.ross

RSS change

2009-02-18T21:54:00.003-06:00

have I mentioned that the RSS feed has changed for this blog?

Sorry for the inconvenience... the RSS feed is changing for this blog. It has been routed here... but the RSS is going to only feed from here now. This is what to add to your Google Reader or other RSS feed:

.ross blog (will appear as Two Fires)

New Podcast

2009-02-18T21:02:00.001-06:00

todd vlog ep 59 from Todd Wright on Vimeo.

Inauguration Prayer

2009-01-20T16:09:00.001-06:00

Rick Warren and his prayer:

Almighty God, our Father:

Everything we see, and everything we can’t see, exists because of you alone.

It all comes from you, it all belongs to you, it all exists for your glory.

History is your story.

The Scripture tells us, "Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one." And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.

Now today we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time, we celebrate a hinge point of history with the inauguration of our first African American president of the United States.

We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where a son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven.

Give to our new president, Barack Obama,

the wisdom to lead us with humility,
the courage to lead us with integrity,

the compassion to lead us with generosity.

Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.
Help us, O God, to remember that we are Americans--united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.

When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you--forgive us.

When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone--forgive us.

When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve--forgive us.

And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes—even when we differ.

Help us to share, to serve, and to seek the common good of all.

May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy, and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet.

And may we never forget that one day, all nations--and all people--will stand accountable before you.

We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.

I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life—Yeshua, 'Isa, Jesus [Spanish pronunciation], Jesus—who taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,

for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

Huckabee on Apple

2009-01-12T14:42:00.001-06:00

I like this

2008-12-21T23:00:00.000-06:00

I'd love to know your thoughts about this...

HT: Phil Johnson

NFL network is horrible at game coverage

2008-12-20T20:42:00.002-06:00

The NFL Network needs to stick to pre-game coverage and one-hour highlight reels.

The game coverage of the game between the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens is absolutely horrible. To begin with, the graphics that appear on the screen leave much to be desired. The minimalistic graphics are too minimal. NBC, ESPN, FOX and CBS have us accustomed to know the down, yardage and statistical information about the players. The NFL Network does not look like they were prepared for this game.

Secondly, the play by play is horrible. The guy calling this game needs better "spotters" because he is having a hard time either 1) calling the player of interests name, or 2) getting the name right. He is robotic in his analysis and is not interesting to listen to at all.

Third, the "color commentary" seems more interested (Marshall Faulk and Deion Sanders) in reliving their glory days in the NFL than talking about the game at hand. A great example is the last two minutes of the second half and the Cowboys have the ball. The stadium is electrified, the radio announcers are emotionally engaged with the excitement of a "no-huddle" offense and the chance for Romo and TO to connect in the end-zone. Meanwhile on the NFL network, Marshall and Deion are talking about how the Cowboys need to go three and out and just let their defense run the time out. WHAT? First of all, that doesn't even make sense, and secondly, it sounded more like the personal appeal of the announcers to get this half over with so that Deion can change his shoes, put on a coat and shelter himself from the 32 degree wind-chill... which by the way seemed to be their chief interest.

Fourth, when are we going to finally be done with "proprietary endeavors?" In a world that is going Open Source, it seems the NFL Network is trying to buck the system. Here is what I say - if you are going Proprietary, then be the very best out there. Don't lock everyone else out of covering this game and then totally suck at the product you provide.

As a viewer I feel like a hostage to maybe the worst football coverage I have seen all year.

On the same note, but different angle, I am shocked about how much I like the coverage of football games. It has become its own entertainment in itself. I realize that as much as I like to watch a good football game, I like for it to be covered and analyzed well. I want the announcers to take me onto the field and into the helmets. I want to feel the vibe of the stadium. I want to know what is going on behind the scenes. I want to understand the game, the situation and the importance behind what is happening. When that doesn't happen, I am disappointed.

Tonight, I am disappointed. I'm let down and I am not a fan of the NFL Network. Overall, the Network itself is not able to get out of the way of their own hype and corporate ego and let the viewer enjoy the game.

Blogs

2008-12-16T14:54:00.002-06:00

If you're not reading my brother-in-laws blog, you are missing out.

The Breach

Twitter

2008-12-11T11:02:00.004-06:00

Over the past couple of months I have made mention of my new fascination - Twitter

(what is Twitter?, why Twitter?, how Twitter?)
watch a video about Twitter

Now, I'm not saying that twitter is for everyone, in fact, it isn't. But, I have found Twitter to be a great social networking tool that allows me to stay connected with 1) people I care about; 2) people I'm interested in; 3) people I'd like to know, but may never meet. It also provides an opportunity for family and friends to catch small glimpses into my life during the day.

I want to share a story that happened this past week that illustrates both the power and "coolness" of Twitter. Periodically I get on Twitter's "search page" and type in "Tyler, TX." I do this because I am always interested who else in our community is using this tool. There is always a good list this search generates and from time to time, if the people are not totally weird, I will "follow" them.

Now, Tyler is a small town, not small enough that everyone knows everyone, but we have no more than 3 degrees of separation. Last week I followed a person that lives in Tyler who happens to know Alley Burton (elder) and was somewhat familiar with Bethel, but has never been. Since all of my biographical information is on my Twitter page, this person discovered that I am a pastor at Bethel and because of the timing in their life decided that they were going to visit. I met them this past Sunday and so did many of you!

This really is less about Twitter and more of what I would call opportunity. I was reminded that all over this city there are people who are not connected with a church and would love to be. But, just like all of us, it is hard to imagine getting up on a Sunday morning (or any morning), getting dressed in clothes you don't normally wear, getting your family ready, getting in the car, driving to an unfamiliar place, parking and then making that long walk from your car to the front door... all while being a perfect stranger. It is hard to be "new" or "different" or "uninformed." In fact, I think besides public speaking, visiting a church is probably one of the most frightening and difficult things a person, couple or family ever does.

For my new friend, I was glad that there family felt at least the comfort of "knowing" someone before they got there.

So - let me ask you this morning (or afternoon/evening), who might there be in your life that would love to be connected to a community of people? And not just any community of people, but a community that is committed to following Jesus and living out His life? I can guarantee there is someone in the ebb and flow of your life that is not connected, but would love to be.

Everything I have read, and my experience supports, is that people are most likely to visit a church because someone they know asked them. In fact, it is rare that when I have invited someone to church that they flat out said "no." Most people, who are not connected to a church, are thrilled to be asked and have some excitement that they might actually find a place to connect. The problem is that we just don't ask.

So - ASK. If there is anyone that has come to your mind, make if your priority and goal to invite them to a service before the end of the year. Christmas is a great time here at Bethel and a great time for you to bring someone with you...

And you don't need a twitter account to do that.

Kensley Penney will put you in the Christmas spirit

2008-12-06T21:37:00.000-06:00

Watch this until the end

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T09:08:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving 2008 from Ross Strader on Vimeo.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T09:32:00.003-06:00

Ok... I am going to "live blog" Thanksgiving today.

3:25pm - up from nap. Helped my grandmother to the car. Listening to the national anthem on FOX before the Cowboy kick-off. Man, I need some coffee.
By the way, anyone else notice the gel in Romo's hair? Come on man!

2:15pm - stuffed... going to check on Katherine. I might lay down back there with her.

1:30pm - eating!

1:24pm - Katherine fell asleep on Leslie so she is putting her down in the front room (the cool, dark, quiet room with a big comfy bed).

12:59pm - Katherine just came it with a mouth full of dirt. She fell off the swing and busted her lip and hurt her pride. Leslie is cleaning her up in the bathroom.

12:52pm - my uncle just walked in with dove wrapped in bacon. Wow. The pies are coming out of the oven - chess, pecan, pumpkin, chocolate (there are 8 pies). The turkey is being carved. My grandmother (92) just arrived. The Titans are killing the Lions (everyone is sitting around talking about the problems with Detroit 0 both the team and the community). We will eat soon. Man this is fun!

11:41am - ok we've had our traditional mimosa's. Pies are baking. The Titans are on tv. We have thrown the football outside. This is the kind of day I love. There is such a freedom to relax on a holiday.

9:39am - now I'm headed to the shower.

9:36am - uhmmm... haven't showered yet. I just posted a Happy Thanksgiving post on the Bethel blog. It is kind of corny, but it is Thanksgiving so I thought it would be good to talk about being thankful.

9:15am - about to shower and head over to my mom's to get into the Thanksgiving fun over there. Going to stop by and get some coffee first because she is out... ??? - - can't believe she let that happen.

8:30am - Went in to the living room and crashed the kids Wii party and made them turn on the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade. I then began to tell them how cool it is and that I watched it every year as a kid and how it is a "tradition." They aren't buying it.

7:30am - I woke up and greeted Leslie with "Happy Thanksgiving!" I told her how thankful I was for her. Brushing my teeth first would have made the moment a little more effective.

If anyone is still reading

2008-11-23T16:11:00.005-06:00

My apologies to you if you still read this... this blog has sucked lately. I mean totally sucked. I have been on a dry spell. I have not taken the time to be creative.

Creativity takes time. I don't know if it does for everyone, but it does for me. I have to carve out time to think. Not a lot of time, but enough that I can step out of the routine and look at things from different angles. I sometimes joke that I am a "creative black-hole." What I mean is that creativity takes some time and thought for me and I usually get into a groove of getting things done, that I don't stop to evaluate or reflect on what I'm doing.

Creativity also requires a little bit of risk. It means doing something, to some degree, in a new way. Not all creativity has to be new or novel, but for me it often times means stepping out of the comfort of my routine or thinking to take a risk with a new perspective or idea. It means writing about something I know and talk about in a different way. It means thinking about different words and phrases to describe things I've thought for a long time. It means looking for fresh and stimulating word pictures or images to replace the images that have become stale in my mind. For me, it means interacting with my "stuff" in a different way. Reading a different book, working in a different program, listening to some different music, talking to some new people. All of these things stimulate my mind and gets me thinking in ways that are helpful and productive. "Producing" for me can be the enemy of "productive."

Finally, I think creativity means a little failure. Not all the "creativity" that happens is going to be good, interesting, helpful or result in praise. But, that is ok. Taking the time to risk a little creativity will mean that I might hear, "that was ... well, weird." OK, I've done things like that. But, I want to embrace it as an opportunity to learn. Creativity leads to learning... and I love to learn. I like learning about myself, my vocation, my God, my gifts, ability. Learning has a way of making me feel alive. It is worth it.

So, this week (Thanksgiving week), I plan to read a couple of books, spend some time out of my routine praying, thinking, writing about things I don't usually take the time for. I plan to take some walks at odd times. I plan to sleep in a little. I am planning time with people I don't usually see. I'm looking forward to taking some risks. I can't wait.

I'm interested in what you do to spark creativity and what you have learned in the process... anyone?

Stuart Smalley

2008-11-13T15:07:00.002-06:00

Daily Affirmations:

"I deserve good things. I am entitled to my share of happiness. I refuse to beat myself up. I am attractive person. I am fun to be with."

"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggonit, people like me!"

I guess we'll see if it works....

Can't believe I did that

2008-11-10T22:36:00.002-06:00

OK... I must have had a momentary lack of judgment, but about 3 hours ago I posted a recipe on my blog. YES A RECIPE.

No, I am not a woman, or a girl. I am a man. Or at least I think of myself as one. But, there is no denying I posted a recipe. What in the heck was I thinking? I even asked people to make it and then comment on it. I am very sorry for that.

I will leave the recipes to my sisters and mother and wife and daughters. I will blog about computers and yard work and masculine stuff.

Had to get that off my chest.

Twitter

2008-11-10T22:09:00.003-06:00

I have had many questions from people I know over the last couple of week about "Twitter." So, I want to answer that as simply as possible.

I am including here an excerpt from The Big Juicy Twitter Guide. Here is part 1 of the post:

Why You Must Start Using Twitter Right Now

Let me cut to the chase - Twitter is many things to many people but what often goes unnoticed is that it can be an incredibly powerful marketing & community building tool with the ability to develop your brand, build relationships with your audience and provide a promotional medium that has the ability to go viral!

In this guide I have tried to present a complete picture of Twitter and show techniques / tools / guidelines for Twitter usage for all kinds of people. However this is a blog about Internet marketing so I do have certain bias towards using Twitter for marketing purposes. With that out of the way, let’s get started!

What is Twitter

According to the Twitter FAQ, “Twitter is for staying in touch and keeping up with friends no matter where you are or what you’re doing.” That doesn’t really tell us very much. Wikipedia says, “Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send updates via SMS, instant messaging, email, to the Twitter website, or any one of the multitude of Twitter applications now available”.

Twitter asks the question, “What are you doing?” and allows you to send a small update (limited to just 140 characters) to your followers. The concept is amazingly simple and that is perhaps one of the main reasons why it has caught on like wildfire. The restriction to 140 characters has resulted in Twitter being labeled “micro blogging”. A traditional blog is a log of what somebody is up to, but in a richer, more detailed format. One of the key benefits of Twitter is that you can send and receive updates (also called tweets) via your browser, email , instant messaging clients and SMS so you can keep in touch no matter where you are.

What’s the Point?

I first encountered Twitter at least a year ago. I loaded it up and watched the activity on the main Twitter page. All I saw was a seemingly pointless stream of tweets that literally documented every movement of people’s daily lives down to the unnecessary detail of what they were eating for dinner! I tried sending a few updates but nobody was following me so I was just talking to myself. I played with it for a couple of hours and then ignored it for a year or so.

Twitter is now being recognised as a valuable marketing tool and I’ll explain why in the upcoming sections of the guide. But here’s the thing - you don’t have to listen to the incomingignore it if you choose to. Unlike email, Twitter is just ‘fly on the wall’ communication. On the other hand, if you have people following you, you hope they are listening so you can get your message across. noise! You can

Ideally, you keep the people you are following to a minimum, and have more people following you.

Twitter is a Broadcasting Service

Email, Instant Messaging and SMS are all direct messaging systems. You choose the person with whom you would like to communicate and you send them a direct message. Blogs are open broadcasting systems. When I publish a blog post, it will go directly to those people who have subscribed to the RSS feed but it is also available publicly. Twitter is rather like blogging with just an RSS feed. Consider this diagram:

We have two people, Bob and Betty. Bob can follow Betty, Betty can follow Bob and if they both did that they would be following each other. That is literally all there is to the relationships between people in Twitter. It’s extremely simple and what it produces is a situation like this:

Every time you send out a tweet, all your followers will see it. Unlike blogs, Twitter is a real time broadcasting medium. You update, it is broadcast to your followers, and then it is largely forgotten (but not quite!) When you first join Twitter you have no followers and you are not following anybody else so it can seem pretty lonely. I think this one of the reasons that some people just “don’t get it” when they first start.

However, there is much more to it than that! There are now many tools and other web applications that will integrate with Twitter allowing you to broadcast your tweets all over the web even without followers. I’ll show you how to do that later in the guide.

Twitter is a Mobile Communication Tool

After you join Twitter you have the option to link it to your mobile phone and / or to your instant messaging clients. By having Twitter accessible on your phone you can both send and receive updates which means that you can stay in touch wherever you are so it is a truly mobile communication tool. This can be a pretty powerful thing.

Cake in a Mug

2008-11-10T21:06:00.004-06:00

Want to try something fun?

How about a homemade chocolate cake in a coffee mug... in 3 minutes?

Here is the recipe:
INGREDIENTS: hot chocolate mix, flour, an egg, cooking spray, and oil
Grab the biggest microwavable coffee mug you've got in your cupboard, and cover the inside with cooking spray. Mix up four tablespoons of flour and nine tablespoons of hot chocolate mix, then throw in three tablespoons of water and oil and one egg. Once it's thoroughly mixed into an even batter, microwave for three minutes - Viola!

Here is the actual website with the directions and step-by-step guidance
Make Cake in a Mug

I'd love to know how it turns out...

Mac Bible Software from Logos

2008-11-07T11:05:00.006-06:00

It is finally (almost) here. Logos for the Mac has been greatly anticipated and it is going to be here for Christmas. If you own a Mac, then this is for you. If you don't - I don't want to know. (Actually, if you are still on a lame PC, then you need to check out the Logos for PC - it is amazing.)

Logos Bible Software: mac from Logos Bible Software on Vimeo.

If you have been used to the PC version, you will realize that this is the first release and I am sure there will be more to come in the next year with this program. It is very exciting to see Logos in the Mac world and I have no doubt that this program will harness all of the advantages of the Mac OS.

live results

2008-11-04T10:30:00.001-06:00

Benefits of Voting

2008-11-04T09:13:00.002-06:00

Don't miss the election day love:

Ben & Jerry's: Free scoop of ice cream between 5-8pm. Originally, materials stated you'd need some form of proof you voted (like an "I voted" sticker), but current materials just spell out "Free scoops!" (locate)
Books-A-Million: Free cup of coffee after showing your "I voted" sticker. (locate
California Tortilla: Free taco for showing "I voted" sticker. (locate)
Chick-fil-A: "Several hundred" of 1,400 Chick-fil-A restaurants are handing out chicken sandwiches (the kind normally $2.70) to adults with proof of voting. (locate)
Krispy Kreme: Free star-shaped doughnut with "patriotic sprinkles" (i.e. red, white, and blue) for "all retail customers with an 'I Voted' sticker." USA Today reports that 85 of 231 Krispy Kreme locations will participate. (locate)
Shane's Rib Shack: A free "Celebrate America Meal"—3-piece chicken tenders, fries, and 20-ounce drink—to the first 300 customers at participating locations, according to their press release. (locate)
Starbucks: Free tall coffee at "any Starbucks." "Tell us you voted" seems to be the bargaining chip, according to their recent TV ads. (locate)
Vote & Vax: National project by non-profits to offer free flu vaccinations on election day. (locate)

Also - head over to Citizen Bezner for a very interesting discussion...

Benji, Hebrew and archeology

2008-11-04T06:58:00.002-06:00

I'm interested in what my friend Benji has to say about this: Oldest Hebrew Text is Evidence for Bible Stories.

There is never a shortage of stories that come from the world of archeology about the existence or non-existence of evidence for the authenticity of the Bible - especially related to the reign of King David.

Benji is one of the smartest people I know and reads backwards unlike anyone I have ever encountered. I'm interested in his thoughts...

Google rocks!

2008-11-04T06:48:00.004-06:00

I love google. I have been reading the book Planet Google and am so impressed with the enormity of vision they have.
Today is another example of being way ahead of the curve. Google maps has been harnessed to be the "Voting Center Central" for anyone wondering where they are supposed to vote today.

http://maps.google.com/vote

I love it!

NOW - Go VOTE!

Bar Stool Economics

2008-10-28T22:29:00.003-05:00

I always enjoy reading Michael Patton's blog. Here is what he posted today. It takes a minute to read it through, but it is worth understanding.

Our Tax System Explained: Bar Stool Economics

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that’s what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. ‘Since you are all such good customers,’ he said, ‘I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.’ Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free.

But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his ‘fair share?’

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.

So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

‘I only got a dollar out of the $20,’declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,’ but he got $10!’

‘Yeah, that’s right,’ exclaimed the fifth man. ‘I only saved a dollar, too.

It’s unfair that he got ten times more than I got’ ‘That’s true!!’ shouted the seventh man. ‘Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!’

‘Wait a minute,’ yelled the first four men in unison. ‘We didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!’

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

Moore Farms

2008-10-27T21:32:00.001-05:00

Moore Farms - this is what really happened....

My Friday (10.24.08)

2008-10-24T23:53:00.003-05:00

Everyone was up early this morning, off to school and then Katherine, Leslie and I went for breakfast. After breakfast Leslie had a long list of stuff to get done including working out what in the heck a mum looks like for a 6th grade homecoming. Come on... really? A mum for the 6th grade? I digress...

Katherine and I caught up on some PBS today. I saw he most unusual show today for the first time - Sid the Science Kid. I've never heard of it, but it was so fascinating. The animation was very good, the dialogue very informal, but the show was very propositional: brush your teeth, teachers are fun, eat healthy, exercise... etc. It was simple, but very well done. I was impressed.

After that, a short nap and then I put all the sheets on all the beds and then made them all up. Yes - I did it. I made all the beds, from scratch. Props? I thought so. On my day off... I made beds. And, to top it off, I mowed the yard after that. So, I am probably going to be in the running for husband of the year. I can feel it now.

After the yard, a quick shower and then we all met one of Maggie's friends and her family at Double Dave's for pizza before Maggie headed for the homecoming dance. Crazy huh? I thought so. From the pizza and hanging with a middle school family, we immediately travel back in time to elementary school where we rendezvous with Jay and his friend who have just arrived at the annual elementary school Harvest Festival. Bounce houses, climbing walls, games, candy, face painting, a jail, a medical clinic and lots of food, door prizes and silent auction. It was a great place to be. I love the vibe at this school. The morale is high among the teachers, and the families are great. Definitely a positive public school experience.

We arrived at home in time to meet my mom and stepdad as they are visiting this weekend and planning to stay for Jay's flag football game tomorrow and church at Bethel on Sunday. I didn't remember it this way, but my mom has not been to Bethel in about a year. It will be fun to have her there.

Leslie left about 9:30p to go get Maggie... about 11:05 they walked through the door. See, the tradition is to go to Whataburger and hang out and have a milkshake and hang out and talk about the dance with all your friends. All the parents sit together.

Leslie and Maggie are home - we are all home. It was a great day and looking forward to a good nights sleep. That is my Friday.

An old saying...

2008-10-23T16:26:00.003-05:00

"Be careful what you ask for..."

Saw this on Druge today.

Masquerading

2008-10-21T21:11:00.007-05:00

I know... this really ought to be a serious post about how we all put on masks and pretend to be something we aren't... then I make some really deep spiritual point.

Well, the truth is... we were masquerading tonight - and it was a blast! Had dinner with a soon-to-be-married couple and they had these masks. We couldn't stop. It was so fun. Here are a few pictures of the evening... I will save some others for opportune times.

Uhmmm... this is disturbing

2008-10-18T21:44:00.002-05:00

Disturbing in so many ways...

"Husband hacked wife to death with meat clever after she changed her Facebook status to single"

My Friday (and Saturday)

2008-10-18T21:24:00.004-05:00

The weather is changing and it is so nice!
We woke up yesterday, Leslie and Katherine and I went to Starbucks and then to the usual spot for biscuits. Then Leslie went to a brunch and Katherine and I caught up on Sesame Street and morning naps. Spent some time reading in the afternoon, then the kids (Jay and Maggie) came home and we all hung out until the babysitter came.

Leslie and I went to a dinner for a couple getting married in two weeks. It was fun and fancy. After the dinner we went and sat at Starbucks and enjoyed the evening. All in all, Friday was very restful and refreshing.

Today (Saturday), Leslie was up before 7am to go stand in line for a flu shot. I hate flu shots. I hate them worse than the flu. In fact, the last time I got the flu was the year I got a flu shot. I have a "needle" issue. Always have and it prevents me from physically being able to drive to a place and willing let someone impale me with that thin, cold, sharp, hollow cylinder. I will not do it. (NOW... I know, I have totally set myself up for the flu this year and probably a couple of post whining about how bad it is - blah, blah, blah)

After Leslie got home we all loaded up and went to Jay's flag football game. It was fun. Chris and Mark Legg came out and cheered for Jay. He loved it. Mark Legg played on the same field immediately after Jay and we got to stay a little while and cheer him on. He had a great run around the end that brought the sidelines to their feet.

From the football game we went to eat hamburgers and then out to the Moore Family Pumpkin Patch. It was so fun. We all got a pumpkin, a hay-ride and lots of pictures. Leslie even shot some incredible footage that will be posted soon. She was remarkably creative today!

After the pumpkin patch we took advantage of the happy hour at Sonic (Cherry slushes and Cranberry Limeades). Maggie went to a middle school cooking party and the boys watched football. Currently Texas is killing Missouri, and it is almost hard to watch.

The drama of the day is the discovery of a rat that lives in our garage. He has survived the poison so far, we will see if he survives the night with Piper in the garage! Leslie is passionate about her hatred for rats. Actually... a depth of hatred that I have never witnessed. Just glad I am not a rat.

I'll probably watch the opening of Saturday Night Live and then be off to bed. It has been a great weekend and feel refreshed and excited about tomorrow. I love Sundays at Bethel.

How was your Friday (and Saturday?)

Matching study Bibles

2008-10-17T15:05:00.006-05:00

Leslie and I have a pretty firm value about not having "matching" anything. We don't even like to wear the same color shirt on the same day. But, today we made an exception.

you can find out more about the ESV Study Bible here...

30-3-3: An investment strategy for your marriage

2008-10-16T23:21:00.003-05:00

The last couple of weeks we have been looking at the topic of marriage at Bethel.

This last week I talked specifically about having a strategy of investment for your marriage. We have strategies for so many of the temporal things in our life: money, education, career, retirement, fantasy football... etc. Very few people that I talk to have a strategy for their marriage. Most of the time couples are on auto-pilot until a crisis comes. Attention gets poured into marriages during crisis, but very little weekly, monthly and yearly investment is strategically made.

If you are looking for a strategy, let me offer the following for your consideration:
30-3-3

1. 30 minutes a week: have a conference one a week as a couple. When you come together ask each other these three questions. It is important that when the question is asked, the asking spouse remain completely silent - just listening. (Thanks to Chip Ingrim for these questions)

a. What are things you are concerned about?
b. What are the things you wish for?
c. What are you willing to do about it?

2. 3 hours a month: commit to a celebration once a month. So often we use our dates as times to discuss the things that are wrong in our marriage. A celebration is just that - a time to celebrate. Instead of focusing on the 5%, 10% or even 50% that is wrong in our marriage, take the time to celebrate what is right. (A good strategy here is to take turns planning these celebrations).

3. 3 days a year: this "camp-out" is designed for you to get away with your husband or wife and invest in a very specific and significant way. Whether it is a conference, retreat or just a long weekend with Tommy Nelson's Song of Solomon series, every year we need to step out of the routine of daily life and make a significant deposit in our marriages. (NOTE: I would suggest that when you can to be at a conference or retreat setting that will allow you the opportunity to both be encouraged by other couples as well as be an encouragement.)

So... what is your strategy? Let me know how your first conference goes. For Leslie and I, it has become the highlight of our week.

The Staff I Serve With

2008-10-16T22:46:00.002-05:00

Bethel Bible Church has the most amazing staff!

My thoughts here...

blog sabbatical

2008-10-15T20:18:00.003-05:00

Two weeks since my last blog... my last real blog. I have been on sort of a sabbatical.
I've been reading alot the last couple of weeks and have really enjoyed it. Let me know if you have read any of these and what you think of them. I am going to be trying my hand at a couple of reviews in the next couple of days.

What I've read lately:
Essential Church: Reclaiming a generation of dropouts (Thom S. Rainer)
The Age of Speed: Learning to Thrive in a More-Faster-Now World (Vince Poscente)
Winning (Jack Welch)
The Fred Factor (Mark Sanborn)
Reinventing Your Board (John Carver)

Worship Confessional (10.08.08)

2008-10-08T22:34:00.003-05:00

Ok... believe it or not, I actually have a worship confessional. I had the great privilege to be apart of the worship team tonight at the Youth Group "Gathering."
So, here is my worship confessional alongside Todd Wright's worship confessional about the same event. The accounts are similar... but not identical.

Todd's

Ross'

I'm looking forward to the next time!

.ross Retro (10.07.08)

2008-10-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

If you are not familiar with S.M. Lockridge, then this is a great introduction. It is old, but very, very good!

.ross Retro (09.30.08) - Our Anniversary

2008-09-30T09:00:00.002-05:00

13 years ago today I married my beautiful wife. I cannot believe the roads we have traveled on this journey: graduate school, Maggie, YL staff, Sand Springs, Kirk on the Hill, private practice, seminary, Jay, paper routes, pool cleaning, Living Life, JDM, Richland Bible Fellowship, counseling (for us!), graduation, Wichita, Katherine, the cul-de-sac, Bethel, Tyler, middle school...

No one will know what every one of those things are, some of you will know some of them. Leslie - you know them all... and more. I love you.

As this goes to post, Leslie and I are in the air traveling to N.C. for a marriage retreat at the Cove with Howard Hendricks and Chip Ingram and their wives. We are looking forward to a great week.

Happy Anniversary - it is only the beginning!

My Friday (09.26.08)

2008-09-27T19:31:00.006-05:00

My Friday started out as usual. We got Maggie and Jay off to school and then Leslie, Katherine and I went on a breakfast date. I also had gotten a call yesterday from my brother Elliot who said he might come over today for lunch.

Elliot showed up about 10am and then we headed over to Jay's school with an A&W Rootbeer in hand to each lunch with him. Now - I know what you are thinking, "10am and you are going up there for lunch?" Well, officially it is at 10:25am, but yes. Can you believe that? I was explaining to Elliot that Jay has a bowl of cereal before he leaves home, most mornings also takes advantage of the free breakfast that Andy Woods Elementary serves every morning, and then turns around at 10:25 and has lunch. He is living the life of a Hobbit! (Sorry for the digression!)

From brunch at Andy Woods, Elliot and I went to El Lugar for what I believe to be Tyler's finest Friday lunch destination. He was impressed. After lunch we came back to the house and played with Katherine outside for about two hours. It was her perfect day. We rode bikes, jumped on the trampoline and learned to dribble a basketball. Elliot left about 2pm, and then I took about a 45 minute nap.

Jay came home about 3 and Maggie about 4. Maggie blew in the door, grabbed her packed bag and sleeping bag and then headed back out the door to meet the Youth Group up at Bethel for her first "Work Crew Weekend" at Pine Cove. She was very excited and for the second weekend in a row I am confronted with the fact that my baby girl is growing up. (I text Mark and Marla and asked them to tell her I missed her... as long as it wouldn't be embarrassing.)

After everyone got settled, we ate dinner with the Wrights and then headed over to their house and the children played. That is a fun family and even learned a couple of things tonight.

1. If you complain about the price of the children's portion of Macaroni, the manager will come and personally hear your complaint. Now, this is a valid complaint, I was just surprised to see such boldness coming from Kristen in the moment. $3.99 for what amounts to about 1/4 of a Kraft Macaroni and Cheese box that you can buy for under $2 and feed all your children.

2. If you complain, and then are really nice to the manager, he will bring you a free chocolate dessert.

After dinner and a free dessert, Todd and I went to go see Eagle Eye. It was a fun movie. It was impossible and at the same time entertaining. But, I would have to say the best part of the evening was seeing a small group from Bethel at the movie theater. They were all there to see Fireproof. Actually, the whole community of Tyler was there to see Fireproof. It was sold out all day on two screens (big deal here in East Texas).

Well, Todd and I stopped by the group as they are standing in line to get into the show and some of the girls asked where our wives were. I explained that we left them at home and were just out to see a late movie. A guy night. Well, they looked very puzzled and even a little concerned. They asked a couple more times thinking I was kidding when it dawned on me that they thought Todd and I were there to see the Romantic, Christian Drama together. Actually, that would have been pretty funny. That would not be a guys night out, that would be a "date with a dude." -- That's not the way I roll.

Got home about 12:15. Finished getting stuff together for the CF Walk at Bergfeld Park and headed to bed. It was a great day!

OK... lots of digressions today, sorry about that. But, that's My Friday.

Under the bus!

2008-09-26T10:16:00.002-05:00

I got thrown under the bus over @ Bethel's blog today... I filed that away and my wheels are spinning.

The New Guy

Friends

2008-09-25T10:45:00.001-05:00

George is a great friend. One of the most creative guys I know and his
heart has been captured by the kingdom. He is also a blogger.
Check him out here.

"Going Green"

2008-09-24T16:09:00.003-05:00

Michael Patton @ Parchment and Pen has a nice little rant today on "Green Evangelicals." It is well worth the read and he has captured my thoughts exactly! I am sure it will create quite a long "comments" trail.

An excerpt:

I just don’t get it. I am not saying don’t recycle. I am not saying don’t have environmental concerns (when legitimate). I am not saying don’t save a whale, monkey, frog, bumblebee, a flea, or a tree (to each his own). What I am saying is don’t speak with the same volume about these things as you do about human lives—about babies, children, the unprotected innocent souls. Don’t EVER speak with the same volume. There is a dichotomy—a biblical dichotomy. They don’t even belong in the same discussion. It is comparable to the condemnation of body odor of Osama Bin Laden while defending his terrorism. There are bigger issues. Much bigger issues.

It also appears that Thomas Nelson Publishers has gone "Green." - you have to be kidding me!

Bible software

2008-09-23T14:58:00.002-05:00

One of the best things about living as a believer in the 21st century- bible software. What use to be inaccessible or takes countless hours is now available to everyone with a computer.

Desiring God has a great post on a few bible softwares and discount offers from the companies.

On Bible Software

Bible translations

2008-09-23T14:42:00.002-05:00

Dr. Dan Wallace has weighed in on the Bible translations (ESV, NIV and NET). It is a great read and Dr. Wallace is candid and fair.

NET, NIV, ESV: A Brief Historical Comparison

HT: Benji

.ross Retro (09.23.08)

2008-09-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

.ross Retro will continue to post on Tuesday and it will be a glimpse into something from my past... sometimes more personal than others. It will give you an insight into things that are seared into my memory. This is one of those events!
_______
Bathroom Babies

Growing up with three sisters, I saw my fair share of quarrels. Many of them were ugly (the quarrels, not the sisters). They were close enough in age that they would fight about almost anything: clothes, boys, hair care products, telephone, and the television to name of a few. But, as I remember, the fiercest battles were fought over the bathroom. Time in that small, four walled sanctuary was coveted as much as the air they breathed. I don’t remember the mirror being all that big, but they managed to fill the entire reflective space with their image.

I remember one particular afternoon when my mom was at work and my two oldest sisters were both in their early teens. There must have been some special event that evening because both of them wanted to take a bath. The conversation started out as usual, both of them making their claim that it was their turn to go first.

I don’t know who initially turned the water on, but before long the bathtub was filling and my sisters were shouting. They each had the special gift of being able to say just the right thing to really upset the other. The very next sound I heard was two doors slamming shut at opposite ends of the hall. They had gotten so mad with one another that they both had retreated to their rooms. There was only one problem… the water was still running.

My mom usually came home from work about 5:00 in the evening and this day was no different. Her ritual was to walk through the front door and hang up her coat and drop her purse. Well, the moment her purse hit the ground she knew something was terribly wrong. By this time there was over an inch of water on the south end of the house.

Each of my sisters had gone to their own rooms. One ended up falling asleep on the bed and the other got lost in a book with her headphones on. Neither of them had remembered the water was running.

All in all the water ran for almost 3 hours that afternoon. The damage was severe. All of the carpet had to be replaced, as well as the floor in the bathroom. My sisters felt terrible. Neither one could remember who actually turned the water on, but it didn’t really matter anyway. The inconvenience of them having to use the “boys bathroom” for several weeks was punishment enough. Actually, we were all punished. And although my sisters still continued to fight over the years, it was never quite as intense.

I don’t they ever forgot the incident of the bathroom babies... I know I haven't.

Thoughts on Pilgrim Psalms

2008-09-21T07:00:00.001-05:00

The book of Psalms has long since been the hymnbook of praise. Prayer, confession, admiration, and intercession are all familiar to the psalmist. The entire book was written over a thousand years and the authors range from Moses to David to the Minor Prophets. God, his work and his word are the central themes in the collection of the psalms. While the Psalms were not written in the order they appear, they were compiled in such a way as to facilitate worship.

The key to pure living all throughout the psalms is the word of God. The “law of the Lord” is celebrated as the main ingredient for righteousness. The psalms were memorized and rehearsed whenever the covenant community of believers would gather. Whether sharing a meal, burying a family member, or making sacrifices to God, the psalms have guided believers in all manners of worship.

Psalms 120-134 are called the “Pilgrim Psalms.” As the Israelites traveled to Jerusalem for the annual feasts of the Temple, these psalms marked the physical and spiritual “steps” of this journey. Psalm 122 marks the arrival in Jerusalem. Psalms 123-134 lead the worshipper to the Temple. They were meant to be read aloud and evoke preparation for this very sacred time.

In the psalms, we see man standing before God in worship, doubt, celebration and mourning. The soul of the believer is poured out before the creator in way that remains relevant 3000 years later. The psalms instruct us on the faithfulness of God and encourage us to honestly lay our lives before his throne. We are taught to pray and sing and dance and cry out to our Lord and Savior. Thanks be to God for the psalms of the Bible.

*NOTE: thank you!

A look at 2 John - Part 3

2008-09-20T16:30:00.000-05:00

Love
If someone were to ask you what the book of 2 John was about, the answer would be “truth and love.” I guess if someone were to ask you what being a Christian was all about, the answer would also be “truth and love.” Truth and love go hand and hand. They are weaved throughout the words and pages of scripture. In fact, in John’s writings alone (John, 1, 2, 3 John, Revelation), he uses the word love 117 times. He uses the word truth 47 times. These are major themes from the “disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 21:20). It is good to be reminded that this man who spent 3 years with Jesus writes, “Love means doing what God has commanded us…” (v.6). And what is it that God has commanded us to do? “Love one another” (v.6). Where did John get this? Look at John 13:34 “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”

Love always involves the truth. This is especially true for Christians. We all have a variety of relationships. We are children and brothers and sisters and cousins and friends. We all have people that we are close to. There are also people that we come into contact with everyday at school or work. I believe that John is telling us that we are to love them all. That doesn’t mean that we are never going to mess up and say or do the wrong thing sometimes. Perfection is not the point.

The love that John is talking about is not complicated. I think it is as easy as sharing your life with those around you. And to the degree that your life reflects the truth of Jesus Christ, you will be loving as Christ loved. When our life is filled up with the truth of Jesus Christ we are better able to pour love into those around us. I am not talking about some weird kind of mushy love. I am talking about being yourself, with all of the gifts and ability and personality that God gave you. And then unselfishly sharing yourself with others.

Questions
1. Who in your life is hard to love?

2. Think of one thing that you can do to show that person love.

3. Spend some time praying and thanking God for the truth of his Son Jesus Christ.

My Friday (09.19.08)

2008-09-19T23:57:00.003-05:00

The day started out uneventful. I got up early, the kids got ready for school and then Leslie, Katherine and me went on our Friday morning breakfast date. We splurged this morning and split an order of the cinnamon rolls. After breakfast we went to Walmart and bought Jay a mouthpiece in preparation for his first flag football game tomorrow.

After we got home, Katherine watched some PBS, Leslie made some phone calls and I caught up on some reading. Trying to make my way through Jack Welch's book Winning. Enjoying the book immensely and at the same time reminding myself, "the church is not a business..."

My M.O. is that I usually go to bed late on Thursday night (catching up on emails, TiVo and blog reading), especially after a late elders meeting. Then, I wake up early on Friday mornings - all in preparation for a "day off nap." I love those.

After a great nap, I mowed the yard, picked Jay up from school, finished the yard and then Jay and I played catch for about an hour while Katherine jumped on the trampoline. At about 5:45, Maggie was picked up by some of her friends and they all headed to her friends house to eat pizza, do hair and then off to their first middle school dance.

Now, I must pause here for a moment... I've stated before the 'transition' of becoming a parent of a middle school'er has been hard. This is just another step. Wow... it was just yesterday that Maggie was Katherine's age and watching PBS after Friday morning breakfast dates. The time has just flown by.

Maggie headed to the dance and Leslie, Jay and Katherine and me went to the Olive Garden to take advantage of two free kids meals. On the way home we stopped to get some ice cream and were joined by the Wrights for ice cream, story-telling, and kids playing. A great evening!

Maggie rolled in about 11 after hanging out with friends and their moms at the Whataburger for the '6th grade girls post-dance tradition.' She had a great time and didn't dance with any boys.

The house is quiet now and I'm headed to bed. I love taking Fridays off and usually have a great day of thinking, reading, napping and resting in preparation for Sunday. Today was a great Friday.

As always: *Propers to Todd Wright for the “My Friday” movement.

Michael Phelps: the early days

2008-09-19T22:44:00.003-05:00

This was too good to pass by.

A look at 2 John - Part 2

2008-09-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

2 John

Truth
The first thing we must notice about this letter is that John is writing it for a reason. It appears from verses 7-11 that John is concerned about “deceivers.” He even calls their work “evil” (v.11). The word that John uses here literally means “evildoers.” That is the same word that President George W. Bush used to describe the terrorists that attacked America. It is also the same word that Jesus used in Matthew 6:13 when he prays “…deliver us from the evil one.” John is not just a little bit upset about what these deceivers are doing. He is ticked off in a major way. These deceivers were not teaching the truth about Jesus Christ. It is important to notice that it is not just that the deceivers were not teaching about Jesus… they were. The problem is that they weren’t teaching the truth. Listen to what the prophet Isaiah says about such people, “Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark; that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter” (Is. 5:20).

We live in a world today that does not want to draw lines between what is good and evil. Terrorists believe that the evil they do is really good. College campuses all over the nation have professors that teach there are “no absolutes.” In other words, there is no good or bad, it only depends on how you feel about it. I had a professor in college that “preached” the greatest sin for any human being was to cling to one “idea” as truth and reject other “ideas” as false. His point was that truth was different for everybody.

It is evident that the apostle John and my professor do not share the same philosophy. In fact, John, in this letter, is adamant that we as Christians absolutely reject any false teaching about Jesus Christ. He states it this way, “For if you wander beyond the teaching of Christ, you will not have fellowship with God” (v.9).

The false teachers (deceivers) did not believe that Jesus came in a real body (v.7). They wanted to deny that Jesus was a man. There have been other false teachers throughout the years that have wanted to deny that Jesus was God. The truth about Christ is that he is both man and God. It is essential to the Christian faith. Jesus was the perfect man that physically died on the cross for the sins of the world. Jesus was also the Son of God and was raised from the dead. He conquered both sin and death and bridged the gap between man and God. Because of Jesus Christ, man can enter into relationship with God. Some people would like to say there are many ways to God. The truth, the absolute truth, is that belief in Jesus Christ is the only way.

Questions
1. Read v.3. What are the two things that John is telling us to “live in?”

2. Why is the truth so important? (see 1 John 4:10-12).

3. When is the last time you had a chance to share the “truth” with somebody?

A look at 2 John - Part 1

2008-09-18T08:38:00.006-05:00

Over the next few days I am going to be reflecting on John's second letter. It is short, very short. It is easy to read and because of that we tend to blow by it. I know I have. But, over the past couple of days, it has arrested my attention. So, I'm going to share a few thoughts with you. Here is part 1:

“Can’t Have One Without The Other”

2 John 6 – “Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.”

Love is such a weird concept. Some people get starry eyed and mushy feeling when they think about it. Romantic dinners, boxes of chocolate, and red roses. For some it is little notes. For others, love is sharing a long walk at sunset. There is also the group of people that try to avoid love. It feels uncomfortable. It requires too much energy. They’re afraid they won’t be loved back. Maybe they were hurt or abused by someone in their past and they have decided they would never get that close again.

Love is easily confused. It is confused with sex. It is confused with being taken advantage of. It is also confuse with selfishness. Selfish love says “I will love you if…” Rather than being concerned about the good of another, it is being concerned only with self.

Interestingly enough, love is also used to score a zero in tennis matches. Some claim that the term “love” comes from the French word “l’oeuf” (which means egg). The zero on the scoreboard looks like an egg. Whether that is the truth or not, I have no idea. But nonetheless, the word love covers a lot of ground in our English language.

So the question becomes: What does John mean when he tells us that we should love one another? It is probably safe to say that he doesn’t mean we should be out trying to beat everyone in a game of tennis. But, what does he mean? And most importantly, what are the truths in this little letter that are vital for us today?

We will look at these questions tomorrow and Saturday... but for now, think about this for a minute:
1. Think for a moment about someone that loves you. How you KNOW that they love you.

2. How do others KNOW that you love them? How do you express love?

Christianity - the hobby

2008-09-17T18:11:00.003-05:00

Jim Smithies, Missions Pastor at Bethel Bible Church has challenged me with his thoughts about The Great Commission being treated as a hobby in our lives...

read his thoughts here

.ross Retro

2008-09-16T07:00:00.001-05:00

It has been fun to sit and browse through YouTube with my kids and look at crazy videos and music and some of the stuff on there. One night Leslie and I were introducing Maggie and Jay to some of the 80's music we grew up with and listened to when we were their age. It was kind of funny to see how excited Leslie and were getting as the kids rolled their eyes.

Well, all of the sudden my memory was jarred and I couldn't wait to show the kids Michael Jackson's "Motown 25" performance. I know you remember it. It was the first time the world ever saw someone moonwalk. I remember being absolutely amazed as I watched it. So, I expected Maggie and Jay to think "wow... cool... awesome..." Here were their responses:

Jay: "Where is his other glove?"
Maggie: "What are we supposed to be looking for?"
ME: "Maggie, he just MOONWALKED!"
Maggie: "yeah... so what?"

Thoughts on cancelling church

2008-09-14T21:50:00.002-05:00

Leadership, at times, comes with moments of very hard decisions. 10:30pm last night was one of those moments. I sat in the church parking lot, it was pitch black, and I prayed that the electricity would be restored to the grid that Bethel is on (south end of Tyler). Well, the lights didn't come on, so I prayed for wisdom. I called my elders and laid out the scenario, and by the end of the 5th call, we were all in agreement that since there was no guarantee of electricity, canceling our Sunday morning services was what we needed to do.

Now, I know what you are thinking... I was thinking the same thing. "Electricity is a fairly new invention in the scheme of things and Christians have gathered for 2000 years - most of that time without electricity." That is a true statement. The problem for us is that we have a worship room that does not have much natural lighting and no air circulation. Most of our classrooms do not have much natural light and the bathrooms are pitch black. We have a ton of children on our campus on a Sunday morning and a campus full of people and no electricity is not something we have a contingency plan for... yet!

We got the word out last night, and it traveled fast (amazing how fast... ). I met some elders and staff up at the church about 8:00 am this morning and we sat at the entrance of the property with donuts to welcome and then turn away those that did not get the message. "Sorry... we have not had electricity since about 3pm yesterday, actually, it has just come back on, but we had to make a call. Wish we would have known..." I said that too many times this morning. Lots of visitors. Many people that are new and aren't yet on the weekly E-News list. And the few people that don't wake up and immediately check their email, facebook and twitter accounts while watching tv (who are these people?).

I hated how the morning felt. I hated not gathering with the church. I missed worship. I missed preaching. I missed being with my friends. I missed meeting new people (although, I did get to meet some new people) and getting to know some others even more. It felt weird this morning. And the great thing about the weird feeling was that it wasn't from guilt or some legalistic duty of "having to be at church." It felt weird because I genuinly missed it. I genuinly longed for it. There is something mysterious and soul nourishing about corporate worship that doesn't take place anywhere else. It is not the only place or time to worship. It is not the only place of mystery in the Christian life. And the church is by no means a building or an hour. But there is a reason that the writer of Hebrews says "do not neglect to meet together... but encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:25). The writer knows that there is something we need that we only find in corporate gathering.

I say that carefully... I am the guy who preaches. I also think that the preaching/teaching ministry of the church is very important. But, it is not about me. It never is... God makes sure of that. But, there is something about faithfulness to God's Word. It transcends the preacher/teacher. It transcends the worship leader. I believe it transcends our understanding many times. It is not uncommon that someone will comment on a something in a sermon that I did not say. The Holy Spirit took His word and illuminated it in a way that transcended all the human effort of the morning. I love that. I am thankful for that. I pray for that every week.

So, if you are from Bethel and reading this - I missed you. If you are not from Bethel - don't neglect to meet together... with whoever you meet with. It is vitally important.

This week we are going to begin talking about our "contingency plan," in the case of power outage. We might call it, "Church in Box" (or something... help me with a name!) - It is a morning of corporate worship in its simpliest form and needs nothing other than people. I don't know what it will look like yet, but I am praying that God would make that clear to us. So, the next time we are without power or some other "obstacle"... we will be prepared.

Tropical Storm Ike in Tyler

2008-09-14T15:54:00.007-05:00

Here are a few pictures from our neighborhood.

I sure am glad I don't live in Albany, GA. I hear they get tropical storms every week. :)

More pictures are here.

Krauthammer to Palin's defense

2008-09-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

Charles Krauthammer is not the guy I would want to get on the wrong side...

His defense of Sarah Palin in her interview with Charlie Gibson.

Ike hits Tyler

2008-09-13T15:26:00.002-05:00

In all fairness... Todd would happily go and check Bethel - it is not necessary yet. I am actually looking forward to Todd Blog coverage of the storm.

.ross Reader (09.13.08)

2008-09-13T10:00:00.001-05:00

.ross Reader will periodically be posted to link to some places that have caught my interest or I have stumbled upon throughout the week. (Also look for the .ross Retro to be coming soon...)

Apple's "Let's Rock" event liveblog summary
For all of those that missed Apple's big event on Tuesday (9/9), you can catch up here. New iPods and a cool new "Genius" feature. Summary and pictures.

Leading Canadian Dr. worried abortions may decline
This summarizes the concern some doctors have that Palin's pro-life example may lead to a decline in abortions of Down's babies.

John Piper preaching the Gospel of John
Piper explains the series he will begin and does not speculate on when it might end... He outlines 7 reasons for the series. Even Piper's "reasonings" are edifying to me!

9/11 Documentaries: History Channel and Naudet's (they're French)
I remember, like most of you, where I was when I found out about this. I was at the donut shop around the corner from our house in Richardson, TX. Maggie (4 at the time) and I were on a Tuesday morning breakfast date. I spent the rest of the day glued to the TV.

Photogenic Ike
Terrible hurricane that landed more than 2000 evacuees in Tyler, TX. Many do not know yet what they will go back to. The satellite pictures are breathtaking.

Great sports photo: Superman (a.k.a. - Marion "the Barbarian" Barber)

Did Whoopi really say this?

2008-09-13T00:06:00.000-05:00

Did Whoopi really say this?

whoopi slavery
by dollarsandsense123

My Friday (09.12.08)

2008-09-12T22:38:00.005-05:00

I am actually going to tell you about today and last Friday in the same post. The reason is that they have some things in common.

First - last Friday marked the end of a long journey for Leslie and me. We got to call Dave Ramsey's radio program to let them know we are debt free except for our home! (We didn't get to talk to anyone, just left a message... I am sure they will call us back.) The story is long and it include incredible blessing, unusual discipline and the opportunity to teach our kids what I never got to learn about money - it is all God's and we are stewards of it!

Now, for this Friday - we woke up today, got the kids off to school and Leslie, Katherine and me went on our usual Friday morning breakfast date.

After we got home it was high gear media watch because of Hurricane Ike and the crisis it is creating. Tyler received about 2000 evacuees just around the corner and I spent the afternoon over there helping take out trash, breaking down boxes and anything else I could find to do that wasn't in the way. Another church in town (Grace Community Church) has done a great job mobilizing people and casting a vision for ministry in this context. It was a privilege to hang out with some of them in that context today.

Tonight we had some friends over for dinner. They have a great ministry and God is using them in this community to do something no one else is doing very well - they are doing multi-cultural ministry with low-income families. They are passionate about it and are incredibly gifted. It is a great blessing to get to come alongside them and be mutually encouraged.

One final note for the day - we got to give away a car today. Yeah, I've never done that before. This week we got a deal on a car that we couldn't pass up and then found ourselves with three. We don't need three. We felt led to give one away and it was awesome. And that brings me back to where I started - we are debt free. I told Leslie today that this was in no way about us, it was about God. And what I realized today is that when you are debt free, it is much easier for things to flow through you... they don't get stuck. That is my observation and the great joy we had.

I share that not to say anything about us... rather to say God is awesome. I am more and more passionate about wanting people to get out of debt. Dave Ramsey is the place to start (or a great place to start). Come on... do it, what are you waiting for?

Ok... that is my Friday - how was yours?

As always: *Propers to Todd Wright for the “My Friday” movement.

Yet another reason I am a Mac user

2008-09-12T10:12:00.001-05:00

The feeling I had after watching this is the same feeling I have everytime I have to work on a PC... I do not understand this.

Perspectives

2008-09-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Bethel Bible Church (Tyler, TX) has had the great privilege of hosting "Perspectives on the World Christian Movement". This study program is a ministry of the U.S. Center for World Mission - a non-denominational parachurch ministry that works with churches, mission agencies, and campus ministries around the world.

Perspectives is not so much a course, as it is a "movement" involving tens of thousands of God's people throughout the world finding their niche in God's overall purpose to bless the nations. Since its beginning in 1974, dozens of other seminars, courses, and materials have been developed after the pattern of the course, both in the United States and abroad.

Learn more about the history of the Perspectives Program.
Learn more about the core ideas of the Perspectives Program.

This last Monday night, we had the privilege to hear from Dr. Ron Blue. He spoke about the Kingdom. It was great! Below are some of the notes from the evening. If you have a chance to go to Perspectives in your area... Go!

The Messengers of the Kingdom

Psalm 145:11-13

11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12 to make known to the children of man your2 xmighty deeds,
and ythe glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

When we hear "Kingdom" in the scripture we need to think God's Authority.

The Meaning of the Kingdom

God's Realm - Royal Territory

God's Reign - Royal Authority
First Coming: Satan's power is BROKEN
Intermediate period: Satan's power is RESTRICTED
Second Coming: Satan's power is DEFEATED
So... we are not rosy optimists or distraught pessimists, but biblical realists.

The program: Pardon - Preach - Power - Peace

The Mandate of the Kingdom

The gospel of the Kingdom: "Good news of Christ's conquest."
Triumph over death (1 Cor. 15:20-26)
Triumph over sin (Rom. 6:1-11, 23)
Triumph over Satan (Heb. 2:14-15)
The Prayer of the Kingdom: Mt. 6:10 - Christ's Dominion and Christ's Invtervention

Intercessory prayer must be offered in rebellion against the status quo that...
His name may be honored even where it is denied
His message may be effective even where it is denied.

The Messiah and the Kingdom

The Day of the Lord (Mal. 1:1-10; Mt. 11:2-6; Mt. 12:17-21)

Suprise Messiah - not political conquest but spiriutal healing

God at War (Mt. 12:22-29)

Victorious Messiah: he came to conquer the power of the devil.

Strategic Prayer

Prayer is not magic, but through prayer we participate in God's work to...
Redeem people from allegiance to false gods (idolatry)
Relesae people from the strongholds of false ideas (fatalism)

The Mission of the Kingdom

Jesus came into a "diabolical war zone" to overcome Satan and his demonic forces. But instead of issuing judgment on the nations, He introduced salvation through grace. Our "spiritual warfare is not beligerent. We depend on God's supernatural power through...

Faithful evangelism
FORM - family, occupation, religion, message
Gracious Service
Ron Blue tells a story about a church that had 5 services with well over 10k and the place kept growing. *Their strategy - every member agrees (when they become a member - maybe a covenant) that if a friend, family, co-worker ever has a problem - the church is informed and then some people will go with a gift (fruit or flowers) and then say, "we heard you had this ... (problem / circumstance) and we wanted to pray for you." Then they pray on the spot right there... follow up three days later with a visit. Pray again. The guy told Blue that they never have to ask people to come to church, they end up asking, "can we visit your church?" - The church keeps growing like crazy.

Persistent Prayer

I also heard today that Ed Stetzer is going to be writing for the new edition of the Perspectives text book.

New On-Line Bible

2008-09-11T20:00:00.000-05:00

Logos Bible Software has launched a new free on-line Bible. It has several versions (including Greek), a quick word search feature and looks like there will be more to come. It is a great place to link to in blogs and on websites. Very simple and elegant interface.

Check it out. Well done Logos!

Baptisms

2008-09-11T10:00:00.001-05:00

Bethel Bible Church has launched phased one of "Operation Communication." It is a multi-phase strategy to improve the ability to communicate with a growing congregation.

Today, a few sites will launch with some footage from our baptism services from last weekend and some staff introductions over the next couple of days. Be sure to subscribe RSS where available and look for more to come...

Baptism at Bethel 9/7/08 from bethel bible on Vimeo.

Also look for Bethel on Facebook

Hillary might be back?

2008-09-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

This might the beginning of a Biden exit... "Biden like Hillary for VP."

It gets more interesting all of the time.

ShamWow

2008-09-10T22:54:00.001-05:00

Have you seen this infomercial for ShamWow? Have you ordered one? Is it really as magical as it looks.

I am so tempted to order one. (two with the special!)

Fantasy Football - Week 1

2008-09-10T22:40:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow night begins week 2 of fantasy football, so I want to reflect a bit on the gravity of the first week.
Now, if you are keeping up with "Blood, Tears and Sweat" then you know we are heavily favoring two teams: Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts.
From the Cowboys we have: Romo, Owens, and Whitten
From the Colts we have: Harrison, Vinitari, and their Defense/Special teams (we also have Dominique Rhodes as a reserve - we got to dump him!)

Ok, week 1 - such a disappointment. We lost our first game against a team that started Tom Brady. Brady went out, was worth only 3 points... and they still won - 80-73.

What was so disappointing was this - Romo threw for over 300 yds (only 3 QB's did that this week). Owens caught a TD and the Cowboys had over 400 yds total offense and won big. And yet, we did not get many fantasy points.

Secondly, the Colts obviously forgot how to play football. Harrison was a weak receiver and their Defense/Special Teams were terrible.

Third, Darren McFadden (Oakland Raiders) was the best athlete on any field Monday night... and he barely got the ball. In fact, he did not get much playing time at all. The Raiders got killed and all the while, McFadden is on the bench. That I do not understand. And, that I do not appreciate since he is our #1 running back.

Bonus: I also had such a weird experience. I love watching the Cowboys... but, I found myself hoping Marian Barber would not have a great game and that they would utilize their other players. Barber is not on my fantatsy team, so while he was great for the Cowboys, he was counter-productive to our fantasy goals. Interesing experience. I discovered that my loyalties are stronger with myself (my fantasy team) than they are with the Cowboys. In fact, I might even be satisfied with great fantasy points from my Cowboy players, even if the team loses. That was unexpected.

Honestly, I think what that reveals is the depravity of my soul. I care more about myself when NFL football was suddenly about me.

So, this is my week 1 discovery... 15 more weeks to go!

Bock on Palin

2008-09-08T23:17:00.000-05:00

Darrell Bock weighs in on Palin in an NPR interview:

Darrell Bock, a New Testament scholar at Dallas Theological Seminary, says some Pentecostals hold to their convictions in the face of opposition because they believe they are in tune with the will of God.

"What faith does in this case is fuel a sense of mission and direction," Bock says. "It can also produce a little bit of element of certainty about that direction."

Bock, however, warns against drawing conclusions about anyone's policies from his or her faith.

"Trying to figure out what the link is between a person's faith and their politics is very, very difficult business because there is so much pragmatically and ideologically that's also driving what's going on," he says. "There's not just the faith element."

Bock says President Bush and Democratic nominee Barack Obama have already been through this sort of spiritual vetting. Now it's Palin's turn.

You can find the audio of the interview here.
Bock's Blog

Community

2008-09-08T08:16:00.000-05:00

Here is a great picture!

Benched from Brandon McCormick on Vimeo.

Niche market

2008-09-08T07:58:00.000-05:00

I am just imagining the marketing directors sitting around the table saying, "Ok, what exactly are we going to say about this?"

There are just some things that will never benefit from "word of mouth" marketing!

MockCast props

2008-09-03T15:07:00.000-05:00

shout out to B.B. for outdoing anything I could have personally done with regards to Gustov coverage...

If Geraldo Rivera was a city - he'd be Tyler

2008-09-01T23:27:00.000-05:00

It is kind of like the spirit of Geraldo has possessed Tyler. This place has gone crazy with all the frenzy of Gustov. The local media is so excited (in the name of concern) that a tropical storm is going to stall out over East Texas and the rain potential is somewhere between 5 and 20 inches depending on who is at the mic.

Not to be left out, I went to Lowe's today and bought sand bags for the front of our house. We have a low spot in our property and a hard rain can flood our garage and Katherine's room. But, not today. I have a two foot sand bag barrier erected in front our garage and it might take a full-blown hurricane for water to penetrate this baracade. I think the levy engineers would be impressed.

What I was not expecting was to be the one that bought the last bit of sand available at Lowes. Obviously I was not the only one in survival mode today. In fact, I had to supplement my sand bags with large bags of East Texas pine mulch. I'll post some pictures tomorrow... hopefully action pictures. In fact, I may even have to get into the action with a little storm coverage video of my own.

Now, it is off to bed so I can get up early (5am) and begin to keep track of all the local closings due to rain. Yes - closings due to rain. This might make me look like an idiot after it is all said and done, but my prediction is that all this hype is going to be a little disappointing for all those hoping to see Anderson Cooper and Shepherd Smith camping out in the heart of East Texas.

Fantasy draft

2008-09-01T23:14:00.000-05:00

Ok... Jay and I embarked on a whole new world tonight. The world of NFL Fantasy Football is now apart of our life. We signed up with a group of men and their sons in the last couple of weeks (most of the guys from our small group). Ever since then, Jay has diligently studied the NFL Fantasy site collecting information, making decisions, and planning our evening. He is eight.

So tonight we all gathered in the foyer of the worship center. A laptop connected to a video projector. Separate tables, each "coach" and "general manager" plotting every move. Twelve teams with twelve (I think?) rounds of the draft. It was absolute chaos. All I can say is that I am glad my theology has the NT church building as just a building and not necessarily a holy place in and of itself (NO - I don't want to argue that point in the comments...)

Overall, we are very pleased with our team - Blood, Tears and Sweat (I know, the last two are traditionally reversed, but your team can't end in tears!). There are a couple of players that we would have wanted, but they were gone or stolen right out from under us. But, we did end the night with Romo, Owens and Whitten. Not a bad trio.

Here is the rest of our team for all the fantasy fans out there.

Romo, Tony QB DAL @CLE 10 0.0 19.1 100 96
Maroney, Laurence RB NE KC 4 0.0 8.1 99 77
McFadden, Darren RB OAK DEN 5 0.0 8.9 86 65
Harrison, Marvin WR IND CHI 4 0.0 n/a 98 75
Jackson, DeSean WR PHI STL 7 0.0 5.6 69 17
Owens, Terrell WR DAL @CLE 10 0.0 11.9 100 96
Witten, Jason TE DAL @CLE 10 0.0 8.2 100 96
Vinatieri, Adam K IND CHI 4 0.0 8.2 99 93
Colts DST CHI 4 0.0 n/a 90 70
Ryan, Matt QB ATL DET 7 0.0 7.1 23 1
Mendenhall, Rashard RB PIT HOU 6 0.0 5.1 75 6
Rhodes, Dominic RB IND CHI 4 0.0 n/a 41 2
Gage, Justin WR TEN JAC 6 0.0 n/a 35 4
Kaeding, Nate K SD

I don't exactly know (yet) what all the stats on the right of each player are... but it won't be long. Now, let the games begin. I'll keep you updated as the season progresses. I know you won't be able to wait!

blogger decision

2008-08-31T22:16:00.000-05:00

I wanted to quickly comment on the change of the blog address and format. I have used Apple's iLife program iWeb for most of the last year. I have kind of waited out Apple's whole move from .Mac to .Me in hopes that the program would get an update at the same time.

Not that many will care about this, but my review of the iWeb program could be summed in two words: easy and frustrating... and they are related.

The program is incredibly easy to use. It is entirely WYSIWYG and so it is very easy to make your site or blog look like you want it to. Apple does a great job with photos, movies and images - they always look stunning. And so it is so easy it is hard not to use. On the other hand, that is the same reason it is frustrating. The functionality of simple things like formatting on the post' page matching the home page does not sync. The home page will not import movies and other images from the post page. The comments are absolutely frustrating to manage.

And on top of the frustrations with the program are the frustrations with the new .Me service. Of all the things that Apple has done and I have loved... this is not one of them. The push email service is not a true push and has a difficult time syncing with iPhone of all things.

So, I turn to Google to meet my blogging needs. I love Google and continue to be impressed with the creativity they pursue... which reminds me, have you seen the SITES service?

For all who have followed me here... thanks!

My Friday

2008-08-30T01:57:00.000-05:00

Well, obviously one of the things I have done today is change my blog.

The day started with my bride crawling out of bed at 5am to go to "boot camp" with a friend. She is amazing. I did my part by sleeping two more hours. We go the kids to school and then Leslie, Katherine and I resumed our Friday morning breakfast dates! Drive through at Starbucks and then to Chic fil a for chicken biscuits.

I came home and spent two hours cleaning my car... longer than I thought. Then I spent some time watching the coverage of John McCain's VP pick. Very pleased.

This afternoon I actually took a nap and then woke up and ate a bowl of cookies n' cream ice cream. This afternoon I changed the battery in Leslie's car and replaced a headlight in mine.
We took the kids to eat at the Olive Garden, but discovered the wait was an hour, so we went to Fazoli's and then to Albertsons to replenish the ice cream supply.

After we got home we watched a movie and then Leslie and I caught up on the news of the day.
I spent the rest of the evening working on setting up my new blog site. I will post the reasons I did so tomorrow. Let's just say I love Apple, but some of the software needs some improvement.

Now, I am off to bed!

As always: *Propers to Todd Wright for the “My Friday” movement.

Logos Bible Software give away!

2008-08-27T00:24:00.000-05:00

Do not miss this commentary give-away by Logos Bible Software!

This is a great commentary.

In an effort to promote the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary series, Logos is giving away the Matthew, Mark volume by David L. Turner and Darrell L. Bock for free—no strings attached! Make sure to use coupon code CORNERSTONE.

NOTE: If you don’t already have a Libronix Customer ID, make sure to download the free Libronix engine and create a Libronix Customer ID before you grab this commentary.

It’s a limited-time offer. Spread the word!

Check out the rest of the volumes in the 9-volume Cornerstone Biblical Commentary!

**If you are a Mac user - have no worries, they are about to release the Beta version of Logos for Mac.

Donald Miller’s Prayer at the DNC

2008-08-26T23:31:00.000-05:00

I know this is almost 24 hours late, but I did want to weigh in on “Don Miller’s” prayer at the DNC last night. A couple of observations...

He was “Don Miller,” instead of the more familiar Donald Miller.
He looked nice in a suit and tie and the ride across the country has been good to him as it looked like he has lost about 100 lbs in the last year. Don - I’m inspired!
He was obviously reading from a TelePrompTer. I have seen a couple of people say he was “praying with his eyes open.” No, he was reading with his eyes open. That is unusual form for Miller. When I have seen him, although obviously organized, he appears to ramble more than he is scripted. The prayer was entirely scripted (I am sure by him).
If one wanted to, I am sure they could over-analyze the content of the prayer. Social justice, party platform, down with capitalism... blah, blah, blah. Who cares? It was like less than a minute.
What most excited me was that Donald Miller gave the greatest example to every believer that is ever called upon to pray in a public setting how to close a prayer! While the pronouns during the entire prayer were “we,” he ended this way, “I make these requests in the name of your son, Jesus, who gave his own life against the forces of injustice. Let Him be our example. Amen." Did you notice the “I” ? I love it. He prayed in the name of the son Jesus, to the Father. Thank you Donald Miller for praying in Jesus’ name. We don’t agree on everything, but I thank you for speaking Jesus’ name!
FOX News obviously did not think the closing benediction was worthy of coverage. That is too bad.

The whole transcript:

Please join me for the next few moments in our Benediction.

"Father God,

This week, as the world looks on, help the leaders in this room create a civil dialogue about our future.

We need you, God, as individuals and also as a nation.

We need you to protect us from our enemies, but also from ourselves, because we are easily tempted toward apathy.

Give us a passion to advance opportunities for the least of these, for widows and orphans, for single moms and children whose fathers have left.

Give us the eyes to see them, and the ears to hear them, and hands willing to serve them.

Help us serve people, not just causes. And stand up to specific injustices rather than vague notions.

Give those in this room who have power, along with those who will meet next week, the courage to work together to finally provide health care to those who don’t have any, and a living wage so families can thrive rather than struggle.

Help us figure out how to pay teachers what they deserve and give children an equal opportunity to get a college education.

Help us figure out the balance between economic opportunity and corporate gluttony.

We have tried to solve these problems ourselves but they are still there. We need your help.

Father, will you restore our moral standing in the world?

A lot of people don’t like us but that’s because they don’t know the heart of the average American.

Will you give us favor and forgiveness, along with our allies around the world?

Help us be an example of humility and strength once again.

Lastly, father, unify us.

Even in our diversity help us see how much we have in common.

And unify us not just in our ideas and in our sentiments—but in our actions, as we look around and figure out something we can do to help create an America even greater than the one we have come to cherish.

God we know that you are good.

Thank you for blessing us in so many ways as Americans.

I make these requests in the name of your son, Jesus, who gave his own life against the forces of injustice.

Let Him be our example.

Amen."

YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b79m3fJfmuA

Lolo Jones

2008-08-21T00:36:00.000-05:00

Hurdler Lolo Jones clears obstacles on and off the track

She faced many challenges before her career got off the ground.

By Philip Hersh

Special to The Times

August 13, 2008

BEIJING — The coach knew there was something wrong. He could tell sometimes by the way Lori “Lolo” Jones dressed. Or by how she no longer had the bike she rode to practice. Or by how she didn’t want to be dropped off right in front of her house when he gave her a ride home.

The woman who one day would take in Jones sensed it the same way. She had given Jones rides to visit her mother and never was invited into the house. She noticed Jones paid little attention to parts of her appearance, like hair, that preoccupy many teenage girls.

Both the coach, Phil Ferguson, and the friend, Janis Caldwell, say they never knew the whole story, never knew exactly how disjointed Jones’ life had been.

“She never really talked about how bad a situation she was in,” Ferguson said. “The only time she did was when she was going to be homeless.”

In a sense, Jones was homeless the first 18 years of her life in Des Moines, bouncing from apartment to apartment, school to school, because her single mother had five kids and no money for the rent. They lived a while in the basement of a church, an arrangement Jones made an effort to hide.

Her family moved so often, Jones said, that she went to a different school every year until she reached high school. Her father was in and out of jail. Her sister moved to live with a grandmother in Texas.

“We were definitely not as close as most families,” she said.

She would be the only kid on the Des Moines Area Youth Track Club or the Roosevelt High School team without a parent around to cheer her.

Through it all, Jones kept her grades up and played the cello in the high school orchestra and became a good enough high hurdler to be named Gatorade Midwest High School Athlete of the Year. Through it all, the turmoil and rootlessness, one goal never shifted.

“I wanted to get out of poverty,” she said.

At 26, Lolo Jones has done that and so much more. And even if she has provided only basic details of her journey to those who knew her well, the big picture is clear.

The obstacles Jones cleared to get to the 2008 Olympics were a lot more formidable than the 33-inch barriers she will hurdle next week.

Jones has the world’s fastest time this year in the 100-meter hurdles, a 12.45 from the semifinals of the U.S. Olympic trials. She won the final in a wind-aided 12.29, a time bettered by only one woman in history under any conditions.

“She has a tremendous drive to do well, to be a champion, to succeed,” said Ferguson, the coach. “You could tell that even when she was young.”

It is the kind of drive that led her to work a string of part-time jobs to continue her sports career after graduating from Louisiana State, when she did not have the track record to attract a large shoe company contract. She wondered whether it was time to move on to a full-time job outside sports.

She pushed credit cards to the limit. On sweltering, 100-degree days, she told friends that her apartment’s air conditioning was broken. The embarrassing truth was she couldn’t afford it.

“When I didn’t make the 2004 Olympic team, I started wondering if I should pursue track and field or use my economics degree,” she said. “It was very hard, but I’m sure I’m not the only athlete who has been through that.”

Jones had reached an earlier crossroads after her freshman year at Theodore Roosevelt High School. Her mother was moving to a small town near Mason City, Iowa. Jones wanted to stay at Roosevelt.

“I wanted solid ground for the future,” she said. “My main goal was not track but college. I wanted to be the first in my family to graduate college.”

Ferguson stepped in, arranging for her to live with a Des Moines family so she could stay at Roosevelt. Jones would live with three different families, winding up with the Caldwells her senior year.

“I told her she didn’t have to pay any rent, that she could just go to school and go to track practice,” Caldwell said. “But she kept working at a coffee shop to have a little money of her own.”

Jones was planning to go to Iowa State. But she long had admired Caldwell’s goddaughter, elite hurdler Kim Carson, an All-American and national champion at LSU. Carson helped get LSU Coach Dennis Shaver interested in Jones.

It was Shaver who eventually persuaded Jones to continue running after she failed to make the hurdles final at the 2004 Olympic trials.

“I’ll see you at practice tomorrow,” Shaver said to Jones after she told him of her plans to retire. Now she is in the second year of a contract with Asics, the reigning world indoor hurdles champion and a strong contender for an Olympic medal.

“It has come over time,” she said.

In Baton Rouge, Jones has found the stability she long has sought — a place, as she puts it, “to ground my feet.”

When Jones returned to Des Moines for this year’s Drake Relays, she gave each girl on the Roosevelt High team a pair of spikes and the school a check for $3,000 that will be used to repair the track and buy hurdles. She later gave her $4,000 prize money from the Olympic trials to a fund for a single mother who was a victim of the recent Iowa floods.

For Lolo Jones, staying grounded obviously has never been a problem.

Philip Hersh covers Olympic sports for The Times and the Chicago Tribune.

HT: Scot McKnight

ESV Study Bible

2008-08-20T00:40:00.000-05:00

It is true that I have an affinity for the English Standard Version. I have been using it since seminary and find it to be the most helpful version for my personal Bible study and teaching.

This Fall, Crossway is publishing the ESV Study Bible. I think it is really going to be the next level of Study Bible. The list of scholars that were assembled to prepare the notes and outlines and historical backgrounds and timelines is unparalleled.

So, go over the ESV Study Bible site and check out the Introduction Video (about 5min).

I’m about to order mine! (and yours too Les....)

A few endorsements:

“With the myriad of new Bible translations on the market today, few stand out. The ESV is one of the few, and surpasses the others in its simple yet elegant style. In many respects the ESV has accomplished in the 21st century what the KJV accomplished in the 17th: a trustworthy, literary Bible that is suitable for daily reading, memorizing, and preaching.”
Daniel B. Wallace, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts

“I believe the ESV is the Bible of the future. It is readable, accurate, and reverent.”
Dr. Thomas R. Schreiner
Professor of New Testament, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“The ESV is a solid translation… that is faithful to the text and clear to the mind and ear. It is a pleasure to commend it.”
Dr. Darrell L. Bock
Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary

“An excellent translation that can be trusted.”
Dr. John F. Walvoord
Chancellor, Dallas Theological Seminary

3 yr old Leona Lewis Fan!

2008-08-19T00:45:00.000-05:00

OK... what happens when your 11 yr. old big sister turns on her iPod, grabs a video recorder and tells you to sing your heart out? Glad you asked...

As of this moment, there is no official “Katherine Strader fan club...”

The Joker

2008-08-18T00:52:00.000-05:00

Batman was a great movie. Great...

So, here is a great review of the Joker’s character specifically. World Magazine also has a good review.

From Michael Patton’s review:

“The Joker was everything a villain is supposed to be. Evil, sadistic, ruthless, and cold. But there was something else. He had something that no other villain has. A characteristic which is an anti-characteristic. In fact, the point of the Joker was that who he was made no sense. Why did he kill? Why was he bent on destruction? Why did he hate? What did he hate? Did he even hate? What is his motivation? We know why Batman is who he is (the death of his parents at the hand of a thief), but we don’t have a history on file for The Joker. The movie leads you. It tricks you. It turns you into the Worlds Greatest Detective in that you are seeking, along with Batman, to know why The Joker does what he does. Once you think you have him figured out, once you have answered the “why?” question, you, along with Batman, find out that you took a wrong turn. The Joker was not in the game for money, power, women, fame, or any other hope, good or bad, that you could pin on him. He was not seeking to “win.” There was no “deep down inside . . .” to figure out with him. Each time death presented itself to him, he laughed as if it was simply a continuation of some adventure. In the end, the gruesome realization is that there is no reason why The Joker was who he was. And that was the point of the movie.

“Fascinating. Dark. Frightening. A horror movie unlike any other. Some might even call this movie prophetic. Not prophetic in the sense that we are seeing what our future holds, but prophetic in the sense that this movie reveals with the most vivid illustration ever put on film what utter nothingness looks like.

“In the character of The Joker, our culture looks into the mirror and sees what it is becoming. Nihilism is what it is sometimes called. Nihilism is the anti-philosophy of a world that has no hope, no motives, no standards, and no values. The Joker is the Nihilist who believes in nothing, cares for nothing, and pursues nothing. At one point The Jokers says, “I have no plans. I am like a dog chasing a car. I would not know what to do if I caught it.” There is no rationalism because there is no such thing as order, reason, or ends that create purpose. It is just the moment, and the moment is ruled by randomness.

“Our postmodern culture may see itself in the character of The Joker. Like a person who has not seen his face in many years, we are going to the mirror to take a look.”