that happen."
The other Duggar children, in between Joshua and Jennifer, are Jana, 18; John-David, 18; Jill, 16; Jessa, 15; Jinger, 14; Joseph, 13; Josiah, 11; Joy-Anna, 10; Jeremiah, 9; Jedidiah, 9; Jason, 7; James, 6; Justin, 5; Jackson, 3; and Johannah, 2.
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On the Net:
Duggar family Web site: www.duggarfamily.com

Happy Mother's Day!

Here is my mother's day tribute for 2008;

When your kids (including the big one) are screaming "What's for dinner?",
When you have tried to protect your children and they see it as neglect,
When you feel like the house is a mess and you clean/straighten it all the time,
Just remember we love you more than just this one day per year and we REALLY do appreciate all you do.
If poorly shown gratitude is not enough, think about the Mockingbird mama.
Sure she sings all day and seems to be perfectly happy.
Yes, it appears that she doesn't have a care in the world or any chores to do.
However, if you look closely---deep in the thickest brush, this is what you will find;












Lots of hungry mouths constantly wanting more, living in a crowded home that you built by gathering one twig at a time with your beak. And the more they cry for food, the more you have to stand by to ward off curious intruders that would harm your babies. Yes, it seems that moms everywhere are overworked and under-appreciated. But we really do love you. Now, what's for dinner?

Shrikes!!!

These are a few pictures I have taken during the past three or four days of some birds that have taken up residence near the Wetumpka Post Office. Thanks to my mom for correctly identifying them as Shrikes, specifically Loggerhead Shrikes.

I first noticed these birds when a large fox squirrel was passing through and they were squawking like crazy. A co-worker stated that those mockingbirds can really raise a fuss and I agreed but said I did not think those were mockingbirds. Later in the day, I took a closer look and confirmed my suspicions. A couple of days later, they were again making lots of noise and I investigated with camera in hand. As it turns out they were killing a snake! When I approached one flew to a branch with snake in beak. The snake was about 10 or 11 inches long. Here are a couple of pictures of a fierce bird with his "trophy worm".

Business Venture

Has your doctor ever told you that you need to get more exercise? Has your spouse? After hearing several of my friends complain about the need to exercise more and how much they hated running or walking, I had a great idea. Since I was going to be riding my bike some anyway, I could help my friends convince their doctor/spouse that they were really working out and I could make some money at the same time. All it would take is a few alterations to the bike and eight of my friends can use the wear and tear on their shoes to verify regular exercise. It has worked out GREAT! Here is a look at the bike;






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It takes a Village!

This post is NOT intended to be humorous. The following is from an AP story published on May 4. I titled the post in honor of Senator Clinton's book since she represents this part of New York and the topic, I believe, is related to her premise in the book that we must all combine our efforts in order to raise a child. While I certainly agree that extended family and church family can have a huge bearing on the quality of adult that results from parenting efforts, I strongly disagree that parents should abdicate responsibility to properly teach and train children to the government or a contracted representative of the government. I suggest that the following revelation is a direct result of that expanding abdication of responsibility, both in what it reveals about the ethics and morals of those who have assumed some of that responsibility as teachers and those who took on some of that responsibility as politicians and bureaucrats.


NEW YORK (AP) — The number of city teachers yanked from their classrooms because of accusations of wrongdoing has doubled in four years, and some spend years collecting their salaries while awaiting disciplinary hearings, a newspaper reported Sunday.
Their pay costs the nation's largest public school system an estimated $65 million a year, not including the cost of hiring substitutes or renting space for the so-called "rubber rooms" where accused teachers spend their work days, the Daily News reported.

Accused of offenses ranging from excessive lateness to sex abuse, an average of 700 teachers at any given time read magazines, play cards and nap in the "rubber rooms" — officially, Temporary Reassignment Centers, the newspaper reported. It cited city data.

A little quick math will reveal that more than $90,000 (not counting salaries for replacements or costs for the playroom) per teacher is being spent to give timeout to 700 "teachers" accused of wrongdoing. Many of these wait more than half a decade to have a case heard. Most wait 3 or so years for a hearing and decision on discipline. Alabama's teacher's union would like to increase property taxes so that we can be more like these "big city schools". The senator from New York would like to be President of the USA so that she can also fix "big oil companies" and "environmental issues".

I am reminded of the one-liner "Hey, the village called. They want their idiot back."

I mean that in the nicest possible way.

America the Beautiful!

Land of the free and home of the supersize!

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Bill Cosby for President

O.K., so the title is meant to be a little funny and grab your attention. But this post is intended to be a serious commentary. So many times during this campaign for president of the USA, I have considered writing a length post about Obama and who he really is. Instead, I will take the opportunity of Bill Cosby once again speaking out concerning the underachievement among black Americans and the tendency of self-appointed "black leaders" blaming it on discrimination and covert government operations.

First, allow me to say that dark skinned individuals were largely mistreated as slaves 200 years ago. Many were mistreated as inferior and unable to participate fully in society 75 years ago. Today some are assumed to be thieves or thugs because many happily promote those stereotypes. But today people of every color, gender, height, weight, and economic status are discriminated against in some way. Many black Americans have achieved amazing success in business and government. Many have intact, loving, successful Christian families. None are being forced by white people or the government to have multiple "baby daddies" or contract aids. George Bush and the republican party did not plan and implement the 9/11 attacks as a ploy to destroy black individuals.

I am tempted to call "Reverend" Jeremiah Wright an idiot for believing and suggesting such insane ideas. But Mr. Wright is not an idiot. He is, in fact, of at least average intelligence if not above. How then do we reconcile his rantings to his followers with the sensible (if not well-received) exhortations of Mr. Cosby? It is as simple as this; one is telling the truth--at his own peril. The other is broadcasting lies--to his own enrichment. You do not need me to point out which is which.

The concern for me is that Barack Obama would spend a couple of decades "worshipping" with and adoring Jeremiah Wright without any public announcement of his disagreement with the foolish, angry, divisive messages--until now. Why now? Because white folk (and some black folk) are thinking for themselves. They are searching the internet. They are seeing what the most divisive "black leaders" say when they think no white folk are listening. And it is disturbing to many. It should be. Because so many who do not think for themselves believe that junk. The democratic party's attempt to select a candidate has been most entertaining for me. Hillary assumed she had the black vote and now she can't say what she really thinks about Obama because he is pandering to the same demographic that she is--only he is more intelligent and likable. It is extremely humorous to me--now. But if either of them is elected, the policies endorsed would only work to widen the racial divide.

Having said all that, I am so thankful to be part of a church family that accepts all races, nationalities, social classes, and considers them as God's children to be loved and treated with respect. I am also extremely thankful for the black families that have been devoted Christian examples during the years that they have been very, very much in the minority in the congregation. That must have been difficult many times. Now, one of these fine brothers serves as an elder and serves as a great example of what can be done with a life when the truth is recognized and followed. Are we still largely segregated on Sunday morning as a nation? Yes, sadly we are. Are we making progress? Absolutely! But we have to tell each other the truth--regardless of who is listening.

Beatbox

While I am not a fan of this style of "music", I love this video because it seems to perfectly perform and mock the art and at the same time mock goofy cooking shows. Here for your viewing pleasure is "How to cook up a little Beatbox."

Great News for Fat Folk!

Health Benefits Of Being Overweight

"A new report suggests that being overweight is not as harmful as is commonly believed, and actually confers some surprising benefits.

Being five to ten pounds overweight could protect people from ailments ranging from tuberculosis to Alzheimer's disease, research indicates.

Those carrying 15 to 25 extra pounds are better able to recover from adverse conditions such as emphysema, pneumonia, and various injuries and infections, states the report.

Thirty to forty pounds of flab could help fend off breast, kidney, pancreatic, prostate, and colon cancer. And an extra fifty pounds on the scale may improve eyesight, reverse baldness, cure the common cold, and reduce global warming. In general, the report concludes, overweight people are happier, more successful in business, smarter, and friendlier.

The study was funded by a research grant from McDonald's, Burger King, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, Domino's Pizza, Starbucks, Haagen Dazs, Sara Lee, and Krispy Kreme."

Not included in the report was this warning; always consider the source of information.

Switched?

Why is LaWanna on the cover of AARP? And why is Jamie Leigh Curtis in my driveway?
If I were a better photographer (and LaWanna wasn't rushing off to a shower) you wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

Children Teach us to Pray

After teaching young children for years at church, Terry Brown has learned to tell parents "If you promise not to believe everything they say happened at church, we promise not to believe everything they say happens at home." I was reminded of that when I received the following today from The Good Clean Funnies List;



A Sunday school teacher asked her pupils, "Now, children, do you all say your prayers at night?"A little boy answered, "My mommy says my prayers.""I see," said the teacher. "And what does your mother say?





"The little boy replied, "THANK GOD HE'S IN BED!"

Hedging your bets?

It is time to "Focus" on one or the other.

Consider...

"Consider the flowers of the field"









"They toil not"






"Neither do they spin"






"Yet even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these"

Celebrate Love!

In honor of Mark and Lindsay's first anniversary, here is a photo of their wedding day and a great tribute written by my brother, Keith, in his newsletter last April;

"It was a very cool wedding!

Outdoors, 49 degrees with a 30 mph winds - that makes for a cool wedding. But it really wasn’t the wind chill that made it cool. It was the way the couple weathered the worst. As all their best laid wedding plans were being blown away all around them, they couldn’t stop smiling at each other and at everybody else. When the petite bride shivered, her gallant groom gave up his jacket for her. So, there they were on the most important dress-up day of their lives - he in his shirt sleeves, and she in a clownishly oversized tux jacket. It was beautiful!

What salvaged their “ruined” perfect day was that they didn’t care. They were living out the “for better or for worse” of their vows right in front of us and that warmed inside where the wind can’t reach.

When the candles all blew out and the couple tried in vain to light their unity candle, the grinning groom announced to the audience, “You’ll just have to use your imaginations.”

And I did. I imagined that any couple who could laugh at these calamities on such an important day could handle anything that might come against them in the coming decades. I imagined them 40 years later, hair graying, faces wrinkled, but still smiling at each other.

That’s what real love does. It “always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:7).

So many marriages (and friendships, and church relationships) fail for lack of perseverance. Winds blow, the relationship gets chilly, and the flames go out. When the situation falls short of perfection, as it inevitably will, too many people pack it in instead of persevering. In so doing, they cut love off before it has opportunity to really bloom. Real love grows strong, not in the absence of difficulty, but because of it. Love perseveres.

It is those who persevere together through all their differences who find genuine love - and the joy that always tags along behind it. It is old friends who have laughed together and cried together, who have fought and made up – those are the ones who understand: “Love never fails” (13:8).

It was a very cool wedding. Not because of the temperature. Not because of the beautiful setting, the excellent music, nor the touching words. It was cool because of what was unspoken, but clearly demonstrated – love perseveres. Always!"

New Bumper Sticker

You see them every day. The bumper sticker on the mini-van in front of you; "My child is an honor student at upper-middle-class elementary school". It makes you wonder if all these folks are from Garrison Keilor's fictional hometown of Lake Wobegon where "all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average." I say "Sodier on, faithful parents!" Kids need encouragement. Adults need encouragement also. I was recently in a situation as a counselor with a client that had great difficulty thinking of a single accomplishment in 27 years of life. Part of the difficulty was the inability to recognize accomplishments as such, but most of her challenge is that she really has not accomplished much--nor has she tried. After many tears, excuses, and anxiety, a brief list was composed. Here is the point; Every one of us is accomplishing less than our potential, including your kids. Whoa, there, Roxy. You are stepping on some toes now. Well, when you have about 8 minutes, watch this video of an ELEPHANT that has been trained to paint a self-portrait. I am not making this up. It takes a few minutes to watch but that allows you to see that it is not fake. Sure he makes himself look a little thinner than he really is (and taller) but I would do the same.

What do you think? Is more possible than you previously thought?

Oh yeah, my new bumper sticker says "My Elephant Paints Better than your Elephant!"