Wednesday, November 23, 2011

"Basket Full Of Thanksgiving"


My basket overflows,
with Thanksgiving for my Lord.
My heart mender, my redeemer, my friend.

My basket overflows,
with blessings from my Lord.
My leader, my provider, my sustainer.

My basket overflows,
with praises for my Lord.
My rock, my strong tower, my mighty fortress.

My basket overflows,
with mercies from my Lord.
His grace, His mercy, His love.

My basket overflows
My basket overflows.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

"Fountains At The Mall"

We are reading "Radical" in our bible
study at church. Righteous, awesome
read. I highly recommend.

And for reasons now known to me
I went to the mall today. Took the
3-year-old and we were almost
arrested together at the mall.

He was standing somewhere he
apparently was allowed to stand...
on the water fountain...
and the mall authorities asked
me 1) if the boy walking around on the
fountain was with me. (by the way I said
yes, even after I thought about saying no.)
And 2) if I could remove him from
the fountain (again, I almost told the mall cop to ask him himself,
but figured that after what I had just learned I needed to squash that bit
of darkness.)

Back to the mall.

I went to the mall because there are people there.
All kinds of people.
Seriously, all kinds, even at 9:30AM on a Wednesday.

I use to have a professor at IUP who would tell
us to go to the Indiana mall, sit in the center of
the mall, and watch the people. He then would
would say to us, "watch the people, and tell yourself,
'I'm going to be all right.'"

Today, I watched the people at the mall.

And as I sat there I wondered what a person's
story might be... where do they live, work, play,
worship... etc.

What kind of baggage to they carry?
Are they joyful or hurting?

All kinds of different questions went through
my brain concerning different people.

And then I knew why I was at the mall.

Everyone has a different story to tell,
but there was one thing that I did know
about each of them...

God loves them.

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? Romans 10:14-15a NIV

And because He does love me, I don't need the people
at the mall to help understand I'm going to be all right.
But maybe it's time to tell the people at the mall
they can know for sure that they'll be all right too.

Friday, November 11, 2011

"One Line"

"Doria didn't articulate a specific strategy that would have ESPN steering the story, rather than simply reacting to it."

Writers for The Poynter Review Project (ESPN and The Poynter Institute have partnered for the Poynter Review Project, offering independent examination and analysis of ESPN's media outlets.)
wrote the curious line here.

Steering to me has fantastic meaning.

Without steering capabilities, every means of transportation
devolves into meandering chaos. Steering is what you do to
control those means.

I enjoy this strange dichotomy that exists in our society.
When the news media reports stories that a viewer, media gobbler
deem damaging or at least not in agreement with, the said
media can't be trusted.

At the same time, same viewership reference said media in
regards to "news" the deem equally as favorable.

The fickleness of the brainless is incredible.

One would imagine said media gobblers would deny this observation.

So back to steering.

What exactly is the responsibility of a media organization during the
progress of on going "news"?

Is it their responsibility to STEER the story... lead it to where they
want to go?

Or are they responsible to follow the leading of the story?
Certainly different than steering.

Steering? That scares me. That should scare all of us.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

"The Lion Game"

125 younger men will take to the field in
the center of Pennsylvania under a firestorm
that in the end will tarnish a University for
some time.

125 younger men, who when the firestorm began
for the most part where in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade.

125 younger men, who may or may not have
had the dream of pulling on the blue and white
of Linebacker U.

125 younger men, who must move forward in
the right direction, while the columns of Beaver
Stadium crumble around them.

Some have asked me what I will do this Saturday.
Will I root for a University that allowed the
most digusting crime (IMHO) to occur in its
supposed hallow halls?

My only answer to that is this:
I will be rooting for the 125.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

"The New Black Friday"


No one loves the Christmas holiday season more than me.

I however (which I have written about before) can not
stomach the push push push starting November 1st
for the next Holiday shop season.

Certainly Hallmark Channel's breaking out new Christmas
movies this coming weekend isn't really a push you
into their pathetically overpriced shoppes are they?

If you have a picture of a church marquee advertising
their upcoming Christmas cantata , drama or live nativity,
please let me know.

Lucy: incidentally, I know how you feel about all this Christmas
business, getting depressed and all that.
It happens to me every year. I never get what I really want. I
always get a lot of stupid toys, or a bicycle, or clothes, or
something like that.
Charlie: What is it you want?
Lucy: Real Estate.