Ode 17

To CJ and Renee Bergman

I just added a link to the section I call "Blogs and Sites I Watch" in the column just to the right. It is a link to CJ Bergman, a young minister in Phoenix, AZ. I have known CJ since he was just a little guy. I would watch my son (who just turned 30!) and CJ play endlessly in their imaginary worlds of Hot Wheels and GI Joes. I still have a picture of CJ in the little Hebrew costume he wore in our kids choir production of Daniel, Darius, and de Lion. It was quite memorable for me.  After moving from Manteca, CA in 1986, we never really lost touch but communication between the two families grew to be occasional.
A bit more background to all of this rambling. Last month I was down in the garage looking for something when I stumbled upon a box of pictures. I sat on the floor...

Are We Missional?

By the way, my mind is extremely random today. This is what I was thinking about for some reason:

There is much in the world of Christianity about the word 'missional'. While some write volumes about it others grow weary of the overly used buzz-word-dejour. The word came to us from a book called Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America first published in 1998. It laid out the qualities of a church that could touch the world for Christ in the most effective manner. Instead of me trying to cipher the article for you, take a look at this short read. Maybe you will want to pick up the book.
Missional Article from Christianity Today

Ode to Vanessa

Ok, so this is not really an ode to Vanessa ...not an ounce of poetry here. It just made for a congruent title for my blog. But it is a note to say farewell to a friend. Joanie and I met Vanessa a couple of years ago when Amanda came home to her parents house from Berry College. Amanda and her sister Kathryn became my 'nieces' a few years ago when Amanda wanted to drive my sports car. I told her no, only family can drive the car. Suddenly, I was her uncle, with Kathryn soon to cave in to the adoption. Amanda was prone to bring fellow students home to her parents house when she had time off from her studies. This time we went to visit our friends and found Amanda had brought home her 'sister', a lovely young lady from Germany. Vanessa seemed a bit shy at first but I soon found the thing to bring her out of her shell around us old folk was a rousing game of Ping Pong. People were having a hard time beating Vanessa, so when I took the bat in hand and began to play, the end result was pretty happy for...

Simon's Sister's Dog

I'm way too tired to offer up a serious blog posting today. So I give you Simon's Sister's Dog. This is the same animator who did the previously posted Simon's Cat cartoons. It was sent to me by one of my readers from the UK. While cute, it reminds us to not be so 'generous' to our pets while we are dining. Bean acts like he hasn't eaten in weeks when we sit at the table to eat, so this is a great reminder for Joanie and I.
By the way, Mr. Bean spent a few minutes in the choir room last night, generally spreading joy and laughter. The boy is a little rock star. Although I heard no complaints, if any of you did not appreciate ol' Beanie being in the room for a while I offer my apologies. He totally loved being with you. Have a very blessed day!

RSPCA - Simon's Sister's Dog 'Fed Up'

A Small Break

While I try to be a faithful blogger, sometimes I find myself needing a small break. Now is that time. This weekend I'll be traveling up near Knoxville, TN, to finish a class at Hiwassee College. I'll sum it up this way, there are still a couple of papers to write before the morning trip and a Bible study on Exodus to create. Yesterday I couldn't speak in complete sentences. Like the guy in the cartoon, my brain is full!
I'll be back on the blog Monday morning. Thanks for faithfully checking in!

What Does This Have to Do With Facebook?

For some reason I began receiving a daily devotional called Lead Like Jesus. I don't remember signing up for it but it's in my Inbox on a regular basis. The good thing about it is that it is short and pithy. I like that. Get to the point. So I will try to do the same.

I've been on Facebook lately. What's great about Facebook is that you can find old friends. Did I say old? Let me expound. Sometimes I get frustrated that I have physically changed so much over the years. For instance, hair won't grow on top of my head but it grows aplenty in my ears. And what's up with those unruly hairs that seem to come out of no where around the eyebrows? They can get up to three feet long if you let 'em. Anyway, when you where admiring your good looks in the mirror back in the eighty's you never imagined what the future would try to do to your self esteem. Back to Facebook. I love Facebook! It has become the great equalizer for me. The more 'old' friends I find the more of my self esteem I recover. Nice. Some of my old friends have found the calendar to be a great friend while some ...well, let's just say ...thank you Jesus for letting me see them. The old geezer ugly bus has been kind to me in comparison.  

So this is the devotion that came this morning. It speaks of hope; not a hope that you will keep your good looks, but a hope that there is a good future when you find yourself smack dab in the middle of tough times. Read on. Then go check to see if you need to trim those eyebrows.

I Found My Grail: the iphone 3G ...continued

Well, it's here. I have it in my hands. After playing with it for a while I told Joanie, "This thing is incredible! I love this phone!"

Without breaking even a grin she responded, "Why don't you marry it?" My wife just doesn't understand the relationship between a man and his gadgets. So I set out to 'splain things to her so that she could understand and appreciate the fine points of having a phone that 'does it all.' "Ya see, I tap this button and the map shows my exact location." So I dutifully walked around the house...

A Lazy Saturday for Mr. Bean

Mr. Bean is having a tough day asleep on my lap. He had a bath and chased the cat, and ...well, that's about it.

Could these be the dog days of summer?

As Joanie says in her high pitched talking to doggies voice, "Mr. Bean, you're the best doggie in the whole wide world!" He pretty much is. 

The Demise of Bob the Tomato

Remember that yesterday I thought I plucked Bob the Tomato from my little garden? I am sad to report Bob has recently been involved in an accident with a very sharp object. Click to see the results. Hide the children's eyes.

Could This be Bob the Tomato?

I put a couple of planters out on the deck this season. The tomatoes are really starting to ripen. I looked at one of the tomatoes and the crazy thing had a nose! So naturally, I had to do something with it. Check out the next photo.