Since I haven’t blogged in a while, I thought I would write about something less controversial than my usual posts – GAMBLING. That’s right, sports fans; today’s topic is electronic bingo. I used to love that song when I was a kid. If electronic bingo is illegal in Alabama, how come the kind people play on paper isn’t? I don’t understand the difference. Maybe it’s the bells, whistles and sounds of a casino that make people nervous? How come the government allows gambling on Native American reservations? Do they allow other illegal activities like cocaine, spousal abuse, rape, murder, etc?
In light of recent political activity in Alabama regarding electronic bingo, I have decided to take a stand. No more sitting on the sidelines watching other cities adopt ordinances without my input. Therefore, my city council has voted to allow electronic bingo machines to be placed within our city limits. Prichard, Chickasaw and many other cities across Alabama have taken similar positions by allowing their city councils to vote. So, with the full approval of my city council, we have decided to allow electronic bingo machines. Apparently, cities do not have to abide by state law, who knew? The bingo machines will be strategically placed next to the trash cans we installed last year.
Furthermore, we are also abolishing speed limits, the need for driver’s licenses, the legal drinking age and Troy University. Troy was a city in the ancient world overseas and we do not support foreign influence in our state.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Disturbed
Luke records the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in chapter 4 of his Gospel. He returned to Galilee following His temptation and taught in the synagogues. His reputation quickly grew and He traveled to Nazareth, His hometown. While in the synagogue, He read from Isaiah, sat down and began teaching.
22. And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, "Is this not Joseph's son?"
24. And He said, "Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his home town.
25. And all in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; and they rose up and cast Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, He went His way. (Luke 4:22, 24, 28-30 NAS)
The rest of the account allows us to see that as Jesus taught, He reminded those attending of Israel’s past rebellion. He brought up past experiences when the Nation ignored the preaching and warnings of Elijah and Elisha. Jesus used two instances when pagans (widow in Sidon and Naaman of Syria) were changed by the power and presence of God. Because Israel ignored God, He chose to make His presence known in the lives of those some thought were unworthy.
It is interesting that those living In Nazareth, listening to Jesus knew Him better than anyone. After all, He grew up with them. No doubt, some listening in the Temple that day used to baby sit Him when He was a kid. A few may have been His teachers, or friends He played with as a child.
The residents of Nazareth were too familiar with Jesus. They missed the real meaning of His teaching. Their anger turned to rage because He reminded them that the Gospel was for all, not just the Jews. During Elijah and Elisha’s ministry, many were widowed and lepers, yet God did not heal them. He used the prophets to minister to others. Why? Because the Jews were too familiar with God. They thought that was enough. Just as those in Nazareth thought growing up beside Jesus was enough.
There is a difference with being familiar with Jesus and knowing Him. Too many Christians go to church every Sunday and Wednesday going through the motions of religious Christian rituals. We go to Bible studies, give money to the church, volunteer where needed, while paying lip service to Christ. Many of our actions are no different than those listening to Jesus that day in the Temple. We become offended when His presence dares to reach into our familiar, religious comfort zone. How dare He try to disturb our routine?
Needing to be disturbed from our familiarity, my prayer is to be shaken by His Spirit.
Coming across this poem by Sir Francis Drake, the great 16th century warrior/navigator and pirate, I thought it needed sharing. The poem was found in his ship’s log on the eve of one of his greatest adventures. Sir Francis Drake led the British Navy to defeat the great Spanish Armada, propelling himself into becoming of the world’s greatest sea captains. Yet, h was not satisfied with casual Christian mediocrity.
Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.
22. And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, "Is this not Joseph's son?"
24. And He said, "Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his home town.
25. And all in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; and they rose up and cast Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, He went His way. (Luke 4:22, 24, 28-30 NAS)
The rest of the account allows us to see that as Jesus taught, He reminded those attending of Israel’s past rebellion. He brought up past experiences when the Nation ignored the preaching and warnings of Elijah and Elisha. Jesus used two instances when pagans (widow in Sidon and Naaman of Syria) were changed by the power and presence of God. Because Israel ignored God, He chose to make His presence known in the lives of those some thought were unworthy.
It is interesting that those living In Nazareth, listening to Jesus knew Him better than anyone. After all, He grew up with them. No doubt, some listening in the Temple that day used to baby sit Him when He was a kid. A few may have been His teachers, or friends He played with as a child.
The residents of Nazareth were too familiar with Jesus. They missed the real meaning of His teaching. Their anger turned to rage because He reminded them that the Gospel was for all, not just the Jews. During Elijah and Elisha’s ministry, many were widowed and lepers, yet God did not heal them. He used the prophets to minister to others. Why? Because the Jews were too familiar with God. They thought that was enough. Just as those in Nazareth thought growing up beside Jesus was enough.
There is a difference with being familiar with Jesus and knowing Him. Too many Christians go to church every Sunday and Wednesday going through the motions of religious Christian rituals. We go to Bible studies, give money to the church, volunteer where needed, while paying lip service to Christ. Many of our actions are no different than those listening to Jesus that day in the Temple. We become offended when His presence dares to reach into our familiar, religious comfort zone. How dare He try to disturb our routine?
Needing to be disturbed from our familiarity, my prayer is to be shaken by His Spirit.
Coming across this poem by Sir Francis Drake, the great 16th century warrior/navigator and pirate, I thought it needed sharing. The poem was found in his ship’s log on the eve of one of his greatest adventures. Sir Francis Drake led the British Navy to defeat the great Spanish Armada, propelling himself into becoming of the world’s greatest sea captains. Yet, h was not satisfied with casual Christian mediocrity.
Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when
with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Got Friends?
25% of Americans in recent surveys report having no significant friendships. Americans, who do report having significant friendships, now have an average of two. Past surveys indicated Americans had four friends, on average. Recent trends showing the decline in the numbers of friends we have should be alarming. Significant friendships are essential to healthy living. In fact, a lack of friends can lead to health issues, depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, loneliness, lack of self-confidence, and many others.
Books, seminars, lectures and many counseling sessions focus on the subject of friendship. People long to have meaningful relationships with each other. Friends - good friends - are rare. The Bible speaks clearly, both directly and indirectly about the value of having friends.
Proverbs 17:17 – A friend loves at all times.
Think about the friendships between Ruth and Naomi, David and Jonathan, Mary, Martha, Lazarus and Jesus, Moses and Aaron, Peter, James and John (original three stooges). These friendships should serve as an example of how we should care for each other.
The Apostle Paul displayed a great example by giving his readers a glimpse into his personal friendships. Paul’s list of close friends is worth imitating.
Luke – Paul’s doctor and traveling companion who is our example of faithful and dependable.
Apollos – Paul’s friend and fellow leader who was noble.
Barnabas – Paul’s encourager.
Titus – Paul's’ refreshing, creative steadfast friend.
Timothy – Paul’s young friend who stood for eager spiritual growth.
Epaphroditus – Paul’s gracious and humble friend.
Paul’s list of friends goes on and on serving to remind us of the characteristics friends should possess. We have all heard that in order to have a friend, we must first be a friend. Look around today and see if someone you know needs encouragement and become the type of friends your friends would love to have.
The lyrics to the theme from Cheers
Where Everybody Knows Your Name
by Gary Portnoy
Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you've got;
Taking a break from all your worries
Sure would help a lot.Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
You want to be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same;
You want to be where everybody knows your name.
I suppose it would have made more sense to use words from the theme to the TV show Friends, but I think Cheers was funnier.
Books, seminars, lectures and many counseling sessions focus on the subject of friendship. People long to have meaningful relationships with each other. Friends - good friends - are rare. The Bible speaks clearly, both directly and indirectly about the value of having friends.
Proverbs 17:17 – A friend loves at all times.
Think about the friendships between Ruth and Naomi, David and Jonathan, Mary, Martha, Lazarus and Jesus, Moses and Aaron, Peter, James and John (original three stooges). These friendships should serve as an example of how we should care for each other.
The Apostle Paul displayed a great example by giving his readers a glimpse into his personal friendships. Paul’s list of close friends is worth imitating.
Luke – Paul’s doctor and traveling companion who is our example of faithful and dependable.
Apollos – Paul’s friend and fellow leader who was noble.
Barnabas – Paul’s encourager.
Titus – Paul's’ refreshing, creative steadfast friend.
Timothy – Paul’s young friend who stood for eager spiritual growth.
Epaphroditus – Paul’s gracious and humble friend.
Paul’s list of friends goes on and on serving to remind us of the characteristics friends should possess. We have all heard that in order to have a friend, we must first be a friend. Look around today and see if someone you know needs encouragement and become the type of friends your friends would love to have.
The lyrics to the theme from Cheers
Where Everybody Knows Your Name
by Gary Portnoy
Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you've got;
Taking a break from all your worries
Sure would help a lot.Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
You want to be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same;
You want to be where everybody knows your name.
I suppose it would have made more sense to use words from the theme to the TV show Friends, but I think Cheers was funnier.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
First Page of New Story
The following is the first page of a new story. I'm about 30,000 words into it. Just thought I would throw a bone to the 7 people who read my stuff. It's unedited so the grammar is probably terrible.
Dusk gave way to darkness with the sun setting behind the tall, thin southern pines. The light purple, orange and pink colors dissolved as the sky’s picture faded to black. The old, ragged barn was her home for the night. It was cold, not freezing, but cold enough for a blanket. She found two torn, dry-rotted horse blankets hanging on rusty nails. Using the least dusty and stained as a pillow, she covered her cold, shaking body with the other. Leigh Beth curled up on a bed of hay she gathered from the nearby pile; trying to forget the regretful Friday.
Her memory took her back to the morning. She didn’t want to go but her mind took over. Fighting the horrific flashes became overwhelming and she reluctantly allowed her mind to take her to the bloody memories. Leigh Beth’s boyfriend, Johnny Norris, planned the entire robbery. Convincing her it would be safe and no one would get hurt, she reluctantly went along with his plan. Shivered from the cold while sweating from the memories, Leigh Beth lay on the hay recalling every detail as a horror movie replaying in her confused mind.
Johnny was a troubled soul. He had been in and out of the local juvenile detention center three times for minor offenses. His attitude of reckless abandon pushed the boundaries of common decency. He was a true rebel. Fitting the stereotype of a hoodlum, Johnny had three tattoos; one of a flaming skull on his left bicep, a tribal band on his right and Leigh Beth’s name in old English script between his shoulder blades.
Remembering the robbery, Leigh Beth lay with tears slowly streaming down her cheeks. Tasting her salty tears, she wiped her mouth. Johnny promised it would be simple. They would use the money to start a new life in Mexico. What am I going to do now she thought? Where am I going to go?
Johnny planned the robbery for weeks. Because his father was the bank president and a local alderman who served the city council for twenty years, Johnny knew the armored truck delivery schedule. Once every three months, the quarterly deposits were delivered to the First National Bank in downtown Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Pine Bluff is a small rural town of about fifty-five thousand residents. The sleepy southern town was the last place anyone would suspect a major robbery.
“It’s perfect,” Johnny told Leigh Beth as they left for the bank.
“The truck will be at the bank at ten o’clock sharp. All we have to do is wait for the guard to open the back door, push him out of the way, grab as many bags as we can and leave. It’s fool proof.”
Dusk gave way to darkness with the sun setting behind the tall, thin southern pines. The light purple, orange and pink colors dissolved as the sky’s picture faded to black. The old, ragged barn was her home for the night. It was cold, not freezing, but cold enough for a blanket. She found two torn, dry-rotted horse blankets hanging on rusty nails. Using the least dusty and stained as a pillow, she covered her cold, shaking body with the other. Leigh Beth curled up on a bed of hay she gathered from the nearby pile; trying to forget the regretful Friday.
Her memory took her back to the morning. She didn’t want to go but her mind took over. Fighting the horrific flashes became overwhelming and she reluctantly allowed her mind to take her to the bloody memories. Leigh Beth’s boyfriend, Johnny Norris, planned the entire robbery. Convincing her it would be safe and no one would get hurt, she reluctantly went along with his plan. Shivered from the cold while sweating from the memories, Leigh Beth lay on the hay recalling every detail as a horror movie replaying in her confused mind.
Johnny was a troubled soul. He had been in and out of the local juvenile detention center three times for minor offenses. His attitude of reckless abandon pushed the boundaries of common decency. He was a true rebel. Fitting the stereotype of a hoodlum, Johnny had three tattoos; one of a flaming skull on his left bicep, a tribal band on his right and Leigh Beth’s name in old English script between his shoulder blades.
Remembering the robbery, Leigh Beth lay with tears slowly streaming down her cheeks. Tasting her salty tears, she wiped her mouth. Johnny promised it would be simple. They would use the money to start a new life in Mexico. What am I going to do now she thought? Where am I going to go?
Johnny planned the robbery for weeks. Because his father was the bank president and a local alderman who served the city council for twenty years, Johnny knew the armored truck delivery schedule. Once every three months, the quarterly deposits were delivered to the First National Bank in downtown Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Pine Bluff is a small rural town of about fifty-five thousand residents. The sleepy southern town was the last place anyone would suspect a major robbery.
“It’s perfect,” Johnny told Leigh Beth as they left for the bank.
“The truck will be at the bank at ten o’clock sharp. All we have to do is wait for the guard to open the back door, push him out of the way, grab as many bags as we can and leave. It’s fool proof.”
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Chicago Way
Thought I would write about a book I just finished reading – The Chicago Way by Michael Harvey (2007). Harvey is the creator, writer and producer of the reality-television show Cold Case Files - a show about real-life police officers who work cold cases.
The book is set in Chicago and centers on the seedy, underbelly of the crime-riddled city. As you might think, the book’s about a cold case. A private detective, Michael Kelly, falls into an old case involving his former partner from the police force. Kelly solves the case and stumbles onto an even bigger, more sinister current case.
Although, the last third of the book is gripping, and exciting, overall it is a slow-paced, predictable, stereotypical, old-style detective novel. It feels gritty, dirty and black and white – like the old detective movies in the 1930’s.
I could have done without the Italian-mob connection. It seems as though every crime story has a little gangster popping up here and there. This one didn't add to the story. Even thought it’s predictable, I didn’t see the twist coming at the end. So if you like detective, crime stories, it’s a pretty good one. I expected more because of the author’s creativity involving his television show but it is his first novel.
Read something today!
The book is set in Chicago and centers on the seedy, underbelly of the crime-riddled city. As you might think, the book’s about a cold case. A private detective, Michael Kelly, falls into an old case involving his former partner from the police force. Kelly solves the case and stumbles onto an even bigger, more sinister current case.
Although, the last third of the book is gripping, and exciting, overall it is a slow-paced, predictable, stereotypical, old-style detective novel. It feels gritty, dirty and black and white – like the old detective movies in the 1930’s.
I could have done without the Italian-mob connection. It seems as though every crime story has a little gangster popping up here and there. This one didn't add to the story. Even thought it’s predictable, I didn’t see the twist coming at the end. So if you like detective, crime stories, it’s a pretty good one. I expected more because of the author’s creativity involving his television show but it is his first novel.
Read something today!
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