G's Rants

This Blog Is Dead!!

2005-12-24T11:19:00.000-06:00

I did it. I pulled the trigger, been working like a mad-man the last three days and we are ready to go PUBLIC!!!

www.grantenglish.com

That's the location of the new blog starting at the end of this post.

Here is the link for the new feed as well but I hope all my subscribers will at least take a gander at the new site.

And yes - I got all of my old post into Wordpress....quite a little trick, not to hard actually. If this pastor thing doesn't work out, I'll go into business setting up blogs for pastors and ministers.

And so after 13 months and 560 posts - we're moving. See ya' on the G sides.

The Stallion is concerned about the Lion

2005-12-21T10:23:00.000-06:00

The Italian Stallion asked me this:

I’m not 100% of the fact that the phrase “lion of the tribe of Judah” is used for the first time in Rev. 5:5 (well, OK, yeah, explicitly it is); however, could the blessing spoken by Jacob to his sons in Genesis 49 be the deeper magic? Especially 49:9 “Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up he couches, he lies down as a lion, and as a lion, who dares rouse him up?” (NASB). Namely, is there any support of this as some sort of quasi messianic prophecy?

Well, here's my answer - Revelation IS the first time (only time) that Jesus is specifically referred to as a Lion.

Could Genesis 49:9 be a Messianic prophecy? Sure, it COULD be and some scholars do interpret it as such. I think they are fine and okey dokey to do that but I don't think it is the MAIN thrust of the passage.

The main thrust of the passage is that Judah was the second son, not the first YET it would receive the first-son blessing and position. Judah would be the dominant tribe and Israel's leaders will come out of Judah.

What is more concerning to me is the Stallion's use of the NASB. I know Heath is into that kind of thing, but shortwavers aren't known for their Biblical prowess.

Forgiveness for Youth Pastors

2005-12-19T12:19:00.000-06:00

She loves me and my family. She's a huge voice of encouragment (on most days! he he) for us. And I think she's been lied to. She said this to me...

Sometimes we have to tone down who we are, especially after we meet Jesus. Take me for example - I was a hippie, crazy, funny, Jim Carrey like person. But if I acted who I really am in church, people here would just wig out.

This is how I responded:

I can't think of words strong enough to disagree with that statement. Somebody somewhere lied to you. What if God made you that way and by stuffing it and putting on a mask, you're hindering the work of God through you? What if by stuffing - that was more of a sin than the 'proper behavior?' You are funny and crazy and FUN. You should worship and serve in an environment that explodes and accentuates the God-placed DNA inside you. Not stuffed. What if we are taking the biggest weapon God has in advancing his kingdom out of his hand by "toning down" our true selves so that we all look the same?

But here is the truth of that interaction. She didn't always think that way. Somewhere in her life, it was communicated to her that belonging to Christ equated with belonging to the particular values and ideals of that group.

Instead of walking with her in her quest to figure out who she was/is supposed to be in Christ, somebody gave her a template of what 'works' or 'fit' in their small world. A way to dress, to speak, to interact, to dream, and to worship.

And in the process, the church was robbed of a uniquely gifted piece of the Body functioning the way He designed her to function.

May we who work with the moldable teens and leaders of today, not make the same mistake. And may God and others forgive us for our past mistakes.

Coop's B-day

2005-12-18T17:19:00.000-06:00

Today is the day that 8 years ago that punk kid named Cooper was born.

Here's to On the Border, bowling, Bronco football, Nintendo DS, and NBA Street Vol. 3.

The Ultimate Weekend for an 8 year-old.

It will end with chocolate chip cookies and more Xbox tonight.

One More Thing To The List

2005-12-16T10:53:00.000-06:00

After the huge generalizations of this post, I'd like to add two thoughts.

First, not all of the differences are age-based. For example, Row - my good friend, worship pastor, and partner-in-crime is WELL INTO THE BOOMER AGE GROUP (ha ha ha) but philosophically and behaviorally he's an X'er. (I've granted him an honorary membership to our generation.)

I also have a lot of guys I went to seminary with that were the exact opposite. Boomers in X'ers clothing.

Which brings up the second thought as illustrated with a story.

Last year, I ran into a pastor who went to the same seminary I did. He asked me if I was a backpacker or a briefcaser.

Allow me to unpack what that means. There is a pecking order on most seminary campuses.

The "real pastors" go to the school of theology, not religious education.
The "real pastors" get a MDIV with Biblical Languages degree, not JUST a MDIV, MRE or MA.
The "real pastors" carried their books in a briefcase and wore kakhis and collars.

I'm not sure what is more indicting - that I knew he meant all of this or that I actually continued the conversation with him.

I just smiled. "Yep, I was a backpacker. Complete with jeans, t-shirt, and baseball cap on bad hair days."

He smiled.

I continued. Why? Because I was arrogant and I had to have the last word. I'm so glad I'm grown up now. (insert sarcasm alarm here.)

"I kept my MDIV with Biblical Languages books in my backpack. Did you?"

"Uh, no."

"Then shut your face, you ignorant, non-Greek and Hebrew reading fake. How dare you insult my honor and your God by preaching out of anything but the original languages!"

Okay ..... I really didn't say that. (Nor do I feel that way.) But the exchange illustrates another big difference in how the two mindsets understand calling.

GENERALLY SPEAKING...

Boomers equate being equipped and trained (the sheepskins) with being called.

X'ers are going to have a more mystical understanding of calling that includes an individual's desire and the community's confirmation (or lack thereof).

All of this to say...I think in spite of (or BECAUSE OF) the two worlds can (and OUGHT TO) co-exist with each other. The harder question is how - especially for the smaller sized churches?

More thoughts coming...

A Blessing From Cynthia

2005-12-15T16:00:00.000-06:00

For Grant...2 Samuel 23:8-23 (David's Mighty Men)

Grant, you are blessed to be a warrior. Though you may want to curse the battle, your heart is willing -- not because you lust for war, but because you love your King.

May you cease to look at the size of the enemy, and may you fix your eyes on Him. Your prize is not in the spoils, but in the victory -- and it will come.

Now may the Lord bless you, may He keep ou, and may He fight beside you all your days.

Amen.

Domain Update

2005-12-15T11:02:00.000-06:00

Update on names...I realize at some point a decision must be made and quite honestly - ya'll aren't helping a whole lot.

I did find out today that my name literally means "large sneaky thief." (More on that in a minute...) Which, by the way is available as a domain. (Email me: Grant AT largesneakythief.com!)

gsrants.com
grantenglish.com
grantsdelusions.com
grantioch.com

The more I think about it, I'm going to go one of two ways. Either the quite boring but memorable grantenglish.com OR the completely outrageous largesneakythief.com OR largesneakypirate.com. I've got 7 days.

UPDATE: Epiphany???? what about thegsides.com?

The 4th Place, Part 3

2005-12-14T15:48:00.000-06:00

Part 1, Part 2, Part 2a

Marko said to grab the book The Search To Belong by Joseph R. Myers. Fortunately - Jim had it and that was exactly where all the ideas came from. He's let me borrow his until I get my own copy.

First - HOLY COW...what a great book. How the heck did I miss this one?

These are my ramblings about the 1st chapter. The stuff in italics are Joseph Myers. Blame me for the rest of it.

Common Myths About Belonging
More Time = More Belonging
The premise is that the more time you spend with someone, the more you belong. I always knew this was a myth. Otherwise I would still have such a great relationship with my high school basketball team.

A buddy of mine (Brian Briley) has a phrase - "The 212 Guys." These are the guys (or gals) you have instant rapport and trust, can get to boiling quick. Myers call the idea of keeping a bunch of people together who don’t connect for long periods of time – “forced relational hell.”

More Commitment = More Belonging
When we search to belong, we aren’t really looking for commitment. We simply want to connect.

See Marriage. Ouch! How true is this, though? 15-20 years of committed marriage but are they connected?

More Purpose = More Belonging
If this were true, every committee in America would be awesome and they’d all be friends.

More Personality = More Belonging
Of all the myths – this one indicts student ministry the most. (At least the way I use to do student ministry.) We elevate/celebrate/fake personality for the purpose of getting people involved and connected. If a student is outgoing, gregarious – that’s a student leader. If a small group is struggling and dieing it’s because the leader doesn’t have enough of a personality.

Ironic that most extroverts feel alone. When asked how they like having all those friends, most extroverts would answer the way 'Dave' did.

Dave said – “I have people who are comfortable around me. I am not comfortable around them. I’m scared they do not like me.” I am painfully aware of that statement.

Introversion and extroversion are learned forms of social behavior that help us navigate our day-to-day lives. They are categories for helping us understand and interpret our relational experiences. But introversion and extroversion neither block nor enhance our experience of belonging.

More Proximity = More Belonging
After seeing how teens from the US interact with teens in Brazil…this myth is being busted open. A teen has more in common and ‘belongs’ more with a teen in South America than his Baby Boomer next door neighbor. The digital age has made the neighborhood of the world…well, a neighborhood.

More Small Groups = More Belonging
This myth gets its own post tomorrow. This myth crawled up in my lap and slapped upside the head.

I have no idea how this is going to turn out, but I'm loving the journey.

Young Adults & Boomers = Love/Hate

2005-12-14T13:37:00.000-06:00

This is a great article and definitely worth the read if you are in a setting where X's, Y's, and Boomers collide.

Implications for church/ministry? Hmm, how do I tiptoe through this minefield? ha ha ha.

First, let's recognize I'm an X'er. So all of the generalizations of my generation - I probably represent that but I wouldn't admit it.

Second, while there is a whole truckload of implications for these differences in the family arena or even the career arena, I'm not going down that road. I'll let one of my fellow X'ers pick up that baton.

I'm going to try to focus on the church/ministry setting. Which leads me to say this...

Third, any resemblance to my current situation is purely coincendental and I hold no responsibility for that. Taking responsibility is a characteristic of the boomers, not the X'ers. :)

These are GENERALIZATIONS...so take 'em for what they are worth.

BOOMERS (Pull the pin)
1. I think Boomers have a tremendous amount of experience and insight to give to ministries and leaders.

2. I think Boomers TEND TO leverage their resources (money, influence) to perserve these experiences at the expense of a 'new song', new vision or new way of doing something.

3. I think Boomers are slower in giving away authority and releasing leaders...(Could it be because of a "we built it, we should run it" mentality?)

4. I think Boomers CAN BE incredibly self-focused in their programming and 'vision for ministry.' Example? The children's ministry was awesome and well-funded when they had children, the student ministry was incredible and well-funded when they had teenagers (thank you, by the way), the service now needs to meet the 45-60 age group now because we are empty nesters.

5. I think Boomers are great at throwing opinions/ideas at 'opportunities' but are reluctant to lend 'sweat equity.' In other words - great at giving money, not-so-great at time.

X'ers & Younger
1. I think (because every institution has failed us?) we are too easily jaded and quick to quit to do our own thing when we things don't go the way we want them.

2. I think we tend to see Boomers as 'deep pockets' instead of people who are also on the journey with Jesus.

3. I think we TEND to handle conflict with passive aggressiveness (just quit, not engage anymore, do what we want anyway, deal with consequences later) rather than biblical confrontation (face to face disagreement without trashing the other person).

4. I think we error on the side of jumping before thinking. Technology and movies immediately come to mind.

5. If Boomers are stingy with their time (see 5 above), we are stingy with our money.

So What?
Glad you asked. The process of implementing change in a church is hard enough, through these dynamics in the mix and you might have outright war. That might explain both the explosion of church closings AND church plantings.

Churches that have critical mass and funding - 'mega-churches' - answer the dilemna by 'divide and conquer.' Set up ministries for every age group with their own style of service, style of small group, style of communicator.

That's great if you are a church of 1,000 or more. But what if you aren't? What if you are a church of 500 or 150?

Is this just an American phenomenon or is this international? Europe? Africa?

Hmmm...still chewing.

In Search of the Ultimate Domain

2005-12-12T16:25:00.000-06:00

Okay - I'm seriously going to go after my own domain and host my blog there. I'm likin' the idea. I'm liking the toolin' around on Wordpress I'm doing....

Now the hard part...finding a domain name. So I hereby open up the "Name G's New Domain Contest." I'll put a permalink in the sidebar so that you can vote early and often.

But first - nominations. Add a comment, put your idea. It has to be AVAILABLE to be valid. You can check availability at register.com.

possible domain ideas....

g-splace.com
thegsplace.com
gluvsplace.com
cupofg.com
cupofg.us

strongcupofgrant.com
strongcupofgluv.com
strongcupofg.com
thegluv.com
gsjava.com
ventig.com

gsventi.com
ventifaith.com

Does thegluv.com sound too dorky? As I write this - I realize that I made it my email address - so if I had/have an issue with it...it's probably a little late. Carrying on...

I've also toyed with the idea of using the word "strata" - it's a geological term for layers. earthy faith with multiple layers. (might be too much of a stretch....but...)

grants-strata.com
strataofgrant.com
yamammaplayedastrata.com
yourfaceisastrata.com
yourmomthinksimhotwheniplaymystratacaster.com

Of course, that last one opens up a whole new set of ideas I would run with if I was single...

yourgirlfriendsayshi.com
dontbothergoinghome.com

None of those are really helpful for long term employment, but funny.

Another cool idea is to play with the .us tag instead of .com

theenemyis.us
myzitsarefullofp.us
gorideab.us
getofftheb.us
gotrunoverbyabigb.us

Alright...time to hear from the masses.

Repenting To My 6 Year Old

2005-12-12T15:16:00.000-06:00

We interrupt the English dinner last night to bring you this...

"This is crap."
Camber English, 6

Nobody said anything for a second. The first thought through my mind was "What is crap?" I think the first thought through Amy's was..."THIS IS MY 6 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER SAYING THIS!! GRANT ENGLISH, THIS IS YOUR FAULT!!!!!!"

Fortunately for both us, we neither one said what we were thinking. We just sat there.

Then I blew it. I really messed up.

"Honey - I don't want to hear that word from your mouth."

"Yes, sir. Why?"

"Because it's an ugly word, not a nice word and you're not ugly."

"Yes, sir."

Great job. I got my compliant answer of "Yes, sir," I affirmed her worth, but missed an opportunity to reach her heart. Why is it easier to look past the junk of others to their heart than my own kids? What was she talking about? The food? The situation that she was the last one at the table and was in danger of missing desert? The war in Iraq? What was going on in her mind?

So I parented the outside and missed the inside. I made sure the exterior looked (sounded) right and good and acceptable. In the process, I further confirmed that I'm more concerned in what she says than who she is and what she thinks.

I'm going to right a book - "How To Raise A Pharisee" and I'll sell bumper stickers with it - 2b1 ask1. I'll ask Rowland to write the musical that includes a big solo to the tune of "If I Were I Rich Man..." titled "If I Had A Clue Phone...(As To What I Was Doing, yada, yada, yada)."

Then I read this - it's Paul. "I consider them (all of his exterior 'merit badges') rubbish, that I may gain Christ."

The unfortunate thing about going to seminary and having all those Greek classes is that I actually remember some of it. Like the meaning of the word 'rubbish.' It's slang Greek for trash. I wonder what our English equivalent is?

For me, it's easier to listen to a man rant and cuss about his wife or kids - ignore the surface stuff and dive in for the heart issues. It's easier listening to a teen ramble along all of his (or her) issues in language I wouldn't use and then back door on the heart.

Why? Because that is how Jesus did stuff all the time. The most obvious "issues" and "sin" are never the real, heart issues. And you can correct it and miss the heart completely. And Jesus wanted the heart...all of it. And to do that - you need grace, patience, love, and vision for transformation.

I just wish I could parent that way.

I'm sorry, Camber. I'll be better.

Cliches I Want To Die

2005-12-12T13:51:00.000-06:00

In an effort to not throw up over the holidays, I would like to see the following sappy cliche sayings executed immediately...

"Wise Men Still Seek Him." (So why only this time of the year?)

"Don't take the Christ out of Christmas." (It's okay to take Him out of schools, homes, businesses, Easter, decision making for the family - but not okay concerning Christmas.)

"To some it's a holiday, to others it's a Holy Day." (I don't even want to comment on this one.)

"He's the Reason for the Season." (Just for the record - Biblical scholars think Jesus' real birthday was in April. It could be that the real reason we have Christmas when we have it is to redeem and reclaim a once pagan holiday. Which, I'm okay with.)

"Season's Greetings" (I never got this one. It's always a season and NOBODY uses the word greeting anymore except GREETING CARD companies. So technically this saying is appropriate all year long. Instead of Happy 4th of July - start saying "Season's Greetings.")

What are your's?

The Switch and The White Witch

2005-12-11T17:18:00.000-06:00

Well, I think the switch is going to be on. Right now, I'm going to wait for some Christmas money - then I am going to pony up, buy a domain, get my own site and run Wordpress.

I do like Blogsome though...been fun tweaking the blog over there....not quite ready for public yet.

This morning - preached on the White Witch for our Narnia series. We had a guest worship leader. He did a fine job. So don't take what I'm going to say next wrong...

But I missed Rowland. We spend so much time with each other - it's like we can read each other's mind. Plus, we kinda just 'know' what kind of mood or pace should be going on.

So, I just needed to say that.

A Blogging Change?

2005-12-09T10:18:00.000-06:00

I'm thinking of moving away from Blogger as my main blog tool. I love it, it's easy, fast, fairly reliable but there are a couple of features that the more I blog, the more I want.

Comment RSS/Subscription
Categories
Search This Blog feature - yes, google has one but it doesn't work with archived pages. At least I haven't gotten it to work.

I'm flirting with Blogsome. But the thought of starting a blog over from scratch is just...well, it's work.

It isn't safe, but it's good...

2005-12-08T22:49:00.000-06:00

Just got out of a screening of Narnia. WOW. Very well done. I'll go see it again.

SPOILER ALERT...STOP READING...

Couple of favorite parts of the movie - they completely got the White Witch right.

The Beavers were perfect.

And Aslan's roar when she questions his honor .... it rattled the theater. AWESOME!!!

There was a 1st grader sitting behind. She completely lost it when Aslan was killed. She just cried and cried and cried.

Great movie!

The 4th Place, Part 2A

2005-12-08T08:25:00.000-06:00

Part 1
Part 2

I'd like to backtrack and change my mind about something I wrote yesterday.

I said this:

I'd argue it's still about intimacy with Christ and others that is the bullseye, but the starting point is different.

I'd like to challenge that. Having an "intimate" relationship with Jesus that never penetrates a larger circle - public and social - is monasticism.

There's nothing wrong with monasticism. I just don't think it's complete. It's not incorrect, it's incomplete. Not whole.

So I think I'd like to reframe what I said to this:

I'd argue that the bullseye is to have a WHOLE, complete relationship with Jesus that covers all the places.

There...I think that's better.

The 4th Place, Part 2

2005-12-07T21:09:00.000-06:00

So we've got these 4 places: public, social, personal, and intimate. The modern mind wants to see these as phases to be worked through. There is some validity/truth to that as long as you are not picky as to which one is the starting point and which direction that process goes.

Here's what I'm 'supposing' (at least in Little Rock.) You've got a segment of folks whose entry point to meeting Jesus is going to be the public place. It's large, they can get lost, they can test and taste with major exposure. It's also a part of the culture of the South - you go to church.

(Although I'd quickly add that this is changing. In the next 5 to 10 years, Little Rock will be decidedly less churched...that's another post, another day.)

For this type of folk - their growth challenge will be to move toward community/intimacy.

However, there are people who just hate the public space and will immediately gravitate towards the personal place. They are wired that way, they want that kind of friendship...lots of reasons why. The point is that personal space becomes their entry point.

I'd argue it's still about intimacy with Christ and others that is the bullseye, but the starting point is different.

At Grace - our public space is good. Sure, we've got some places to grow and stretch but overall the public place is a great first taste of God and Grace.

The wheels fall off the wagon for us in the next two places...which I'll unpack tomorrow.

Email Convo with Harry Anderson

2005-12-07T15:05:00.000-06:00

Harry:

Heard a rumor today that Houston Nutt will replace Barnett at Colorado. HUH?

Grant:

Is Colorado that desperate?

What New Youth Pastors Really Need To Know

2005-12-07T14:23:00.000-06:00

1. There is no such thing as "cool clipart." It all looks ridiculous and cheesy. Let's just call it what it is and go on with life.

2. No. We really don't NEED one more lock-in, car wash, fundraiser, or t-shirt.

3. Okay, I got carried away with that last one - we do need lots of t-shirts.

4. Dress does matter. Don't ever show up to a youth event in a suit or business casual for that matter.

5. Students are loud, immature, and random. Don't confuse that with stupidity.

6. It is completely acceptable to name an event - 5.36, Fastbreak, Amped, Unplugged, My Dear Aunt Sally's Rose Garden.

7. It is completely uncool and ridiculous to name the entire youth ministry. They are drawn by relationship, not fluff. Plus the guy/girl behind you is going to change it anyway.

8. Your volunteers are your greatest assett and lifelines. They are not obstacles. Trust them implicitly.

9. Get some rubber chickens.

10. Take your calling seriously but not yourself.

11. The stupider the game - the more popular. Conversely, the more complicated the game, the lamer it ends up being.

12. All games are better in the dark.

13. And with loud music.

14. The best conversations happen on the way home and after curfew.

Jeremy's Plan

2005-12-07T12:24:00.000-06:00

Jeremy noted here that he would love to have his picture on my blog. Well, here you go, Jer.

Now to steal a page from marko, put your favorite caption for here in the comments. The winner gets to free lodging and meals if they decide to ever go see Jeremy.

The 4th Place

2005-12-06T19:44:00.000-06:00

I had lunch the other day with Jim Wilson, the small group/teaching pastor at Fellowship Bible Church, Conway. In the ongoing attempt to move folks from congregation/large group to small group/community, he's given up on the guilt trip.

In other words - to say and communicate from up front that you don't belong if you aren't in worship and a small group doesn't really endear or encourage people to get involved. If anything, it insults them and could be a huge discouragement as to where they are on their own spiritual journey.

As Jim was saying this, I was reminded of marko leaving his own church because of a similiar thing - insulting those who are on the journey. Unfortunately, I was also reminded of my own words in the not so distant past.

Jim brought the need for 4 places - just from a sociological point of view.

A public place - celebration/crowd arena.
A social place - a place to hang and get to know
A personal place - a place to let the guard down and be real
An intimate place - a place to be completely undone and vulnerable.

I was already racing ahead in my convo with Jim. If those are the 4 places that people live - as a church (Grace particularly) we are just aiming at 2, hoping that one of them leads to a 3rd.

Furthermore - we don't see those things as a journey - we see them as slots to fill. I'm not sure that's healthy either.

Now here are my first thoughts about all of this....

1. I think Life Groups can be a personal place in which our intimate place exists. (You find your lifewalking crew inside your Life Group.)

2. We (Grace) are doing a pretty cruddy job of social places. I do think they are needed - times to hang and laugh and play and eat and celebrate.

3. I think the key is have places for folks to plug in at whatever level they feel comfortable in - but the goal is to move towards an intimate place (transformational living).

Over the next week, i'm going to try to unpack each of these places in our church setting.

The real hard part will come after that - implementing those ideas!!

Kristi, Kristy, Kristie, Kristey

2005-12-05T15:10:00.000-06:00

Most people would have considered it an honor to even be mentioned on my blog, let alone a photo. But now we are getting all --- catty about it. For the back story....look here.

Other Acceptable Names for Kristi/Kristy/Kristie/Kristey:

Rich's Rib
The K-Meister
The Smirnoff Killer
The 5k'er. (Could be kilometers...could be kegs...you never know.)
The Alto
Captain Obvious ...(Where's Moe's? Where's the start? Where's BB Kings?)

Make your vote count...

Beale Street and Jesus

2005-12-05T12:37:00.000-06:00

BB's was standing room only Saturday night. So the 6 of us fought our way to the back corner, found a small table and were waiting for another to open up. The table next to ours was occupied by a partially drunk man, his date (I think), and another woman who smoked like a chimney. They were all over 50.

They offered us their table when they were done - they were waiting to check out. In that short 5 minutes we talked about the Rolling Stones, Little Rock, the Fed-Ex Forum, The Pyramid, and London, England.

I liked him. He was friendly, engaging, and fun. I think he liked me too.

And that got me thinking - 8 years ago I would not have liked him. I would have judged him. I would have told you that the biggest problem in his life was alcohol...maybe smoking...maybe listening to the Rolling Stones. Now, only 1 of those 3 really bother me.

(Sorry, just not a big Stones fan. I don't get 'em. Plus the fact that one of them is going to die on national television during the Super Bowl Halftime show is really disturbing me.)

In fact, 8 years ago, I wouldn't have even been in a position to talk to him. Last week I went to the Bridge and met some other guys (and girl) that I like. I would not elevate my life as the model of transformation...far from it. I take to long to allow God to work.

But He is working. I'm getting a taste of what it means to minister out of compassion and calling as opposed to guilt and duty. I'm getting a taste of what it means to taste and see that God is good.

As Jesus has demanded a re-evalution of my previously held values over the last few years, He painfully pointed out a shocking absence from them.

People.

And that 5 minute conversation with a half-drunk man on Beale Street reminded me that God's not through with anybody...even me.

Spelling Correction

2005-12-05T08:57:00.000-06:00

Amy just informed me that Kristy spells here name Kristy, not Christy. Which is a perfectly fine way to spell Christy - with a K.

Personally, I'm favorable to C names...but K is fine.

I also have a history with spelling the right name the wrong way.

Peg This

2005-12-04T21:30:00.000-06:00

You know those little peg games at Cracker Barrel? Well...here is your winner. Unbelievable...first time, Angela drilled it.