Knowing your limitations

Tournament Weather

The pastor, an avid golfer, was once taking part in a local benefit tournament.  As he was preparing to tee off, the organizer of the tournament aproached him and pointed to the dark, threatening storm clouds looming in the near distance.

"Preacher," the organizer said, "I'll trust you'll see to it that the weather won't turn bad on us."

The pastor shook his head, sighted down the fairway.  "Sorry," he replied.  I'm in sales, not management."

Baconnaise

Gonna get me some.

Gigantor, The Space Age Robot

Gigantor, Gigantor, Gigantor.

Gigantor the space aged robot,

He is at your command.

Gigantor the space aged robot,

His power is in your hand.

Bigger than big, taller than tall,

Quicker than quick, stronger than strong.

Ready to fight for right, against wrong.

7 Random Weird Things Meme

I don't usually do meme-blogging.  I have some half-baked reasons for this reluctance, but it's mostly because I'm a curmudgeon.  On the rare occasions when I have participated it has been at the request of close friends.  Izzybeth has tagged me for this thing.  I don't know yet whether or not I will perpetuate this meme...I doubt it, but I don't mind following through to this extent.

List 7 random weird things about myself:

1)  I sang in an opera chorus in college.  It was Verdi's Falstaff, and I enjoyed it immensely.  Like a lot of things, opera is much more fun to do than it is to spectate.

2)  I lived in Grand Island, Nebraska for one winter when I was in the fourth grade.

3)  I have always wanted to be a private pilot like my grandfather.  I suspect it will not come to pass.  I suspect that flying will have to wait until the next life.

4)  I have heard the Lord speak in an audible voice.  

5)  I once met Harold Melvin of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, the icon of Philadelphia Soul, who wrote the classic "If You Don't Know Me By Now".  I sold him a Tascam cassette deck in a music store in south Dallas.

6)  I own a pair of tiny mummified monkey's feet.  My wife gave them to me.

7)  Most people think that death is the worst thing that can happen to you.  I've been certain for a very long time that this is not true.

If you read this, then, uhm, go ahead and tag yourself and make your own list.  The rules are above.  Let me know that you did this (on the honor system) so I can come read 7 random weird things about you, too.

I don't approve of this message.

If ever there was a candidate for my "Egregious Offenses" label, it is this little collection of news stories about the left's insane pummelling of Joe The Plumber. Helpfully collected by the Instapundit, they reveal the deeply bitter, conniving, and pernicious spirit that prevails in the hearts of some of the most influential supporters of and powerful people in the Democratic party. 

What are these knuckleheads thinking?  I guess they are telling us what they are thinking about those of us who work for a living.

"Are you going to eat your tots?"

Do us both a favor and go read this funny, funny story by Ree, the Pioneer Woman. 

That is all.  No more blogging for you now.

Social Networks in Ministry

Kem Meyer, the Communications Director at Granger Community Church, has a couple of interesting recent posts on the potential role that internet-based social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter can play in the life and dynamics of the local church.  One of them is provocatively entitled "Why is Twitter or Facebook Worth Your Time?"  This is an area of interest to me, personally, and I know it is to some of you who read my blog.  

A couple of weeks ago, our church started a Group on Facebook and we currently have just under 10% of our weekly attendance represented in this group.  Here's what is good about that. Relationship is based on communication, and Facebook has already proven that it is not merely just one more way to talk to other people in our community.  It has, in fact, shown itself to be an effective, genuinely positive way to deepen friendships, to mobilize volunteers, to connect ministry team members, to disseminate news and prayer requests of mutual interest, and, generally, to enable participants to "share life" in a new way and with greater immediacy than is available through other means.  I know of at least one case where members who did not previously know each other become "friends" on Facebook, and then turn that virtual relationship into an actual relationship.

btw, I stole the graphic from Kem's website.